HEINA

"W-what?" I couldn't believe what I'd just heard.

"What does that even mean?" One of the boys asked.

"Why did you save her back in the human world?" The man with white hair and snake eyes wanted to know. He was no longer looking in my direction. His body posture almost showed he was wary of me... maybe even scared. But why?

"She needed saving." The other replied.

"You saved the wrong one." The man simply stated, finally risking a glance my way.

"Stop speaking in parables, Klaz." The topaz blue eyed warned, impatience ringing in his tone.

"She's a heina." He revealed.

A confused me could only stare blankly. "W-what is a heina?"

"What?!" The boys boomed, clearly they had not been expecting that answer. They passed me a look of contempt.

Growling, they rose from their seats simultaneously. It was as though they read each other's minds - twin telepathy, probably.

"What is a heina?" I asked the white haired man, hoping he'd reply me at least.

But he merely glanced over at me before turning away.

I stood, not understanding why my name was mentioned as though it was a 'something' rather than a 'someone'. I could agree that my name was unusual. It wasn't the kind of name casually given to babies but it was the name my parents had given me and I couldn't question it.

"My name is Heina." I spoke lowly to him.

"Oh. Is that so?" He cast me a brief look, that wary look still in his eyes.

"Are you sure, Klaz? I mean..." The one with sapphire decided to take his seat. Aloofness mixed anger. "She doesn't look it." He barely flicked me a glance.

"I saw what I saw." Klaz was firm on whatever it was they were talking about.

What had he seen? I just couldn't understand any of what was happening.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" The suspense was killing me and I was on the verge of bawling my tired eyes out.

Klaz took one look at me yet again, then turned to the twins and spoke in a language I'd never heard in my entire life.

I didn't understand it but if I could tell by the twins' reaction to it, it wasn't something pleasant. What language was that? It sounded ancient and mysterious.

Curiosity was eating greedily at me but there was nothing I could do to get them to talk to me. So I stood and watched sheepishly words in a foreign language fly back and forth, through their midst as they conversed about me - I strongly suspected so.

Asides confusion and curiosity, I felt other emotion; anger. It roared within. Not to mention pain.

"Enough!" I screeched my frustration and anger.

The three of them stopped to look at me.

"Today was supposed to be my day." I began, my tone quivering. The tears would soon come. "I hate my birthdays. Nothing good ever comes out of April 13th. My parents knew how much I hated celebrating birthdays. But they made today special. I was finally becoming a woman, according to them. They bought me that lovely dress currently upstairs. And just as expected, the day got ruined but never in a million years would I have thought it'd be ruined this way..."

I choked on the tears that were tracking down my face, I pushed my glasses aside to wipe them away.

"...my parents, the only family I'd known is dead. Some... mythical creatures, or I believed to be, exist and I'm in a house where I feel lost and out of place! If you won't tell me anything then take me back home. I want to go home. My parents...t-they deserve a proper burial in the very least."

I swiped impatiently at another bout of tears.

"Azila!" The sapphire blue eyed called.

I didn't even know their names, yet. They were new transfer students...or so I thought. They didn't mingle with any other student for the period they attended my college. And I doubted any of those students knew their names.

The maid who had attended to me earlier ran in. "Yes, Dragon Lords." Her head was bowed.

"Take her to her room."

"No." I shook my head, refusing on the spot. "I'm not moving an inch until you tell me what the hell is going on!"

The topaz blue eyed was standing before me in no second, he cupped my jaw, piercing my gaze with a hard one of his own. I had no idea how he'd moved so fast.

Well, maybe dragons were fast.

His eyes narrowed in slits. "Never argue when you are being ordered to do something." His voice chilled my spine, causing my knees to tremble. "And do not make me or my brother regret saving you even more."

I swallowed, forcing down emotions. His eyes - hard as rock - and his tone - colder than Antarctica - froze my blood, leaving no room for debate.

Even more. They were already regret saving me.

"Am I understood?"

I nodded. "Y-yes."

He released my jaw and went to seat beside his brother who studied me as one would a strange creature he was considering how to deal with.

Dispirited, I trudged ahead, my maid, Azila, following quietly behind.

The moment I got to the room I'd woken up in, I raced to the bed and flung myself on it, sobbing my eyes out.

Azila remained silent. I felt her gaze on me. But I didn't care that someone was watching me cry. It was all too overwhelming for me.

"Princess Sirra." I heard her greet.

I raised myself to look at who had just come in. It was a young girl about my age that strode in. Before I could take a proper look at her, she had reached my side and swiped hard across my face, I held my cheek in shock and disbelief.

I even had to adjust my glasses back on my face as they'd gone askew after the hit.

That side of my cheek stung, eliciting more tears from me. "What was that for? W-who are you?" I cradled my face.

She wagged a finger angrily in my face, streaming words in that language I couldn't comprehend, I could somehow guess she was hurling insults at me.

My eye flicked over to Azila in disbelief, she gave me a silent look of sympathy but didn't dare say anything.

"You stupid heina! Coming to doom us all with your cursed presence. Go back to wherever you were brought in from!" She finally spoke in a language I could understand.

This again? They wouldn't even tell me what was wrong. Helpless anger and overwhelming sadness had me pushing myself out of the bed, bolting for the door and running downstairs.

There was no one in the living room this time and even if there were, I didn't care. I just wanted to leave this place.

I found the door and ran out. I didn't stop. I wasn't much of a runner but I tried my best. To my shock, I realized there was eerie stillness everywhere.

Thickets of bush. A cliff. Forest. Was there no civilization here? Frustration gnawed. Pain clawed. I continued to run, trying to look for a way out. I had no idea where I was going but anywhere was better than here.

The wind tugged my hair loose, drying my tears. I lifted the skirt of my dress so I wouldn't trip over and fall on my face.

I ended up in a dense forest. The day had gone considerably dark. I paused to look around. The house was no longer in sight. But there were noises and none of it human.

Fear and panic snuck in, a whimper left my mouth. I was lost. I heard the snap of a dry twig nearby.

Oh my goodness. There was a howl echoing through these clusters of widespread canopies of tall, huge trees. Then a cackle that sounded like a hyena.

Something rustled leaves nearby, I saw the silhouette of...of...I didn't even know what it was but when it leapt out from behind the bushes to attack me, I let out a loud piercing scream...

HEINA

Still mid air, it reached out a hand...paw? Talon? I couldn't tell which, to take a swipe at me.

In a panicked response, I fell backwards, dodging what would have been a painful ordeal. My back hit the ground.

It landed on the floor. From the growing dark, in this thick, dense forest, I could manage to make out the dull glow of its eyes.

A talon. They were talons. But what kind of animal was this? It was a dragon... maybe.

Another cry left my mouth as I dragged myself on my butt backwards, I couldn't run anymore even if I tried. My legs were too buttery with fear to save me. My glasses chose that moment to fall off my face.

Frantic with desperation, I felt around for my glasses. Oh my goodness, I couldn't see a thing. My eyesight was worse at night, I'd be eighty percent blind without my glasses. During the day, it was fifty percent.

My chest heaved, my heart racing erratically on panic.

A low cackle and I felt a kick to my stomach, beating the wind out of me. I gasped and choked on a whoosh of breath.

Using my instincts and what little percent I had left of my eyesight to try to dodge another definite blow.

Ignoring excruciating pain was a tough job but if I didn't want to get killed in a thick forest and become meal for wild animals, I had to channel my focus on listening.

So I did...and let out a shriek. Sharp talons dug into my left foot, snapping bones. Too late, I hadn't listened fast enough.

Slowly, it drew talons out from my skin, earning a painful whimper from me.

Still, I managed to follow the sound and movement, when it made another attempt to swipe at me, I raised my arm to defend, noticing movement aiming for my face, it was a weak, defenceless move but it was the only one I could think of.

A low, desperate cry rolled off my lips, readying myself for more pain. My eyes reflexively closed shut.

The next following seconds were more blur. I heard a mighty growl, followed by the sound of a body thudding.

I opened my eyes and blinked tears that worsened the condition of my poor eyesight.

More growls, then a whimper. Someone else was here. This someone has come to save me. To help me.

It was a mixture of relief and fear. What if this new person was just another animal trying to hurt me more?

"What happened to staying in your room?" A pair of hands lifted me off the dirty ground like some weightless sack, sounding very annoyed.

I recognized the voice as one of the twins'. I didn't know which, I didn't even know their names. But relief was overwhelming fear.

He carried me, possibly heading back to the house. I could barely see a thing. There was a dim blur of light that I saw and that was all.

The light grew the closer he got. I turned to look at his face, I saw blurry features staring at me.

A moan escaped me, pain clawing its way to where I'd been hit.

"You stupid girl." He hissed.

He climbed upstairs - his movement gave that away - and was soon dropping me on what I assumed was a bed. I was finding it hard to see. Plus the injury.

A blurry figure stepped through the door and walked up to me. My glasses were back on my face and I visibly let out a breath of relief - my vision was back.

But I still had my pains and wounds to deal with. I couldn't stand. My left leg was bleeding. The one with sapphire had carried me, the blood stain on his shirt was a giveaway.

I pressed my lips tight, pain shooting through me. The current dress I was wearing was soaked in my own blood. I laid there, helpless to do otherwise.

"You are enough trouble as it is, do not make things worse." The one with sapphire orbs started, his tone dripping with such flatness and detachment.

He could as well be speaking to a stranger who was a child. And it wasn't borne out of concern, just irritation and annoyance.

If I wasn't already crying from the pain these wounds were putting me through, I could have cried listening to them.

It was barely twenty four hours day and a lot of things had happened already. I was already expecting my birthday to go bad when I'd women up this morning by my parents but never in the entirety of my existence had I thought it to become this intense of a nightmare.

Azila came in with a bowl of green liquid that I wondered briefly what it was. She bowed to the boys before reaching where I was.

"I'm sorry, My Lady." She soothed, using the clean rag she'd brought with her to clean the wounds. First, she gently undressed me, leaving me in my underwear.

Then she proceeded with the towel, dipping it in the green liquid and applying it on both my stomach and affected leg. I emitted whimpers and low cries as she tended my wounds. This liquid made it stung even more.

I felt the boys' eyes on me and was quite embarrassed to be seen half naked by the opposite gender. I've never been this exposed in the presence of boys before now.

But I didn't know whether to feel insulted or relieved that they weren't drooling at my body. Not even in the least.

"You should feel better by tomorrow, My Lady." Azila announced as soon as she was done.

Despite the coolness of the room, I was sweating and panting, my body feeling abused and weak.

"Why did you fucking have to be born?" One of the boys uttered in a low voice.

I froze, blood rushing to my ears despite the pain I was going through. Tears rolled down my face but I couldn't make a sound, not even the weakest one. It felt as though my throat was suddenly clogged.

Those words of his caused a painful pang in my heart. Things had never gone my way before. I'd always wonder why it seemed that my life was different - and not in a good way.

I'd always wondered but I'd never heard anyone ask me such question. But maybe he was right. I wasn't a great catch, physically speaking.

Everything about me was an imperfect two at best while girls like Jocelyn ranked a perfect ten. I didn't even rank average.

A lot of things I never thought were possible turned out to be and I was going through the hell of encountering them.

Since I could remember as a child, I'd always been useless. I excelled at nothing, just in academics.

So he was possibly right. Why exactly did I have to be born?

HEINA

I watched silently as Sirra, the twins' sister, and princess of the dragon tribe went into a verbal war with her brothers, the Kings in this language of theirs I couldn't understand.

It's been one week past that incident, and I was healed. I suspected it had a lot to do with the boys using some sort of magic - it still sounded crazy to me because before now, I'd never believe in magic, except in movies - to help my healing faster.

Though there were still scars from the injury, it didn't hurt anymore.

"You will ride with her to school." One hollered.

I'd known their names - Ryno and Ryso - but was yet to tell who was Ryno and who was Ryso. They had told me I'd be starting school today.

It was a Monday. We were standing outside the house, the back yard.

While we were surrounded by thick forest and dangerous cliffs, there was a smooth road that was accessible. It was my first time noticing it. The driver was waiting for us at the foot of the cobblestone stairs.

"What if she kills me?! She's evil! An abomination." She yelled bitterly.

"She will not kill you, Sirra. Now stop being a whiny little dragon and go to school." They ordered her.

Left with no choice, she gave me a death glare, bumped into me hard, climbing down the stairs.

"And do not reveal anything about her, you hear me?" The one with topaz blue reminded.

"Fine." She gritted her teeth, entered the backseat and closed it with a bang that startled me a bit.

I stood, my gaze trained on the car that waiting for me. I gulped, gripping the strap of the new bag they had bought for me.

School. Memories flooded into my head, causing sheer terror. I pushed my glasses back up so they sat well on my face.

"What are you waiting for?" The impatient tone propelled me forward, my stomach knotted in nerves.

Slowly, I made my unsteady way down the stairs and into the back seat of the vehicle, making sure to put space between us.

"What are you doing?! Fucking get down!" She yelled, her eyes - deep aqua marine - blazed.

"W-where...I don't..." I stuttered, at loss for words, my hands fumbling with the car door.

"Go sit in the front." She gestured to the passenger seat. "Abominations do not get to sit with royalty."

Apprehension had me leaping out of the vehicle, the twins were no longer standing outside. I jumped to the front seat and straddled myself. I risked a glance the driver's way, but he wasn't looking right back.

He should be in his late twenties or early thirties. With a significantly long raven hair, his side profile was hard and well defined.

I didn't need to see the color of his eyes to know they were dark and mysterious. His aura was intimidating... sinister, if I could add.

My eyes shifted downwards to take note of the long, black nails that resembled monster claws more than they resembled human nails.

Finding myself lightheaded with fear, I averted my gaze the moment he turned his unsmiling expression my direction, a sharply defined brow quirked.

Obsidian. I swallowed, keeping my head down. His eyes were obsidian. I bit my lips, toying absent mindedly with the colorful beads attached to the lock of my bag.

The drive was intense and uncomfortably silent for me. I couldn't wait to get down from this car and be away from this man and Sirra.

It was a long drive, I resigned myself to being in the car more than I'd like to and focused my thoughts on this new, mysterious world breezing past by.

The houses - some modern and nice, some quirky and interesting - canopy of lush trees, moving or parked cars, cry and call of animals deep in woods. This community gave off magical, historical and modern-kitsch feeling.

A big gate came into view. It had the inscribed artwork of a gigantic dragon on it. The gate parted as our car drove near, the steel dragon cut into two perfectly equal halves to let us through.

Once inside, students were seen roaming around. He stopped the car and turned off the engine, eyes rallied on us, I hated attention. I'd do anything to avoid it, like sitting in this car all day but this sinister-looking driver wouldn't like it.

Preparing myself mentally for the next step; deeply inhaling and exhaling to free nerves, I yelped when my hair was unmercifully tugged from behind.

Her mouth was close to my ear. "If you tell anyone we live in the same house, fatty, I'll end you before your stupid abominable self can blink. Am I understood?"

My eyes began to water from the pain, my scalp was on fire. "Y-yes."

"Good. Do not talk to me, you hear me?" Her grip tighter.

Oh my goodness, she was going to pull my hair from its root. "Y-yes. I-I promise, I-I won't talk to you."

"And you must not talk to anyone either. We don't want you contaminating the school with your evil presence, you hear me?!"

A nod, because I found it hard to talk from the pain I was currently experiencing.

"You hear me?!" She pulled harder, if that was even possible.

"Yes." A tear escaped now.

She released my hair, shoving my face forward that I almost hit on nose on the dashboard.

"Thank you for the drive, Falin." She smiled sweetly at the guy before stepping.

And to my surprise, he smiled back. His smile disappeared when his gaze landed on me, impatience lurked.

Quickly I opened the car door and stumbled out. He didn't even wait for me to be completely out before he started the car and zoomed off.

This time I couldn't stop the fall. I landed on my butt...hard. The pain was brutal, but I immediately got up so no one laughed at me.

Too late.

I heard the chuckles. Loud laughter. Audible snickers.

"How are you in the same car with such a clumsy bloated pig in glasses?" One girl asked Sirra as the latter walked up to her.

She flicked me a gaze. "Don't lose sleep over her. She's unimportant." She linked hands with the girl and they were gone.

Just like Royal Ridge. And Sirra was Jocelyn. It was going to be hell just as it used to be, I realized with tears brimming.

I lowered my head, walking slowly and cautiously through the door of the school's very majestic building, pushing back tears.

I was just going to mind my business. Avoid talking to anyone, not that anyone would want to talk to me.

As though my fate didn't want any better for me, I accidentally bumped into someone...and froze. I was dead meat.