How many lives does it take to erase a sin?
Lynn goes with a stranger with the same half-moon eyes as her, to the House of Memories, the night she was killed. A Dragon instructs her to go and meet her past reincarnation, and put an end to the life...
The sun cast its mighty light upon the grounds of the little village of Arthremore. The plants looked up at the sun with gratitude. The lively butterflies danced with the wind, making Arthremore a land of colourful designs. The busy people walked through Arthremore, chatting about their everyday lives.
Near a thick wooden fence, a thin young girl with unruly, long black hair sat in the shadows of red brick walls, with a little rusty metallic plate in front of her. The plate was empty. She stayed still, with her little wooden stick lying on the ground, as the vibrant village carried on with its bright life.
As the sound of jingling came nearer and the smell of food wafted through the air, the girl's stomach growled. A dog ran to her, and the girl stretched out her weak hands until she could feel the softness of bread. She tore a piece of bread from the dog's mouth and hurriedly ate it with both hands, while the dog munched on what was left.
The girl patted the fluffy dog. The dog put his nose near the girl's cheek and kissed her.
It was then that many footsteps approached them. The girl took her metallic plate and held it forward with the strength she gained from eating the bread. A roar of laughter erupted.
"The ugly little thing wants a donation," said one of the boys, coming near her.
"Then let's give her some," said another one of the boys.
One of the boys came forward with rough footsteps. He kicked the girl's plate, striking a part of her hand in the process. The plate fell with a thud, and the girl pulled her hand back in pain. The dog barked loudly and ran towards the boy who had kicked the girl. The girl could hear the pain in the dog's voice as the sounds of a fight grew louder.
After some time, the group started laughing wildly. She could no longer hear the dog's voice. They went near her and started beating her. The girl fell back and hit her head on the wall. She yelled in pain as the boys ran away from her.
Time stood still for her. She could hear nothing anymore. Her body felt numb.
After what felt like centuries, she heard laughter again. The girl opened her eyes with resignation.
It was her first time. The first time she truly opened her eyes. She had never known what light was. Looking at the streetlights filled her with wonder. She had never known what colours were. She did not know where to look and tried to absorb everything all at once. It was completely different from the image she had in her mind of the village. Tall buildings of varying sizes were everywhere. She wondered what it was like to reach the top floor of a building and stand on the balcony, like some people were doing. She looked up and could see the moonlight partially.
The girl looked around and saw many different plants and animals. People were wearing fancy clothes, showing off their different styles and statuses. Some had white skin, some were black, and some were in between. They had all kinds of looks; some were tall, some short, some had beards, and some didn't. Women and men were wearing accessories, and there were kids with their own special things about them too. Everyone was different in their own way.
The girl looked at herself. Her clothes were torn on some sides. She looked thin and could see the bones on her hands. Though the villagers called her ugly, it was only now that she truly felt what hideousness meant. The girl nonchalantly looked away from herself.
Memories struck the girl. She looked ahead to see if she could recognise the being that had fed her in times of need. Lying on the ground, she saw a brown fluffy creature. The creature slowly got up. It looked around, started barking ferociously, and began running around.
"Mom, the cursed one," the girl heard a boy scream to his mother, and as soon as she looked in their direction, they turned their heads away from her.
The dog spotted the girl and came towards her. The moment she locked eyes with the dog, it started glowing. The dog moved its nose, touched the girl's nose, and woofed happily.
Slowly, the dog started becoming transparent. The girl could not take her eyes off the dog. It slowly started transforming into a small, translucent brown bird. Its eyes were like half-moons. It no longer woofed.
The bird flapped its wings. It flew towards the girl and chirped. She thought maybe it was this form of the dog that always chirped near her along with its friends.
The bird then slowly moved back. Tears came out of its eyes. It turned in the opposite direction and flew towards the moon.
The girl just stared as the bird flew away. She wondered if she could change her form and fly.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
