“I want to see the world, grandma”, said Shuhua, an innocent little girl, as she look outside the window.

“The world outside is too scary and dangerous for you, my dear. The hero is yet to come.”

“Hero?” She asked.

Her grandma smiled at her and put her on her lap.

“We need a hero who’s willing to fight the conquerors. A hero that is as brave and pure as your parents.”

“But didn’t they die because of the conquerors? Won’t the hero be scared?”

“Someday, you will understand, Shuhua. You will, for sure. And when that day comes, I’m sure you’ll be a great person.” She kisses Shuhua’s forehead, causing a light to slightly shine from it.

[After 12 years]

“Hey! Are you there?!” A person from outside shouted while knocking aggressively.

“Wh-Who’s there?” Shuhua asked with her voice shaking.

“Your grandma is being killed by the soldiers!”

Hearing his words, even with her whole body quivering in fear, Shuhua wore her hood and ran out for the first time.

“Grandma—Where is she?!” Shuhua asked.

“Turn right at the second corner right there and you will find the soldiers beating her up!” The man answered.

Shuhua ran as quick as she can to save her grandma but when she came, her grandma was already bathing in her own blood.

“G-Grandma—” Shuhua’s tears flow down her cheeks like crazy.

“Sh-Shuhua?” Her grandma did her best to open her eyes.

“Yes, grandma, it’s me. Hang in there! I’m taking you home and treat your wounds.”

“It’s too late for me, so don’t bother. Don’t take me. Leave me as if you didn’t know me.”

“What are you saying?! I can’t do that to you!”

Her grandma used all her strength that was left to pull Shuhua’s hood up that fell while she was running.

“You’re special, Shuhua. Don’t let anyone know, unless you’re ready. They are after you. Keep yourself safe.”

“Please stop talking non-sense. There’s nothing special about me at all. I’ll ask for help. Wait for me here.”

“No, my dear Shuhua. Run away and don’t come back for me.”

Shuhua ignored her words and ran to ask everyone nearby for help, but everybody pretended not to hear anything.

“I have no choice. I have to do it alone even if I can hardly carry her.” Shuhua told herself.

She went back to her grandma and got stunned, seeing the soldiers beheading her and putting her head on a stick with a note on it, saying, “Obey us or you’ll die like her.”

“M-Monsters—” Shuhua stepped back bit by bit in fear.

The soldiers were about to look back, hearing her foot steps when someone suddenly pulled her. She was about to take the stranger’s hand off her when the stranger put her finger on her lips, telling her to hush.

“This person is wearing a robe too. Is she also hiding a birthmark?” Shuhua wondered.

The stranger pulled her to a place with no one else but them.

“Death is already normal here.” The stranger pulls her hood down.

“You’re a woman too.”

“And so?” She coldly asked with her eyebrow raised.

Shuhua shook her head as a sign that there is nothing wrong with it and she was just surprised.

“Based on your reaction earlier, it was your first time seeing a person being killed.”

“Yes.” Shuhua shortly answered.

“It’s disgusting and scary at first, but you’ll get used to it eventually.”

“She’s my grandma."

Hearing her words, the stranger suddenly felt bad. She took a glass of water for Shuhua and gave it to her.

“Here—to help you calm yourself.”

Shuhua tried to take it but she was feeling too weak and trembling so badly that she dropped the glass.

“I’m sorry!” She tries to clean up the mess she made.

“Stop moving.” The stranger commanded her.

She knelt and took Shuhua’s hand to tie a cloth on it.

“Did you even realize you were already bleeding because of the way you held the broken glass?”

“I’m sorry, I was just trying to clean my mess.”

“You’re a mess, yourself.”

Her harsh words hurt Shuhua but she accepted it, thinking it was true to begin with.

Suddenly, she heard someone singing.

“Her voice is so soothing.” Shuhua told herself.

“I’m sorry.” The stranger apologized.

Shuhua lose consciousness out of nowhere.

When Shuhua woke up, she was already on her place.

“Was it a dream? Grandma!” Shuhua looked around the house but found her nowhere.

She looked at her hand and saw the cloth the stranger tied on it.

“So everything was real…” Shuhua fell on her knees, crying.

She did nothing but mourn over her beloved grandma’s death the whole day. That very night, everything she saw when she was outside flashed in her head.

People begging for food, people being beaten up by soldiers, people not caring for anyone out of fear of the conquerors.

“This needs to stop.” She told herself.

Suddenly, she remembered what her grandma told her in the past and the day before she died.

“Special—a hero?” Shuhua looks at herself in the mirror.

Slowly, she touched her forehead and watched the small birthmark she was hiding since she was young shine. She doesn’t know what it really is, why she has it and why she has to hide it. But right now, she wants to do nothing else but believe that it’s the thing that makes her special.

“I’ll be the hero that everyone needs.” She told herself.

The next day, she went out, climbed a big rock and shouted to call everyone’s attention.

“Are you happy with us living this way?” Shuhua asked.

“Let’s go. We might be punished too if the soldiers hear her and see us listening.” She heard someone said it, but she didn’t stop talking.

“Are you contented with this kind of life?!” Shuhua frowns.

“We need to fight! Open your eyes!”

“You open your eyes, stupid! There’s nothing else we can do about this! Just accept it!” One man shouted.

People around her started laughing after hearing the man’s words.

“You—“ Shuhua points at the mom with her children.

“Would you like to raise your children with all your heart and have them killed by soldiers someday just because of one mistake?!” Shuhua asked.

“Go get yourself killed! Don’t include us in your non-sense ambitions!” The people laugh at her even more.

Shuhua gritted her teeth in annoyance. She was already about to show everyone her birthmark to show them that she’s not just a normal person when someone suddenly shouted and asked, “Where should we meet you if we want to join you?”

Her annoyance was replaced with joy in a blink of an eye.

“Everyone who’s willing to fight alongside me, meet me behind that hou