In New York State, a short drive over the bridge lies an orphanage. Modernly built yet still lying with a faint Gothic design. Lacking the brutal simplicity more common in local architecture. A figure dark and white, bearded with a defined jawline and harsh features showing slight signs of age that would otherwise be hidden in his near perfect skin. His appearance sophisticated, immaculately dressed in a custom-made white Tailored Suit. As Alfred T. Stienfried-Black approached the orphanage, the doors opened before him. The headmistress herself waiting to greet their most generous and valued donor.
“Mr. Stienfried. It is great to see such a Distinguished gentleman visiting our fine establishment. Let us show you how much good work we’ve been doing thanks to your generous donations.”
“I have other business here today,” Alfred spoke, keeping up an intense pace of walking. “I’ve heard you picked up a batch of new arrivals. There was a Polish kid. It seemed like he’d fit in well in my academy. Remind me of his name again?”
“Are you talking about Mr. Karjev?” She responded, “I don’t think we've seen a lot of him, I wouldn't want you to take in someone that doesn't fit your great school. He’s only been here a short while.”
“Nonsense! When you know what you’re looking for, the signs are unmistakable. That child will do great things.”
“But of course, Mr. Stienfried, I am sure you have a different way of seeing things than I do.”
“So then, where is Karjev?” Alfred spoke with a hint of impatience.
“Oh, he is with the rest of everyone in the mess hall sir, You might be happy to know that he acclimated very well to his transfer here and that despite his origins, his English is better than most his age!”
Alfred passed the headmistress a small smile, “See! Already a sign of a brilliant mind.”
Opening the office door the headmistress called out to her assistant “please go to the mess hall and get Karjev Cordev for us”
“Anything you would like to drink while we wait on him Mr. Stienfried?”
Alfred paused to think for a moment. “Well a glass of Whiskey will do, you still have that old Woodford bottle?”
“Of course I do Mr. Steinfried, while I may have a sip every once in a while, we’ve been saving that one for you.”
Alfred waved his hand. “Put the cup aside for me please, it seems the boy will be arriving soon and we don't want to be setting a bad example for him.”
The door opened as Karjev walked into the room scanning it with his eyes as his attention quickly fell upon Alfred.
“So young Karjev,” the headmistress spoke. “This is Mr. Stienfried the head of a top academy and boarding school for young minds showing great promise. He’s showed some interest in you an-…”
Alfred interrupted. “Thank you, but I think the boy get’s it. May I speak with him on my own?
“Understood sir,”
“Worry not, I am impressed by your work here, you will be seeing a fine donation today” Alfred nodded to the headmistress as she left the room
Karjev tensed up when the headmistress left, something about this Mr. Stienfried made him feel a little nervous.
Alfred decided to break the tension “So how was your trip over to America?”
The simple question felt like cold water on Karjev’s worrying mind. Bringing his attention back to the familiar room around him.
“It wasn't bad, there was a bit of turbulence on the flight here, but other than that, the journey was pretty straightforward.”
“That’s good to hear” Alfred leaned back into his chair, “So, you heard what the Headmistress said, do you have any questions about it?”
There was something about Alfred that made Karjev want to ask questions.
“Yes, where is this school?”
“It’s in Illinois”
“How big is it?”
“Very few at the moment. Because it is very exclusive.”
Karjev looked to him curiously, “what do you mean very few?”
Alfred smiled, “It never feels small with the students there.”
“Oh okay, ummmm, are the people there my age?”
“Some are.” Alfred paused. “Think of the school as a large family, a place of learning for the best type of people.”
“And what makes these people the best?”
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“That's a great question but not necessarily the best thing to discuss in public.” Alfred reached down to pinch his cheek “I’ll do my best to answer your questions on the way there”
Karjev frowned, but he was intrigued, there wasn’t any ill will he could see from this Mr. Stienfried. And he. He knew he wanted to follow this path wherever it would lead.
Alfred looked down at Karjev sensing his curiosity. “Please go gather your stuff and say goodbye to your people. We’ll be on our way in a couple of hours. And I promise.” Alfred leaned in conspiratorially. “All your questions will be answered in the journey.”
Karjev was hiding behind the wall waiting for Mr. Stienfried to leave, jokes on him, Karjev had already packed all his stuff days ago he knew he wasn’t going to stay here. And now with his newly acquired free time, he was going to tail this mysterious Mr. Steinfried. If he was going to spend the next few years of his life with this person he needed to know what he was getting into.
Karjev waited. Stienfried would leave the room before they left; he had things to do nearby. He would do things nearby. And Karjev just had to wait.
So he waited–
And he waited some more, he knew better at this point than to tap his feet, nervous habits were signs they could give him away.
And the door still didn’t open. What was taking him so long?
Karjev heard a voice from behind him “Is something the matter Young Karjev?”
“Mr. St-Stienfried” Karjev tried to find his words. “I didn’t - I mean, yea, I finished packing up”
“Say goodbye to your friends if you had any here. Separate cleanly from old bonds. The path you are taking will not return to this place.” Alfred cut Karjev off as he was about to say something. “All will be explained in the car. No need to try and spy on me. Now go!” Alfred waved his hand to dismiss him.
But Karjev stayed where he was. “There is nothing else binding me to this place. It’s, I don’t know how to describe it, but it was always a rest stop on my greater journey.”
Alfred smiled. “Then let us be on our way.”
The car was a classic, while (choose model) car from a good few decades ago.
Alfred loaded all of Karjevs baggage.
“Mr.Stienfried, I see that you are planning on keeping the Whiskey,” the Headmistress said.
“Indeed, I today realized just how much I was missing it” Alfred moved another of Karjev’s bags into the trunk
“Oh that is fine” Then the Mistress chuckled then turned to Karjev
“The best of luck to you Mr. Cordev, Mr. Stienfield's school is truly amazing”
Karjev nodded and extended his hand for a shake “Thank you for helping me make my way to America”
The Headmistress shook his hand “With pleasure Mr. Cordev”
Alfred rolled down the car window and said,
“Alright, time to go, not to worry Miss. I will make sure you get another one of these, and as you know, I never get in accidents” Alfred quickly turned, “Karjev please hold this”
Karjev, somewhat surprised, made his way to the car and took the drink.
“Alright, we will now be on our way, until next time”
Lilian Brooks sighed and turned back towards her orphanage, it was always stressful when Alfred Stienfried came to visit. The kids he took never returned. And it would seem that whatever he does works very well.
‘I need a drink,’ she thought to herself as she walked back to her office. She had hoped she might get to drink a bit of that Whiskey, but oh well, he said he would get her another one, and he always delivered.
As she entered her office she felt like something was off, everything was physically in place but there was an aura that was always left behind when Mr. Steinfield visited, Electrical devices stuttering, random items absorbing what felt like decades of decay, and some general wear and tear on the infrastructure.
But the benefits of his visits were always worth it. Whatever else he was, That man had Money. But with the odd effects, the weird, post-Chernovil apocalypse symptoms. She probably had enough to report him to the authorities.
But the money was good for the orphanage and Alfred Stienfried wasn’t a monster… Lilian Brooks stared down at her empty glass. “Well. The good whiskey might be gone, but let’s get something in you.”
Wind passed by the car whistling and changing noise, as like questions filling one’s mind pure curiosity but too busy to make out a single coherent sentence.
Alfred broke the silence “Karjev, take this book, what can you tell me about it?”
Karjev took the book, ‘the chernobyl report’.
“This is a book reporting about the chernobyl tragedy”
“Correct, but not concise. Be more accurate”
“Oka-” Karjev stretched the word, “-ay it has 1323 pages, it has 5 sections, and 50 chapters total”
“What does that tell you Karjev?”
“I don't think it tells me anything?” Karjev said hesitatingly
“Correct, it doesn't. Find me something concrete that wouldn't be there usually”
Karjev skimmed through the book looking for anything odd, until he found it. A name, a repeating word coming again and again.
‘Şüalanma’
“What is a Şüalanma,”
Alfred smiled as he took a turn “Not what who’”
Karjev looked further through the book Şüalanma, a name, a source of magic, a prime engineer… “Şüalanma was a wizard wasn’t he?”
“NO” Alfred slammed the wheel ripping a chunk of leather off of it.
Karje was taken aback by the sudden outburst and tried to respond but was cut off by Alfred.
“Şüalanma was a magician not a wizard.” Alfreds calm demeanor immediately reasserted himself leaving not a sign of the preceding outburst “Wizard is a Swear Word, a child birthed from an unholy act of Weird and Bizzar, and i can promise you one thing Karjev, the WIzards are them, not us”
“Us?” Karjev stuttered, still a little put off by the slip of Alfred’s mask.
“Yes Karjev, you Too are a magician”