The carriage skidded to a stop after reaching the gates of the orphanage. Soren peaked out the glass window. Only a few kids were waiting for them. The rest of them are probably ill and still on the infirmary bed.
The carriage door swung open as Cyrus and Soren stepped down. Soren helped the other three kids climb down while Cyrus looked around to the familiar faces of the kids. The Matron was among them. She stood tall and imposing. After all three kids have been helped to get down by Soren. The Matron approached.
"You two are back," she reached out to both Cyrus and Soren pulling both of them into a hug, "hopefully you two were careful along the way."
Cyrus and Soren glanced at each other then hugged the older woman back.
"We are back, Matron Nell." Cyrus sighed softly.
"And we got the cure," Soren paused for a while as the Matron pulled away from the hug, "hopefully we weren't too late…"
Matron Nell shook her head, "no my dear, you aren't too late. The kids are still in the infirmary and some of their health is stable now."
Then her hawk-like eyes grazed over the prankster trio behind Soren and Cyrus. She gently marched over to Marryanne, Raynold and Jayson.
"You three…" the Matron said, voice low and stern but not unkind, "are in so much trouble."
Marryanne acted cute and innocent, twirling her hair. Her bow still looked like two pairs of horns on her head.
Ray started whistling innocently.
Jay kicked a nearby stone on the ground.
After going inside. Soren felt as if his heart was breaking. The orphanage looked almost empty. Cyrus's face was unreadable as he looked around and sure enough. It was empty except for a few healthy kids.
Both of them looked at each other.
Cyrus could see Soren's hidden grief.
Soren could see Cyrus's hidden sadness.
Both of them made their way to the infirmary. The kids. All the familiar faces were lying unconscious on the bed. With only one healer, Aaron who looked almost sleep deprived.
He noticed Soren and Cyrus, "big bro…" his voice sounded tired, "you are back."
"We are back." Soren's voice softened looking over the younger man's dark circles under the eyes.
"You haven't gotten enough sleep?" Cyrus asked.
Aaron shook his head to the side, "I was busy stabilising their healths." Aaron replied as he approached Soren and Cyrus, "I'm sorry, I don't know when Marryanne and her two ducklings escaped, I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Soren reassured, "it was a miracle that she went with us… because without her making the cure wouldn't be possible."
Aaron tipped his head to the side.
"It needed some of a nature magic user's blood to brew it."
Aaron nodded his head as Cyrus gave him a glass vial that contained a red liquid. Aaron took it and looked at it and looked at Cyrus, "this is?"
"The cure." Cyrus then ordered, "drink it."
Aaron nodded as he opened the glass vial to drink the blood-red liquid inside.
Soren and Cyrus moved towards the unconscious kids in the infirmary. Their gaze swept from Fallon to Levi and to the others. Yvonne, Darren, Dante…
After Aaron was done drinking the vial. He returned at Soren and Cyrus's side, "so should we help them drink the cure?" Aaron asked.
Soren and Cyrus nodded.
"Alright then."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The dining area was almost empty except for a few kids who gathered around Soren and Cyrus. Aaron had gone to sleep. The unconscious kids in the infirmary looked less terrible. The kids who were gathered around Soren began asking questions.
"Big bro, Soren, tell us all about the journey."
"What was it like?"
"How did you get the cure?"
Soren sighs, "ask one at a time," he chuckled a little, "I can't answer all of that at once."
Marryanne chuckled evilly.
"you can't, big bro…" she glanced up, green eyes sparkling with mischief, "but I can…" she said as the other kids looked at her.
"Tell us big sis, Marry."
"spill everything, Marry."
"Yay!"
Marryanne looked around the table full of kids just blabbering for her to tell the tale, "alright, alright. I need some help with this." She looked over to Ray and Jay, "you two help me."
Ray grinned.
Jay twinkled.
"On it, sis Marry." Both twins said in unison.
Marryanne and their twins began telling the story of their journey. Overly exaggerating some parts, mostly the parts which include Soren and Cyrus.
Cyrus sighed, annoyance creeping up to him on Marryanne just casually mentioning what happened in their journey. She and her ducklings overly exaggerated the part where Cyrus had also fallen sick because of the virus. Which added to Cyrus's annoyance.
He turns his head to Soren and whispered, "If this turns into another marriage rumour, im gonna fuck you." He tried to be threatening but sitting in a carriage had taken a toll on his back.
Soren smirked and whispered back, "it's fuck you up, sunshine." He winked.
Cyrus felt his head throb and anger rising to his chest, "shut up Soren." He almost yelled, "I know what I said." Cyrus didn't realize what his words meant.
Soren chuckled softly, "Not if I do it first." He shook his head.
"You wanna fight. Huh?" Cyrus is now really annoyed.
"Sure," Soren then whispered to Cyrus's ear, "Rage Princess."
"That's it," Cyrus lunged at Soren but Soren dodged and caught him in a vice-like grip. Everyone who was listening to Marryanne looked at Soren and Cyrus and burst out laughing.
Cyrus was embarrassed.
"Looks like you still lost, haha." Soren teased letting Cyrus go,
"Shut up." Cyrus sighed and tried to shut down the annoying laughs of the orphans in front his mind. Especially Soren. He was the more annoying part of Cyrus's life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cyrus looked out the window. The moon hung low in the sky. The silver sphere cast its glow over the earth. The clouds, black clouds, floated in the sky.
Then Cyrus heard a door opening. He didn't turn. He could tell by the footsteps alone. That it's his annoying rival Soren.
"Sunshine?" Soren reached towards Cyrus standing in the silver beam himself.
Cyrus finally looked towards Soren. And he regretted it because now he feels as if his breath has been taken away. The air from his lungs completely disappeared.
Soren had just taken a shower, water droplets rolled down his fluffy black hair, a towel draped over his shoulders. He wasn't wearing anything, just a towel wrapped on his waist. The infuriating, floating silver sphere isn't helping at all as it reflects on Soren's features more prominently. Striking blue eyes staring back at Cyrus's green-red ones.
Soren looked heavenly as if an Angel had lost his wings, wounding up among those who are unworthy to see his beauty.
Cyrus felt red creeping up on his face; he quickly shook his head and looked at Soren. He removed any sign of flusteredness from his expression. Making his face blank again. "What do you want, Soren?"
"Nothing," Soren grinned, "I just saw you looking over at the moon and thought you had seen something interesting." He stepped away from the window and from the moonlight. He picked up his trousers, pulling them on to his waist, "but turns out, you were just looking at the moon." he nonchalantly said. He doesn't know what his nonchalance is doing to Cyrus.
Cyrus finally lets out a breath. He hates Soren for taking his breath away, he hates his infuriating senior for being so nonchalant. He hates him so much that he can't breathe.
He took a step forward to Soren. Even though he has a slight memory of that day, he can clearly remember what Soren had told him.
"Soren," Cyrus's voice was soft, softer than he intended, Soren looked at him.
"Yes?" Soren tilted his head to the side as he prepares to wear his shirt
"you told me that if I-" A knock at the door interrupted Cyrus.
"Who is it?" Soren asked.
"I'm Marry." the voice behind the door says, "come on its dinner time."
"Coming," Soren replied to the voice, "you go first."
"Okay," Marryanne says as the sound of the footsteps disappear.
Soren then looked at Cyrus again, buttoning his shirt up, "what were you gonna say again?"
"Nothing." Cyrus sighed as he decided not to ask for that, "you go to dinner."
"And you?"
Cyrus looked towards the moon, "I will be there in a minute or two." Cyrus replied, eyes still fixed on the moon.
"Alright," with that Siren left the room.
Cyrus's eyes turned glossy, he gates himself for feeling this way for someone meant to be his senior and rival. He lies on the bed and curls up. The limited memories of that day with Soren flashed in his mind. He hid his head underneath a pillow.
He is gonna murder Soren and maybe then all these feelings will be over. But right now in his mind he can only scream.
"Fuck you, Soren!!!"
Meanwhile in the dining area, Soren felt a shiver down his back as if he had telepathically heard Cyrus's inner voice.
"What's wrong, big bro Soren?" one of the kids asked.
"It's nothing, I just felt someone yelling at me." Soren grinned.
The kids laugh.
"That's funny," another kid says, "big bro could feel words."
Soren looked over at the kids present there. He laughed with the kids but deep inside. He knows that it's probably Cyrus yelling at him
Or who else would it be?