From the darkest window of the room, Darion watched the twins with a mix of curiosity and disdain. At just five years old, he had already forged his reputation as the undisputed leader among the older children of the orphanage. His robust build and innate ability to manipulate others were weapons he wielded with almost instinctive skill. With his cold, calculating green eyes fixed on Selene and Havel, he decided it was time to reaffirm his dominance, to demonstrate that his control over the orphanage was no mere accident.
The creak of the door opening resonated in the room, like a harbinger of the inevitable. Darion was the first to enter, his imposing silhouette followed closely by his inseparable entourage. Pax, tall and slender, accompanied him with his usual nervous smile, while Aldric, shorter and with tousled dark hair, kept his gaze fixed on the floor, avoiding eye contact as usual. Lucian, small but with a piercing and intense gaze, immediately directed his attention to Selene, while Balthazar, with his sturdy build, anticipated with pleasure what was about to unfold.
—Look, there are the twins!— Darion exclaimed, his voice reverberating in the room with a mixture of mockery and challenge. Pax and Aldric let out nervous giggles, their eyes avoiding Darion's intense stare, while Lucian, with an intensity in his gaze that even he didn't fully understand, kept his eyes locked on Selene. Balthazar crossed his arms, relishing the latent power emanating from Darion, a power he took pleasure in feeding.
Selene and Havel were not naive. The presence of Darion and his group could only mean one thing: trouble. Selene, with her sweet and expressive face, tightened her grip on Havel's hand, seeking an anchor in the midst of the storm. Her dark hair framed her round face, and her large black eyes, usually full of curiosity, were now clouded by a silent but palpable fear. Beside her, Havel, although smaller and more fragile in appearance, stood firm, his soft, angelic face framed by disheveled dark hair, hiding the inner strength that Darion knew resided within him.
—Leave us alone— Havel said with a trembling yet determined voice, taking a step forward in an attempt to protect his sister. His words, though firm, seemed to float in the air, defying the gravity that Darion's presence imposed.
Darion advanced slowly, a mocking smile spreading across his lips, like a wolf that has cornered its prey. He knew he had control, and he savored every second of that certainty. —Oh, really? And who's going to stop me, you?— he taunted, his tone dripping with contempt and malice. —Do you think that just because you're always together, you're stronger than us?— His words fell like a sentence, leaving an implicit promise of what was to come.
The echo of his words still reverberated in the room when the light footsteps of Ariella were heard. The leader of the girls, with her bright black hair and eyes, entered the room followed by Ravenna and Lyria. Ariella, with a venomous smile that seemed to cut through the air, joined the taunting without hesitation.
—Yes, it seems these two can't be apart for even a second. Are they dating?— Ariella's words slid with poison, provoking a wave of laughter that spread like a shadow, enveloping the twins in collective mockery. Darion enjoyed the power he wielded over others, how his words could make the twins tremble. Ravenna, with her wavy blonde hair and sky-blue eyes, and Lyria, with her red hair and green eyes, laughed hesitantly, their laughter timid and lacking the malice that Ariella's held, but still unwilling to defy the imposed atmosphere.
Lucian, who had remained silent, stepped forward, his dark eyes shining with an emotion that Darion couldn't fully comprehend. —Come on, Selene, tell me the truth— he insisted, his voice soft but laden with intention, as if the words themselves were a thread trying to ensnare the will of the girl. —Are you dating Havel?—
Selene struggled to hold back tears, but her expression remained defiant, challenging the weight of the taunts. —We're not dating. We're siblings, you fools— she replied, her voice breaking with emotion, yet firm in her conviction. Her words were a spark in the darkness, a glimmer of defiance that, though small, could not be ignored.
Darion burst into a harsh, cruel laugh that echoed in the room, intensifying the tension that filled the air. —Yes, of course. You always tell the same lie. You're the fools if you think we're going to believe you— he concluded, savoring the fear his words evoked, feeding off the desperation he saw in the siblings' eyes.
Selene and Havel clung to each other, trembling under the cruel shadow of Darion and his group. For Darion, this was simply another day, another opportunity to reaffirm his dominance, to remind everyone that within the walls of Righrean, his word was law. And while the twins clung to a silent hope, he was determined to extinguish any spark of light that emerged within them, ensuring that the darkness of the orphanage never faded.
YOU ARE READING
Sad Moon
خيال (فانتازيا)What is destiny? Is it even real? Or is it perhaps a lie that others use to make us part of their will? Maybe the world won't live long enough to know. Since the Moon no longer shines, the night is darker.
