Bab 15: Orphanage
~~ Author Note ~~
https://discord.gg/6PBf4ccNCT
Hello, readers.
I restarted this chapter because I didn't like what I had initially written. I much prefer this over my previous iteration. That is the cause for the delay.
As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
~~ End Author Note ~~
***
Dianthus walked along an empty dirt trail while he basked in the sunlight. A still sleepy Shiro was dozing off against his back. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, treating her father as a glorified pillow. Shiro let loose a yawn as her eyelids drooped, eliciting a chuckle from Dianthus.
"It seems my daughter is still just as lazy as she was before," Dianthus goaded his daughter with a smirk.
Rather than respond to his provocation, Shiro instead snuggled against her father. "Papa's scent is relaxing. I missed papa a lot."
Dianthus adorned a warm smile, but nothing less than sadness was hidden behind. He didn't respond to her words and instead focused on walking. The silence stretched on between the two. The daughter enjoyed being in her father's presence again while the father was tongue-tied due to guilt.
"Does papa ever miss mama?" Shiro asked in a whisper.
Dianthus felt a tightening sensation in his chest. He released a heavy breath and spoke steadily in an emotion-filled voice. "There's not a single day that has gone by that I haven't missed her. The day I lost both you and your mother was the day I lost my whole world."
Shiro took notice of her father's strained emotional state. "What happened isn't papa's fault. I'm sure mama wouldn't blame papa either."
Dianthus clenched his teeth as tears trickled down his face. Shackles that have long since chained his heart began to erode. He had spent many years isolating himself due to his guilt, yet in the short time since he met Honami, his entire existence has been shaken. The emotions he believed he had killed within himself have since made a grand return. Although he can't say catching Nyogtha's attention was a good thing, but it allowed him to start an entirely different journey. Of course, he still has every intention of saving Honami and torturing Nyogtha.
Every step became heavier as Dianthus proceeded to let loose his pent-up feelings. The words his daughter said to him were what he always wished to hear but didn't believe he deserved. Shiro just listened to her father's quiet sobs as she continued to rest her head on his shoulder.
***
In an orphanage existing within a small rural village, an adorable little girl with a set of fox ears and tail was sitting on an old wooden chair. A pout was present on her face as she grumpily looked out a dirty window at a group of children playing outside. An older woman with gray hair and wrinkles approached the little girl from the side.
"Do you understand what you did wrong, Shiro?" the old woman asked.
"No," Shiro answered bluntly.
The older woman sighed. "You shouldn't hit the other kids like that, especially since you're much stronger than them."
"They said that Shiro is here because papa abandoned Shiro," she said while balling her small hands into fists. "Papa would never abandon Shiro."
"I know you believe that, but you have to remember that for many of the children here, they were abandoned by their parents," the woman gently said.
Shiro's ears drooped as she tightened her hands. "You don't believe Shiro either." Tears threatened to fall from the little girl's eyes.
The woman sighed again. She turned around and walked away, leaving the defiant orphan behind. "Why do some children insist on being difficult," she mumbled to herself while closing the door.
The young kitsune watched with frustration as the door closed. 'Just you wait. Papa will come for Shiro soon.'
Shiro resigned herself to waiting. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months, and months turned to years. Time passed without regard to the little girl's feelings. She waited and waited, yet her father was nowhere to be seen.
The other children continued to mock her for retaining her hope that she might meet her parents again. The caretakers from the orphanage turned a blind eye towards the bullying but would step in whenever Shiro retaliated. They had already labeled her a lost cause and a problem child.
The once bright girl became more withdrawn as time passed. Shiro had long lost hope. She began to harbor negative thoughts. 'Maybe they're right. Maybe papa really did abandon Shiro.'
Her condition might've worsened had it not been for one fateful day when a beautiful woman arrived at the orphanage. The woman wore an elegant black dress of high-quality material. One glance was enough for the staff to identify her as an important guest. Their eyes practically turned to gold at the thought of the donations they might receive.
"Hello miss, how might we be of service to your esteemed self?" a middle-aged man sporting round glasses asked.
The woman tucked a strand of her silky black hair behind her pointed ear as she looked at the man. "I'm here to look for a certain child. I believe she resides here."
"Do you perhaps happen to know her name?" the man asked as he pushed up his glasses.
"Shiro," the woman said.
The man turned towards one of the nearby caretakers. "Go fetch Shiro and bring her to my office." The caretaker nodded and scurried off. Turning back to the beautiful woman, the man said, "Please follow me, miss."
The middle-aged man brought the woman into an office that was far nicer than the rest of the building. He attempted to converse with the beautiful woman while waiting but didn't receive much in the way of response. The only information he received was that her name was Semiramis.
After a period of awkward silence filled only by attempted conversations by the man, a knock at the door resonated in the office. "Come in," the man said as he mentally breathed a sigh of relief.
The door opened as the female caretaker guided a small fox-eared girl into the office. Upon receiving a signal from the man, the woman left the little girl behind.
The little girl briefly glanced at the beautiful woman who currently observed her. "You called for me?" the girl questioned, addressing the middle-aged man.
"Ahem," the man cleared his throat. "Yes, this lady wished to meet with you." He gestured towards the woman sitting on the nearby couch.
The little girl turned towards the woman. The woman smiled sweetly. "Hello. Nice to meet you, Shiro. My name is Semiramis, and I was wondering if you could answer a question for me."
The little girl, Shiro, nodded in affirmation. Getting the go-ahead, Semiramis proceeded with her inquiry. "By any chance, are you familiar with the name Dianthus?"
Shiro's eyes lit up. "You know papa?" She rushed towards Semiramis and grasped her hand. "Do you know where papa is?"
The man panicked, believing Shiro's action would irritate the woman. "Quickly release her hand! Don't be rude to our guest!"
Semiramis gave the man a cold glance that shut him up. Sweat trickled down his back as he swallowed heavily. The pressure on him made him feel as if he was suffocating.
Semiramis moved her gaze towards the little girl and grabbed her hand before she could pull away. She smiled gently at Shiro. "I know your papa. I'm helping him out by looking for his daughter and wife."
Standing up, Semiramis took Shiro into her arms. She looked back towards the man. "I'm going to be taking her with me."
"But what about the adoption process? There are fees, and a donation will go a long way towards helping take care of the children," the man said.
Semiramis scoffed at the man. "I don't care about your ridiculous fees. You're lucky I don't kill you for ogling me and treating my stepdaughter poorly."
Semiramis noticed from the man's earlier tone that the darkened color of Shiro's soul is not just a mistake. People in this orphanage weren't treating her well, leading the little girl to fall into a negative state of mind. The only reason she resisted killing them was due to Shiro. Semiramis was unsure if the little girl could handle bloodshed.
The man felt the same pressure from earlier pressing down on him once again. He shrunk back, not daring to utter another complaint.
Satisfied, Semiramis opened a rift in the space before her. "Let's go. I'll take you to your father."
Shiro excitedly nodded as Semiramis carried her into the rift. They disappeared from the office and reappeared inside an exquisite wooden house. She looked around in awe at the scenery, including glancing out the window. Outside was the largest and most beautiful field of flowers she had ever seen.
Semiramis released the little girl from her arms. "I've already contacted your father. He should be here soon."
Shiro turned and curiously looked at Semiramis. "You said earlier that Shiro is your stepdaughter. Does that mean you are papa's new wife? What about mama?"
The goddess chuckled. "Yes, I'm one of your father's wives. As for your mother, I haven't yet been able to find her."
The little girl's ears drooped slightly after hearing that her mother wasn't around. "Why did papa not come for Shiro sooner? And why did papa decide to remarry and forget mama?"
Semiramis sighed. "Your father has always been looking for you and your mother. Also, he hasn't forgotten your mother."
Seeing the confusion on Shiro's face, Semiramis delved further into an explanation. "The time you spent away from your father is much shorter than what your father has experienced. It was only several years for you, but it has been thousands of years for your father. Also, your father has lived with guilt over the loss of you and your mother."
Shiro immediately understood the underlying meaning of her words. "Papa was left alone for so long." She felt sad knowing that her father was suffering. Though young, Shiro was mature enough to realize that her father's potential suffering was much more significant than what she had gone through. Shiro didn't even remember her death very well. The only hell she experienced was the loneliness from living in the orphanage.
"I can't say that I know everything that your father has been through, as he hasn't yet told me his whole story. However, I do know that he has experienced betrayal and loss multiple times. For a while, he shut away his heart and pushed others away."
Hearing the details, Shiro decided to forego her anger and resentment. Instead, she chose to support her father and learn more about what he had gone through. Knowing that he had never forgotten, nor stopped looking for, her and her mother was enough for her.
Shiro continued to converse with Semiramis to learn more about her father's current situation while waiting for him to arrive.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone