Const Orphanage 31

Elvira turned around, his lips curling into an easy smile again. As he walked out of the wardrobe, he nearly tripped over Georgewill on the ground.

"What's his condition now?" Elvira asked, looking down at Georgewill on the floor.

At that moment, the wound on Georgewill's eye had healed, returning to his original youthful appearance, with no trace of the fierce and terrifying marks. Now, he looked like a beautiful boy lost in deep sleep, quiet and serene.

"You carry him," Altair said, turning around to open the door to Dean's office and striding out.

Knowing his actions had been excessive just now, and remembering he himself was once a child of Const Orphanage, Elvira reluctantly bent down, hoisted Georgewill over his shoulder, and carried him.

Altair activated the flashlight on his phone, the dim yellow light illuminating the dark staircase. He stood still, waiting for Elvira.

Ahead lay darkness, illuminated only by the light from a smartphone, revealing the path beneath their feet.

Elvira, carrying Georgewill on his shoulders, followed closely behind Altair, carefully ascending the stairs. Altair moved with deliberate and slow steps. Sheltered in his shadow, Elvira felt the unease in his heart gradually settle, no longer feeling the dizziness and disorientation as before while descending the stairs.

Finally reaching the end of the staircase, Altair was about to push the door open.

Elvira reached out to stop the door, cautioning, "About that laser beam, I can only ensure my own safety passing through."

Altair glanced back at Georgewill on Elvira's shoulders and said in a deep voice, "It's fine."

With that, he pushed the door open and stepped out first.

Elvira, with Georgewill still on his shoulders, followed closely behind Altair. He looked back from time to time, warily watching for any sign of laser beams, filled with questions.

"Turn around," came Altair's voice, calm as still water.

Though puzzled, Elvira felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance from Altair's simple assertion that "it's fine."

"Close your eyes." The cool voice sounded again, and Elvira felt a cold hand gently cover his eyes. He involuntarily blinked.

"Sorry about that." The voice was close, and with his vision obscured, his hearing became exceptionally sharp. His voice was cold, like Arctic ice shattering, light snow falling into a river.

Elvira felt a force wrap around his waist, the arm strong and firm, offering him an unprecedented sense of security.

The next moment, it was as though he had sprouted wings, soaring freely in the wind. Ahead was a scorching heatwave; he seemed to fly swiftly above the sea surface, with the sunlight chasing his shadow.

"We're here." The voice brought his thoughts back to reality, and Elvira slowly opened his eyes. He stood at the entrance to the expanded section, on the staircase leading to the basement.

"How did you do that?" The surprise in Elvira's voice was evident.

Altair didn't respond, continuing his stride down the stairs. When they reached the first floor, Altair was about to head towards the hall.

"You go ahead; I'll take care of this kid," Elvira said, gesturing to Georgewill on his shoulder. "I don't want to be parading around with him in front of others, getting mistaken for a weirdo."

Altair glanced at Georgewill, pointed at his watch, and then turned to leave.

Elvira listened intently to the sounds within the Orphanage; most seemed to emanate from the direction of the hall, while the children were in the dining hall. As for Blair—her voice appeared to come from the second floor.

Elvira ascended from the first floor to the second, carefully listening to the sounds coming from each room. When he reached room 203—

Indeed, Blair was inside.

Elvira knocked on the door, softly saying, "Blair? It's me, Elvira."

After a short while, the door opened a crack. Blair peered out, cautiously checking her surroundings before opening the door to let Elvira in.

"Why did you go to 302, and how did you dig him out?" Blair walked behind Elvira, saw Georgewill's face, and sat down on the bed somewhat disappointedly.

"You know him?" Elvira, carrying Georgewill, was pondering where to hide him.

"Put him in the wardrobe," Blair suggested, pointing to the worn wardrobe beside her bed, and then added, "Dean's watchdog."

Elvira opened the wardrobe and stuffed Georgewill inside. "I'm leaving him here with you, take care of him for a while," he said.

Blair's eyes showed clear resistance. "I'm not Teacher Ginger; I'm not interested in keeping a dog. Take him with you."

Elvira took out an ice pack and a few chocolates from his pocket, placing them in Blair's hands.

"You hurt your arm yesterday, first use an ice pack, and then apply warm water after a day," he directed, pointing to the ice pack, "It's not convenient to bring snacks today, but once everything is sorted out, I'll buy you even more."

Blair looked down, fiddling with the ice pack in a low voice, "They were children saved by Dean, but disappeared not long after. I didn't expect them to still be alive."

Her gaze dimmed and her voice fell when she reached the last words.

Elvira crouched on the ground, handing Blair a glass bottle.

Blair picked up the bottle, reading the label: Francesca Hall. She suddenly looked up at Elvira, disbelief in her eyes.

"I stumbled upon this while wandering around the Orphanage, so I brought it along," Elvira patted Blair's shoulder, "Open the bottle after all this is over."

Francesca's hand trembled as she held the bottle, her voice slightly choked yet she tried to remain composed, "He... I'll keep it safe for you for now."

Elvira stood up, grasping the doorknob. Just as he was about to leave, Blair's voice, soft as silk, echoed again: "Teacher Ginger said she saw you and was very relieved."

Elvira's movements suddenly froze; he halted in his tracks, head bowed, silent. The air around them seemed to solidify at that moment, so quiet that only the faint ticking of the second hand could be heard.

In this silence, neither spoke again.

Finally, Elvira took a deep breath and said softly, "Take care of yourself."

Before the sound of his voice had faded, he had already turned and hurried away, gently closing the door behind him.

Step by step, Elvira descended from the second floor to the first, touching the letter tucked inside his coat. He dared not dwell on why Teacher Ginger had consistently avoided them.

He had begun to form some guesses about what was truly happening inside the Orphanage. Yet, whenever he thought of Teacher Ginger, he avoided the thought—

Just then, a clear, melodious singing voice came from afar, a girl's voice, pure and moving. The song echoed through the stairwell, accompanied by a rhythmic tapping sound, two long and two short, conveying some message.

"He transformed into a child,"

"with curious eyes and weird song."

"Knock----knock-knock-knock---."

"Becoming a peculiar addition to our experiments."

"Knock----knock-knock-knock---."

It was Francesca! Those two long and two short taps were a warning of danger.

Following the direction of the singing, Elvira saw a girl's silhouette; she was dressed in white with stripes, her brown hair cascading down.

Her figure seemed to fluctuate between distance and proximity at the end of the hallway.

Elvira knew it was Francesca.

Her singing was a warning to Elvira about the danger in the hall.

Slowly turning around, her eyes were gone, leaving behind two dark voids.

Francesca drifted closer to Elvira, pointing towards room 203.

Elvira crouched down, intending to touch her hair, but his hand passed right through her body.

Francesca touched her throat, managing to squeeze out a few words, "Protect… her…"

Elvira clenched his fists tightly, nodding firmly, "I will protect Blair. I swear."

Francesca managed a faint smile, then turned and bounced away, disappearing at the end of the corridor.

She was like Blair's guardian angel, using all her strength to protect her friend.

Her life ended at the Orphanage, but her determination turned into eternity.

Elvira nodded slightly towards the direction Francesca disappeared. Following the clues of the nursery rhyme, he finally uncovered the last piece of the truth.

He lifted his gaze towards the main building, his steps toward the hall firm with resolution. He was ready to confront Landric in a battle to the death, seeking justice for the innocent souls of the Orphanage.

Adorning the silver half-face mask, he entered the doorway of the hall. The final banquet had unveiled its curtain to him.

At this moment, the other investors were engrossed in the carefully prepared beverages and delicacies of Const Orphanage. Their faces brimmed with satisfaction and intoxication, as if savoring the finest flavors the world had to offer.

However, Elvira saw dark smoke swirling above the beverages and delicacies, wrapping around the investors.

Surveying the room, his gaze locked onto a man in the center of the crowd.

This man, nearing forty, radiated an extraordinary aura. His eyes sparkled with wisdom and rationality, seeming to pierce through all veils. The man's demeanor was refined, commanding respect.

He wore no mask, clearly identifying him as Landric Austin.

Elvira immediately noticed something distinct about Landric's soul state. His body was unusually small, barely over a meter tall.

As Elvira fixed his gaze on Landric, a tall and slender figure obstructed his view.

Looking up, it was Altair.

Now, he too wore the silver half-face mask. Under the yellow light, his appearance appeared even more distinguished, his aura cold and mysterious.

In such a circle of fame and fortune, he moved with ease, like the most revered sovereign, basking in the admiration and praise of all.

He picked up an empty glass and handed it to Elvira. Understanding the cue, Elvira pretended to engage in conversation with him, taking a light sip.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! The investor's banquet at Const Orphanage is about to reach its climax. I am the Dean of this Orphanage—Landric Austin."

Finally, the moment had arrived, the introduction to Const Orphanage's investment project was about to begin.