Black String of Fate

It was the end of the day. Xavier had settled in the orphanage quite well, and so had the other party members. They were popular with the kids, courtesy of being adventurers, and they also handled attention well by telling them stories of their adventures.

Though, they exaggerated a bit, since reality is often disappointing. The children surely would like the tale of an epic fight with mythical creatures, but not so much a story of killing a hundred slimes.

"Today, we'll keep watch secretly. Prepare the dummies and lay in wait."

Lafia, the party leader, arranged a meeting in secret. It was pitch black at night with only the party members present on the outskirts of the orphanage, inside a small storage room. Since they had received such a mission, it was imperative that they don't trust anybody here.

"Is the director clear? It's often the people at the top who make messes like this…"

"I'm not sure. When I talked to the director it definitely seemed like he had things to hide. It's possible that he has a major part to play in this incident.

But… I'm not sure. I have a feeling that it's not him."

"Then it's not him. Lafia's hunches are always right."

Alina said, and the party members agreed. They knew it was better to trust her hunches than not.

"I'll stay closer to the kids. I'll get along with them better, as I am a kid myself. Perhaps, they might open up to tell me one of their secrets or spooky stories. There's also one kid that gave me a different vibe, so I also have a feeling that he might be helpful."

The party members looked at Xavier and nodded. Sometimes, they forgot that Xavier was also just nine. It was hard to tell when he spoke like an old man all the time.

"I'll trap the outskirts of the orphanage. If any intruder comes, it won't alert or alarm them at all, but I'll get notified."

Adam chimed in, providing his active support. It was one of the numerous occasions where his abilities would come into play. Thomas also joined in,

"I'll conduct a few rituals on the kids to wash them of any curse, if present."

Like that, the roles of the party in this mission were divided. Now, as per their usual way of doing things, the ones not partaking in any special tasks were in charge of combat and safety. Lafia, being the party leader, was responsible for overseeing all of their tasks and providing assistance. She was also in charge of dealing with the director and all his people.

"Well, now that we have taken the first step, let's spread out. Remember, trust nobody, we don't know who the kidnapper is. Seeing the situation, it has an equal chance of being an inside job or external influence."

Lafia finished the meeting, and just as the party members were about to disperse, Xavier raised his closed fist in the air. All of them immediately froze like a deer caught in headlines.

It was their symbol of halting. Xavier looked into the eyes of Lafia and mouthed the words,

"I hear someone."

Lafia immediately replied back, mouthing the words similarly,

"Who?"

"I don't know."

After just a few moments, the rest of the party also became able to hear the other person Xavier spoke about. They heard rustling of the grass becoming louder and louder, until they were sure he was right outside the door of the storage room.

*knock* *knock*

"...Come in."

Lafia replied, and the door slowly creaked open to reveal the shadow of a small boy who looked to be around 12. Xavier immediately recognized the child to be the one he met just this morning.

"You? What are you doing here?"

"Xavier, you know this child?"

"Yeah, I met him this morning. He's the eldest of the orphan children present here. That kind of makes him the leader of the children. His name is…"

"Lilly. My name is Lilly. We parted ways before you heard my name."

"Hm? What a feminine name, Lilly. Well, whatever. What are you doing here?"

"I heard you guys talking over here. I wanted to say something to you guys privately, but till now, I couldn't find the opportunity. They were always lurking."

"How could you hear us? Earlier too, you said you 'heard' me talking. Also, who are they?" Content source m-vl|em|p,yr

"I… don't really know why I can hear so well. I heard the director talking about some special children who have something called Innate Gifts, but I'm not sure. Also, they are the ones who take away the children from here.

Adventurers, I was the one who wrote you that letter. I swapped the letter the director sent to the guild secretly, because I did not want to be caught. The director just thinks you guys are here for a monster hunting mission. Every full moon night, a child disappears from this place. When I say disappears, I mean that all his traces of living disappear. No clothes, No toys, nothing.

Even memories. The friends of the person who disappears forget that they even existed.

For some strange reason, that curse of forgetting does not work on me. I remember everyone. Federick, Rocky, Hamel, Rina… Everyone is gone. Please, I beg you, bring back my friends."

By the end of Lilly's speech, Xavier could hear the fluctuations in his emotions. He could tell that he was not lying in the slightest. From his experience, he could tell that this person had lost people dear to him.

"...Lafia, talk to me in private." Xavier said, pointing his finger outside. While he believed that boy, he wanted to be completely sure.

Lafia nodded and went outside with Xavier. The other party members offered a chair to Lilly and started asking more questions related to the quest. While they wanted to comfort him, the mission and its details took priority.

Outside the shed, Xavier made some hand signals, one that Lafia was familiar with. He did not want the kid inside to hear him by any chance.

"Did you look at his soul? What does his Innate Gift look like?"

"It was a featureless face shrouded in smoke. I think his Innate Gift is related to senses, rather than just sound. The shroud must mean he has not unlocked his full potential yet."

Xavier thought about it, before agreeing. From what he has displayed and what Lafia, the Pure Nature Spirit, sees, it makes the most sense.

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