The Last Step Chapter 90: Endless Friendship

Elfina’s Perspective – Age 6

12/9/2006

The orphanage was quiet tonight.

I hugged my knees on the stiff dic room bed, pulling them tight to my chest like they could keep the sadness in. Like they could stop it from dripping out of my eyes again.

I was pretending to be sick.

Again.

I didn’t want to go back to the other kids... not tonight... not ever.

The lights were off, but the window was cracked open. Cold air touched my cheeks, and I looked out at the stars. They twinkled, like they were trying to smile. Like they didn’t know I’d forgotten how.

A tiny whimper escaped my lips as another tear slid down my nose.

I don’t cry loud anymore. I just... let them fall.

My na is Elfina. I’m six.

I live here now. In a place where people leave, and no one says sorry.

I don’t rember the person who brought here—not really. His face is all blurry now. Like one of those dreams that fade when you open your eyes too fast. But I rember how he made feel.

Protected.

I used to dream of him every night. He would sit beside and pat my hair and say things like, "Don’t be scared, I’m here."

And I would believe it, even if it was a dream. I used to sleep happy.

Not anymore.

My fingers clutched the blanket harder. My palms felt sweaty, and I wiped my face with my arm again. The sleeve slled like old dicine and dust.

I rember... my birthday.

The last one.

Mama and Papa said they were taking sowhere special. I was so happy I kept bouncing in my seat. I didn’t even care where it was—we were together.

And then...

crunch

scream

The monsters ca.

Their mouths were so big. Bigger than . I saw Papa disappear first. Then Mama. Her eyes were open when she stopped screaming.

I thought I was next. I thought I would die too.

But then—he ca.

With nothing but wire... he killed two monsters. Just like that. Without magic. Like sothing from my dreams.

And he looked at like he knew .

He saved .

He carried here. To this place.

Then he left.

Just like everyone else.

My lip trembled. I grabbed a clump of my own hair in my small fist and tugged it down hard until it hurt.

I whispered through my tears.

"D-Do I l-look... th-that... b-bad...?"

My voice broke.

I tried to breathe, but it felt like sothing heavy was sitting on my chest. My hands balled into fists and pressed into my stomach.

"Th-they all h-h-hate ..."

Sniff.

"W-Why... m-m-...?"

My voice was so tiny. No one would hear it. Maybe that’s okay.

"I-It’s... b-because I don’t l-look normal... r-right..? N-Not l-like them..."

I looked at my reflection in the dicine cabinet window across the room. My hair was tangled. My cheeks puffy. My eyes swollen again.

I rubbed them with my sleeve, but it only made them redder.

Even when I tried to smile in the mirror, it looked wrong.

I haven’t smiled in a year... I will never smile again.

Maybe the girl in the dreams was the real . The smiling one. The happy one who laughed with Papa and sat on Mama’s lap and drew flowers with crayons that didn’t snap every ti.

I let my head fall to the side, resting against the cold wall. My fingers played with a loose thread on the blanket.

I wanted to disappear.

But I didn’t want to die.

I just... wanted to not be here anymore.

I whispered to the stars.

"C-Can you tell him... I miss him...?"

And even if the stars didn’t answer, I waited. Just in case they would.

The next morning...

I was still in the dic room, curled under the itchy blanket, when I heard her footsteps.

She never knocked.

The door creaked open and the light hit my eyes. I blinked, but I didn’t sit up.

Her voice ca sharp, like a slap.

"Are you feeling better now?"

I didn’t say anything. I just slowly shook my head.

I didn’t want to talk. Not to her. Not to anyone.

She sighed loud—like I was the worst thing in the world—and tossed a packet of dicine at . It hit my arm and landed on the bed.

"Take them. And stay here. Again."

Then she walked out. The door closed harder than it needed to.

I stared at the dicine in my lap. My tiny hands trembled as I picked it up. Then I squeezed it. Hard. My teeth clenched with it.

Why ?

Why always ?

The coldness in my chest started again. That sa emptiness that made it hard to breathe, like my heart was sinking deeper every ti I rembered—

The day I was brought to the academy.

The first day I arrived... I still had my doll. Mama made it. It was soft and pink and shaped like a sleepy cat with button eyes. I hugged it every night and whispered to it, like it was the only one who would listen.

I missed him... the friend from my dreams... the one who saved . I waited for him, you know? Just once. Maybe he would co back.

But he didn’t.

Still... I wanted to be brave.

I wanted to talk to the other kids. Maybe make a friend. Maybe just soone to eat lunch with.

It took days. My tummy would feel twisty every ti I thought about it. But one day in the cafeteria, I held my doll tighter and walked over to them.

There were four boys at the table. All a little taller. A little louder. A little... aner.

I held my tray with shaky hands and whispered.

"C-Can... I s-sit h-here...?"

They looked at .

Then they laughed.

"Ay look—it’s ghost girl again," one of them said, pointing at with a stupid grin.

"She can barely even speak," another one snorted, mocking my voice. "C-c-c-can I s-sit—hahaha!"

"Ugly eyes," said the third boy, leaning forward and squinting at like I was a bug. "What’s wrong with your face? Why are your eyes so pink? Are you cursed or sothing?"

My throat hurt. I tried to speak, to say anything—but nothing ca out.

The fourth one smirked.

"No wonder no one wants you. Maybe even your parents wanted to abandon you. So they left you here."

That one—

That one hurt the most.

I felt sothing snap in my chest. I dropped my tray. The loud clang made them laugh even harder.

Tears filled my eyes, and I didn’t care if they saw them. I didn’t care if they laughed again.

I turned and ran.

The hallway was spinning and my legs felt like they would fall off but I didn’t stop.

I didn’t want to cry in front of them.

I didn’t want them to see how bad it hurt.

So I kept running... until no one could see .

And then I broke.

...

I thought...

I really thought that was as bad as it could get.

But I was wrong.

So wrong.

It got worse.

A lot worse.

Their nas were lo, Derrick, Tanner, and Jude. Four boys. Always together. Like shadows that never stopped following —even when I tried to hide.

They didn’t just tease anymore. They made sure I knew I didn’t belong.

Playti - Early morning

I stood near the edge of the garden where the other kids were playing tag. I didn’t try to join. I just watched... my fingers curled tightly around the hem of my dress, the sa one I always wore because I had no others.

But part of still hoped.

Maybe today...

lo saw looking and whispered sothing into Derrick’s ear. They both turned and walked up to , grinning.

"You wanna play, witch girl?" lo asked, tilting his head. "Sure. You can be the monster. You chase us."

I blinked. My lips parted. My heart did a tiny jump.

"You an... I-I can...?"

But then Jude yelled from across the field.

"Not fair! If she touches us, we turn ugly like her!"

All of them laughed. Even so of the girls nearby.

Tanner pointed at my hair.

"Look at that pink fuzz. You should really just leave."

I wanted to run again. But my legs didn’t move this ti.

They just stared.

Waiting for to cry.

als - 2 PM

At lunch, I picked up my tray quietly, just like always, and walked over to an empty spot.

The mont I sat down, Jude scooted his tray away and made a face.

"She’s too close. Her weird is gonna touch my food."

Derrick followed.

"I think she makes food rot. That’s why no one ever finishes their plate when she’s near."

So of the younger kids near picked up their trays and moved, not even looking at .

Even when I said nothing, even when I made myself small... they still didn’t want .

I sat there with my cold tray, hands shaking. No appetite.

I forced myself to eat anyway. One spoon. Just one.

Tanner stood up behind and knocked the spoon from my hands.

"Oops."

And then he sat back down like nothing happened.

...

One day, after class, Jude ca up to with a big grin on his face.

He held out a paper crane.

"I made this for you," he said. "We’re not really an. We just didn’t know you. Wanna co with ? We’re playing a new ga behind the shed."

I didn’t trust him. But...

But I wanted to believe soone could be nice.

I followed.

They tied a string to the paper crane, threw it over a tree branch, and yanked it up while I jumped for it. Every ti I got close, they pulled it higher.

"You have to earn it," lo said.

"Flap your arms like a bird!" Tanner laughed.

I looked at them, confused. "B-But... I c-can’t..."

"If you don’t, we won’t be your friends," Derrick said with a fake frown.

So I did it. I flapped my arms. Felt stupid. Stupid and small and weird.

And then they dropped the crane into a puddle and walked off laughing.

"Look at her. She really thought we wanted to be friends," Jude said.

...

They even spread lies...

"She took the cookies!" Jude scread one night when the kitchen was missing food.

"I saw her sneak in!" Derrick added.

"I bet she hides food in her weird doll," Tanner chid in.

I shook my head over and over, hugging my cat plushy. "N-No! I d-didn’t! I w-would never..."

But the caregiver didn’t listen.

She yanked my doll from and shook it violently.

"Liar. I knew there was sothing off about you."

I was put in the hallway. No dinner. No blanket. Just cold floor and shivering.

My stomach hurt. I curled into a ball and whispered to my doll after they gave her back.

"I didn’t do anything... I d-didn’t..."

...

Another day, Tanner’s toy broke. One of the wheels on his truck ca off.

He picked it up and marched straight to the front of the classroom.

"She broke it," he said, pointing to .

I froze. "N-No... I didn’t even... touch it..."

"She’s lying," Jude said.

"She was near it!" Derrick shouted. "We all saw!"

I shook my head. My hands trembled.

"I-I w-was j-just drawing... I was..."

They didn’t care. No one did.

The teacher sighed and told to go stand outside again. Said I needed to "learn."

But I didn’t know what I was supposed to learn.

That I was always wrong?

That it didn’t matter what I said?

That being different ant being alone?

That night, I stared at the ceiling above my bed. I hugged my plushy tighter than ever, my arms sore from the grip.

I whispered, like a prayer.

"Is it r-really... all my f-fault...?"

I didn’t know what I did.

I didn’t know how to fix it.

I just wanted... soone. Anyone. To hold my hand and say, I believe you.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One month later...

I didn’t know a heart could keep breaking like this.

I thought it already had.

I thought I already felt the worst of it.

But it got worse.

So much worse.

No one spoke to anymore. Not even by accident.

When I walked into a room, the other kids would shuffle away. They’d whisper behind their hands, or glare at like I was dirt.

"Don’t sit near her," one girl hissed to her friend during art class. "If you do, you’ll get sick."

At recess, I tried to join a group of girls building sothing with sticks. Just to watch... not even to play. I stood nearby, quiet as I could.

One of them stood up, pointed at , and said loud enough for everyone to hear:

"She’s not allowed here. Go away."

I didn’t say anything. I just nodded and walked away. My cheeks burned even though I didn’t cry this ti.

But I wanted to.

So badly.

Then it started...

Physical Bullying

It started small.

A shove in the hallway. A tray pushed from my hands at lunch. A "whoops" as soone’s foot just happened to trip .

Once, Derrick knocked into during playti and I fell hard on the gravel path, scraping my elbow and knee.

He just laughed.

"Watch where you’re going, pink freak."

I bit my tongue, even as tears stung my eyes. I didn’t tell the caretakers. They never listened.

They always told to stay quiet... as if I wasn’t allowed to speak.

They never cared.

The bruise on my shoulder didn’t go away for days. It hurt to lift my arm, even when I tried to hold my doll.

The worst day...

They locked in the broom closet.

I didn’t even know what I did wrong that day.

I was just walking back to the dorms when Tanner and lo blocked the hallway.

"You look sad today," lo smirked. "Wanna play hide and seek?"

Before I could answer, Derrick grabbed from behind and shoved into the old supply closet near the kitchen.

It was dark. So dark. And cold. Dust and cobwebs everywhere. I scread and banged on the door.

But no one opened it.

I cried until my throat hurt. I kicked the door and begged for soone—anyone—to help.

But they left there.

For hours.

The air felt smaller every minute. I couldn’t even sit without curling into a ball. My legs were numb. My eyes swollen. I hugged my doll and rocked back and forth whispering,

"It’s okay... it’s okay... soone will co..."

But no one did. Not till the evening.

When they finally opened the door, I was shaking so bad I couldn’t even walk straight. The caregiver just said,

"You shouldn’t wander where you don’t belong."

I didn’t eat dinner that night. My stomach felt sick. The shadows stayed with long after the door was opened.

...

They also started throwing things when no one was looking.

First it was buttons. Then old pencil erasers. Then pebbles. Then food.

During story ti, soone threw a small rock at .

It hit my shoulder hard. I bit my lip so I wouldn’t cry out.

But I cried that night. Alone in bed, clutching my bruised arm, wishing I could disappear.

My Doll...

One day, my doll was gone.

Gone...

My whole world collapsed in a second.

I searched every corner of the room. Under the blankets. Behind the shelf. In my drawer. It wasn’t there.

"M-Mommy...?" I whispered to it like I used to. "W-Where... where’d you go..."

I looked everywhere.

And then I saw them.

lo and Derrick were holding sothing behind their backs. And they were smiling.

"Looking for this?" lo sang.

I froze. My chest twisted. I ran over to them, hands trembling.

"P-Please... p-please give her b-back..."

Derrick held up the doll, swinging it by one arm.

"She looks stupid. Like you."

"She slls like you too," Tanner said, laughing. "Rotten."

I begged them.

"P-please... please don’t hurt her... s-she’s all I have..."

"Then do what we say," Jude said. "If you want her back so badly, prove it."

They made crawl on the ground like a dog.

They made bark.

They made pick up pebbles with my mouth and drop them into a bowl like it was a ga.

They laughed. Loud. So loud.

I did it all.

I did everything they said.

Because my doll was my mommy. The only piece of her left. I would’ve done anything. I did.

Finally, Jude pulled sothing from his pocket.

"Here."

He tossed it on the grass.

It was her hand.

Just her hand.

The rest... was gone.

"Oops," Derrick said, shrugging. "We kinda threw her in the garbage. Hope you can sew."

They all walked away, laughing.

I fell to my knees in the empty field. The wind was cold. The sky was grey. And I couldn’t breathe.

I hugged that torn little hand to my chest and sobbed so loud it echoed.

My voice cracked.

My throat burned.

I cried until my eyes swelled shut.

Because she was gone.

And no one was ever going to co for .

No one ever did.

I tried...

I really did.

I told the caretakers. The mothers who took care of the children. I waited until the others weren’t around and whispered everything. My voice shaking, my hands clutching my sleeves.

But they just gave this tired look. Like I was a fly buzzing in their ears.

"They’re just teasing. Kids do that," one of them said without even looking at . "Don’t be so dramatic."

She walked away.

Like I wasn’t even there.

Like my pain wasn’t real.

I thought maybe... maybe he would listen.

The man who managed most of the things here.

His na was Mr. Clive.

He always had a clipboard in his hand. Always talking fast. Always frowning.

But I tried.

I stood in Mr. Clive’s office. My hands were clenched in front of , my fingers twisting into each other, red from squeezing too hard. My legs were shaking, and my eyes already stung before I even spoke.

He didn’t look at .

He just wrote sothing on his clipboard with sharp, scratchy sounds.

But I had to try.

I had to.

"M-M-Mister C-Clive...?"

He sighed through his nose, not glancing up. "What is it now."

My voice trembled as I stepped closer.

"I-It’s the b-boys again... M-lo and J-Jude... D-D-Derrick too... T-Tanner..."

His pen froze.

"They... they c-c-call n-nas... l-like ’g-g-ghost’ and ’w-witch’ and... a-and they... they said M-Mama abandoned b-because I’m... b-because I’m ugly..."

My throat tightened. The words felt like glass.

"They th-threw r-r-rocks at ... and m-made c-c-crawl like a... like a d-dog... just to g-get my... m-my d-doll b-back..."

His fingers tapped the desk now. Sharp. Impatient.

Still, I kept going.

"They t-tripped ... and they l-l-l-locked in the closet," I blurted, the words spilling now in gasps. "I w-was there all d-d-day... I w-was so s-s-scared... I couldn’t— I-I c-couldn’t even b-breathe..."

I looked up at him, my cheeks soaked.

"They... t-they r-ripped my d-doll... it w-was the l-last thing Mama gave m-..."

That’s when he stood.

The scrape of the chair startled , and I stumbled back.

"You ca here to cry about that?"

I shook my head quickly, wiping my tears with my sleeves. "N-No... I j-just w-wanted you to— to h-hear —"

"You want to waste my ti over playground gas?"

My mouth opened to say sothing, but no sound ca out.

"Do you know how pathetic this is?" he snapped.

I took a shaky breath and tried to speak again.

"I-I... I j-just... I d-didn’t d-do anything wr-wrong—"

CRACK.

The ruler struck my small hand. The pain shot up through my wrist like fire.

I scread, falling to my knees, holding my hand against my chest as sobs broke out.

Mr. Clive knelt down slowly, towering over . His voice was low. Cold.

"You will not co into my office making noise like so kicked animal. You want people to stop treating you like trash?"

He leaned in.

"Then stop acting like trash."

I couldn’t breathe.

"Now. Apologize."

"I-I’m s-sorry..." I choked, the words barely coming out between sobs.

"Louder."

"I-I’m s-sorry... I-I’ll n-never speak ag-gain..."

His expression didn’t change. Just stood, fixed his jacket, and pointed to the door.

"Good. Now get out."

I stumbled back to the hall, holding my hand. My knees ached. My chest felt crushed from the inside.

And I never went back.

From that day on, I stopped talking unless I had to.

I stopped asking for help.

I stopped smiling.

I started hurting myself before class, just to feel sothing I could control.

Because at least when I hurt —It didn’t surprise .

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to the present...

I sat curled on the dic room bed again.

My legs were pulled to my chest, chin resting on my knees. The blanket was still the sa—scratchy and too thin. My fingers had tugged loose so of its threads. I’d been doing that all morning.

The window beside was slightly open.

I could hear the kids outside laughing.

I looked at them through the glass...

Playing tag, running, falling into the snow and giggling like it didn’t hurt.

I wish I could’ve been happy.

Just... even a little.

But I wasn’t. I didn’t even rember how that felt anymore.

Outside the room, near the hallway, I heard voices.

Miss Clara.

And Hasina.

They were speaking in whispers, but not quiet enough.

"I swear, nearly every monster hive’s been wiped clean," Miss Clara said. "No sightings for the past two weeks, and the snow’s only gotten thicker."

"They said soone’s been going around the surrounding villages," Hasina added, her voice curious.

"Thirty-eight hives. All gone. One man did that alone. Near here too—three villages and around the orphanage."

"Well," Clara replied, "this might be the safest place in Celestine now, thanks to him."

They both chuckled softly and walked away.

A hero...?

Soone like that...

I wish soone like him... would save too.

I peeked back out the window. My breath fogged up the glass just a little.

There were a few new kids outside. Ones who ca last week. I didn’t know their nas. Didn’t try to.

But then—one of them stopped.

Right in front of my window.

He was standing in the snow, hands in his pockets, looking straight at .

ssy but kind-of-neat black hair.

He turned slightly and—

Blue eyes.

They looked... bright.

And then he smiled.

At ?

My fingers instinctively clutched the edge of the blanket tighter.

He raised a hand, waving a little. Then cupped it around his mouth.

"Hey! You okay in there?" he called out. "You look kinda bored!"

I flinched. Just a little.

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t want to.

He didn’t seem to mind.

"Wanna co play with us? I’m kinda bad at snow tag, but I’m fast!" he grinned. "I bet you’re fast too."

No. No no no...

Don’t talk to .

Please stop before it gets worse.

"Your hair’s really cool, by the way. I’ve never seen pink hair before. It’s kinda like candy. And your eyes—whoa. You look like a storybook character."

I froze.

He was supposed to laugh.

Call a freak.

Say I looked ugly.

But he said... cute?

I didn’t speak. My lips pressed together, too afraid.

Why... why is he talking to ?

"What’re you doing in there anyway?" he asked, tilting his head. "Are you hiding? Or resting? Or maybe pretending to be a snow queen trapped in her castle?"

Still... no reply.

He leaned his arms on the windowsill, chin resting on his forearms like he had ti to wait.

He kept talking. Just... smiling. Not asking to say anything back.

Like he didn’t need to hear my voice to be kind.

I looked away.

I didn’t understand it. I didn’t trust it.

But sothing inside moved. Just a little.

Then I heard the sharp steps.

Mr. Clive.

He marched right up behind the boy, his clipboard in hand.

"You," he snapped. "Stop speaking to that girl."

My heart sank.

Of course. Of course it wouldn’t last.

But the boy didn’t look scared.

He turned slowly to face Mr. Clive, calm and straight.

"What’s the problem with that?" he asked.

His voice was... different. Not warm anymore. It was flat. A little cold.

Mr. Clive frowned.

"She’s sick. She’s not allowed to speak until she recovers."

There was a pause.

The boy didn’t look angry. He just... stared at him.

Long.

Quiet.

Like he saw straight through him.

Then finally, he said—

"I suppose that’s so."

And walked away.

No smile. No goodbye.

Just... gone.

Mr. Clive looked at through the window.

Cold. Unforgiving.

He stepped forward and yanked it shut.

The latch clicked.

I was alone again.

Just .

And the silence.

And the whisper I couldn’t say out loud:

"...why’d you leave...?"

The next day, I stayed in bed again. Pretending to be sick like always.

When the sun turned orange and long shadows stretched across the room—he ca back.

Sa spot. Right outside the window.

His hands in his pockets. That ssy, kind-of-neat black hair tousled from playing. His cheeks red from the cold.

And those blue eyes... they were always bright. Not the kind that hurt. But the kind that looked like they saw you.

And that smile...

He raised a hand casually. Like he was eting again, like a friend who never got tired.

"Hey, there you are. Thought maybe you turned into a blanket."

He leaned his arms on the windowsill again, like he belonged there.

"You missed the snowball war earlier. It got intense. Tanner took one straight to the face. I think it hit his pride harder than his nose."

I blinked, staring at him.

He kept going.

"I tried to build a snow fort. It collapsed. I’m terrible at that. I think snow has a personal grudge against ."

He grinned.

I didn’t laugh.

But I didn’t look away either.

"Do you ever look at the clouds? Like, really look? Today there was one shaped like a potato. I called it ’Lord Spudsworth.’ He ruled the sky until the wind betrayed him."

That one almost made the corner of my mouth twitch.

Almost.

"You like the stars?" he asked suddenly. "Celestine has the clearest skies at night. I sneak out sotis just to look up. There’s this one star I like. Really bright one, right near the edge. I always wonder if soone else is looking at it, too."

I watched him.

His eyes wandered up at the sky, and he smiled softer this ti. Not goofy.

"Maybe the stars rember the people that are gone," he said, like he was saying sothing real. "Like tiny lights that hold mories."

I swallowed.

I thought of Mama.

He ca back the next day.

And the next.

And the next.

And the next.

Every evening, around playti, when the sun dipped low and made the snow shine gold, he would show up at the window and talk to .

Just talk.

Sotis about food.

"Why does everything taste weird here? I miss real soup."

Sotis about the other kids.

"Jude got his pants stuck climbing the fence. I didn’t help. I just watched and laughed at him."

Sotis about dreams.

"If I could fly, I wouldn’t stop. I’d just keep going up until even the clouds gave up trying to follow ."

Sotis about nothing at all.

"Do you think snowflakes get lonely when they lt? Or do they like becoming part of sothing bigger?"

He always smiled.

Sotis smirked.

Tried to make laugh. Even made silly faces once. Just to see if I’d crack.

I didn’t.

Not because I didn’t want to.

But because I was scared.

Scared that if I laughed...

if I smiled...

if I talked...

He’d leave. Like everyone else.

Maybe he’d call a freak. Or run away like the rest. Maybe he’d think I was ugly too.

So I stayed quiet.

Even though every ti he looked at ,

It felt like he didn’t see a witch.

He saw .

It went on like that for two weeks.

Even when the sky turned grey.

Even when the snow got heavier.

Even when the cold stung his fingers.

He still ca.

Still leaned on the window. Still looked at with those ocean-blue eyes like I was worth seeing.

I never said a word.

But every ti he waved goodbye—I almost wanted to.

Two months later...

It was snowing again.

I was in my usual place—the dic room bed by the window. The one no one else used. The one that always stayed cold even when the sun hit it.

I kept the blanket up to my chin. Not because I was cold, but because it made it easier to disappear. Like if I curled small enough, I’d vanish completely and no one would have to see again.

I didn’t move when the door opened.

Didn’t care when the nurse sighed and helped soone into the bed next to mine.

Didn’t blink when I heard a quiet wince and the sound of soone sitting down on the mattress.

But then—

"Hey, it’s you."

I blinked.

No.

Not him again.

"I didn’t think I’d get the bed next to you. Lucky , huh?" he said with a chuckle.

I didn’t even turn my head. I just stared at the frost on the windowpane.

"Fell down the stairs this ti. Two whole flights! I think I’ve officially broken the record for dumbest accident in the orphanage."

Still... nothing.

"Hurts a lot more than I thought. You ever fall like that? Probably not. You look way too careful."

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t react.

Inside, my thoughts were...

gray.

I was tired.

So tired of everything.

I didn’t want to be saved.

But he wouldn’t stop.

Day after day, even as I turned my back, he’d talk.

"Did you know the clouds looked like marshmallows today? I wonder if I can touch the clouds one day."

"There’s a tree behind the orphanage that kind of looks like a giant fork. I nad it Sir Forks-a-lot."

"Do you like books? I snuck a fairytale from the storage room. It had a princess with hair made of stars. I thought of you when I read it."

My fingers tightened around the edge of the blanket.

Stop. Just... stop.

But he didn’t.

He ca back.

Just a day later...

Even when he shouldn’t.

New bruises. Scraped knees. A swollen wrist.

Sotis limping. Sotis with a bandage over his cheek.

I noticed.

He didn’t pretend like I did.

He actually got hurt.

Why?

Why was he trying so hard?

Why was he hurting himself... just to talk to ?

He didn’t ask anything from .

Didn’t call weird.

Didn’t ask why I never smiled.

Never got angry when I ignored him.

He just kept talking.

Like... I was soone who mattered.

Weeks passed. Then more.

I said nothing.

But I noticed everything.

How he’d always smile even when he was hurt.

How his blue eyes never looked away.

How he never called nas like the others.

And then—That night.

The snow was falling slow outside, almost glowing under the moonlight.

He was talking again. Sothing about kids throwing toys during dinner. I wasn’t listening. Not really.

I just sat there, knees hugged to my chest, staring out the window with that sa dead expression I wore every day.

Until he said it—

"Your hair’s really pretty, you know."

I blinked.

Slowly.

My fingers froze mid-squeeze of the blanket.

"And your eyes? They’re kind of like sothing precious and starlight mixed together."

I turned my head.

Just a little.

Not much. Just enough to see his face.

He wasn’t joking.

He wasn’t laughing.

He just smiled. Soft this ti. Gentle. Almost... proud.

"It’s beautiful."

That word hit different.

Beautiful.

Not weird.

My chest hurt. My eyes... burned.

But I didn’t cry.

I just... stared.

He didn’t ask why I looked surprised.

He just kept talking.

The days after that...

I didn’t talk.

But sotis... I looked at him.

When he wasn’t watching, I’d glance his way.

Sotis when he said sothing funny, my lips twitched. A little.

He never pushed . Never begged to speak.

He just talked like always.

"Did you know Miss Clara tried to bake bread? It exploded. No joke, there was flour everywhere. I think she’s NOT ant for cooking."

"There’s a new kid nad Ilya. He tried to boss around. I pulled a prank on him... he ended up crying."

"I think stars are just holes poked into the sky so we can see heaven."

Every story felt soft. Not the scratchy kind—but the warm ones. The kind Mama used to wrap in when I had fevers.

I didn’t speak.

But I listened.

And for the first ti in forever...

I wanted to keep listening.

I loved his voice...

...

One more month later...

I think...

I smiled yesterday.

Just a little.

He said sothing dumb—sothing about naming the pigeons after vegetables because "it makes them feel nutritious"—and I looked at him before I could stop myself.

My lips moved. My cheeks hurt a little. I didn’t even know I could still do that.

And then he looked at like...

like he’d just found sothing beautiful.

"You smiled..."

His eyes got wide, then soft.

"You’re so cute when you do that. I knew it."

I hid under the blanket after that, face red. I didn’t say anything. Of course not.

But it felt like sothing blood inside . Sothing I forgot how to grow.

I didn’t want to cry that night...

And then... today ca.

It was raining.

I could hear it pattering softly on the roof, tapping the glass, whispering against the walls.

The kind of rain that made everything feel slower.

Sadder.

I stayed in bed, like always.

Clutching the corner of the blanket. Watching the window.

Waiting.

He was always here by now.

Always.

Maybe he was late?

Maybe he was grabbing food? Or got caught doing sothing again?

I waited.

And waited.

The shadows outside grew longer.

No voice.

No footsteps.

No dumb jokes about weather or his pranks.

The bed next to mine was empty.

Neatly made.

Untouched.

He didn’t co.

I curled into the blanket, pulling it all the way to my head. But the tears still found a way out.

Why...?

Why didn’t he co?

Did I... scare him away?

Because I smiled?

Was I too weird again?

Did he leave... just like the others?

I felt sothing in my throat. Not a cry. Not a sob.

A scratch. Like sothing broken trying to crawl its way out.

My fingers moved under the blanket, pressing into my wrist hard.

Just a little.

It didn’t bleed. Just hurt.

That night...

The rain had stopped.

But I didn’t move.

Didn’t sleep.

I just stayed curled up like I was hiding from the world again—until I heard the door creak open.

My eyes widened.

My heart skipped.

It was him.

His footsteps were quiet, careful, like he knew I’d been waiting. His black hair was a bit ssy from the wind, and his coat had little drops of rain clinging to it. He was carrying a small box, held gently in both hands like it was made of glass.

I didn’t blink.

I just stared.

He sat down on his bed—next to mine—and rested the box on his lap. He started to open it.

But before I could stop myself—

"...W-why... weren’t you here today?"

My voice was small. Quiet. Shaky. But it ca out.

He paused. His head turned to slowly.

I looked back at him, eyes wide and watery, chest rising too fast.

"Y-you always co... but... you didn’t..."

My hands were trembling under the blanket.

"I thought you... left ..."

His eyes softened.

"I had sothing to do," he said gently.

But I wasn’t done.

"C-can you... please not leave again...? I-I... I missed you..."

My throat cracked halfway through the words. I could barely breathe after saying it.

And then the tears ca.

Slow at first, then all at once, spilling down my cheeks in hot, quiet rivers. My whole body shook.

He didn’t say anything.

He just got up.

Moved from his bed to mine.

And gently—without rushing, without fear—wrapped his arms around .

I buried my face into his chest and cried harder than I had in years.

"D-don’t go... please... don’t disappear like they all did..."

He held tighter, resting his chin on top of my head.

"I won’t," he said softly. "I promise. I’m not going anywhere."

His hand gently patted my head, slow and warm. The way Mama used to when I had nightmares.

"I’m here for you. I’m staying."

I sniffled hard, hiccupping between quiet sobs. My arms clung to his shirt, scared that if I let go, he’d vanish like everyone else.

"P-promise?"

He nodded.

"Promise."

"Pinky..."

He blinked.

"...Pinky promise," I whispered again.

He smiled, then held out his hand and stuck out his pinky.

I wrapped mine around his.

Like a vow no one could break.

And I smiled.

For real.

"C-can I... ask sothing else?" I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

He tilted his head. "Yeah?"

I clutched his sleeve tighter.

"C-can you be... my f-friend? Please...? I-I don’t have... I don’t have anyone... n-not even one..."

I looked down, voice trembling. "So... can you be my f-friend...?"

He was quiet for a mont.

Then, slowly, he knelt a little so we were eye-level.

And he nodded with the gentlest smile I’d ever seen.

"I’d love to be your friend."

I hugged him again, tighter this ti. And he hugged back.

After a while, he stood up, walking back to his bed.

"Close your eyes," he said.

I blinked. "H-huh?"

He smiled and pointed. "Just for a second. No peeking."

I obeyed, covering my eyes with both hands.

Then I heard it.

Click.

A little flick.

Fire?

Was that... a lighter?

"Okay," he said quietly. "You can open them now."

I pulled my hands away—

And gasped.

On his bed, right between us, was a small piece of cake. A single candle lit in the center, flickering softly in the dim light.

I stared, mouth open, eyes wide.

"...C-cake?" I whispered, barely breathing. "W-why...?"

He didn’t hesitate.

"Happy birthday!"

Everything inside cracked.

My body started shaking, and I didn’t know why at first. But then it hit . All of it.

This day.

My birthday.

The sa day Mama smiled and Papa held my hand in that carriage. The day I got to ride between them, laughing about so surprise they said I’d love.

The day the sky turned red.

The day they scread.

The day they died.

The day the monsters ca.

And the day he—

my dream friend—

saved .

And left.

My fingers dug into the bed. My breathing turned small and sharp. Tears began falling without asking .

One after another, warm and wet on my cheeks.

"...H-how did you know it was my birthday...?" I asked, voice cracking so bad it barely sounded like mine.

He looked at softly, and that familiar warm smile curved on his lips.

"Because... it wasn’t the first ti we t."

I blinked through tears.

My heart paused.

"W-what...?"

He nodded, leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees like he didn’t even realize what he’d just said.

"Last year. When the demons attacked... I was there."

"I saved you."

I froze.

My mouth parted, but nothing ca out.

"When I pulled you into the woods... you were holding my hand so tightly, rember?"

"Inside the broken carriage, there were gifts. A small cake box too. I figured..." he gave a small shrug, "...maybe that was your birthday."

I couldn’t breathe.

"So... I brought cake. Just in case I was right."

I couldn’t stop it now.

My hands flew to my face as I broke into full sobs. Loud ones this ti. Ugly crying.

"You... y-you’re... him...?"

I fell forward, crawling shakily across the bed like my arms were noodles.

"You’re the one that saved ...?"

My body crashed into his and I clung to him like I’d die if I let go.

"My... my f-friend... you p-protected ... and... and played with ... in my dreams...!"

My voice shook like I was screaming underwater.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly.

"I-I missed you...!"

I felt his arms return around . Strong. Real.

"I’m back," he whispered.

His words were so simple, but they healed sothing I didn’t know could be healed.

I pulled away, just a little, just enough to look up at him through blurry eyes.

"W-where were you...?" I asked, my lip trembling, my voice angry and sad and scared all at once. "W-why didn’t you co b-back sooner?!"

He didn’t flinch.

"I was protecting you."

I blinked, confused.

"...W-what...?"

"For the past year," he said, voice calm, "I’ve been clearing out demon hives. All of them. Around this orphanage. Around the nearby villages."

"So that nothing like that... could ever co near you again."

My breath caught.

That... that was what the caretakers said days ago. About the man who destroyed every monster hive near here. All without anyone knowing who.

No prize. No na.

No credit.

"...Y-you..." I stared. "That was... you...?"

He just nodded, like it wasn’t anything big.

Like protecting was... normal.

My chest hurt.

But not in the sa way.

It felt too much. All at once.

"...You..." I whispered again.

And then he said it.

"My na is Kaiser."

The mont he said it—

Sothing in felt like it finally belonged.

He smiled.

"And I’m ready to be your friend, Elfie."

I smiled too.

The brightest smile I’ve ever had in my whole life.

Maybe my first real one.

And I whispered back—

"...Thank you, Kaiser..."

"...For coming back."

I cut a tiny piece of the cake with the fork, even though my hands were shaking a little. I held it up, but he reached over and gently took the fork from .

"Say aaah."

My cheeks turned a little pink.

"...A-aaah..."

He smiled and fed the bite.

It was sweet—like clouds and strawberries. My first real taste of cake since that day in the carriage.

And sohow...

this one tasted warr.

Like it wasn’t just sugar—it was hope.

He smiled again, leaning back just a little, watching chew like he was proud.

"Told you it’d be good."

I nodded, too full in my heart to say much. I felt my nose scrunching, like I might cry again, but I bit my lip.

Then he pulled sothing from behind him. A small box wrapped in simple cloth. My heart jumped.

"A gift...?" I asked, blinking.

He nodded and handed it over, carefully.

I took it with both hands like it was made of glass.

The wrapping was soft, a little damp, but it slled like lavender. I untied the string slowly and pulled the lid open—

And my breath caught.

My fingers flew to my mouth.

"M-my... d-doll...?"

I stared, eyes wide, lips trembling.

It was her.

The little cat doll Mama had sewn for —stitched with care, with the pink bow I’d picked out.

The sa one I thought was lost forever. Torn. Gone. Ripped from just like everything else.

"I rembered you holding it," Kaiser said, smiling softly. "That day, when I left you here... I saw it tucked in your dress. You held it so close. I figured it must be really important."

My voice shook. "W-where... where did you find it...?"

He scratched the back of his head and gave a tiny laugh.

"Uh, funny story... I saw it floating in the pond behind the orphanage when I was playing with the other kids."

"I had to wade in to get it. Got soaked. Miss Clara yelled at for tracking mud indoors."

"But hey," he grinned, "I managed to fish it out. Spent all evening fixing it up, sewing the arm and brushing out the dirt. Looks alright, right?"

My lips trembled again. I didn’t even try to stop the tears this ti.

He did all that...

For .

I clutched the doll tightly to my chest, holding it like I was scared it’d vanish again.

And that’s when he asked it—quietly.

"Hey... is it okay if I call you Elfie?"

I looked up at him, blinking.

"M-my na’s... Elfina..."

He rubbed the back of his neck and gave a sheepish little smile.

"I know. But... I like ’Elfie’ better. It suits you."

"Your pretty pink eyes and soft voice... it sounds cute. Like you."

My face instantly turned red.

"W-what...?" I squeaked, grabbing the pillow and hiding my face under it.

Why did he have to say it like that?!

I could hear him laughing just a little.

"Uhh... Elfie? Are you okay?"

I peeked out, pouting.

"Y-you’re being an...!"

"Nope," he smirked. "You’re just being cute again."

"S-stop it, Kaiser!!"

He just kept smiling, like my flustered little voice was the best sound in the world.

That night...

I got my doll back.

I got my na back.

And I got him back.

My friend.

Kaiser.

That night was the happiest day of my life.

Kaiser started to stand up after I finished the cake. He stretched a little, yawning, and turned toward his bed like he always did when the candle got low.

But I panicked.

My hand reached out fast, grabbing the edge of his shirt. I didn’t even think. My heart squeezed too tight.

"W-wait—! C-can... can y-you... s-s-stay...?"

He blinked, tilting his head. "Hmm? What’s wrong?"

I looked down, holding the fabric tighter. My throat hurt to say it, but I didn’t want him to go. Not even for a second.

"I-I... I-I’m s-scared..."

His eyes softened, but he crouched beside the bed again.

"What are you scared of, Elfie?"

I looked at him—straight at him—and my lips wobbled.

"L-losing y-you..."

My chest ached. The words felt heavy and small, but I couldn’t keep them inside anymore.

"W-what if... what if s-soone takes y-you away...? W-what if y-you... d-d-disappear like... like m-my mama and papa...?"

I looked down fast, squeezing my eyes shut.

"I-I c-can’t... I can’t... l-lose you t-too..."

He chuckled lightly, brushing the side of my hair.

"It won’t happen, Elfie."

But I shook my head hard, still gripping his sleeve.

"P-please... j-just stay with ... I-I don’t... I d-don’t wanna b-be alone... n-not tonight..."

He looked at my eyes—my dumb, trembling pink eyes that everyone said looked weird.

And he sighed.

"...Alright, Elfie."

I felt warmth flood my chest.

I smiled as he sat back down on my bed beside , back against the wall, legs stretched near mine. I pulled the blanket tighter around , still holding my doll.

"...C-can I... c-can I speak a bit...?" I whispered.

He nodded gently. "Of course."

I took a deep breath. And I started.

"B-before y-you ca... e-everyone h-hated ..."

I gripped the blanket tighter.

"T-they... the o-other kids... t-they’d call m- nas... g-g-ghost girl... u-ugly... w-witch..."

My voice cracked more the longer I talked, but I couldn’t stop.

"N-no one wanted t-to play with ... t-they s-said I was s-sick... t-that I’d make them d-die if they touched ..."

I looked at him to see if he was still listening.

He was.

"...T-they hurt s-sotis... p-pushed , t-tripped ..."

"Who hurt you?" he asked quietly.

"...M-lo and J-Jude... D-D-Derrick too... T-Tanner..."

He didn’t say anything.

So I kept going.

"Th-the caretakers... t-they s-said I l-looked too d-different... s-so no one w-would ever talk to ..."

"I-I told them... t-that I was being b-bullied... b-but they yelled at m-..."

My voice got smaller.

"O-one of them... h-he... h-he hit my hand w-with a ruler... and told ... t-to s-shut up... to n-never talk again..."

I hugged my knees now, crying softly again.

"I-I r-really thought... I w-would never speak a-again..."

My voice grew quieter. A whisper.

But then I peeked up.

Kaiser... was still looking at . Like he cared. Like every word I said mattered. Even the ssy ones.

"...A-a-am I... boring...? D-do you w-want t-to... stop... t-talking...?"

I looked away fast.

"I-It’s okay... i-if y-you don’t wanna hear m-... I-I know I t-t-talk too much... I-I’m s-sorry..."

But then—

His voice dropped softly, and it hit like the sun breaking through clouds.

"Keep talking, Elfie."

"I love hearing your voice."

I froze.

And then—

I smiled.

The biggest smile I’d ever made. My face felt warm, and my chest... it didn’t ache anymore.

I let out a small laugh. It was raspy. Tiny.

But it was real.

So I kept talking.

All night.

I told him I liked drawing—especially animals with huge ears. I told him I wanted to learn magic one day, maybe Celestine Dustweaving, because I read about it once and it looked like glowing snow.

I told him I liked fireflies, and stars, and shiny beads I’d find near the fence, and I told him about my secret hideout behind the kitchen where I used to sit when I felt sad.

And he listened.

He nodded. Asked questions. Smiled when I smiled.

And when I finally got tired, my eyes closing slowly, I leaned beside him without aning to.

When I woke up, it was morning.

My eyes blinked slowly as sunlight touched the floor.

I looked up.

I was curled on his lap.

My head resting against his chest.

And he was leaning back on the wall—fast asleep.

Still here.

Still with .

Still my friend.

After that day... my world changed.

Every morning, he ca.

Every evening, he stayed.

And every night, I smiled a little more.

Kaiser and I... we talked about everything.

He used to read storybooks—so many of them. Big ones. Heavy ones. So had strange writing and I thought they were broken books... but he said it was just a "different language."

Sohow... he could read it.

He read everything. Not just the books the caretakers had. So were way too hard, but he’d read them like they were simple bedti stories. And sohow... I understood them. All of them. Because he explained it so easily.

He used to say stuff like, "Elfie, if a story doesn’t make sense, then it’s the story’s fault. Not yours."

I think he even read better than the adults. Maybe better than all the adults.

He told stories of a blue phoenix who rose to the skies, or a sleeping witch trapped in a mirror, or about Celestian Dust Threads—magic that glowed when you whispered kind words to it.

And I listened like each word was treasure.

For a whole month, he’d visit every day.

Like clockwork.

Always with sothing new. Always with a smile.

One ti... while he was reading The Boy Who Ate Stars, I held my doll tighter and peeked up at him.

My heart beat so fast.

"K-K-Kaiser...?"

He looked at , gently putting the book down. "Yeah?"

"...C-can I... c-can I call you... s-sothing else too...?"

He tilted his head. "Like what?"

I swallowed nervously, playing with the end of my blanket.

"Y-you c-call Elfie... ’cause... y-you said it’s... c-cute..."

He gave a little laugh and nodded.

"Yeah, I do."

I looked down. My face felt hot.

"Th-then... c-can I call y-you... K-Kai...? B-because... y-you’re... p-precious to m-..."

He blinked once.

Then he smiled. That soft kind of smile he always gave when he didn’t say much but said everything.

"If you want to, go ahead."

My heart exploded.

"Th-thank you f-for being m-my f-friend, K-Kai..."

"Anything for you, Elfie."

Then he looked at again and pointed at my lips.

"And also, Elfie... now that you’re my friend—never stop talking, okay?"

"I don’t care what those ’caretakers’ said."

"Your voice is beautiful."

"And I could listen to it all day if I want."

My throat tightened. I wanted to cry again, but... happy this ti.

So I just smiled.

Big and wide.

And nodded.

That was the day I stopped thinking of myself like that.

—

Two more weeks later, sothing changed again.

I... I got the courage to finally leave the dic room.

For the first ti in almost a year, I walked with Kai to the dinner hall.

I wanted to show him I wasn’t weak.

That I could be brave too.

So he’d never get bored of .

But the mont we stepped inside...

I froze.

My eyes darted around.

lo...

Jude...

Tanner...

Derrick...

They were all there. Sitting in the sa corner.

Looking right at .

And they glared.

Like they were waiting.

I gripped my sleeves, heart pounding.

But I didn’t stop walking.

I just stared at Kai’s back.

As long as he was in front of , I could keep walking.

Then he turned to .

"I’ll go grab my tray. You look for a seat, okay?"

I nodded quickly, not trusting my voice.

But the mont he walked off—

I felt alone again.

Even just for a second.

I looked around the room...

And they were all still watching .

I clutched the tray tight with both hands.

It was warm. The rice slled sweet.

I was supposed to eat this with Kai. Smile. Talk. Laugh, maybe.

But he was still getting his tray.

And I was alone.

I looked around, trying to find an empty seat... but everyone looked away. Like I was invisible. Like I didn’t belong here. Again.

Then I heard them. Footsteps. Fast. an.

My fingers trembled.

"Oi," a voice said behind . "Look who finally crawled outta her rat-hole."

It was Jude. He was always the loudest.

"Tch. Thought you were gone," Tanner added, sneering as he circled around .

Derrick blocked my other side. "What’s with the weird hair again? You ever look in a mirror, freak?"

My breath hitched.

I tried to turn around—quiet, careful, maybe I could go back to the wall, wait for Kai—

But lo grabbed my shoulder.

"Where do you think you’re going, huh?" he said with a grin. "This ain’t the ’sick kids’ table. No one wants you here."

They all started laughing.

"She’s still carrying that dumb doll?" Jude snorted, pointing at it tucked in my dress. "What are you, a baby?"

I kept my head down.

Don’t cry.

Don’t talk.

Wait for Kai.

I took a step back. Just one. Please let leave.

But lo yanked at my hair.

I winced, gasping.

It hurt. It really hurt.

"Why do you even co out now, freak?" he said, letting go and ssing it up. "You were better off locked in that room."

Tanner leaned in closer. "Maybe she thinks she’s normal now. That boy’s been talking to her too much. He probably feels sorry for her."

I shook my head quickly, but nothing ca out of my mouth.

"Speak, ghost girl," Derrick mocked in a fake trembling voice. "Aww, what’s wrong? Did your dead mommy tell you to be brave?"

Then—

lo shoved .

Hard.

I fell onto the cold floor, my tray crashing and food spilling everywhere.

I hugged my knees right there, chest heaving, trying not to cry.

But it hurt.

My heart.

My knees.

Everything.

And they were still laughing.

I looked up. Just once.

Mr. Clive was by the door.

He looked right at .

And then... he smirked.

Like he was proud.

I held my knees. I didn’t even fight back.

Tears were falling. I hated that they always fell even when I didn’t want them to.

And they all... just laughed.

Like I was... a joke.

Like I was nothing.

Until...

I felt it—warm fingers at my back.

He knelt beside .

His hand touched mine.

"Elfie..." Kai whispered.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up, my eyes watery.

His eyes were soft—like the sky after it cried.

I nodded. My voice cracked.

"I-I’ll be o-okay..."

But then, I saw it—his expression change.

His smile was gone.

He wiped my cheeks with his thumb, quiet... then said again—

This ti cold.

"Who made you cry?"

I hesitated. But I pointed.

To them.

He looked over his shoulder.

Then stood up.

And smiled.

"Wait here for a second."

I blinked, gripping my doll. I knew that smile.

It wasn’t a happy one.

Kai walked to them slowly. Calm.

"Why did you hurt her?" he asked.

lo scoffed. "Why do you even care? She looks nothing like—"

"I didn’t ask that," Kai cut in.

"I asked... why did you hurt her?"

The air grew still.

Tanner shrugged and grinned.

"We did it for fun. She cries easily. So it’s funny."

Derrick snorted.

Jude laughed again. "It’s not like she talks anyway."

My chest squeezed.

And then...

Kai’s smile vanished.

"I see."

He took one slow step forward.

"Then I’ll destroy you all... for making her cry."

His voice was ice.

And before I could even blink—

CLANG—!!

He grabbed the tray from the floor—slamd it straight into Derrick’s face.

Derrick scread, stumbling and falling back holding his nose.

"W-what the hell!?" Tanner shouted, stepping back.

Jude ran up to grab Kai’s arm—

But Kai twisted—

Crack—! kicked him hard in the knee, then spun and slamd an elbow right into his eye.

Jude dropped, groaning, clutching his face.

Then Kai didn’t even wait—

He grabbed a plate and hurled it right at Jude’s head—

THUNK. Jude hit the ground, moaning.

The room was silent.

Even the other kids stopped eating. Just... watching.

lo took a shaky step back.

"S-stop! I-I’m sorry! I-I didn’t an—!"

Kai’s eyes were cold. He tilted his head slightly.

"Too late."

He darted forward. Fast.

lo panicked, raising his arms in a defensive stance.

But Kai—he feinted a punch.

Instead, he caught lo’s wrist, turned his back to him—And flipped him clean over his shoulder.

Slam!

lo hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him.

Gasps echoed around the room. No one spoke.

Kai stood still.

He didn’t pant. He didn’t shout.

Just stood there.

His eyes, quiet. Sharp.

Dead serious.

Then, slowly... he turned and walked back to .

He didn’t even glance at Mr. Clive.

Clive just stood in the back... silent. Watching. Not smiling anymore.

Kai knelt down again beside .

"Take that seat over there, Elfie," he said calmly. "I’m not done yet."

I froze.

Sothing about the way he said it... gave goosebumps.

He turned slowly, his shoes making soft thuds on the wooden floor as he walked back toward lo—his pace steady, like nothing rushed him.

But right before he could reach him—

Mr. Clive stepped in.

"That’s enough," Clive said. "This ends now."

Kaiser stopped. Not a flinch in his face. He looked up at Clive, quiet.

"Huh," Kai said, tilting his head. "I thought soone important like you didn’t get involved in playground matters."

Clive raised a brow. "What?"

"You just stood there," Kaiser said. "While they pushed her. Laughed at her. Making her cry tears. You watched it all."

Clive scoffed. "They were just teasing. Nothing serious."

Kai’s face didn’t change.

"Good," he said softly. "Then what I’m doing is teasing too."

Clive narrowed his eyes. "What can a brat like you even—"

"You don’t care about Elfie," Kai interrupted coldly. "You’re a scum. No different than them."

Clive’s expression twisted. "What did you just call ?"

Kai’s stare didn’t budge.

"I said you’re guilty."

And then—Clive lunged.

Everything happened too fast.

Kai sidestepped—calm, effortless.

A fork clinked from a table nearby. Sohow—he had it in his hand.

One motion. One strike.

Clive cried out, stumbling as Kai swept low—jabbing the fork’s handle clean into the back of his knee.

He hit the ground hard.

Before Clive could shout again—a fist landed clean across his face.

Once.

Twice.

A third—until he stopped moving.

Kai stood over him, breathing steady. Not even a drop of sweat.

I just watched... holding my doll tightly.

The entire dinner room was silent.

Kai turned slowly, walking toward lo.

lo tried to crawl away, blood on his lip.

"This one’s for hurting Elfie," Kai said—and his fist drove into lo’s jaw with a sharp crack.

lo collapsed.

Tanner, Jude, and Derrick tried to run.

But they weren’t fast enough.

Kai moved like lightning—no rcy. A kick. A palm strike. A twist of an arm.

By the end, they were groaning on the floor, legs bent wrong, crying for help.

Then—He turned to everyone else.

Blood on his hands. On his sleeve.

His voice didn’t shake.

"Listen up."

"I don’t care what you did to her before. But from now on, no one touches Elfie."

He stepped over the broken tray, his footsteps loud in the quiet.

"Unless you want to destroy you."

Silence.

Even Mr. Clive groaned softly, barely conscious.

Then he ca to —held out his hand.

I looked up.

My heart... I didn’t know what to do with it.

So I took his hand.

And he walked out of the room—just like that.

...

The next day.

The sun felt a little softer today... maybe because he was beside .

We were just sitting together again—like we always did—before that woman, one of the caretakers with the too-sharp eyes, called out his na.

"Kaiser. The matron wants to speak with you."

My heart dropped.

I felt my hands slowly clench the edge of my dress.

N-No...

I looked at him, scared, even though I didn’t say anything. He turned to , smiling like always. That calm, warm smile that made my chest feel okay even when it hurt.

"I’ll return," he said gently.

I nodded slowly, voice a whisper.

"P-Please be quick..."

He reached over and ruffled my hair. "Promise."

Then he left.

I stared at the empty space beside .

That... warm space.

He’s just going for a bit... he promised, Elfie... he promised...

But still, my chest hurt.

Not in the way it hurt when I got bruises, or when I was pushed or kicked. This was the quiet kind of hurt—the kind that made my stomach twist and my throat feel tight.

What if he doesn’t co back?

What if... what if they take him away?

Just like Mama and Papa... just like everyone else...

I looked down at my little hands, the ones he held that day. My fingers brushed over the thread-sewn patches of my doll—the one he fixed, the one he brought back to from the muddy pond like it was treasure.

My Kai...

Please co back...

Don’t leave too.

Matron Liora’s Perspective:

A kid.

Clive got himself humiliated—his face broken, his pride shattered—by a child no older than seven. And not just him. Four boys, all nearly ten, crushed under one boy’s hands like they were made of paper.

I folded my fingers together over the desk, watching the door.

This was beyond a disciplinary matter. This was sothing else.

A knock. Calm. asured.

"Co in," I said.

He entered.

ssy black hair. Sharp blue eyes. A walk too stable, too aware for soone so small. He sat across from before I could even finish the gesture.

His expression was completely neutral... Was this kid really using a poker face...?

"Co here and sit down," I said again, more to reset the balance of control in this room.

He complied without a word. No defiance—but no submission either.

I narrowed my eyes.

"I’ll get straight to the point. Why did you go violent against those kids and Mr. Clive?"

His voice ca calm. No wavering. No childlike fidgeting.

"I simply showed them judgnt for their sins."

Judgnt?

"And who exactly are you to show that?" I asked.

"I’m Elfina’s friend."

He said it plainly, like that alone gave him authority. I scoffed.

"So what? That gives you the right to—"

"Quiet down for a second and let talk."

...Excuse ?

Did this child just—

The arrogance.

I was about to scold him, but then he tilted his head slightly. His tone dropped just enough to unsettle .

"I know you saw everything. The thirteen caras around the orphanage don’t go unnoticed, Miss."

I blinked.

What?

The caras were hidden. Tucked into narrow wooden beams, covered by potted plants, etched into light fixtures. Only three people knew of their placents—, the installer, and the board.

"How... how did you—?"

"The reflections in the glass panes of the study hall. The odd clicking sounds when the hallway’s empty. The slight warmth above certain doors. You tried hard to hide them. You just didn’t try hard enough."

My lips parted, but I didn’t say a word.

He leaned back slightly.

"You saw what they did to her, didn’t you?"

I stayed silent.

"You watched as she got hit. Humiliated. You watched when Clive ignored her. When you ignored her. You saw the bruises on her arms and didn’t ask. You let it happen."

I clenched my jaw. The air in the room felt heavier. Sohow... he was controlling this conversation now.

"You’re right about one thing, Matron Liora," he said softly. "I’m just a child. But I was the only one who cared enough to stand between Elfie and the rest of this rotten place."

He looked dead in the eyes.

"So tell . Who’s more dangerous? ? Or You?"

...

He stood up.

Without being dismissed. Without fear.

"Elfie’s not alone anymore. And if you think I’ll let anyone hurt her again—"

He paused.

"You’d be wrong."

The caras... The language. The intelligence. The way he said her na.

"Kaiser," I whispered.

That child wasn’t normal.

"That doesn’t an you have the right to get violent in the orphanage you’re at."

I said it with the finality of soone used to being obeyed.

But the boy across from didn’t even flinch. He sat in the chair like he belonged there, like this wasn’t an interrogation but... a negotiation.

"This place is maintained and funded by the Celestial Kingdom after all, isn’t it, Miss Liora?"

His tone was polite. Too polite. Controlled. Calculated.

"Those caras... they’re not just for safety. They take pictures and recordings of us so the kingdom’s political parties can use it. A simple ploy to win the hearts of the people."

I froze.

He said it so casually. Like he was discussing the weather.

This kid... did he figure that much out... just from deductions?

"It’s laughable you called here for punishnt," he added, voice still neutral. "I took out a grown man and four kids three years older than . Isn’t that... embarrassing, Miss Liora?"

My jaw tightened.

"Where did you learn that political information from?" I asked. My voice ca out sharper than I intended.

He leaned back slightly, eyes cool and expressionless. That poker face again. What kind of child was this?

"The Celestial Kingdom has four heirs, each backed by different pillars of political power. They’re older than , sure—but their parents are the ones guiding everything. This orphanage is a pet project of one of those parties. They plan to parade us in the next decade. A perfect little display for whoever wins the crown."

My breath caught for a mont.

"Oh yeah," he added. "I know you don’t use all the money they send. Clive steals half of it for himself. That’s why the kids eat watery stew while he wears cologne and a new coat every season."

"What nonsense are you saying?" I snapped, voice rising.

"I have docuntation. Journals. Copies. Hidden in places your caras don’t reach. If you cross a line—if you try anything—I’ll report it directly to the party funding this orphanage."

He leaned forward, just slightly.

"You’ll be replaced. Just like the others before you."

My blood boiled. I stood.

"A seven-year-old like you is blackmailing ?!?"

"Take it however you like," he said flatly. "You’re in no position to refuse."

"What makes you say that?" I challenged, voice low, dangerous.

"Miss Clara is a mage in disguise. D-rank, probably. She could’ve healed the kids and Clive in under an hour if she cared to. But she’s been instructed not to. This whole performance—it’s a waste of both our ti."

My nails dug into my palm.

He even knows about Clara...?

"What more do you know, Kaiser?"

He looked directly into my eyes.

"Eight caretakers here are mages. So are weak. So are experienced. They were planted here by the Celestial Kingdom to control the flow of children, their education, their behavior. Their potential. Keep them weak, dependent. Easier to shape into tools."

"Isn’t that right?"

The silence felt suffocating. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t blink.

This boy. This child.

No—not a child.

Sothing far more dangerous.

Who is he...?

I have no choice but to take him out of the picture, even if he is just a kid. He knows too much about this project to be left alone—Before I can finish that thought, he cuts off sharply.

"Also, don’t go as far as to take out silently," Kaiser says, his voice cold.

"You’ll regret it."

Did he just... read my mind?

I grit my teeth. He’s lucky. If Miss Hasina were still here, she could’ve taken care of him. She was the highest-ranked celestial mage among us—B rank, precise and deadly.

But, unfortunately, a few days after we received the new children, including Kaiser, Hasina resigned. Left without a trace. Her letter of resignation was... peculiar, to say the least.

Kaiser’s voice breaks through my thoughts again, calm as ever.

"Oh yeah, also—give Miss Hasina a proper burial. You can find her body by the pond near the orphanage. Her legs chained to a big rock, her corpse still drowning."

I freeze.

"What... the..." I stamr, heart pounding.

"You did what?!" I almost shout.

"Did you really think I was careless enough to let a threat like her roam where I stayed? I took her out because it was necessary." He stares at , unblinking.

I swallow hard, words caught in my throat.

"H-How...?" My voice cracks.

His cold gaze pins in place, as if daring to ask more.

The truth sinks deep, icy and dark.

I realize I’m dealing with sothing far beyond a child. Sothing ruthless.

And I’m not sure if I should be terrified—or fear for my life.

This was impossible. How did a kid his age take out a B-rank like her so easily?!

My body was shaking as I tried to speak to him.

"I drugged her using latonin," Kaiser said calmly, "then I took her by the pond to drown her to death."

Wait... it made sense.

He’d been constantly hurt, bruised, and she and Miss Clara had been treating him often. Even that night, when he ca in with fresh bruises—she was the one who treated him. And the very next day, she resigned... that ans...

He wrote her resignation letter himself, faking it to cover up the murder.

I looked at him, noticing the rciless coldness in his eyes. No remorse at all.

"You killed the person who was treating your own wounds... don’t you feel a-anything?" I stuttered, voice trembling now.

"Why would a mundane task like killing a human make feel anything?" His answer was chilling.

"I only want peace here. Don’t co after , or else I’ll turn this orphanage into a graveyard." He rose from his seat, his posture calm but lethal.

He paused at the door, glancing back one last ti.

"Tell anyone what I said, and say goodbye to your life. I’ve planted false evidence framing you for the murder, Miss Liora. It’s in your best interest to listen to from now on."

"The na’s Kaiser Everhart." He said looking back at .

"Be a good obedient girl from now, Miss Matron Liora."

As the heavy door clicked shut behind him, I stumbled back toward my seat, my legs trembling beneath . I barely registered the weight of my own body as I sank down, my hands gripping the edge of the table, seeking sothing solid to hold onto.

This wasn’t a child. No, not at all.

A devil in disguise—yes, that’s what he was. Only seven years old, but he spoke with the cold precision and cunning of soone far older. His mind was sharper than anything I’ve ever encountered. The way he looked at , ordered around like I belonged to him—it was terrifying.

And that evidence... that damning web he’d woven around . There was no way out.

I have no choice.

I have to obey him, at least for now.

The thought sank into like ice as I bowed my head, letting my anger and dread flood my senses. Whatever this was... whatever was coming next... I knew I was trapped.

And it was only just beginning.

Elfie’s Perspective:

I was waiting for Kai to co back, sitting on the bed with my hands folded tight, praying he’d be safe. My heart was thumping so loud, I thought maybe he could hear it too.

Then I saw him — the door opened and there he was, walking in like nothing was wrong. I ran to him, all worried, checking if he was hurt anywhere.

He smiled at , holding up his hand. "Miss Matron Liora just slapped it a few tis with a ruler," he said with a small laugh.

"She forgave ."

I blinked, surprised. "She did? Really?"

Kai nodded, grinning. "Yeah. She’s kind-hearted. And she promised no more bullying will happen in this orphanage again."

My lips curled into a shy smile, feeling a little spark of hope. "Is that true?"

"Indeed," he said firmly. Then he patted my hair gently. "I’ll make sure of it."

"Let’s go play so gas together, Elfie."

"Okie!" I said, my voice light with happiness.

Just like that, everything felt normal again. We laughed, we talked, and for a little while, the dark cloud inside lifted.

I wanted him to stay with always.

Actually, forever.

Kai was such an honest, sweet friend. He could be a little violent sotis, but I knew he only hurt others when he had to. His heart was kind, and that was all I needed.

I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the toy room, tugging with all my little strength.

"C’mon, let’s go, Kai!" I said, smiling.

He chuckled, "Alright, alright, Elfie. Lead the way, princess."

"Heheheh! Don’t call that!" I giggled.

"If you say so, Princess Elfie," he teased again as I pulled him faster, running down the hall.

I want to keep him as my friend forever.

At any cost.

Mine.