In the distance, Pepe approached the three brothers. He had a bandage wrapped around his body. The bandage was covering the wounds on his chest. He also carried three bags. He handed each one of the trio a bag and explained that they were potatoes that he brought from The Orphanage.
Stark grabbed his bag, and he was confused as to why the bag was light. He felt the bag and remarked that it felt empty.
Pepe was worried. He admitted that he got hungry on his way there and ate some of it.
Stark opened his bag and pulled out a bitten, little piece of potato. With a look of disappointment, he turned the bag upside down. Then, he shook it, and nothing else fell out. He turned towards Pepe and glared. He angrily interrogated what kind of prank he was pulling.
Pepe nervously apologized that he had a lot on his mind and got carried away.
Hafen chuckled.
Stark glanced at Hafen. He muttered that an apology was not enough.
Pepe nervously laughed and scratched the back of his head. He commented that he was hungry and couldn't help himself to two bags full of potatoes.
Hafen stopped chuckling and became serious. He inquired what he meant by two bags.
Pepe, still scratching the back of his head, revealed that he also ate from his bag.
Hafen quickly opened his bag and checked inside. His eyes widened. He glared at Pepe and muttered that he left him none.
Pepe was embarrassed, and he apologized. He offered to grab some more. He blinked and wondered why they were so upset.
Stark and Hafen simultaneously expressed that he took the only food that they had. Their parents were gone, and their home was burned down. They had nothing, and they needed food.
Stark clenched his fist, and Hafen gritted his teeth.
Pepe apologized and stepped back as they menacingly approached him.
Suddenly, there was a sound of a potato being eaten.
Hafen and Stark turned around. They saw Matteo happily munching his potatoes.
Stark questioned him if he had some.
Matteo, mouth full, replied that his bag was full. He smiled and reminded them that Pepe was just hungry and that it was not his fault. He continued that he understood his predicament and that the potatoes were tasty.
Pepe sighed and muttered that Matteo was a lifesaver. He thanked him.
Stark and Hafen were dumbfounded.
Matteo smiled and chewed.
Stark was frustrated, and he remarked that they were starving.
Matteo finished his potato and grabbed another one. He questioned if they wanted a bite.
Stark was stunned and threateningly asked if he would share.
Matteo nodded.
Hafen and Stark, hesitant, turned towards each other. They accepted his offer and approached him.
Pepe was astonished, as well.
Matteo shrugged and offered his potato to his brothers. At the last second, he ate the potato in front of them. He hugged his bag full of potatoes while munching the potato in his mouth.
Hafen and Stark were furious. They questioned why he ate the potato.
Matteo muttered that he changed his mind, and the potatoes were his. He grabbed another potato and ate it. He stated that he did not mind sharing, but they would definitely eat it all.
The three brothers argued.
Pepe sighed. Due to similar past experiences, he knew what would happen next. He stood there, watching them fight over potatoes.
Hafen lunged towards Matteo and yelled that he was not supposed to do that.
Hafen and Matteo rolled around the ground.
As the two wrestled, Stark was trying to pry Matteo's bag off of him. As Stark was grabbing the bag, he tripped and landed on his face.
Matteo stood up with his bag of potatoes. He ran deep into the forest.
Stark demanded him to come back.
Hafen and Stark chased Matteo through the forest. They were determined to steal his potatoes.
Matteo was laughing as his brothers chased him. He was faster than them, so they never reached him.
Pepe sighed and followed the trio. He dashed towards Matteo. He passed Hafen and Stark. He reached Matteo, and he grabbed his wrist.
Matteo stopped. He remarked that the potatoes were his. He pleaded with Pepe to let go.
Hafen and Stark caught up.
Pepe ordered them to stop fighting.
Stark, panting, demanded Matteo to share his potatoes.
Hafen was exhausted, and he sat down.
Pepe stretched his arm out with his hand open towards Hafen and Stark and asserted that there were more potatoes at The Orphanage.
The trio stopped fighting and looked at him. They were curious and surprised.
Pepe elaborated that they could join the orphans and live there.
Stark wondered if he was serious.
Pepe nodded.
Hafen crossed his arms and wondered if Pepe was trying to get them to go back to The Orphanage. He continued that he hated the place. He remembered how everyone in The Orphanage considered each other siblings as they were cared for by one person, Linda. Even so, their lives were full of suffering for survival when they lived there. They starved with no shelter.
Pepe assured him that The Orphanage was renovated. They had a new place to stay, now.
The three brothers were intrigued.
Pepe commented that it had been a while since they had seen the three of them.
Since they had nowhere to go, the three brothers agreed. They walked on the trail, through the forest. They headed to The Orphanage.
On the way, Stark solemnly wondered if there was a way to bring their parents back.
Hafen sighed and muttered that he wished there was.
Stark looked up and asserted that they would find a way.
Matteo spat out a potato from his mouth. As he picked up the potato, he questioned how.
Stark stated that they would go to the outside world.
Hafen scoffed that he was being ridiculous. He reminded him about the danger that lurked beyond the forest.
Pepe, behind them, listened to their conversation.
Stark declared that afterwards, they would travel the outside world with their parents.
Matteo wondered if there was a way to revive their parents.
Hafen remarked that Stark had a point, though. He elaborated that even though it was dangerous, the outside world would hold some sort of clue or answer about the cloaked figures. He stared at the sky and explained that the black fire was not normal. He continued that the house was burned into nothing.
No ash or evidence of it ever existing.
Matteo wondered what mysteries the outside world held.
The three brothers agreed that their goal was to confront and defeat the cloaked figures. The cloaked figures were the bad guys.
In the meantime, Pepe was deep in thought. He wondered how far their resolve went. He reminisced his own conversations with the girl. He did not want them to be involved in the problems of the outside world. Still, he vowed to pave a path for them.
At that moment, Pepe snapped back and informed the brothers that they were close. He urged them to hurry up. The brothers quickened their pace.
It was noon, and the trail led to a large house. Pepe smiled that it was The Orphanage.
Matteo thought it would be more of a wreck.
Pepe remarked that they repaired it. He asserted that his mom, Linda, said that someone named Stribora gave them the materials.
Stark commented that Henry told him that Stribora also funded the new school.
Hafen, curious, questioned if Pepe knew who Stribora was.
Pepe shook his head and stated that he had no clue, either. He continued that without Stribora, they wouldn't be able to study. He added that they wouldn't even have a home.
As they reached the renovated house's patio, Hafen commented that they used to sleep outside when they lived there.
Stark reminisced that they would huddle to stay warm during the winter.
In front of The Orphanage, they stood in awe. The Orphanage was the size of a mansion. A large sign read: "The Orphanage." The building was white, and the roof was red. There were two floors and multiple windows. It had a garden. It had an elegant front door, and a trail led to a side door.
Hafen was astonished. He questioned how Linda and Stribora managed to afford this.
Pepe grabbed the front door and urged them to enter.
Stark, hesitant, was surprised by the change and improvements in livelihood.
Matteo was ecstatic.
The inside of the house was also renovated. It was very clean and modern. There were stairs and a chandelier. There was a hallway that led to other rooms.
Pepe, standing by the front door, asked them to follow him.
As the trio stepped inside, their eyes widened. There were a bunch of kids, babies, and small monsters running around with toys and games.
Linda was serving delicious looking food that intrigued the trio.
Matteo sniffed and drooled.
Linda turned and noticed them. She was surprised, and she smiled. She muttered that they have grown up.
Linda was a woman with a kind smile. Her hair barely touched her shoulders. It was a combination of green and red. Her eyes were blue, and she had pointy ears. She wore a loose, green dress and a thin red robe.
Stark commented that the place looked like fun.
The kids, babies, and small monsters slowly glanced at the door. They exclaimed that Pepe was back.
The orphans jumped at Pepe and tackled him.
Pepe fell to the ground. He, embarrassed, tried to pry the kids off of him.
Just then, a male toddler kneed him in the stomach.
Pepe screamed in pain as his injuries were not recovered.
Linda told the kids and small monsters to calm down.
The kids and small monsters stopped and noticed the trio.
Hafen stood, still trying to process the drastic change.
A small snake monster slithered towards them. It hissed and introduced itself as Snaky.
Stark was not sure how to react and backed away. He questioned how a snake could talk.
Matteo waved and inspected the snake.
Hafen wondered why they were taking care of monsters.
Pepe reassured them and revealed that they were like a family. He continued that Snaky was born from an abandoned egg. Snaky was an orphan just like the three brothers.
Snaky slithered around the brothers and observed them. He questioned who they were.
Pinned to the ground, Pepe introduced the three brothers to the orphans as their brothers who were adopted by Henry and Adelia.
Suddenly, two toddlers, on top of Pepe, poked their heads out of the pile. One was a male and the other one was a female. With gleam in their eyes, they celebrated that they had more big brothers.
The trio was startled.
Pepe introduced the two toddlers as his real little brother and sister.
The male toddler made a gallant pose and introduced himself as Pepo. He had blue hair and eyes. He wore a light blue shirt and a pair of shorts.
The female toddler made a heroic pose and introduced herself as Pepi. She had red hair and eyes. She wore a red dress.
Matteo commented that he remembered them from when they were babies.
Pepo asserted that they have grown.
Pepi and Pepo offered to play with Stark and Matteo.
Stark and Matteo accepted their offer.
The two toddlers jumped off the pile and dragged the two brothers away. They played for a while.
Meanwhile, Hafen, not accustomed to the new environment, remained lonesome and read a book. He was immersed in a book from the shelves. It was titled: "Ghost Girl."
The story was about a ghost that was once a human girl and had supernatural powers. Her close friends were killed by the gods of the world. She vowed revenge against the gods. The girl had a dark, ominous aura surrounding her. The author was unknown.
Hafen was intrigued by the story ever since Adelia read it to him.
As he was reading, Linda announced that it was time for dinner.
The kids and monsters excitedly cheered and ran to the table.
At the dining room, there was a long table and many chairs. On the table, there was a large plate of rice and a giant bowl of soup.
Stark and Matteo, sitting beside the kids, were drooling and hungry.
Hafen sat across from Stark and Matteo.
During dinner, Linda served rice and soup that she made for the kids while carrying a baby drinking a special liquid.
Everyone was eating and enjoying their food.
Pepe was the first one to finish. He licked his bowl and wanted more.
Linda handed him another bowl.
Matteo finished his soup, and then, he started eating his rice.
Curious, Stark asked Linda what the baby was drinking. She smiled and stated that it was cola.
Matteo exclaimed that it sounded tasty.
Linda replied that she could make some for them. She explained that it was her baby's only desired diet, and she introduced the baby by the name of Joey.
Hafen wondered if she was not feeding it milk.
Linda revealed that the baby was a special case and could not drink anything else. Being told what happened by Pepe, she also commented that it was a shame to see the adopted brothers again.
As Stark took a bite of his food, he remembered the events that transpired the previous night and teared up. He solemnly remarked that he missed them.
Matteo lamented that they now felt alone in the world.
Linda comforted them that she would be there if they needed anything. She continued that the brothers could stay at The Orphanage for the time being.
The brothers accepted her help.
Pepe commented that she looked sick and asked Linda if she was fine.
Surprised by the comment, Linda softly replied that she was fine. On the other hand, she thought to herself that she had not slept well in a while. The last few nights were full of nightmares.
After a while, Pepe stood up and asserted that he was done eating and that he would head out.
Hafen wondered why he was leaving.
Pepe replied that it was a secret.
Snaky claimed that Pepe always left at this hour and never returned until the next day.
Stark questioned where Pepe was going.
Pepe, nervous, stated that he had something important to do. He added that he could not tell them. In the distance, he waved and announced that he would return in the morning.
The three brothers stared at the door.
Later, Hafen read a book in a corner.
Snaky had the courage to approach him.
Hafen asked Snaky what he wanted from him.
Snaky questioned Hafen if he was fine.
Hafen claimed that he was.
A few seconds later, Hafen asked Snaky how Linda accomplished such a feat like The Orphanage.
Snaky stated that Linda started a fun business with the orphans with the funds. He continued that because of the high number of people moving into the forest, the business was profitable. He was confounded when he realized that the book Hafen was reading was an advanced textbook. He questioned Hafen if he knew how to read.
Hafen uttered he learned how to read when he was a baby. He continued that Adelia used to read them stories.
Impressed, Snaky asked if Hafen could teach him.
Hafen obliged and showed Snaky the textbook.
Other orphans were intrigued.
A few minutes later, Hafen was teaching all the orphans how to read.
The orphans were amazed by Hafen's intelligence.
Linda informed that school would be canceled until the funeral for Henry and Adelia.
All the orphans were stunned.
Stark wondered if he had heard correctly.
Linda affirmed that there would be a funeral service for Henry and Adelia.