Leon's POV
"So, sir, you want that boy, right?" The caretaker's voice held a sense of eagerness, her eyes narrowing as she sought confirmation.
"Yes, lady, I would like to adopt that child," the black-haired man responded with an air of formality, his tone cool and collected.
"Okay, sir. I'd like you to sign the co--" Before the caretaker could finish her sentence, a familiar sound interrupted the proceedings.
"Ting, Tang"
The black-haired man produced a small pouch, the jingle of coins audible as he placed it on the table with deliberate precision.
The caretaker's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and greed. The pouch was opened hastily, revealing a cascade of shimmering gold coins within.
Her lips trembled in delight as she regarded the mysterious benefactor, gratitude mingled with a subtle sense of awe.
"No need for any signature... You can take him or anyone, sir. I will leave now, so that you can check the product you want, Sir!" she declared, the pouch now clutched in her hands as she made a hasty exit from the orphanage, leaving behind a room enveloped in tension.
The black-haired man, his gaze lingering on me and the others with a disdainful air, muttered, "If not for my father's plan, I would never touch this place."
The weight of his words hung in the air, leaving me to grapple with the uncertainty of his intentions. When he unexpectedly showed an image of the peculiar big brother.... My heart sank, and a chilling realization began to dawn upon me.
"You know him, right?" he inquired, his eyes piercing and perceptive.
"..." I chose silence, feeling an ominous undertone to the unfolding events.
"Hmm..." He merely nodded before an abrupt scream shattered the uneasy stillness.
"Arrrhhhhh!!"
One of my little brothers crumpled to the ground, the victim of an unseen force that exerted brutal pressure upon him.
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Shock and fear painted everyone's faces, and in a desperate attempt to protect my siblings, I urgently nodded at the man. Understanding my silent plea, he released the invisible power restraining my brother.
An indescribable fear began to well up within me, a sense of foreboding that hinted at the unfolding of something ominous.
"Good," the black-haired man nodded with an unsettling calmness. "I want you to hug him."
"....Huh?" I was dumbfounded, mirroring the confusion evident on the faces of everyone present. But then, in a sudden and chilling turn of events, the black-haired man's expression shifted into something sinister.
Before anyone could react, his grip closed around my neck, fingers digging into my skin, and with agonizing slowness.... he began to tear at my face,
"AAARRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
My screams reverberated throughout the orphanage, an echo of pain and horror that seemed to penetrate every corner of the desolate space.
My brothers and sisters, their faces drained of colour, joined in the collective cries of fear and sorrow.
"B-BIG BRRROTTHERRR!!"
The horror continued as some brave souls among my siblings attempted to intervene, but an unseen pressure pinned them helplessly in their places.
The agony dragged on as the black-haired man subjected me to further torment, inserting strange objects into my torn flesh before applying a meagre amount of healing magic.... The low-level potion left behind patches of unhealed wounds, serving as cruel reminders of the brutal ordeal.
"B-big brotherrrrr!!"
"aaoowwww!!"
The cries of pain and anguish echoed, forming a sad and feared melody that reverberated through the orphanage. In this shared moment of vulnerability, my siblings clung to me, seeking solace in our shared despair.
In just a few days, I would have turned seven... a milestone that held the promise of joy and celebration.
But now, all I could foresee was my impending end.
'Drip, Drip'
Tears started to trickle down my disfigured face, and.... witnessing my anguish, my brothers and sisters wept even more, their cries echoing with bitter resentment towards the life that had thrust us into such cruelty.
A few brave children dared to venture out for help, but an eerie silence surrounded us as if the world itself had withdrawn.
There was an absence of soldiers, and even the local people seemed to be conspicuously absent, leaving us isolated in our suffering.
'I-I am sorry, brother and Sisters but I cannot let you suffer like me' I thought as I hugged my siblings with trembling hands.
'I am sorry for being useless!!'
'I am sorry for leaving you in this despair...'
'I am sorry.....'
Finally,
'I am sorry.... Weird Big Brother!!!'
"BOOM!!" The explosive sound shattered everything.
________________________________
Third Person's POV
"-ha-ha-ha-"
"-ha-ha-ha-"
With laboured breaths, Asher Eli slowly opened his hazy eyes, the weight of the information forcibly etched into his mind lingering.
His hands instinctively gripped the armrests of the Ice Throne, anchoring himself in the surreal surroundings.
His gaze fixated on a peculiar white sphere hovering before him, an enigmatic object demanding his attention.
Surveying his surroundings.... Eli recognized the familiar icy terrain of the Ice Mountain, signalling that he had entered his soul world.
He reclined on the imposing Ice Throne, contemplating the boundless expanse of the empty white sky.
Amidst the profound silence, an emotionless voice pierced through the air, disrupting the serene solitude.
"It's been a while.... isn't it? Asher... Eli?"
Eli's eyes slowly shifted towards the source of the voice, revealing a reddish-black humanoid figure standing before him, a stark contrast against the pristine white backdrop. In its grasp rested the white sphere, scanning it intently.