Blood of the Crimson Heir

Lila POV The girl by the fountain wasn’t getting wet. Rain was falling everywhere in Velmoor except where she stood. At first, I thought I’d imagined it. She stood there. Dry. Unbothered. Then turned to look at me directly. Her eyes were dark. Too dark. I walked faster. —————- I stood at the doorway of St. Mary’s child release office, counting the cracks on the plastered ceiling. Today was my last day here. Seventeen cracks. Still the same as I remembered. I had counted them when eight-year-old me had just arrived at the orphanage, too stubborn to cry. I didn’t know why I repeated the same action… maybe it was to remind myself that the building was ugly and there was nothing to lose. That I wasn’t leaving anything worth missing. St. Mary’s Orphanage was located at the far end of Sukho Lane, like something in the city had forgotten to tear down. The building crouched behind high, rusted iron gates. Their once-white paint peeled away by years of neglect. The air in the hallway smelled of spoilt cabbage soup, damp wood, and rainwater trapped in rusted pipes. On cold nights, the wind blew through the broken windows, making it impossible to sleep. I would always curl myself in a corner of the room, wrapping my body with a thin-layered blanket, which I had outgrown. It was given to us by the caretaker, who never bothered to replace it. It wasn’t really a bad place. The sisters were strict but fair. The food was enough, but gawd, it tasted awful. I could remember locking myself in the bathroom for the entire day after eating the cabbage soup given to us as lunch. But at least no one was beaten up for no reason. So… yeah. It was manageable. I had been asleep this morning when the caretaker, Mrs. Agnes, shook me awake with an unusual excitement. I stared at her, my face still tired. A white smile spread across her wrinkled features, her aged teeth flashing as she looked at me. “Come on, Lila, get ready quickly. Your foster parents are here to take you to your new home,” she said. “Foster parents?” I had stopped expecting anyone to come — no one was ready to take in a thirteen-year-old child. “Do not keep them waiting,” she said. Thirty minutes later, I appeared at a child release office, my expression blank, despite the nervous excitement twisting inside me. The couple stood in one corner of the office, quietly waiting. The woman greeted me with a warm smile, while the man didn’t even bother looking my way. I walked towards them, gripping my teddy hard against my side. The only thing I had to my name. Back then, I thought I’d finally found the family that I hoped for, but I was wrong. ———- That was seven years ago. Now I work at a small coffee shop, share a bedroom, and attend one of the city's prestigious universities. Blackwood University — was one of the most elaborate institutions in the city. Not like I’m trying to brag, but damn! It’s obvious. The campus is divided into three wings, each representing students with different statuses and wealth. I stayed at Saffermore Hall. It’s the oldest and coldest part of the university. Students here earned their place through scholarships because we couldn’t afford the fees. I’d kept my GPA from slipping — like my life depended on it, because it did above 3.5 or nothing. The degree was my only way out of Hart’s house, out of the city if I wanted, and out of my particularly miserable life. I wanted to become an accountant—a good one in particular, the kind that wore sharp blazers and stood among people who mattered. And nothing was going to stop me from achieving that. ———- My first lecture didn’t start till nine, which gave just enough time to head to the library, finish the reading I had slept over the night before, and get my head straight before another six hours of nonstop lectures. I stopped by the cafeteria to grab something to eat. It was buzzing with students; the smell of coffee filled the air. I picked up a sandwich, a bottle of water, and a caffeinated drink—enough to ease the tiredness weighing on my shoulders. My phone buzzed in my hand. A message popped up on the screen. It was from my boyfriend, Fred. “Shit.” I had totally forgotten I was supposed to go over yesterday. “Hey baby, are you mad at me? You didn't come over yesterday. I'm really sorry if I did anything to make you upset.” Great. Now he thinks I'm mad at him. How do I begin to explain to him that I had forgotten about our movie night? “No it's nothing like that. You didn't do anything to upset me. I was just so worn out yesterday, I'm sorry for cancelling our movie night.” I hit send and added a frowning emoji at the end. Then his text came almost immediately after I replied. “No need to apologize. I know you have a lot to do, so it's alright. We can always do it anytime. Please take care of yourself.” A smile tugged at the corner of my lips without me realizing. Fred had always been the perfect boyfriend every girl wished to have. And I was here being unfair to him. I had to make it up to him. I buried my face in my food before it got cold. By the time I finished eating, the sky had already darkened, rain clouds gathering overhead. Beyond the campus gate, the city skyline was already swallowed by dark clouds— Velmoor never looked more like itself than when the weather was miserable. I stared out the cafeteria window at the dark clouds rolling in and remembered I hadn’t brought an umbrella. Either way, it didn’t matter because I was going to get soaked. I put my bag over my head, like that was going to help, and stepped outside. The drizzle started almost immediately. That was fine — the library wasn’t far ahead. I could make it before I got completely soaked. Students around me scattered, every one of them dashing to their destinations before they got drenched. That was when I saw her. A female student standing at the edge of the fountain courtyard, facing the main building. Unbothered. Like the rain didn’t apply to her. Her dark hair fell in short waves just above her shoulders. I was about to look away when I noticed something. She wasn’t soaked. Goodness, I really needed to get enough sleep. I stared at her again, not believing what I saw at first. She turned her head slowly and looked directly at me, as if sensing that someone was watching her. Her eyes were dark. Too dark. It felt like I was staring down at an endless pit. I looked away immediately and walked faster. I didn't look back. For the rest of the morning, sitting in the library with my textbook open in front of me, I couldn’t tell you a single thing I read.