FOREWORD

•••••

Once, Lee Jieun asked the teen in glasses as they took their daily stroll in the forest of roses outside their compound, "Why do we need to fight?"

They stopped, and the teen turned to look at her with a gentle smile, bent down and ruffled her hair. "Because we are scared."

Jieun puffed her cheeks. 'Of course she knew that!' Stomping her foot, she crossed her arms and stared at the other. "Then, why are we scared?"

The teen did not answer, instead standing back up and gestured to her their surroundings. "Jieun, what do you feel when you would fight Ihei?"

Jieun shivered and pouted at him. "Scared, of course! She's strong! Much, much stronger than me!" she emphasized the distance by stretching her arms out further, and the teen chuckled.

She felt him poke her forehead. "And there you have it."

He started walking. Jieun followed, holding his hand once catching up. "Humans are always afraid of what they don't know, what is stronger, what is more dominant. That is why we keep eradicating those stronger than us."

"There is a big difference in 1st and second place. It's not just one point you lose once you get 99 over 100. It makes us feel inferior."

"Now, Jieun, not only are our grades and lives at stake, but even our position on the food web."

::

Once, she had been naive.

Once, she had been foolish.

But never again.

Never will she let that life control her again.

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Dedicated to mirabilia- for being the first one to comment on this story!

~fairylover2004