The sound of birds echoed through a beautiful forest full of trees. Around each one, there were colorful flowers forming a path that spiraled through the woods.
At the end of the spiral, there was a woman and her husband — the commander of the empire's fifth-largest army. The woman was in the final stage of pregnancy, and her favorite place to be was this peaceful garden.
A bench sat in the middle of a round clearing, surrounded by green grass, little bugs, and blooming flowers.
The sun was hiding behind the clouds, and a soft breeze brought a calm and cool feeling.
Then the woman started to feel stronger pain than usual. Her husband quickly carried her to the bench and laid her down.
But the pain kept growing — the baby was coming.
Suddenly, a butterfly landed on her shoulder. It was purple with white markings that made it look stunning. That moment helped calm her down, at least for a bit.
Then the birth began.
The sounds of pain were loud. She screamed, her body bleeding as she started to lose consciousness. Her husband didn't know what to do — he had never witnessed a birth before.
Her belly kept contracting, tears ran down her face, her beautiful hair was messy, and her clothes were stained.
Animals started to appear — rabbits, eagles, and many more — all watching her. The butterfly stayed with her the entire time.
Her husband grew more anxious, trying to comfort her even if it didn't help much. Still, his efforts made her feel loved.
Suddenly, the clouds scattered and sunlight shined only on the small circle where they were.
A beautiful baby girl was born.
Her tiny red hair sparkled under the light. Her eyes were blue like the ocean, and her face was perfect.
She cried a lot. The animals seemed to "talk" among themselves after seeing her. The butterfly flew in front of her, and she reached out her little hand, making it land on her finger.
"Welcome, Misti, my daughter," the father said, kissing her head with tears in his eyes.
Her early days felt like a fairytale.
"Mistizinha, it's time to wake up."
That's how my mom wakes me every day — bringing fruit into my room. My body is still small, so I can't do much yet.
In truth, I used to have a strong body in another world. I still remember my death… and the death of my whole group. But a kind man saved me, giving up his own life. His name was Yaso.
Yaso… was the one I loved.
I never got the chance to tell him how I felt. And I didn't know if he would've accepted it. Maybe it would've broken our team apart.
But… why did he choose to save me?
Maybe I was the only one still alive in that room full of bodies… or maybe he cared for me too?
I want to find him again.
So I started reading as many books as I could to understand this world. The gods use "Marked Ones" like puppets to try to control everything. They kill people from other factions to weaken the forces of justice or the true rulers.
But one story really caught my attention.
A long time ago, a being from the underworld rose to power, turning from human into god. His name was Kekos.
He ruled over humans and all races, destroying anyone who stood against him. He wasn't demon-like in appearance — he was handsome, with blonde hair and fancy clothes, born into a rich family.
His father was a noble king, known for being honest and fair.
But Kekos killed him.
He lied, saying other kings murdered his father so he could take power. His mother had already died from a deadly illness when she was just thirty-two.
Then, the strongest ruling god saw his ambition… and took over his body.
Years later, a man was born — a warrior whose life seemed like a fairytale. He was strong and brave, with the god of observation, Sotris, by his side.
From the top of a cliff, he made a pact and sealed Kekos forever.
That's all the books say. Many believe he was the world's true savior.
I want to become strong like him.
That was my goal for years — until I met a boy named Sonno, my neighbor. He went through a lot. Our families have always helped each other, especially after part of his house was destroyed.
He's only a few months older than me, but he always looks angry and serious.
I remember Yaso whenever I see him — maybe because they're complete opposites. Yaso was cheerful and brought everyone together. Sonno just stares at nothing, always serious.
My father, Igetis, is good friends with Grannus. They grew up during a civil war and have stayed close ever since. He was heartbroken when he heard what happened to Sonno's family.
There's injustice in this world too.
When Sonno was born, my mom, Khatah, helped Emma because of her healer work in town. That's how we all got close. Even though… I'm not that fond of him.
Sometimes he'd visit our small ranch — a dark wooden house on farmland.
And every time we were together, he reminded me of Yaso in some way.
So I made a new goal.
I won't just get strong to stand beside gods. I'll find Yaso and protect him in this world!
That was my main goal for a while...
Time passed. It was a sunny morning. Wet leaves touched the muddy ground from last night's rain. Birds drank from puddles.
I was running through the forest with Sonno. Like it or not, he's the only person I've stayed friends with these past years.
"Got you!" I said, tapping his shoulder as he tried to run.
"I was almost free... you won this time."
"Don't act like you always win. We're probably tied."
"Even so, you still can't keep up."
"I'll train until I'm way stronger than you!"
And that's true. Sonno has gotten really strong ever since my dad started training him. I try to do the same, but I still can't match him.
His power is more mental — he's super smart — but physically, he's impressive too.
Maybe being four months older gives him an edge...
"Hey, Misti… do you think bad people are always powerful?"
He asked while looking at his reflection in the river. An orange fish swam by, paused, and looked right at me.
I sat next to him.
"If they were weak, would it be fun to beat them?"
"That doesn't make sense... you don't even have a reason to fight them."
"It's just a feeling. Like I need to get revenge for something."
"I get it…"
Suddenly, a bigger fish appeared and swallowed the orange one. Its teeth destroyed those pretty scales in a second.
"There's no justice between lives… not in animals, people, or with my father."
"Misti… I'm going to free the world from this curse. Even if I have to destroy every sinner…"
Sonno's eyes lit up. A mark appeared around his right eye — shaped like four arrows. I had read about something similar — a god's mark on their Chosen. But never around the eye.
His hair started to float like gravity didn't exist. He looked like he was in pain.
"Sonno!" I shouted, holding his face with both hands.
I felt a strong pressure, like something wanted to crush me. But little by little, it faded. His eyes returned to normal. The wind and grass calmed too.
Then he passed out in my arms.
I used an inner healing technique I learned from his mom — a magic that heals from inside. I formed a wind circle with my hands. It's hard and takes a lot of energy.
Strangely, many animals were watching.
My strength was running out.
Then a purple butterfly landed on Sonno's chest. He opened his eyes.
"Sonno! Are you okay?" I asked, way too close to his face.
"I-I think so… what happened?"
"I'm not sure. But you didn't seem like yourself."
"Tell me the truth, Sonno… are you a Marked One?"
My heart raced for no reason.
"Yes... I'm sorry for hiding it. I only found out recently."
I felt like something was watching us… like dozens of predator eyes were around.
But at the same time, I felt safe next to him.
No.
I don't want to be protected again.
I don't want to be a burden. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me.
"I guess it'll be harder to catch up to you now…"
Dark clouds filled the sky. It started to rain.
I remembered an old legend: when someone finds out about a Marked One, a storm begins.
"Sonno, I need to go home. You should too."
He didn't argue. He just left.
My house was close to the river, so I got there fast.
I kept thinking about it for days, but nothing changed between us.
I still don't like his attitude.
That's when I realized — my birthday was only three days away.
My fears faded. I thought of all kinds of gifts I could ask for. But in the end, I just wanted a new sword.
People still judge girls who use swords, like we're not good enough. But I want to be like the ones I look up to.
"Dad, you know my birthday's coming, right?"
We were hunting in the woods after morning training.
"Of course I know. Do you already want your gift?"
He patted my head. It was a new feeling. Something I never had with my other "father."
In my past life, my dad was a monster. A drunk, violent man who hit me and my mom for no reason. He was incredibly strong. Once, he even threatened to kill me with a knife. I was only twelve.
Back then, I only wanted to be strong after I turned twenty.
But in this life, I was reborn with a purpose: to rebuild everything they stole from me. And to fix what I took from others.
Yaso…
"You've been staring at me for a while without saying anything, Misti."
"I want a real sword!"
"Kids don't like wooden swords anymore? Back in my day, that was everything…"
"Let's go buy one now! I don't want to make you wait!"
I was happy — until we left the forest. Again, I felt like something was watching me.
The feeling got worse. I felt sick — and I threw up.
"Misti!"
That was the last thing I heard.
I knew I was dreaming. I was standing on a mountain, looking over a giant forest.
Beside me was a white figure, faceless — but I loved them deeply. It felt like I'd known them forever.
"The animals of land, sea, and air… they're all so beautiful, don't you think?"
The voice was strange — not male or female.
"Yes…"
"All creation is perfect. But humans... they're the only mistake."
I turned.
"I don't know what you want from me, but I won't accept everything you say."
"I just want to help. You need to trust me."
"You're going to be killed by someone you love — soon."
"And don't take it too literally."
I froze. My heart pounded.
"Oh, and one more thing…"
The figure grabbed my arms and threw me off the cliff.
"Sweet dreams, Misti."
I woke up in bed. My parents were next to me.
"You're finally awake!"
I had a bad fever after leaving the woods, but I got better fast. After all, today was the big day.
It was my eighth birthday.
I got a sword with pretty leaf designs on the blade. I trained all day. Even fought my dad — and lost.
At night, we had a feast with Sonno and his mom. The table was full of amazing food.
But my mom… didn't smile even once.
I didn't ask why. Maybe she was in pain, or just tired.
The day was beautiful.
The night was awful.
Like always, my parents kissed me goodnight.
When my mom held my face, I felt something weird — like the ground disappeared and I was falling.
"Sweet dreams, Misti…"
The next day, she was gone.
My mother abandoned me.
I felt anger. Guilt. Hate.
I will find her. I need to know why she left me.
But that doesn't mean I'll forgive her.