Chapter 2: Shadow
Chapter 2: Shadow
After all the children left the ground, only Ajax and Elder Boron stood on the open field.
“Ajax, do you have anything to say to me about your nightmares?” asked Elder Boron slowly.
“Yes elder, I think my training should increase. Lately, the intensity of my nightmares is increasing,” said Ajax hurriedly.
“There is no need to increase your training…”
“But what about my nightmares?” Before the elder finished his sentence, Ajax interjected in panic.
“No need to worry. I have a solution. That’s why I asked you to wait,” said the elder
“Really?” Ajax asked quickly.
“Yes, come to my room tomorrow morning at5 A.M. I will take you to a place,” said the elder mysteriously.
“Where?” Ajax asked expectantly.
“What’s the hurry? You will know tomorrow. So be ready, and don’t be late,” the elder reminded him once again.
“Ok then Elder, I will head back to my room now.” After saying that, he quickly ran off in the direction of the orphanage.
The elder stood there, watching the silhouette of Ajaxhe began mumbling something.
As soon as Ajax reached his room, his friends Damon and Hector, who were waiting for him, said, “Ajax come quickly; otherwise, we will miss our dinner if we get there late.”
Ajax also knew that if you went late, there would be no food for you that night. He hurriedly washed his face and rushed to the dining hall.
Although the food given to them was not good, it was not bad either. It was better than most ordinary people could afford. Those in the Orphanage at least couldeat brown bread and congeeregularly without having to worry about going hungry, provided they weren’t late or suffering some punishment from Elder Boron.
However, the amount that they were given was still not enough to make up for their arduous training. Many of them would do some miscellaneous works to earn money for nutritious food.Some of that work would include cutting wood or selling animal skins that they had hunted in the nearby woods.
Furthermore, all children who were above 15 years old had to leave the orphanage regardless of whether they enlisted in the military or not.This made sure that the orphanage never had to many mouths to feed.
Most people settled being commoners in their life, while the more courageous enlisted in the military.
After eating their food, everyone went to their rooms.
In the Silver Orphanage, four children share a single room.
In Ajax’s room, the other three roommates were Damon, Hector, and Jason. With Jason being eldest, the others were of the same age as Ajax. All four roommates were very close and cared for one another.
“Ajax, what did that old monster say to you this time after we left the field outside?” asked Jason with a sympathetic tone.
Jason had the same body force as the others despite him being one year older than everyone. As a result, Elder Boron regularly made Jason exercise more than everyone except for Ajax. That’s why he fondly referred to the elder as an old monster. Although he called him an old monster, he didn’t hate the elder though. Jason knew that he would have to leave the orphanage earlier than others so that’s why he got more work than others. Elder Boron was just trying to increase his body force by making him do more exercises.
“Nothing. Elder Boron wants me to do more exercise tomorrow,” Ajax said nonchalantly.
“Ajax, you’re a monster!” all the roommates shouted at once.
They all knew about Ajax’s problem with the nightmares since they were roommates, they also knew that he had to do more exercise than others to suppress it. Nevertheless, knowing that he still wanted to do even more training, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“It’s making me sick just thinking about all your exercise routines, and you still have so much energy after all that exercise.” Hector said to Ajax in a puking action.”Forget it, goodnight, everyone.”
“Good night,” Damon and Jason said before heading straight to bed.
“Good night,” Ajax said after pausing seemly lost in thought. Then he too went to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Ajax started to make sounds in his sleep due to nightmares. His nightmares made him wake up several times throughout the night.
At one point in the night, a shadow came into his room, silently moving through the room. It soon took the shape of a human silhouette and touched several points on Ajax’s body.
As soon as the shadow finished touching Ajax’s at those points on his body, the shadow gently touched Ajax’s face, his expression returned to normal and began to sleep peacefully.
“The intensity has increased sooner than I expected. I think it is finally time for the next phase,” the shadow muttered looking at the peacefully sleeping Ajax.
The shadow slowly dissolved into the floor and disappeared from the room as if nothing happened.