"Dad, what is happening? Who are these two people?"

Neil was the first to break the tense silence in the room. He glanced at the two strangers who had not left the ward and instead were seated on the chairs at the far end of the room near the window before he looked at his father. His father seemed to be fighting a war with himself with the way he had his head lowered and lips pursed. Even his mother had turned mute all of a sudden and Neil had an inkling that whatever he would be hearing next would be anything but pleasant.

Just like him, Alan too was perplexed by the unknown situation. While neither of his parents was explaining to them what the problem was, the two strangers' words made no sense to him. It was as though they were speaking a language he could not understand and he too, like his brother looked back and forth between the four people.

"Jarett, I think it's time you start speaking." Sean had all the time in the world and he sat watching the scene unfold before him with amusement dancing in his eyes. But Trinity was not as calm as him. She was losing it slowly and when the couple did not speak a word, she gave up being silent.

Outside, the thunderstorm continued with the rain picking up speed slowly. The droplets of water hit the glass pane, the sound resembling the low tempo of the drums. But no one was in the mood to enjoy it.

Instead, the sound only added more tension inside the ward and eventually, Jarett gave in. The secret was not hidden from the two people who he had wished never to meet in his life. So, he did not mind speaking in front of them. Also, their presence gave him a strange strength that he needed at that moment.

"Alan, Neil, there are a lot... a lot..." Jarett licked his lips to calm himself down. But in futile. There were some truths he wished to take to his grave. But fate did not grant them the wish. It was playing a cruel game with them and he was having the worst of it.

"There are a lot of secrets I...your mother and I have kept from you two." Jarett started and Emily moved closer to her sons, worried about their reactions. Her heart was thundering madly, just like how the weather was outside and she cursed the two people who brought this dreadful day into her life.

In her fit of anger, Emily glared at the two people, who were watching the show silently. While Sean remained impassive to her glare, Trinity raised her brows, confused by her reaction towards them.

'Why are you glaring at us, lady?' She shouted in her mind, annoyed to be blamed for something she was not even responsible for. 'We are as innocent as you are in this matter, maybe even more than you. Please refrain from directing your anger at us.'

Although she wanted to voice out her thoughts, she withheld herself. She more or less understood why Emily was behaving this way and even sympathized with her.

Alan and Neil had stayed in a protective shell all these years, under their parents' shield. But now, just when Jarett and Emily had made sure to erase their sons' existence from the world they never wished their sons to be a part of, the boys had been found and were being asked to return to the place where death hovered over and grim reapers smiled at everyone almost every day. Who in their sane mind would send their children to such a dreadful place?

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Trinity let out a sigh, frustrated by the turn of events. Even she felt bad for putting the couple in such a predicament. But she was helpless and bound by fate.

Sean let out a smile when he heard Trinity scold Emily in her mind. But his smile vanished the instant the woman's emotions changed into that of helplessness and he stared at the couple in front of him intensely. They were fighting with themselves, he could see it and he too felt bad for them. But this was the cruel truth and Alan and Neil had to face it, either sooner or later.

"What kind of secrets, Dad?" Neil inquired, his eyes now wide with curiosity. "Mom?"

"You...you...Alan, Neil...you two," Emily bit her lip as she hesitated to speak a word more and glanced at Jarett for help. She had no strength to handle this matter, let alone reveal the truth of her sons' lives.

"Alan, Neil, you two are not our child...children." Jarett dropped the bomb and two boys gaped at their father in shock. Their lips parted as they glanced back and forth between their parents in disbelief. This was not what they had expected nor wished to even hear.

Silence ensued in the ward again and except for Emily's quick breathing as she wiped her tears and the thunderstorm outside, there was no other sound.

It took some time for Alan and Neil to accept the news. While Alan was still baffled, Neil digested the news somehow. Compared to the other boys of his age, he was more mature and he had an inkling that this was not just the end. There was more to come and he looked at his father inquisitively.

"Dad, then who are our parents?"

"They are our friends. You two were entrusted to us by them just a week after you were born." Now that the truth was out, Jarett did not hide it anymore and answered him honestly.

Neil did not know what more to say or even ask. But he was not interested in finding out about his birth parents, especially when his father himself was hesitating to speak a word about the matter.

But Alan's curiosity was piqued and he leaned forward. "Dad, where are our parents?"

"I do not know." Jarett's reply was instant while the two strangers stiffened visibly. "I haven't heard a word from them since the day they reached us out to take care of you two. I do not know where your parents are and if they are even alive or dead."

"They are alive, Jarett." Sean interrupted, his voice laced with seriousness and affirmation.

"Have you seen them, Sir? Did you speak to them any time during these years or did you even hear any news about them?" Jarett spat in anger. "Since I haven't seen Alan and Neil's parents all these, I have reasons to believe that they are gone forever. And this is one of the many reasons why I do not wish to send my boys to the hell hole."

"Hell hole? Dad, what are you speaking about?" Neil caught the gist of the matter. Yet, there were many things that did not make sense and to make it worse, the people were feeding him the truths in installments.

"Jarett, will you tell them, or shall I?" Sean stood up, having had enough of the delay. When Jarett did not respond, he took it as his cue and approached the boys, who were staring at him questioningly.

"Alan, Neil, listen to me carefully." Sean bent forward until he had two boys' attention on him. "Whatever I will be saying next is your birth truth and nobody can change, not even your parents."

Sean glanced at Trinity, who nodded at him lightly before he focused on the boys again. "Your birth parents are special people, people who have powers that no normal human would have."

"What kind of powers?" Alan blurted out instantly and Sean smiled at him warmly, happy to see his interest in this matter. This eased his work a little.

"Your parents have the power of magic."

"Magic?" Alan felt as though he was listening to a fairy tale while Neil found the situation to be utterly incredulous.

"Yes, magic. Your parents are sorcerers and since you two are their children, you have inherited some of their traits."

Explosions went off in the two boys' minds and their jaws dropped. An odd notion popped up in Neil's mind and his eyes dilated in fear.

"Yes, you guessed it right, Neil." Sean's head snapped to him immediately when he heard his thoughts. "You are sorcerers too, just like your parents and we are here to fetch you back to our world."