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---
“Dorothea Asuncion!”
The sharp voice yanked her from sleep. Dorothea blinked rapidly, her surroundings still a blur. Her heart raced as she sat up straight, confused.
Her seatmate, a girl with a playful grin, was already gathering her things. “Class is over ,” she said briefly before hurrying out the door, leaving Dorothea no time to respond.
Dorothea sighed, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. The exhaustion clung to her, a constant weight she couldn’t shake. Each day felt harder than the last.
Slowly, she gathered her books and stuffed them into her bag. She threw it over her shoulder, looking around the near-empty classroom. A few students chatted near the window, while the golden afternoon sunlight spilled across the wooden floor, casting long shadows.
Dragging her feet out of the building, she stepped into the busy street. The sounds of cars and distant conversations buzzed in her ears. A cool breeze brushed her face, but it did little to shake the fatigue weighing on her.
“I swear, everyday I feel like I'm running out of energy,” she muttered, adjusting her bag as she trudged toward home.
---
When she reached home, a sudden, searing pain shot through her shoulder. A gasp escaped her lips as her vision blurred. The burning sensation beneath her skin was unbearable. Stumbling inside, she clutched her shoulder, the pain growing worse.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
The moment she crossed the threshold, a strange glow pulsed from her shoulder, intensifying the pain. Tears welled in her eyes, her body trembling from the searing sensation. Then everything went dark.
---
"???????? ?????? ?????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ??????????,
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---
“Thea!”
Dorothea’s eyes snapped open. She groaned, trying to push herself up. The dizziness hit her in waves, making her head throb.
“What happened?” she whispered, her voice weak.
“I found you lying here when I got back,” her aunt, Esmeralda, said, her expression filled with concern. She helped Dorothea sit up on the couch. “Tell me what happened.”
Dorothea hesitated. The memory of the intense pain and the glowing light from her shoulder flashed in her mind. Her chest tightened.
If she told her aunt, Esmeralda would likely brush it off as nothing more than exhaustion or some trick of the mind. “I must’ve been exhausted,” she mumbled, trying to downplay it.
Esmeralda nodded, though she seemed unconvinced. “You need to take better care of yourself, Thea,” she said, heading to the kitchen. “I don’t know what I’d do if you ever really passed out.”
Her attempt at lightening the mood didn’t fool Dorothea. The underlying worry in her voice was too obvious.
“Take a warm bath,” Esmeralda added playfully. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Dorothea nodded, though her thoughts were elsewhere. She rushed to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Throwing herself onto the bed, she buried her face in the pillow. “It’s nothing,” she muttered. “Just exhaustion.”
She tried to convince herself, but doubt lingered.
---
In the bathroom, Dorothea sank into the warm bath. The heat soothed her tired muscles, the warmth washing away some of the tension. She closed her eyes, humming softly, hoping to clear her mind.
But as she lifted her hand from the water, something strange happened. The water rose, swirling in the air as if pulled by an unseen force. Her heart skipped a beat, and her breath caught in her throat.
Before she could make sense of it, the water dropped back into the tub with a soft splash, ripples spreading across the surface.
She stared at her hands, pulse racing. “What… was that?” she whispered.
---
“Thea! Dinner’s ready!”
Esmeralda’s voice snapped Dorothea back to reality. She blinked, realizing she had been staring at her hands for far too long. Shaking her head, she quickly rinsed off, trying to push aside the strange incident.
“It’s nothing,” she muttered, though her mind raced with confusion.
She hurriedly dried off, slipped into her pajamas, and made her way downstairs. The scent of sinigang and rice filled the air, but she couldn’t shake the nagging unease in her chest.
Esmeralda was setting the table when Dorothea entered. The older woman smiled, but Dorothea noticed the subtle concern in her eyes.
“I haven’t seen Draeven these past few days,” Esmeralda commented casually. “Are you two still together?”
The question caught Dorothea off guard. She hesitated before answering, a small, quiet ache in her chest. “Yeah, we’re still together,” she said after a moment. “He’s just really busy with work. Our schedules haven’t lined up lately, so we don’t get to see each other much.”
She forced a smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Esmeralda studied her face, her expression softening. “I understand. Life gets busy,” she said gently. “But don’t let too much distance grow between you. Sometimes we don’t realize how far apart we’ve drifted until it’s too late.”
Dorothea nodded, her gaze falling to her plate. She poked at her food absentmindedly, her thoughts drifting elsewhere. Was Draeven thinking about her too?
The sound of utensils clinking filled the quiet, but Dorothea was lost in thought.
---
Then, as Esmeralda asked her to fetch some water, Dorothea’s focus snapped back to reality. She stood up to get the glass, but as she walked toward the counter, the wind through the open window grew stronger. It was strange, but she didn’t pay it much attention until something unexpected happened.
The glass on the counter began to shake. Dorothea blinked, confused, as the glass slowly lifted off the counter. Before she could react, it shot through the air and landed in her hand.
Both Dorothea and Esmeralda stared at each other in shock.
“Did you just see that?” Esmeralda asked, her voice shaky.
Dorothea looked down at the glass, her heart pounding. “I… I don’t know.”
Esmeralda’s eyes widened, and she quickly reached out, taking Dorothea’s arm and pulling up her sleeve. She looked at the birthmark on her shoulder, the one Dorothea had worn since she was a baby.
The mark had always been faint, nearly invisible.
Now, it shimmered with vibrant colors—red, blue, green, and white. The mark pulsed, glowing faintly with an energy Dorothea couldn’t explain.
Esmeralda whispered in disbelief, “Malayara.”
The name hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Dorothea stared at her aunt, confused. “What does that mean?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Esmeralda met her gaze, a mix of fear and realization in her eyes.
“We need to talk.”
JuliaRie
