The days in an orphanage are dull, boring and tiring.
We woke up early morning at 6, for breakfast, nothing fancy really, just a piece of bread for most of the days. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we got boiled eggs. But most of the time, it was just bread and water.
After breakfast, we had chores. Sweeping the floors, cleaning the bathrooms, washing clothes. Even though we were kids, the caretakers didn't care. Everyone had to work.
There were about 50 of us, all between the ages of 5 and 10. Some were loud and annoying. Some were quiet and kept to themselves.
I was sweeping the hallway when a girl with messy brown hair walked up beside me, holding a rag.
"You're new, right?" she asked, with a big smile as I just nods to her.
"I'm Mina. You sweep, I wipe?" She said as... "Uh… sure," I just replied to her with an awkward face.
She nodded. "Good! I know you are a nice guy when I saw you, haha." She said with a laugh, as I just scratched my head.
"…Thanks?" I said. She seems like an easy going girl tho, that's good.
Suddenly, a boy with short black hair passed by us, while carrying a bucket full of water. "Mina, stop bothering the new kid," he said as he looked at us, mainly Mina as she pouted at him.
"Jay, I'm helping!" she said, lightly hitting him on the back, as he just shook his head and walked off without replying... The seemed to have a good relationship i guess?
"That was Jay," Mina said to me, whispering like it was a secret. "He's always acting serious like he's some kind of boss, isn't he? Well, he isn't that bad of a guy tho." She said and at the end, blushed ever so slightly.
Before i could reply, a small hand tugged at my shirt as I urgently looked at in alarm, only to see a boy younger than me as I looked down.
A little boy with wide eyes stared at me. "I… I spilled water… again," he said quietly.
I followed him to the hall corner, where water dripped onto the floor.
"It's okay, Alex," I said, grabbing a rag and helping him clean... He is my little brother, Alex, unlike me, he looked more like our mother with his blue eyes and blonde hairs tho.
"Th-thank you, Liam…" he whispered, poor child whose mother left him at at orphanage, 'Wait, i ain't even that much older than him, we are in the same boat i guess.' I thought as I shook my head.
That's why I must protect him... I thought and just then, a loud voice echoed from the other side of the room.
"Oi! You guys still working? Fucking losers!" A boy with orange hairs said as he barged inside the room.
"Tsk, stay away from him, he is Ryan." Mira slightly whispered in my ears as Alex his behind me.
As I keep looking at the boy named Ryan, who started kicking another boy but no one made a move, not even the caretaker who ignored it.
Why is that? "They are all useless," Mira said as she shook her head.
"Ignore him if you don't wanna be his target. Apparently, this guy is was deemed trash after first blessing, so he is one of the few who wasn't offered adoption by anyone, family or organisation. The only reason he is here is because he is yet to have recieve second blessing, through with that kind of attitude I doubt he will make it far."
"You really hate him, don't you?" I said with a slight chuckle, her tone, and her hate as she explained him to me made it clear to me she hates him.
'But blessing?' I thought as suddenly some knowledge appeared in my mind... In this world, people receive bleeding my gods so they can start thier mage journey.
First at the age of 5, and second at 10 before.
According to the laws of Rose Empire, only after second blessing can an orphan be adopted legally, through few people bypass the rule with an agreement with orphanage and kids after first awakening.
However, even if you ain't adopted, you can still work hard to try earn scholarships at various magic academies, at 16 year of age.
But even then, blessings play a crucial role in how your life will turn out and with how he acts, I doubt he will be favoured by gods.
'But seriously, what's wrong with me, how can I forgot such important things? Am I sick or something?' I asked myself... This question keep bugging me for a long time and that night...
"I am... not really a child," I whispered lightly, as if letting out the thought I have been hiding inside for a very long time, but wasn't able to do this anymore.
However, even though I said so, the mirror I was looking at across the room, said otherwise.
In that mirror, a small figure, of a pale boy with dangerously red eyes and unkept black hair could be clearly seen.
It was me... Liam, an orphan who lives in a small orphanage in Capital of the Great Rose Empire, a child abandoned by his mother after his father died, and brother of Alex.
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And in the silence of the night... I felt it again.
That I'm losing part of myself.