The Eclipse Moons Grimoire: Lilith's Soft Whispers

C1: S1: F2: Haunting past (2)

Later that night, at the orphanage...

"Aren, are you absolutely sure about what you saw?"

A fat middle-aged woman with a round belly and an unpleasant expression sat behind the orphanage office desk, her sharp eyes fixed on him. Beside her stood a thin, flat-faced man with the same protruding belly, his arms crossed, radiating disapproval.

Both wore stern expressions, their presence heavy in the dimly lit room.

"Yes, Aunt," Aren answered firmly.

"Who told you about this?" she pressed.

"I overheard some of the older boys talking," Aren replied, careful with his words.

He didn't want to mention Airi, 'Sister said she doesn't want anything to do with them. She may not like it if I mentioned her.'

The uncle exchanged a glance with the woman, "I'll go get them."

Aren watched as the man strode out of the room. A few tense minutes passed before he returned, leading a group of boys—older, taller, some with guarded expressions—into the office.

The air grew heavy as they assembled before the stern caretakers, their eyes shifting between Aren and the adults.

"You lot, listen well," the manager's sharp voice cut through the room.

She folded her arms, glaring at the group. "Aren says you've been doing drugs and selling blue films at school. Is that true?"

The boys turned to Aren, staring daggers.

Then, one by one, they erupted.

"No, Aunt! Aren is lying! We would never do such things."

"Yes! He's making it up!" They nodded vigorously, each backing the other up.

The uncle narrowed his eyes. "But why would Aren lie?"

One of the older boys stepped forward, his voice calm but laced with accusation. "Aunt, we caught Aren watching weird videos at school. We tried to stop him, but he didn't listen. Now he's making up lies to get back at us."

"Yes," the others chimed in, nodding in agreement.

"No, I didn't!" Aren shouted, his voice shaking with frustration. "I saw them going up to the school terrace with black bags! If you don't believe me, you can check their bags—"

"Shut up!"

Slap!

Before Aren could finish, a sharp crack of the slap echoed through the room.

Aren felt dizzy as he staggered, the world spinning around him. A sharp buzzing filled his ear, and a warm trickle of blood oozed down from it.

The voices around him blurred for a moment before snapping back into focus.

"Lying little brat," she hissed, her palm still stinging.

The woman's scolding rang through the room, sharp and relentless.

Aren staggered as pain burned across his cheek. His wide eyes met the manager's furious glare.

"How dare you lie about your senior brothers!" she spat.

"Spreading such rumors—Do you have any idea what would happen to their reputation? To this orphanage's reputation?"

Aren's head throbbed, but he forced himself to speak. "But Aunt, I didn't lie—"

"Shut up!" she cut him off, her tone laced with disgust.

"Are you saying they are lying? Look around you, All of them are saying the same thing, and you are the only one claiming otherwise."