Deal with The Devil! Chapter 6: Sister Agnes

"Are you sure you do not want to go there now?"

On his way back, Jinn had changed his attire once more. He was no longer wearing those robes to disguise himself and was now back in his uniform. He was currently walking into the orphanage through the front gates.

There were two guards stationed at the gate who noticed his arrival and offered a friendly smile. They seed well acquainted with Jinn.

Smiling back, the black-haired young man slowly walked towards the central building straight ahead.

"I cannot stay out indefinitely; it would arouse suspicion and questions from the teachers and, most of all, the matron."

It had already been afternoon by the ti he had returned.

"That makes sense..." The voice replied back instantly before it took on a devilishly amusing tone, "but... your actions today would already have them wondering. A good kid who never skips a class suddenly took a day off..."

The voice did not finish its words; it did not have to. It knew how clever Jinn was and how the boy would have already understood what it wanted to say.

But Jinn did not seem to care at all; he just continued on with his pace. He was already climbing the stairs leading to the upper floors in the building. On the topmost floor of the building, there were no classrooms, only offices for the teachers and staff.

’The blood vial... I have to find a way to return it.’ Lost in his thoughts, Jinn did not even realize how the ti had passed and how he had arrived at his destination.

’The Principal’s office’

Read the words on the wooden plaque hamred to the side of the door.

’Everything will be over by the ti the sun cos up tomorrow.’ Taking a deep breath, the raven-haired boy raised his hand to knock on the door twice.

Knock! Knock!

"Who is it?" Following the sharp knocks, a familiar lodious voice sounded from within.

"Jinn Alcott." Replied the boy.

"Ah, Jinn, co in, dear." The voice instantly replied, gaining a hint of familiar warmth at his reply. "You do not have to use your full na; I know who you are."

Receiving the permission, Jinn turned the knob gently and walked into the room once the door was open.

The room was spacious and well decorated.

There were books, shelved in the corner on tall wooden structures. Warm light, coming directly from the outside through the long glass windows. On the other side, the beautiful view of the garden below and the towering front gates ca into sight.

’Sotis this place feels more like a palace than a Orphanage.’

"Jinn?"

The boy snapped out of his thoughts once the voice called out to him. He slowly turned his head to look at the source of the voice.

Sitting there, behind the large table made out of walnut wood, was a woman who was not only the principal of the school but also the Matron of the Orphanage. The woman dressed in her purple attire was now looking at Jinn with a hint of worry in her eyes.

"What happened, dear? Are you alright?" The Matron stood from her seat and walked around the table, approaching him. "I heard you were absent from your classes all day."

Noticing the concern in her voice, Jinn smiled back warmly. ’sotis I wonder how she still has the will to worry about others after going through...’

"I am fine, Sister Agnes." The smile on his face thinned as he tried to assure her, "I had to get out for a while. After what happened in the morning—"

Jinn did not even see how the matron even got up from her seat, let alone crossed the distance between them. By the ti he realized sothing had happened, a warm embrace had enveloped him.

His head was pressed against the woman’s supple body, filling him with a warmth he did not even realize he needed.

With her arms wrapped around Jinn’s back, Matron Agnes whispered softly in his ears. "I should have known. What you saw in the morning could shake even the adults, let alone a child."

She slowly rubbed his back like a mother assuring her child of their safety.

"I am really okay, Sister Agnes." Jinn patted her back as well. "You have taken care of ever since I was little, so you know when I am telling the truth and when I am not."

Though still hesitant, the nun released him. She cupped his face and took a deep look in his eyes. Only after she found no traces of deceit did she let out a long sigh of relief.

’It is because I have taken care of you since the day I found you outside my ho that I worry about you so much.’ With a sweet smile, she brushed the hair away from his forehead and pressed her lips against it.

"So what did you do when you were out?" She guided him to a chair for the visitors while sitting on the main chair herself.

"Nothing, I just needed so fresh air, so I walked around the city."

Before even entering through the front door, Jinn had entered the Orphanage through a secret back door to hide the things where only he could find them.

Sister Agnes did not even doubt his words, and her youthful face blood even though she tried her best to hide the swirl of deep emotions in her eyes.

"As long as you are fine..." She whispered, patting his head once more. "So, why did you suddenly visit in the middle of the day?"

"Ah," Jinn chuckled lightly and replied, "I just ca to inform you about my whereabouts; I knew you would worry the whole day. If I had not co to see you, you might have had a law enforcent team out in the city to look for ."

Jinn’s words made the woman in her thirties blush hard. Embarrassed at being exposed like this, she puffed her cheeks in annoyance, "is this how you talk to your principal?"

Jinn rely chuckled at her antics before shifting the topic.

"You never told , have you awakened your root chakra?"

His question made the matron pause; complex emotions flared in her eyes before sadness took hold.

Shaking her head, she said. "Sadly no, I never had the chance to try, and the church rarely helps older people with the process unless they have achieved major rits."

Jinn realized that she did not feel good talking about this topic and did not talk about it anymore.