The boy froze in fear before the captain, his small body trembling as he slowly crawled backward across the street.
Just as he tried to get up and run, a firm hand rested on his shoulder.
He looked up and saw an angry looking Achie.
"Got you, kid," he said, "Now, return the things you stole."
The boy glared at him for a moment with his expression sharp and defiant.
But when Captain Stefan stepped closer, the defiance drained from his face like a dying flame.
Fear replaced his anger as the boy lowered his gaze.
Recognizing the captain, Achie immediately straightened his back and saluted him. "Good day to you, sir. Captain."
"At ease," Stefan replied while crouching down in front of the boy.
His presence, though commanding, carried an odd gentleness as he placed his hand on the boy's head and smiled.
"Don't be afraid," he said softly. "As long as I'm here, no harm will come to you."
Achie was a bit stunned after hearing that. "But, sir… he did steal something."
"Then we'll give it back," the captain answered simply, as if that solved everything. He extended his hand toward the child. "Come. Get up son."
The boy hesitated but eventually took the offered hand. Together, the three of them made their way to the fruit vendor's stall.
The smell of ripe fruit filled the air as the vendor's eyes widened when he recognized who was standing before him. As captain Stefan told the boy to apologize.
"Ah, Captain Stefan! Forget about it, please. It was just a banana that he stole," the man said quickly, waving it off with a nervous smile.
The captain frowned lightly. "That doesn't excuse theft."
Yet the vendor insisted, shaking his head nervously.
So in order to fix things, captain Stefan bought two full bags of assorted fruits, paying with a pouch filled with gold.
The vendor tried to refuse the payment he was giving, but the captain's calm look silenced him.
The boy then mumbled an apology with his voice small and uncertain. After that they continued on to the jewelry boutique with Achie leading the way.
When they arrived, they saw the old woman waiting outside with her arms folded. And now that they stood in front of her, a long silence lingered in the air.
The Captain then gave the boy a gentle push forward. The child stumbled one step, then slowly bent down while holding out both hands.
In his palms were the stolen ornaments, now scratched and some even cracked from being chased.
"I'm sorry," he said with his voice trembling. "I won't do it again. If I can… I'll make it right somehow."
The woman's face softened into a kind smile. "You're forgiven, dear." She took the jewelry carefully and placed it back in a wooden box.
At that moment, the sound of wheels and hooves echoed down the street and a horse drawn cart pulled up beside them.
"Well then," the woman said with a playful smile, "if you truly want to make up for it, you can help me load my things in the cart."
Without hesitation, the boy hurried to lift a box.
Achie sighed but joined in, though he was surprised when he noticed the captain himself placing down the bags of fruit and helping as well.
A man of such high rank helping commoners voluntarily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
When they finished, Captain Stefan reached inside his coat and pulled out a small pouch.
He took out five gold coins and held them toward the woman. "For the damage," he said.
But she shook her head. "No, sir. Give them to that young man instead." as she pointed toward Achie. "He came to help at my request and I haven't paid him yet."
Achie hesitated, but then accepted the coins with a respectful nod. They exchanged their thanks.
The woman rode off on the horse drawn car and the other began walking down the street.
Then Achie muttered, "That kid needs some serious manners."
"I have manners!" the boy snapped, puffing his chest. "And I can take care of myself!"
"Oh yeah?" Achie smirked. "By stealing?"
The boy stuck his tongue out. Achie then rolled his eyes and looked at the captain. "So, Captain, what are you going to do with him?"
Stefan turned to the child. "He'll show us where he lives."
The boy hesitated again, lowering his gaze. Achie grew impatient, thinking this was going to take a long time. So he turned around to walk away.
But before he could leave, the captain stopped him. "Stay. You have to see this in order to understand this child."
"Understand what?" Achie asked, confused.
Stefan crouched down beside the boy again. "I know your situation," he said quietly. "That's why I bought all these fruits… Not for me, but for your home."
The boy's eyes widened. He looked up at the captain and for the first time, a small and genuine smile appeared on his face. "Okay. Let's go then!"
He grabbed the captain's hand eagerly, pulling him forward. Achie sighed, shaking his head as he followed them down the road.
Before this all happened, Noor and Sol were heading towards the orphanage to aid them.
But the orphanage lay far from the city's center, a lonely and big structure surrounded by overgrown gardens and forests.
And as they were walking towards the orphanage, they talked to each other.
"So… remind me," Noor said, glancing at Sol. "Why did you decide to come with me again?"
Sol shrugged. "Wanted to get to know you better. Plus, I have experience with children, since I raised my little sister."
"Aww, that's sweet." Noor responded with a smile. "I have a younger sister too."
Sol's expression darkened. "Yeah, well, I hate my sister and she hates me as well."
"…Charming," Noor muttered.
When they arrived at the gates of the orphanage grounds, it made creaking sounds as they pushed them open and walking towards the orphanage building.
Both then looked at each other in surprise, because there was no wind and everything seemed still.
Not a single sound could be heard, as if no one was present in the orphanage.
They entered inside and they were met with long and hollow hallways, with wooden floors that groaned with every step that they took.
Even dust hung in the air like mist. For a while, it felt as though the place was abandoned, until the sound of laughter echoed from upstairs.
They went up the stairs and suddenly saw five children rushing past them, their laughter bouncing off the walls. Both looked startled.
Seconds later, a young woman appeared chasing after them. She stopped mid-step when she noticed the two strangers.
"Oh! Hello! You don't look old enough to be adopting a child," she said with a laugh.
Noor chuckled. "No, no. We're here to help. Someone sent a request to the city hall, remember?"
"Ah yes, wonderful," the woman said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm the caretaker here."
Sol glanced around. "Where's everyone else? The other staff and kids?"
"There are two more caretakers," she explained. "And plenty of children. But this place is so big, we sometimes don't see each other for days.
Once, the kids played hide and seek and we couldn't find some for two days straight. They only came out of hiding because of hunger!"
Sol frowned. "...Aren't you supposed to take care of them, not let them starve?"
She nodded seriously. "Exactly. That's why hide and seek is banned now."
"Right...," Noor murmured, confused.
"Come," the caretaker said with a smile. "Let me show you what you can help with."
They followed her into a large room that served as both a living space and a play area.
Children were scattered everywhere, some laughing and others drawing, while two were staring off into space.
Then Sol noticed a girl standing in the corner with her arms crossed, facing the wall. "What's with her?" he asked.
A boy nearby, who was coloring with exaggerated effort, "She has a time-out," he said in a whiny tone.
Sol raised an eyebrow. "And what did she do?"
Before the caretaker could answer, the same boy replied, "None of your stupid business, nosy parker!"
For a heartbeat, silence filled the room. Sol bit his lip in anger as he leapt forward, ready to teach the boy a lesson.
But Noor quickly stepped between them, laughing nervously.
"Relax! It looks like you're having flashbacks of your sister again."
"…Maybe I did." he replied as everybody in the room started laughing. Then the caretaker looked around and asked the kids.
"Has any of you seen Eliot?"
Somewhere deeper in the orphanage where the light didn't reach, a child was running away.
His breaths were heavy and footsteps desperate, as he turned corner after corner.
Suddenly, two hands shot out of the shadows, grabbing and pulling him into a dark room. It was a man dressed like one of the caretakers.
"Don't be scared, kid" the man said, his tone calm but unreadable. The boy's whole body trembled, too scared to respond.
At that moment, footsteps echoed from the dark hallway outside the room. They stopped right at the doorway.
A figure stood there with two red eyes glowing in the darkness, staring at them.
"Now, kid, you can leave this place through that door." as the man pointed toward a door at the other side of the room, where faint light seeped through the cracks.
"Can you make it by yourself?"
The boy nodded weakly and ran toward the door.
At the same time, the figure with red eyes stepped into the room and revealing himself to be the blond haired boy named Aiden.
He glanced at the man with a questioning look.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
The man waved him off and pressed a finger to his lips, signaling him to stay silent.
The frightened boy opened the door and stepped into a hallway that split in two directions.
To the right was a rusted metal staircase leading up into darkness. To the left stood a door, with faint daylight seeping through its cracks.
Without hesitation, he turned left toward the door with light and reached for the handle…
In that instant, something yanked him violently inside.
A scream tore through the silence, followed by the sound of ripping flesh and shattering bone. The cries of a child's agony echoed down the hallway for what felt like an eternity.
Aiden didn't move. His gaze stayed locked on the man, whose scarred face and missing eye made him look almost inhuman.
Then the man's mouth stretched into a smile that was too wide, too wide to be human.
"These children must be sacrificed for the final test in order to pull that thing out," the man said softly. "We can't let them live in false hope, thinking there is a way out of here."
Aiden's crimson eyes flickered. "You call this mercy?"
The man turned, his expression twisting into something monstrous. "No," he whispered. "I just love watching people's hope disappear."