Hope is not for everyone, I thought as we waited for Doris to arrive. Ironic name they chose for this orphanage. They get to dictate who gets hope. While pushing those they dislike to despair. The hypocrisy to say you care for children, but the reality is only, if they look like you. We as humans are very cruel in that manner.

I now realized that when I used to go to school with Aella, the bullying that children would experience served as a perfect example of how petty and ignorant we can be. My old school loved to categorize children depending on the curriculum they were taking. Those going for the athletic route would dress in warmer colors while those with a scholar route would wear the cooler colors. That in itself caused the children to automatically separate from each other depending on their attire. Inside the athletic group you would wear colors from yellow to red depending on the intensity of the training you can withstand and your achievements. On the scholar group it would be a similar situation depending more on your marks. This inherently brought a natural insecurity among the students.

At the time I didn’t really care to understand why everyone behaved the way they did. Always trying to make each other feel less. Bullying those who wore a color less intensified than their own, and it was even worse when it came to the warm colors versus the cooler colors. I realize now that I turned a blind eye to the reality that would always be present in our lives. Perhaps I saw that enough with my family to care for the rest of my old peers. Or maybe I was running from the whole situation. If we humans discriminate against those that wear something different, what chances do we have of accepting other races?

A sudden knock on the door pried me from my thoughts. I turned to look at Terran who was hugging Thea trying to console her.

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Since meeting Thea, it always seemed to me that she was trying too hard to act tough. I now realize why and see her for how frail and broken she is thanks to this environment. I got up and let Doris in, seeing as the siblings were not yet composed enough to do it themselves.

“Welcome, would you like a tour of the place? It has recently been renovated in courtesy of your negligence.” I say while paying close attention to her expressions, trying to read her just as Lèam taught me.

Giving me an irritated expression, she walks in and takes a look at the vandalized room. After she finished surveying the room. She took a knee and apologized to Thea.

“I’m sorry I haven’t dedicated enough attention to the difficulties and torment you have been going through. I wil-,”

“Its not all,” I interrupt her. “Terran got attacked by three students wearing masks attempting to cut off his ears.”

I explained everything that had happened and what we had discovered. Including that both rooms were unlocked with no signs of forced entry. Throughout the whole time she had an expression of guilt. I truly believed that she did feel sad that this was happening, but something still bothered me with her reactions. There was no anger. Not even when we let her know that it was obvious that the caregivers were giving access to the other teens to be able to enter our rooms. I knew then that there would be no lasting solution to keep Terran and Thea safe.

Madam Doris promised Terran and Thea that things would be different from now on. She told Terran that his room would now be next to ours and as soon as I left, she would make an exception and have him share a room with his sister. As for the those that attacked him, they would be expelled from the premises and sent to a different orphanage as soon as she could.

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“Before I take my leave, I would like a word in private with you Heli,” said Doris signaling Terran and Thea to step out of the room. “Please go and have dinner, Heli will meet you guys soon.”

I waited for two minutes after the door closed before Doris began. Instead of words though, the first thing she did was push her intent on me.

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It was suffocating me; I felt the pressure crippling me. The strength of her Intent brought me to my knees. The beast’s intent that I felt the day I was killed was so small compared to this. The anger on her face that I was searching for when she heard of the torment Terran and Thea had to experience was finally present, but why was it directed at me?

“I want you to stay in that pose for this whole conversation you little wretch.”

“I can… barely stay con...scious,” I replied fighting the urge to fall as sleep.

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“It seems you are weaker than I thought,” said Doris releasing enough of her intent for me to breathe easier.

“For now, but one day I will pay you back for this,” I proclaimed trying to regain my composure as I rubbed my neck.

“I understand you had good intentions for your actions, but you are too ignorant of how power works. It’s not all about physical or magical prowess. Influences, wealth, numbers etc. need to be under consideration before you make a move. Your actions lacked consideration of the consequences that come with confrontations of that sort.”

“It seems to me like you are asking me to not act out of fear,” I comment with the best grin I could muster.

“Master Lèam must have his hands full with a prideful girl like you. What I’m stating is that you need to think before you act. I was never stating not to act at all, I only advised that you consider how your actions will affect both in the immediate and long run. You can make things worse by thinking the world is black and white. Learn to live in the grey you idiot.”

“I understand,” I said begrudgingly.

Soon after Madam Doris took her leave, and I went to meet up with Terran and Thea. I noticed that Thea had regained some of her composure while Terran on the other hand seemed lost in thought.

“How are you guys holding up?” I asked.

“Barely,” replied Terran looking at me with a strange determination.

“What about you? asked Thea with an embarrassed expression.

“Well Doris felt the need to show of her intent on me to both give me an advice and to remind that I’m not without consequence.”

“I’m so sorry,” apologized Thea. “How could Madam Doris do that to you when you did nothing wrong?”

“I.. I’m not so sure about that,” I replied.

“I know that you wouldn’t have been affected by those scummy shit heads, if you hadn’t shared a room with me, and I’m truly sorry you had too experience this with us. I, I also want to thank you for standing up for us.” Said Thea with a shaky voice.

“I understand how you feel but none of this is on you. These shitheads are the ones that chose to torment us. They are the ones to blame, along with those that facilitated things for them.”

“Yes, and I don’t think we can trust Doris to keep her word,” said Terran.

“Truth be told, I believe things will be different but not for long.” I added. “Doris will try to keep her word in the beginning but after a while the ones with actual control will force her to choose the many. For now, you have time, but a decision needs to be made. Do you endure till you are of age or leave this place?

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