𝕿hunder rolled across the heavens, its deafening roar shaking the world beneath it. Each rumble seemed louder than the last, echoing through the deserted streets as though the sky itself had awakened in fury. Jagged flashes of lightning tore through the darkness, illuminating the rain-soaked road for only a heartbeat before everything was swallowed once more by an endless sea of black.
The rain showed no mercy.
It poured from the sky in heavy sheets, striking the pavement with such force that water splashed around my feet with every desperate step I took.
I ran.
My lungs burned with every breath, and my legs felt as though they would give way beneath me, but I couldn't stop. I didn't dare look behind me. Whether someone—or something—was chasing me, I didn't know. All I knew was that every instinct in my body screamed at me to keep running.
The freezing wind lashed against my face, making it difficult to breathe. My soaked clothes clung heavily to my skin, and strands of wet hair stuck to my forehead as I pushed myself forward.
One more step.
Then another.
Suddenly—
A hand shot out of the darkness and gripped my wrist.
Before I could react, I was yanked violently backwards.
My balance vanished.
I stumbled.
For a brief moment, it felt as though time itself had stopped.
Then my body slammed against the cold pavement with a painful thud.
The impact forced the air from my lungs.
Everything around me blurred.
The thunder faded.
The rain became distant.
And as I lay there struggling to breathe, memories I had buried deep within my heart came rushing back...
Memories from five years ago.
The day everything began.
---
Five Years Earlier
Warm rays of sunlight filtered gently through the curtains, filling the small dormitory with a soft golden glow. Unlike the storm I would one day face, that morning was peaceful. Birds chirped somewhere beyond the window, and a cool breeze drifted lazily into the room, carrying with it the fresh scent of damp grass.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
For a few quiet moments, I simply lay there, staring at the ceiling while the warmth of the morning sun rested against my face.
It felt like any ordinary day.
I stretched my arms, climbed out of bed, quickly folded my blanket, and slipped into my shoes.
Still half asleep, I reached for the doorknob and stepped outside my dormitory.
The hallway was unusually quiet.
Almost too quiet.
Before I could wonder why, one of the older girls hurried toward me. She had been checking each dormitory room one by one, making sure everyone had already left.
The moment she saw me, her eyes widened.
"You're still here?" she exclaimed.
I blinked in confusion.
"What happened?"
"The morning assembly has already started!" she said, pointing urgently toward the main hall. "If Mr. Bill notices you're missing, you'll be in trouble. Hurry!"
Those words instantly woke me up.
"Oh no..."
Without wasting another second, I rushed down the long corridor.
The sound of my footsteps echoed through the hallway as I ran as fast as I could. My heartbeat quickened—not because I was tired, but because everyone knew one thing about the orphanage.
Mr. Bill hated lateness.
By the time I reached the main hall, almost every child was already seated.
Rows upon rows of boys and girls sat quietly, facing the stage.
I hesitated near the entrance, hoping nobody had noticed me.
Then a familiar voice whispered loudly from across the room.
"Over here!"
I turned.
Ace was waving both hands in the air, trying to catch my attention.
A smile spread across my face.
I hurried toward her and quietly slipped into the empty seat beside her.
"You almost got caught," she whispered, trying not to laugh.
"I know," I whispered back, still catching my breath.
Before either of us could say another word, silence settled over the hall.
Every pair of eyes turned toward the stage.
Three people stood there.
Three people who held complete authority over the orphanage.
At the centre stood Mr. Bill.
To the children, he was more than just the owner of the orphanage. He was the man who made every rule, enforced every punishment, and decided everything that happened within those walls. Behind his back, some of the older children secretly called him Bill Bounce, though no one would ever dare say it where he could hear.
Standing beside him was his wife, Mrs. Anthony, the orphanage's first caretaker. She rarely smiled, but she carried herself with a calmness that often made it impossible to know what she was truly thinking.
The third person was Elord, the oldest girl in the orphanage.
Unlike the rest of us, Elord wasn't treated like an ordinary resident. She helped the caretakers, looked after the younger children, and seemed to know far more about the orphanage than anyone else.
At the time...
I thought she was simply another senior.
I had no idea how important she would become.Mr. Bill slowly stepped forward until he stood at the centre of the stage. His sharp eyes swept across the hall, studying each of us as though he could read every thought hidden behind our faces.
He cleared his throat.
The sound echoed through the silent hall.
"Good morning," he began in a calm, measured voice. "Welcome to the beginning of a new session."
No one spoke.
No one even shifted in their seats.
"I trust that all of you already know the rules of this orphanage," he continued. "However, rules are often forgotten with time, and forgotten rules become broken rules."
He paused deliberately, allowing his words to settle over the room.
"So, I shall remind you."
He raised one finger.
"First."
"Every resident is expected to keep the orphanage clean and orderly at all times. This is your home, and you will treat it with respect."
A second finger.
"Second."
"By ten o'clock every evening, every resident must be inside their assigned dormitory. Once you are inside, you will remain there until morning. No exceptions."
A third finger.
The hall seemed to grow colder.
"And finally..."
His voice became quieter.
"The basement is strictly forbidden."
A murmur rippled through the children before dying almost instantly.
"No child is permitted to enter the basement under any circumstances."
His gaze hardened.
"Those who ignore this rule will face severe consequences."
For several long seconds, no one moved.
Then, as though nothing unusual had been said, Mr. Bill smiled politely.
"That is all."
"You may return to your dormitories and wait for breakfast."
The assembly ended.
Children rose from their seats, chatting happily as they walked out of the hall, as though the warning about the basement had meant nothing.
Ace and I followed behind them in silence.
---
The dining hall buzzed with conversation as breakfast was served. Plates clinked against the tables, children laughed over small jokes, and the comforting smell of warm bread filled the air.
Yet my attention wasn't on the food.
Neither was Ace's.
I noticed her staring absentmindedly toward one of the windows.
"You've been quiet," I said.
She looked at me before lowering her voice.
"Have you ever wondered why they never let anyone go into the basement?"
I smiled slightly.
"I was about to ask you the same thing."
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
She leaned a little closer across the table.
"Don't you think it's strange?"
"They're strict about cleaning."
I nodded.
"They're strict about bedtime."
Another nod.
"But when it comes to the basement..." she whispered, "...they don't just make a rule."
"They threaten us."
Her words lingered in my mind.
I broke off a small piece of bread but didn't eat it.
"What do you think is down there?"
Ace shrugged.
"I don't know."
She glanced around carefully to make sure no caretaker was listening.
"But whatever it is..."
"...they're desperate to keep us away from it."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The noise of the dining hall faded into the background as the same question settled between us.
What could possibly be hidden beneath the orphanage?
---
Ace had always been my closest friend.
She was the only person who truly understood me.
Unlike most of the children living in the orphanage, however, Ace wasn't actually an orphan.
Her parents were still alive.
For reasons no one understood, they had left her here years ago and never returned.
Whenever I asked her about them, she would simply smile sadly and change the subject.
Eventually...
I stopped asking.
Some wounds were better left untouched.
---
The following afternoon, the weather was pleasantly cool.
Ace and I sat together near the backyard beneath the shade of an old tree, talking about nothing in particular.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves above us.
For a rare moment...
The orphanage almost felt peaceful.
Then—
A loud shout shattered the silence.
We both turned instinctively.
A young girl came racing across the courtyard.
Her breathing was ragged.
Tears streamed down her face.
She wasn't running aimlessly.
She was running straight toward the basement entrance.
"Ace..."
I whispered.
She had already stood up.
Before the girl could reach the heavy basement door, one of the caretakers rushed after her.
"No!"
the girl screamed desperately.
"Let me go!"
She struggled wildly, trying to pull herself free, but the caretaker's grip only tightened.
Children all around the courtyard stopped what they were doing.
Everyone stared.
No one dared interfere.
The caretaker dragged the crying girl away toward Mr. Bill's office.
Her desperate screams echoed through the orphanage long after she disappeared from sight.
Ace slowly looked at me.
Neither of us spoke.
We both knew something was terribly wrong.
Only a few minutes later, Elord appeared at the centre of the courtyard.
Her expression was unusually serious.
"Everyone," she announced loudly.
"Mr. Bill has called for an emergency assembly."
A heavy silence settled over the orphanage.
One by one, the children began walking toward the main hall.
No one complained.
No one whispered.
The frightened girl's screams still echoed inside our minds.
As Ace and I followed the others, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling growing inside my chest.
Something told me...
This assembly was going to change everything
The moment Ace and I stepped into the main hall, an uneasy silence settled over us.
It was unlike any assembly we had attended before.
Usually, the hall was filled with the quiet whispers of children waiting for Mr. Bill to speak. Today, however, no one dared utter a single word. The frightened girl's desperate cries still lingered in everyone's minds.
Rows of children stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes fixed upon the stage.
At the front of the hall stood Mr. Bill.
His expression alone was enough to send a chill down my spine.
His face had turned a deep shade of crimson, his jaw clenched tightly as though he were struggling to contain his anger. The veins along his neck were visible, and his piercing eyes slowly swept across the hall, studying every child in front of him.
No one moved.
No one even shifted their weight.
The only sound was the ticking of the old clock hanging above the stage.
Mr. Bill reached for the microphone.
The screech of its feedback echoed throughout the hall before everything fell silent once again.
He inhaled slowly.
Then he spoke.
"Let this serve as a reminder to every child in this orphanage."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"No one..."
He paused, allowing his words to sink in.
"...is permitted to enter the basement."
His gaze travelled slowly across the room.
"If anyone is caught attempting to break this rule, the consequences will be severe."
He folded his hands behind his back before continuing.
"The offender will remain confined to their dormitory for one full week."
"They will eat nothing but plain gruel."
"And every chore within this orphanage will become their responsibility."
His voice echoed against the walls.
"I trust that none of you wish to experience such punishment."
Not a single child replied.
Mr. Bill looked toward one of the caretakers.
"Bring her forward."
The large doors at the side of the hall opened.
Two caretakers escorted the girl inside.
She no longer struggled.
She no longer screamed.
She simply trembled.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, and strands of hair clung to her tear-stained face. Every step she took seemed weaker than the last.
When she reached the centre of the stage, she lowered her head, unable to meet anyone's eyes.
Mr. Bill stared at her for several long seconds.
Finally, he spoke.
"Tell everyone."
His voice was cold.
"Why were you trying to enter the basement?"
The girl's lips trembled.
At first, no words came out.
Then, through broken sobs, she whispered,
"A... a few days ago..."
She struggled to breathe.
"They took my twin sister."
A murmur spread through the hall.
The girl lifted her tear-filled eyes.
"They took her to the basement..."
"...and she never came back."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
You could almost hear everyone's breathing.
She looked desperately at the other girls gathered before her.
"When a girl turns fifteen..."
Her voice cracked.
"...they take her away."
Another tear rolled down her cheek.
"And..."
She swallowed painfully.
"...they never return."
Her frightened eyes searched every face in the hall before finally stopping on Elord.
"Look around."
She raised a shaking hand.
"There isn't a single girl here older than fifteen..."
She pointed directly toward Elord.
"...except her."
The hall erupted into nervous whispers.
Children looked around instinctively, counting the older girls they had always assumed were there.
She was right.
There weren't any.
For the first time since arriving at the orphanage, I felt genuine fear.
Not curiosity.
Fear.
Mr. Bill's expression changed instantly.
The calmness vanished.
Without warning, he strode toward the girl, seized her arm with surprising force, and dragged her across the stage.
"No!"
she screamed.
"Please!"
She struggled desperately, trying to pull herself free, but his grip never loosened.
Her cries echoed throughout the hall as the caretakers helped force her toward the exit.
Some children lowered their heads.
Others covered their ears.
No one dared intervene.
The doors slammed shut behind them.
Silence returned.
Mr. Bill straightened his coat before calmly walking back to the microphone, as though nothing unusual had happened.
"I believe the poor girl has become mentally unstable," he said, his voice once again perfectly composed.
"She has been taken to the doctor's room for observation."
He looked around the hall.
"I trust none of you will allow such foolish stories to cloud your judgment."
His eyes narrowed.
"Let this be your warning."
"No one will attempt to enter the basement again."
He allowed the silence to linger for a moment before gesturing toward the exit.
"Return to your dormitories."
The assembly was over.
Yet as we quietly filed out of the hall, I couldn't shake the feeling that the girl hadn't been lying.
For the first time...
The basement no longer felt like a forbidden place.
It felt like the centre of every unanswered question hidden within the orphanage.The children began leaving the hall in complete silence.
No one laughed.
No one whispered.
Even the younger children, who usually ran through the corridors after every assembly, walked quietly with their heads lowered.
The atmosphere inside the orphanage had changed.
It felt heavier.
As though an invisible shadow had settled over every hallway and every room.
Ace and I walked side by side without speaking.
Neither of us knew what to say.
The frightened girl's words continued to echo inside my mind.
"When a girl turns fifteen... they take her away."
I wanted to dismiss it as nothing more than the imagination of a terrified child.
I truly did.
But something deep inside me refused to believe Mr. Bill's explanation.
By the time we reached the path leading toward our dormitories, Ace finally broke the silence.
"Do you think she was telling the truth?"
I glanced at her.
She wasn't looking at me.
Her eyes remained fixed on the ground as she walked.
"I don't know," I admitted quietly.
"Mr. Bill said she had lost her mind."
Ace let out a small, humourless laugh.
"That's exactly what someone would say if they wanted everyone else to stop asking questions."
Her words caught me off guard.
I turned towards her.
"You don't believe him either, do you?"
She slowly shook her head.
"No."
She looked back toward the assembly hall.
"Did you notice something?"
"What?"
"The moment she mentioned the girls who turned fifteen..."
She hesitated.
"...Mr. Bill didn't look surprised."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"He looked..."
She searched for the right word.
"...angry."
"Not shocked."
"As if she had revealed something she wasn't supposed to know."
A chill crept through my body.
I hadn't noticed it before.
Now that Ace had pointed it out...
I couldn't stop thinking about it.
The rest of the walk passed in silence.
When we finally reached the dormitory building, Ace stopped outside her room.
She looked at me for several seconds before speaking.
"Promise me something."
"What is it?"
"If I ever disappear..."
My heart skipped a beat.
"Don't say that."
"I'm serious."
Her voice was calm.
"So am I."
I stepped closer.
"Nothing's going to happen to you."
She forced a weak smile.
"I hope you're right."
With that, she quietly entered her dormitory.
The door closed softly behind her.
I remained standing in the corridor for another moment before slowly making my way toward my own room.
---
The dormitory felt unusually quiet.
I closed the door behind me and sat on the edge of my bed.
For several minutes, I simply stared at the wooden floor.
The girl's words refused to leave my mind.
"They take them away..."
"They never come back..."
I tried convincing myself that it couldn't be true.
There had to be another explanation.
There had to be.
Yet the more I thought about it...
The less convincing Mr. Bill's explanation became.
If she had truly imagined everything...
Why had he become so furious?
Why punish her so harshly?
Why refuse to answer her questions?
I leaned back against the wall and closed my eyes.
Pieces of the puzzle drifted through my mind.
The forbidden basement.
The frightened girl.
The missing twin sister.
The strange expression on Mr. Bill's face.
None of it made sense.
Then...
A single thought entered my mind.
It was reckless.
Dangerous.
Completely against the rules.
But once it appeared...
I couldn't make it disappear.
I'll find out myself.
If no one was willing to tell us what was hidden beneath the orphanage...
Then I would uncover the truth on my own.
No matter what it cost.
---
The rest of the day dragged by painfully.
Lessons came and went, yet I couldn't remember a single thing the teachers had said.
Every time I looked out of the classroom window, my thoughts returned to the basement.
Every unanswered question only strengthened my determination.
By the time dinner arrived, my decision had already been made.
The dining hall was filled with the familiar clatter of plates and quiet conversations.
To everyone else, it seemed like an ordinary evening.
To me...
It felt like the beginning of something that would change everything.
I found Ace sitting alone near the end of one of the long wooden tables.
As soon as I sat beside her, she looked at me curiously.
"What is it?"
I glanced around to make sure none of the caretakers were close enough to hear us.
Then I leaned forward until only she could hear my voice.
"I have a plan."
Her expression changed immediately.
"What kind of plan?"
"The kind that could finally tell us what's hidden in the basement."
Her eyes widened.
For a brief moment, she simply stared at me.
Then she lowered her voice to almost a whisper.
"You can't be serious."
"I've never been more serious."
She remained silent, waiting for me to continue.
I took a slow breath.
"If everyone else is too afraid to look..."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"...then we'll do it ourselves."
Ace stared at me in silence.
For several long moments, neither of us spoke.
The noise of the dining hall seemed to fade into the background until all I could hear was the rapid beating of my own heart.
Finally, she leaned closer.
"You've actually thought this through... haven't you?"
I gave a slow nod.
"For days."
She let out a quiet sigh before glancing around the dining hall. A caretaker was walking between the tables, making sure everyone remained seated until dinner was over.
Only after the caretaker disappeared into another row did Ace look back at me.
"Tell me."
I reached into my pocket and carefully unfolded a piece of paper.
It wasn't much to look at.
The edges were uneven, and several faint pencil marks had been erased and redrawn countless times.
Yet every line on that page represented hours of quiet observation.
I placed it between our plates.
Ace's eyes widened.
"You drew a map?"
"I've been watching everyone's routine for almost a week," I whispered. "Every caretaker. Every patrol. Every light that stays on after ten."
She looked at me with a mixture of surprise and concern.
"You've been planning this all by yourself?"
"I didn't want to involve you until I knew there was at least a chance it could work."
Her eyes travelled slowly across the map.
I pointed to the first corridor.
"After lights out, everyone will be inside their dormitories by ten."
My finger moved to another hallway.
"The night caretaker checks each corridor at around eleven-thirty."
Another mark.
"She doesn't come back for nearly twenty minutes."
Ace listened carefully without interrupting.
"If we leave exactly at midnight," I continued, "the hallways should be empty."
"And if someone sees us?" she asked.
"We turn back immediately."
"And if Mr. Bill catches us?"
I hesitated.
"Then..."
A small smile appeared on my face.
"I suppose we'll be eating gruel for a week."
Ace couldn't help laughing quietly.
"You're unbelievable."
"I know."
Her smile faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.
"This isn't just about the basement anymore, is it?"
I slowly shook my head.
"No."
"It's about finding out whether that girl was telling the truth."
Silence settled between us once again.
I looked directly into Ace's eyes.
"If she's right..."
I swallowed.
"...then every day we wait becomes more dangerous."
Ace lowered her gaze to the map.
For a long time, she didn't answer.
When she finally spoke, her voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"I'm scared."
"So am I."
"I've never broken one of Mr. Bill's rules before."
"Neither have I."
She smiled weakly.
"Funny time to start."
I couldn't help smiling back.
"I guess so."
I carefully folded the map again before slipping it into her hand.
She held it gently, almost as though it were something fragile.
"Keep this hidden," I whispered.
"Don't let anyone see it."
She nodded.
"I won't."
I leaned a little closer.
"We meet outside your dormitory at exactly twelve o'clock."
"Not a minute earlier."
"Not a minute later."
She repeated the time quietly to herself.
"Twelve o'clock."
I nodded once.
"If either of us doesn't arrive..."
I paused.
"...the other turns back."
She looked at me in surprise.
"But—"
"No."
I interrupted gently.
"We don't risk both of us getting caught."
For a moment, disappointment crossed her face.
Then she slowly agreed.
"Alright."
We finished the rest of our dinner in silence.
Neither of us tasted the food.
Neither of us joined the conversations around us.
Our thoughts had already left the dining hall.
They were somewhere beneath the orphanage...
Waiting behind a door neither of us had ever seen opened.
As the grandfather clock at the far end of the hall struck eight, I felt a strange mixture of excitement and fear.