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"Get out of here! Bloody witch!"

Everyday, Adelaida heard that same word being screamed at her; Witch. Her hands would come up as to cover her face from being hit by the flying rocks and she'd scramble to her feet into a shaky run as to escape her attackers - being in the city just wasn't safe anymore.

In the beginning, everything was fine. No-one gave her a second glance or even really cared that she existed, she was just another regular citizens - but the moment the attacks began on Wallachia, her whole life was thrown out from underneath her. In a matter of 4 nights, her whole family, consisting of her mother, father and 6 siblings, was gone. Ripped from her grasp in a rain of blood - she was somehow the lone survivor, and many days, she wished she had been killed like the rest of them as to not suffer the weight of her current situation. During one of the final attacks on Bucharest, Adelaida had an extremely close call with one of the demonic creatures with wings, its sharp claws reaching for her as she somehow fit herself into an extremely small alleyway - her heart almost giving out as she screamed in fear of her life for what felt like hours before she rendered herself unconscious. Yet, to her surprise, she woke up the next day to the sunrise and a silence over her once beautiful little city. Pushing herself from her hiding place and walking throw what felt like rivers of blood, she absentmindedly walked herself to her family home to see if anyone had survived, her legs moving before her mind could rationalise what had even happened. She walked over bodies of men, women and children, their blood sprayed over every building as not a sound graced her ears, and upon reaching her family home, it was empty. Adelaida never truly knew if her family had escaped or if they had been killed, but when she found her home nearly exactly as she'd left it - she knew regardless that her family wasn't coming back. Upon finding one of her belongings, an old heirloom mirror, now face down on the floor, she reached down and took it into her hands slowly, and upon turning it to look at herself, her mouth opened as a silent scream echoed in her mind. The mirror fell from her hands and shattered loudly, only then the sound awakening her from her trance like state - everything she had ever loved, was gone. And her hair, from the shock horror she had experienced the night before, had turned stark grey. She was unsure how it was possible, or if she was seeing things, but the same day when she reentered into the world to find other survivors - she had her answer. From the very moment people saw her, she was discriminated against. Her now unnatural appearance caused unease in peoples minds - but she never thought it would go this far. From the whispers of her being cursed, to the outspoken opinion that she must've had some sort of disease, to now being called a witch. It was unending, and Adelaida knew it would only end if she left, or was dead.

Pressed against the wall of an alleyway between houses, Adelaida struggled to catch her breath after yet another day of running from the eyes of those who believed her to be evil, a hand coming to her chest as every breath felt like fire.

She knew that before long her body was going to give out from the stress of simply attempting to stay alive, but she knew she couldn't let that happen, not after managing to survive the attacks - she had to find somewhere safer, or at least, another city where people didn't know her yet. Running a hand through her grey hair, the very thing that caused her such angish, she felt a hurt in her heart as she remembered the very reason why she refused to simply cut off her hair and live a maybe normal life - her mother. Before the attacks, her mother would adore brushing Adelaida's hair, as she did with the other 6 of her siblings. It wasn't a special thing, but it was a daily ritual and something Adelaida refused to let go of - her mother would be simply horrified if she cut off her hair, and even now when she was dead and gone, she still couldn't bring herself to do it.

Waiting for nightfall as to leave her hiding place, her body aching from hunger and thirst, she slipped out from her spot and looked around tentatively, making sure no-one was around before she took off into the town, her ripped dress trailing in the gravel. Adelaida was dressed badly for this time of year, only having her clothes left from before the attacks, and by now everything was ripped and stained with her own blood from the amount of times she'd been beaten. Her dresses were cold and dirty - but she had no other choice. Scampering through the town until reaching the city gates, she ducked underneath them gently as they were slowly coming down for the night as to seal the city off, her small frame just making it under as they slammed shut, dust being thrown up into her face as she stood on the other side. Many nights she had left the city to just have some peace in the wilderness, and tonight was no exception. Injured from another attack, and her body bruised and exhausted, she just wanted somewhere where she could lie down and fall asleep free from the judgement of others.

Walking slowly through the grass, she sighed a breath of relief that she was free for a time - her eyes lifting to the moon gently as if she was looking for answers, her hand gently resting on a tree as she stopped for a moment. The night air was cool and made her shiver, but it was welcomed - it only reminded her that she was in fact alive and not quite dead yet. Just as every night she escaped the city, she looked for the same lake she always did. It was fresh water and always quiet, she sometimes even fell asleep right there by the banks, and as she continued to walk slowly, she began to hear that ever so comforting sound of the running water. Her pace picked up slightly as the thought of washing off the dirt and blood became more and more alluring to her, but as she reached the edge of the trees before the water front, she stopped dead in her tracks, her breath hitching gently. By the edge of the lake, sat down in a relaxed position, sat a man. Long blonde hair reached down his back as a long sword lay by his side, his clothing dark as the night sky. It was an almost haunting sight to see her usually abandoned lake have someone near it, it almost made her curious, but in fear of him perhaps using that sword to kill her because they too thought her a witch, she silently hid herself behind a tree. She wondered why someone would be out alone at night, especially someone who seemed so well dressed and not homeless or harmed like her - but as soon as those thoughts graced her mind, she dismissed them. She cared not the reason they were alone, only that they too could harm her as anyone else could, and thus, she slowly began to back away from her beloved lake before a voice, their voice, called out to her.

"Please, don't be afraid," He began in a soft tone, his figure slowly moving as he rose to his feet, his body turning to face Adelaida, his eyes gazing at her from afar the moment he turned, as if he knew she'd been there the whole time. "I'm actually just leaving, you don't have to hide, I'm not planning on hurting you."

He was unlike anything Adelaida had ever seen. He was hauntingly beautiful in a way she couldn't describe. Sharp features, strange almost glowing eyes, a mournful expression painted upon his face - he was utterly unique, but too, frightening. He was the most terrifying man she had ever seen, but she couldn't stop looking at him.

Moving slowly from her spot, she crossed over onto the banks of the lake from the trees, the moonlight covering her like a veil as she approached the lakeside, her eyes never once leaving the stranger who was there before her. His eyes squinted upon seeing her correctly, his eyes wandering her body in what seemed to be light concern, and Adelaida couldn't blame him - she knew she must've looked terrible, and from a glance into the still water of the lake to see her reflection, her thoughts were confirmed. Gently falling to her knees by the river, she cupped her hands and took a handful of water, bringing it to her mouth to drink as she let the cold air of the night whip around her gratefully.

"What happened to you? Why are you so injured?"

Gasping gently and turning her head, the remainder of the water in her hands falling back into the lake, Adelaida turned to see the man now much closer, standing just to her side - she hadn't even heard him move. Yet, something about a stranger asking her what happened made her feel a sense of slight joy, that the world wasn't full of people wanting to kill her. To be fair, she wasn't sure why she felt safe enough to tell this stranger what happened, but regardless, she did.

"The people of my town believe me to be a witch because of my hair. 'Devil's work', they say. 'Unnatural'. They beat me quite mercilessly to get me to leave town." She spoke in a soft tone as her blue eyes met the man's, her heart straining as she recounted her reality to him. His expression stayed the same, his eyes only squinting more.

"And, you're not a witch, I presume," Adelaida nodded gently. "Typical of people to do such a thing to someone they don't understand," His golden eyes slowly wandered down, looking upon a still somewhat open, bloody wound upon Adelaida's arm, his eyes instantly averting as if he had a terrible fear of blood, his expression only then changing. It was hard to say what the emotion was, but it looked to be slight disgust. "That wound on your arm, it's quite severe," He spoke gently before his hand raised to cover his mouth for a moment as if he was going to vomit, but he quickly moved it away again, regaining his composure. "Anyway, I-... I must be going. Goodnight." And with that, the man turned and slowly walked into the woods from where Adelaida had once came, her eyes trying to find him in the darkness but to no avail. She almost felt sad that the one person who cared to hear what she had to say in years was gone, but she couldn't complain too much - she was finally alone and could wash herself off and forget the strain of her life for a while. Although, as she cleaned herself off, she continued to wonder who he was and why he was at the lake alone - she hoped that perhaps one day she'd see him again, but the world never worked like that.

Finally clean, and exhausted from a day of running, Adelaida lay down by the lake, and finally, fell asleep.