September 30, 1976
It was noon, Ethan turned 13 that day.
Filled with excitement, he entered his room and went up to Theo, who was laying in his bed. "Look at this!" he exclaimed, displaying the ginger kitty plushie he received from Theo's mother that morning as a birthday gift.
Birthdays, Christmas and any other celebrations were never celebrated at the orphanage. Yet, Theo's mother always made sure the children felt special on their birthdays, even though Mrs. Agnes—her sister, despised her for it, considering it a waste of money. Mrs. Agnes seemed to overlook her substantial inheritance and earnings. Or she just hated all the children—didn't care about them and refused to spend a single penny on them, apart from the food and hygiene supplies.
"Happy birthday," Theo said calmly.
—
Mrs. Agnes and Sister Felice—Theo's mother were just walking down the basement, the sound of their footsteps echoed each step..
"I see you bought Ethan a gift," Mrs. Agnes affirmed.
"That's not why you took me here"
"My dear sister," she addressed Sister Felice, her tone was seductive. "There's something I wanted to show you for a while now".
"Down the basement?" Mrs. Agnes didn't answer and began to open the heavy metal door. She then gestured to Sister Felice to come in first.
Sister Felice slowly entered, a wave of questions running through her mind.
"Agnes, what's all this?".
"I inherited the laboratory from our mother after you left and thought it would be clever to conceal it in an orphanage where many lonely children reside. It's quite inconspicuous, wouldn't you agree?"
Mrs. Agnes led Sister Felice deeper into the laboratory, where the cages and experimented children were the air growing colder and more oppressive with each step. "Welcome to my little secret, well to one of them," she said, her voice dripping with malice.
Sister Felice looked around at the experimented children, her eyes widening in horror at the sight before her. The room was filled with various medical equipment, cages, and what appeared to be restraints. A faint smell of antiseptic and something far more sinister lingered in the air.
"Agnes, I'm asking again, what is all this?" Sister Felice repeated, her voice shaking.
Mrs. Agnes smirked, her eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction. "This, dear sister, is where I–and my people conduct experiments. I thought it would be clever to conceal it here, in an orphanage full of lonely, expendable children."
Sister Felice felt a wave of nausea wash over her. "You're mad," she whispered, backing away. "These are innocent children!"
Mrs. Agnes' expression hardened. "Innocence is a luxury, Felice. One we can't afford. Now, come. There is much more to show you, like the creatures and the positive things…Oh, my wrong. I must apologize, everything here's positive, it's to save the world after all."
When Felice had seen enough, Mrs. Agnes led her out the place. Their paths diverged after they left, Mrs. Agnes went to lunch and Felice outside to breathe some fresh air.
—
The children were already seated at lunch, the usual din of chatter filling the dining hall. Today's menu was a rare treat—fruit dumplings. Even the children who had been at the orphanage for five years had never tasted them before. It was indeed a strange day. Due to Mrs Agnes' absence another Sister had made the announcements instead of Mrs. Agnes.
Ethan sat at the long table, eyeing the fruit dumplings. He remembered the one time he had tasted them; they had been a delightful burst of sweetness and warmth. He took a deep breath, picked up his fork, and took a bite. At first, the familiar taste brought a smile to his face, but as he continued eating, a feeling of unease began to creep in. His stomach churned slightly, but he pushed it aside, convinced it was just nerves. However, with each bite, the nausea grew stronger.
Theo, sitting across from him, noticed Ethan's growing discomfort. "You okay?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Ethan nodded weakly, but his face had turned a shade paler. He forced another bite, but as soon as the food hit his stomach, he felt a violent urge to vomit. Panic surged through him. rushing towards the bathroom. Theo noticed and followed quickly. He found him in the bathroom, hunched over the toilet, retching violently.
"Ethan," he said softly, placing a comforting hand on his back. "Are you alright?"
Ethan wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I… I don't know. I just feel so sick."
They went to the nurse after that, and the fact that Ethan never threw up after most of the food but couldn't finish it made the staff think that he was just being picky before. Though after this, at first the nurse thought it was just a regular nausea, yet he began to throw up all the food that had made him feel nauseous before. Eventually, the nurse concluded that Ethan was dealing with a severe gluten allergy based on the food he threw up. Which wasn't pleasant news for him, because most meals contain gluten and no one would make special meals just for him after all. Sometimes, he couldn't eat for days due to the gluten in all the meals. Even when a gluten-free meal was available, he had grown so weary of food that he lost his appetite.
Despite this, Theo always made an effort to ensure Ethan ate something every day, even if it was just a snack he begged his mother to buy or the staff to get a stupid apple, so that Ethan wouldn't die. And it was a blessing that he did, because thanks to him the staff tried to make him another meal if the main one contained a large amount of gluten. Without Theo, he would probably die due to starvation–worse is that it would be an intentional starvation.
—
December 23, 1974
As Christmas approached, Sister Felice became increasingly agitated. She has seen too much and could no longer stood by idly. One night, she confronted Mrs. Agnes in her office.
"Agnes, you have to stop this," she pleads. "These children deserve better. You can't send them to…the other world, whatever you call it."
Mrs. Agnes looks at her sister with a cold smile. "You're too sentimental, Felice. This is for the greater good. We're just experimenting."
"No, it's not!" Felice snaps. "You're torturing them."
Determined to save the children, Sister Felice formulated a plan. Under the cover of night, she used her lock-picking skills to unlock the office door and steal a substantial amount of money. She also snatched the keys to Mrs. Agnes' car. Her heart raced as she made her way down the endless hill and through the dense forest surrounding the orphanage. The cold bites at her skin, the car's broken heater offering no relief. Snow blinds her view, forcing her to lean closer to the windshield, straining to see the road ahead. With one headlight flickering, minutes feel like hours as she navigates the treacherous path.
Finally, she reached the city, aglow with Christmas decorations. She parked the car and stepped out, wrapping her coat tightly around her to shield herself from the biting wind. Crossing the street to the police station, she felt a flicker of hope as she stepped into the warmth of the building.
"I need to report a crime," she told the officer on duty. "It's happening at the orphanage up the hill."
The officer listened carefully, though his expression remained impassive. "We'll look into it," he assured her. "Could you provide more details?"
"Child abuse," Felice stated firmly.
The officer's demeanor shifts, becoming more serious. "I need to make a call if that's the case."
Felice, her nerves frayed, stepped outside to light a cigarette. The cold wind battled against her lighter, but she finally managed to ignite a small flame. Just as she was about to light the cigarette, she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. She turned, her heart sinking, to see Mrs. Agnes' furious face.
"You thought you could get away?" Mrs. Agnes hissed.
Mrs. Agnes and a burly man dragged Felice to a car and before they drove back to the orphanage Mrs. Agnes paid the policeman off with a sum of money to drop the case. She regained consciousness in the basement, her hands bound behind her back, caged like a helpless animal. Like a dog in an animal shelter waiting to be adopted–saved in her case.
"You left the car unlocked and some thieves took it along with the money," Mrs. Agnes sneered. "How much more trouble can you cause?".
Felice sat on the cold floor, silent and defeated. Two men appeared, the same ones who had captured her, and dragged her towards the entrance to the parallel world—the Eclipsed Abyss.
On the other side of the entrance, a caged creature snarls, its long claws scraping against the bars, saliva dripping from its mouth in anticipation.
"Any last words?" Mrs. Agnes stands over Felice, her expression void of empathy.
Felice looks up, her voice trembling yet resolute. "Promise me you won't touch Ethan ever again, and don't kill Theo because of me."
Mrs. Agnes chuckles. "Oh, don't worry. Only the stupid ones die. As for Ethan… He's too…I can't say that word…about a child…for me not to touch him again".
"You're a monster, Agnes. This has gone too far—" Before she could finish, the men shoved her into the Eclipsed Abyss. The creature's cage opens, and it pounces on Felice, tearing her apart as she screamed. When the creature finished its grisly feast, a gunshot rang out, silencing it.
Later that night, Mrs. Agnes returned to the matron's room, where she encountered Theo knocking on the door.
"Theo," she approached him with feigned concern. "Where's my mother?" Theo asked, his voice filled with worry. "I heard her leave, but she hasn't come back."
Mrs. Agnes put on a mask of sorrow. "She died in a car accident, Theo. Now, come inside."
Once inside, Theo barely had time to process her words before Mrs. Agnes lashes out, her rage exploding in a barrage of brutal strikes. Theo crumpled to the floor, each blow a sharp reminder of his loss. The physical pain is excruciating, but it pales in comparison to the emotional agony tearing at his heart.
When she finally stopped, Theo, bruised and battered, staggered back to his room. Tears streamed down his face as he opened the door, waking Ethan.
"Theo, what happened?" Ethan whispers, his flashlight casting a small circle of light in the dark room.
Theo stood silently, clenching his fists, his pajama-clad–a black T-Shirt and some shorts, despite that the outside was stingingly cold he always wore shorts to sleep. His body was a canvas of bruises, as visible as ink on paper. Just as ink seeps into paper, the bruises have seeped into his flesh.
"Was it that…?" Ethan asked, not adding the insult, his voice trembling with anger and concern.
Theo nodded, tears falling freely now.
"Come here," Ethan said softly, making space in his bed.
Theo crawled in, and Ethan wrapped his arms around him, offering the only comfort he could. They fell asleep, holding on to each other.
In the morning, Theo woke up first, wincing at the pain that still throbed through his body. Ethan stirred beside him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep," Theo whispered. He apologized for nothing because it wasn't anything unusual. They slept together very often.
"It's okay," Ethan reassured him. "You had a tough night."
Ethan headed to the restroom but encountered Mrs. Agnes in the hallway. It was early, and the orphanage was still quiet.
"What have you done to him?" Ethan demanded, his voice shaking with barely controlled rage.
Mrs. Agnes smiled sweetly, her hand brushing his cheek in a mockery of affection. "Sweetheart, I don't know what you're talking about."