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Chapter 4 - The Present Past

At a certain orphanage in a certain city, the day was just beginning. Dawn broke through the windows and with it, the shrill voice of an adult woman.

"Up! Get Up Aegar! You are the last, as always! Up I say!"

In the attic, a young boy of no more than 14 years stirred. The pounding of the woman on the attic door sending dust from the ceiling into his face.

Blegh! Aegar shot straight up and started coughing and spitting as a small spider dropped from the ceiling and into his mouth with the latest wave of dust falling.

"I'm up! I'm up!" Aegar cried hoarsely. Tears pooling in his eyes. Not only did he swallow dust, but a spider! The day couldn't possibly get worse...can it?

"Got dust in your eyes did you? Serves you right! We give you a room and you can't even keep it clean!" He could hear the sneer in the woman's voice even through the attic door. 

"Come along. You've already missed breakfast, but we've yet to divvy out the chores for the day." 

Aegar grumbled to himself as he straightened out his clothes. He only ever had the same set of clothes. They never bothered to buy him new ones as he grew. 

Thalia, the woman shouting at him through the door, was also an accomplished seamstress. She adjust his clothes as he grew and as a result...they were quite small on him!

Aegar brushed his hands over his clothing to rid them of dust, dirt, and whatever else might have crawled on him while he slept. He looked around the attic. 

There were several crates stacked haphazardly in the corner. They were full of old toys and mementos of previous orphans. He'd checked the first night they stuck him up here.

A scattering of small toys across the floor. Broken dolls, smashed wooden figures, and whatever else the children downstairs broke. They got shiny new toys while he got their broken ones. 

The last object of interest was a large bronze mirror. It had intricate leaf carvings and unknown script carved at the top. Whatever else it might have been, it was his daily use mirror. 

He stood in front of the mirror for a second. The faintest slow started to wrap around the mirror. He blinked. The glow was gone.

'I really have to get better sleep.' He thought to himself as he stared at the mirror. A young boy with short jet black hair and brown eyes stared back at him. He was tall for his age, taller than even some men. 

He brushed some dirt off of his shoulder and straightened his shirt out. His breeches were sort of loose, but they still held. They'd need to be adjusted soon. Maybe he could use his allowance to get extra cloth so that Thalia could make them longer than just below his knees. 

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