Chapter 2:
The Warmest Embrace
Afterglow
Before he could think about it any further, his energetic father suddenly lifted him onto his shoulder.
"Breakfast time!"
"Dad... put me down."
"Nope!"
The two disappeared downstairs while Caelum sighed in defeat.
Breakfast had yet to be decided.
His energetic father wanted pizza because today was his cheat day.
His mother wanted a healthy breakfast instead.
Unfortunately...
Caelum was sitting between them.
"Caelum! You decide."
He looked at both of them.
Honestly...
He didn't want to participate in their stupid argument.
He was still slightly annoyed about almost being crushed a few minutes ago.
"...Mom wins."
His father dramatically placed a hand over his chest.
"My own son... has betrayed me."
His mother smiled proudly.
"I raised him well."
His father looked toward the ceiling.
"I live in a house full of traitors..."
For the first time that morning...
A tiny smile appeared on Caelum's face.
Our family was always energetic because of my parents.
I was the complete opposite.
I liked being alone.
Reading comics.
Reading novels.
I was always good at studying without actually studying.
Even so, my parents still sent me to extra classes.
Not because my grades were bad.
But because they wanted me to make friends.
Sigh...
"It's really hard to make friends with those nerd children."
"They only talk about studying."
"I don't even know what chapter we're learning until the day before the exam."
The extra class ended later that afternoon.
As Caelum walked home alone, the streets felt unusually quiet.
Only the sound of his footsteps echoed around him.
...
Was someone behind him?
He stopped.
The footsteps stopped too.
"..."
Before he could turn around—
A strange man wearing a black mask suddenly appeared behind him.
A handkerchief was pressed tightly over his mouth.
A strange scent filled the air.
His vision blurred.
The sky above him slowly spun.
Everything faded into darkness.
When Caelum regained consciousness...
His hands were tied tightly to a chair.
A cloth covered his mouth.
The room was dark.
Cold.
Silent.
He tried to stay calm.
But for the first time in his life...
He was truly afraid.
Police sirens echoed through the quiet streets.
"Any news yet?"
One officer shook his head.
"No, sir... not yet."
Dark clouds slowly covered the sky.
Before long...
Rain began to fall.
The police searched street after street, but no useful clues had been found.
At the center of it all stood Caelum's parents.
His mother's tears refused to stop.
His father tried to stay strong.
"It's okay..."
"We'll find him."
Even though...
He wasn't sure if he believed those words himself.
A nearby worker finally remembered seeing a suspicious black van parked near the old warehouse earlier that afternoon.
He immediately informed the police.
Within minutes, officers surrounded the abandoned building.
"Go! Go! Go!"
The doors burst open.
Inside...
They found Caelum.
Safe.
Caelum lowered his head.
He expected his parents to be angry.
He thought they would scold him for causing so much trouble.
Instead...
The moment they saw him...
They ran toward him.
His father hugged him so tightly that he could barely breathe.
His mother joined the embrace, crying even harder than before.
"We thought..."
"...we lost you."
Caelum froze.
It felt...
Strange.
He didn't know how to respond.
But...
He was happy.
He was finally with his parents again.
That night...
As he lay in bed, he quietly touched the sleeve of the shirt he had worn earlier.
It still carried the warmth of his parents' embrace.
He closed his eyes.
And without realizing it...
A small smile appeared on his face.
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