Within Sandridge Orphanage, the castle-like mud brick building, in the corner of the living room, up the stairway, farthest to the right, there lay a room.
The room was radiated by the rising plunging rays of Eos, the name given to the sun by the Pryxsian people, as light reflected off a single glass window.
It was a small room, accompanied by a small window, a single but large bed, a fur-mat on the walnut wood floors, and a miniature wooden table accompanied by a wooden chair. Resting on this small shaky table was a book titled 'Journey of Transcenders.'
Atop the large bed was Kairi in a strange position, half his body almost completely off the bed. On the other side of the bed, at the end, lay traces of another. It was wrinkled; someone else had slept beside Kairi. It was a room shared between Kairi and another.
Suddenly, the single unstably-framed wooden door creaked open, and a fellow entered. A fellow with thick dark coarse locs, he had a light brown complexion and was of a small frame. He wore a plain white tunic. Holding an apple, he walked over to the bed, raised a foot, and plunged it into Kairi's gut.
As his foot sank into Kairi's gut, it sent a pulsing sensation down his body that immediately pulled him out of his sleep. He gasped for breath as he found himself sinking into the mattress beneath him.
Dashing off the bed while holding his stomach, "Darn it! Seth, you—"
Seth, holding both hands up, "Don't blame me, I've tried to wake you up twice before. Mother insists you get downstairs."
Kairi, still wincing in pain, remarked, "You couldn't do it with any more gentleness?"
Seth shrugged, "Hardly my fault, at least I tried. Besides, why did you stay out so long yesterday? Surely you know freeloaders are usually stay-at-homes."
Ignoring Seth, Kairi was then struck with a realization, "Huweyn!" He then darted through the unstable shaky door, bolted through the small hallway extending five rooms down, then ran down the creaking flight of stairs.
As he made his way down the stairs, he was now in the corner of the living room. In the other corner, at the side of the kitchen which stood opposite to him, at the dining table, were Huweyn, Mother, and a few others.
Mother then peered over in Kairi's direction, "Finally up, Kairi?"
A recurring voice from behind, "The praise belongs to me. The freeloader can't even commit to basic discipline." It was Seth again, making his way down the creaking flight of stairs behind Kairi.
Kairi glared at him before glancing back at Mother. He then made his way to the table and sat beside Huweyn once more. Sitting on his other side was a widely framed fellow with a shaved head.
With a stern look, he spoke up, releasing his heavy resonating voice, "Now that Kairi's here, what is this about?" He then looked over at Huweyn, "No ill intent or anything, but who is this fellow?"
Huweyn looked about in confusion before comprehending that the fellow was referring to him, "Oh? My apologies, I apologize for not introducing myself but I've already decided to let your caretaker do the honors."
The shaven fellow,"Still don't know who you are," He then crossed his arms,"But if you let a woman do everything then you can't possibly call yourself a true man."
Mother, glaring at the shaven fellow, warned,"You ought to be more respectful, Robert." She then looked back over to Kairi, "I mean not to have anyone impose on your personal business, but this is a special occasion you see, you might not see them again."
Sitting next to Mother, a softly spoken voice had risen, "Is something wrong with Kairi, Mother?"
It was Leanne, a soft-spoken girl around Kairi's age. Her brightly colored hair was a golden cascade of straight wavy locks with two elegant braids weaving across her crown; the rest of it was down. Her hairstyle framed her pale face perfectly and complemented her small frame. She wore a dark tunic. She was a kind soul.
"Least you worry, Leanne, the boy is all fine." Mother remarked as she placed her hand onto the girl's shoulder, then looked back at Kairi and Huweyn, "Enough time has passed. I'll let Kairi do the honors of sharing the details."
Kairi, upon hearing this, became nervous. He then looked around him, feeling flustered. He felt as though everyone was staring at him; they were. Aside from Kairi, Robert, Seth, and Leanne, the rest of the orphans, four in all, were but little children.
Kairi, still flustered, cleared his throat then spoke up, "I'm leaving to pursue my dream."
"Your dream?" Robert, the oldest orphan, questioned.
Looking at everyone around him once more, "T-To be a Transcender." He then pointed towards Huweyn who sat next to him, "He, an actual Transcender, will be looking after me."
Robert's hooded eyes then widened as he almost fell off his chair, scoffing, "Delinquent Kairi wants to be a Transcender, that's a joke!"
The rest of the children then echoed his mockery not knowing what it exactly meant. But there was one who didn't. He looked up to Kairi in awe. It was Little Ruth, Mother's only blood-related child.
Mother, stomping on Robert's foot from under the table, glared at him, "That's enough out of you, Robert."
Seth, looking with anger, remarked, "You surely wouldn't agree to such a preposterous thing, would you, Mother?"
Mother, sighing as she placed both palms over her face, "It's his dream. Had I the insight of knowing your current reactions, I wouldn't have bothered sharing it."
Seth, feeling as though he had upset Mother, made an attempt to fan the flames, "Before anyone else did, as his roommate I had always known his dream. Transcenders are all he ever reads about." He then crossed his arms, "I'm just surprised that you're agreeing to send him off despite knowing he's underaged and all, dream or not." Seth, gawking at Kairi, balled his fist, and gawked at Kairi as he thought, 'Not you too.'
Kairi, looking down, spoke up with resolve, "I know it's dangerous. I know it sounds silly for an minority such as myself to become a Transcender. But I'm going to try regardless, and that's my final say. Regardless of what anyone else thinks, it is going to happen." He then looked over to Robert, who averted his gaze, and at Seth, "The least you could do is at least show me support."
Suddenly, the room fell silent. Seizing this as the perfect opportunity to redeem himself after feeling called out for his hypocrisy, Robert exclaimed, "I dare say, if there's one thing going for him, it's his guts."
Mother then ascended from her seat, going toward the kitchen. She then made rounds of bringing plates of curry atop the table, distributing them to everyone. After finishing, she then sat down once more. "Don't forget your reverence."
She clasped her hands together in a prayer-like gesture and closed her eyes, everyone else mirroring her. Huweyn, after looking about in confusion, then did the same, feeling bad if he didn't.
"Bright is the one who brings light to the still darkness," Mother muttered as everyone else except Huweyn followed.
They all then opened their eyes and began to eat their curry.
Mother, glancing at Huweyn and Kairi, said, "You should both eat as well, and when you're done, prepare to depart as soon as possible."
Huweyn then nodded, "That's right, the sooner we leave, the better." He then looked over to Mother as he bowed his head, "Thank you for the food."
***
It was a bit after they had finished eating, Kairi had found himself in his room, gathering all his clothes inside a leather bag. He had also picked up a numerous number of supplies, including food and water. He was preparing to leave.
Entering the room through the creaking door was Huweyn. "You ready, lad? We'll have to make a stop at the market."
Though a short span of time, just a day alone, had passed, Kairi had gotten comfortable with the chill youthful giant, and Huweyn with Kairi.
Kairi then looked back at Huweyn, smiling, he replied, "Yeah, all done on my part. You?"
"Since you were sleeping." Huweyn mocked.
"For your information, O great Transcender, I had not slept that long." Kairi insisted.
They both then made their way downstairs, and from the living room to the front door. There, they were greeted by Mother.
Looking at Kairi, "Good, you're all done now." She then turned to Huweyn before bowing her head down, "I'm sorry if we wasted your time with all the personal drama."
Huweyn raised both hands, "Worry not; your cooking, though without any special expensive ingredients, about compensated for the trouble. Truly it's been great knowing you, Miss–"
"Elissa." She replied. She then sighed, rubbing her brows,"I really have to check in on Tevin, knowing the man, he's out there somewhere stirring up a commotion."
Huweyn scratched the back of his head,"You're most definitely right, Miss Elissa."
Mother, looking over to Kairi,"Well, I wouldn't want to impose on you any more than I have." She then walked up to him, and tightly embraced him,"Farewell Kairi, be good, and remember to take care of yourself. There's always a home for you right here."
Kairi then hugged her back,"I'll miss you, Mother."
As they began to walk away, Kairi, looking back, was greeted with a surprise. Everyone, excluding Seth, who was nowhere to be found, was there in front of the front door waving goodbye to him. Even Robert waved.
Kairi looked back, smiling pleasantly, waved back at them. As they walked further into the sandy rocky expanding path lying ahead, they were greeted by the plunging rays of Eos, the sun, as Kairi looked back, everyone, still watching him, became small from the distance.
His heart throbbed in both sadness and joy. All this time, he felt as though he needed to leave and now that he had, his heart fluttered realizing what he took for granted. While he hated feeling confined to the town as well as to the Surface, he could not bring himself to ever dislike Mother and Orphanage was a home to him.
A heaviness weighed on his young heart, an empty feeling plagued him, he felt as though he would never see Mother or the others for a long time again. Looking back once more, he thought,'Goodbye.'