FORSAKEN KID: When Misfortune Chases You Like Your Landlord Demanding For Your Debt Payment, Except it Doesn’t Go Away Even After You Paid (unfinalized)

In fact, today is his first day. He is standing in front of a class with a single seat open. Right the second he entered, he knew his misfortune had worked on that class. There is no “Lena” in sight. Some were already mocking him(like how he's a year younger), some weren’t paying attention, some were already scribbling on the only open desk. But this is much Ialan expected. He’s a child “cursed” to be chased by misfortune, after all. The teacher, with no emotion in his voice, tells him, “Why don’t you start by introducing yourself?”

Spring grass hair, dark dark brown eyes that reflect almost no light, and a constant stoic expression. He has looked at everyone’s eyes. He’s glad everyone is human. “My name is Ialan Riccolo. I live on the border between The South and The West. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

***

The long day ended. He has asked his teacher about the girl he was looking for(without mentioning her name), but just said, “I was told real well to not speak of her. Why do you ask?”

“It seems she lost a belonging and I happened to find. I just wanted her to have it back.” Lies are sometimes necessary. But to Ialan, it might not be a complete lie.

“How generous of you. Why don’t I take it and directly give it to her parents?”

“I appreciate the help, but I must refuse. I will deliver it myself.”

On his way home. It’s already dusk. Due to the confusion of day and night, the barrier between the Human World and the Wander World slightly wanes. The “Wander World” is the dimension where Ialan and his sister grew up. He was born in this city, but lived in a world not of his kind for 5 or so years. There is where necromen live when they don’t want human interaction. It is host to various creatures no human can explain. Ranging from hideous and massive creatures to cute mushroom-like ones. When Ialan was a child, he used to talk to talking mosses on trees, plant with fairies(or at least what resembled fairies), or get chased by a giant snake with the texture of the clouds. However, only the ones powerful enough can enter the human world. There are very few of them wandering around. Fluttering in the skies like kites, lying on the ground like rocks… very few and often harmless.

During the few minutes of dawn and dusk when the barrier weakens, more of the creatures temporarily enter the Human world. In Ialan’s eyes, those few minutes are beautiful. They disappear once either the morning or the night comes. But these are only visible to those who engage with the Wander World. Meaning, anyone who is a witch or has been bewitched. The average human might call these creatures simply “ghosts”.

Ialan reaches home. “I’m back.”

Marina’s hair was dripping when she welcomed him, “Heya! How was your first day at school?”

“Terrible.”

“Good! I-I mean, that means everything went smoothly, right?”

“Yes, even the suspicion that Lena might have already transferred out before I came. sigh. But I can't just leave so quickly. School policy says I should spend at least 1 month there before I can transfer out.”

“Well, you’re actually taking my advice seriously this time.”

“I have to be cleared in that school before I can enroll in a new one. If I'm going to be stubborn and hasty, I might not make progress at all. Besides, I know neither you nor my misfortune will let me easily just roam in schools.”

“M-hm. So you know.” Marina starts cooking dinner. “Now that I’ve thought about it, these past few days, we haven’t really sat down like this for a conversation!”

“That’s because you’re asleep until 9 in the morning. I don’t have all the time in the world, even when I wish I could.” Ialan begins to clean the house.

“Harsh, harsh! I’ve been up all night lately now that there’s more night Job Requests from the Batch. Working during the night is what’s keeping our plates filled with food, you know?”

“...Yes, I know.”

“Oh, and by the way~ I finally found David! The other day! I knew he was working for Fuego! I’ll have to bug Fuego consistently now!”

“Are you still after the Diamerald?”

“OF COURSE I AM!! But David is a different matter. We’ll still get him AND the stone!” She stirs the soup with enthusiasm.

Sigh.

The day ended for real this time. In his room, Ialan lays on his bed: which is a double-decker bed. The upper bed is for storage. Mostly junk. “I should get this place cleaned up, too.” He mutters before falling asleep.

***

At 10 am, David was assigned to deliver meat. Fuego has a small business that sells various items available. This time it was raw pork meat. Some from the batch often buy his products. David curses under his breath, asking angrily why he must go deliver meat when he spent years learning Witchcraft? it’s no time to be doing this! …that said, if he didn’t, he'd have no money to survive. Fuego was really the only one considerate enough to give him a job. Misfortune is just behind his back, and there’s nothing he can do about it, really.

He knocked at the door of a house, the last customer. “Meat deliveryyyyy.”

Silence.

“......MEAT DELIVERYYYY—”

The wooden sliding door opened, revealing Marina talking on the phone. Through it was the voice of a nagging woman. For seconds, Marina and David just stared. She’s the last person he wants to see right now because his temper is as hot as the sun.

The woman keeps nagging through the phone, “[Now if you DON’T even try to at lea—]” Marina lowered the phone, mumbling the woman’s voice.

Marina grabbed her meat. “Thanks~ this is already paid btw~. Give my regards to the chief.” David was emotionlessly speechless for a while, not knowing how to react. As she closes the door, she puts the phone back in line, “Yeah, aunt, sorry it was, uh…… y’know—- busy!”

David opens the doors suddenly, “Was THAT the wench that I think it is???”

Marina scoffs, “Why, wanna talk to her?” she shoves the brick phone closer to him.

David presses the red end-call button, “NOT IN A MILLION YEARS. Who told you to talk to her?!”

“This is unrelated to you. I was talking to her because she’s my aunt, not because she’s your mother.”

“Ridiculous. I’m leaving.” he says walking away.

“Hey, since it’s our third time ever meeting, why not stop by for tea? I’d reaaaaaally love to talk to ya, cousin~!”

“Oh- DON’T call me that! Bitch! Wicked!”

“ ‘Cousin’?”

“FUCK YOU!”

“Hey, real harsh! I was just thinking of offering you a job! Better than that current one, cousin!” She's enjoying it.

He walked away grumpy. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. Once he was far enough, he started mumbling to himself. “The hell is her problem? Third time meeting…” Right. Third time meeting. The first time they met was just over 3 years ago. Her little friend group trio, one being Ialan, were the first ones who were unaffected by his curse. Marina was first ever to crack his curse. The first to not ‘dislike’ him and associate only negativity with him. Ialan was unaffected but only because he is cursed just like him.

Despite that, there’s just something about Marina that pisses him off so bad. 3 years ago, their little meeting ended in a not really pretty way. The trio simply just made a mess, which left David with a negative impression on them. As simple as that. Not only that, his mother that accidentally cursed David was the aunt that raised Marina. He never really met her mother face-to-face. Maybe it’s bitter for him to look at a child his mother raised instead of him.

Three years ago, David felt like she was boasting to him. In a way, he felt a jealousy he never should have had. And now she’s offering a job? He’s glad he was away for 2 ½ years along with Fuego’s crew. What could’ve happened if he stayed? Oh, the migraine he feels just by thinking about it.

***

The next day, Marina visited Fuego’s office. Exact time David just happens to be there before a job.

“Perfect! My luck is working just fine!”
“Perfect! My luck is working just fine!”

They said in unison, Marina saying sincerely, and David saying sarcastically.

Fuego calls, “It sure is, Marina, Perfect timing! Because apparently, you haven’t paid for the meat you bought yet, and you lied to David that it’s prepaid.” Fuego said, agitated.

“Bitch almost got me in trouble.”

“Now I want you to confirm if it’s true or if David is lying and took the money,” Fuego said.

David had an initial shock, “WHA– you’re on HER side?? Chief, you know that I would NEV—”

Marina interrupted. “Yup, I did lie. Here’s the payment,” She places the exact amount of money the meat cost on Fuego’s table.

David mumbles under his breath, “You better pay me extra.”

“Chill, Cuz, your eyebrows have joined! And the extra is the job I’m offering you.”

“I said don’t call me that! And I’m not accepting any job from you!”

“Without even hearing what it’s about? I think you’ll like it–”

“Well, I DON’T THINK SO—”

Fuego interrupted, “If you are going to raise voices, do it outside my office.”

Marina chuckles, “Alrighty~,” and pulls David outside while he resisted. “Trust me, you’ll LOVE this job.”

“I am not! Going to do this job and I will—!” but Marina shuts his mouth with a quick spell, leaving him mumbling in anger as she keeps pulling helpless him. He tries to push away, but she also constricts his movements with more spells.

“I sure can’t wait for Ialan to come home from school~” She hums merrily.