Cursed or Blessed

I was born cursed. Once upon a time, there were 3 factions of unnatural's; beings with supernatural powers or abilities. Like some of the countless stories humans tell to each other as if it's fiction, when a few are, in fact, very real. But not completely true. There was a 4th one, a secret faction between the others, the Moonbright clan. Beings blessed by an old deity we called Inari. All factions lived close and in secret from humans. I was part of the Moonbright village, as the daughter of a very powerful alpha. All faction members possessed powers given by the goddess herself. We were made with the "mark of the moon"; as the elders called it, effectively a tattoo, with elaborate marks and designs that differed with each person. The more detailed the mark, the stronger the being that had it. I was cursed, and my curse consumed everything I loved. I wasn't born with any sort of powers, and my marks are all simple shapes adorning my skin. My birth was uneventful and superfluous. All it did was bring shame to my parents, who were both very powerful. I was a disappointment, the offspring of a strong chief and a priestess, with nothing special at all. Almost a human. Anyway... It doesn't matter anymore, since the Moonbright faction doesn't exist anymore. All because of the Wanning War. Most unnatural's of other factions, including mine, were slaughtered in the process. The Moonbright clan was entirely eradicated, and with it, my friends, family, and my memories. Now the rest of the supernatural beings are in scattered zones, hidden, and the Moonbright clan has been fully forgotten about. Cursed to not belong anywhere. I can't recall a lot of that day... I was just 6 years old. ----------- — Aura! Where are you? — Entirely out of my thoughts now, I looked around to see one of the siblings looking for me. The most agreeable of the two, which didn't mean much. — Did you need anything? — I stand up, closing the book I was reading, having taken a little break from all the noise at home. Once the war happened, I hid in the woods for a while, scared of them double-checking they might've overlooked anyone. Until the day the Aston's, a nice family, took me in; and when I got settled, we moved here. To Wolfpine village. I've kept my identity a secret for my safety, covering my marks and changing my name. I've discovered a few things since. First, the other unnatural's seem to think the Moonbright faction is a silly urban legend. Second, I think Wolfpine is a very fitting name. Unnaturals can easily tell another one has powers. It's like an off vibe they give off. There seem to be quite a few unnaturals here. But a lot of humans too. — I have something to do right now...— she pleaded, putting on her biggest puppy eyes — Could you take my shift for me? — — Sure, it's fine.- I sighed, defeated.— Don't worry about it. — I've been living with them since the age of 8. Mrs. and Ms. Aston are great, kind, and warm people. Their kids...not so much. The moment I started living with them, both siblings took me as a free handmaid of sorts. They picked on me relentlessly, and I was constantly their errand girl. Now that we're older, they've stopped the hair-pulling, kicking, and biting, but I'm still their servant. In a way, both siblings complement each other. This one here is Samara. She'll only be nice to you when you do what she wants; double-faced is the best way to describe her. The other one is Orien, the worst of the two by far. He doesn't waste any opportunity to try to humiliate me or do things for him. She's the inward asshole, while Orien is the outward one. We work at a little convenience store; family owned, but since we're low rank we also have to serve the chief family at least 2 times a week. It's a horrible job, and because of that... it's my job. I was just trying to take it easy today since I'll have it tough tomorrow, but eh. I should have expected this. She immediately scampers, not paying me any mind. Not interested in her antics, I pick my stuff up and go to my room to change into my work clothes. My room is the smallest of what is already a tiny house, but I can't complain. I put the work apron on, and fix my hairpins in the mirror. I guess I haven't properly introduced myself, have I? My name is Arai, I'm 21 years old. Colored hair or eyes, especially in vibrant shades, are a sign of strength in the clan; so mine is stark white. My hair is pretty long and straight. I keep bangs and strategically placed hairpins to hide my forehead mark. My eyes are blue, but unlike my mother's, they don't shine with life in them. Hers were as clear as the sky, but mine are cloudy. I have fair skin, and I'm thin with a petite complexion. I'm pretty small, about 5'2, so that makes me an easy target for harassment. Because of that, I try to keep myself in shape in case of a fight. Too common for an extraordinary being; but too weird for the common folk. Cursed to never fit in. My clan marks a vivid red, so I keep them covered at all times, with my hair and clothing. For the other village people, I'm just Aura, an ordinary human with nothing going for her. Which is... Sadly, right. I step out of my room, go down the stairs, and try to quietly leave the house, since Orien is sleeping on the couch. He's a total asshole, so I try to avoid him as much as possible. I was almost out of the door when I heard: — There you are. — he mumbles, slurring his speech. — You haven't finished my chores. — He's drunk, and beer just makes him nastier to deal with. I glared at him for a few seconds, with no expression on my face. Then shut the door without response. — ¡HEY! YOU STUPID b***h! — I heard him screech while I walked out. — COME BACK HERE! — ---------------- It's been a while since I got to work, and the day has been largely uninteresting, which is nice. Same as most days, simply me listening to music while I wait for any customers to show up, or for them to finish shopping. While helping one of our regulars, I knocked over the book I was reading, so I got down to the counter to pick it up. For a moment, the store atmosphere changes, heavy. When the door chimes, everything goes silent. — ¡Welcome to our shop! — I began saying, as I always do, and then I stopped, startled. In front of me, the village chief's son and soon-to-be alpha. Calix is the firstborn of the chief of the Wolfpine village. He's the whole package. Incredibly attractive, tall (at least 5'11), and very athletic; His black hair is short, curly, and a little spiky. His facial features are sharp as if carved from marble, and just adds to his tough and unapproachable look. He wears primarily neutral tones or black, which contrasts with his cold red eyes. He's also very fit since he's our village's strongest warrior and hunter. The village people call him Bloodhound, because of his cruelty and overall frightening presence. A handle that really suits him. He has always had an off vibe around him, but I've never been able to tell if it's his, or the people he hangs out with. — Hey, Aureola. — he jokes, snickering. I rolled my eyes instinctively. — You're so funny, alpha Calix —I said sarcastically, with an annoyed face. — You should become a comedian. — He chuckled. — You know, if you weren't so cute you'd be dead by now.— His demeanor changed in a beat. — You should watch that sass. — Then, before I could say anything else, he grasped my face, putting our faces close. I struggle, trying to get out of it, but his grab is too strong. — Just a tip. No man would ever like a girl with an attitude. — He smirked menacingly — Perhaps we should fix that. — I shake my head, now disgusted, and he lets my face free to laugh again. His eyes were a brilliant red now, in a way a human could never imitate. — If you're not buying anything, you can leave. — I uttered, attempting to regain my composure. His expression had another 180°. — ¡Oh yeah! — He grabbed some cigarettes from the counter, way too many for one person. — Here.— I rang him up and he handed out a hefty dollar bill; I was about to give him his change when he asked: —You're working at our house tomorrow, right? — he grinned, his intentions written all over his face. I rolled my eyes as I extended the money. — Keep the change. — I turned to him, bewildered.— Buy yourself something nice. — I can't fathom it. ¿He? doing something nice for somebody that wasn't himself? — God knows you need it. — he snickered. Of course not. He glanced at me one last time, finally taking his leave. I sighed. I feel bad for whoever has the disgrace of being his mate. ----------- I was not eager to get home after work. Mainly since I didn't forget about what happened with Orien in the morning. I'm hoping that if I don't make too much noise he won't notice. If I'm lucky enough, he'd be asleep already. I open the door to see that the Moon Goddess has blessed me; both parents are home cooking dinner. Sam and Orien are both horrible to deal with, but they're manageable since they're only awful when their parents aren't present. I guess so if I tried to tell on them they wouldn't believe me. They've done the same since we were kids, feigning innocence. — ¡Good evening, Mrs. and Ms. Aston! — I smile, shutting the door behind me. — Hope your day went great. — —Oh dear, you know you can just call us Mom and Dad. —she explains, holding my hands with a warm smile. I give a little awkward laugh in response. — Come sit at the table, dinner is almost done. — —¡Okay! I'll go change and be right back. — I start going up the stairs. I can hear a lot of chatter downstairs. It's nice that everyone is on their best behavior. Or so I thought. I changed very quickly into some shorts and a t-shirt and started the walk to the kitchen. — You're mine now. — I hear behind me, and before I get a moment to react, he has me gripped by the arms. — ¿What the hell do you want, Orien? — I sighed, with no energy to get pissed at all. — I think we had agreed that you'd do my chores while I was partying these last few days. — He scowls — They've already given me hell for it. — — "We" didn't agree to anything. — I made the motion with my hands. — You decided. — — It doesn't matter, somebody has to pay for it. — he grins, in a way that makes me gag. I sighed. — If you don't let me go right now I'm going to scream. — I threatened. —¿And what are you gonna say? — he scoffs — They'll never believe you. — — ¿What if I said you were peeping while I was changing? — I smirk — I'm sure they'll believe me then. — He thinks for a moment, something I didn't think he was capable of doing, and lets my arms free. — You're lucky that they're here. — he walks out. And he's right. I go down to dinner, and things go great for the rest of the evening. They tell stories about their trip, each sibling attempts to ask for more allowance, and I appreciate the nice warm moment that is having a meal with family, even if it isn't mine. As usual, I help them wash the dishes, and once it's all done, I go and take a shower; I'll be sleeping early for a long day tomorrow. Now refreshed, I decided to sneak away for a little bit. I haven't had "me" time in a while, and with everything that transpired today, I deserve it. When I have some time to myself, I enjoy going into the woods. There's this lovely pond in the grove, close to the outskirts of town. It's my nice piece of heaven, my secret place, it calms me down; Most think the woods are dark and scary, but they grant me so much comfort. Maybe because I spent a lot of time in them. I close my eyes, sitting near the pond. I let my body absorb the moonlight, enjoying the moment. Pleased, I let out a little sigh. I decide to try again. I try to concentrate, calling into my mind. "Hello?" "¿Is someone here?" "¿Anyone else?" ... Another thing my curse took from me. I don't have a wolf. I can't recall a lot from the Moonbright clan, but what I remember it's similar to werewolves; so I've made sure to read everything I could about them. Werewolves get their wolves once they turn of age, at 21. That's also when they met their soulmates. I thought that once my birthday came I'll get mine myself, but it's been a while, and I've had no results. Perhaps if I had anyone else to ask, but now I'll never get to know. It makes me feel more alone than ever. I don't fit in anywhere, no matter how much I want to. I hear a rustling, which startles me out of my momentary sadness. — ¿Who is there? — I shout, standing up, careful of the noise I'm making. Slowly, I get closer to the source of the rustle and move the bush aside swiftly. No one. But there's a little path I don't think I've ever noticed before. There aren't any critters in sight. It has a beautiful blue glow to it. Something about it calls to me... It feels nostalgic, but odd, like a dream. My curiosity gains the better of me and slowly, I take a few steps into it. It felt different; like a completely different plane of reality. Luring, strange, but captivating in its bizarre way. I look around slowly, trying to take in its intrinsic beauty completely. My phone rings. It snaps me out of it, taking me of my trance. I answer. — ¿H-hello? — I struggle. The words feel weird in my mouth as if I haven't spoken in a long while. — Aura, ¿What the hell? Where are you? — Sam yelled, mad and a little concerned. —¿Why? I just left for a few minutes. — I clarified, confused. — ¿Did something happen? — —Aura. — —¿... Yeah? — — It's the middle of the night. —