Tale of the Gifted Beings

chapter 19

chapter 19

THOUGHTS KEPT ON BOTHERING me for days. I currently sat on the edge of my bed as I stared at the photographs I had taken in the forbidden room. Even though it's been days since we got back after escaping the confines of the academy, I am still consumed by my intrusive conclusions. I mean, after we got back to the academy, the situation between me, Miss Alice, and the rest of the orphans was awkward. But as the days went by, mundane things seemed to come back inside the walls of Miss Alice's foster home. The routine, interactions, chores—everything. Also, I couldn't help but feel lightheaded because I uncovered a lot of things the moment I escaped, from Giusseppi's cryptic words to Lucy's twins. Still, I kept my guard high because I could never decipher each person I'm with inside the academy, not even Mamori, knowing I deeply knew her since we were kids.

My eyes scanned through each photo in my hand until it eventually landed on the photo of the man with past-shoulder-length hair. For some reason, he sent shivers down my spine. A voice whispered in my mind, as if carried by the wind, "You are our salvation." Weird, I know, but still he's part of the puzzle I must solve.

I traced my finger over his face on the photograph, trying to make sense of the connection between him and the dreams that recurred in my nights. My attention shifted to the other photos afterwards, with the younger Miss Alice, Augustus, and Leo staring back at me. The memory of Lucy's confession at her cabin drifted into my thoughts. Augustus was indeed her missing son. I was right. But still, the relationship between the man in my dreams, Miss Alice and Lucy, and Augustus and Leo remained a mystery.

A knot formed in the pit of my stomach, a feeling that I was on the precipice of unraveling the dark secrets that shrouded the orphanage. Yet, the pieces of the puzzle remained difficult to catch, slipping through my fingers like sand. The piece of blank paper slid under my floor as I continued staring at the images. I took it and smelled the faint scent of citrus still lingering on the paper. For what it's worth, I have no idea what this paper is. But as I was about to scribble on it, a sudden sound of footsteps approaching my door tore me from my thoughts, and I quickly hid the photos beneath my bed in a small box. I don't want anyone to know I took something out of the forbidden room anyway.

I hurried downstairs after being told by Eli where the gifted orphans were being assigned to their daily chores. Sebastian paired me with Noelle to clean the upper floor as I walked near the living room. My instincts screamed at me to keep my distance from her. I had known from the beginning that she harbored a strong dislike for me. My cold demeanor made it easy to avoid interaction, and I focused solely on the task at hand.

As we scrubbed the floors in silence, the tension between us hung heavy in the air. I could feel the weight of Noelle's gaze on me; her eyes were like daggers in my back. After a while, she broke the silence, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Why do I have to work with you out of all the other orphans?" she sneered, her dark eyes narrowing. I gritted my teeth, my patience wearing thin, but held my tongue.

As I scrubbed the floor of the hallway, my mind again wandered back to the forbidden room and the photos I took. Miss Alice's demeanor flashed in my eyes, stirring up a whirlwind of thoughts and confusion. It could also be that she's just putting up a facade to make it look like she's a kind person.

As I was thinking deeply, lost in my contemplation, I failed to notice the bucket slipping from my grasp until it crashed to the ground, water splattering across the freshly cleaned tiles. Noelle groaned upon seeing the water running down the floor. She hissed at me, her eyes closing in like daggers darting in my direction.

"Watch it!" Noelle's sharp voice cut through the air, her irritation palpable as she glared at me from across the hall.

I sighed inwardly, bracing myself for the possible confrontation. Noelle had disliked me since, her disdain evident in every glance and snide remark. And I mean, I do not care. Not a single ounce. But today, I couldn't find it in me to engage in her petty grievances.