Chapter One: Chrysanthemum

Is it possible? Yes, I think it is.

I stare at my face in the mirror, trying to make sure this isn't a dream. Hopefully it's not. Because if this is reality, my hopes could change for the better. The gray mark that covered half of my face like a mask has disappeared!

I slap myself in the face. And again, and again, and again. Each time, my spirits diminish a bit more. I feel no pain. This is not a reality. Not mine, at least. A wave of disappointment washes over me, and suddenly I'm yanked back to consciousness by the sound of my radio alarm ringing. The song it's playing? Failure Girl. How fitting.

My name is Minuet Cho. I'm 22 years old now, and studying at a specialized medical university that I was lucky to get into. It's funny, how my parents named me Minuet in hopes that I'd play beautiful music one day so they could show me off like their new toy. Now? I'm doing what I consider to be the opposite. And I really think I fit in here! Or at least I fit in more than the others do. See, I'm a Marked. One of the three who were smart enough to get into the top university here in Kiriluna.

I get out of bed, and go to make breakfast. Someone has to make it or else no one in this apartment will get any food. And that person usually turns out to be me, because my other two roommates cannot cook for their lives. I have no idea why, really. Maybe they're really privileged? For some reason I doubt that, seeing that they're both Marked and both from backgrounds like me. I didn't make it to Hikaru University because of a loving family.

I ran away from my household the year I graduated high school. Maybe it was the way they treated me, a Marked in the only household of "untainted" Unmarkeds.

Maybe it's the way my mother tried to remove my scars, trying bottles of bleach which accomplished nothing but reduce my skin tone to almost paper-ish and harm it so much that whenever I tried to move it that week, it would split open.

Maybe it's the verbal abuse that my father would heap on me, how I was a disappointment and a disgrace, someone they never should have given birth to. Before I turned ten and received my mark, they had loved me like a normal family. Ha. It feels like a dream now.

But one day, I cracked and ran away, taking only the clothes they bought for me, my toiletries, and my stuffies. I didn't look back when I stepped outside the door and into the dark.

Back to the present. I quickly finish making breakfast and busy myself so I don't think about the past. It's not something I would wish on anyone. I know that people have gone through much worse than what I have, but even this was too much for me.

My roommate Mira comes out of her bedroom, yawning. She greets me with a "Hey Min! What's for breakfast?". By then, I've set up the table and put the dishes in front of everyone's seats. I made black bean and sweet potato quesadillas today. I think Mira smells them, because she immediately brightens and rushes over to the table. She squeals and hugs me. "Thank you, Minuet Cho, for existing!" she announces. "Your quesadillas are heavenly! I haven't had a taste of Jilyn in such a while!" She smiles bitterly, touching the heart shaped mark on her cheek. It looks like face paint that was never washed off.

Mira is from Jilyn Kingdom, also known as the country of Marked cruelty. When she was ten and her Mark appeared, her parents quickly shipped her here to Kiriluna so she wouldn't be hurt. I found her at ten years old, shivering in the cold, no parents with her, so I asked her where they were. And then she cried, letting out hours and days of pain and fear and anger. So I stayed with her, and that's how we became best friends. We support each other. It's almost like we're sisters, which is more that I can say from my real sisters.

"Kayla isn't up yet?" I ask Mira while she shoves quesadilla after quesadilla into her mouth. Thank goodness I know her appetite is as big as a black hole. She shakes her head and mumbles "She had an all-nighter study session last night. Min, can you go wake her up?" I sigh and shake my head. "Mira it's your turn to go wake her up. Don't shove it on me!". Mira huffs and gets up. "If you finish my quesadillas, I will finish you." She threatens before walking off and practically breaking open Kayla's door. Five seconds later, a girl with shimmery silvery hair tumbles out of the door and sprawls across the tiles. I shake my head. "MIRA!" I yell. "YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WAKE KAYLA UP LIKE THAT!" "Sorry~" she sings, obviously not feeling the least remorseful.

Kayla picks herself up and dusts off her jeans. Her ribbon-like mark shows on her collarbone as she walks over to me. "That girl is a whirlwind I tell you", she says. I couldn't agree with her more. Kayla picks up her quesadillas and begins nibbling, one bite after another. I start eating too. And we stay like that, silent, until Mira bursts out of her wardrobe wearing some fashionable getup or another and we start laughing at how she's dressed. All in all, it's a good way to wake up. A normal start to a normal day. Us three friends laughing together, a family that none of our own could provide for us.

That is, until Kayla checks her watch and says "Oh shoot. Girls we're going to be late!" Then we all push out of our seats and run for the entrance and our motorcycles. As I pass the door, I look behind me and see the quesadillas are missing. Mira probably forgot I packed her lunch.

We barely make it in time to the university campus, makeup done on the way, totally rocking our outfits. And when we walk towards the medical department, for some reason totally unknown to me, everyone's staring at Kayla and Mira and I. I wonder why? It's not hard to guess, so we walk down to our respective buildings. Kayla on her way to the Artistry Building and Mira and I on the way to the Medical Buildings. We say goodbye quickly before we all scatter to our classes.

The teacher raises her eyebrows when Mira and I quickly slide into the class. And then she looks surprised when Mira brushes her golden hair away to reveal the heart on her cheek. And then even more surprised when she notices the masquerade mask-like mark covering my face. She's going pale, paler. Wow. Someone didn't warn this teacher that we were coming to class today. But in any case, we're here, and we're not going to get kicked out of the class we worked so hard to get into.

The teacher finds her voice again and tells us to get to our seats. Relieved, neither Mira or I make any comment. We quickly secure seats next to each other, and grin. We've been like this since we were in 3rd grade. Still, my high drops quickly when I hear the guy behind me whisper to his desk mate "Birds of a feather stick together. I wonder if I could get some out of them. Do you think I can?" Before I can stop myself, I turn around to face them and say "These birds also have great hearing. And no, you can't get any from me. Why? Because you're not worth my time and I don't do that. Go back to your porn browser to fulfill your fantasies. I'm here to learn, not to hook up with random boys."

When I turn back around, I'm met with a round of applause and the teacher's approving face. It seems that that person had been harassing girls since high school, and no one had ever stood up to him. In any case, I seem to have been accepted into the class along with Mira, who looks proud of me. That is what you get dirty-minded little boy, I think. This has gone on for way too long.

As soon as the class ends, everyone comes over to greet us. My head is spinning with all the names: hopefully I'll remember them all tomorrow. This class seems so nice, compared to the Unmarked outside in the roads who catcall at us. Hopefully these are their true selves, because I'm growing to like this class. Everyone programs their numbers into our phones, so now our storage is really full. Hopefully after today's classes end Kayla, Mira, and I can go get new phones.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur, and the only memories I have of actually going to class are actually sitting in class and my notebook pretty much full of notes at this point. I think I'll have run out of space in it by this week. Hopefully not: I barely have enough money to splurge on a phone that I really need: if I buy myself a pack of notebooks it'll be too much for my wallet. I sigh. Time to take a student loan out. One of my worst nightmares.

You see, my family, the one that shunned me, runs the student loan business, and I mean business because that's what it is. They loan out a portion of their money and the kids pay it back after with an extra amount of money. And I have no desire to owe anything to my so-called "family". But I have to. It's my turn to pay rent this term, and I barely have enough to pay it. Mira's taking care of all the school textbooks, and Kayla pays for the groceries. If I don't pull it out, then we'll be left without a home.

So, I dial the number that I still remember, and punch the call button. Then I wait. I don't wait very long before my father picks up.

"This is the Cho residence, who is this?"

"Hello father. This is Minuet Cho."

"Min-Minuet? How? We thought you died!"

"Well surprise father. See, I survived. And you knew I was alive. I dug out the tracking system from my shoes the day I left. And you didn't see me? I was on the news."

"No way. You aren't smart enough to get into Kiriluna University! No, you must be lying!"

"Well, it turns out I'm not. And now, against my will, I have to ask you for a student loan."

"A student loan? My dear daughter, I'll give you millions of dollars! Congratulations on getting in! I'll send you the e-transfer right away!"

Right then, I get a notification. It says: "Cho Family has transferred you 4 million dollars."

I sigh loudly.

"Father, acting like you love me now that I got into the university that none of our family has ever gotten into is a low blow. You weren't there when I needed you. And now that I'm well-known and you need me, you act like you love me. I need to go father. Bye."

I hang up and let out a pent-up sigh. Why does my family act like this? They'll use you and throw you away when they don't want you. And pick you up when they do. Ugh.

I walk to the parking lot to wait for Mira and Kayla, so we can go and get phones. I'm loaded now because of father dearest, so I can get something nice for myself finally.

But right before I reach the parking lot, I hear a familiar voice. I can't place who it is, but I feel like I know her somehow.

She's talking to someone. I think through her phone. She's saying "Katie, it'll be fine. Don't listen to the voices, they're wrong. You're so sweet, you don't need to hurt others to prove it." A pause. "I know you want to go back to mom and dad, but they said that we can't, remember? It's just you and me now little sis."

I turn the corner, and there she is. A black haired girl, leaning on the side of the Artistic Building, crying silently. She's thin, pale, and is wearing a chrysanthemum flower barrette in her hair.

A name comes back to me. And I almost can't believe it, because there's no way she would be so thin. I can almost see her bones.

I step out and walk to her. And I call out.

"Lyra?"