(T＿T)

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The large room reserved for the girls in the orphanage buzzed with whispers and the rustle of blankets. Dozens of beds were lined up on both sides, a dim yellow light hung from the worn-out ceiling, and cracked walls told old stories.

On the last bed by the window sat Linda and Rosie—the oldest among the girls—their faces sunk in worry over what had happened to Elias the day before.

The soft sound of rain on the glass brought back a painful memory.

Flashback:

– Three Years Earlier:

The orphanage yard was full of visitors, men and women in elegant clothes who had come “to see the children.” The director, with a fake smile, held little Linda’s hand in front of the crowd as if she were a loving mother.

But as soon as the guests left, the smile vanished and her face turned into a mask of anger. She grabbed a long stick and ordered the children to stand in a line.

She advanced toward Linda, who had accidentally broken a vase that morning, and struck her in front of everyone—hard blows that made her small body tremble. Rosie stood helpless, trying to scream, but the director turned to her and said coldly,

“Anyone who speaks… gets their share.”

At that moment they realized that kindness in the orphanage was only a temporary mask and that punishment could be harsher than hunger itself.

End of flashback.......

They returned to the present, their eyes still fixed on the image of Elias in their minds as he had just been dragged away like a criminal before them.

The next morning, the four friends gathered in a secluded corner behind the orphanage yard, away from the other children’s eyes.

Linda stepped toward Elias, her eyes full of worry:

– “Are you okay… because of what happened yesterday?”

He answered with a faint smile:

– “It’s fine… it was just a small punishment.”

But William, sitting on an old stone, cut in sharply:

– “Stop lying. You took the punishment for all of us, and you know it wasn’t easy.”

Elias sighed and looked down:

– “It’s fine… I only have two months left before I leave this hell. As for you, you still have a long time, and I don’t want the director to hold a grudge against you.”

Then he lifted his head, his voice carrying a hint of a dream:

– “When I get out of here… I’ll live on my own, find a job, and finish my studies at the university.”

William smiled, a real smile this time:

– “And I’ll follow you.”

Linda suddenly jumped and placed her hands on their shoulders:

– “No, guys! You promised me we’d always live together… no one leaves the others!”

Rosie, with her usual smile, nodded:

– “Of course, we’re a family.”

William raised his eyes to the gray sky and said:

– “We’ll be happy then… far away from this place.”

In the evening, the children were playing frisbee and laughter filled the yard. William threw the disc far from everyone, and Linda ran to catch it, moving lightly until she passed by an old dusty staircase. She didn’t notice the broken steps, her left foot slipped, and she tumbled in a spiral until she reached the bottom.

She stood up holding her head, dizziness unsettling her steps… then she noticed a heavy iron door slightly open. Her curiosity outweighed the pain, and she pushed it slowly.

Before her stretched a long, strangely beautiful corridor lit by golden chandeliers, its walls decorated with old oil paintings and its floor made of pure marble. It looked like another world… with no connection to the miserable orphanage above.

She walked forward hesitantly, glancing left and right, passing elegant closed rooms.

“Why is there a place this beautiful… while we live in filth above it?” she whispered to herself.

As she continued exploring, she suddenly stopped when she heard voices approaching. She hid behind a marble column, breathing hard.

A man’s voice:

– “I want to adopt more than one child… and I want them to be teenagers, not little kids…”

The director’s voice:

– “You know that’s forbidden, sir.”

The man:

– “And what about this money?”

The director fell silent, then laughed slyly:

– “Very well… I’m happy there’s a generous and kind man like you… I’ll tell you this only once… you can adopt more than one child…”

Then she heard papers rustling, and the director continued:

– “This is a photo of the oldest boy… his name is Elias. And this is William, the second boy. These two are Rosie and Linda. They are the oldest in the orphanage.”

The man:

– “Mmm… good. I’d be happy to take them all… I’ll make them like my own children.”

The director:

– “That’s wonderful, sir… we’ll prepare the adoption papers immediately.”

Linda put her hand over her mouth, her heart pounding. She moved away quickly, but the corridor was long and confusing. She decided to hide behind another marble column.

Luckily they didn’t turn around as they left.

She returned to the yard to find her friends searching for her anxiously.

She ran toward them, a strange smile on her face:

– “There’s a rich man… he wants to adopt all of us! I heard the director talking to him.”

They exchanged surprised looks.

William asked:

– “How do you know?”

So she told them everything she had seen and heard.

But Elias frowned and said sharply:

– “Adopt us? No, they’re mocking us. Who adopts teenagers our age? That’s not adoption… maybe he wants us for work or something worse.”

William nodded in agreement:

– “Makes sense.”

But Linda tried to convince them, her eyes shining with hope:

– “At last we’ll live under one roof… we won’t be separated!”

Rosie raised an eyebrow and said:

– “Strange… usually they adopt only one child, not four. I feel there’s a trick behind this.”

Elias cut in:

– “Trick or not… I don’t want anyone to tie me down. In two months I’ll be free. I’ve refused every family that tried to adopt me, and I won’t change my mind.”

The other three stood by his side, except for Linda, who was still trying to plant hope in them… but the atmosphere grew heavy, and doubt began to creep into all their hearts.

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