The heavy steel door opened with a simple touch of Brother Morrin's amulet, hanging safely from his neck. A mechanical contraption started moving the doors to the side, letting them both stride through.

"We prioritize your safety here, you see." Brother Morrin patted the mechanical door frame. "You children are our most valued asset, and we need to be able to protect you at all costs."

Nova hunched his shoulders. "I s-see… B-But how often can we leave?"

"Oh, we have outings now and then." Brother Morrin's smile grew wider. "But there are magical windows down here that let in sunlight and fresh air, so it's quite lovely."

'So, barely ever? A prison, just like I suspected… But how can they get any faithful followers if this is how they are treated? Is there systematic indoctrination going on? I do not need another powerful enemy right now, but if I see some bullshit down here…'

Nova prepared for the worst as they descended another set of stairs. The floor turned from wood to stone as they reached the bottom, showing a long hallway stretching forward. It was admittedly quite bright and inviting, with windows letting in sunlight from both sides.

"See? Doesn't it just lift your spirits?" Brother Morrin asked, smiling down at Nova.

"It d-does look nice." Nova walked over to a window, more to check for escape options than for actual curiosity. But the formation did intrigue him.

'Is it some sort of illusion formation? I doubt they would make portals just for this, and especially constantly open ones. It would require a ton of energy.'

The city spread out below as if viewed from several stories up. The detail was incredible—until he noticed the empty streets. No people walked the roads. No birds flew overhead. The city lay frozen like a painting.

"It's an illusion?" Nova pressed his palm against the cool glass, marveling at how real the city looked despite its emptiness.

"Indeed! Quite an achievement of magical engineering. We captured an entire day's view from high above the city, then wove it into these formations. Each window shows a different angle."

"That's amazing..." Nova let genuine wonder creep into his voice. "C-Could I learn to make something like this?"

"Of course!" Brother Morrin walked past him, gesturing for him to follow along. "As someone with great talent, you'll be taught a number of complicated subjects. And if there's one that interests you more than others, you may choose to pursue it with vigor!"

"... What if I didn't have great talent?"

Brother Morrin's enthusiasm dimmed. "Then… It's sad to say, but then we wouldn't accept you into the church. We spend a lot of resources on you, so we must be strict in the admittance process. There are too many children in the city, after all."

Nova nodded, scowling internally. 'What a great way to steal all the talents in the city. I imagine this is how they do it in all cities, regardless of what the local leaders might think. I'm impressed they have enough power to take such liberties.'

"The church must be really s-strong with so many talented people," Nova said carefully. "What happens to everyone w-when we grow up?"

"Oh, there are many areas you can choose to enter." Brother Morrin spread his arms wide. "The warrior program is for people who want to journey into the wild and gather resources for the church. The priest program is for those who wish to learn the ways of the Order and earn a position in our grand hierarchy. The scholar program is for those who enjoy research and magic, aiding us in our pursuit of knowledge."

"Oh… Those sound nice."

'... Is the church a decent place, after all? Morrin seems like a decent guy, and if all these options are available once the children are grown, what's the catch? Am I about to find out?'

"Ah, right, the children should be in the praying session now." Brother Morrin checked a pocket watch. "Well, you'll meet them later. The girl I spoke of earlier is still adjusting to things, so she's probably in the dorm room. She's about your age."

"Is everyone the same age here?"

"Oh, yes, everyone on this floor is about your age. Then those a bit older are one floor down, and so on. There are shared rooms like the dining hall and the recess hall; otherwise, they're mostly separated. Ah, here it is!"

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

They arrived at a large wooden door, having passed many on the way. There were letters on a sign next to it, probably saying 'Dormitory.'

"This will be your home for now, Arthur." Brother Morrin smoothed his robes. "Did you remember the way here?"

"Y-Yes, sir. Can I go in?"

"Heh, eager, are you?" Brother Morrin's eyes crinkled with amusement. "Well, go right ahead. Would you like me to introduce you?"

"N-no thank you." Nova stared at his shoes. "I can do it."

'I would rather meet her alone if I can help it.'

"Well then, good luck." Brother Morrin pointed back the way they'd come. "If you need anything, knock on the door near the stairway from which we came. Brother Norbert should help you with any issues."

"Thank you, sir."

Brother Morrin gave Nova a final warm smile before heading back toward the stairs, whistling a cheerful melody that echoed off the stone walls.

'Indoctrination is dangerous. He's giving me the impression that everything here is fine, but I've seen too many similar institutions already. He might not even realize how messed up something is, having grown up in it himself.'

Nova turned to the door with a heavy heart. He was afraid of what the accident had done to Millie. Her mind was still all too young to understand, and it was still developing.

'She is likely to blame herself, if she even understands what happened. I should shoulder that blame completely. I should ask her what she wants. I should give her time, but… that will have to be later.'

He grabbed the handle of the door and pushed, feeling it open without a sound. It revealed a large, open room, with a round overhead window giving light to the entire area. Couches and warm blankets were spread around, as well as a bunch of toys lying on the floor.

It didn't seem like a sleeping area, though. And there was no sign of Millie, so Nova journeyed further inside, letting the door click shut behind him.

A corridor showed itself as he got further into the room, leading to a large number of doors. It reminded him of the garden in some ways, but it looked far more comfortable.

"... Hello?" he tried, hoping for a response. But nothing came. He looked back at the door, checking that they were alone. "Millie?"

"... In here." The small voice trembled from behind one of the nearest doors.

Nova immediately moved toward it, feeling his heart pounding. He took a steadying breath before turning the handle.

It was a mess. Shredded pillows and a torn mattress littered the floor, wrapped around a small shape crowned with tangled blonde hair.

"Who?" Her voice came out raw and scratchy, as if she'd been crying for hours.

Nova's fingers traced a quick pattern in the air, laying down a silencing formation. He couldn't risk surveillance spells picking up their conversation. Better to be wary. "... Millie, are you okay?"

The bundle of blankets thrashed at the sound of his voice. Then the fabric all fell to the sides, revealing two tired blue eyes, wide as saucers. "Nova?"

"... Are you okay?" He took a step closer.

Millie yanked the blanket back over her head, breathing in sharp gasps. "...I'm sorry, Nova… I ruined it… I ruined it," Millie repeated, looking down at her hands.

Nova stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. "It's my fault, Millie. I gave you power without teaching you how to control it."

"The runes went bad!" Millie yelled, leaning forward against the floor. "They were so pretty but then they got too bright and—" Her voice cracked. "Kovu and Paula won't wake up anymore."

"I know, Millie." Nova kept his voice gentle, though each word felt like glass in his throat. "None of this was your fault."

"But I heard the melody!" Her voice cracked. "It was so pretty, and I just wanted to make it stay, and then..." She pulled the blanket tighter. "Everything went all white."

"Melody?" Nova knelt on the floor beside her huddled form. "From the runes?"

"Yeah. When they light up..." Her fingers twitched like she wanted to draw them, but she stopped herself. "I don't… I don't want to hear it anymore."

"That's okay. You don't have to." He kept his voice soft, like soothing a frightened animal.

"Really?" She peeked out from the blanket, eyes puffy from crying. "But... but you said I had to practice..."

"Not if you're scared. We can wait."

She nodded slowly, then looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Are we going back home?"

"No, we can't do that. But the others know you're alive. And they miss you."

"... They don't hate me?"

Her words cut him deeply, letting him know exactly how hard these last few days had been for her. "Not at all! I told them it was my fault, and it is my fault. But only Kovu and Paula were…" He realized a bit too late that Millie shouldn't have any way to know who died. Kovu might have been obvious, but Paula would be impossible to know. "How do you know they won't wake up again?"

"... Because they told me." Millie's voice dropped to a whisper. "They speak to me sometimes."

Nova felt his heart drop. Hearing voices was never a good thing, and especially when they were from the dead. Then he realized.

'Oh… oh, no! She has their souls!' Nova drew a sharp breath, only now considering where their souls had gone. 'But their souls shouldn't have been completed, right? Or did it happen… right then? And how can she hear their voices? Is it part of her trait?'

"Can we go away from here?" Millie clutched the blanket tighter.

Nova returned from his thoughts, looking at Millie with tender care. "We can. Do you want to?"

"I..." Millie's eyes darted around the destroyed room. "I don't know anymore. Everything's wrong." She slumped against Nova's side with a quiet sob.

Nova shifted to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her small shoulders. "There's a kind man who sells fish near the docks. We can stay with him for a while if you'd like."

"... What about the others?" Her voice was muffled by the blanket.

"They won't fit unfortunately. But I have a plan to get them all out of there."

"Into the city?" Millie's head popped up. "I saw it! The city from your dreams! But it was all dark."

"... Yes, into the city." Nova squeezed her shoulder gently. "But it will take time. And I can't always be around, just like now."

"... But you can come sometimes?" Her fingers clutched at his sleeve.

"As often as I possibly can." Nova pressed a kiss to the top of her blanket-wrapped head. "What do you say? Ready to leave this place?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.