Prologue

Hinami was sitting out on the back patio, watching how the rays of the sun danced on the lakes surface. Only a few birds could be heard chirping, and the cool breeze gave her a slight shiver. The calm and beautiful scenery contrasted sharply with her internal turmoil of emotions. She bit her lip to suppress the tears stinging her eyes, choosing instead to take a large gulp of her tea. It burned her throat, but feeling that pain was more tolerable than the pain she was feeling at that very moment. Hinami needed a distraction. Just something, anything, to not think about him. She stood and entered the cabin, casting her eyes on the sleeping form on the overstuffed couch.

Oh, her daughter. Her precious little Mai. At just six years old, Mai was so sweet and adorable. Those rosey pink chubby cheeks, locks of brown hair that glowed a little red under the sun, and such large compassionate eyes. Hinami never really understood what a mother's love meant, but after Mai had been born she understood. It was like having a piece of her heart exposed to the world, which needed to be loved, protected, and cherished. It amazed her. It scared her. It was her new world.

However, as much as she felt disgusted by her current feelings, the love for her daughter could never fill the gaping hole in her heart. She just knew it would never be enough. And for that she hated herself. What type of mother was she? Takashi loved her when no one else did, and it didn't matter that their families didn't approve. Or that no one but a few friends attended the wedding. Or that even now, with Takashi gone, that her family still remained silent.

The funeral was just last week. They had gone for a trip to the ice cream parlor, yet no one could predict the truck that had come barreling towards their car. The car had flipped over twice and slid down the the embankment by the river. Hinami had been gifted with the power to heal, and had been forced to make a choice. Mai and Takashi had suffered fatal injuries, the amount of energy needed to heal herself from bleeding out left her with only enough energy to save one more person. It was too late to wish that the accident didn't happen, but she had wished that maybe the injuries weren't so severe. That was not the case. Even now she could still feel the hot blood seeping into her clothes,, when she closed her eyes she could only see the life leaving Takashi's eyes. Mai was suffering from nightmares, and Hinami couldn't help but shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong with the whole accident. Nevertheless she packed a few bags and took Mai to a cabin far out into the countryside to be safe and more importantly, to heal. Hinami layed a blanket over Mai and stepped outside again, this time unable to hold back her tears.

Four years later…

Mai stood at the front of the crowd, watching as the casket was lowered into the ground. The clouds were getting darker, and Mai wondered if she should have brought an umbrella in case it rained. As the casket was finally set down, Mai grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it into the hole, followed by a single white lily. The few people at the funeral followed her lead. Mai didn't recognize them, but it made her feel relieved that there were people who would miss her mom too. The caretakers started filling up the hole and slowly people started to leave. Except for her. The minutes felt like hours, she couldn't move, didn't want to move. There had been so much she wanted to know, to learn from her mom. It felt like everything happened too soon and Mai hadn't been ready for the day her mom died. Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Mai turned around to face her sensei.

"I'm sorry, but it's time for us to go."

Mai's eyes glistened. She was ready to protest, but her sensei was kind enough to take her in when the lawyers couldn't locate any of her relatives. Not wanting to be a burden already, Mai clenched her fists and nodded.

This was her new reality.