Senzo, Sophie, and Yugiri had arrived in front of a large building on the outskirts of the city; it stood there totally empty and imposing.
"What is this place?" Senzo asked, looking at the large building that looked like an empty hotel.
Sophie stood next to him looking at the empty building, her clothes swaying in the wind.
"An orphanage I used to support. It's no longer in use, though." She explained, looking at the little girl that stood in front of the double door.
"Senzo, I want to enter; could you please open the door?" Yugiri politely asked, her fist clenched in front of her heart. She looked at the building longingly.
"Sure, princess, do you have a key?"
"Hmph!" Sophie pouted, turning her head away from Senzo.
"..."
He massaged his temples; he couldn't make sense of what she was thinking, but whatever, it wasn't important now. This was an important event for Yugiri, so he had to do it properly.
"My bad, I meant Sophie. Do you have a key to this place? Or should I just break down the doors?"
A smile bloomed on Sophie's face, but she shook her head. "I had a key, but it's been standing here empty, so I don't have it anymore."
Without a moment's hesitation, Senzo snapped his fingers, and the doors burst open, but nothing broke. He had just pushed them open with brute force, but he had controlled the strength so delicately it looked like the doors weren't even locked in the first place.
"Let's go inside then."
After the two girls entered the former orphanage, Senzo casually turned around and narrowed his eyes slightly in a certain direction, but instead of doing anything, he just shrugged and also entered the building.
Heh, they should have connected the clues by now, right?
Together the trio explored the whole building. Yugiri was all the way at the front; she was looking around like she knew the place by heart.
The princess and Senzo were leisurely walking behind her.
On top of the ceiling, miniature dinosaurs and planets were hung up. And Yugiri was closely observing everything, her earlier enthusiasm during the day nowhere to be found.
After going through almost the whole building, Yugiri ran ahead and entered a certain room; it was now totally empty except for a shoe rack at the back of it and some toys scattered around.
The curtains were flailing softly due to the wind that came through the open windows.
Yugiri stared at the room in a daze, as overlapping scenes suddenly started going through her mind.
***
She sat all alone in a dark corner of the room, gripping her book with her small hands, staring at the other children playing with the beautiful princess that visited them occasionally.
After playing with the other kids, the princess saw the little girl sitting all alone in a corner and decided to approach her to see what was wrong.
"Hello, I'm Sophie. Would you tell me your name?"
Yugiri looked at her with empty eyes, and for a moment the life returned to them. But just as fast, it was gone once again. And instead of replying, she just closed her eyes and shrunk all the way into herself.
No. I'm a bad child.
Then everything went completely black, like she was swallowed by a black hole.
***
A tear formed in her eyes while she remembered her painful past; she stared straight at the curtains for a while longer.
"There you are," the princess suddenly said, sliding open the door.
With a smile on her face, she looked straight at Yugiri, who was surprised to see her.
Extending her hand with a gentle smile, the princess waited patiently for the little girl to grab it.
Yugiri turned around, and without hesitation, she grasped the princess's hand firmly.
"Yugiri, I'm Yugiri." She said with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"I finally know your name." The princess replied, embracing the little girl in a firm hug.
"So it really was you. That little esper girl who disappeared shortly after arriving."
Yugiri didn't say anything as she relished in the warm embrace she and the princess were sharing.
"Hey, Yugiri. Would you like to come live with me? I won't let you feel lonely anymore." She asked.
"What do you think?"
When she heard that Yugiri opened her eyes and stared at the wall, she had no idea what or how she should reply to that. She had thoroughly enjoyed this day but was leaving Senzo and the major.
Could she bear that? She had no idea and turned her gaze to Senzo, who at some point had also entered the room and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed in front of him.
But before she could reply, the three suddenly heard footsteps approaching them.
The two girls let go of each other and stared at the man that had just entered the room.
"I've finally found you. Lady Sophie!"
A man wearing a uniform said, staring straight at the three.
"..."
Senzo stepped in front of the princess and Yugiri, hands still in his pocket and a relaxed expression on his face.
"Now, would you kindly return the princess to me? Kidnapper!"
The man in military uniform ordered, aiming his gun straight at Senzo.
"Sisley..." The princess muttered, staring at the man holding the gun.
"How about you calm down first? You're aiming your gun straight at her, you know" Senzo said, not an ounce of tension in his body.
"Please put the gun down, Sisley! These people are not dangerous." The princess said, putting her body in front of Yugiri.
Sisley stared straight at the princess, with a weird look on his face. Then, without hesitation, he pointed the gun straight at her.
"I see; in that case your turn will come first, princess!" He exclaimed with a smirk on his face.
"You are no good setting aside a part of the national budget to establish a foundation for the protection of espers. There will not be such a waste of money in my country."
He stated, casually readjusting his tie.
"It should be used for more profitable things, like reinforcing national security and developing weapons. Not on espers and the like."
"Hoh, so that's what you think, huh?" Senzo casually muttered, his hands still in his pocket, as he positioned himself between the princess and the man's gun.
"Sisley." The princess suddenly said, a serious look on her face.
"A future in which normals and espers work together hand in hand—I dream of that of that day. And until that day comes, I will not give in. Not ever!" She confidently declared, looking him dead in the eye.
Sisley just shrugged and glared at the young man standing in front of his target.
"If you don't move, you will also become a casualty, you know. As for you, princess, as you wish."
"So I'm going to ask you to die."