Whispers of Departure

Sister Mary carried the two newborns abandoned outside the church gate into the warm light of the sanctuary. She laid them before the statue of Jesus, where they slept peacefully, a stark contrast to the ear-piercing cries that had woken her fifteen minutes prior.

"We cannot keep them, Sister Mary," Sister Hannah whispered. "We barely have enough to feed ourselves."

Sister Mary turned to Sister Hannah, her eyes firm. "Are you suggesting we leave them to starve, Sister Hannah? My Lord."

Sister Hannah hesitated. "No, but perhaps we can find a better home for them." But then, sister Hannah's expression suddenly softened. "Or perhaps we will keep them."

Sister Hannah's gaze fell upon the female infant, and memories flooded her mind. Thirty years ago, her own daughter was kidnapped. Sister Mary understood her sister's thoughts.

The twins grew up surrounded by love and protection within the church walls. Despite scarce food and clothing, they flourished.

Sister Mary named the boy Jason, while Sister Hannah named the girl Jade, after her lost daughter.

As time passes, Jason, now 17, possesses humble physical attributes: curly black hair and brown eyes. While not athletically built, he boasts a robust constitution. However, his true distinction lies in his intellect. Jason's genius brain has devoured every book within Sunrise Church's library and memorized the Bible by age eight.

His love for reading often leads him to seek refuge under his beloved oak tree, "Kao, The Large," where Jade frequently drags him to catch frogs.

Jade, on the other hand, has blossomed into breathtaking beauty, unparalleled in their town. Her features are so refined that few suspect she and Jason are twins. Her curly black hair cascades like shimmering waves, framing her round brown eyes, accentuated by luscious eyelashes. Amber hues dance within her irises when sunlight touches them.

Jade's personality starkly contrasts her serenity; she embodies wildness, like a gust stirring calm waters. Her adventurous spirit frequently sweeps Jason into forest escapades. But Jade's fascination with frogs reveals her scientific bent – she dissects and studies them with fervor, blending elegance with an unsettling intensity.

Their peaceful life was disrupted by an unexpected presence at Sunrise Church.

Jade and Jason entered through the gate after a joyful afternoon in the forest, chatting happily as they strolled. However, their laughter halted abruptly as they stepped into the church. Jade froze, her gaze fixed on a strange woman kneeling before the statue of God in fervent prayer. Noticing her reaction, Jason followed her gaze and spotted the woman as well. She was undoubtedly not from around here.

Assuming she was a guest of Sister Mary, perhaps from a distant parish, Jade and Jason decided to leave quietly. But as they turned, they saw Sister Mary standing silently behind them, as though she had been there for a while.

"Jade, Jason, you're just in time," Sister Mary said, her voice calm but firm. "I want you to meet Miss Carol."

Jason frowned. "Who is she, Sister? Why do we need to meet her?"

Sister Mary's next words fell like a thunderclap, shattering the peaceful air around them. "She's the generous woman who will adopt you and Jade."

Adopt? The word struck like a bolt of lightning in their minds. Jade and Jason exchanged stunned glances, the weight of her statement sinking in. What did she mean, adopt? Weren't they happy here?

Before they could process it, Sister Mary continued, her tone leaving no room for protest. "We'll discuss this later. For now, go ahead and say hello. She's about to become family."

"No," Jade snapped, her voice echoing through the church. "If you want to talk to her, go ahead. We don't need to."

"Such bad manners," came a sharp yet composed voice. Startled, Jade turned to find the woman—Miss Carol—standing next to her. She spoke with a tone as cold and vast as an ocean storm. "Especially from a child raised in a church, under the guidance of the Holy Sisters."

Jade narrowed her eyes. "I only behave properly toward the right people, Mrs. Whoever-You-Are." Her mocking tone cut through the air like a knife.

"Jade, stop it!" Jason hissed under his breath, loud enough for Miss Carol to hear.

But Carol merely smiled, her words dripping with an unnerving calmness. "It's fine, Jason. I can't condone such behavior, but I understand her feelings. After all, it's hard to take a young bird from its nest without it pecking and crying."

Both siblings now took a moment to truly look at the woman before them. Miss Carol was a vision of striking beauty, despite her middle-aged appearance. Her long ginger hair flowed like molten copper, and her piercing blue eyes resembled the vast ocean that Jade loved to gaze at during starry nights. She wore a wide-brimmed black hat and a long, flowing black dress adorned with intricate, unfamiliar symbols—perhaps ancient hieroglyphs. Yet something about them unsettled Jason. He had read The Language of the Ancient World and Mysteries countless times, yet he couldn't recognize these symbols.

"They're runes, Jason," Carol said, as if plucking the thought from his mind. "In my homeland, we use them to decorate clothes. They are believed to ward off evil forces."

"Who cares?" Jade muttered, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

Before another word could be spoken, a voice broke the tense silence. "Stop! No one is taking my children anywhere!" Sister Hannah burst into the room, her face flushed with emotion.

"Hannah!" Sister Mary exclaimed, startled.

"You promised me, Mary!" Hannah cried, gripping her shoulders tightly. "You said you wouldn't let anyone take Jade and Jason!"

"Hannah, we've discussed this already," Sister Mary said softly, her voice tinged with regret. "I don't want to argue now."

Tears welled up in Sister Hannah's eyes as she clutched at her resolve. She felt powerless, watching helplessly as her children were being taken away again—this time right in front of her.

Sister Mary, too, looked deeply troubled. This was not a decision she had made lightly. The church was on the brink of collapse. The sisters were old, frail, and struggling to sustain even basic needs. Meals were growing scarce. Then came Carol Lordie, offering salvation: a better life for the children, education in an unimaginable place, and, perhaps most crucially, a fortune large enough to keep the church afloat for decades.

Yet no amount of logic could ease the storm of emotions now swirling within the old church walls.