1809
Twelve years later, at M&M Boys Orphanage, Kael held the shovel as he dug into the mud. The scorching sun slapped his face, his expression neutral as it always had been. Even though it had been years since he stayed here, this had always been his worst duty.
"Bro, why the cold face?" Ruke, one of the guys on duty, spoke. He had black eyes and black hair in a buzz cut. He wore a white singlet and simple trousers. Given how hot it was, he leaned slightly on his shovel as he watched Kael, who simply ignored him and continued his work.
"You need to work on your face, you look like you're about to kill someone any minute," Ruke said, scooping mud and throwing it aside. He turned to Kael, waiting for him to respond with anything at all, but Kael didn't. His face remained neutral—cold and empty.
"Bro, you're making this place boring," Ruke sighed, exhaling sharply. He dug into the heavy mud before throwing it aside once more. They were creating a small bridge and flow area for water when the rain came at the backyard of the orphanage building.
Ruke stopped working, wiped the sweat off his face, and looked around. The other boys were busy; during working hours, they were all supposed to be quiet because the headmaster would punish anyone caught talking. He believed that talking wasted two minutes of work, which could lead to punishment.
"Bro…."
"Shut up," Kael finally said, turning to Ruke, who was now smiling widely.
"If you dare make them increase my punishment, I would kill you first," he warned.
Ruke laughed, replying, "Oh, thank heavens you talked. I thought you'd turned mute."
Kael sharply turned to him, but before he could speak, a voice came from behind.
"You there?"
No one needed to tell him who that voice belonged to. He cursed under his breath as Ruke laughed calmly. Kael turned and dropped his shovel. Unlike the other boys, who wore singlets, he wore a simple black shirt.
'Useless fucking idiot, always putting me in trouble,' he cursed Ruke in his mind as he walked toward the headmaster—a bald man with a stern face. Kael wondered why fate was so cruel to him.
'Why did this man have to come just as I spoke?' he asked himself as he reached the man.
"What did I say about speaking during work hours?" the headmaster barked. Kael shrugged and replied curtly.
"That we shouldn't."
"Why are you always stubborn? You never follow the rules," the man shouted again. The funny thing was, it was always Ruke who caused this—and somehow, he never got caught.
'Why is this man even shouting? I'm just here,' Kael hissed inwardly, the noise giving him a headache, not to mention the sun."
"You are to mop the hallway tonight. Is that clear?" the man ordered. Kael calmly nodded, his expression empty. He turned to leave, but anger surged through the headmaster's face—he didn't like the boy's lack of reaction. Kael didn't even plead for forgiveness.
"Come back here," the man barked again like a mad man. Kael's eyes turned bored.
'What does this man need now?' he wondered. The headmaster's face tightened; he disliked the boy's nonchalant reaction.
"M&M Orphanage teaches manners, but you seem deaf to them. You lack manners. You're going to clean the windows as well."
Kael raised a brow at the man's words. The man shouted again, his smelly breath hitting Kael's nose.
"Get out!"
"Bro, I'm already leaving. No need to shout," Kael muttered to himself as he turned.
"Come back here! What did you say" The man's voice grew louder, veins popping at the side of his bald head, making it shinier than usual.
"I said I would do it," Kael calmly lied as he walked out. The headmaster scanned the other boys with his eyes to see if anyone was talking. No one was. He turned and left.
Kael walked back to his place as Ruke began laughing loudly.
"Bro, that man really hates you," Ruke said. Kael ignored him and began digging; he had punishment all thanks to the idiot by his side.
"But still, why does that man like to shout? He loves pouring his family problems on us," Ruke commented with a shrug, turning to Kael, who was slightly sweating.
"Bro, aren't you hot?" Ruke asked, wondering why Kael wore that during such hard work. He asked, knowing full well Kael wouldn't answer.
"You have to understand that Potati Town is usually hot. You've been here long enough to know that," Kael's eyes darkened momentarily at his words before returning to their calm neutrality.
Ruke missed it.
"By the way, bro, how is—" Ruke started, but Kael sharply interrupted.
"Shut up, Ruke. Can you ever be silent—"
He was interrupted by a voice behind him.
"You there! Come here!" Kael cursed under his breath. Ruke held back his laughter and continued digging like he hadn't caused this. Kael threw the shovel to the side as he walked toward the headmaster, who had decided to check again as he stepped out and caught Kael talking.
Kael finally reached him.
"Why are you so strong-headed? Despite the punishment I gave you, you still defy my orders!" the headmaster raised his voice angrily. Kael did not flinch but simply bowed calmly.
"You will be washing the dishes for tonight's dinner."
Kael did not say a word. He knew how much the plates were. There were many boys in the orphanage and the plates were alot. He turned to leave.
"Do not dig! Go inside and start your punishment," the man ordered angrily. Kael walked toward the three steps and climbed.
The orphanage had four floors. The ground floor housed the dining room and halls, while the upper floors were rooms. It was a large building with high, protected fences—escaping was impossible.
Kael walked toward the hallway. Paintings of the old headmasters lined the walls until he reached the staircase. Just a little further, and Kael was sure Ruke would get him in the black book.
He finally reached the second floor, where his room was. Each room had four bunks. Ruke was on the top bunk; Kael was on the bottom. He opened the door and walked to the wardrobe, a small smile on his lips, glad no one was there and he could change freely.
He removed his shirt. His scales shimmered over his chest, muscles, and shoulders. He cursed inwardly—this was what he had been hiding. No one knew, and this was how he planned to keep it.
He took out a new set of clothes, but just as he moved to put it on, the doorknob of the room moved.