Arsh hurried down the stairs as soon as the door closed and stepped out into the muddy streets again. Although he tried to appear calm, he was nervous. He hadn't even been able to look at his opponent long enough to size him up. Trying to keep the man's eyes in his mind, he walked back the way he came without using the golden threads. Finding him had already drained more of his energy than he'd expected. He was exhausted.
It took longer to get back to the city center. He had left in a hurry without letting Mes know.
'He probably searching for me everywhere in panic,' Arsh thought as he quickened his pace. As he approached the apothecary, he found him anxiously looking around the street.
When Arsh called out to him from across the road, the anxiety on Mes's face instantly turned into relief.
"Where did you disappear? I've been looking for you for an hour. What if you'd gotten lost?"
Arsh chuckled at the thought.
"Did you really think I'd get lost?"
"Ah, right... I wasn't thinking, I was just worried..." Mes said, grabbing Arsh's arm as if to make sure he wouldn't disappear again. Then, his attention shifted to Arsh's pants.
"Why are your hems covered in mud? It didn't even rain today... Where did you go without telling me?"
"I just got distracted and wanted to walk around for a bit. I ended up... in a park," Arsh replied.
"..."
Mes gave him a doubtful look. He looked like he didn't buy his little lie.
"Arsh, you don't have to tell me where you went... But if you went looking for those men you're after... trust me, the others will help you. Don't take risks by acting alone."
Arsh didn't feel the need to correct the misunderstanding. They sat down for a meal and chatted casually about various things. Mes excitedly explained what he had bought that day and which ailments or experiments those materials would be used for.
After a while, Arsh asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Mes... back when I first arrived from Kurshan, you mentioned children who had been rescued from those experiments. The ones with siunis. Where are they now?"
"They're doing well. At least, I hope they are. There are twenty-two children with siunis in Tirsit alone. They all live in a house owned by Professor Reiner. It's more like an orphanage, really. Those without siunis were placed in separate orphanages. They're all looked after by people who either have siunis themselves or have gone through similar experiences... But what made you ask?"
"Just curious..." he said, as he poured himself a glass of water.
"Hmm... Actually, I'm glad you brought it up. I haven't visited them in a while, and we still have some time. Would you like to come with me? They'd be happy to see us," Mes said, continuing his meal.
Arsh thought about the thief's words, but he was certain that Mes wasn't hiding anything. After a moment's hesitation, he agreed to go.
"Alright then, let's head over once you finish your food. But first, before we go we should buy something for the kids."
After their meal, they went to a bakery and bought an assortment of cookies in different shapes and flavors. Then, they took a carriage toward the outskirts of the city. When they reached the edge of a forest, Mes told the driver to stop.
"We'll walk the rest of the way," he said.
They headed down a narrow path leading through the trees. Soon, they arrived in front of an ordinary, two-story white building. It was similar to the place where Arsh lived with the others.
It had a large yard surrounded by a fence. He could hear the laughter of children coming from inside. As he got a little closer, he saw them playing happily in the yard, with a few adults.
"All these children were rescued from underground organizations. They all have Siunis. This place was built a bit outside the city in case of any accidents. As you know, some of them are quite powerful and can't control their energy yet; they end up accidentally setting things on fire or bursting water pipes... There's another orphanage besides this one for ordinary children.
Unfortunately, by the time we find these kids, it's usually too late. Many have already died... and we have no idea what they do to the ones who survive—the ones we fail to find. Normally, I visit once a week, but I haven't since you arrived. Maybe you can join me from now on," Mes said with a smile.
When the they saw Mes, they immediately came to open the gate. At that moment, the children started shouting "Brother Mes!" in unison and ran toward them. Mes was overwhelmed by the children's "attack" for a moment, but once he handed out the cookies, their focus shifted entirely to the treats.
"Let me introduce my friend, Arsh Godwin. He just started working with Professor Reiner's team," Mes told the caretakers, who welcomed him warmly. After the children gave a chorus of 'thank you's' to Brother Arsh, the two of them found a spot on a bench and watched the yard fill with laughter and play once again.
"The children here are special. They've all been through similar traumas. They each have different abilities, and it took time to understand what those were. Look at little Gilbert, for example... That boy jumping over there... When they first found him, he had scale-like things on his back. His skin is tough, and he can breathe underwater. Do you know what his dream is? He saw people doing underwater research in a science magazine, and now he wants to explore the oceans one day."
"Look at Allie, that girl over there. You have to be careful around her; she's a bit aggressive. She tends to set things on fire when she gets upset. She didn't know what her dream should be, but she recently decided she wants to be a firefighter. When they told her there are no female firefighters, she said she'd be the first... Her best friend is Melie; she has some control over water. She's the one responsible for those burst pipes. Her dream is to follow Gilbert or Allie. She isn't sure yet... They aren't strong yet because they're still young, but they have high potential. The important thing is for them to learn to control the abilities their siuni gave them and avoid hurting others while doing so."
"But will they really be allowed to chase their dreams? Juan told me they could be dangerous."
"As you know, siunis have spread over the last thirty years. The people working here are like Juan—people used in the first known siuni experiments. They later chose this path for themselves. But as far as I know, there are some who lead normal lives. Of course, they are kept on record. Also, like Juan said, the dangerous ones are those who view themselves as superior just because they're a bit different. If they learn here that that's not true, there won't be a problem."
"I see," Arsh said.
"...But for some, a normal life seems out of reach for now. For instance, there's someone here I'd like you to meet. Come with me."
They entered the building and went upstairs. Through the open doors of some rooms, they could see scorch marks, scratched walls, and scattered toys. Mes walked ahead and opened the door at the end of the hallway. Drawn dark curtains kept the room dim. A little girl was lying on the only bed in the room. She was blindfolded.
"Meet Olivia. She doesn't speak. Her siuni affects her mentally. There's a healer here, but Professor Reiner checks on her from time to time as well."
"What is her siuni?"
"We're not sure. But it's something that affects her mind. As I said, she doesn't talk, but she does what you tell her. She doesn't like too much noise or light, so her room is separate from the others."
"Is that why she's blindfolded?"
"Yes, for that reason, but also... her eyes aren't in great shape," Mes said.
He quietly approached the girl.
"Olivia, I brought some snacks. Would you like some?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
The girl sat up and nodded. Mes took a cookie out of a packet in his pocket and placed it in her hand. After taking a bite, she continued eating the rest with a small smile. Then, Mes cleaned her hands and helped her lie back down. Throughout the whole time, the girl only nodded or gave small smiles to Mes.
They left the room and went back out to the garden.
"We don't expect her to live a normal life. We estimate she's only eight years old. If she can handle her siuni as she grows up, things will be easier for her. But until then, we'll continue to look after her."
After saying goodbye to the children, they left.
Arsh thought the thief was wrong. Perhaps he was more prejudiced against Symranians than he should have been. He had a point about that. But still, he wasn't going to believe people were evil just because they were Symranian. If he wanted to believe that, it would be easy; he had enough reasons. But he couldn't judge that man whose story he didn't know, either. They continued walking silently with Mes through the forest path as the sun set, until they found a carriage.