Prelude

" Long ago, there lived a man who stood on the pinnacle of dreams. He had attained everything, yet lost all. He was nothing to scoff at, but his demeanor was like a mouse's."

" Humble yet adventurous, as he chose to live among humans. Although he was all this and many more, his name echoed through the forests and mountains of fame. Even children sang songs of him but knew nothing of who they sang about. "

The children brush through their hair in anticipation of more, however, their brains break down from the conscious yearning for understanding.

The young lad stood up grasping his arms, and took a deep breath as he posed in fashion.

"The great demigod of death. That was his name, no one knew about his efforts of bravery. No one spoke of his meager strength which shone at its lowest. Yet as a kind man, he lived as one of them and treated them as equals. "

"Not long before that, the evil none dared to think of had appeared. It ravaged through the golden city, ripping out its essence of life. The streets were left in the dark, death had swallowed them up. "

"They attempted to run, but there was no path from which to escape. They tried to hide, yet all their efforts led them into death.", Daniel pauses to take a breath.

"What happened Daniel?? Did they escape from that evil?", a scared orphan asked in anticipation.

Daniel grasped the chair at the corner of the compound and sat with a deep sigh. He stared at the sky with his mind flooded in a dark mist.

His hands trembled from the mere feeling of the wind, leaving the others in dismay as the suspense kept eating away their life.

" A story without an Author is just words plated on a piece of paper. Orally, they are just breaths of the wind being whispered into our ears. "

"What if the very life we lived was orchestrated by another? It sounds so bizarre yet suspicious. These words envelop my mind day and night, endlessly clawing through my skull as if were just a rumor. "

Daniel rises from a chair walks towards a child and grasps his jaw. He squeezes the child's cheeks and laughs, kissing the forehead of the little girl, and continues with his little speech.

" The night approached when all heads were buried in sleep. Evil began to move again, gnawing endlessly through the alleyway and bridged gaps. It tore up each of the skies of the night to find just one person"

Daniel ran towards another kid and held his hand to calm his trembling mind. He took a deep breath and whispered into the kid's ear, making her giggle.

" Evil is never to be joked with. However, our grand master arose and ran towards the darkness. Hoping to save the people from the plague he had brought upon them."

" He saved all but one, the one thing every selfish being would choose. His flesh and blood, the daughter of his being was eaten alive by evil. "

"What was left for him to do except to curse the gods? So he did, he cursed and cursed and cursed. He cursed at the heavens till he fell in exhaustion. His name was wiped off from the plates of fame and power. "

"He believed he lost everything, there was nothing else he could see except his weakness. A tragic end indeed for one who once rode the clouds of the heavens"

Clang.....clang!!!!

The ring of the lunch bell enveloped the house and brought out the children from their deep thoughts. Daniel stood up and brushed his attire whilst giving his friend a helping hand to rise.

"Ouch. Mary that hurts!" Daniel shifts himself after getting pinched.

"You always do that whenever we are near the end. You should at least try to end the stories when you start them!!"

Daniel brushes through his hair as he giggles and apologizes for the abrupt end of the story. He attempts to hold the hand of Mary but she dodges and squints her eyes towards Daniel.

"You are doomed, there's no way I'd be letting you off after damaging my brain with suspense, you retard. Hmph!", Mary scoffs at him.

Daniel grasps the arm of Mary and drags her off to the dining hall with her screaming for help. She knocks him on the head upon their arrival, leaving him sobbing afterward.

The two kids share a meal of porridge and exchange thoughts about the future and how tiring being locked up is. Daniel finishes with his bowl of porridge and walks towards the window.

Staring at the sky, he dreams of having a chance at freedom. His thoughts succumb to his constant questioning, and he gives in to the chase.

"Why does freedom come at such a high cost? All the grown-ups talk about is money anyway. Is money really important??"

" I could just buy all the freedom with just money then, but I can't even make money since I'm stuck here!"

"Well money can be all you want Daniel, but don't forget it isn't happiness. " An old lady says as she approaches Daniel.

Daniel runs and hugs her from excitement and steps back to take a bow. He moves around the hall looking for a chair and brings it over to the mistress.

" Aunt Cassandra, it doesn't seem like the world revolves around other things excluding money. Imagine if I could buy anything I want and order anything my tummy yearns for. I'd be the greatest in the world for that! However, even that needs money." Daniel sighs as he grasps his cheeks.

"An 8-year-old worrying about money in such an early stage is one thing that could send me straight to my deathbed", Aunt Cassandra sighs in worry.

"There's no way you'd die and leave us Aunty, hahaha. You seem to have 14 years at least in your resume."

"It will take a lot more than me to send you straight to the afterlife " Daniel laughs as he teases the old mistress.

Cassandra hugs Daniel and sits him on her lap whilst they both watch the sunset. Evening approaches quickly with the orphans making haste into their beds with their ragged clothes.

Daniel attempts sleeping but his head aches from the constant sparks of pain. He rises from the bed to take some fresh air and looks across the hallway.

Pictures of blood begin enveloping his mind, leaving him wrestling for freedom against his thoughts. The breeze within the room feels chilly, making Daniel rub his arms for warmth.

He takes a step toward the dining hall and sees Aunt Cassandra praying. Aunt Cassandra turns as she notices Daniel and confronts him. She brushes his hair whilst smiling and questions why he is still awake.

"Can't sleep???"

"Yes Aunt, my headaches have been worsening today and the flashbacks are much greater than before. Argh." Daniel speaks lightly in pain with his eyes full of tears.

"It would calm down with a tint of my secret recipe okay? Come for some tea, it'd probably help with it.", Aunt Cassandra responds.

" Oh and make sure you let Elizabeth and the others know about replenishing your dresses from the storage. Yours seems far outdated and worn out now. " Cassandra holds onto Daniel and moves him towards the inner room.

Daniel's headache strengthens as he takes some steps forward. He lifts his head to look at Cassandra with teary eyes. Cassandra smiles at him and offers her hand once more to Daniel.

Splash!! Thud.

Daniel stands shocked as blood is splattered all over his face, he shakes in fear as he sees the body of Cassandra fall on the ground.

"Huff huff, argh!!!!!!"

"Would you shut up already? I could create more of these bowls of water if I wanted to. They are so fragile since they die so fast anyways" A man in a dark cloak speaks as he wipes the blood off his fingers with a tissue.

Daniel stands in fright as his body trembles. The man walks towards him and snaps his hand, which explodes the roof of the orphanage and shows the headless bodies of the orphans above him.

Dripping endlessly from their bloody corpses, the peaceful environment of the orphanage turns into a room of massacre. The white plains of the hall turn blood red, and none lived to tell the tale.

"Well, this is my gift to you. I created you to be more than just a storyteller. This is quite a disappointment."

Tears begin gliding down the cheeks of Daniel as his brain is unable to contemplate the current situation. The man walks towards Daniel and looks down at him with disgust.

" Nevertheless, I'm the Author of your story. You were right after all", the man smirks at the frail look of Daniel.

" My story is your life!!!"