Part I Chapter 1: Aletta and Alain

PART I: PURPLE EYED AND RED EYE TRIBES

Chapter 1: Aletta and Alain

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Ireth Village, Idigrid Island, Enkatalei Continent, 1888.

A 12 year old girl is sitting quietly on the terrace. Her hair is short, brown and in a single braid. Her eyes were tied with cloth, so her eyes could not be seen. Her neck was tightly covered with bandages. Her expression was cold, still, and calm, in tune with the mood of the night. She was folding the paper into a boat, she made it without seeing it, because her eyes were blindfolded. Once that was done he felt around the paper boat, making sure all the folds were perfect. Sure enough, even though she didn't see, she was able to make the paper boat neatly.

There was a creaking sound from the door, "Aletta, dinner is ready! Let's eat together," a boy who was one year younger than her called out warmly and excitedly.

"Yes. I'll come in." said Aletta in a flat but gentle tone. Aletta took her walking stick and stood up. Aletta already knows this house by heart, she can walk alone without being led by the boy.

"This time you must come with me to the table." asked the boy, quite serious about what he said.

Aletta followed the boy, his name was Alain. Aletta could hear Alain's footsteps. After passing through the living room and living room, they arrived at the dining table. The couple who are quite old are already sitting at the dining table and various simple dishes are ready. But they both stared in surprise and disgust at Aletta.

"I want Aletta to eat together!" Alain exclaimed, his right hand holding Aletta's hand, his left hand tightly clenched.

"Has Father been unclear all this time? She is not part of our family, you know that, Alain." said Alain's father, Erick, in a rising voice. As if Aletta was bad enough for him.

"Thank you, Alain. But I'm fine." she answered softly. No compulsion, no sadness. Slowly she removed his left hand from Alain and headed towards the terrace with the help of a stick.

Aletta is the adopted child of the Chastain family. But right now, Alain's parents didn't want to 'hand over' the Chastain surname to Aletta. They also kept their distance from Aletta. Alain's parents thought Aletta was a strange, abnormal child. While Alain, on the other hand, always followed and clung to Aletta. Every time they eat together, Aletta has to eat alone after they finish eating. But Alain always refuses that rule, he cares and prefers to eat with Aletta.

"Alain, you should also keep your distance from that kid-"

"Aletta!" he cried out Aletta's name.

"She has a name! Her name is Aletta!" snapped Alain, quite rude if it was aimed at parents.

Alain took two plates on the table which were already complete with some side dishes with both hands. He immediately turned around in a hurry towards the terrace.

"You've washed your hands haven't you? Eat." Alain asked politely and placed the plate next to Aletta who was sitting on a wooden bench. While Alain himself sat downstairs.

"Yes. As usual, thank you." said Aletta, smiling a little, then her face flat again.

Aletta grabbed the plate next to her, groping first until her finger touched the edge of the plate. Aletta put the spoon on the bench and placed the plate on her lap. Aletta whose eyes were closed would need to eat with her bare hands to take a bite. Alain who had no problem eating using a spoon. The two of them ate together, Aletta ate slowly, and Alain seemed hungry enough to eat voraciously.

On the other hand, Alain's parents looked so depressed that they hadn't started eating their dinner yet. Erick tapped his fingers on the table repeatedly, trying to relieve his stress through movement and sound. While Malinda put her hands together on the table.

"My dear, this will be bad..."

"That kid ... I saw her ... she has terrible eyes," mumbled Malinda, fear and worry evident in the way he spoke. Her hands were also shaking and he was breaking out in cold sweat.

"Yes, I can tell from his mother's eyes alone." said Erick, he had stopped tapping his fingers.

"I'm sorry Malinda, this time I'm not in the mood to eat. Well, you understand right?" said Erick refusing to eat dinner. Was it because it occurred to Alain clinging to Aletta that he didn't have an appetite? That's quite an exaggeration. Erick kissed Malinda's forehead and immediately went to his room.

"That child ... more terrible than her mother ...." Malinda mumbled, her fingers began to squeeze each other tightly. She was shaking more than before.

***

After eating, Aletta and Alain sat in the living room with some books on the table. Alain held the book and read it orally so that Aletta could also know what he was reading.

"This book contains several opinions regarding black spirits, but I'm a little doubtful because the identity of the author of this book is unknown. How can this book be in the warehouse? Hmmm, I've never seen this book at a friend's house." Alain wondered, maybe Aletta could guess the origin of the book.

"The royal people destroyed the book." Aletta answered quietly, but Alain was still busy turning the pages of the book.

"Ah, what? I didn't hear," Alain looked at Aletta, asking him to repeat his words.

"I didn't say anything. Please continue." Aletta replied lying.

"The opinion in this first chapter was conveyed by our Queen's predecessor and is still recognized by the Kingdom. Here it is written 'Black spirits are evil spirits that have no sense just like animals. There is no way to destroy these spirits yet. Black spirits can possess humans and make them lose consciousness and prey on other humans. If it is possessed by a black spirit, kill that human. When a human possessed by a spirit is killed, the spirit that is in it will also disappear.' What do you think? Do you believe in the existence of black spirits?" Alain enthusiastically asked Aletta's opinion.

Aletta was silent for a moment. She started to open his mouth, "I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen,"

"But the Kingdom admits it, so I believe. They couldn't possibly dare to admit such an important thing if they still had doubts." she answered confidently. For a child his age that was a pretty good opinion.

"Argh, again I don't understand what you're saying...!" Alain complained, but he wasn't really complaining, he was just kidding.

Aletta chuckled, then smiled, "Even though I used to learn spelling from you. Does that mean I have rivaled you?"

"That—of course not! Well, it's only natural if you manage to overtake me, you're a year older than me!" said Alain disapprovingly at first, then he made an excuse to lessen his embarrassment from that fact.

"This is only temporary. Tomorrow you can be above me again. It depends on how eager you are to renew yourself." said Aletta calmly. She said softly as if she was Alain's real older sister.

"You said that and I don't understand either. Then I'll write it down in my notebook and wait until I'm an adult and then I'll reread it!" said Alain enthusiastically. He literally ran to his room.

Aletta waited quietly. In the silence Aletta coughed, Aletta covered her mouth with her palm to reduce the sound of her coughing, it seemed like it was a really bad cough. Soon Alain came back with a notebook and a pencil.

"You don't have to take what I said seriously—"

"It's okay! Nothing wrong, right?" said Alain then wrote something in his book.

Finished writing it, Alain took the book earlier and continued.

"Furthermore, an unnamed man said that 'Black spirits were created by a tribe located near the border of Idigrid Island and Dezteleuze Island. They live on a small isolated island, and call it Katara Island. The tribe has purple eyes. ' But the person who wrote this said that it was a story from his grandfather. Unfortunately his grandfather only told it when he was seriously ill and dying. His grandfather died before telling him everything he knew." Alain excitedly explained what he was reading.

"Then there are those who say that there are tribes that can eliminate black spirits… but this is only conjecture and there is absolutely no evidence. Then there are other opinions that agree with this, but here is additional information. I've seen the red-eyed tribe, that's probably the tribe in question. I still don't understand..." Alain said then yawned. Alain rubbed his eyes, he looked sleepy.

"Continue tomorrow. I'm sleepy too." said Aletta and stood up. She took his wand and walked towards her room. But suddenly he stopped.

"Hide the book, and don't let anyone else know about it. Let me keep it." said Aletta offering herself.

"Eh? All right." Alain agreed. He closed the book and stood up and handed the book into Aletta's hands.

"Good night."

"Yes, good night Aletta!"

Alain turned off the lamp made of foss gems in the living room by covering it with a black cloth. Fos gems were gems that were found in many caves on the Enkatalei Continent. Everyone in the Enkatalei Continent wears this gem as a home lighting, the light is very bright, a single fist gem can illuminate a medium room, the way to turn it off is to cover it with black cloth, of course not just any cloth.

Alain and Aletta were still in their respective rooms. Alain's room is near the living room, while Aletta's room is at the back near the kitchen.

***

Aletta closed the door to her room tightly. The wand was placed in the corner of the room. Aletta groped the mattress until her fingers touched the pillow. She picked it up and hid the book under the pillow.

Aletta stepped towards the mirror. She touched the surface of the mirror, making sure that she was right in front of the mirror. Aletta lowered her hand slowly.

'Aletta, don't show your eyes to others. Don't look into your own eyes either, until you see Mother again. But more importantly, don't let the bandage around your neck come off, you can only change the bandage at twelve o'clock in the afternoon when the sun is shining brightly. Promise on behalf of your mother that you will not open this bandage around your neck. Please remember this for Mother's sake.'

The sentences in a letter from Aletta's memory flashed across her mind briefly. Aletta raised her hands and looked for the knot of cloth behind her head. Aletta removed the cloth covering her head covering her eyes. When the cloth was in her hands, Aletta slowly opened her eyes and looked in the mirror. Aletta's body froze until it dropped the cloth in her hand. Aletta looked at herself with eyes that said 'no way, this is impossible.'

"That's all I'm breaking. I'm not going to take off the bandage around my neck at night."

***

Waiting for the sun to rise, Aletta sat on the terrace of her house facing east. This morning his face was still the same as yesterday, flat and calm. Aletta had put back the cloth that covered her eyes, the bandage that was starting to wear out was still wrapped around her neck. Aletta was folding the paper again, this time she shaped the paper into a swan, still half done.

Tap, tap, tap.

There was the sound of footsteps on the dry grass. Aletta realized it and immediately stopped doing her paper folding activities. From the sound of his footsteps, that person had right now stopped in front of the terrace.

"You're up early," said a 40 years old man. The man carried a wicker basket filled with pears.

"I woke up early today." Aletta replied calmly. In fact, what actually happened was that Aletta hadn't slept at all. After seeing her own eyes in the mirror, she kept thinking about it.

"Yesterday my garden just harvested. I want to share some pears," he said offering pears.

Aletta put down the paper and stood up, "Thank you Mr Gaston. I'll tell my father later."

Gaston stepped closer to Aletta. Gaston handed her a fruit basket. Aletta placed it slowly on the small table beside the bench. Gaston said goodbye to come back. Aletta welcomes.

The sound of footsteps began to fade, Gaston had gone far. Aletta sat down and fumbled in her chair for the paper. Aletta continued her paper folding activities. Then the sound of footsteps came again, but this time it was from inside the house. Apparently it was Erick who came.

Erick was quite surprised to see Aletta sitting alone. Erick carried a large bag on his back. The bag was so full that something almost came out. From his well-groomed feet with leather shoes and socks, Erick will go. He glanced briefly at the basket of pears on the table. His face wondered where the basket and its contents had come from.

"Mr. Gaston just came to gave this fruit." said Aletta not forgetting to tell, not because she could see Erick's face.

"I will go." Erick said ignoring Aletta and immediately said the important point. Erick immediately left the terrace without saying anything else.

At the beginning of every month Erick goes to the capital city for work and will return on the third Sunday of each month. Erick went to the residence of Mr. Grosvener, one of his neighbors who rented out horses. Erick always left very early because he didn't want to see his crying wife abandoned by him. Not long since Aletta came into the Chastain family, Malinda started to get scared and often locked herself in her room.

"Ah, Aletta! I saw your bedroom door was open and no one was inside. I panicked, you know. Why are you up so early? Even the sun is just starting to rise." said Alain suddenly appeared after a while his father left.

"Eh, where is this fruit from?" Alain wondered and took one. He rubbed it against his shirt to clean it then took a bite.

"From Mr. Gaston." Aletta answered briefly.

Alain swallowed the fruit that was chewed in his mouth, "Ho, he often shares things with us. Isn't he very kind? Even the other neighbors who have lived here longer are still stingy to share." he said and took another bite of the pear.

"You mean Mr. Gaston moved here not long ago?" Aletta asked calmly, though she raised her voice slightly.

"I think he moved here 2 years ago." said Alain, still enjoying the half-eaten pear in his hand.

"I came here about 2 years ago…." Aletta mumbled.

"Hmm?" Alain again did not hear it. He asked with his mouth still chewing.

"Not." Aletta didn't seem to want to repeat her words again. But Alain did not suspect Aletta's behavior.

"I have something to ask you. What do you think of me?" Aletta suddenly asked something else.

"Hmmm? Maybe quiet? Calm? Smart?" Alain didn't understand what Aletta was asking.

"Do you feel scared or uncomfortable around me?" Aletta asked seriously. Alain realized that Aletta was asking seriously, he finally stopped chewing the fruit for a while.

"What's different about you is that your eyes and neck are covered. The rest of you, you're like a normal child. So why should I be afraid?" Alain said that in his eyes Aletta was just like him and his friends. After hearing that, Aletta fell silent.

"Are you asking this because of my parents?" Alain was suspicious of his parents which caused Aletta to ask about it. Because his parents treat Aletta like an 'ubnormal' child.

"Don't worry, this has nothing to do with them."

***