Dark.

Ah, so dark.

Within the ball of darkness in her mind, Hongyue stretched out her fingers and tried to grasp something. Anything would do, she thought.

Anything that would enable her to have the ability to leave here, to obtain a source of light.

She was sick of this darkness, this emptiness that always surrounded her.

Eventually, as time passed, Hongyue gave up. She wasn't surprised. Hongyue loathed the darkness, yet she knew nothing else other from it. In a way, the darkness grew to be her cursed home. The thing she hated the most was the thing she relied on the most. It was her safe spot, yet it was her hell.

She blanked.

A memory of her past life slowly started to replay.

A six-year-old little siren halfling stumbled along the shore of the rocky island. Her pale, delicate feet had been sliced up by the jagged rocks as she climbed up the cliff in search of food. The path behind her was covered in blood. Her arms and body were also in the same condition. Sweat and blood ran endlessly as the sun struck down on her weak back. Her parents had advised her to keep hidden, but they also never came back for her. What could she have done? She couldn't stay quiet anymore. At this point, she needed food. Her stomach ached day and night endlessly, and she couldn't tolerate it any longer. So she came up on land to locate a source of food. Her parents wouldn't mind, would they?

Her dry lips engulfed in the fresh air as she felt the world spin around her.

She collapsed.

Hours later, she woke up to a young girl poking her lightly with a stick and offering her food with a wide smile. Taking the food, Hongyue wolfed it down hungrily. She eyed the girl next to her. The girl had dark hair and brown eyes and looked to be about six to seven years of age. Delighted to see someone at the same age as her, the little siren hybrid happily conversed with her new friend as the sky became dark. As the sun began to leave the day, and the night came, their talking grew quiet. Both girls sat in the darkness.

"Why were you so hungry?" The little girl asked.

"I was hiding. I didn't have food with me when I was hiding. My parents didn't come back," The siren murmured as she played with her fingers.

"Eh? Why were you hiding?"

Hongyue hesitated for a minute. Her parents always told her never to trust anyone else or give tell anyone of her identity. But, Hongyue glimpsed at the harmless girl in front of her. This young girl saved her life, and they seem to be friends, she thought.

"I'm a sirenic halfling."

"Sirenic," the little girl tasted the word out. Slowly her eyes widened and turned dark, but the young halfling never noticed. Instead, she felt freedom for the first time. There didn't seem to be any need to hide any longer. She sighed.

"Do you have any more food?"

The little girl nodded.

Days went by as the two played with each other. The little girl would give the halfling a share of food every so often, and the two would chat as the sky turned dark. As time grew, the little girl didn't respond as often. The halfling herself could feel a sense of tension, and the friendly atmosphere was no longer there. There seemed to be something wrong, yet nothing appeared out of place.

Her new friend must be tired.

That might have been the reason.

The following week, the little girl suddenly brought up a random topic and asked the siren if she would help locate something that she lost. The naive sirenic halfling agreed, thinking it would be an opportunity for her to re-mend their relationship, not knowing of the upcoming horrors of that night.

Hongyue was knocked out unconscious, and when she awoke, she found herself tied up to a wall with spiked nets piercing deep into her skin. She peered up to see that same little girl, her supposed true 'friend' jabbing a dagger into her leg and carving out her flesh. Why?

"Why?" She remembered asking. The word was repeating endless inside of her head.

"Why?"

"Why?" The little girl sneered at her mockingly. "Of course it's because you're part siren. You don't think I fed you for so long just because I was kind-hearted, did you? Who would want to save an ill-fated freak like you? Don't blame me. If anything, you are the one at fault. Since you were fed, then you should give me something back."

Hongyue felt her heart shaking as her body turned cold. She watched in shock as her supposed friend was consuming her flesh.

The little girl gazed up at Hongyue's burning stare, her mouth was covered in blood.

"You know, my mom is dying soon, and my father has just left us. My father is a selfish merchant, so there's no way he'll be willing to help us. All he thinks about is his profit. My mother, at this point, would be a lost cause, and there is no reason for my father to save me."

"Of course," The little girl turned around and stared at the siren, "Of course, if I were to have some sort of powerful magic. If I were to became a genius, then wouldn't my father save me?!"

Hongyue couldn't really remember much of anything that happened later. She could only recall the two open eyes of a crazed maniac who repetitively carved into her flesh and devouring it in hopes of gaining some mystical power all based on rumors that she heard from the mouths of others. The immoral night was so dark, with no stars in sight. The cave that stank of her blood and the greed that rolled off the very person she trusted.

For this reason.

Just for this reason, she was tossed aside to suffer.

A drop of blood appeared from her eyes. What was the point? Who was she crying for? Herself? What would it do when no one cared?

Nonetheless, things like rumors are not always the truth, especially stories concerning mystical creatures like sirens. Myths like this probably germinated from wild hopes for something more, hope that perhaps, it was true.

It was made up with no proof, yet it still managed to harm others.

In the end, the little girl was left frustrated. Why?! She didn't receive any magical powers. Was it because the flesh had to be from a full siren, not a halfling? What a waste.

She had fed the halfling so long to get no result.

A waste of her time!

She plucked up the dagger and hacked into Hongyue's body repeatedly until her anger succumbed. She spat at Hongyue's unconscious body before shifting to clean her blade.

Hongyue, who was seemingly lifeless, suddenly snapped her eyes open.

Perhaps, it was the desperation.

Or perhaps, she finally understood why her parents warned her.

A strange power awakened within her core. It surged through her body and forced the ropes to crumble apart. The halfling shifted her attention to the back of the unaware little girl.

No, what little girl?

Hongyue fought back her tears.

That creature in front of her was a monster. What that girl wanted wasn't wrong, but what she did to Hongyue was exceptionally cruel.

Hongyue hadn't fought back because she was hoping it was a wicked joke.

Yes, perhaps she was still sleeping, and she just needed to wake up.

Or maybe, it was all real, but that friend was pretending to be evil. That little girl must have a reason. Yes, perhaps she was forced.

But, the final reason given to her was unbearable to hear and understand.

Now, she didn't need to hold back, she finally understood.

With a wave of her hand, the pool of blood that was on the ground obeyed her wishes and surged upwards, piercing itself into the heart of her once so-called friend.

Ah, she remembered laughing painfully that night. Stumbling as she appeared so lost. Why was she created? What was her life for? She ended back at a cave, where she once hid.

How strange, it seemed like a lifetime ago, she smiled happily at the moon while splashing around. Now she was back, gazing distantly at her reflection on the water.

She bathed in the full moon's gentle light as her wounds healed.

Wounds shouldn't be able to heal.

But hers did, so she must be a monster.

Yes, she indeed was a monster, but so what? The one who hated her and scorned her was the same one who wanted her help. Hongyue's eyes turned cold.

Selfish.

Shameless.

Hypocrites!