"And… what is this?"
I stared at my two mothers, each in a very different mood. Mama Enna had her arms crossed and eyes closed, her tone sharp.
"This person… insisted on coming along," she said, pointing to Mama Val, who was grinning and throwing up a peace sign.
"This person? Really, Enna, are you sure you want to be a bad example by teaching Cain to be disrespectful?"
"And being indecisive is a better example?"
Mama Val scratched her neck awkwardly.
"W-well, there was a schedule change, and since you know more people at Drakenshire, I figured—"
"So you figured pulling strings to get Cain in was fair game? Wow, that's bold even for you."
"Uh…" Then Mama Val turned to me and gave my suitcase a little nudge. "Anyway! Let's get moving, or we'll be late."
Mama Enna rolled her eyes and headed toward the front door while Mama Val helped me load up the luggage.
I didn't bring much. Just this suitcase and a backpack with my laptop and chargers. Mama Enna had offered to pack me some snacks, but I quickly reminded her I was going to a dorm—not on a family picnic.
We eventually compromised on a plastic bag filled with canned food and "supposedly healthy" instant noodles.
"Still as stubborn as ever," Mama Val commented.
"I heard that," Mama Enna replied sharply, earning a chuckle from Val.
I turned to Mama Val and murmured, "Hey."
"Hm?" She glanced back at me—completely natural now. No trace of the awkwardness from a few days ago. As if it had all been settled. As if it had never even happened.
And maybe that was for the best. "Forget it."
The car ride had been unusually loud—mostly because of my moms bickering.
From Mama Enna critiquing Mama Val's drowsy driving, to their musical debate:
Mama Val blasted aggressive rock, which Mama Enna called "radical garbage," and kept switching the station to soft instrumental tracks.
Arguments I hadn't really seen in years. I guess back then, only Mama Enna was actually busy with a side job outside of being a Hunter.
Her clinic wasn't as big or famous as it is now, so she rarely made it home before night.
A scene I might never see again in the next few years… or ever.
Because, seeing how Mama Val's mood swung like a pendulum, I started thinking—maybe she was secretly grateful for this goodbye too.
When we arrived at Drakenshire's main gate, we weren't greeted by Mr. Wood, but instead by a tall girl in a blue-toned uniform offering a warm smile.
"Cain Vernier?" she called out cheerfully as the three of us stepped out.
While Mama Enna chatted with her about some administrative stuff, I glanced toward the side of the gate—where an outdoor field was swarming with students and one instructor.
There were loud cheers—probably some kind of match going on. Was that what they called a simulated duel?
"Cain." Mama Enna tapped my shoulder. "I wanted to help bring your things to your room, but the staff says parents can only go as far as the gate."
"Besides, he's not in elementary school anymore. Imagine how Cain would feel if his new friends saw him being smothered like that," Mama Val added.
Mama Enna scoffed at that. "Still, what's wrong with making sure he's safe?"
"With security this tight, I doubt even mosquitoes could sneak in," Mama Val said—and honestly, she had a point.
Even if it wasn't visible to the naked eye, there was a semi-transparent energy shield covering Drakenshire like a dome.
Mama Val, with her heightened senses, likely saw it more clearly than anyone.
Still, Mama Enna wasn't done. "Don't hesitate to message us if anything bad happens. No—make sure you do. At least three times a day."
So… a message every time I eat?
"I'll… do my best."
Mama Enna smiled and pulled me into a hug. "It's going to feel empty without you."
Her voice cracked slightly as she let go, giving space for Mama Val's turn.
I… felt awkward. Mama Val had gone back to her usual self—or at least was trying to. But I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe it was all just a sweetened version of pretense.
And I never liked pretending.
Still, a sudden weight pressed against me. That familiar vanilla scent surrounded me instantly.
Mama Val's hug was firmer. And because we were nearly the same height, her body settled naturally against mine.
She didn't say anything. Just rubbed my back and rested her face on my shoulder.
"I'll still be here—and always waiting for you to come home."
My breath caught in my throat.
"And when you're ready… we'll talk. All four of us. Okay?"
Just like that, with one simple sentence, the pressure in my chest lifted. The weight in my mind scattered.
It was silly, in hindsight. Maybe she only said that as a sweet parting line. Maybe she just wanted to be a good mom one last time.
But deep down, in some fragile sliver of hope, I wished it wasn't.
"Okay," I whispered—and hugged her back, even tighter.
#
"Your room's on the third floor," the staff lady said as she led me into the elevator.
Turns out, Drakenshire was way bigger than I imagined. The campus probably covered nearly a tenth of the city. Mr. Wood said it wasn't some prestigious Hunter school anymore, but it was still the only one in town.
The dorms looked like high-rise apartments, split into two separate wings—boys on the left, girls on the right.
Not far from there was the main academic complex. It housed classrooms, fields, a gymnasium, labs, a library, and other facilities I'd never seen in any regular school.
Then, on the outer edge, were the staff residences—built more like cozy villas than cramped rooms.
Early lessons in social class, huh?
"Here we are," the staff said, stopping at a room at the very end of the hall. "You'll find all the academic info—class assignments, uniform guidelines, schedules—on the computer inside."
"Computer?"
She handed me a key, still smiling. "Have fun!" Then walked away.
I opened the door to find… a new room that already felt like it could be home.
Minimalist interior. Not bigger than my old bedroom, but it had a TV, bookshelves, a king-sized bed, and a computer setup with state-of-the-art hardware.
The only thing that puzzled me was the humanoid black figure standing in front of the bathroom.
Especially now that its eyes were opening and it was smiling—waving at me in a very, very strange way.
"Come closer," it said.
"Don't be afraid."