"Ghost!"
The instant the shadow appeared on the wall, Silvi suddenly leaned back and fell from He Ao's shoulder.
Prepared for it, He Ao caught Silvi with his backhand, then lifted her up and set her back on his shoulder.
The shadow on the wall seemed startled by her as well, slowing its gathering slightly, but it ultimately formed into the shadow of a child missing his left arm.
"Th-th-this—"
Silvi pointed at the shadow on the wall, her body still trembling slightly.
"Don't be afraid," He Ao said with a smile. "Didn't you just sense their presence?"
"R-right," Silvi seemed to come to her senses. She stared at the shadow on the wall, hugging He Ao's head as she nodded hesitantly. "So they've been here the whole time? Were they hiding from us just now?"
By then, He Ao had already turned his gaze back to the empty space before him and held out the leaf in his hand.
But the child's shadow on the wall did not accept it. Instead, it looked at He Ao, seemingly waiting for his question.
"Do you know how to enter the Orphanage?" He Ao asked quickly. "I don't need much information. Just a simple hint will do."
At those words, the child's reflection on the wall flickered. Then he took a few steps back, and his entire body vanished from the wall.
"H-he left," Silvi said, leaning against He Ao's head and gazing at the shadow on the wall. "Was what we asked for too much?"
"Perhaps?" He Ao's voice carried a faint trace of doubt as well.
He glanced at the wall but did not stand. He remained crouched there, waiting quietly.
After a moment, the shadow appeared on the wall once more. It was still the child missing his left