Chapter 16

Authority seeped out of that old lady, second to focus, dedication, and a bit of apprehension. The other strange thing about her was her stature which was above six feet tall. She was towering over Dann, who wasn't the shortest for his age, but he was still just a seventeen-year-old youth. He was almost an adult in a normal world, yet he was long working and making a living for himself and this camp. For a good while, he was no longer permitted to be an orphan in this facility.

Undoubtedly, this woman was terrifying and menacing to all young children from her appearance alone, which William recognized the moment he saw her for the first time.

Even now, some chilling memories remained, though he respected her more than feared.

“Good morning, Miss Anderson,” William politely greeted her. In return, Miss Anderson shoved Dann aside as if he was dragging a boulder before her face, and walked to William. She patted his head, sized this youth she had known for a couple of years, and knew it was time to say goodbye.

“Good child has proper manners,” she sternly said, her face was frozen and expressionless, and her voice was surprisingly vigorous and firm. “I assume you know what this is about. Have I said it, or Dann did?”

William knew that she kept her warm heart for others around her. Or it might be a case of some disease where her facial expressions froze from some shock. It could also be something else and William wasn't so stupid to touch some old wounds, so he let it be.

“Dann said you wanted to see me, and I have a hunch what this is about. Someone arrived? Who? I was expecting some news, so this must be it. Is it about some convoy? News? Time? I don't know specifics, so...” William spoke while being continuously patted by her. When he finished, Miss Anderson stopped.

There were some other children with Emblems in this building. However, he was the oldest by far, and a kind of rare stubborn fool. It was time to change it.

“I think you hadn't known about a lot of things, William.” She said and William would bet he heard crackling hesitation in her voice. “You are a clever child that bears the weight of the Outside for far too long. You wanted it, or so I've cared to think. It's a shame, yet it is...”

“No!” he refused. “Where else to go? What to do? My parents... no, there is no need to go there. I wanted to be with Dann. I said it, haven't I?”

Chill returned to Miss Anderson's face, who looked at Dann, whistling and pretending to be a wall.

“I know. You refused all offers in the past. Frankly, many do so because this place has been stable for a long time and many youths like you want a good choice. Yet, how far could choices come and go? Those who come here are often responsible for tough choices, business, and proper places. We are still an orphanage, boy. Walkers are tough, you see. Camps need every hand we get, but Walkers are Walkers.”

“What is happening? You are acting weird, miss.” William inquired.

“It... Your... past is another thing, boy. You are wondrous, do you know that?”

“Past? Nah,” William frowned in confusion. Also, why did she return to patting his head; it should've stopped long ago.

“It has been only a couple of years since you've come here. We don't pry for the past of others too much. It is our precious standard to work and give those children some justice, so what about the orphans and those looking for someone? You know, it is a normal matter for orphans to consider. Some look for children; others for parents. It is about family. About bonds.”

“So?” William's frown deepened and he almost snatched her arm away but endured it. A bit of shining red glow escaped under his shirt, looking bizarre and brighter, but thanks to the light of this room, it wasn't as obvious. “Does that mean.... my parents? Have you found something about them?! How?! Where? I looked... for so long.”

At last, Miss Anderson stopped patting and put her hands down. “Unfortunately, my child, the wild disasters that you've endured are known to many of us, while some parts are not. Most are long gone, shrouded in Fogs of destruction and unknown. Looking where we can't see is a bad way to know what has happened, but prying for knowledge and hope is up to research and tries. Some news would happen. You said to me you were five years old when you tasted your first misery. Where? You didn't know. What happened? You mentioned very little, which no one blames you for. You were little. You don't talk about it for a good reason. I know that so don't fret. I haven't found anything. Others did.”

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“What? Others?” William said seriously. “I thought... wait. Why speak about it now? Does it concern my parents or not? Why now, of all times?” William truly became agitated and even Dann became hesitant and serious. How far would this time devolve?

William didn't like how she sounded, which Miss Anderson couldn't refute because she was a little insensible and restless right now. What occurred in the past week wasn't usual in the slightest, and today, the result came over.

“It pains my heart that you are about to leave our home. That is not all. Uncertain future is tough, but what about the past? It pains me... that it took this long for something to happen,” Miss Anderson said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

William clutched his hands and calmed down. “It isn't about my parents, is it?”

“No.”

“What then?”

“You.”

“Just a regular recruitment then?” William's voice skipped a beat and his disappointment was unbearable. “What do I matter? I am an orphan. I don't have anyone else besides myself. Oh, and Dann, but...” Dann snickered and waved a hand at him to shut up.

“Do you know that for sure?”

William hesitated. “No. Alone or not, I was... young. I don't even know my birthday, the name of my parents, or my surname.”

“Yes. Every one of these complicated our research for answers. Yet you've endured hardships that no children should bear.”

“Excuse my manners, but that is stupid. I am not rare. This world is real, Miss Anderson, like people. It is good to pretend but not lie. I know that it is proper. Why are you not glad? Your wonderful work gave home to many children like me. It is honest. No matter if you are sending them to a dead or hope later, I find it amazing.”

Dann smirked and secretly chuckled behind their back. William was quite good at feeding the pleasantries to adults while keeping his head straight. He taught him that much thanks to being older than him. It was something that orphans had to do since their lives were their great possessions.

Miss Anderson clutched her hands and gazed at William's eyes. “Empty words. You revealed to us your Emblem years ago. We note them and look at them broadly, while any words are crucial for further, or additional research. Even small hints can come far. You, my dear boy, are not alone in this world.”

She stepped aside, giving a gesture to a man, who walked from another room.

The man was middle-aged, wearing a dark purple uniform. His sharp eyes glinted in azure light and that uniform looked tough, consisting of sturdy leather boots, fiber-class trousers, and a jacket-looking armor. His whole appearance was reliable, firm, and robust.

William recognized a Walker straight away.

“Wow,” a cry echoed from aside, “a Captain from the Yondu Division?” Dann blurted out, looking at the approaching man who walked aside from him. He was always like this since he never wanted to feel alone ever again in his life.

The man, unbothered by the questionable stare from Dann, walked towards William instead, eyes like an eagle and voice humming.

“William Gale?”

“Gale?”

“Your surname. You don't know it, right?”

William got uncomfortable from his gaze and approach alike. “I was... young,” he repeated.

“You are Gale, I know. My name is Luke Irwin. I knew your father Victor when he served as a Walker of the Federation.” Luke bluntly said, looking at uncertain William who didn't even know his whole name. So when Luke Irwon revealed not only that but also noted his father, things worsened even further.

Frankly, this reveal shocked Dann more than William, who froze in his frown, and the crimson hues wavered under his shirt.

Dann trembled, and even his mouth widened like his eyes, which was rare for him. He shut up for once, reluctant to change the pace this Walker shifted and revealed out of the blue.

William Gale? Dann thought. Isn't it quite a good surname? Damn...

William clutched his hands and storming sensations spread all over his right arm once again. This time, it was turning hot as if he dove into the steaming bath or... people, or Darks. As many say, emotions were one way to notice Walkers. He was agitated and uncertain about trusting words and people. Why was that the case? Was there something wrong with trusting a Walker recognized by Miss Anderson, or was it more that he didn't like what he heard?

It was neither. He was shocked to hear about his father after so long. Not only did this person know about him, but... he said his father was a.. what? A freaking Walker?!

If not shocked, William wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't remember his father in any significant detail. He was more like a shadow that tinkered and peeked behind his mother. It always spoke with a firm voice, sometimes, but not always alongside his mother. That was what William realized.

“You knew my father?” he asked as he relaxed his fists, and crimson twitched as he hugged his arms. “H-how? My father... he was...not around often. He was busy. My mother, and... what is this? Why... now?” Visible confusion lingered in his heart and from the face Luke had, a lot of things turned odd.

He swore Luke watched him with incredulity and confusion, but also throughout observation.

William was aware he hardly knew anything about his parents, and he voiced it as such since he was little. Finding them was also impossible; it was already fine to consider that matter finished after a decade. They were death, he often whispered to himself, trying to lie.

Uncomfortable feelings and doubts that Luke triggered manifested in nauseous feelings and anxiety, which then moved the crimson, or the crimson moved the rest.

Fatigue moved where he grew well and then... not that well.

Since that nightmarish day, he hoped, and then, he did not dare. Now, he believed in almost nothing, taking history for ashes. It wasn't a belief without basis; it was a fact etched into Outside. They would've long found me, William believed.

He had never doubted the integrity of love of his mother, for his mother's stake and his.

A decade of living Outside did the rest, causing him to accept what had happened, and turning his mind and heart cold.