Here I was, forced to eat a cheap chocote bar in some random supermarket.

  With how everything had turned for the worse, I needed to rely on people to make sure I survive.

  I took a look at Aria's sleeping face, her body covered by a sheet we had taken from the supermarket.

  Who would have thought that I would end up living like a homeless person...

  "Sigh..."

  I couldn't bear it anymore, even though it was a small issue, the cohesion of this sheet felt ruined by this single price tag.

  I stood up and carefully removed it, so as to not wake her and everyone else up.

  "There you go, that's better."

  I couldn't take my eyes away from her, fshes of memories from when I was a kid eating little by little at me every time I looked at her or Alma.

  Trying to move my focus elsewhere, my eyes focused on that Maria woman.

  The fact her feet were connecting with the green one's face was quite priceless.

  "Juanary..."

  "How many times do I need to say it? Do not call me that."

  It was per the course but that ghost was really on my case. Maybe she still hasn't moved on from what happened?

  To be honest, I could understand if she didn't.

  "No matter what you say, I refuse to give in to the sense of familiarity of calling you Jessica."

  "I see."

  "Still, there is one thing I can do even with people I don't really like."

  Knowing where this was going, I took it upon myself to leave.

  "Oh my god, you're such an idiot. Can't we have a conversation?"

  I stopped in my tracks, thinking for an instant.

  "Alright..."

  I braced myself, as I knew exactly what she was gonna ask.

  "Why do you hate yourself so much?"

  It was quite ironic, the physical manifestation of one of my misdeeds asking me this question.

  "So you noticed..."

  "It isn't really that hard to see, you know. It's written on your face and actions, down to the very way you reject your name."

  "I will always reject this name. I do not wanna leave in a world where me and my father share the same name..."

  "Your father? What does that mean?"

  "The bruises on my mom's body, her refusal to fight back, I remember everything."

  "..."

  "Even after he was charged, he didn't feel any remorse... After all, how could he? My mom wasn't the woman he loved in the first pce."

  From his perspective, my birth might have been the st straw. It was clear that...

  "He didn't want me."

  After all, he already had a family. I was only the kid of some girl he cheated on his wife with.

  If only my mother had knew way before, she wouldn't have loved him so much.

  To love someone is to show weakness, as such you have to stand above others.

  In the food chain that is life, only winners get to dictate the course of the universe.

  "Jessica..."

  "So, yeah, I don't want his fucking name! Why did she marry him in the first pce?!"

  "Love isn't always a positive sentiment, Jessica. Even though you may have thought your dad was a horrible person, your mom may have thought otherwise."

  Rose tainted gsses, huh?

  "If she showed even a little bit of strength and pushback, she wouldn't be in the hospital right now..."

  "What happened?"

  "I'd rather not talk about it..."

  She closed her phantasmal eyes, looking into the distance.

  "Alright, I won't dig deeper. I suppose I understand now."

  She glided over the floor, reaching Aria.

  "So far, you've only shown weakness and not strength. Don't make the mistake of believing your mispced sense of superiority is the thing that would make your mother happy."

  She faded into nothingness.

  Gold dust flew near my face, assembling together to form Venus face.

  Min Child, this a grandiose trial you face. For as much as you value strength and power, We actually seek your weakness. If you were to battle with the Outer Child again, your trip to Styx would be guaranteed.

  Just this once, We will help you, for We are the embodiment of everything that is beautiful.

  "What does that mean?"

  The ever so coveted Id state, per the course. Our magnanimity will engrave it through rigourous training. This but a favour We are willing to make for our devoted servant.

  "Huh? The thing that child and that woman used? Didn't they talk about accepting oneself or something like that?"

  Precisely, for you see we only lied to the Child of Fire, your alter ego does exist. We just removed it from py.

  The dust now looked like my face.

  When the times comes, you'll defeat it and merge as a single being.