Chapter - 2.1

 

A month had passed since the boy got back to the orphanage. Usually, he would have left for another journey by now, but this time it was different. He was done with his training and everything he could be taught by the man. Now he had to wait for the right time.

 

Sitting in the garden, the boy was enjoying the last of the gentle warmth of the sun before the summer dawned upon them, and it gets unbearable to even leave the room. Suddenly, out of nowhere, something fell into his lap.

 

It was an envelope. The boy looked around to see where it fell from when he saw a large, brown owl flying away.

 

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and had a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms, a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

 

'So this is it, huh...' The boy thought.

 

Turning the envelope over, the boy saw his name and address written in emerald-green ink.

 

Mr Alexander Ashbridge,

Hope Spring Home orphanage

40 Crown Street

London

 

The boy, Alexander, smiled, looking at his name. Staring at the envelope in his hand, the boy could not help but reminisce about how it all started.

 

It all started with that fateful encounter seven years ago. It was also seven years ago that Alexander and his sister first arrived at the orphanage, thanks to that man.

 

The siblings were all alone, wandering from place to place when the man found them in a town. They had not eaten for days, and Alexander had to leave his sister under a bridge with nothing but a worn-out piece of rag to cover her up.

 

He went around, from one shop to the another, looking for a job, and after a whole day of labour, he had earned enough to buy bread and eggs for his sister.

 

But the satisfaction he had was short-lived. When he returned, Alexander found his sister burning with fever. While her brother was out working, the little girl was all alone under the bridge, waiting for her brother with nothing but a piece of cloth protecting her from the cold. The snow, on the other hand, made it even worse.

 

Flustered, Alexander had neither enough money nor any idea about what he was going to do now. But at this moment of crisis, that man showed up out of nowhere.

 

"Mister, please help me. My sister is burning with high fever," Alexander, when saw a man dressed in black robes show up when there was no one in sight for however far he might look, asked for help. Of course, he was afraid that this might not turn out well, but in front of the suffering of his sister, he had to take the risk.

 

The man did not say anything right away but stared at Alexander hanging on to his robes. He gauged the little guy in front of him from top to bottom for a while before he opened his mouth.

 

"I will help you, but you need to do something for me," the man spoke.

 

"I will do anything, anything you ask of me. But please save my sister," Alexander agreed right away without even thinking of the weight of his words.

 

"Think it through. You might end up in an even worse situation than now," the man cautioned Alexander, "I am not the type of guy you want to mess with."

 

"I am confident," the little Alexander clenched his fists and looked at the man with determination.

 

"Very well then," the man nodded and pulled out a small stick from his robes.

 

"Don't resist," the man said as he waved his stick. Soon, Alexander and his sister were floating in the air as a black mass started to envelop them. It did not take more than a couple of seconds, and it was like they had entered another dimension. They were flowing through something Alexander could not even explain. It was like floating with the flow of the river.

 

And before he knew it, everything was back to normal, and they were outside a large iron gate.

 

It was dark, but Alexander could still make out the words written on the board beside the gate. It was an orphanage, the same one he was living in right now.

 

Alexander lifted her sister in his arms as he followed behind the man inside. Being only seven years old, it was hard for Alexander to walk carrying his sister. But when the man offered to help, Alexander was reluctant to accept. Though he had accepted the man's offer, Alexander still did not let his guard down. Even if he had to go down, he wouldn't go down without a fight.

 

But it was a waste of time for the man. He did not argue with Alexander, but suddenly, Alexander and his sister were floating in the air.

 

"Let's make it fast," the man said, and with hurried steps, he entered the building with the siblings floating behind him.

 

It was not that late, but they did not come across anyone until they entered a room. Inside the room, a lady was waiting for them.

 

"You are finally here," Alexander heard the lady say as soon as they entered, "Where is the girl?"

 

"She is here," the man said as he put down Alexander while the lady got hold of his sister, "Take care of her. I have something else to take care of," the man said and turned towards Alexander, "Follow me."

 

"Wait..." the lady tried to stop them, "Look at him. How weak he looks. Let him have something first."

 

The man looked at Alexander before shaking his head towards the lady, "He can wait," and with that, the man left the room.

 

Alexander looked at his sister one last time, and then, nodding towards the lady dressed as a nun, he followed behind the man.

 

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