Back at their home, Lumiel sat alone, waiting.
> "What's taking Mama so long?"
Bored, Lumiel wandered around the apartment, looking at items they rarely used.
That's when he noticed a box placed high on the shelf.
> "What's that box?"
He grabbed a chair and carefully climbed up.
"Got it!" he said, holding it in his arms.
But the stool began to shake.
"Woah—!"
Before it tipped, Lumiel jumped down and landed on his feet safely.
> "That was close. Now what's inside this box that Mama stored?"
Inside, he found an old photo album. It held pictures of Lylia, Hanz, Freya—and baby Lumiel.
"It's just me, Mama, Uncle Hanz and Uncle Freya," Lumiel smiled, flipping through the pages.
Tucked between the photos was an untouched envelope.
> "What's this?"
He opened it gently. Inside was a letter from Affia and a pile of untouched money.
> "Affia? Isn't Mama my real Mama? Her child? But… I'm Mama's child."
Confusion clouded Lumiel's thoughts.
He sat there silently, eyes fixed on the letter.
Night soon fell.
Lylia never came home.
Lumiel fell asleep alone on the couch.
Then—
Knock knock.
The loud knock jolted Lumiel awake.
> "Who's knocking? Is it Mama?"
He rushed to the door, but a man's voice echoed from the other side. Lumiel's body froze.
Another voice followed—a woman's this time.
Alarmed, Lumiel quietly hid inside the bedroom closet.
> "I need to stay quiet until they leave…"
The door creaked open. Footsteps followed.
"Lumiel!" a familiar voice called. "Lylia!"
It was Hanz and Freya.
"Where are they?! Lylia never replied to me yesterday—and now the apartment's empty!" Hanz shouted, panicked.
"Calm down, Hanz. Let's search the whole place," Freya said firmly.
They split up, searching each room.
Freya reached the bedroom and opened the closet—only to find a trembling, teary-eyed Lumiel curled up inside.
"Lumiel?" Freya gasped.
"Aunti?…" Lumiel whispered before leaping into her arms.
Freya held him tight.
"What happened, Lumiel? Where's your mother?"
"I don't know!" Lumiel sobbed. "She said she was going to buy groceries and—and…"
"Hey, it's okay. Relax first, then we'll talk, alright?"
"O-okay…" Lumiel cried into her shoulder.
"Hanz! I found Lumiel!" Freya called out.
Hanz rushed to the bedroom.
"Where?!"
He froze upon seeing the boy crying.
Freya shook her head. "No sign of Lylia. Just Lumiel."
They both brought Lumiel to the living room and waited until he was ready to speak.
"Are you ready, Lumiel?" Freya asked softly.
Lumiel nodded.
"So what happened yesterday?" Hanz asked.
"Mama asked me if I wanted to go to school. Then she said she was going to the grocery alone. She told me that if I wanted to be strong, I had to learn to be alone… And that she'd come back soon after…"
"But… she never came back," Lumiel's voice cracked.
Hanz and Freya looked at each other—both stunned.
"Lylia would never do something like this," Freya whispered.
"I know," Hanz replied. "We've known her for years. She would never leave Lumiel alone."
After a moment of silence, Hanz crouched beside Lumiel.
"Lumiel."
"Yes?"
"We've made up our minds. You're going to stay with us while we find your Mama. Is that okay?"
Lumiel wiped his tears and nodded.
Hanz and Freya both smiled—though worry still weighed in their eyes.
From that day forward, Lumiel began living with Hanz and Freya...
...waiting for the day his mother would return.