PREAMBUL; And Now... You're Dead. Again.

It's Just... Period

Another day at the orphanage, everything still normal.

Alesh has told the boys about Lareu's story – Not all of them, mainly about the Frashia and the origin of Jlanx. Now she's in the kitchen, helping Mother to cook, while Eidlan and the twins busy chatting on the porch. A plate of fried bananas became a luxury snack that afternoon, Vasyl and Grier enjoyed it like they never eat before.

"Sometimes I think," Grier said, "if the Scietids keep making Jlanxs, who will they fight?"

"No one!" Eidlan answered, a small piece of fried banana came out of his mouth, "do you remember what Lareu said about the leaders of the Jlanxs? See how greedy he is. He doesn't only want to be the boss of a handful group, he wants everything."

"Doesn't he think, if everyone has become a Jlanx, surely there will also be many who will deserter?" Vasyl asked, eyebrows furrowed as his chew become slower.

Eidlan thought for a few moments, "I guess not all children can be turned into Jlanx. I mean, there's a lot of Jlanx and Scietid, but the quantity of normal humans remains far more."

"And it could be that adults cannot be transformed into Jlanx at all," Grier added, "right?"

Eidlan nodded, "That fact gives plus and minus points. The minus is they can't get a more powerful Jlanx. The plus is certain adults will not understand what is happening with their child. Just consider their child is strange, weird, dangerous, then hurt or throw them away." Eidlan chuckled, "I'm one of those kids. I was dumped by my own family — probably because I was able to hold a pencil and draw basic arithmetic since I was a baby. I'm lucky to meet you and knowing how nasty the Scietids are. Those who are like me have already been 'rescued' by the Scietids."

"Al is the same," Grier added, "you heard what was said by a Jlanx the other day, right?"

Vasyl sigh, "I never knew..."

"Neither do I," said Eidlan and Grier at the same time, Grier continue, "she doesn't act like a broken home child, how could we know?"

"She's willing to die for her family, her parents are nice to us, so who can guess?" Eidlan lose taste of fried bananas, "if she wasn't a Jlanx, you think how many wounds does she have?"

"Even when she's a Jlanx, there are still many wounds, Lan." Vasyl said, "you'll never see her heart, right?"

Eidlan nodded, "If what that stupid Jlanx says is true, I'm glad her parents have stopped doing those things."

The twins nodded, "Me too."

They returned to silence. Vasyl watched several orphans who playing football on the street, they pulled over several times when a car or motorcycle passed, then continued playing.

Grier's eyes were also on the children, but his brain flies to the battle. The wounds he had hadn't fully healed, and sooner or later he would fight again. He realized that during the battle he was the most targeted, and indeed his life was very easy to target. It's not about death that bothered him, but a matter of the fact that by his death he will leave his brother to fight with grief.

"OI!"

The boys jumped from their seats, Alesh burst out laughing, "Lunch is ready, you guys want to eat or not?"

The twins happily glared, "Of course we want to!"

The lunch menu is simple. Only vegetables, a few pieces of fried chicken, some fried fish, also tempeh and tofu. Although Eildan still loses taste, he ate very well. Meanwhile the twins lost their control, Mother had to say, "Eat slowly."

Grier grinned, "Sorry. But this is so good!"

Mother smiled, feeling thankful and sorry at the same time. until they all finished. The four washed the dishes and cleaned the dining room. Some orphans — especially young ones — entered their room and take a nap. Making the orphanage turned to silence, only a few steps of kids and a soft humming from Diwas, one of the kids, who loves to do MWD, read Paruna, and seems to bring peace whenever he exists.

"Usually those who have graduated from high school go straight to work, or go to college and boarding," Eidlan explained, realising the twins' expressions, "as orphans, we are used to helping each other get scholarships or job."

"Ohh," the twins said, nodding their head, "uhh... You think we should tell Alesh?"

Eidlan turned his head to that girl. Busy cleaning up the dishes, although Mother said she doesn't have to.

He knows the only thing to know whether a kid could turn into a Jlanx or not is by testing them, injected the liquid and hurt them also. If she knows about that, that will stick on her mind. Somehow she's that nice to think about everything. And the fact she has to become a Jlanx without any prop back then... Well, Eidlan couldn't erase that from his mind, and wouldn't that will give her more thoughts?

Nevertheless, Alesh doesn't need her power to know when someone hides something, and Eidlan noticed how she loses control of her powers sometimes. If they didn't tell her, eventually she will find out. Or maybe the Bad-Jlanx will tell her. That will give her bigger thoughts.

So he nods, "We tell her."

The boys go to the backyard followed by Alesh. They told her about their thoughts, Alesh listened, forehead furrowed as the story ended.

That was... Acceptable. The theory, not what the Scietids did. She bits her lips, "Don't discuss again. We have to look normal, right? Confused expressions like this are clearly suspicious, don't let Mother and Casya see."

The boys murmured in agreement, but they kept thinking until the sun started to disappear. Eidlan sighs, decided to go inside and do MWD. Alesh returned to the kitchen to make dinner. The twins, who were accustomed to cooking, decided to help Alesh.

"No, not you," Alesh said when Vasyl tried to grabbed a slice of meat, "go meet Casya. You guys missed each other, aren't you? No one can guarantee we will stay in a long time."

Vasyl's face turns to red, especially when Grier teased him by kissing his own hand.

"Fine," he said later, "I'll go meet Casya."

Vasyl turns his back and disappears in a second – It almost looks like he's using his power to get away from the kitchen.

Grier grinning, "Kids nowadays."

"We are a kid," said Alesh, "or are you actually an old man? I once read a book that said turtle could look the same even though one of them is 25, and the other is 100."

"Very funny, very funny." Grier rolls his eyes, "by the way, who know you actually cared about romantic things?"

Alesh suddenly froze, "I... I just don't want anyone else to feel like they lose somebody."

"Oh," said Grier, "right."

Grier seems a little confused when Alesh suddenly turns to a sensitive girl, but he chose to let it go when Alesh starts cooking.

Nah. That's a lie. Grier couldn't let it go.

"Are you okay?" He asked, "is there something wrong?"

Her brain flew to the night when her father screamed, gave her the last warn Then the face of a stranger that hurt her showed up. She has a feeling that that just a beginning, and one day everything will get worst because of that stranger.

But she remains smiled, "Naaah, just a period."