2 An end for a beginning

It was a beautiful night, lulled by the stars and a full moon that a family was celebrating a joyous event. A beautiful cake was placed on a table, illuminated by the candles on it with a beautiful yellow light.

"Happy Birthday Logan!" Said a woman with beautiful brown hair as the young boy blew out the candles.

"Thank you mom, dad and you my big sister!" Cheerfully thanked the young boy.

This boy had a beautiful caramel skin and beautiful and silky black hair with a very particular difference. His eyes had a color that no one else had, making him a unique child with a beautiful red iris. As he savored the cake made by his mother, crumbs stuck to his cheeks. But this sweet family moment was not over yet, because a young girl with long, beautiful black hair brought a mysterious box.

"We have a nice little gift for you." She said as she set the box on the table and tenderly wiped the cake crumbs from his face.

In front of him was now a pretty box with a ribbon and small holes, impatient and curious, he opened the box. What he discovered made him smile with happiness, because inside a pretty little thing was sleeping. It was a very small cat with snow-white fur who had his eyes closed and was sleeping peacefully.

"I bought it for you, with the complicity of mom and dad." Declared the young woman tenderly.

"You are the best, thank you!" Said he while hugging them tightly.

Then he gently took the cat out of the box before lifting it into the air and at that moment, the cat gently opened its eyes, Logan's happy face reflected in his.

"I'm going to call you Shiro, because you have a nice white fur."

Thus ended this beautiful evening of birthday for the young child, of love and happiness as well as a new member in the family.

Shiro and the young boy started to spend all their time together as if they were brothers. They played together, slept together, ate together, all day long these two never left each other. When Logan was doing his homework and not playing with him, Shiro would come and rub up against him or jump on the table before going to bed without disturbing him. And he always stopped for a moment to caress him with tenderness. His sister came from time to time to see if he needed help, but it was always useless, because Logan had no difficulties. He was a real little genius, gifted in all subjects, especially in math, but also in sports. So much so that his sister Saori even sighed at not being able to help him even a little.

"It's really upsetting, you know, you never need any help, how am I supposed to play big sister?" She sighed.

"You already play it wonderfully big sister, do not be so offended and then it allows me to show off to Dad and Mom." He laughed while teasing her.

"You dirty little genius." She declared, ruffling her hair.

And they often stayed to bicker, laugh and talk for hours about everything and nothing and each of these moments was a real blessing. Because after all that had not always been so.

POV Logan

Every moment spent with my family was a moment of pure happiness, because things had not always been like this. The reality is that my mother, father and older sister are not related to me by blood, as I have been an orphan since birth. I was abandoned on the platform of a train station before being taken in by a pastor, one of the only things that was left behind being a sheet of paper with my name on it. So I spent my life in an orphanage, and it wasn't easy every day. Because I was born with a very rare physical characteristic of red eyes. Apparently this was due to a genetic modification and this modification, caused reluctant to adopt me. I kept asking the same question over and over again:

"Is it really that ugly to have red eyes?"

My eyes later earned me a nickname among the other orphans at the orphanage: the demon. Everyone knows that children can be very mean to others and of course this never stopped hurting me.

"I don't want to play with you your eyes scare me."

"Go play somewhere else demon."

"I'm sure you'll grow horns and a tail."

So many things that made me start to hate my eyes that made me so unique, I didn't want them anymore. I even wanted to rip them out so I wouldn't have to put up with all the things the other kids were doing to me. But of course it wasn't just them, there were the parents who came to adopt a child. They always gave me these looks that mixed several emotions: surprise, interest, fear, disgust and a whole lot of other emotions.

"Oh, there's no way I'm adopting that child his eyes are disgusting."

"He scares me, let's get one with normal eyes."

"He looked like a little devil."

They, who were also adults, also behaved like children without thinking for a second that their words could hurt me. I often stopped eating, and even sleeping, and I often cried in every corner of the orphanage where nobody would see me. But only one man would find me each time the pastor who had taken me in always cheering me up. He often repeated this sentence to me:

"You know Logan, the Lord doesn't make us endure hardships that we couldn't handle. Because otherwise how would he be a benevolent father believe me one day you will find a family and accept yourself." He said as he stroked my head.

And her words of comfort and hope proved to be true when I turned eight.

"Oh, mom look at him he's so handsome." Declared a young girl looking all happy.

"What's your name?"

"Lo...Logan." I answered a little surprised.

And this was normal because no parent had ever addressed me in this way, so jovial and kind.

"Oh plus he's shy." Added a man with a smile.

"So?" Asked the excited girl as she looked at the one who appeared to be her mother.

"He's a beautiful little boy, we'll adopt him." She replied as she looked at me.

"All right, come over here to sign the papers." Agreed the pastor as he gave me a smile.

They quickly signed the papers, and then it was already time to leave, everything having been settled too quickly. It all seemed too sudden and unreal after all who would want to adopt a demon like me with such abject eyes. I think I had been so hurt by all those words as sharp as daggers that I had ended up believing it and denigrating myself. One question was on my mind then, so much so that it ended up burning my lips:

"Doesn't it bother you or repulse you my red eyes?"

When I finally asked the question, I was hanging on their lips with my heart pounding as I waited for their answer and finally they gave me a smile.

"Why would we mind? You're a beautiful boy and you're going to be a part of our family now." Declared the mother in a soft voice.

Then the one who would become my big sister Saori, came closer to me and stood at my height before saying these words:

"Me, I think your eyes are beautiful."

My heart, it clenched, it clenched so hard that it hurt, but strangely this pain was also pleasant. Then the tears flowed of their own accord and I felt a soft warmth caressing my cheek, Saori tenderly stroking my face. So far, I had received nothing but mockery, disgust and silly nicknames. As childish as it may have sounded, it always hurt my feelings, but on this day, I had finally found a family.

"Thank you!" I said with wet eyes.

I then wiped away my tears, said goodbye to the sisters and the pastor then grabbed Saori's hand and joined my new family.

--------------------------------------------

I then acclimated to my new family and like any normal child, I now had to go to school. I was really apprehensive about being around other kids, of course again because of my eyes. My sister had dropped me off at the gate and she noticed my very visible stress.

"What are you afraid of little brother?"

"My eyes."

"I told you before, they are beautiful." (Saori)

"Yes, but not everyone thinks that, some are mean and like to hurt others."

Saori seemed surprised by my reflection, but she quickly replied with a smile.

"Little brother, it's true not everyone is benevolent in this world. You will probably still suffer a lot of mockery or people will look at you strangely. But the most important thing is that you accept yourself and your differences." She said with a smile.

"What if I can't?"

"Can you be strong for me then?"

"Yes."

"Go ahead." She gently pushed me toward the entrance.

Once inside I paced the halls of the school before reaching the room where the teacher was apparently waiting for me.

"Logan, right? All your classmates are in the room, you're going to go inside and introduce yourself okay."

"Yes sir."

The teacher opened the door of the room and the room which was a bit noisy became silent everyone stopped talking.

"Well today you have a new classmate be nice to him." Declared the Professor.

With a lump in my stomach, I shyly walked in and introduced myself to all the students, my heart beating faster than normal as well.

"My name is Logan I am 8 years old thank you for welcoming me."

There were small whispers from both sides of the room before the teacher pointed to my seat:

"Come on go sit next to Amber." Said the teacher cutting the conversations short.

I walked to my seat with my head down and sat down and instantly I heard a voice:

"Hey, do you want to eat with me at the re-creation." Said a young girl sitting to my right.

I looked up and our eyes met? A beautiful young girl was facing me, both of our gazes plunged into each other's eyes.

"You... You have red eyes..."

She seemed very surprised and I instinctively looked away.

"You know, I think it's classy."

Surprised I raised my head, unable to control my face turning noticeably red.

"Mer...thank you. "

"My name is Maïli." She said with a smile.

"Well open page 1 of your textbook." Asked the teacher as we continued talking.

"You didn't answer me." (Maïli)

"Yes, I want to eat with you at recess." I replied happily.

And so a new life began for me and the years began to roll by. Finally a new life, I was still far from imagining what was waiting for me.

6 years later.

I had made a small circle of friends when I entered elementary and middle school, including my best friend Maïli, a cheerful and friendly girl. My mother and father traveled a lot for business trips because they owned a pharmaceutical company and we did not lack anything. At the moment they had left for America, it had been 5 days and they should return tomorrow evening according to what they had said. In the meantime Saori kept me as usual by taking days off.

Saori had left home a few years ago to become independent and was now 26 years old. My parents were entrepreneurs with a very successful business, valued at millions of dollars, and we lacked for nothing. But my sister wasn't interested in the company, she wanted to earn and build her life by herself without anyone's help. But we had always remained close and she often came to the house, always welcomed by Shiro who came to rub her tenderly.

She was currently working in the field of personal assistance, looking after the elderly and sick people. She was my sister, a loving person who also took care of me, and who was now taking care of others. She seemed very fulfilled and my parents were proud of her no matter what path she chose.

While we were quietly playing on our console, the house phone rang. She got up to quietly answer the phone while I tried to cheat a little to beat her. A shrill sound then alerted me as I saw that Saori had collapsed on the floor in tears. Instinctively I immediately ran to her.

"Big sister are you okay?"

She looked me straight in the eye, being able to guess myself that this was serious.

"Look Mommy and Daddy had an accident they... They died..."

I then took a few seconds to understand before bursting into tears and collapsing in turn. Comforted by my sister who hugged me as hard as she could, both of us sobbing our eyes out trying to get rid of the pain.

Their plane had had an engine problem in flight, which caused their plane to crash into the sea. Their lifeless bodies were recovered a few hours later by rescue teams.

Once the funeral passed in tears and pain and grief, what we thought was the hardest part was really just the beginning. The business that our parents built was taken away from us by the board of directors, who argued that my sister had not participated in the business by wanting to lead her own life. All their accounts were also frozen without cause. My sister took legal action but even though everything was on our side we lost the case.

Later, due to lack of funds, we were evicted from our luxury home, and I had to move into my sister's small apartment. At first everything was fine but I was about to enter a prestigious high school and the cost was expensive. And my sister was adamant that I should continue, so to take care of me my sister took on several jobs until she ruined her health. She literally became a slave and even...

One day I came home from school early, on my way home I saw several shoes. Hearing strange noises and I headed to my sister's room, horrified my heart leaving my chest I saw her lying on the bed. Lying like a common doll while men including one of my college friends were taking advantage of her I then exploded with rage:

"Get out! Get out!"

"Oh, come on, Logan come and enjoy her, after all she's not your real sister." Laughed my classmate.

"Shawn!"

I then hit him with all my might causing him to fall backwards with a bloody nose. But then the men shoved me and then hit me hard. Until my sister herself intervened.

"Leave him alone! Let him go," she begged, crying as I was beaten.

After endless minutes of them beating me up, they got dressed and looked at us, then left the room looking satisfied.

"See you soon, little bitch!"

I stood up and my sister looked at me with all the pain in the world, while my face had many bruises from the beating. Our looks were supporting each other at that moment instead of continuing to look at her and then coming to comfort her for the first time I looked away from my sister I saw her in a dirty and disgusting way. And I walked away leaving her there, sitting on the floor with a simple sheet covering her. But the choice I made in looking away that day, in denying my own sister would only be for a moment, it was going to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life.

The next day, the only thing that awaited me was horror, the horror of losing what was dearest to me in this world.

"This is not possible...Saori...No... What...What have I done..."

I painfully unhooked her lifeless body and hugged her, sobbing as the sunlight illuminated her beautiful, now pale face. The warmth of her body that had warmed and comforted me so many times had disappeared, irrefutable proof that she was no longer of this world. I learned that day, that sometimes you think you know the worst but the worst is always to come and even in the worst you always find worse than the worst.

At her grave with tears in my eyes, I recalled my sister's memories of who she was. A kind and loving altruistic person who loved to take care of others but most of all who always took care of me. So I solemnly vowed to become a better person, to help those in need and this time to never look away.

"I promise big sister!"

4 years later.

Years went by I had to fend for myself during my high school years I had discovered that my sister had saved money for university in addition to paying for my entire year of high school. Making me even more pathetic and guilty as a brother bringing shame to my heart and mind. I became unsocialized by concentrating on my studies and also took a job after school because the rent had to be paid. Maïli had offered me several times to live with her and her parents but I didn't want to abuse my most faithful friend. When I got home I opened the door of my house and there was a sign on it with an eviction notice on it, 3 months late on the rent. I took off my school things and took out the little fresh milk I had left in the fridge.

"Don't mind if it's half empty, I don't have much money."

"Meow."

I poured the milk into his bowl which I then placed on the floor as he rubbed tenderly against me before drinking as if to comfort me.

"It's good huh Shiro." I said as I stroked him while he drank his milk.

I then took a shower and a light snack to then put on my work outfit.

"Well I'll leave you Shiro, now I have to go to work see you later."

I walked the streets in about ten minutes arriving at the store where I worked as a cashier.

"Come on Logan go get your register ready, you're a little late." Declared the boss.

"Excuse me."

"It's not a big deal, go get your register ready." She said gently.

I rushed to my cash register to start taking customers and worked all night until midnight. Before finally going home and studying my math classes like crazy despite being tired. I was so far along in my studies that I had started a thesis to earn money and was giving tutoring. I finally heard the sound of birds chirping, which meant that night had given way to day, which meant another sleepless night for me.

I took another shower and warmed up a chocolate bread that I had bought the day before opening the last carton of milk in the fridge to make myself a chocolate and give the rest to Shiro. I also gave him a half opened can of sardines which he gobbled up in a flash. Then when I was ready I went to the door where Shiro was waiting. He rubbed me tenderly as usual and gave me a nice meow.

"See you tonight big guy." I said as I left for the high school.

Once at the high school I took my usual seat where Maïli was waiting for me in the back of the classroom.

"I know someone who pulled another all-nighter." She said in a tone of voice to scold me.

"It's nothing, don't worry."

"Stop it, you're ruining your health, come and live at my place like I offered you."

"No again, but thanks for the offer."

"You stubborn bastard, when you're kicked out you'll have to accept."

"We're not there yet, but it sounds like you're hoping for it."

"A little who knows maybe even a lot." She replied with a smile.

While we were discussing me and Maïli the class had become noisy almost all the class being present but the professor still not present. Suddenly a violent wind rose breaking in pieces the windows of the class making several students shout of panic.

But the major event was the large luminous white ball that blinded us and appeared in the center of the classroom. It continued to grow and at high speed caught several students whose panicked cries faded away. The white ball had now covered the entire classroom, only the back was spared, but it would soon engulf us too. Maïli and I looked at each other for a brief moment where I noticed that she was trembling so I took her hand to tell her that whatever it was we were together. Then inevitably we were also both sucked in by this unknown light while holding hands.