In the Orphanage
Rio sat alone. There was no one beside him.
While the others ate their meals amid the noise of friends, Rio remained seated on the staircase, immersed in the pages of his book in silence.
"Hmph… what a boring life they live."
Is forming friendships really that enjoyable?
Rio had never cared to build relationships, nor had he ever cared about any being on this planet.
If someone were to drop dead right in front of his eyes, he would see it as nothing more than an ordinary event—nothing new, nothing worth reacting to.
He was cold. A coldness so deep that people spread rumors that he had not smiled for a very long time—so long that he had completely forgotten the concept of smiling itself.
His hair was black, darker than the darkness of night, its tips ending with faint blue touches that melted into white. His eyes were a deep crimson red, like a blood-red moon, and his skin was pale with an overwhelming purity—like that of a vampire. A paleness that illuminated his face more than the moonlight itself.
He sat there, lost in his thoughts, pondering the concept of friendship. Why did everyone chase after it so desperately?
His train of thought was cut off when a girl sat beside him.
Rio cast her a fleeting glance—a glance devoid of any interest. His eyes were cold and distant, then he returned to his own world.
The girl burned with anger at his deliberate and effortless disregard.
"What's wrong with this boy? Is he looking for a fight? He's infuriating."
She reached out and tugged at him, but Rio did not respond. He did not move an inch, nor did he even look at her. He muttered to himself:
"Ah… I'm curious about how it feels to have a friend."
Her anger doubled, her veins nearly bursting.
"Is he mocking me? I swear this attitude must be inherited from one of his parents. No one develops this level of inattentiveness naturally!"
After a while, Rio finally turned to her and said:
"Listen, you annoying little girl… how about you become my friend? I'd like to try that feeling."
The girl screamed:
"Annoying little girl?! Is that how you ask for friendship?! I've had enough of you! I tried to be your friend, but you don't deserve it!"
She huffed angrily and stormed away.
Rio blinked in confusion.
"Huh? Wasn't that the right way? I described her as she truly is. Where was the mistake?"
He was genuinely puzzled; he had read in a book that honesty was the cornerstone of any friendship.
The orphanage bell rang, announcing bedtime.
"Finally… the best moment of my life."
Rio headed to his room, filled with a quiet happiness.
"Finally, it's time to sleep."
Sleep was the only thing that brought him happiness.
He opened the door to his room with a wide smile—but it vanished in an instant.
His expression turned ice-cold, weighed down by suppressed sorrow.
The room was in complete chaos.
Trash was scattered everywhere, his bed was torn apart and thrown aside. His photos were pinned to the walls, with cruel and degrading words written over them.
Rio clenched his fist, containing his anger.
"It must be him again."
Rio was a constant victim of a group of bullies—ones no one in the orphanage dared to confront.
He cleaned his room in silence… and went to sleep.
The next morning, Rio woke up energetic, and the moment he stepped outside, he faced them once again.
Rio grew up in the worst days of his life—ostracized, abused, and rejected. Without a single friend.
And one day—
While he was being bullied as usual, a boy suddenly stepped forward and stood between Rio and the bullies, disgust written all over his face.
"Get out of my sight. Just looking at you makes me nauseous."
They fled in fear.
The boy helped Rio up and said to him:
"You need to learn how to defend yourself. You need to hit back!"
"But… these hands were not created to hurt anyone."
The boy stared at him in shock.
"Listen carefully. The world does not show mercy to the weak. If you believe otherwise, then stay like this and keep getting beaten for the rest of your life. Is that what you want?"
"No… I don't want that. And I don't want to hurt anyone either. I'm afraid of making people sad… I don't want anyone to suffer because of me."
"And why are you afraid of making people sad?"
"Because anyone who gets sad because of me will move further away from me… and I don't want that. I just want someone by my side. Anyone. You know? I've forgotten how to talk after all these years of loneliness. I've even forgotten my own expressions… I no longer know what I look like."
The boy's expression softened.
"How about I become your friend? Or your brother?"
Rio's eyes widened, and tears streamed down his cheeks.
"I want a father… why did he leave so quickly? It was my fault… they died because of me. I wish I had never been born. Why does everyone hate me? What did I do? I just wanted someone to look at me…"
The boy stepped closer and hugged him gently.
"Don't cry. Don't be sad. I'll stay with you. Your sorrow is my sorrow, your weakness is my weakness, and your courage is my courage. From today on, you are my brother—and I am your brother. My name is Adam. I promise you, I won't let you need anyone ever again."
Rio broke down crying, burying his face in Adam's chest like a child clinging to his mother.
Days passed, and their bond deepened until they became like one soul in two bodies. Those were the most beautiful days of Rio's life.
Adam defended him, protected him, and did the impossible just to see even the faintest smile on Rio's face.
Adam never hesitated to sacrifice his life for him. He always said:
"Listen carefully, Rio. From today on, you are my soul. And that means when I die, don't think that I've left. As long as you're alive, I can never truly die—you are my new soul. When I die, I won't be dead. I'll just be sleeping for a while. I'll stay with you even then. I'll protect you and help you. I'll never leave you. No matter what happens."
Rio smiled softly. "I understand."
Adam gently patted his head. "Good… how about some food?"
"Yes… I'm hungry."
They went to buy food. And as they were leaving the restaurant—
The building collapsed.
Adam shoved Rio away to save him, but the price… was his life.
Rio desperately tried to lift the rubble off Adam, panic devouring his mind.
"Wait! I'll get you out! Please don't die, Adam! I'll save you!"
Adam weakly extended his hand.
"Stop… I'm already dying. My lower body… it's gone. I can't feel anything. The rubble is the only thing holding my body together."
"The moment you lift it… my body will split in half."
"And Rio… why are you sad? Didn't I tell you? I can't die as long as you're alive…"
His hand fell. His eyes slowly closed.
And death claimed its dominion.
Rio wanted not to be sad—but that was impossible. His pain was beyond description. He stopped eating, his health deteriorated, and he stayed by Adam's grave, crying without end.
"Why? Why does death exist? Why does it take those I love and not take me? Why does it steal everything from me?"
Ten years passed since that incident.
Rio met a girl named Hina. She was gentle, polite, and kind—she resembled Adam in her kindness. She asked him to call her his "sister," and joy finally returned to his heart. She listened to him, comforted him, and brought light back into his life.
Until that day came—
While Rio was returning from the restaurant, he heard something he wished he had never heard.
Hina laughed loudly.
"It was really funny! When he was crying while telling me his life story—I'd burst out laughing the moment I left the room! He was weak and pathetic!"
Her friend laughed.
"Looks like the plan worked. We just wanted to toy with his feelings. I didn't think you were this good at it."
Hina replied mockingly:
"Rio was easy to manipulate. He's extremely weak."
The food bags fell from Rio's hands.
Betrayal overflowed from his eyes like a river. Anger collided with sorrow in his chest.
"Really?.. Are you joking with me?"
Hina panicked. "It's… it's just a joke, Rio."
He approached her slowly. And in a voice colder than death, he whispered in her ear:
"Then… I'll joke with you my way."
He drove a wooden skewer straight into her eye.
She screamed in unbearable pain. "You bastard! What are you doing?!"
She tried to escape, but he grabbed her—and drove the other skewer into her other eye.
She screamed for help, but her friend ran away.
Rio whispered calmly, "Look… she left. Isn't that wonderful? We're siblings, and we should stay together. Let's play."
Hina begged him, but he replied coldly:
"Don't tire yourself… the world already stole mercy from me."
And in the end—he killed her.
Reality did not strike Rio until it was too late. He froze in place… then collapsed.
"Hina… please wake up. You're fine, right? You're just sleeping…"
His mind nearly shattered into fragments.
He screamed, sobbed, and embraced her body.
"Hina! Answer me! I don't want to be alone!"
His vocal cords tore from screaming. His eyes bled from excessive crying. His heart finally broke.
"Please… just let me live in peace. Why did I do that? Why did my mind want this? I'm sorry… I'm sorry… please come back… don't leave me…"
He still loved her despite everything. But the truth was clear… she was dead.
After he finally calmed down, he buried her in a distant place. And under the rain, he lifted his gaze to the sky.
"Adam… what should I do now? You were my strength. And now you're gone. I have nothing left."
After several days—
Rio found the gang that killed his father. He stared at their building with eyes overflowing with murderous intent.
"The final round of the game of death begins now."
He entered. A guard stopped him. "Who are you? Do you know where you are? Get lost, you—"
His head fell to the ground. Rio cut it off with lightning speed and inhuman precision, slicing it as if cutting soft paper.
He found a group of them.
Rio moved like a shadow. He did not speak. He did not stop. He charged forward, slaughtering them one after another as if crushing insects.
"This… is the price of my father's life."
He emerged drenched in blood.
Then—a white light.
A car driven by one of them surged toward him out of nowhere.
Time stopped. His memories—his happiest moments—passed before his eyes.
He saw his parents and Adam before him, reaching out their hands. Rio did not go to them. Instead, he smiled a faint smile, realizing that everything before him was an illusion, and said:
"What a mockery of fate… do you want me to be happy now before I die? What's the point… when happiness only leads to death? That happiness is fake. I don't want it."
To be continued…