"Vali... Lucian?" Jay asked, raising an eyebrow.
Vali nodded.
Vali noticed the doubt in the black-haired boy's expression.
"Nah, it's just that you don't exactly look like a kid from around here. That silver hair, especially," Jay said, gesturing toward Vali's head. He paused, his gaze lingering.
"But you speak Romanian fluently… that's rather… peculiar."
Vali flinched slightly at the mention of his language.
Jay fell silent for a moment, weighing his options. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with the boy, but the quiet was abruptly broken by a loud grumble from Vali's stomach.
GROWLLL
Vali's face flushed with embarrassment as he tried, unsuccessfully, to hide that he was starving.
Jay smiled, a smug glint in his eyes.
"Well... Well... Well, if you want to get some food, follow me," Jay said.
He still hadn't figured out the mystery of the boy named Vali, but he was certain of one thing, this wasn't an ordinary kid.
From the bruise on his body, he looked like someone on the run, though only God knew from what.
'I'll take him back to the orphanage… for now,' Jay thought.
'After he's eaten, I'll ask him about that earthquake from earlier.'
With that, Jay began walking toward the edge of the forest, but he stopped when he saw Vali, who hadn't moved an inch.
"What are you waiting for? Come on, let's go."
Vali hesitated, his eyes darting between the forest and the retreating figure of the black-haired boy.
'Should I follow him?' he thought, narrowing his eyes as he watched Jay's back.
After a few seconds, he stepped forward, trailing behind Jay. His gaze stayed fixed on the boy.
'I'll follow him for now... He seems to be genuine, and i don't sense any deception in his words,' he thought.
"I'm back," Jay announced as he entered the orphanage, with Vali close behind.
After herding the cows back into their shed, he led the silver-haired boy inside.
"You said you lived in an orphanage, but I don't see anyone," Vali remarked, glancing around the empty halls.
"Everyone's in the chapel for the daily biblical lecture with Sister. They'll be there until noon, that's why it's so quiet."
"You aren't attending the lecture?" Vali asked.
"Let's just say... I don't believe in religion."
"I see…" Vali murmured, deciding not to pry further into that particular topic.
They finally reached the dining room, where a single boiled potato sat alone on the wooden table.
"Well, it's nothing fancy, but I'd say a boiled potato with a sprinkle of salt makes for a decent breakfast, don't you think?" Jay said, handing the food to Vali.
Vali looked down at the potato in his hand for a long moment.
"Wait here. I'm going to find some clothes for you to wear," Jay said, turning to leave.
"Wait, what about you?" Vali called out. "You said you haven't had breakfast yet... Hold on, let me cut it in half."
Before he could pull the potato apart, Jay spoke over his shoulder.
"Don't worry about me... I don't usually eat breakfast anyway. You can have all of it."
He walked out of the room, leaving Vali standing alone with his thoughts. Vali remained there like a statue, struggling to process what was happening.
To him, a genuine kindness was a very strange concept.
***
"So, guys... This is Vali."
All eyes turned toward the silver haired boy standing beside Jay.
The reactions were mixed.
Some stared at him openly, curiosity written all over their faces.
The others seemed indifferent, clearly more interested in whatever they had been doing before the interruption. One or two simply tilted their heads, trying to figure out who this strange boy was.
Jay, on the other hand, was smiling way too much.
Vali immediately felt even more awkward.
He scratched the back of his head.
"Um… hello. I'm Vali. I…"
"Are you bleaching your hair?" The blunt question cut him off instantly.
Vali froze. The voice belonged to a chubby boy around ten years old, pointing directly at Vali's head with an expression of genuine curiosity.
"Andrei," Elena snapped, immediately hitting him on the head, "...that's rude."
"Ow," Andrei muttered. "I was just asking."
Elena sighed, then turned to Vali. She studied him closely, her sharp gaze lingering just a bit too long. Vali shifted uncomfortably.
"Sorry," she said. "We don't get visitors often."
Jay cleared his throat.
"Alright, since we're doing this properly, let me introduce you to everyone."
He pointed at Elena first. "This is Elena. She's the oldest here. Fifteen years old. Acts like everyone's mom."
"I do not," Elena protested.
"You do," several voices replied at once. She clicked her tongue but didn't deny it.
Jay continued. "Those two over there are Iacob and Ilie."
Two identical boys looked up from the floor at the same time. They were clearly twins. Same hair. Same face. Same mischievous grin.
"I'm Iacob," one of them said. "And I'm Ilie," the other added.
Vali blinked.
Jay nodded. "They're inseparable."
"Yessir," Iacob said.
Jay ignored him and gestured toward a small girl hiding behind Elena's leg.
"And this little one is Mihea. She's the youngest here."
Mihea peeked out shyly, clutching Elena's sleeve.
She waved with two fingers. "Hello…"
Vali lowered himself slightly so he wouldn't seem intimidating.
"Hi."
Mihea smiled, then immediately hid again.
Jay pointed toward a boy sitting near the wall, quietly watching everything unfold.
"That's Filip," Jay said. "He's shy... Don't expect him to talk much."
Filip flinched when his name was called. He nodded once, eyes dropping back to the floor.
Vali nodded back. "Nice to meet you."
Filip hesitated, then nodded again.
Jay finally pointed back at Andrei. "And that baked potato is Andrei."
Andrei raised his hand proudly. "Sup."
Vali hesitated. "Why baked potato?"
"Because he's round, warm, and always hungry," Elena replied flatly.
"And healthy," Andrei added.
Jay crossed his arms. "Debatable."
A few kids laughed.
Vali felt the tension slowly fade. The noise. The teasing. The warmth. It was strange. Different.
Noticing Vali's expression, Jay looked at him and asked, "Everything okay?"
Vali nodded slowly. "Yeah… I'm just thinking about a few things."
For the first time since waking up in the forest, he truly meant it.
Jay studied Vali's expression for a few seconds before shrugging it off.
"All right then. There's someone you need to meet," Jay said. Vali raised his eyebrows. "This one's dangerous, so be careful."
" Dangerous...? How? "
Jay leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"You could say she's the devil itself."
Before he could finish the sentence, a sudden grip clamped down on the top of his head.
Hard.
Jay yelped.
"Ow ow ow."
"Oh?" a calm but unmistakably sharp voice spoke from behind him.
"I wonder who exactly is the devil you're talking about, hmm, Zayyn Illya Kovalenko?"
Vali stiffened.
'A full government name!'
Jay froze completely.
"S-sister," he said nervously, forcing an awkward laugh.
"How was the prayer? All good?"
The grip on his hand tightened.
"Now I'm the one who should be asking the questions," the woman said. "How was the prayer for you?"
Jay winced. "Uh…"
"Exactly," she continued. "Because you weren't there. Again."
Jay avoided her gaze. "I was… busy."
"Busy," she repeated slowly, her tone sharp.
She finally released him.
Jay immediately straightened up, rubbing his head. "Hey it's true, i was feeding the cattle."
"Mhm."
Vali turned his attention to the woman.
She wore a simple nun's habit, a bit worn but clean.
Her posture was relaxed, yet it carried an effortless authority. Her face was gentle, framed by dark hair faintly streaked with gray. Her eyes were kind, but sharp enough to command attention.
The children immediately straightened.
"Sister Andrea," they greeted in unison.
She nodded at them, then shifted her gaze to Vali.
The moment her eyes met his, Vali felt something subtle press against him.
An observant gaze.
"Now, why do you guys didn't tell me that we have a guest here. " Sister Andrea said.
"This is Vali. I found him lost near the grassfield, so I brought him here," Jay said, twisting the truth. Sister Andrea paused, contemplating for a moment.
Jay shook internally, certain she would see through his lie.
But, to his surprise, Sister Andrea simply patted Vali's shoulder.
"What is your name, young man?" she asked.
Vali instinctively straightened. "Uh, my name is Vali."
Sister Andrea stepped closer, studying him for a moment longer. She noticed the bruises on Vali's hands and feet... well, everyone did, but she thought it would be insensitive to ask him about them.
"Nice to meet you, Vali. My name is Andrea. You're welcome here," she said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Treat it like it's your home."
Vali paused. "I… could stay here?"
" Of course. " A gentle smile on Andrea's face.
Her grip was warm and steady.
"It's just that this place isn't much. We share our food, our beds, and pretty much everything," she continued. "So if you don't mind sharing with us, you can stay as long as you want."
Vali swallowed.
"…Thank you," he said quietly.
She smiled.
Then she turned back to Jay.
"And you," she said calmly, "...will join prayer tomorrow."
Jay sighed. "Yes, maam."
"Good."
Sister Andrea cast one last glance around the room before heading down the hallway. "Be kind to our guest," she added.
As she left, the room slowly returned to its usual noise.
Jay exhaled in relief. "See? Told you she was dangerous."
Dangerous?
Vali glanced at the doorway where Sister Andrea had disappeared. For reasons he didn't yet understand, a warmth returned to his chest. And just like that, the afternoon quietly came to a close.
***
A few weeks passed in the blink of an eye since Jay and the others first met Vali.
In that short time, his presence had quietly woven itself into the orphanage's daily rhythm.
At first, he spoke little. He watched more than he talked, observing how the children moved through their routines, how Jay handled responsibilities far beyond his age, how Elena kept order when things inevitably fell apart, and how Sister Andrea tended to his bruises and wounds without asking a single question.
Vali learned quickly, faster than he should have.
He helped with the chores without being asked like carrying water, repairing broken furniture, herding the cows alongside Jay in the early mornings.
The children warmed to him in their own ways.
Mihea followed him whenever she could, offering shy smiles and tugging at his sleeve. Filip began sitting closer during meals, speaking only a few words at a time, but always choosing Vali's side of the table. Even the twins, Iacob and Ilie, found endless amusement in trying to surprise him... only to fail every single time.
Andrei, of course, still asked far too many unimportant questions.
Elena watched him closely. She never voiced her concerns, but she noticed things.
How Vali rarely slept. How he sometimes stared at nothing at all, eyes distant, as if listening to something only he could hear. Sometimes even if he sleep, he occasionally waking up in the middle of the night.
Sister Andrea noticed too.
She said nothing, but her gaze lingered on Vali during prayer, her hand tightening slightly around her rosary whenever he stood too close to the chapel walls.
Jay noticed everything.
He noticed how the forest seemed to grow quieter whenever Vali was nearby, how the air sometimes felt heavier, as if pressed down by something unseen. He noticed how Vali never spoke of his past, and how his eyes hardened whenever the topic drifted toward devils or miracles.
Still, life went on.
Laughter returned to the orphanage. Meals were shared. Evenings were spent under dim lantern light, with stories exchanged between children who had learned to survive with very little.
For the first time in a long while, Vali felt like he had found a home.
The night was calm.
Moonlight washed over the chapel roof, silver and soft, illuminating the weathered stone beneath them. Above, the sky stretched endlessly, scattered with stars that felt close enough to touch. The forest beyond the hills slept in silence.
Vali sat near the edge of the rooftop, knees drawn up, gaze fixed on the moon.
"Um, Vali? You haven't slept?"
Vali turned his head.
Jay was climbing up from the chapel's upper window, moving with effortless ease. There was no proper access to the rooftop, yet somehow they always ended up here. It had become their place.
A quiet place.
"Jay?" Vali asked. "Nightmare?"
Jay shook his head as he sat beside him.
"Nah. Just needed some H2O. Then I noticed you weren't in your bed."
He glanced at the empty rooftop. "Figured you'd be here."
Vali smiled faintly. The two of them sat in silence for a moment, the cold stone beneath them contrasting with the warmth of the night air.
"What's up?" Jay asked.
Vali hesitated.
Then he spoke softly. "These past few weeks… they've been some of the most precious moments of my life."
His voice carried no exaggeration.
Just plain truth.
Jay laughed lightly.
"What's that supposed to mean? Isn't that what family's for?... Making memories. Like surviving Elena's unseasoned stew."
Vali chuckled under his breath, but the smile that followed was quieter.
More distant.
'Family, huh?'
Jay noticed it immediately. He looked at Vali, really looked this time.
The way his eyes dimmed just a little.
The way his posture stiffened whenever the word was mentioned.
Jay didn't know what Vali's life had been like before that day in the forest, but he knew pain when he saw it.
Jay had nothing in this world except this place, Sister Andrea, Elena, the kids.
They were his family. His world. His everything. And he would do anything for them.
"Wanna talk about it?" Jay asked quietly. "Your life… before."
Silence followed.
Vali turned to look at Jay, their eyes meeting under the pale moonlight, hazel and blue, human and something else.
He looked away again, staring at the stars as if drawing courage from them.
Then he exhaled.
"…Yeah," he said.
"There's something I need to tell you."
Jay stayed silent, letting him speak.
"A secret," Vali continued. "Something I've been hiding from everyone here."
Jay's expression didn't change.
"Okay…"
Vali faced him again, his expression serious, and slowly opened his mouth.
"Do you believe me...," Vali asked,
"if I told you I'm a half-devil?"
Jay blinked.
"…What?"