Chapter 2 Beginning 2

As I read books in the library, I discovered the reason why Cocolia had created this orphanage. 

Siberia had been attacked by the Honkai, leaving many orphans behind. Most of them were adopted by the army and turned into cold-blooded killers.

It was clear that Cocolia wanted to provide a haven for these kids.

I gently brushed the hair of two little girls sleeping in my lap. One of them was Seele, and the other was the silver-haired girl I had a crush on.

"Seele, Bronya, wake up," I said, trying to rouse them from their slumber.

I asked Bronya to teach me about history because the true history known by the public was a lie.

In this library, I managed to read the history book, but I discovered another book that told a different version of the story, making it confusing for me.

The true history book I read listed things about the Honkai, including the beasts and the truth about the corruption surrounding Siberia.

"Good morning, big brother Aron," Seele mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Morning Aron, I slept well," Bronya said, patting her lap and inviting me to rest my head there.

My face turned red with embarrassment, but I accepted her offer.

I had my reasons, and I didn't want to miss this chance. Even though Bronya saw me as a younger brother, I secretly hoped she might see me differently one day.

Suddenly, a realization hit me.

"Wait, why am I lying with my head in your lap when I need to cook before the others wake up?" I exclaimed as I dashed away to the kitchen to prepare breakfast using the ingredients in the refrigerator.

Fun fact: Refrigerators in cold places are often used as heaters instead of cooling devices.

"Mhmm... Something is missing, oh, I forgot that Big Sister Cocolia asked me to refill the ingredients."

Walking back into the library, I turned to Bronya. "Bronya, can you look after the food I was cooking? I'm gonna restock the missing ingredients." She nodded with a smile.

"Okay, take care," Bronya replied, gazing at me. As I left, I noticed a blue-haired girl, Seele, peeking through the door.

Seeing Seele's hopeful expression, I couldn't resist her. "Do you want to go with me?" I asked. She eagerly nodded and took my hand, leading me outside with excitement in her eyes.

I blushed as she held my hand but quickly calmed down, realizing it was just Seele's innocent nature.

"Say, Big Brother Aron?" Seele began, looking up at me.

"What is it, Seele?" I replied, walking alongside the cute girl.

"Do you like Big Sister Bronya?" She asked with a serious expression, getting closer to my face.

My face grew hotter as she closed the distance, realizing that Seele had figured out my feelings for Bronya.

"W- What are you talking about?" I stuttered, unable to hide my embarrassment as Seele's gaze intensified.

As I looked over at Seele, discussing my feelings for Bronya, we suddenly felt a strange presence around us. The atmosphere grew tense, and before we could react, a group of mysterious figures surrounded us.

"Big Brother Aron, what's happening?" Seele asked, gripping my hand tightly.

I tried to stay calm, my instincts telling me that these strangers might be dangerous. "I'm not sure, Seele, but let's stay close and be ready for anything."

The leader of the group stepped forward, a sinister smile on their face. "Well, well, what do we have here? A couple of younglings wandering around without supervision. How fortunate for us."

Fear crept into my heart, but I couldn't let it show. Seele and I had to stay strong. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The leader chuckled. "We're just passing through, and we happened to stumble upon such lovely children like you. We thought we'd get the two of you, we will sell you at a good price."

I tightened my grip on Seele's hand, my protective instincts kicking in. "We're not interested. We have a family here, and we won't leave with strangers."

The strangers didn't seem pleased with our response. "Stubborn, are we? Well, we have our ways of persuading."

Before we could react, they moved swiftly, and everything went dark.

When I regained consciousness, I found myself in a dimly lit, unfamiliar room. Seele was beside me, still unconscious.

My heart raced as I realized we had been kidnapped, and I had no idea where we were or how to escape.

But I couldn't give up. I had to protect Seele and find a way back to Cocolia and the others, no matter what it took.

In the dimly lit room, I carefully examined our surroundings. It appeared to be a small, windowless chamber, with cold stone walls and a single heavy wooden door. There was no way to know how deep underground we were or where they had taken us.

I nudged Seele gently, trying to wake her up without alerting our captors. "Seele, wake up," I whispered, shaking her shoulder.

She groggily opened her eyes, confusion and fear clouding her gaze for a moment until she remembered our situation. "Big Brother Aron," she whispered back, her voice trembling.

"We need to find a way out of here," I said, my voice determined. "Stay close to me, Seele, and don't make a sound."

We cautiously approached the door, pressing our ears against it to listen for any signs of our captors. It seemed quiet on the other side, but we couldn't be sure if they were standing guard just outside.

I tested the doorknob, and to my surprise, it turned easily. The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit corridor. We slipped out and closed the door behind us as quietly as possible.

As we ventured further into the corridor, we noticed several other closed doors lining the walls, similar to the one we had been in. It appeared to be some sort of underground complex.

"We need to find an exit," I whispered to Seele. "But we should avoid any confrontations for now. If we encounter anyone, we'll hide."

Seele nodded, her wide eyes reflecting her determination. We moved silently down the corridor, carefully checking each door we passed. Some were locked, but others opened into empty rooms or storage spaces.

After what felt like an eternity of nerve-wracking exploration, we finally stumbled upon a heavy metal door at the end of the corridor. A small window on the door gave us a glimpse of the outside world—a moonlit forest.

However, to my horror, the leader of the group was waiting for us on the other side. 

He wore a sinister grin as he taunted us, "Sorry to burst your dream, but did you really think you could escape that easily?"

Without warning, he lunged at me, delivering a vicious punch to my weak spot—my stomach.

"Urgh." I couldn't help but expel mouthful of blood and saliva as the force of the blow sent me crashing into the wall.

The pain was excruciating, but I knew I had to muster the strength to protect Seele and help her escape. 

However, to my dismay, Seele, driven by fear and concern, disregarded my plea to run and shouted, "BIG BROTHER!" as she rushed toward me.

I desperately wanted her to flee while the leader was focused on me.

"You should stop that, the client would get angry and might not buy the product," a woman dressed in military attire warned the leader.

With the presence of a mercenary on their side, our chances of escape became more harder.

The leader clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tsk, tsk. But they wanted the girl, not the boy, right?" He inquired with a sinister smirk.

The woman clarified, "I have no idea what goes on in the minds of wealthy people. They intended to purchase him for 34 million USD."

The leader seemed taken aback by the hefty price. "Eh, for real..." he muttered, his demeanor shifting as he looked at the woman. "Why don't we negotiate for an even higher price?"

The woman cautioned him, "I suggest you refrain from that. Their power could obliterate us in seconds if we don't comply. We're lucky that they're willing to pay instead of using force."

She continued, "The main issue now is that this kid is from the Cocolia Orphanage. If Cocolia returns, we're done for." She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

The leader wore a smirk as he considered his options. "Oh? Apart from Cocolia, there should only be kids in that orphanage. If those kids try to rescue them, I'd be more than happy to welcome them."

Hearing his words, I couldn't help but laugh. It seemed like he was unknowingly setting up a flag.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp punch to my face, and as I looked up at the leader with a smirk, he demanded, "Oi, what are you smirking for?"

I replied, struggling to maintain consciousness, "Nothing, I just felt like laughing." My vision faded, and the worried voice of Seele was the last thing I heard.

_ _ _

A silver-haired girl walked through a desolate, snowy landscape until she arrived at an abandoned factory storage facility.

"Seele, Aron," she murmured as her eyes fell upon a pair of shoes half-buried in the snow, immediately recognizing them as belonging to Aron and Seele.

"HEY!" A mercenary pointed his gun at her. "What are you standing there and mumbling? Scram immediately if you don't want to get hurt."

Bronya calmly removed her stockings from her legs as the soldier blushed and smirked.

"Oh, I didn't know you were a streetwalker," he said with a perverted grin, eyeing Bronya up and down. "But I'm in the middle of a mission, so just wait for me back there."

Without hesitation, Bronya swiftly used her stockings to strangle the mercenary, ending his life on the spot. Her actions were swift and decisive, showing she wasn't one to be trifled with.

_ _ _

As I slowly opened my eyes, I could feel the pain coursing through my body. 

I kept myself still, pretending to remain unconscious, while I eavesdropped on the kidnappers' conversation.

They were discussing the mysterious disappearance of the Silver Wolf of Urah. 

It sounded like a cool name, but my priority was finding a way to escape or help Seele get out of this situation.

I didn't care about my own well-being as long as I knew Seele was safe. It was time to plan to ensure her safety and our eventual escape.

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Who's there?" The woman inside asked in an annoyed tone.

"It's your Mom," I answered instinctively, feeling a bit disoriented.

I opened my eyes and saw both of them looking at me, then at the door, and back at me again. I could even hear Seele giggling at my response.

As the leader slowly walked toward me, I cursed my mouth and my attempt at humor.

Suddenly, the woman went to the door and spoke to someone on the other side. 

Then, she opened the door just to be met with Bronya lunging at her and swiftly ending her throat. Without wasting any time, Bronya sprinted towards the leader and tied his neck to something nearby, killing him on the spot.

I swear I heard the leader saying that Bronya should use her stockings to kill him.