˜"*°•.˜"*°• Keramzin •°*"˜.•°*"˜

A month.

It's been a month since the Fold events. I promised that once i was stronger i would return to tear it down. And i know i will. 

Mal and i decided to return to Keramzin. We wanted a sense of home again so we decided to visit the orphanage we grew up in. Mal had a home in Keramzin, thanks to his relative, putting the deed on his name. He wanted to stay afterwards and asked me to be with him. Everything was like a dream. Now at least.

A month ago was a life changing nightmare. Dark Paradise as Mal put it. It seemed so beautiful and majestic but it was all a lie. A deceit. By him. Occasionally i would think of him.

My Grisha equal.

Or as i used to believe, that i was his equal. I don't want to say his name, his title, his powers. Nothing. He would sometimes appear in my dreams, i would never tell Mal what was it about whenever i shot up in bed sweating from my dream's exhaustion.

Now at the Orphanage doorstep, i wonder how Ana Kuya would react seeing us back here. We saw some children running around, some at a table drawing and some back on chairs reading old books. 

"Hi! I'm Natalie, i work with the children in Art and literature!"  A young girl said, coming to greet us. She wore a dark red blouse and a long skirt with fur boots. Her hair was pinned back, with some on the side of her shoulder. She looked quite young to work at the orphanage.

"I am Alina Starkov and this is Mal, pleasure to meet you Natalie!" I introduced, smiling at her. Her face expression changed. She recognised who i am.

"Your the Sun Summoner?"

Or who i was.

"I was the Sun Summoner!" Emphasis on the was. Not wanting to discuss further of me being Grisha or any expectations of me being a Saint.

"Do you know where Ana Kuya is?" Mal asked, sensing the distraught on my face. He smiled, attempting to  reassure me. "She is not here right now, she is at a meeting with the governors at town hall. But come, you two must be exhausted from your travelling." Natalie took us up the stairs. Me and Mal used to sneak out of our rooms at night to sit on the stairs when we couldn't sleep. We would stay there till dawn or when Ana Kuya caught us red handed and punished us with cleaning out the storage rooms.

I remember, even on the littlest things Ana Kuya would punish us. I kinda missed that.

Mal and i shared a room. My belongings were with me and i pulled out an old drawing pad with my pens. I felt like drawing after so long. I sat down at the edge of the bed and started to draw. Not sure why but i felt like drawing the moon.

"Really, Sketching?" Mal questioned, slightly mocking me. He sat down next to me. He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, i shivered at his touch. His hands were cold and so were mine.

"your hands are cold, let me warm them!" I rubbed my hands together and opened them summoning some light. Mal's hands were near by, i moved the light to hover over his cold, ruff palms. Mal gently smiled, i could tell he was finding hard to smile completely. It's been two weeks since i got my powers back after exhausting them in the fold. How it returned was a complete mystery to me. I just woke up one morning feeling dizzy and as i put my hands together a small spark jolted; i only told Mal. About my summoning returning, though sometimes i regret the decision.

"What's wrong? Are you upset that i used my powers?" I questioned slightly nervous for his reply. I know how uncomfortable he was with my powers, he could never accept the fact i was Grisha and how could i blame him after what happened because of my powers.

They were a gift.

People told me. To me they were a curse.

"A little, i just am a little unsettled!" Mal said, unsure. I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" I was confused, "I don't know, call it sixth sense but something is wrong, something bad is going to happen."

***

Me and Mal visited the woods nearby, we went to the water well, within the centre of the trees. Where we would always throw a lucky coin into it, wish it on it and even one time when we were 10 Mal stole one of the coins from the well to buy candy whenever he craved some at night. He would always let me know so i could cover for him. But no one caught us so we'd split the candy and promised to not tell anyone.

"Wow nothing changed here!" Mal stated, looking around at the tall tress that looked like giants.  "hmm, well what could have changed." I stated honestly. "The well structure, more people, should i go on with tree trimming!" Mal explained raising his brow, he smiled slightly mocking me. I giggled, i lowered my gaze slightly feeling a blush creeping on my face. Mal went behind the well. I saw the little frescos at the bottom of the well. 

Deja Vu?

A month ago. Just forget it Alina! I mentally kept telling myself. I closed my eyes trying to clear my mind, i breathed deeply till i heard noises coming from the well where Mal was.

"Mal!" I called out.

"MAL!" I Shouted.

Oh no what if something happened. I went behind the well to see some men holding Mal. One covered his mouth and with an axe under Mal's neck.

"Saints, Mal!" I raised my hands, getting into stance with my light being formed. Another man had stopped me by using Mal as leverage. So they know who i am.

"Let go of him!"

"We will if you come with us!" One said. There were four in total. They had a specific colour and nature. They're Fjerdans. I had some light coming from my hand. 

"Uh ah, i wouldn't do that if i were you, unless you wish to see the boy dead!" The one with the axe said. He brought it closer up to Mal. My eyes darted in shock.  I lowered my light. "No Please don't hurt him!" I saw the worry on Mal's face. He could tell what i was about to do and shook his head vigorously. 

"Okay, i-I'll come with you just please don't hurt him!" I stepped forwards. "That's like a good girl!" One said disgusting me. I'm not letting anything bad happen to Mal.  The next thing i felt was a pounding tension on my head. One of the Fjerdans had hit me with the end of an axe. I fell to my knees. What i saw last was Mal's face, before the darkness took over.

***

Start: 3:56pm 21/8/21

Finished: 19:12pm 21/08/21

UPDATE: 18:30 PM 29/09/21

UPDATE: 12:12PM 2/10/21

PUBLISH: 16:39PM 08/10/21