The Author's POV

'I'm sure I heard Oliver… Did I hear wrongly?'

I didn't think so.

"Eh, my dad's been kind of busy lately. I haven't even seen him around these past few days."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, but it's not like it rarely happens. It's been like this since I last remember… I'm sure you understand me."

"Yeah."

"Ehm…"

I interrupted the conversation between the two. Scratching the side of my cheek, I altered my gaze between Amanda and Emma before finally settling on Emma.

"What did you say that your father's name was?"

Emma looked at me strangely.

"You don't know who my father is… ?" She paused and furrowed her brows. "No, never mind. It's not like he's some sort of big shot celebrity. Why should I expect everyone to know his name?"

"His name is Oliver."

Amanda answered for her, and I found myself blinking several times again.

"Oliver?"

"Yes."

Only after Amanda confirmed it once more was I finally convinced that I didn't hear incorrectly.

'Oliver? Why is his name different?'

This wasn't the name that I knew of.

I looked at Emma.

"By chance, do you know of anyone that goes by the name Waylan?"

Perhaps he was still called Waylan, but went by a different name in front of people? It wasn't impossible.

…Or so I thought.

"Waylan? No, I've never heard of him before."

Emma looked at Amanda.

"Do you know what he's talking about?"

"No."

"I see."

I had no choice but to give up when I saw that neither of the two knew who Waylan was.

'I guess it makes sense in some way.'

Even though everyone I interacted with in this world had the same name as the ones in my world, it wasn't impossible for some others to have names that were different.

After all, this was a different world, and its history was completely different. The fact that their names were the same was the odd part.

'Well, whatever.'

I shrugged the thought off. It didn't seem like a big deal.

Ding―!

Right then, I received a notification on my watch. I smiled when I looked at it.

'They're faster than I expected.'

[Ashton City Community Orphanage―Middlestone Street 56.

―Read More]

***

of Octavious's memories, the orphanage was the one thing

as Octavious's memories led me,

will be arriving

"Mhm."

the window of the car revealed a run-down neighborhood. There were no towering structures, and most of

if my life suddenly became

thanks to them that I was able to

"We have arrived."

the driver got out. Coming around, he opened the door for

orphanage is up

at a certain chapel off in the distance with his finger. It was uncannily similar to the way it appeared in the memories I saw. It was probably a little bit more rundown, but other

like for me to wait for you

"That's okay."

the distant chapel, I shook my head. From the exterior, nothing seemed amiss. It looked

this

leave; I can go back on my

moved toward the chapel. Secretly, I started

then whoever this Protector was…

to the orphanage; how may I be of

different nun than the one from Octavious's memories. She

I greeted her politely.

look. You see,

"Ah."

eyes lit up,

that

me toward the

inside for a moment. I will contact the head nun and

"Thank you."

Creak―!

revealing a dark interior lit only

was heavy with the

around to notice the pews were draped in tattering black cloth and the walls were adorned with faded paintings that were no longer discernible. There was something unsettling about the paintings, but I couldn't quite make out what

'There it is.'

stood a familiar statue. Its marble surface

stop, and I stared at the statue from where

'It looks normal.'

statue was… just a statue. Observing it from where I was, there

thought I'd be able to notice something since I can now control a bit of

didn't seem to be the

you interested in

When I looked up, I saw

my eyes

'She seems familiar.'

on me. Something about being in her presence was soothing, and it made me want to put

was that sort of impression that made me warier of

my wariness and merely

interested in

forward, and curiously

many churches in my life, and I've never seen such a statue before.

to her. "Our chapel doesn't belong to a religious branch. You can say that this

"Hm?"

I cocked my head.

"That's rather interesting."

was a place of worship. If they weren't worshipping

interested in taking a child

unexpected question, but recalling what I had said to the other nun at the entrance, I nodded my

my wife and I

"Is that so?"

nun smiled, and I found myself frowning. For some reason, it felt

like it in a very long time, and it wasn't a pleasant sensation by any stretch of the imagination. Especially ever since I reached the strength that I currently

"Is there something wrong?"

Her smile was unsettling.

am I getting creeped out with someone that has no shred

wrong." The nun shook her head. "It's just that we don't appreciate it when

"Hm?"

I raised my brow.

"Lie?"

"Mhm."

her head. She then gently

has already revealed everything to me. You're not here for the children. You're here