The van pulled up to the grand entrance of St. Gabriel's Orphanage, their engines humming as they came to a stop on the gravel driveway. The towering iron gates creaked open, revealing a world that seemed far removed from the harsh reality the children had known. A vast garden lay before them, its meticulously manicured lawns stretching out in every direction, interrupted only by vibrant flowerbeds and the occasional ancient tree whose branches reached toward the sky like protective arms. The air, rich with the scent of roses and lavender, carried a calmness that seemed almost surreal.
As the children stepped out of the van, their eyes widened at the sight of the mansion-like building looming ahead. The grand structure stood tall, its stone façade glistening in the sunlight, with elegant arched windows that reflected the world around it. The upper balconies, adorned with wrought-iron railings, offered views of the sprawling estate below. Inside, the building promised something far beyond their expectations. It felt more like a palace than an orphanage, with its long corridors, ornate chandeliers, and luxurious rooms that whispered of a life they could never have imagined. The children, still reeling from their ordeal, were ushered inside, the grand doors closing behind them with a soft echo, marking the beginning of their new lives in a world that felt like a distant dream.
Mr Borba went ahead, guiding the children and organizing them in single file.
"You will all live here from today's onwards. I will have to be extremely realistic with each of you, the education within the Orphanage, if we can call it that, well, let's call it academy, is strict. But we are not concerned with your academic life, but rather your magical foundation."
The kids stuttered in confusion.
"Magical? What?" Some of the oldest girl said. She was already 11 and was not naive enough to believe in fairy tails.
"Uh... What do you mean, Mr Borba?" A boy of only 8 asked.
Mr Borba pondered for a moment and said "Some of those gathered here were sold by their parents to the academy because of their immense potential. The truth is that magic exists and you have awakened the ability to manipulate it. Whatever happened to you in that freighter, exposed you to a load of trauma and magic so intense that it awakened you all. Perhaps one of you was already awakened at that point of time and subsequently awakened the rest, or perhaps an event even more weird happened. The truth may never be discovered, but, you all awakened in that place."
As if to prove his point, Mr. Borba raised his hand, and in an instant, the children felt a strange sensation as if they were briefly pulled from their bodies. For just a fraction of a second, they were no longer present in the physical world. When they returned to themselves, they saw something impossible.
Standing beside them, fragmented like broken pieces of a shattered mirror, was the figure of an ancient man—a Babylonian noble, regal and rich in a way that seemed beyond time itself. His image flickered before them, each child seeing different parts of him: a hand, an eye, the silhouette of a tall figure. Only one child caught a full, fleeting glimpse of the man in his entirety, Gilgamesh, in all his glory. The others were left with only fragments, like pieces of a puzzle that would never fully connect.
'What the fuck! Can they see each other's Avatar?' As Gilgamesh noticed, the kids could see their Avatar, but soon he realized they couldn't see each other Avatar. That luckuly meant that Mr Borba could not see him too.
'What a relief. How much has magic evolved for him to force an Avatar to manifestate?'
"No matter what you see at your side, that is your Avatar. Your Magickal-Self. Perhaps your true self, if I'm able to be poetic. When we awaken, the Avatar gains life and we, Mages, evolve alongside him. He is your guide in the world you have ahead of you."
He kept on walking, opening the heavy wooden door of the 'Orphanage' to reveal the interior of the mansion.
Inside, the air was cool and crisp, filled with the faint scent of polished wood and old books. The entrance hall stretched out before them, with its towering ceilings and intricate stonework. A grand chandelier hung from above with crystal prisms. The floor was made of polished marble, smooth and cold beneath their feet, while thick, luxurious rugs covered the ground. Large windows lined the walls, allowing streams of sunlight to pour into the room, illuminating the dark wood furniture that filled the space. The whole atmosphere felt more like a medieval palace.
All of the kids were still kinda of scary, but Borba paid no attention to it at the moment, he let them get used to the sight of their Avatar. Some of the children could no longer see their Avatar, so weak was its fragment.
He guided them to all of the mansion, presenting their rooms, which they would sleep alone.
Doesn't seem like an Orphanage at all. There are not children here except for these that arrived today. This place was built for such a rare occasion that it hurts to think about the work it would take to clean it all up. A complete waste of space, at least so far.
Finally, they got their time to rest, designated in their rooms. Mr Borba, however, visited the only kid who had Gilgamesh completely, which made Gilgamesh hold his breath, even though he was just a spirit at the moment.
"Sorry, I should let you rest for now, but, as you are the only one with no name or any record, I came to give you this." He said, presenting a birth certificate. "For now on, you will be called Dorian Pius."