Chapter Seventeen: A Fragment of the Past (Part IV)

It was an hour past midnight, the silent time when minds dozed and souls snored. It was a quiet night, however, on the outskirts of Azrynia and inside the orphanage, restless little hearts siphoned with activeness.

A splendid stream of lanterns adorned each side of the vacant hallway, delivering a blanket of warm light all around. The double doors to the library were wide open, and inside that room, behind the desk and amidst a mountain of bookshelves, sat a boy.

He had a book in his grasp and his mind between the pages, the words weaving together into a lovely story inside his head.

The boy was so immersed in reading, that he failed to notice the five pairs of heavily inquisitive eyes trained on his silent form.

Behind the edge of a lone wall, voices danced.

"What is he doing?" A small voice questioned.

"Are you blind now? He's reading, of course."

Another voice responded immediately, sharper as usual but louder than intended.

"I can see that!"

"Why did you ask then?!"

"It was rhetorical!"

The wind rippled at the clamour of these two voices.

"Guys, be quiet!" Ayra turned back, scowling at a quibbling Emily and Blaize.

"He'll hear us!"

She whisper yelled to them before sliding her gaze back towards the dark-haired boy. She sighed in relief when he still had his head plunged deep inside the book. 

"Ayra, I don't think this is a good idea. Let's go before Lady Leorah finds out." Caelan whispered next to her.

"Okay."

No one made a move to leave.

"Five more minutes." Caelan stated, rather begrudgingly.

Everyone nodded their heads.

Ayra mentally snickered before shifting her gaze around to take a gander at the quiet figure inside the library. 

The warm glow of the lantern illuminated his sharp features. The raven black locks fell just above those pair of striking and mercilessly pretty silver eyes. Ayra had never seen eyes like that before and she decided right there and then that they didn't belong to this world. 

"He...seems lonely." A soft voice said from below her.

The wind grew silent.

Little Belle had her pillow clutched against her small form. Ayra didn't want to include her in their little nightly adventure. She had assumed all the little ones had already gone to bed but when Belle found out they were sneaking out, she threatened to inform about this to Lady Leorah if they didn't take her along. The little minx.

Ayra replayed her words in her head. He seems lonely, Belle had said.

Indeed, he does. Ayra pondered internally, still looking at him.

It's almost been a month since he arrived and no one has managed to get a word out of him. No one knew the slightest bit about him. Not even his damn name. Ayra, Caelan and the other children tried talking to him but all they would get in return was a loud and heavy, rejecting silence. 

The boy was intriguing, in a haunting way, and a deep, callous part of Ayra couldn't stay away. For some reason, she wanted to see something in that otherwise vacant eyes of his.

"He must like reading a lot," Emily muttered, pushing a lock of her deep, brown kissed hair behind her ear.

"He's also very rude," Blaize said, in a grouchy tone.

They turned to look at him, eyes questioning.

Blaize fiercely nodded his head.

"I asked him if he wanted some cookies and he ignored me! Can u believe that?"

Belle gasped. "I would cry!"

"Maybe he doesn't like cookies?" Caelan offered. 

"Who doesn't like the cookies I baked?! I even tried feeding him!"

Everyone stilled.

"Blaize..." Caelan started.

"Your cookies..." Ayra shuddered.

"No wonder you have no friends." Emily expressed bluntly.

Belle nodded, her heart wholeheartedly agreeing.

"How can you say that?!" Blaize clutched his chest. 

They quietly laughed when all of a sudden, Ayra heard the wind ruffle. She slightly jolted on her feet, surprised at the wind addressing her out of nowhere. Ayra believed it would take a long time before she got used to her power.

She peeped her head out just in time to see him straighten up and leave the library.

"He's coming this way! Get back! Get back!"

"What?" Blaize questioned, pushing his tall body to take a peek.

"No! Get back!" She groaned.

But Blaize had already put his entire weight on them, and with a solid push embraced by the ever-existing gravity, they harshly and forcefully toppled out of their hiding spot and onto the cold floor one upon the other.

"Ow.." Ayra groaned in pain.

The wind abruptly stilled.

Ayra cursed silently.

They slowly, very slowly lifted their heads.

And found the boy standing in front of them.

He stared them down, those silver eyes regarding them with a frosty indifference. Ayra wanted to know what he was thinking about.

They held their breath when he softly opened his mouth, eyes gradually widening in anticipation and apprehension.

"Idiots."

And with that, he silently left.

Ayra, Caelan and the others remained on the floor for a long time, wondering what the hell just happened.

The wind softly moaned, as though it was quietly snickering at them.

ווו×

A lovely dawn arrived. 

Ayra dressed up and had a hearty breakfast later immediately flew down the stairs in search of Leorah.

When she found Leorah going up the stairs to her study room, she swiftly grabbed hold of her gown and tugged at it.

"Did she come today?" Ayra questioned, eyes sparkling with an expectation as high as the ceaseless sky.

But when she saw Leorah's face turn rueful, Ayra's eyes dimmed with dejection.

She constrained out a grin.

"Maybe...tomorrow?"

Leorah sighed before bending down and grabbing Ayra's small shoulders.

"Ayra, " she started, staring deep into her eyes.

"I don't believe she's coming."

The wind grew close to Ayra.

"But-"

"Ayra." Leorah stopped her, her tone turning stern and final.

Ayra grew quiet.

"It's been a month already, Ayra. You even gave her the right directions, I believe?"

Ayra nodded her head, clearly recalling giving the perfect direction to the woman at the alley.

"Then the woman would've found her way here if she truly wished to come here."

Ayra grew solemn. She supposed Leorah was right.

A week after offering apples to the woman and giving her directions to the shelter, Ayra had even gone in search of her. She searched all the alleys of the village and had retorted to waiting for her every single day by the doors, wondering if she would somehow find her way here.

But she never did.

In the blink of an eye, a month had already passed and Ayra worriedly wondered if some kind of misfortune had befallen her.

Leorah sighed and ruffled her head.

"Let's not give up, though. Even if she finds her way at a later time, a warm home would still be standing to welcome her. Right?"

Ayra's eyes promptly lit up at those words.

"Yes!"

Leorah chuckled under her breath, wearing an almost admiring smile on her face.

"Ayra! Let's play!" A voice called from outside.

"Go ahead and play now." Leorah waved a hand at her. 

Ayra softly smiled before running outside the gates and onto the lush field. The crisp morning breeze happily embraced her and she couldn't help but giggle at that warm feeling.

"What are we playing?" She questioned when she reached Caelan and others.

Blaize lifted a long strip of cloth.

"Blind man's buff."

"Who's the one being blindfolded?"

Blaize pointed a finger at her.

"Why me?" Ayra raised her eyebrows, a refusal ready on her tongue.

"Because you were late!" Blaize exclaimed, smirking. 

Ayra groaned but agreed nevertheless. A cool strip of cloth was firmly folded over her eyes and after three long spins, she was left alone to chase.

Her wind rustled all around her, pointing out every one of them to her. But she stalled for a while, pretending to catch and miss them on purpose.

However, after a few minutes of them jabbing and prodding at her, Ayra decided to finally begin her pursuit.

The wind circled a small form in front of her and Ayra immediately caught ahold of the tiny being. Belle laughed her heart out when Ayra spun her around.

Her wind cautioned her of another presence close by and Ayra quickly pushed ahead to get them.

But Caelan suddenly called out for her.

"Ayra, wait!"

But before she could stop herself, her toes stumbled over a small ledge of rock jutting out from the ground.

And she fell forward, brutally crashing into another body.

The wind hissed. 

When a voice softly groaned beneath her, Ayra immediately removed her blindfold.

She looked down.

Her eyes widened.

And her heart rate spiked up.

It was the dark-haired boy.

Oh no.

She immediately straightened up before reaching out a hand for him. Ayra mentally winced when he harshly slapped her hand away and got on his feet.

Caelan was quickly on her side.

"Ayra! Are you okay?" He questioned worriedly, examining her for any injuries.

"I'm fine, Caelan." She smiled at him, hoping it was reassuring.

When she faced the boy, her breath hitched.

His silver eyes were usually sharp but now, they were sharper and colder than ever before. Like shards of ice. The intensity of those eyes stole her breath away and Ayra didn't like it at all. Didn't like how piercing those silver eyes were. 

She opened her mouth to apologise but he cut her off.

"So stupid." He muttered.

And turned to leave.

Ayra cheeks heated. She stepped forward, suddenly furious,

"What's your problem?"

He stopped.

Ayra constrained her anxious fingers to curl into tight fists.

The wind grew close to her as he slowly turned. 

"What?"

"I asked what your problem was."

"Ayra-" Caelan questioned in a worried tone but she couldn't listen. Her eyes were fixed on the being in front of her, who looked as aloof as ever. But Ayra could see it. In those striking silver eyes, she could see a raging fire burning within them.

"You've been acting weird ever since you got here. Everyone tries to speak to you but you push all of us away. In case you didn't realise, you are a part of this family now. You can talk to us and play with us-"

"I-" he began. And Ayra stopped speaking, holding her breath as she awaited his next words. 

"I don't want to do anything with the likes of you."

Silence. Heavy, intense silence.

"What do you mean by, 'likes of you'? We are all the same-"

"No." He said sharply. "Don't include me in your little, nonsensical pack."

She grew speechless.

His next words were crueller than ever, burning, piercing arrows that were directly aimed at this small part of her that she so desperately tried to hide from herself.

His eyes turned glacial, the emotions in them akin to the burning cold tips of icicles. 

"You were born alone in this world. Your mother didn't even want you. If she did, you wouldn't be here. Abandoned." 

Everything suddenly hurt. Ayra battled the urge to clench her fingers over her heart.

"You would never know how it feels to have a mother and you would never know how it feels to lose one. So, no, I'm not the same as you."

He spun around to leave but paused and slightly faced to the side.

"And stop bothering me."

With that, he left.

No one spoke for a long time.

The wind folded around her, almost protectively.

A bell rang from the inside of the shelter, signalling it was time for lunch.

Everyone quietly left, carrying emotions that were painfully rekindled in their minds and souls. 

Ayra wanted to blame herself for that. She was the reason why this happened. And she had no idea how to solve this.

A pinky finger suddenly folded over her own.

"Ayra, let's go inside." Caelan softly said, tugging at her finger.

A beat later, another presence stood by her side. Leorah. 

"Please forgive that wounded child, both of you. He's..."

Leorah's voice turned sad.

"He's still mourning the death of his mother."

"Give him some time to heal."

Ayra didn't reply. She couldn't reply.

The wind just grew closer and closer.

And closer.