In an average-sized building, multiple children aged three and four could be seen playing together; their laughter was a happy sight to behold. From these little clues, it was evident that this was an orphanage.
"Big Bro, are you going out again? Can't you take me along this time?" A three-year-old child pouted, his puppy eyes begging a ten-year-old, holding the young child's cloth.
The young child's demeanor resembled that of a young man in his twenties, indicating he was no ordinary character.
"Draco, what do you think of the outside world?"
The young man patted Draco's head. "It's a beautiful place."
Draco's childish face was full of frowns before happily smiling. "The trees, animals, people – I would love to visit them all." He pouted,
"Are they really beautiful?"
The young child muttered to himself. He knew that behind those beautiful scenes, there were rotten beings who would do anything to achieve their goals.
The young man wanted to reject Draco, but seeing those puppy eyes and pure gaze, he agreed, "Since you want to see such beautiful scenes, let's tell Big Sis Bell that we're going out."
Draco's eyes lit up. "Yey!" Jumping around like a child who had been given his favorite toy, "Thanks, Big Brother Azria."
Draco's smile made Azria unconsciously smile. He had to protect the pure heart of his young brother, hoping it wouldn't get corrupted by this little trip.
This was the only orphanage in the slum. Big Sister Bell found Draco when he was one year old; his sparkling eyes beheld an intelligence akin to that of a grown man. Since then, he had been attached to this young child, carrying the hatred of an entire clan despite his young age.
Azria felt as if he had known Draco before his birth. "Sis Bell, we're going out for a moment... So...."
Azria stood before a slightly middle-aged woman. This middle-aged woman was the caretaker of the orphanage; every child considered her their mother and sister.
"Oh, where are you two going?" Sister Bell looked at them with an inquisitive gaze.
"Big Brother Azria wants to take me to see the beautiful places of the outside world," Draco butted in, smiling, unable to wait to see the outside world.
Sister Bell looked at Azria in the eyes, while he shrugged his shoulders, indicating it wasn't his fault.
"Okay, since you want to see the beautiful world outside, then go; just don't come late," Sister Bell chuckled. Small Draco gave her a peck on the cheek, signifying how happy he was.
Draco and Azria left the orphanage. The orphanage was in the eastern part of Aerthys, known as the slum household – a better area than the actual slum, with a booming market, crowds moving and chattering. Draco's eyes glistened with stars as he laid eyes on multiple unfamiliar things.
"Big Bro Azria, what's that?" Draco pointed out many things he didn't know, which Azria took his time to explain. They strolled around the area near the orphanage under the sun.
"Wow!" Draco's curiosity was piqued, seeing four large statues far away from his direction. Azria quickly caught on, seeing the child's amazed expression; his whole attention was on these statues.
"Those are the statues of the four legendary heroes," Azria said. Draco's eyes shone like stars.
"The heroes Big Sis Bell used to read about to us," the small Draco exclaimed, his eyes filled with ecstasy, glued on the faraway statue.
Meanwhile, Azria shook his head, seeing Draco's expression.
He doesn't know why he doesn't feel reverence like the whole city of Calonia has for the four heroes. Sometimes, the thought that they were beneath him passes through his mind. At a young age, he possesses the intelligence of a young man, making him stand out among the children.
"I would be like them one day," Small Draco muttered, his young face determined.
"Then I hope Hero Draco will start protecting me from now on," Azria teased, making Small Draco's head swell.
"Don't worry, this future hero will protect you," Small Draco said proudly, patting his chest.
"Okay, I believe you," Azria laughed, seeing Draco's childish actions.
"You don't believe me? I'll show you in the future," Draco pouted.
"Okay, I believe. But what about a good villain?" Azria asked, making Small Draco fall into thought.
"Villains are all bad guys, deserving to be eliminated. If I become a hero, I'll destroy all villains in this world," Draco declared, puffing out his chest.
"Okay, since you want to become a hero, first, you have to reach the age of fifteen," Azria said.
"Why?" Small Draco asked, confused.
"That's when you can awaken your ability," he explained.
"But it's too far," Small Draco pouted, counting on his fingers that it would take twelve years.
"We're back," Azria said, looking at his home. "Patience and determination are the most important things if you want to be a hero."
Draco nodded at his words.
"Uh, why is it so silent?" Azria felt baffled when they entered the orphanage building.
"Sam, Big Sister Bell... where are you?" Azria shouted, only to hear the return of his echo.
Seeing this, his expression turned grim as he held Draco, walking carefully.
There's no way more than fifty children should just disappear like this.
Upon reaching the inner hall of the orphanage, both Azria's and Draco's faces turned pale. Azria quickly covered Draco's eyes, preventing him from seeing the bloody scene.
The whole orphanage had been massacred; familiar faces, now dead and soaking in their blood, was what Azria saw.
Seeing Sister Bell's corpse, "Who did this?" he shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice carrying huge resentment.
Even though Azria blocked Draco's eyes, the small child still caught a glimpse of the dead bodies, teaching him the meaning of hatred.
"Oh, some small fry escaped," two strange men emerged from the shadows, their appearances concealed, licking their lips like predators seeing prey.
"Who... are... you guys?" Azria stammered, taking a defensive stance.
"Eh, the children are curious about us," one of the men said.
"We're not notable people, just here to retrieve something important," the other man smiled, his smile sending shivers down Draco's and Azria's spines.
"And how is the orphanage related to this, that you murdered them all?" Azria said, using the opportunity to widen the gap between the two men.
"You sure are an inquisitive kid," one of the men replied.
"Run!" Azria said to Draco, and Draco followed the instruction, his small heart unable to take what was happening.
"Oh, you want to stop us?" The two strange men felt amused, seeing Azria didn't run like Draco. "Then we will play with you."
What was on Azria's mind was to ensure Draco escaped from this. From the moment he laid eyes on these strange men, his whole body was screaming danger, showing how perilous the situation they were in. As an older brother, even though they weren't blood-related, his main job was to protect his younger brother.
With a heart prepared to die, he charged, attacking the men with his fist, hoping to stop them for a moment to allow Draco's escape. As he got close to them, giving them a strike, they disappeared, making Azria's eyes open wide.
"Puchi!" Azria felt his heart blank. "You weren't even worth playing with, kid." He looked down to see blood gushing out from his chest, his body giving in already.
With his last strength and willpower, he turned in Draco's direction and mouthed, "Run."
Draco, who was running, turned back for a peek and was met with the sight of Azria soaking in his blood, blood gushing out from his body. Immediately, he stopped, his eyes bleak as ever.
As a small child, this scene was too much for his heart. "Big Brother Azria!" he shouted, his face pale, his entire body shaking due to fear.
This has caused a significant impact on Draco; if able to survive this, he would be left traumatized, possibly mad or senseless.
"Run," Azria mouthed, but to small Draco, everything had stopped; only the sight of blood gushing out from Azria was on his mind. He watched as Azria's eyes dimmed, his body falling to the ground, soaked in his blood.
"You can go join him," one of the men said.
Draco felt his consciousness fading, blood dripping from his neck, his body falling down.
"What are you both doing?" Another voice sounded. Draco, who heard this, held on with his willpower.
"Cleaning off some trash, sir," their voices sounded respectful, showing the person was of a higher tier than them.
"Okay, we got to find that thing; it looks like we were given the wrong information," the new voice said. "Clean up and let's move."
Draco, who was still holding on, saw three shadows and imprinted those voices in his memory so he would never forget if he survived before everything turned dark.