The second morning at school felt different.
Adrian noticed it the moment he stepped out of the car.
Yesterday, everything had felt overwhelming — the noise, the stares, the unfamiliar halls. His heart had raced with every step.
Today…
He was still nervous.
But the fear wasn't as sharp.
He adjusted the strap of his backpack as he stood beside Alessio near the school entrance.
"…There are more people today," Adrian said quietly.
Alessio glanced around the crowded courtyard.
"Not really. It's about the same."
Adrian frowned slightly.
"It feels like more."
Alessio understood what he meant.
When someone spent years trying to be invisible, every pair of eyes suddenly felt like a spotlight.
"You'll get used to it," Alessio said.
Adrian nodded slowly.
Used to it.
That was something he was still learning.
Inside the classroom, the teacher greeted Adrian with a warm smile.
"Good morning."
Adrian hesitated before answering.
"…Good morning."
It still felt strange speaking out loud in front of people.
But the teacher didn't rush him.
She simply gestured to his seat.
"Take your time."
Adrian sat down carefully.
The desk was already familiar now.
His notebook sat open where he had left it yesterday.
The pages were messy with uneven handwriting.
But they were his.
That thought made something small and warm settle in his chest.
The lesson began.
Today it was reading.
The teacher wrote several sentences on the board.
Adrian stared at them.
The words looked like puzzles.
He could recognize some of them, but not all.
His fingers tightened around his pencil.
Beside him, Alessio leaned slightly closer.
"Sound it out," he whispered quietly.
Adrian nodded.
Slowly, he began reading the first sentence under his breath.
"…The… boy… walked… home."
It took him almost ten seconds.
But when he finished, he felt something unexpected.
Pride.
It was small.
But it was there.
The teacher noticed.
"Well done, Adrian."
The simple praise made his ears turn red.
He quickly looked down at his notebook again.
Across the classroom, a few students watched him curiously.
They had already heard whispers.
The lost De Luca brother.
The boy who had disappeared.
The one who came back.
But none of them said anything cruel.
Most of them were simply curious.
And Adrian didn't notice their whispers anyway.
He was too focused on the words in front of him.
When lunchtime arrived, Adrian followed Alessio to the cafeteria again.
It was still loud.
Still crowded.
But he didn't freeze this time.
Instead, he stayed close to Alessio as they grabbed food and found a table.
Adrian sat down slowly.
"…I think I like school."
Alessio blinked.
"That was fast."
Adrian shrugged slightly.
"I like learning things."
Alessio smiled.
"Good."
Adrian took a bite of his sandwich.
"…Yesterday I didn't know how to read that sentence."
"And today you did."
Adrian nodded thoughtfully.
"…Maybe I can learn everything I missed."
Alessio leaned back in his chair.
"You will."
Adrian looked up.
"You sound very sure."
"I am."
Adrian didn't reply.
But the small spark of determination in his eyes grew stronger.
After school ended, the car drove them back to the mansion.
Adrian leaned his head against the window.
He felt tired.
But not the kind of tired that came from fear or pain.
This was a different kind.
The kind that came from trying new things.
And strangely…
He liked it.
When they arrived home, Isabella was waiting in the entrance hall.
Her eyes softened the moment she saw Adrian.
"How was school?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then he answered honestly.
"…Good."
Isabella smiled warmly.
"I'm glad."
Adrian looked down at his shoes.
"…I learned a sentence."
Isabella's eyes brightened.
"Really?"
Adrian nodded shyly.
He slowly recited it.
"…The boy walked home."
Isabella covered her mouth gently.
Tears threatened to form in her eyes.
"That's wonderful, sweetheart."
Adrian blinked.
He hadn't expected such a big reaction.
He shuffled awkwardly.
"…It was just a sentence."
"To you it might feel small," Isabella said softly.
"But to us… it means everything."
Adrian didn't fully understand why.
But he nodded anyway.
Later that evening, Adrian sat in his room doing homework.
The desk lamp cast a warm glow over his notebook.
He carefully copied letters over and over again.
His handwriting was still uneven.
But each line improved slightly.
Alessio knocked on the door before stepping inside.
"How's it going?"
Adrian looked up.
"…Slow."
"That's okay."
Adrian hesitated.
"…Did I really use to run everywhere?"
Alessio laughed softly.
"Oh yeah."
Adrian looked down at his thin arms.
"…I don't think I can run very fast now."
Alessio shrugged.
"Then we'll fix that too."
Adrian blinked.
"…Fix it?"
"Training. Exercise. Food."
Adrian thought about it.
"…You make it sound easy."
"It won't be easy," Alessio said.
"But you won't be alone."
Adrian looked back at his notebook.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he quietly whispered something.
"…I'm glad I came here."
Alessio smiled.
"Me too."
But that night…
When Adrian finally fell asleep…
His dreams were not peaceful.
Fragments of old memories crept back into his mind.
Dark rooms.
Raised voices.
The sound of breaking glass.
And a familiar voice shouting a name he hadn't heard in years.
"Adrian!"
In the dream, he turned around slowly.
But before he could see the face—
He woke up suddenly.
His breathing was uneven.
The room was dark.
Quiet.
Safe.
But his heart was racing.
Adrian stared at the ceiling.
That voice…
It felt important.
Like someone he used to know.
Someone from before.
Before everything changed.
But no matter how hard he tried…
He couldn't remember the face.
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