A Window To A Soul

Chapter 41: Della

8 years ago~

The mansion was so lonely. I felt like I was going to go insane. The only human interaction that I ever got was the blindfolded butlers. If I ever went into the room while they weren't blindfolded, I was sending them to their execution.

I don't usually count the Great Ones as human interaction because they hardly seem human. Especially Elliott. He seems so eerie. And Claire seems so in love with Elliott that I can't stand being around her.

The other Great Ones usually never even bother being around me. The only time I ever met them was my 8th birthday. Other than that, they never bothered to show their faces around me. I wouldn't be surprised if it was because I was Yan's replacement. I hate being a replacement.

Claire wasn't a replacement, so I'm really jealous of her. No one really knows that much about Elliott, though. I think he might be an original, but maybe not. He's been here for a long time though. I bet Claire would know.

I don't bother with asking them things, though. Instead, I just read a bunch of books and watch security tapes from the schools and streets. How I wish that I could live out there with everyone. Instead, I'm cooped up in this gigantic building that feels so cramped.

There was a kid that specifically got my attention. I don't know his name, and I was barely able to see his features, but I liked watching him go about his day. I like to think of him as B because he's a bodyguard, so that's the first letter of his role.

I wondered what was going through his head as he trained. I would watch him everyday. But at some point, I stopped seeing him for about a month. I was scared that he was executed. I checked for him everyday, and I even checked on his roommate. But the dorm only had one person in it everyday.

After about a month, he came back. I wondered what had happened to him. He stopped doing what I was used to seeing everyday. Before, he would stop in line and look at the woods, at the trees, the grass, the bugs. But now he kept his eyes forward and stayed silent. He never leaned over to talk to his friend. He never did anything other than obey his orders. It was like he was dead inside.

I stopped watching him after that. Instead, I started drawing. I drew what I thought he might look like up close. When I started drawing him, I got obsessed with it. I wondered what it would be like to sneak out and find him. I wanted to talk to him! I wanted to meet him.

I went to my desk and pressed the button that got the butler's attention. Soon enough, he came into the room with his blindfold on. He bowed before me as he asked me what my orders were. I smiled at the thought of what I wanted to do. I walked up to him and crouched in front of him, speaking my orders quietly to him. I could see his muscles tense as he realized what I wanted him to do.

I know that it would put him in immense danger, but hopefully he would succeed without anyone knowing.

A few days later, he came back with colored contacts. They were black, just as I wanted them. I went to my mirror and put them on. I smiled when I saw them. I looked exactly like a bodyguard trainee. Then I looked at my marking. I walked up to my butler and grabbed the black hoodie that he had also brought for me.

I thanked and dismissed him. I got excited as I thought of what it would be like to leave. I looked at myself in the mirror and jumped up and down in excitement. I looked normal!

Without thinking, I ran out of the mansion and down the streets. I knew them very well from the security footage. But it was so much different to see it in person. I saw a few people in the town looking at me with concern. But I ignored them as I got to the taller buildings. I looked at all of them with great admiration.

There were so many people around me. I had never seen so many people in person. I accidentally bumped into an older man. He looked down at me with anger before he walked off. I went back to marveling at the tall buildings. I then made my way to the bodyguard school.

I got to the front door and saw a bunch of kids getting off a bus. They just got back from one of Elliott's balls. I knew about this because I wanted to know when I could sneak in. So I did. I jumped in front of someone in line and whispered an apology. I walked with them inside the school and looked at everything with wide eyes.

There were so many rooms. All of the kids dispersed into different classrooms. I went into the one that B was supposed to go into. I sat at an empty seat, knowing that I wouldn't be noticed since there were already hundreds of kids in here. I knew that the seat next to B would be empty, so I sat in it. I was nervous because he wasn't here yet. I looked at the front of the classroom, which was down. There was a woman with one white and one black eye watching everyone enter. I felt my heart beating fast as I waited for B to enter.

And then someone sat next to me. I looked over at him with excitement. It was B. He looked so handsome up close. He had a blank look on his face. He had black hair that fell over his forehead and to the side. The back of his hair stopped just below the top of the neck. It was like a dream. I always imagined what it was like to see him in person.

A few kids were talking quietly, so I knew that it was okay for me to talk. "Hi. I was just transferred to this class. I'm-" I stopped myself from telling him my real name. I said the first thing on my mind. "I'm Dalilah."

He looked at me, and his eyes immediately filled with life. It warmed me to see someone looking at me. But then he looked forward again, his face going back to normal. "Okay."

I felt embarrassed. Why did I think he would immediately start talking to me happily? It wasn't like I was actually in a dream. It only felt like one. But not anymore. Now this was feeling more real. I was realizing now that if I was caught out here, everyone that saw me would be executed. I felt my heart start racing. I looked back at B and noticed bandages under his shirt. I looked around and saw a lot of kids with the same attitude as him.

The teacher started talking, and she was being so rude. She insulted a kid when they asked a question. I started to realize that this world wasn't so amazing. I was starting to see the flaws.

I waited impatiently for the class to end and I was starting to think that it might never end. I felt my palms getting sweaty. And then the class finally ended. I jumped up and turned to leave just as everyone else dispersed. But I heard someone call out to me. "Dalilah!" I turned around and looked at B. He was motioning for me to come over to him. I walked over to him and stood in front of him, curiously. "Pull your sleeve down. I can see your marking."

I looked down in surprise. My sleeve was lifted up and you could see the bottom of the black flames. I quickly pulled it down and looked at B. He was smiling at me. "Be careful next time."