The streets of Origin Town shimmered faintly under the morning sun, the air alive with chatter as the marketplace began to stir. Lusia's friends, Mia and Ceyla, appeared at just the wrong moment—or perhaps the right one, depending on who was watching.
"Lusiaaa!" Mia and Ceyla, jogging over with a sly grin. "What are you doing with the oddly famous boy?"
"Lost boy" Ceyla added.
Her tone wasn't mean, but it carried the lilt of teasing curiosity, the kind friends used when they knew something smelled of trouble.
Lusia only laughed, waving her hand as though the question meant little. "Oh, him? Don't worry. He'll soon be a part of the school. And besides, Kael's a nice guy."
The confidence in her voice was so simple, so casual, that both Mia and Ceyla immediately softened. They trusted her word, as they always had. So, when their eyes turned toward Kael, their smiles were genuine, expectant, like they were already prepared to welcome him.
Ceyla used avery polite tone to call out kael "Hi there"
Whith no response mia also spoke, being a little loud "hello Kael?"
But Kael wasn't smiling back.
---
Inside his head, the storm had already broken loose.
What am I doing here? What even is my identity?
The word echoed like a knife pressed to his throat—identity.
Am I… a criminal? To them, I'm a man with no history, no records, no proof I even belong in this world. What do I tell them if they press me? That I've been in hibernation for centuries? That I once helped shape this very planet? Who would believe me? Worse… what if they did believe me?
His chest tightened, breath sticking in his lungs. Images he didn't want surfaced—cold judgmental stares, soldiers dragging him away, whispers that turned to accusations.
Execution. Exile. Or worse—experimentation. I don't have anything to prove I'm not a threat.
He clenched his fists, nails biting into his palms.
And if I don't exist in their records, then… do I even exist at all?
The thought hit harder than the others. For a terrifying instant, Kael felt the weight of centuries collapse inward on him. The countless years he had drifted in silence, alone, meant nothing here. The world had moved on without him, built new systems, new values, new lives. And him? He was nothing more than a shadow. A relic.
Maybe I should never have woken up…
---
"Kael!"
The voice snapped at him, sharp as a stone against glass.
It wasn't Mia's or Ceyla's—it was Lusia's. She had stepped closer, her hand gently tapping his shoulder. "Hey. We don't have the whole day to sit here. Hurry up already—we've got lots to do today."
Her touch grounded him, dragging him from the spiral. He blinked, his vision slowly clearing, but the weight didn't vanish. Words trembled at the edge of his lips, an explanation that would never make sense.
"I… I—"
"Wait," Lusia cut in, her gaze catching something. "This bracelet of yours…"
Before Kael could react, she grabbed his hand, tugging him toward the identity scanner at the town square. His heart dropped straight into his stomach.
"W-wait, no, don't—!" His words cracked like glass. He tried to pull back, panic clawing up his throat.
And then, right as the scanner lit up, a calm, resonant voice echoed within his mind.
Rest easy, Kael. Everything is good.
Oris.
The voice was soft, reassuring, carrying the weight of an old guardian who had already prepared for this moment.
Kael froze, watching as the scanner glowed, reading the bracelet without resistance. Symbols flickered across the crystal surface, and a mechanical chime rang out:
[Partial Citizen Registration – Valid: 1 Year]
---
The crowd didn't gasp. No one raised alarms. Life simply moved on around them.
But Kael stood still, his mind a battlefield.
Oris… You did this beforehand, didn't you? Set it all up so I wouldn't be caught unprepared. But what did you write into that identity? What past did you give me? What present? What secrets did you cover?
The uncertainty gnawed at him. The relief of not being dragged away was drowned by the unease of not knowing what falsehoods now defined him.
Still, he swallowed it. For now.
He turned back to Lusia's friends, forcing his lips into a shape resembling a smile. "Hi… I'm Kael Apogranthis."
"Nice to meet you!" Ceyla beamed. Mia, too, gave him a playful little wave, as though the panic moments ago had never existed.
Lusia, satisfied, crossed her arms. "See? Nothing to worry about. Now then—if you two are free, how about we head to the temple later? The March will start soon, and there'll be tons to explore."
The girls nodded eagerly, and the plan was set. Evening at the temple.
---
Back at the shop, Lusia announced proudly to her grandmother, "From tomorrow, Kael will finally be a part of Origin Town!"
Her grandmother smiled knowingly, as though she had expected this all along, and quickly set them both back to work. The day passed in the rhythm of chores and customers, but Kael's mind never stilled.
Later, when the shop grew quiet, his eyes wandered. On the counter, he noticed one of Lusia's books left open, its neat script catching his attention. He leaned closer and read about an event scheduled for six months from now—a graduation of sorts. For those above sixteen, it was the day they chose their "Path."
The word lingered in his mind. "Path." He didn't fully grasp its weight, but he could sense it was important, tied to something deeper. Something he wasn't ready for.
He closed the book gently, glancing over to Lusia, who had collapsed onto a chair, dozing peacefully after a long day. He didn't dare disturb her.
Instead, Kael leaned back, eyes tracing the ceiling beams as his thoughts whispered louder than ever.
I've been given an identity. A fragile one. But that doesn't mean I belong. If I want to survive here… no, if I want to live here… I'll have to do more than just blend in. I'll have to prove myself. Maybe school is the place to start.
His eyes grew heavy, exhaustion weighing him down. For the first time, he allowed himself to close them, letting the noise of the shop fade.
The festival awaited at night, but for now—sleep would have to do.