C6 Inside Out

Kana rubbed her sleepy eyes as the warm sunlight of the morn pressed against her cheeks. She wakes for another day. But the soft bed made it hard for her to get up. She wanted to be wrapped by the sheets a bit more.

Ah, the privilege of being a noble.

At that moment, voices interrupted her indulgence.

"Are you sure about this? Taking her to the Academy, I mean. You know the Headmaster will have your neck once he gets wind of Amara." It was the husky voice of Atlas.

"He's not the one I'm worried about." Aldrin answered.

"Do you have word of his arrival?"

"No, but he's bound to come home soon. It's my last year in the Academy. He'll show up for that."

"What are you going to do after? Be a member of the House of Lords?"

"That's what our father had set up for the both of us, Atlas."

Kana could hear Atlas sigh deeply, "I know, but I'm no good with the Courts. You're the one who's cut out for that work. Me? Never."

"After I become a member of the House of Lords, you won't need to worry about being one. You, Asera, and Ara can just do what you want. I'll make sure Father won't get in your way." Aldrin's tone is kind and sincere. It doesn't hurt her ears. But then Kana could feel her face burn.

Atlas seemed to have been taken aback by his brother's words. They were only two years apart but sometimes he forgets how mature Aldrin's thinking always was. Always putting them before him.

Atlas smiled roguishly, "Stop trying to be a hero, Aldrin. You don't need to worry about me. I'll figure something out with the old man. And Asera has always wanted to be a knight, to be part of the King's Guard. He's better off that way. Our only concern should be Ara."

Aldrin listened quietly. So did Kana.

Atlas continues, "I hate to say it but she's a late bloomer. Other kids would've morphed by their sixth year. But Ara.. Well, she's not showing any of a wolf's sense and power. If she continues to go on like this, Father won't be happy. Who knows what he'll do with her. We both know he hates things that don't go according to his plan."

"He'll hate Ara if she's weak. Is that what you're getting at?" Aldrin's tone turned cold.

"He hates anything that isn't an Alpha. Look, he already hates us. His useless sons. If Ara ends up being less than an Alpha, how do you think he'll react?"

"Why don't you pray tell Atlas?"

"We have to get her away from Father."

Aldrin fell silent, his eyes trailing towards Kana who was pretending to sleep under the covers. He heard his brother loud and clear but his ears felt numb.

He then dropped to his chair, his fingers pressed against the space between his brows, "Why must we live like this Atlas? Born into a house that rejects us and in a world that spews hate on us just because of our names. And Ara.. Why must Ara suffer because of our ancestors' sin?"

There's too much information flying around that Kana can't keep up. Alpha? Sin? Father? What? She didn't want it anymore so she slowly sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes.

The men glanced at the sleepy child and Aldrin came up to her, his brilliance quite blinding.

"Good morning, Ara," he said, "Did you have a good sleep?"

She did, until they disturbed it.

She nodded.

"Come on, let's eat." Atlas called.

Aldrin carried her in his arms and smiled at the child, her cheeks rosy and lips lazily pink. Her straight flaming hair touched her waist and Aldrin thought she is far more splendid than her mother.

They walked out to the halls and arrived at the largest dining hall Kana ever saw. Food is already prepared at the long table while the servants are lined up around it. They then dispersed when Atlas growled at them.

Aldrin sat on one side of the table and seated her beside him. Atlas made himself comfortable on the other side, facing them. It reminded Kana of fine dining in terms of the presentation but a buffet as to its contents. Her eyes sparkled at the feast.

Meat. Meat. Meat.

Her favorite!

But wait. What kind of meat are these?

It can't be that they are of a human's, right?

The men gobbled the food while Ara stared at them. She reached out for her spoon but placed it back again.

"What's wrong?" Aldrin asked, "Do you want me to feed you?" His ocean eyes suddenly beaming up.

Kana didn't have any problems wolfing the food down last night. So why is she hesitating now? She took the spoon and ate like she had never seen food before.

Aldrin's lips curled down, his expectations shattered. Atlas saw this and laughed at him. Afterwards, the servants prepared Kana by dolling her up and bathing her.

She wore another dress but a white and more frilly one, almost like she's attending a wedding with a few more garments under her actual clothes. She wanted to complain but her throat was hurting so she's still mute. Two men walked up to her while waiting at one of the rooms of the mansion. She looks at them and found them snappier than moments ago, clothed in white silky coats.

Aldrin stretched out his palm to Kana and she took it. They walked towards the entrance and she saw how large the place really is. They reached great wooden doors that would lead them outside, and would allow her to finally see the world.

Finally, they opened the doors.

'You've got to be kidding me," Kana echoed in her head, her iced marbles growing in size as she witnesses the setting she is in.

In no way is she on Earth or in the human world, for that matter. She turned around to see exactly the house she is living in and saw a marbled castle, golden and white. There were stone walls surrounding the mansion, enclosing the widest stretch of land she had ever seen, and that's saying something since she owned and sold them as a human.

They walked towards a fancy carriage reigned against four black majestic horses, waiting at the end of the stone path. No cars. No television. No mobile phones. Instead, there's carriages, mansions, servants, and a world that looked like it was born out of an enchantment.

Kana is more confused on whether to cry or laugh.

She is assisted by the coachman and the three of them slip inside. The carriage had red velvety cushions and was as spacious than she imagined. It's her first time riding one. Aldrin sat beside her while Atlas sat gracefully in front of them. She hears the coachman create a whip in the air and slowly, they moved.

She looks out the window and sees the great entrance of the mansion. Kana can't believe that she just came out of there. Never in a million years did she think of being reborn as a noble.

But then, a woman stood in the slit between the doors, her auburn hair waving delicately. She flashes Kana a cold gaze that makes her elated to leave. Being alone with that crazy woman is worse.

Atlas clicked his tongue, and when Kana glanced at him, he was staring at the same point she did.

"Do you still believe that this isn't a good idea?" Aldrin asked with a smile, eliciting a laugh from Atlas.

When Atlas was done, he smiled at his brother, and says, "You're right. You always are."

They rode away from the estate and towards the Academy. Kana feels a snake slither around her stomach, a burn in her chest, and a heavy cloud over her eyes.

Atlas said her brother was always right. But if he is, then why did she end up in shackles crying her heart out?