Boarding culture was extremely common in America. Whenever a student needed to study in another state, especially if they were still a minor, they would often live with a host family instead of renting an apartment or staying alone. It allowed them to attend school safely while having a stable home environment. Many American families welcomed boarding students warmly, and in most cases the host family would gradually treat the student like one of their own.
Adeline had quietly taken in a boarding student without mentioning it beforehand, and the news genuinely surprised Ethan. At the same time, a faint sense of guilt crept into his heart, because the reason behind it was painfully obvious. She had been living alone for too long, and the empty house must have felt unbearably quiet without someone around.
"Alright. I'll stay for a few days," Ethan agreed without hesitation.
"Good. Then wait here until I finish work," Adeline said with a satisfied smile.
Ethan shrugged casually. Waiting for a little while wasn't a big deal for him, and he had nothing urgent to do anyway. Just then the class bell rang through the building, echoing down the hallway.
Adeline stepped forward and wrapped him in another warm hug. Her tone softened as she spoke, the affection in her voice impossible to hide.
"My dear Ethan, wait for me here. I'll be back soon."
After speaking, she quickly gathered her textbooks and handouts, then hurried out of the office with energetic steps.
Ethan was extremely familiar with this place. The office, the corridors, the entire campus—none of it felt strange or uncomfortable to him. After Adeline left, he casually dropped onto the sofa, pulled out his phone, and began passing the time in boredom.
It was already close to noon. Adeline's job was actually quite relaxed, mainly because she owned shares in the private school. Of course, those shares had originally been arranged for her by Ethan himself.
All she really needed to do each day was teach her scheduled class. Once that was finished, the rest of the day belonged entirely to her personal time. Because of that, Ethan didn't need to wait very long.
A little over forty minutes later, Adeline returned to the office.
The two of them chatted casually for a while before leaving together. Adeline then drove them home, a place that could just as easily be called Ethan's home as well.
The house stood a little outside downtown New York, only two blocks away from the school. The drive usually took less than twenty minutes, making the location incredibly convenient.
It was a small villa located in a quiet, wealthy residential area. The architecture was typical of many American homes—nothing flashy or overly extravagant. In front of the house was a modest courtyard, while the backyard contained a garden and a swimming pool.
At the center of the property stood a white two-story villa, clean and elegant.
This had been the home where Ethan had lived for several years.
Returning here again stirred faint emotions inside him. Although many years had passed, countless memories were still attached to this place.
Adeline treated Ethan exactly the same as she always had. In her eyes, he was still the slightly thin and quiet boy from years ago who needed someone to take care of him. At noon they prepared lunch together at home, enjoying a peaceful meal that felt surprisingly warm.
Afterward, Ethan accompanied Adeline for a walk around the nearby streets. They spent nearly two hours wandering through shops and chatting casually about daily life.
By the time the clock approached three in the afternoon, Adeline finally sent Ethan out with a specific task.
He needed to pick up his sister.
Yes—technically speaking, she was his sister now.
Even though she was only a boarding student from abroad, Adeline treated her as part of the family. In Adeline's view, family members should take responsibility for one another. Because of that, she insisted that Ethan personally go pick her up from school.
"What a headache," Ethan muttered to himself.
Still, he couldn't refuse Adeline's request. She was the only person in the world who could make him feel this kind of helpless compliance.
To Ethan, Adeline represented his childhood. She had cared for him with incredible patience and warmth, slowly turning a strange and unfamiliar world into something that felt like home.
Shaking his head with a faint smile, Ethan started the car and drove toward the high school where Adeline worked.
That was also the school his so-called younger sister attended.
As he drove, Ethan recalled the name Adeline had mentioned earlier. The more he thought about it, the more a strange sense of familiarity tugged at his mind.
"Lorna Dane…" he murmured quietly.
The name lingered in his thoughts.
"No matter how I look at it, this name feels familiar. Have I seen it somewhere before?"
Ethan tapped lightly on the steering wheel as he drove, his mind running through memories.
For a moment he simply couldn't place it.
"Svija," Ethan said suddenly, addressing the car's artificial intelligence. "Search for the name Lorna Dane."
"Understood, sir. Please wait," the calm mechanical voice responded through the car's audio system.
The vehicle continued driving smoothly while the system processed the request.
About two minutes later, Svija spoke again.
"Sir, a global search has identified a total of twenty-one thousand individuals named Lorna Dane. Among them, six hundred and ninety-six are male. After narrowing the results based on location and age, one individual matches the parameters: a female student named Lorna Dane currently enrolled at St. Noci's High School, age sixteen, third-year student."
Ethan nodded slightly.
"Switch the vehicle to autonomous driving. Display her information."
"Understood, sir."
A moment later the windshield brightened, projecting a clear image along with several data entries.
Displayed on the screen was the photograph of a young girl with long green hair.
Her appearance was strikingly beautiful, with delicate features and a calm expression. Her eyes were especially distinctive—slender, sharp, and slightly angled, carrying a unique elegance. The irises themselves held a faint emerald tint that matched her hair.
The moment Ethan saw the photo, his eyebrows rose slightly.
Now he remembered exactly where he had heard that name before.
"Lorna Dane…"
He leaned back in his seat, staring thoughtfully at the image.
"Magneto's youngest daughter," Ethan murmured quietly.
"She's also known as Polaris. Her ability is identical to Magneto's—control over magnetism."
He studied the data on the windshield, a trace of curiosity appearing in his eyes.
"It looks like she's already awakened her mutant powers. But why is she attending St. Noci's High School?" Ethan said slowly.
"Shouldn't she be with the Brotherhood of Mutants?"
After a moment of silence, Ethan suddenly chuckled and shook his head.
"This world really is small," he said.
"I just captured Magneto, and now I'm about to meet his daughter."
Ethan crossed his arms and looked again at the girl's photograph.
After a few seconds, a faint smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Not bad," he said thoughtfully.
"This girl's looks definitely match Eastern European beauty standards."
His gaze lingered on the image for another moment.
"Now I'm suddenly interested."
.....
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