Chapter 14.5:The Girl's Past

Before she had become the guard standing watch in the city, before she learned to wield her blood as a weapon, there was a time when the world was bright and simple for her. She was just a child, innocent, happy, and full of life. But that was before the day that everything changed.

It was during her high school years when the teacher—someone she had trusted—took advantage of her. The trauma, the isolation, and the silent pain she carried afterward shaped her into the person she was today. She had never told anyone. She hadn’t dared. People didn’t believe her, not even her own family.

She felt tainted.

From that moment on, she viewed her blood, her very essence, as something impure. A tool for destruction. She could no longer look at it without feeling disgust, without remembering the man who had stolen her sense of safety. It was an event that left an indelible mark on her heart—one she could never forget.

Then, the day she saw him again—the teacher—lying on the ground, helpless and surrounded by a Fearborn, was the breaking point. Her emotions, the years of frustration, anger, and sorrow, came crashing together. Without thinking, she had acted, cutting open her veins with a knife she had on her, using her own blood to fight the monster and save the man who had once hurt her so deeply. But as she did, a surge of power overtook her, and before she knew it, she had killed the monster. The teacher was alive, but the overwhelming exhaustion from using so much of her blood caused her to collapse.

The one who found her, who helped her, was her other teacher—the one who had always cared, the one who had always seen her for who she truly was. It was him who saved her, who kept her alive when everything seemed lost.

But what she didn’t know, until much later, was that this teacher—the one who had always been there for her—was now standing before her as one of the two guards in the city. The man who had given her the strength to survive had become one of the people who protected the place she now found herself in.

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Her Trust Issues with Men:

Since that day, she could never quite feel the same way about men. They reminded her of the one who had betrayed her. Even the kindest ones, the ones who showed no intention of hurting her, made her uneasy.

Her trust was fragile.

In the quiet moments when she allowed herself to reflect, she realized she carried that burden: the fear of being vulnerable to men. She couldn’t help it. Every instinct told her to stay guarded, to stay away from them. She never fully trusted them, not even the teacher who had saved her, despite the kindness he had shown. There was always a wall between her and them—one she couldn’t bring herself to tear down.

It was something she tried to hide from the others, the ones who had come to see her as a strong ally. She didn’t want them to know how deeply that event still affected her, how her distrust was something she wore like a shield. But there it was, under the surface, always present. And in this new world, where survival was the only rule, she couldn’t afford to let it get in the way of their mission. But it didn’t make it any easier to trust them.

The Shield and The Sword:

In the city, she became the shield—the protector. Her blood, once seen as a curse, was now a weapon she could control. She would give everything to defend the city and those who sought refuge within it, even if that meant putting her own safety on the line. The people saw her as their shield, strong and unyielding, guarding them against whatever dangers lay beyond the walls.

Her teacher, the one who had saved her all those years ago, had become the sword. The sharp, decisive force on the frontlines. He was the one who would strike down their enemies, who would bring justice to those who dared threaten the peace they had fought so hard to maintain.

Together, they formed an unspoken bond. She was the shield, standing between the city and the dangers beyond. He was the sword, delivering swift, precise strikes when the time came. Their roles complemented each other—she protected, and he fought. Their teamwork was impeccable, but even with their shared history, there was always a distance between them, one that she couldn’t quite close.

Though they had both fought side by side for so long, the teacher’s presence still stirred something inside her—a reminder of the vulnerability she had yet to conquer. But in the city, in this dangerous new world, they had to be more than just people who had been through hardship. They had to be strong, for the sake of the city and the people they protected.

Her role as the shield, his as the sword—it wasn’t just a duty; it was their bond. One that could never be fully understood, but always silently acknowledged.