Oddity 4

"You had been such a bad girl."

man laughter echoed in the darkness of the very room, the coldness seeps through the bones of a naked young girl, her neck chained and arms bounded with her back facing him.

the girls shivered, as droplets of blood softly kissed her skin slowly dripping. her pale white skin adorned with blood made the man breathe in pleasure.

he tightens his hold on the whip on his hands.

"Let me see how loud can you scream...hehehe.."

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The boy sat silently, merely looking down at his hands. He ignored the aroma of the delicacy in front of him with his head down Mira's and Stella's mother Claudia gaze at the lonely figure of the boy, she tried to encouraged him to eat even a bit but the boy remained still. She pitied the boy's past but on the contrary, they finally found him after weeks of him missing. He wandered around the streets at a young age of 4, they found him being ganged up by a group of street children. She can't control her happiness when she saw a glimpse of the child at first he was beyond recognition because of the dirt and bruises on his face and clothes but at a closer look, she recognized the sweet little baby that once followed her everywhere.

She felt miserable about how could a child experience such a depressing state.

Mira glimpse at the young boy in front of her, in the big shirt he wore clanged on his tiny scrawny body, he was dangerously pale. His eyes were deep and dull as they stared at the unknown. Mira stared at him for a while, making Callus squirm a bit under her gaze.

"Callus isn't it? What happened to you?"

Her crisp warm voice rang over the clanks of the tableware on the plate. Callus slowly lifts his gaze to her. Upon sight his posture is strict and straight and his eyes carried the weight no child should carry, it spoke thousand of words but his mouth remained tightly closed. He slowly shakes his head and puts his gaze back to his small white hands. Silence pass through the room. The master of the house coughs a bit to catch everyone's attention.

"Right, Callus you are welcome to stay here if you want, but if you have some resistance we will not force you to stay. Your father is a sworn brother of mine, I will naturally take care of his son."

Callus looked at the man that sits at the top of the table he hesitantly nods his head. The man gallantly laughs. He self claimed this young boy is as shy as his old man.

" You remind me of your father. He's a very admirable man."

Right at the first sentence, Callus instantly freeze, he always heard the same remark from that woman.

"You look so much like your father. It's disgusting."

Looking at the boy's already white face slowly becoming paler, Mira frowned at his reaction, trying to recall his backstory but slowly she somehow forgets the plot of this game as the days pass by.

The boy drops his gaze back to his hands clenching tight.

"My father... what happened?"

Callus small voice rang.

The man observes the boy's blank gaze. His face frowns deeply but spoke reluctantly.

"Your parents with your aunt and cousin are..."

"Your house was burned down Callus, we thought no one survived until we saw you."

Claudia's soft eyes gaze at the child filled with pity.

Looking at the woman, His eyes turned cold. He blinks and smiled warmly at the woman.

"Oh? I see. I guess with the said aunt and cousin in the house, she finally did it. " His voice shrinking as he laugh solemnly. Mira shivered from his hallow laugh, it was empty and dark. His eyes was cold and empty.

"What do you mean by that?" Claudia heard him as she was the closes to him. Callus gaze at her, his eyes turning more darker but he only shakes his head and lifted his head at the woman. He smiles brightly with exhaustion.

"Madam I'm tired please I want to rest."

Filled with pity Claudia called the maid to assist Callus to his room. The whole awkward scenario was observed by Mira.

She finds it odd, the whole setup is weird. Something isn't right. She remembers Callus has a dexterity with magic, a rare dual user at that but he was an enigma. Someone to watch out for. He is a danger itself.

"He's weird." A bell-like voice sweetly spoke.

"Stella, be nice your cousin had been through a lot. A little patience and empathy will help." Claudia scolds.

Stella shrugged without care, enjoying the meal. Mira shakes her head, this child is too innocent.

"I want you 2 to watch over him okay? He's a cousin. He needs a friend right now, someone to comfort and listen to." Claudia said.

"I don't want to," Stella remarked softly.

"Stella..." Claudia sighs.

" Your mother and I will leave for a week, the king's request for our presence." Vernon, Mira's father stated.

"Who will take care of us?" Stella asked curiously.

"Well, of course, John will. He is trustworthy proletarian, he had been working here for the last 5 years, very productive and loyal at that." Vernon praised.

"Mira, as the oldest you should look at both at your younger sister and cousin. I don't want to hear any trouble coming from John or any of the maids understood?"

"Crystal," Mira swear.

Claudia frowned and asked

"Crystal?"

"I mean yes, mother" Mira corrected. Claudia nods her head but still frowning.