14 years ago...
"Are they okay?" eight-year-old San asked the doctor as he walked into the hallway. Yeonjun perked up in his lap, watching the doctor with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry..." the doctor sighed, and San felt his heart drop. "We couldn't save them." San's gaze dropped to the doctor's shoes as Yeonjun looked back at him quizzically, not quite understanding what the doctor was saying. "I'll... give you some time alone." He scurried away, leaving the two children alone on the bench outside the hospital room.
San's mind was racing. This wasn't supposed to happen. His parents were supposed to be walking out of the hospital, patched up and ready to get back to work in the next few weeks. Not be dead because a group of apprentices were careless with the equipment and his parents, noble and selfless, used their magic to get them out before they were ultimately crushed under the warehouse. They were supposed to be okay. The Crystal was supposed to protect them.
So why weren't they alive?
"Sannie? Where's Mommy and Daddy?" San breathed in deeply, suppressing his tears, before fixing his six-year-old brother with a smile.
"They're in a better place now, Junnie," he said, ruffling his hair.
"Can we go with them?"
"No, Yeonjun."
"Why not?"
"Adults only." He booped his nose with a smile as Yeonjun scrunched his face at his words. "Now come on." He set his brother on the floor and grabbed his hand. "Let's go find the doctor."
And he led his oblivious little brother away from his parents, whose bodies were still in the hospital room behind them.
Those same bodies were lowered into the ground at the cemetery merely a week later.
"No! Take them out!" Yeonjun was screaming, tears streaming down his face as he fought against San's hold. The attendees watched with pity as San began to lead Yeonjun away, the little boy still not having any idea of what was really happening. All he knew was that these people were taking his mommy and daddy away from him, and he didn't like that.
"Junnie, you need to calm down," San choked out through tears. But Yeonjun didn't listen, only continuing to scream and cry for his parents.
"I want Mommy! Sannie, I want Mommy!"
"I know, Junnie," San sobbed, burying his face in Yeonjun's hair. He wrapped his arms tightly around his small body. "I want her too..."
And at the edge of the cemetery under the Crystal's watchful gaze, the two newly orphaned brothers cried in each other's arms.
How could the Crystal let this happen...?
The cries and breakdowns continued throughout the week, right up until the day a woman came to take them away from the only house the boys had ever known. Yeonjun put up quite the fight, and it took San promising him a new toy to get him to leave. "Welcome to your new home, boys!" she declared when they arrived, gesturing to a yellow bricked building that took up most of the plot it was built on. Children ran around in the open backyard space, wildflowers swaying in the light breeze. There was a wooden sign above the door, painted with a sparkling purple.
Magic Island Orphanage.
"Ah, you must be San and Yeonjun, correct?" a woman with an apron thrown over her dress said as she walked up the path to meet them. Yeonjun hid behind San, and he picked him up as she arrived in front of them.
"That's us," San said as Yeonjun buried his face in the crook of his neck. She smiled.
"Wonderful! I'm Seunghee, one of the caretakers here. Welcome to Magic Island Orphanage! I'm sincerely sorry about your losses."
"It's okay," San said simply, swallowing down the lump that appeared in his throat. He hadn't cried since the day of the funeral, needing to put up a strong front for Yeonjun, who couldn't even go a day without crying for their parents. He wouldn't break down now. Especially in front of the curious kids who had stopped playing and were just staring at them.
"Thank you for bringing them, Eunbin," Seunghee addressed the other woman. "I'll take it from here." Eunbin nodded before smiling at the brothers.
"Take care, boys," she said before leaving.
"Come on," Seunghee said with a warm smile. "I'll show you around."
She led them inside the orphanage, where on the first floor was a series of playrooms and the dining hall. Inside each room were children playing with the various toys, and Yeonjun perked up a little at the sight. They travelled up the staircase to the living room area, where older kids were sprawled out watching movies or wrestling. The top floor was the sleeping area, one big room with rows of beds crammed together. There were even more children taking naps or tucked into their own corners, immersed in their own tasks. Seunghee led them to a single bed in the furthest row, the headboard flat against the wall and each bed on either side so close they were practically one.
"There aren't enough beds for you to have your own," she explained. "So since you two are brothers, we figured you'd be okay sharing."
"That's fine," San said.
"Is that okay with you, little guy?" Seunghee asked Yeonjun sweetly. He only whimpered and snuggled further into San.
"It's fine," San answered for him. Seunghee nodded with a sympathetic smile.
"I'll leave you two to get settled." With that, she walked away.
"I don't like it here," Yeonjun whispered as San sat them both on the bed.
"Why not?"
"I wanna be at home with Mommy and Daddy."
San sighed and gently ran his fingers through his hair. "This is our home now, Junnie. Mommy and Daddy... We can't go with them yet."
"Why not?"
"Because they want us to be here, and we have to listen to what they say unless we want time-out."
"I don't like time-out."
"Then we have to stay here until another mommy and daddy come for us."
"How long?"
"I don't know, Junnie..." San sighed and kissed his temple, remembering all the kids he saw who looked to be teenagers already. How long had they spent in the orphanage? Would he and Yeonjun be spending just as long?
Yeonjun eventually fell asleep in his arms, and he gently laid him down in the bed. He watched as he cuddled with his worn teddy bear that was practically falling apart at the seams, and placed another kiss on his head with a sigh.
"Your parents dead too?"
With a jolt, San whipped around to find a boy with floppy brown bangs sitting in the corner, looking at him from the top of his book. "H-How long have you been watching?" San asked.
"Since you came in. I'm Yeosang."
"San... And this is Yeonjun." Yeosang nodded and marked his page.
"You didn't answer my question," he said as he set the book aside. San huffed.
"You're old enough. Figure it out," he snapped, looking over the boy who seemed to be around the same age as him. Yeosang shrugged.
"I guess I should know then." He glanced at Yeonjun. "So he doesn't know, huh?"
"He's too young to understand," San said. "I'll tell him when he's ready."
"So you're his new mom now."
"What? No! I could never replace her!" Yeosang raised his hands in a surrendering motion.
"Calm down, man, didn't mean to offend you." His face grew solemn as he sighed. "But I feel you. I could never see anybody else the same way I saw my mother."
San's anger dissipated at the unmasked sadness on Yeosang's face, and he found himself slowly walking over to the boy and crawling beside him. "How'd yours die?" he asked.
"Well, Dad wasn't really in the picture, and Mom got sick. So sick even magic was useless." Yeosang glanced over at San. "Yours?"
"Work accident. Entire building collapsed on them when they tried to get everyone else out." He chuckled humorlessly as a tear rolled down his cheek. "They were always the selfless type..."
"You haven't had much time to cry, have you?" Yeosang asked. San shook his head. "Cry now then. It'll be worse if you break down in front of your brother."
And San did, weeping for his parents, his brother, and the life they'll never get to have with them.
~~~~
Life at the orphanage wasn't horrible. They had a roof over their head, clothes to wear, activities to pass the time, and food in their stomachs. But it quickly became clear to San just how overcrowded the place was, the older kids sometimes skipping meals and sleeping on the floor in order to allow the younger ones more nourishment and room.
In the first few weeks of being there, San had managed to make a friend in Yeosang. The boy, who San had found was indeed his age, had at first been reluctant to get close to San, claiming it wasn't a good idea to get close to anyone there.
"Everyone always leaves in the end," he had said. "One way or another." He had shrugged, seemingly not caring, but San could see the discontent in his eyes.
"Who's to say leaving here means forgetting everyone?" San had asked.
"Like anyone would remember me."
"I would." Yeosang had finally looked up at that, seeming shocked. "You were the first person to really welcome me and help me. I owe a lot to you, Yeosang. I wouldn't ever forget you." Yeosang was silent for a moment.
"I'm holding you to that," he said as he turned back to his book. "And for the record, it's not like I actually want to be friends with you. You're just my only option." San nodded with a smirk.
"Whatever you say, Yeosang," he said, and although he tried to hide it, San could see his smile.
So they had started hanging out, watching over Yeonjun as he ran around the backyard or played with the toys in the playroom. Yeosang even started giving some of his food to him, despite San's protests that he could handle it. When Yeonjun cried about his parents, Yeosang was there to help calm him down. And once, San came back to see Yeosang reading his book out loud to Yeonjun, who was following the words over his shoulder with wide eyes. The sight made San's chest warm as he smiled.
But one day, the orphanage halls were overrun by people in long white coats, carrying clipboards and escorting the kids into private rooms. "What's going on?" San asked as the three sat on Yeosang's bed.
"It's the monthly check-up," Yeosang said. "Doctors come and poke us with stuff."
"What?" Yeonjun looked up from his bear. "Is it gonna hurt?"
"Oh no, not at all," Yeosang was quick to say. "You remember going to the doctor's office?" When Yeonjun nodded, he continued, "It's just like that."
"I don't like shots," Yeonjun pouted.
"They don't give shots. It'll be okay." Yeosang sighed. "But doctors aren't the only thing this time brings."
"What do you mean?" San asked.
"Well, for one, the head doctor's son always tags along. And let me tell you, he is the most annoying boy I've ever met."
"Who's annoying?" a boy with a birthmark under his left eye asked, popping up with a grin. Yeonjun yelled and jumped behind San at the boy's sudden appearance. Yeosang merely sighed.
"I was referring to you, Wooyoung."
"Aw." Wooyoung pouted. "You're mean." His eyes lit up at the brothers. "Hey, who are your friends? I thought I was your only friend?"
"This is San and Yeonjun. They're brothers and they came here earlier this month. And I needed other friends to keep me sane."
"Why are you going insane, Sangie?"
"Take a guess."
"Meanie!"
Yeonjun giggled and scooted out from behind San. Wooyoung smiled at this. "Hi, Yeonjun!" he greeted. Yeonjun smiled and shyly waved.
"Is Yeosang the reason you tag along with your father?" San asked. Wooyoung nodded.
"Yup. Poor guy will get lonely if he's without me for too long."
"I will be perfectly fine, thank you very much," Yeosang scoffed.
"Who's the liar~" Wooyoung sang, laughing as Yeosang whacked him with his book. "But it's not only that," he told San. He jumped back and pointed at himself proudly. "My dad's a doctor, and I'm gonna be one too! So, I need to watch how he and the others do things."
"If he ever lets you in the room," Yeosang said. Wooyoung glared at him.
"He will one day. Either that, or I'm sneaking in myself."
"Into the basement?"
"Especially the basement."
"There's a basement?" San asked.
"Yeah. Right by the staircase on the ground floor. Didn't Yeosang show you?" When San shook his head, Wooyoung gasped. "Sangie!"
"It slipped my mind, sorry," Yeosang sighed, closing his book. "I'll show them right now. Follow me." The four boys trotted down the stairs, dodging the doctors walking through the halls, until they reached the ground floor. Yeosang pointed to a wooden door just by the staircase in the very back wall. "We're not even allowed to go by that door," Yeosang explained.
"So they're hiding something in there?" San asked.
"I think so."
"Maybe it's treasure!" Yeonjun exclaimed. Yeosang chuckled.
"Maybe," he humored the little boy, frowning once he turned back to the door. "Whatever it is, I'm not sure we'll like it."
"It's only the doctors and caretakers that have access to it," Wooyoung added. "It's especially used around check-up time."
"So is it more doctor stuff down there?" San suggested.
"I don't think they would be so adamant on us not going near there if it was just doctor tools..." Yeosang muttered.
"What are you trying to say, Sang?" Yeosang's eyes flitted to Yeonjun.
"I'll tell you later. C'mon, before they notice we're here."
"Yeonjun, there you are!" Seunghee exclaimed once the boys came back to the sleeping area. "It's time for your check-up." Yeonjun immediately clung onto San at that.
"Don't be afraid, Junnie," San said, stroking his hair. "Yeosang said it doesn't hurt, remember? And Wooyoung knows these people. He won't let them hurt you."
"Can I bring Ted with me?" Yeonjun asked, raising his bear. San nodded.
"I'm sure that's okay, right?" He looked at Seunghee, and she nodded.
"Perfectly fine. San will be right here when you're done, okay? Now let's go." Grabbing his hand, she led him to the private rooms. Yeonjun looked back at San as he left, who made a silly face to get him to smile before he disappeared. Yeosang immediately pulled him and Wooyoung into the corner.
"I didn't want to say anything in front of Yeonjun," he started quietly, "but there's something going on with this place."
"What do you mean?" San asked.
"I mean there's something suspicious going on with the doctors and caretakers. We have these check-ups every month. No one gets checked this often. Why do we?"
"Papa said it was because you're orphans and you need special care," Wooyoung said.
"It's their own fault we're in these overcrowded conditions. They know we need more food, but they don't give it to us. They don't give more space. They keep accepting new kids even though this place is barely big enough to hold the ones they already have. And in all the time I've been here, not once has a couple ever been interviewed for adoption."
"Maybe you just don't see it," San suggested.
"I didn't talk to anybody before you and Yeonjun came, San. I noticed a lot of things. I've also noticed this." He looked around before leaning in closer. "Orphans are going missing."
San felt his heart drop. "What do you mean?" Wooyoung asked, just as shocked.
"It's always at night. They go to sleep and in the morning, their bed is empty. You'd think people wouldn't notice one person going missing in these overcrowded conditions, but I do. And so do others who were friends with the person. And when we ask, the caretakers say they got adopted. But like I said, I've never seen anyone come in looking to adopt, nor do those people ever talk about being potentially adopted. And then the caretakers never talk about them again."
"Okay, but what do the doctors have to do with this?"
"It always happens during this time. Check-up time, I mean. Just watch, I bet you anything someone's gonna get 'adopted' tonight."
"You're jumping to a lot of conclusions, Sang..."
"I know what I'm talking about, Wooyoung. Come here again tomorrow. You'll see."
~~~~
In the morning, the girl who had the bed beside San's and Yeonjun's was gone. Sure enough, Seunghee announced that she had been adopted by a lovely couple. "We should all be happy for her," she said. "She's beginning a brand new and better life."
"Why did she get a new mommy and daddy already?" Yeonjun whined. "I want a mommy and daddy too..."
A sick feeling twisted in San's gut, and he found himself looking over at Yeosang. He seemed unbothered, reading a book as usual, but his eyes when he met San's gaze were knowing and scared. San looked back at Yeonjun and smiled. "I know, Junnie. But it's like Seunghee said. We should be happy for her."
But should they really? What really happened to that girl?
"Hi!" Wooyoung cheered as he skipped into the sleeping area that afternoon, hands behind his back. He faltered to a stop once he noticed the somber look in San's and Yeosang's eyes, but kept the smile up as he turned to Yeonjun. "The doctor told me you were really good during your check-up, so I got you something."
"For me?" Yeonjun asked excitedly. Wooyoung nodded.
"Just for you. Ta-da!" He brought out a stuffed dog from behind his back. Yeonjun gasped when he saw it, and he immediately took it from Wooyoung's hand. "I noticed Ted was looking a bit tired, so I got him a new friend! Do you like it?"
"Thank you, Woo!" Yeonjun exclaimed as he held the dog close. "I love it!" The three boys smiled at him fondly, and San ruffled his hair.
"Why don't you and Ted go play with your new friend downstairs?" With a quick nod, Yeonjun zoomed out the room. Wooyoung waited for him to leave before crawling onto the bed.
"So it happened?" he asked quietly. "Someone disappeared?" The two orphans nodded.
"She slept right next to me too," San said. Wooyoung sighed and ran a hand down his face.
"Oh my Crystal..."
"That's another thing," Yeosang suddenly spoke. "Wooyoung, you're being taught to control your magic, right?"
"Yeah." He summoned gold smoke as if to demonstrate. "Why?"
"We're not being taught anything here. In fact, the caretakers discourage the use of magic."
"Maybe it's just so we won't use it against them?" San suggested.
"But why would we use it against them if they weren't doing anything wrong?" Neither other boy had a response to that. "Exactly. Now do you see why I'm suspicious?"
"What are we gonna do?" Wooyoung asked.
"I need you to look deeper into your dad's work while San and I keep a closer eye on the orphans," Yeosang instructed. "I also need you to sneak in some spellbooks and be our teacher. We need to learn magic."
"That's it?" San asked. "We're not gonna actually do anything?"
"We only have suspicions. We don't know what's going on. We can't report anything unless we have evidence, and in order to get that evidence, we need to lay low and train."
"How many more orphans will be taken in that time, Yeosang? What if it's you? Or me? Hell, what if it's Yeonjun? We don't know what happens to them, and frankly, I don't even know if I want to. Are we just gonna let them continue on with whatever they're doing?"
"We have to," Yeosang said firmly. "It's the only way to truly stop this if needed."
One of the things San had learned about Yeosang was that he had mastered a blank face, but was actually really sensitive. So it didn't go unnoticed to San that his hands were trembling. He gently reached out and intertwined their fingers, feeling Yeosang's hand slowly still.
"Fine."