Adrian stood in the middle of the bedroom, unsure if he was allowed to move.
The room felt too big.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
For a long moment, he simply stared around him like someone who had stepped into another world.
The bed alone was bigger than the thin mattress he had slept on for years.
The blankets looked soft.
Too soft.
He slowly reached out and touched them with his fingertips.
They were warm.
Clean.
Adrian quickly pulled his hand back.
It felt wrong somehow.
Like he might ruin it just by touching it.
Behind him, Alessio noticed.
"You can sit on it," he said gently.
Adrian looked over his shoulder.
"…Really?"
Alessio blinked in confusion.
"Yeah."
Adrian hesitated before carefully sitting on the edge of the bed.
The mattress sank slightly beneath his weight.
His eyes widened.
"…It's soft."
Alessio couldn't help smiling a little.
"Most beds are."
Adrian looked embarrassed.
"Oh."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable.
Just… uncertain.
Alessio shifted his weight slightly against the doorway.
"Do you need anything?"
Adrian looked around again.
His eyes landed on the clothes folded neatly on the chair.
"…Are those mine?"
"Yeah," Alessio said. "They guessed your size."
Adrian walked over slowly.
The clothes looked expensive.
New.
He picked up the shirt carefully.
"…I've never had new clothes before."
Alessio's smile faded slightly.
"Oh."
Adrian seemed to realize what he said and quickly added,
"I mean— I had some when I was little probably. I just… don't remember."
Alessio nodded slowly.
"That's okay."
Adrian held the shirt quietly for a moment before asking another question.
"…Where do I sleep?"
Alessio blinked.
"In the bed."
Adrian looked confused.
"By myself?"
Alessio laughed softly.
"…Yeah."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"That's new."
The words slipped out so casually that Alessio almost didn't notice them.
But when he did…
His chest tightened again.
He didn't ask what Adrian meant.
He was afraid of the answer.
Instead, he pointed toward a door near the wall.
"There's a bathroom there."
Adrian looked surprised.
"A bathroom?"
"Yeah."
Adrian opened the door slowly.
Then immediately froze.
"…There's a bathtub in here."
Alessio leaned against the wall.
"That's normal."
Adrian stared at the large tub like it was some kind of rare treasure.
"…Can I use it?"
"Of course."
Adrian looked back at him uncertainly.
"I won't get in trouble?"
Alessio's smile disappeared completely this time.
"No."
His voice was firm now.
"You won't get in trouble here."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
He closed the bathroom door carefully.
A few minutes later, the sound of running water filled the room.
Alessio stayed in the hallway.
He wasn't sure if Adrian would feel comfortable being alone yet.
So he simply waited.
Across the mansion…
The rest of the family sat quietly in the living room.
Marco leaned back in his chair.
"He's smaller than I expected."
Nico nodded sadly.
"Did you see his hands?"
Dante's jaw tightened.
"Yeah."
Blisters.
Old scars.
Hands that had clearly done too much work for someone his age.
Isabella sat on the couch, her fingers tightly gripping a handkerchief.
"He was hungry."
Everyone looked at her.
She wiped her eyes softly.
"When I hugged him… he smelled like smoke and rain."
Her voice trembled.
"He's been living like that for years."
Silence filled the room again.
Finally Lorenzo spoke.
"Has the doctor arrived?"
Marco nodded.
"He's waiting in the study."
Lorenzo stood up.
"Good."
Nico hesitated.
"…Do we really have to do that tonight?"
Lorenzo looked at him calmly.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I need to know exactly what they did to him."
The room fell quiet again.
No one argued.
They all wanted to know.
But they were also afraid of the answer.
Upstairs…
Adrian carefully stepped out of the bathtub.
The warm water had relaxed his muscles in a way he didn't recognize.
He wrapped a towel around himself.
His reflection caught his attention in the mirror.
He stared at it for a long moment.
The boy in the mirror looked unfamiliar.
Wet hair.
Thin shoulders.
Faint bruises on his arms.
Adrian lifted his hand slowly.
The reflection copied him.
"…Adrian," he whispered.
The name still felt strange.
But tonight…
It didn't feel completely wrong anymore.
He changed into the clean clothes.
They fit perfectly.
Too perfectly.
Like they had been waiting for him.
When he stepped out of the bathroom, Alessio was still there.
"You're still here?" Adrian asked quietly.
"Yeah."
Adrian hesitated before asking something else.
"…Why?"
Alessio shrugged slightly.
"I thought you might not want to be alone."
Adrian didn't answer.
But he didn't look uncomfortable either.
A knock came from the door.
Both boys looked up.
Marco stepped inside.
"Sorry to interrupt."
Adrian stiffened slightly.
Marco noticed immediately.
"It's okay," he said calmly. "You're not in trouble."
Adrian nodded slowly.
"There's someone who wants to see you," Marco continued.
Adrian's stomach tightened.
"…Who?"
"The family doctor."
Adrian's fingers tightened around the sleeve of his shirt.
"Do I have to?"
Marco crouched down so they were eye level.
"Only if you're comfortable."
Adrian hesitated.
Doctors meant questions.
But these people kept saying he had a choice.
That was new.
After a moment, he nodded.
"…Okay."
Marco stood again.
"Good."
Adrian followed them downstairs.
The mansion was quieter now.
Most of the staff had disappeared.
They stopped in front of a large wooden door.
Marco knocked once before opening it.
Inside the room sat an older man with gray hair and kind eyes.
He stood up slowly.
"So," he said gently.
"This must be Adrian."
Adrian stood behind Marco slightly.
The man smiled warmly.
"My name is Dr. Laurent."
Adrian nodded politely.
"Hello."
The doctor studied him carefully.
But there was no judgment in his eyes.
Only concern.
"Would it be alright if I asked you a few questions?"
Adrian glanced at Marco.
Marco gave him an encouraging nod.
Adrian looked back at the doctor.
"…Okay."
Dr. Laurent pulled out a chair.
"First question."
His voice was soft.
"Are you in any pain right now?"
Adrian thought for a moment.
Then he answered honestly.
"…I'm always a little sore."
The doctor's expression darkened slightly.
But he nodded calmly.
"I see."
He wrote something down.
Then he asked another question.
"Do you sleep well?"
Adrian hesitated.
"…Not really."
"Nightmares?"
Adrian nodded quietly.
Dr. Laurent wrote again.
Then he gently asked the next question.
"When was the last time you went to school?"
Adrian blinked.
"…School?"
The doctor paused.
"Yes."
Adrian looked confused.
"I've never been."
The pen in Dr. Laurent's hand slowly stopped moving.
Across the room…
Marco and Dante exchanged a dark look.
Because that answer told them something important.
Something that made the situation even worse than they thought.
Adrian De Luca had been missing for eleven years.
And in all that time…
No one had even let him be a child.