Fallon looked down at the table, "so, if what you say is true, then…" he trailed off.
"The matron is really gone…" Aaron, who was sitting beside Fallon replied.
Soren nodded his head, "That is true."
"You are gonna tell the kids that you look like that?" Aaron pointed out Soren's appearance.
Soren looked at himself, "do I really look that monstrous?"
"No," Aaron almost stood up, "Damn it, big bro. I didn't mean it like that."
Cyrus looked up at Soren. He was sitting by the window. It was still dark outside. The kids would be up soon.
"No I-" Soren looked away, "I understand." He turned away, "I need to use the washroom." He walked away.
"Wait-" Fallon stood up.
But he was already gone.
Cyrus sighed and stood up as well, "I will go after him."
Aaron and Fallon looked at Cyrus.
"Alright." Aaron said.
In the bathroom.
Soren looked at himself in the mirror. A pair of black irises with blue in the middle as pupils stared back at him. He had grown even taller than before. His hair now reaches just below his shoulder blades.
He really has become a monster, hasn't he?
He looked down at his hands. They have turned black. He lifted up his sleeves. The black on his hands fades almost close to the elbows. He sighed.
"I have become a monster." He muttered under his breath but the sound bounced off in the bathroom in a quiet echo.
"You are anything," Soren turned around at the familiar voice, "but a monster."
Cyrus didn't approach. He just leaned by the door frame. His arms crossed on his chest and his body was kneeling sideways.
"Sunshine?" Soren called out to Cyrus, "look at me." He sneered.
Cyrus was taken aback, he wasn't used to Soren's sneer. Soren never sneered at anyone before nor did he ever raise his voice.
"Only by appearance?" Cyrus tilted his head. "Tell me one monstrous thing you have done."
Soren flinched slightly, "I…" he exhaled a puff of air, "because of me you got into a situation like that."
Cyrus raised an eyebrow, "you weren't the reason I was in that cave. I went there on my own because I was following the matron," he looked away, "truthfully so… I thought that I may never be able to see you again…"
Soren looked back at Cyrus, "what…"
"I asked the matron– or that shape-shifting wizard bastard who was wearing her skin," Cyrus sighed, "he told me that you had run away."
"I would never leave any of you…" Soren tried to say.
"I know," Cyrus looked back at Soren again as he pushed himself off of the door frame. "That's why I had a hard time believing it. I was hoping you would come back."
Soren just stared at Cyrus. Trying to say something but nothing would come out of his mouth.
"Now don't call yourself a monster. You killed a monster." Cyrus turned back, "besides the sun has almost come out. The kids will be awake soon. Come on." Cyrus began walking away.
Soren smiled. He guessed he could live with his new look. Because Cyrus isn't worried about it. Hopefully the other kids wouldn't be worried either. He might scare them a little but they could warm up to him again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Big bro Soren is back."
"So, he didn't run away."
"Big bro Fallon said that he was kidnapped by an evil wizard and he fought him off."
Soren sighed. He was making himself ready to face the kids. He had no problem with facing the kids in the past but with his changed appearance they might not like him anymore. He hopes Fallon's fairytale of him being abducted by a wizard works.
"Why are you creeping on the kids?" Soren jumped at Cyrus's voice.
"I- I wasn't creeping." Soren defended himself.
"Uh-huh…" Cyrus pushed Soren out into the view of the other orphans, "just come out."
Soren reluctantly got pushed out of his safe zone where kids won't see him.
Every eye turned to look at Soren. Their gazes widened.
"Who are you?" One kid quivered at the sight of Soren.
"A monster!" Another yelped.
"S-Stay away from us." another one almost tipped the chair over.
Soren sighed. This is gonna be hard. It's gonna be really hard to get the kids to love him again.
Marryanne just looked at Soren abd tilted her head, "big bro Soren?" He approached him.
"Don't go, Marry." An older kid closer to her age. Held her hand.
"He could eat you big sister Marry." one of ther younger orphan bravely held Marryanne's skirt.
"What are you two saying?" Marryanne sighed freeing herself, "that is big bro Soren. When has he ever hurt us?"
Cyrus regrets pushing Soren to the view of the children. Their annoying voices won't stop, "shut up all of you." He snapped. He pointed towards Soren, "Look closely this is Soren. Still Soren." at Cyrus's voice all eyes looked at Cyrus as tgey quieted down
Soren blushed a little but smirked, "defending me eh, sunshine?"
"Fuck off" Cyrus dropped his arm to the side but.
Everything was silent for a while.
To eerily silent.
One of the younger orphan approached Soren and looked up at him. She trembled slightly at the black irises.
"are you really big bro Soren?" she asked.
"Yes, I am, little one."
"Were you hexed by an evil wizard?" she tilted her head. Her trembling stopped after Soren's confirmation.
"Eh-" Soren has told countless stories to kids but he doesn't know what to say to that, "I umm."
Fallon yawned, "he did." He stretched his arms as the eyes turned to him.
"And Cyrus saved him." Aaron added, he was sitting right beside Fallon.
Silence again.
Then a lot of 'oohs' as sparkling eyes turned to Cyrus.
"Is it true?"
"Did that evil wizard hex you as well?"
"When did you save him?"
Cyrus gritted his teeth at the numerous questions thrown at him. He was annoyed, really really annoyed. He will kill Aaron later but first he needs to get rid off all these attentions.
"Soren knows best." Cyrus directed the Kid's attention all at Soren. As the questions still poured in.
Cyrus glanced at Soren. Atleast he seems to be getting how ge was even though that incident had changed his appearance it never altered his heart.
Ray looked around. Someone was missing. Soneone who gad been there with them since day one. Someone in a nun outfit. "hey anyone saw the matron today?"
Soren, Cyrus, Fallon and Aaron's face falls. They know what had happened. But they have to keep up their strong faces for the kids.
"She is on a long Vacation." Aaron fixed the mood once more.
None of them could tell the kids the truth. The matron had been dead for months and her appearance was stolen by a shape-shifting wizard. The kids can't kniw that yet.