"SO YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO ME ALL THIS TIME?"
Madam Fyto sat silently in her chair.
"Yes... I've been lying to you," she answered calmly.
"I kept your past a secret because I care about you. And I think... it's finally time you knew the truth."
Raagnol stared at her, his brows furrowed, clearly still angry.
"I know this is hard for you. But it's the truth. I found you lying in the bushes when I was gathering herbs in the forest that day."
"You were just lying there, and that pendant was around your neck... so it must be yours."
"I don't know where you came from, but clearly, you're human. Which means your family must be somewhere near the human kingdom."
Still upset, Raagnol left the room without a word. It was clear he wasn't ready to accept it all yet.
Since that day, Raagnol preferred to be alone. He often stared at the blue pendant. Deep in his heart, he kept wondering, where were his parents now? Were they still alive? Who were they?
A seed of longing to meet them began to grow. Raagnol decided, he would find his parents.
"Raagnol..."
"Raagnol..."
"RAAGNOL!"
Raagnol snapped out of his daydream.
"Come on… lunch is ready. Everyone's already in the dining room. You're the only one missing. They're all waiting for you…" Leyko called from the doorway.
BANG!
A loud crash echoed through the building.
Startled, Raagnol and Leyko rushed toward the source.
When they arrived, they saw royal soldiers had broken in.
"COME OUT, YOU MAGE!" one of the soldiers shouted.
The soldiers immediately scattered throughout the building.
Raagnol and Leyko stood frozen, watching as the soldiers tore through every room in the orphanage.
"THERE'S NO MAGE HERE!" Madam Fyto declared firmly from atop the stairs.
A few soldiers restrained her on the spot. She could do nothing but watch the chaos unfold. Her face showed clear worry.
Raagnol glanced at Madam Fyto being held back, then at Leyko's anxious face, and at the children trembling in fear.
He clenched his fists.
"If I stay silent... they could all get hurt..."
...
"I..."
"I'm the mage you're looking for," Raagnol declared boldly to the soldiers.
Madam Fyto's eyes widened in shock.
"HE'S LYING! THERE'S NO MAGE HERE! YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG PLACE!" she shouted.
"Hohoho… A child, huh? Still, a mage is a mage… and the fugitive we're after is said to be a child," said one of the soldiers, seemingly their captain.
"I'M NOT A CHILD! I'M FIFTEEN!" Raagnol snapped.
"A child's still a child... Take him!" the captain ordered.
"Ah, and by the way... I'm Captain Reztro. Nice to meet you all," he said smugly.
With those words, Captain Reztro turned and walked away, leaving his soldiers to drag Raagnol off to prison.
The old orphanage was now a mess, full of frightened children and a stunned Madam Fyto, who still couldn't believe what had just happened.
She stared at Raagnol being taken away… and couldn't bring herself to say a single word.