"Bloom."
"Bloom..."
"Bloom without end."
As long as one was not dead, as long as the body had not completely withered and rotted, as long as consciousness had not completely faded, one must struggle continuously, blooming endlessly! This seemed to be something that had been integrated into Enyo's instincts from the moment she came into this world.
All sounds faded away, her vision fell into darkness, and her mind gradually stopped working, but her remaining instincts still urged her to burst forth with vigorous life force. No matter how harsh the environment, she could always survive tenaciously. It had always been like this.
Her consciousness sank into endless darkness and silence, yet unfamiliar and familiar images gradually emerged. That's right, before she was called Enyo, she seemed to have another name.
Momoko. (Peach Child)
A name given to her by someone, who said it was a very cute name. Cute? It seemed to be a word that had nothing to do with her.
Her birth was not blessed by the gods, just like her life, which was always accompanied by misfortune. From birth, she carried an ugly black birthmark that covered the better half of the left side of her face. In this era, it was regarded as a symbol of bad luck.
The Calamity Woman, a being despised and cursed by the gods.
Her mother's body was weakened by giving birth to her, becoming frail and sickly, which seemed to confirm the truth of the Calamity Woman. She should have been smothered at that time, but after losing her breath for a moment, she let out a loud cry again, surviving amidst her family's disgust.
The small baby, disliked by everyone, didn't even have her own name. She was fed hastily when remembered, starved when forgotten, and no one cared when she was sick. But she still survived tenaciously. Whether it was hunger or fever, she miraculously pulled through and slowly grew up. Such a tenacious life force, like a weed, sprouting new shoots no matter how harsh the environment.
Perhaps in the eyes of others, she was more like a hard stone, unable to be smashed or crushed.
When she grew a little older, she learned to find her own food. Delicious wild fruits were rarely found, so insects and rats were a rare feast. When she was extremely hungry, she would grab a handful of grass and stuff it into her mouth, which could also fill her stomach.
The world in her eyes was full of malice. That was right, she was a symbol of disaster, a child cursed by the gods. Her father's scolding and beating, her mother's cold observation, and her older brother and sister would also bully her. They smiled so beautifully at others, but no matter how hard she worked, all she got were cold and disgusted expressions.
Even the children who were called pure and kind would pick up stones and throw them at her, calling her an ugly monster, a she-devil. So, she understood that the gentleness and beauty of this world never belonged to her. From that moment on, all people's faces became blank in her eyes, all bearing the same malice.
At the age of eight, a plague took the lives of her family, and only she survived. Although her throat was burned hoarse, that weed-like vigorous life force still allowed her to survive tenaciously. People became even more convinced that she would bring disaster, so she was driven out of the village and began a life of wandering.
It was not much different from her previous life. Wherever she went, she was met with disgust and hatred, ostracized and bullied by other wanderers, and driven away by people time and again. For a long time, she lived in the dirtiest corners of the lowest society, struggling to survive among beggars, thieves, and villains, and had to be careful not to be abducted by human traffickers or killed by robbers and criminals.
She had been hurt by people, and she had hurt people. To survive, she was no different from a wild beast. All she saw was ugliness. Even if there was a moment of warmth in this world, it had nothing to do with her.
She gradually understood what hatred was. She hated herself, hated humanity, and hated this world.
Later, she learned to cover the birthmark on her face. She picked up a tattered white cloth from a garbage heap, washed it in the river, and wrapped it around her left face, including her left eye. This way, I would become less ugly, right?
Indeed it was so. At least she found a place where she could stay for a long time without being driven away. She slowly built a small hut in the mountains far from people, with branches and dry grass. Although it leaked everywhere when it rained, it was at least a shelter that belonged only to her.
She liked the flowers and plants on the mountain because of their vigorous life force, which was similar to hers, and more importantly, because they wouldn't harbor endless malice towards her like humans did. They wouldn't refuse to bloom for her because she was ugly, they wouldn't wither because of the misfortune she carried, and they would even bear sweet and delicious fruits.
So she planted many flowers, plants, and trees in front of her small hut. Miraculously, the flowers and plants she tended always grew exceptionally lush, and the flowers they bloomed were particularly vibrant. She began to make a living by selling flowers and fruits. Although it was still not easy for a young girl to survive alone, her life began to get better.
But she had to be vigilant at all times. She must not reveal the birthmark on her face; that would make her lose everything again. She had to avoid being stolen from by thieves, robbed by thugs, and be careful not to be dragged into an alley by villains; that would hurt a lot. She carefully maintained this hard and fragile life because it was something she had stolen. She was the Calamity Woman, who had cruelly concealed the mark that the gods had placed on her to warn people, and had cruelly stolen a little bit of luck that belonged to others.
This life continued for a long time, until one day, a person recklessly stumbled into her life.
It was a rainy morning. She was stroking a large patch of small white flowers that had quietly climbed up the fence in front of her door in the fine rain. She didn't know the names of the flowers on the mountain, just like herself, who had never had a name. Only when facing them could she smile. Mmm, it must be very ugly and scary, but the flowers won't be frightened.
"Ah, so many morning glories, and they're a rare white color. But their petals are very fragile and will fall quickly after being rained on." A strange voice suddenly entered her ears.
She looked up in astonishment and saw a very disheveled young man walking towards her, carrying a large box on his back.
A person...
She hurriedly raised her hand to cover the uncovered birthmark on her face, and her body began to tremble.
I've been seen!
Soon, the people in the town will all know!
Before long, the blank faces of those people will show the same malice I've seen before, and they will drive me out of here with their fists and clubs...
"I'm sorry, I was too presumptuous." Seeing her panic, the young man scratched his wet hair in confusion and bowed repeatedly in apology. "I'm a wandering physician, and I got lost in this mountain forest," the man explained. "I've been wandering in the forest all night and finally found a house."
"Miss, could you please tell me the way to the nearest village or town?"
"The way down the mountain is difficult and far," she said with her head down, covering her cheek with her hand, her voice hoarse. If I kill him here, can I keep my current life? Thinking this, she deliberately didn't tell the man the way down the mountain.
"Ah—" the man sighed in frustration, then said embarrassedly, "Um... do you have any food here? I can pay for it..."
"Come in," she opened the gate, having made a decision in her heart. I will not lose my current life. No matter what, I will snatch it back from others!
"No, no, no! That would be too much trouble for you..."
"Come in, get out of the rain," she said, pulling the man's arm and dragging him into the hut.
The man stood uncomfortably in the small, damp hut, looking at her uncovered face with bewilderment. Instinctively, she raised her hand to cover her face again.
"It's very beautiful," the man said with sincere admiration. "Like a black peach blossom."
Her body froze, and she looked up at him in surprise. The man's face was still blank in her eyes, but his eyes were very bright and spirited, like brilliant starlight.
"Ah! I am very sorry, I was too forward!" It seemed her expression was too shocked. The man finally realized his words were too frivolous and hurriedly bowed in apology again. "Oof!" He hit his head hard on a wooden shelf, and a red bump appeared on his forehead.
"It's alright. I'll get you something to eat." For the first time, she didn't know how to face someone and hurriedly turned to get food. The malice in her heart quickly dissipated. She suddenly couldn't accept killing such a bright and radiant person.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (290 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (240 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (110 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (120 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (310 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (120 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (140 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(70 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (193 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (140 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (100 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (70 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (100 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (120 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (120 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (85 Chapter)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (60 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (70 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (120 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (120 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (60 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (90 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (90 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (70 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (70 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (70 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (70 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.