Darkness' Touch

Chapter 44: The day that changed it all

(Two years ago)

"Hey, are you sure that the duke would look for these illegitimate children of his? This better be not a penniless work or I'll just kill these two brats."

"Relax. That man isn't much of an asshole to abandon his blood. He even took in their commoner mother even after she gave birth."

Clari snuggled close to Clion, sitting on the cold and dirty ground somewhere inside a cramped barn with only the voices of the men who took them away could be heard and they were having a conversation outside. The last thing she remembers after waking up next to her brother was that they were out with the servants to walk around downtown. But they were wearing a disguise to his their identity.

"Clari..." Clion whimpered, with only the light coming through the windows, she could see the tears glistening as they trickled down his face nonstop.

"S-stop crying. Father will come g-get us," she was stuttering while she tried to comfort the boy. They may be twins, but she was still older and she shouldn't be crying even though she was scared as well.

The loud opening of the door caused the both of them to flinch, she could feel their bodies trembling looking up at the rough and scary-looking big men who stared down at them with glaring eyes.

"L-let us go!" she shouted, although afraid, trying to act tougher but she immediately got taken over by fear when one of the men walked closer.

He crouched down and frowned.

*SLAP!!*

Her eyes grew wide.

"W-what-"

"Fuck. Shut up! Your voices are irritating!"

"Why did you do that?!"

*SLAP!!*

"Y-you...!"

*SLAP!!*

It was the third slap and Clion was already down on the ground, writhing in pain. His cheeks were red and swollen. Clari's eyes burned and hot tears flowed continuously as she watched her younger twin fall down.

"Clion!!"  she shouted and tried to crawl her way towards the boy but she was interrupted when the man kicked the little boy away. It rendered her speechless. She could not move an inch and Clion started to cough violently.

She felt a hand forcefully making her turn by grabbing her by her face, nails digging through her cheeks. The man made her look at him straight before he spoke.

"Didn't I tell you to shut your trap?" he snarled angrily before flinging her away towards her brother.

"One more sound from either of you and the other gets a beating."

It was the last thing they heard from the man before he vacated the room.

Clari sniffled and tried to contain her cries to herself but she still made a sound. She couldn't cover her mouth hence she bit her lower lip until it bled, but not once she heard anything from Clion.

"Clion... are you... still... there?"  she asked in between hiccups.

She heard nothing.

Then something pressed to her side as if attempting to initiate a hug.

Clion leaned on her shoulder until the both of them fell asleep.

~~~

Clari smiled brightly to herself when she finally found the box of toys that she was looking for. She spent almost twenty minutes going through the old stuff that they were planning to give away to the countryside churches where many orphans live.