painful beginning

At some point in life, one begins to wonder if their existence truly matters. When you try to leave the past behind and move forward, life only seems to grow harsher, making you question whether it truly holds meaning. Is "life" just a comforting word—a lie to keep us ignorant of the truth?

What is the point of loving your neighbor as yourself when that neighbor is willing to do anything to destroy you? I often wonder if there is anyone in this insignificant world who is genuinely kind, someone who speaks without judgment, listens to the heart, understands pain, and values true individuality. But in the world I live in, everything is different. Here, people judge based on looks, body shape, and perfection rather than a person's true abilities. And for those who lack these so-called perfect qualities, surviving this hell alone is nearly impossible.

Is everything about appearances? Who cares if someone is beautiful or ugly? What truly matters is what lies within. Who cares about perfection? Safety and survival should be the priority. But not in Seoul.

Melly stood before the crowd, delivering a powerful speech in an attempt to change their narrow mindset. She wanted them to see beyond the surface, to look at people for who they truly were. But instead of changing their hearts, her words became the nightmare that would haunt her forever.

Melly was a young, beautiful girl, but she lived alone—a result of the merciless raiders. "Those jerks!" she would often mutter, hatred burning in her heart. The raiders despised magic, a gift that ran in her family for generations. They saw it as a curse, a crime. And because of that, they slaughtered her entire family.

She was only six years old when it happened.

Melly stood at the edge of the woods, frozen in horror as she watched her family burn to ashes. The flames crackled, devouring everything she loved, while her neighbors—the very people she was taught to love—laughed, feasted, and celebrated her loss. That was the day Melly realized it had all been a lie. The teachings of love and kindness were nothing but empty words.

That night, her heart hardened. Love was a weakness, and the only thing that mattered now was vengeance.

Melly raised herself in an abandoned building near the city. At night, she scavenged the streets for leftover food and discarded clothes. By the time she turned ten, she had already learned how to suppress her pain, to move through life as if nothing had happened. But everything changed the day she met them.

Kang, Taemoo, Nabi, and Kim—four kids who, unlike the rest of the world, didn't judge her. They were kind, carefree, and full of laughter. For the first time in years, Melly felt something unfamiliar: warmth. She let herself trust them, even though their lives were far from the misery she knew. And then, something she never expected happened.

Nabi's parents—the wealthiest family in the city—adopted her. Not out of love, but to please their daughter.

At first, Melly thought she had finally found a place to belong. She went to school with Nabi, excelling far beyond her. But her success only fueled jealousy, creating a rift between them. To keep the peace, Nabi's parents transferred Melly to another school, ensuring that their daughter would always shine.

Years passed, and at sixteen, Nabi was sent abroad to study. Melly was left behind in a house that was never truly her home. No one cared, no one noticed her efforts, no one comforted her when she was sad. She was just… there. Existing. Her education was merely an obligation, a way for Nabi's parents to justify taking her in. They often reminded her that, after college, she would work in their company as a 'reward' for her hard work.

"What about what I really want?" she would ask herself in the silence of her room. But she knew the answer—she had no control over her own life.

Then, on the night of her seventeenth birthday, everything changed.

She had always known magic ran in her blood. Her grandparents had taught her the basics when she was little. She could make flowers bloom, flip objects with her eyes, but nothing beyond that. She thought that was the extent of her abilities. Until that night.

Lying in bed, overwhelmed by loneliness, she whispered, "I wish I could do anything I wanted."

A sudden surge of power rushed through her veins. Her eyes glowed like burning fire, and in an instant, she was no longer in her room. Darkness surrounded her. Shadows twisted and danced around her as whispers filled the air.

Then, she saw them.

Memories flooded her mind—visions of her childhood, of laughter and love, of her parents' warm embrace. She could feel them, hear them. And then, a voice, deep and echoing, called out to her.

"What do you desire, Melly?"

"Do you seek a world of love and laughter? Or a world of revenge and destruction?"

Melly stood frozen, unable to answer.

"Choose wisely," the voice whispered, fading into the void.