The sun had barely begun to peek over the horizon, casting a golden hue across the orphanage grounds. The air was crisp and quiet, at least until the sounds of excited children broke the morning stillness. Luis and Jax, having arrived early at the orphanage as instructed, were greeted by a chaotic scene—ten little children running around the front yard, laughing and shouting as they played. Their mismatched clothes flapped as they darted in and out of the trees surrounding the orphanage, full of energy.
Luis smiled, watching the children's antics. "Well, this place is certainly lively," she said, glancing around for any sign of Alvin. But instead of their eccentric employer, all she saw were giggling kids.
She spotted Lily, one of the smaller children, sitting under a tree with her dolls, seemingly in her own little world. Luis crouched down beside her, putting on her warmest smile. "Hey there, Kid. Do you know where Sir Alvin is?"
Lily blinked up at Luis, her big brown eyes curious for a moment before recognition lit her face. "Oh! I'll go get him!" She jumped to her feet, her tiny legs moving quickly as she ran back into the orphanage, calling for Alvin.
Jax chuckled, standing next to Luis with his hands in his pockets. "You know, for a guy who acts like he's above it all, he sure does have a way with kids."
"It's weird, right?" Luis replied, shaking her head with amusement.
Before Jax could respond, Alvin appeared at the front door, his sky-blue hair catching the early morning light as he approached. His usual half-amused, half-bored expression was firmly in place.
"Well, well, look who's early," Alvin said lazily, glancing between Jax and Luis. "I didn't expect punctuality. Guess I'll have to adjust my expectations."
"You're the one who told us to be here at dawn," Jax pointed out, smirking. "We aim to please."
Alvin gave a mock shiver. "How terrifying." He then glanced back toward the chaos in the yard. "So, do either of you know how to make breakfast? Because I have neither the time nor the patience to deal with it today."
Luis raised an eyebrow. "That's not exactly our skill set."
Jax, however, perked up. "Actually, I do. Grew up in a big family, had to fend for myself sometimes."
Alvin snapped his fingers. "Perfect. You're hired for breakfast duty." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled ten-dollar bill and handing it to Jax. "Consider this your payment for the day's breakfast. Don't let it go to your head."
Jax stared at the ten-dollar bill, then looked back at Alvin, suppressing a laugh. "Generous as ever."
Alvin waved a hand dismissively. "Think of it as a character-building experience. Now, get to it. The children will eat you alive if you're late."
Inside the orphanage, the children were seated around a large, old table, eagerly awaiting their breakfast. The moment Jax stepped into the kitchen, he was met with curious eyes and grumbling stomachs. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work, whipping up a simple meal of scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit salad. To his surprise, the kids were delighted, especially little Leo, who couldn't stop talking about how much better Jax's cooking was than Alvin's usual "burnt experiments."
Luis leaned against the doorframe, watching with a smirk. "You might've just earned yourself a permanent job as the orphanage chef."
"I'd rather not," Jax muttered, though a small smile tugged at his lips as he watched the kids devour the food.
After breakfast, Alvin gathered Luis and Jax in the front yard, the kids now running around again, full of energy.
"Good job with breakfast," Alvin said to Jax with a smirk. "But don't get too comfortable. I've got more tasks for you both today." He handed each of them a piece of paper, detailing their next missions.
Luis glanced at her list, eyes widening slightly as she read. "Wait, you want me to buy 120 sets of clothes for each child? And not just for now, but for the next ten years?!"
Alvin nodded, completely unfazed. "Precisely. Each kid will need 30 outfits per age range for the next decade. I want them prepared for any situation—winter, summer, whatever. No more of this mismatched, hand-me-down nonsense." He handed her a sleek black credit card. "Here's 30 million dollars. Spend it wisely."
Luis stared at the card in disbelief. "Thirty... million? For clothes?"
Alvin raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem? If you can't handle it, I can always find someone else."
"No, no, I can handle it," Luis replied quickly, pocketing the card. "Just... that's a lot of shopping."
"It'll keep you busy," Alvin said dryly before turning to Jax. "As for you, you're in charge of food. I want 100 kilograms of wheat, rice, maize, corn—basically, enough to stock a warehouse for a small army. And I want seeds for each type of crop as well. Consider this orphanage your new supply hub." He handed Jax a separate credit card. "Twenty million should cover it. I expect results by the end of the week."
Jax blinked at the card, then back at Alvin. "You really don't do anything small, do you?"
Alvin smirked. "I don't have time for small. Now go, both of you. I'll be here managing the chaos while you're off spending my money."
With that, Luis and Jax left the orphanage, both of them looking slightly overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of their tasks.
Once they were gone, Alvin stood in the yard, watching the children play. His thoughts drifted for a moment before he sighed and pulled out his phone to check his bank balance. 29 million dollars left. It was enough for now, but Alvin wasn't the type to let things get tight. He needed more funds—especially if he wanted to continue upgrading the orphanage and preparing for the apocalypse.
Alvin walked back inside and made his way to his private room. There, he opened a hidden compartment in the wall and pulled out a carefully wrapped package. Unwrapping it, he revealed a stunning jewelry set—a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet, all gleaming with the unmistakable iridescence of Siren-crafted gems.
The necklace was the centerpiece, featuring a large opalescent stone that shimmered with hues of blue, green, and silver, set in intricate gold filigree. The earrings were delicate drops of similar gems, reflecting light like the ocean's surface on a calm day. And the bracelet—oh, the bracelet—was a masterpiece, with smaller opalescent stones woven into a gold band so fine it looked as though it had been spun from sunlight. The entire set had belonged to the Siren Princess, whom Alvin had killed in his old world. It was a treasure that could fetch a fortune.
As Alvin admired the set, Lily and another girl from the orphanage, Diana, wandered in, their eyes instantly drawn to the shimmering jewels.
"Ooh! Father, what's that?" Lily asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
"It's so beautiful," Diana added, inching closer to get a better look.
Alvin gave them a bemused glance. "This? This is not for little girls your age. You'd lose it in the mud within a day."
Lily and Diana pouted in unison, their eyes pleading as they stared at the jewelry set.
Alvin sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine." He reached into the box and pulled out two smaller items—a pair of simple but elegant blue pearl bracelets. He handed them to the girls, who immediately lit up with joy.
"For you," he said, smirking. "Now, go before you start thinking you can negotiate for the necklace."
Lily and Diana squealed in delight, quickly fastening the bracelets onto their tiny wrists.
"Thank you, Father!" they said in unison, their excitement evident.
Alvin waved them off with a chuckle. "Yes, yes, I'm a benevolent king. Go, tell your friends about my generosity."
As they ran off, Alvin turned his attention back to the jewelry set. "Now, to find a buyer." He smiled to himself, already calculating the millions he could make from selling such a rare and exquisite piece. The apocalypse might be coming, but Alvin Bencio was always two steps ahead.