"Sleep"
'W-What did she do?'
My body was uncontrollable; I fell to the floor while facing Seraphim.
'What's happening? I feel myself drifting off.'
My eyes started to sting, and I slowly closed them. It felt like I'd been awake for days.
It was dark; there was nothing at all, but a tiny spark of light began to approach me.
Then the light started coming closer to me very quickly and expanded.
I couldn't close my eyes; it was as if I was forced to look at the light.
Michael saw a flash.
"Look at this long bean, it looks like a green snake, but don't be scared, I'm going to eat it! Haha!"
An entertaining laugh was heard inside the room that held six children and one Nun.
'Isn't this a flash of my past?'
"Fuji, that's enough joking. Hurry up and eat, it's time for bed after this, okay? It's late."
Fuji turned toward the seat at the very end.
The beautiful Nun was sitting there.
Although beautiful, when she was angry, she looked very scary.
"O-Okay, Sister."
Fuji sat back down and ate his food heartily.
The others watched them, laughing together, filling the slightly dark room, which was only illuminated by small candles in every corner.
"Here's a piece of meat for you. Consider it a gift because you haven't joined us for dinner in a long time."
The boy with glasses sat beside me.
It was the first time I'd met him; his name was Tomas, and I heard he liked to read books.
"You're rarely seen and only just showed up now. Let me introduce myself, I'm Lorine."
"Maybe you don't know me, I'm new to this church, but I've heard a little story about you."
That boy sat right next to me, opposite me. It was also my first time seeing him; he had yellow eyes.
"Y-Yes, nice to meet you, I'm Michael."
He smiled while holding a fork, revealing his missing tooth.
"Alright, we're friends now, hehe."
"Umm."
I nodded shyly because it was my first time sitting at the dining table with everyone, and it made me nervous.
The Nun was very kind to me; I was always accompanied. And somehow, every full moon night, she was always in my room when I opened my eyes.
Yes, the Nun's name was Leonora. To me, she was a mother.
I was always grateful to live in this church, and this was the first time we all gathered together.
After eating, Sister Leonora cleared away our leftover food, and then we headed to our respective rooms after brushing our teeth.
My room was at the very end, and my room was separated from the others.
But I liked it because whenever I opened the window, there was a view of the forest and cliffs.
I opened my room door.
It was a simple room with my homemade toys on the desk.
I tidied my bed first, then lay down. The full moon was very bright, shining through the curtainless window glass.
I looked at the moonlight while lying down.
"It seems like a full moon, the light is so bright, I feel sleep..."
I fell asleep while observing the moonlight. It seemed to make my heart feel giddy until I passed out.
Suddenly, the door opened slowly.
The sound of footsteps approached, then she sat on the edge of my bed.
Her right hand stroked my forehead.
I didn't feel her presence at all; I slept very soundly, as if no sound could penetrate my sleep.
"Michael, it's time to give you your medicine."
Not long after, I felt something strange.
My back felt burning hot, and my body temperature suddenly rose.
I whimpered in pain, but still remained unconscious.
Sister Leonora turned my body over so I was lying prone and opened my shirt.
She dripped liquid onto her right hand.
It turned out Sister Leonora was carrying a glass bottle filled with holy water.
She smeared the holy water directly onto my back, repeatedly, until the liquid in the bottle was finished.
After that, Sister Leonora put my shirt back on, then turned my body over to lie on my back and tucked me in.
My body temperature, which had suddenly risen, dropped, but I was drenched in sweat.
Sister Leonora wiped me using a cloth before putting my clothes back on.
My pain disappeared.
I wasn't whimpering anymore; instead, I smiled in my sleep.
"Now, go to sleep. We'll play again tomorrow."
She sighed.
"When you were a baby, Michael, you always whimpered in pain every full moon night."
She looked at the round and bright full moon through my room window glass, sitting on the edge of the bed near me.
"That mark on your back... it's unique and very hot."
Then she turned toward my face.
"At first I was shocked, until I decided to separate you from the other children so no one would know your uniqueness."
She stroked my head gently.
"Ah, I'm tired."
Then she stopped stroking my head.
"Good night, little Michael."
"I'm sorry if you feel isolated. This is for your own good... and the other children's too."
I felt Sister Leonora kiss my forehead.
She stood up and walked away, leaving me.
When she opened the door, I slowly opened my eyes.
'Sister?'
I only saw Sister Leonora's back before she closed the door.
I felt strange, but I didn't want to think about it anymore.
I fell asleep again.
Morning came, and time kept moving.
One year passed.
Now I was 6 years old.
I was sitting in the room, resting my chin in my hands, looking at the view through the open window.
'Today is so beautiful.'
I hummed softly while swinging both my legs.
'The temperature and the wind are perfect.'
The heat wasn't excessive, and the light, slightly cool breeze indicated winter was coming.
'Ah, I want to go for a walk.'
I sighed, then got down from the chair and stood up, walking closer to the window, watching the other children playing sword fights using wooden sticks.
'Okay, let's go invite the other kids!'
I walked with a smile, leaving my room toward downstairs to approach the other children.
Midway, I met the Nun who was preparing lunch.
She turned toward me after hearing running footsteps from the stairs.
She yelled at me with both hands on her hips.
"Michael! Don't run when going down the stairs, what if you fall?"
I was surprised, then turned toward Sister Leonora, whose eyebrows were sharply furrowed.
"Sorry, Sister Leonora, I wanted to hurry, hehe."
Then I quickly ran away, leaving her before she could scold me further.
"That naughty boy, sigh!"
She gripped her ladle tightly, then Sister Leonora turned around, sighed, and stirred the vegetables in the pot.
"You used to be quiet, now you've become a little naughty. Could this be Fuji's doing?"
She smiled happily, as if she herself wanted it and hoped Michael would change.
I ran to the yard to meet my other orphanage friends.
I saw Brother Fuji sitting casually, lying down under a tree, chewing on a blade of grass, watching the clouds move.
I ran up to him, waving my right hand. Brother Fuji glanced at me.
"Brother, how is your day?"
I was panting from running, then I wiped my forehead out of exhaustion.
Then I sat next to Brother Fuji, crossing my legs while watching the orphanage friends play.
"Ah, Michael, I was just thinking."
Then I turned to see Brother Fuji's face, which seemed to be daydreaming while looking at the sky.
"What are you thinking about, Brother?"
Brother Fuji glanced at me, then he sat up and leaned against the tree, bending his right leg.
Then he let out a long sigh.
"Don't you ever think about what kind of people we'll become when we're grown up? Will we just be like this forever?"
Then he spat out the blade of grass, sending it flying far in front of him.
"Uh... I think so too, I think the same thing, but why do you look a little anxious, Brother?"
Brother Fuji turned to look at my face.
"Michael, many of our orphanage friends have been adopted. Now, only seven of us are left here, including you."
I looked into Brother Fuji's serious eyes, then I turned my face to look at the moving clouds.
"Brother, I don't think I'll be adopted by anyone, and I really like being here with you and the others. Somehow, I have a dream that the seven of us have a certain destiny in the future."
Brother Fuji raised his eyebrow, looking disbelieving.
"Now you've opened up and are talking as if we'll have a bright future, but I like your current style, haha."
Then Brother Fuji patted my shoulder and stood up, both hands on his hips, shouting.
"Remember! We are the Seven Siblings! We don't share blood, but we share a strong bond. And now, I believe that one day we will always be together!"
Brother Fuji's declaration made the other orphanage friends stop playing, then they walked closer to us.
And they stood in a single row from left to right, and all of them seemed to put on faces reflecting their respective personalities.
Then I stood up, walked and joined the line, we clenched our fists, raised them up, and shouted our slogan that we had discussed 6 months ago.
"The Seven Siblings: No blood, but bound by promise. We will be together, until death!"
Then we cheered happily and continued playing.
'What is this? I haven't remembered this in a long time.'
Crack!
Suddenly, the image from the end of the flash cracked and spread to the middle and shattered.
I couldn't say a word, only watched the shards disappear.
Not long after, another light approached me quickly, just like before.