"Zen! Zeeeen! C'mon wake up sleepyhead." A small blonde headed girl shook the lump on the bed with an incredible enthusiasm. pulling down the sheets revealing a clever trap of pillows laid flat to resemble a small body. Her eyes narrowed as she quickly turned around. "Oh no you do-"
Before she could react properly, suddenly a boy with brown hair and eyes tackled the girl to the ground from out of nowhere in a playful manner. "Haha gotcha!" The boy exclaimed, raising one fist to the sky.
"Let it be known that I, Zen Jones, have vanquished the evil demoness Cyra Goodwill. The realm shall know peace once more! No more enforced bedtimes, no more older sisters! No more tyrants!"
"Zen! get off- Ow! You're hurting me!" Cyra tries to get Zen off her body, successfully pushing him aside as he tumbles to the ground preparing a second strike.
Zen's eyes shone with glee, he had never managed to surprise her. On top of that she was a few years older than him so physically he was outmatched, Zen had no choice but to resort to ambush tactics.
He approached a second time but it was useless, the difference in weight and height was simply too overwhelming. Zen saw the world turn upside down as he was quickly suppressed and pressed to the floor.
"I'll make you regret that!" Cyra sneered.
The girl sat atop of Zen and removed his sock and began tickling the helpless Zen on the sole of his foot. At the mercy of this tyrant couldn't control his laughter as tears streamed freely from his face.
"No! No please, I give! I surrender! Cyra! Spare me please." Zen couldn't stop laughing, it came to the point where he could barely catch his breath. His pleads were broken by his very own laughter as he struggled to utter mere words.
"What are the magic words?" Cyra spoke with a big smile on her face. Her victory had already been assured, and her tyranny would reign supreme for one more day.
"I-I'm sorry! It won't happen again!" Zen had swallowed every bit of pride his young self had, to utter his defeat. 'Just you wait, when I'm older I'll take my glorious revenge.' Zen's eyes filled with a mischievous glare as his face displayed a grin larger than was appropriate.
"Yeah I'm not buying it." Cyra said with the most neutral expression she could manage. "Well. Buckle up for round two!" Just as she attempted to start the punishment again the door swung open with a loud bang.
A tall beautiful lady stepped inside the now extremely messy room with two kids struggling for control, with a deep sigh she just grabbed each one by the lobe of the ear.
"Zen! Cyra!" She looked around the room which was in a complete mess and looked at the two pint sized devils. "Explain." Her words were no mere suggestion as they demanded an answer.
A bunch of finger pointing and crocodile tears later Zen and Cyra were both condemned to cleaning up their own mess, animosity still remained between the two but not enough to hate each other. It never truly did.
Cyra was the first to speak.
"I'm sorry, I might've gone too far." She looked away from Zen while she spoke, her emerald eyes avoiding Zen's gaze. Perhaps out of guilt or even out of embarrassment for having almost been defeated.
Zen sighed. "No it's my fault, I shouldn't have planned an ambush like that. Sorry Cyra."
Both of them stood in their now clean room absolutely silent, neither saying a word.
Just as Cyra opened her mouth to say something the door swung open once more, the lady who had sent them on their cleaning journey stood in the doorway and spoke with a soft and gentle voice, it hid the slightest hint of annoyance.
"So. What did we learn?" Her arms folded over one another as she looked down at the pair of hellions.
"I'll try to be nice to little brother Zen." Cyra claimed, hiding her crossed fingers behind her back.
"I'll plan better ambushes." Zen said with conviction, putting both hands to his side in a proud gesture.
As a reward both got a finger flick to the forehead. "I was hoping for some proper reflection, but I guess the bar needs to be set lower with you two thunderheads."
The woman sighed. "Well, whatever. Breakfast is done, are you going to let it go cold?" She stepped aside so the pair could leave the room.
Their faces brightened up as the rushed passed the woman.
"Thanks Sara!" Zen was the first to bolt through the door leaving Cyra in his dust.
"Hell yeah! Breakfast, I'm starving." Cyra made sure to bow towards Sara before she left the room, which was customary. Zen was just young enough to get away with not doing it, for now.
Sara just looked at them running past towards the dining room, she was considering if the pay was worth the trouble those two were causing her.
With a sigh she followed the two kids. "At least the other two are somewhat easier to handle."
Down at the dining room an exquisite meal awaited them, eggs, cheese, meat and bread with plenty of spreads to choose from. All of it was biologically too, such was the privilege of the Core worlds. Zen And Cyra showed no hesitating as they set out to devour the feast laid out before them.
Sara walking not far behind just sighed and sat down, the two were especially rowdy today, nothing like Hans and Ciel. They had come from a relatively proper background and actually used their eating utensils. Hans and Ciel were twins both red headed and roughly the same height, they were both ten years old as of last month and chose to wish for nothing. Having enough understanding to know the orphanage was struggling financially.
Zen of course asked for the latest spaceship model and Cyra for a game console that would cost half the orphanage's monthly budget. Both were due to have their birthdays somewhere next week, Zen didn't know his actual birthday nor did he attach much value to a single day. Cyra was much the same despite the age difference. Though they did like receiving presents, so when the yearly tradition rolled around the corner they embraced it with open arms.
"Sara Ih Hweard tha-" Cyra spit out most of the food in her mouth as she spoke which earned her a threatening glare from Sara. Cyra's clothes were adorned in crumbs and stains as her eating etiquette was currently non-existing.
Sara calmly looked towards Cyra with a smile that was contained solely to her mouth.
"Chew first Cyra, then speak." She focused her attention on the food again.
Cyra chewed like her life depended on it and swallowed with a loud gulp. "I heard someone was coming to maybe adopt one of us! Is this true?" Her emerald eyes shone with hope and pierced Sara's being with a ferocity that shook even the coldest of hearts.
A silence fell upon the dining room as even the silent Hans and Ciel looked toward Sara with big, round eyes. Sara just met their gaze with hesitation and let it fall to her plate soon after. Her grip on the utensils tightened ever so slightly.
"Someone will come tomorrow, yes." She spoke with an almost unnoticeable sad undertone. Her eyes remained downcast, as if the very action of gazing back at the children would smite her very being.
Cyra, Zen, Hans and Ciel all looked at eachother with hope and promise in their eyes but their joy was quickly cut short. Sara coughed to get their attention before the excitement would erupt beyond her control.
"However." She swallowed a lump in her throat.
"They'll be here for… other business." The room fell silent, only Zen's chewing could be heard. As the youngest he had yet to grasp the mood permeating the room.
Sara couldn't meet the eyes of the four hopeful youth seated in front of her. Her guilt would certainly reach a level even she could not contain.
Ciel spoke up, breaking the lovely sounds of Zen's chewing.
"Is it something to do with funding?" Her voice was monotone but clearly rang out with a slight undertone of emotion, her normal nonchalant attitude was replaced with just a sliver of hope and joy appropriate for someone her age.
Sara raised her head to meet Ciel's gaze, her expression turned into a silent smile.
"Yes. Soon we'll be able to have lavish meals like this plenty of times, not just with special occasions." The dining room erupted with cheers.
The promise of more funding and better food was a god send for the children, and Sara knew it. Sara rose from her chair and looked down at the gleeful children. "I'm full but you guys take the time, eat your fill. In return, be on your best behavior tomorrow. Deal?"
"Deal!" Four children yelled back joyously.
As Sara left the dining room now filled with sounds of joy and chewing, her smile faltered. None of the children could see it but her complexion turned sour as soon as the children were no longer able to see her expression.
The next day around noon the stranger was set to arrive, the children had cleaned the entire orphanage and were dressed in their very best clothes taking no risks.
"I wonder how rich he'll be? Maybe handsome? Maybe both?" Zen was running in circles to tire himself out. He was wearing a small suit for kids which had some holes in it here and there.
"You're assuming it's a he? Standard boy stuff, of course it'll be a woman! Only someone with a heart like Sara but with more money! And who else would be so generous to share their very own money, besides a graceful lady." Cyra countered. Her dress was too big for her but she looked lovely nonetheless.
"I wonder what that's like. Having more money than you could spend." Hans checked his suit for the fourth time while he spoke, he had hid the few holes it had well with his undergarment.
"Pffffft uhhhh, stupid question!" Zen slowed his pace "It would be awesome! Imagine being able to eat everything you want, buy everything you want. No nagging, no chores." Zen was running out of things to say. "Do I even need to go on?"
Ciel just observed but joined the conversation. "Money corrupts," The other kids looked at her, curious. Zen was the first to respond as the youngest. "what does corrupts mean? Is it evil? How can money be evil! If we have a lot of it we can eat good food, live good lives. Maybe even get adopted into a family!"
"I read somewhere that having a lot of money and time could lead to the corruption of the mind and soul." Ciel put her foot down. Her own dress fit her quite nicely, it was obvious who Sara was preferring of the four. But only Ciel and Hans had noticed up until now.
"Silly Ciel, I read about how there used to be giant lizards long, long time ago but I don't see them walking around on the lawn." Zen stood proudly as he made his very flawed point. "You shouldn't believe everything you read Ciel, makes you look kinda stupid."
Zen hadn't known it at the moment but he had lost this conversation. Ciel was on the verge of a comeback backed by facts and science but before she opened her mouth the doorbell rang. The chime rang throughout the orphanage as the somehow eerie noise echoed off the walls.
Their potential benefactor had arrived.
Sara, who had been pacing back and forth near the door rushed to the door but was beaten to it by a very enthusiastic Zen. As Zen opened the front door he greeted the guest with barely visible etiquette, his enthusiasm had taken over and he had acted without thinking it through properly.
"Good Day… Mister! Welcome to our orphanage." Zen was happy he had proved Cyra wrong and was shining brightly smiling from ear to ear.
The Benefactor stood imposing over Zen, not that he cared much, easily reaching almost two whole meters in length with a lanky build. His gray eyes showed no kindness and his mustache was maintained to perfection. His coat falling almost to the ground made him feel more like a ghost than man.
Fluttering slightly in the wind his clothes betrayed some of the man's posture, he might look lanky but his clothes hid an almost inhuman strength. His piercing eyes glared at the young boy below him, freezing Zen in place.
Sara pushed Zen back with considerable force to the side making him fall on his knees, ignoring his yelp of pain as she approached the benefactor. "I'm sorry Doctor Klay, I'll make sure the boy behaves." Her eyes lowered to the ground she did not dare meet his gaze as nonchalantly as Zen did.
Her legs trembled as she kneeled before the unknown man, sweat dripped from her forehead on the floor as her makeup dissolved with it.
Doctor Klay looked down at Sara and scoffed. "I'll tolerate it for today, Miss Rose." His gaze wandered towards the four kids now gathered around Zen who rubbed his knees with a pained expression. He spit on the ground and growled.
"These are the children you spoke of?" He walked over to Cyra who was frozen in fear, something was very wrong and Cyra found the mysterious benefactor downright frightening. Doctor Klay crouched down in front of the kids and further bowed down to meet their height.
Grabbing Cyra by the mouth he forcefully inspected her face Cyra yelped in fear but was frozen still from fright. Zen felt something in himself light up as he rushed the scary man, he only felt his lungs deflate as he was thrown back against the wall with extreme force.
His gaze wandered towards Sara, their caretaker, their protector, their. Mother.
She avoided his eyes shaking heavily and sweating even more, she winced when the Doctor spoke. "I thought you said they were gifted?" There was a noticeable disgust in his voice. Sara further shrunk.
"Ciel and Cyra are definitely gifted." She paused. "Zen and Hans have their moments."
Zen could see a puddle form under Sara as she spoke before his eyes fell shut. Her voice quivered and could barely be called calm and collected.
The doctor grunted. "They'll do." He finally let Cyra go, Ciel and Hans caught her as she fell to her knees so scared her legs had lost their very purpose.
Sara's voice rang out. "A-and the payment?" The question came out broken and greedy, the very question made Ciel and Hans freeze.
"You promised gifted children, these are barely above average. You'll get no payment" Filled with disgust the doctor spit the words like they were bitter, his figure rose from his crouching position. His height is more oppressive and terrifying than ever before.
A silence overtook the orphanage leaving only the doctor's footsteps echoing in its hallways. Zen could hear the doctor approach his body but could not offer any resistance, Sara started to silently weep and laugh in herself. Whatever feeling of fleeting justification she felt was now gone, leaving her mind on the brink of a breakdown.
The doctor picked up his body, his mind was on the cusp of falling unconscious. He could feel his senses dim as he registered some of the last of his entire innocent childhood.
"No! No! You promised me money! Enough to start anew! To help more kids."
Sara started freaking out screaming and kicking at everything she could find.
"Give it to me now or el-"
A deafening bang cut Sara short, the sound of something metal falling to the ground found its way into Zen's now ringing ears.
The smell of fireworks and Iron ran thick across the room. Zen tried to open his eyes but they refused to obey, he felt his conscious slip as he listened to the screams of terror from his brother and sisters.
'Hans.'
'Ciel.'
'...Cyra.'