Chapter 7
I returned to the orphanage where I had grown up. After Kendra Bourbon, the director of the orphanage, passed away, the place closed because of a lack of funding.
Gone was the noise and warmth that once filled the small, run-down building. Moss patched the courtyard walls while the iron gate rusted through.
I stood outside the gate, a familiar sting growing in my eyes.
I’d been abandoned at an orphanage doorstep when I was just a child. Ms. Bourbon took me in and raised me.
Once, she was the only good thing in my life, but she passed away from illness when I was in college.
I never had the chance to repay her. Just like that, I had lost the only family I had in this world.
She always said, “Carol, be someone who holds onto the light within.”
That phrase stayed with me through the years. I had the means now, and I’ll keep her legacy of kindness alive.
After three months of work, the orphanage was restored. I gave it a new name, Sunshine.
Just as Ms. Bourbon was a beacon for me, I hoped to be a beacon for every child who had nowhere to turn.
Over time, I adopted many orphans. In their shy, longing gazes, I recognized the child I once was.
I walked in Ms. Bourbon’s footsteps and made it my purpose to be the presence that they needed.
One of the shyest children,
a
girl who spent most days tucked away in a corner, handed me a crayon drawing one afternoon.
In the picture, a circle of little people and a taller figure stood among them. The words “Ms. Caroline” and “us” were
scrawled beside them.
She murmured, “I’m glad I get to be your family.”
At that moment, I couldn’t hold back anymore. With teary eyes, I pulled her into my arms.
For the first time in three years, I finally had a family again. A home of my own making, filled with people I chose to call
family.
A flower shop opened next door. It was run by Lawrence Collins, a man gentle in look and bearing.
He often brought over freshly trimmed bouquets, assisting with the children without ever overstepping. Now and then, he would introduce them to various blooms.
Lawrence was also very discreet. He recalled my dislike for mild floral aromas and chose only the freshest, most understated
blooms.
Whenever I spoke of Ms. Bourbon, he’d listen earnestly. Then, he softly said, “I’m sure she’s proud of you.”
On the days when the memories turned heavy, he never pried or pressed for details or tried to force a heartfelt talk.
Instead, he took a seat beside me in the yard. We watched the children play until the weight began to lift.
Amid the calm and warmth of our daily routine, our connection slowly deepened. It quietly bloomed into something close and real that spoke for itself.
With Lawrence’s support and the children’s radiant smiles, the scars of neglect and misunderstanding were slowly smoothed away. I believed this happiness would last forever.
One afternoon, the system’s panicked voice suddenly rang out in my mind.
Chapter 7
2/2
“Host, please save that world!”
Hearing that, I stopped what I was doing and coolly replied, “I’m done with that place.”
However, the system continued its desperate pleas.
“I understand you don’t want to return, but that world is on the verge of collapse! The you in that world did not die. They sent you to the hospital and have you hooked to machines in a coma.
“They built a research facility, extracted Eveline’s system, and interrogated it daily for a way to revive you. Now they’re bleeding themselves in some creepy ritual, thinking it’ll keep you alive. Everything is falling apart.”
Hearing that, I felt silent. I hadn’t imagined their desperation could drive them this far.
After a long while, I sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll go back. Not because I want to, but because I can’t stand by and watch a world fall apart on my account.”
“Thank you, host! Initiating return sequence now!”
Only When I Gave Up Did They Care
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