He looked obedient, but he had already changed.
After Elric came home, he was quiet.
He ate on time. Slept on time.
No tantrums. No questions.
As if the whole incident—"his disappearance"—had been nothing more than a misunderstanding.
A dream best left unspoken.
He was polite.
Organized.
Precise.
And no longer quite a child.
**
At the end of the hallway, Mr. Zane stood silently, watching.
The boy was seated at his desk, focused on the corner of an old newspaper.
Mr. Zane wasn't sure if he could understand what he was reading—
but his eyes, still and sharp, reminded him of someone else.
Someone he used to be.
He didn't enter the room.
He just stood there for a while.
Then turned and walked away.
That night, he added Elric's name to a travel itinerary.
**
The next morning, the accounts manager asked:
"How many for the port inspection trip?"
Mr. Zane answered offhandedly:
"Three."
"The boy counts as one."
**
When Elena heard, she froze.
"Mr. Zane… taking him along?"
Her voice was barely audible.
The clothes she had just folded fell on the floor.
Mr. Zane didn't explain.
He only said:
"It's better he sees it now, than later."
She didn't argue.
She simply picked up the clothes quietly and began folding again.
But that night, she couldn't sleep.
Under the dim lamp, she packed a small bag—clean clothes, a few personal things—
just in case he needed them.
**
On the day of departure, the sky was still dark.
Elric stood at the gate in a plain but tidy shirt.
Still.
Wordless.
Eyes calm.
Elena approached, smoothing out the collar at his neck.
Her hands trembled.
Her voice was soft:
"Be good."
"Come back early."
"I'll be waiting."
**
He gave a small nod.
Then looked at her.
It was a brief glance, but full of weight.
He wanted to say something.
But in the end, he only whispered:
"I'll come back."
He stepped into the car without another word.
**
She stood by the door, watching the vehicle fade into the road.
Her eyes stung—
but no tears fell.
In that moment, she felt it deep inside:
The boy… had changed.
But she couldn't bring herself to name it.
Couldn't afford to think too hard about it.
She just hoped—
that the world he was stepping into
wouldn't be colder than the one he was leaving behind.
—
[Chapter Prologue]
It was his first time leaving the estate—
his first step into what they called the "real world."
No one told him…
it was only the beginning of the battlefield.