…Flip.
"Hello, this is Dr. Desmond. Today, July 30, marks the beginning of the experiment on test subject L-001."
…Flip.
"After numerous tests, it appears the boy's body is highly compatible with the Primordial Guard fragments. This is the closest we've ever come to success."
…Flip.
"Day 3. L-001 has completely absorbed the fragment. No signs of rejection. His heart rate and blood flow are perfectly stable. His core is developing at an astonishing rate, absorbing the essence of the fragment faster than we predicted. This is incredible. We have officially named both the boy and the project… 'The Hiraya.'"
…Flip.
"Day 20. We've made a horrifying discovery. L-001's body is slowly breaking down from within. The deterioration began the moment he first absorbed the fragment. It's devouring him—consuming his life force little by little. Damn it… this could have been avoided if we had noticed it sooner."
…Flip.
"Day 25. There was a massive explosion in the laboratory. The Prototype has failed. We were too complacent, believing we had finally succeeded. The blast erased everyone in the lab… including myself, it seems."
…Plop.
"Seriously? That's all?"
A man in a dark coat leaned back in his chair like a king on his throne, staring at the woman across from him. "Where are the rest of Dr. Desmond's diary pages, Charlotte?"
Charlotte, a sharp young woman in her early twenties and the lead investigator of the 'Desmond' case file at the Investigative Bureau, sighed softly.
"The remaining pages appear to have been deliberately burned. We're still searching for Dr. Desmond Capron. He's gone completely off the grid."
The man in the dark coat took a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving hers. His voice remained calm, almost gentle. "Now, now… You ought to be more careful around me, Charlotte. I'm your superior, after all."
He stood up gracefully, grabbed his hat from the coat rack, and placed it on his head. "Do inform me the moment you find anything new. Especially anything regarding that so-called Prototype."
With those words, the man left the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Charlotte remained seated, staring at the incomplete diary in silence. Her mind raced with unanswered questions as she continued investigating the scattered notes before her. It's been years since the investigation began, yet there were still no solid leads. The sudden disappearance of Dr. Desmond Capron only made the case stranger, and all detailed information about the test subject had mysteriously vanished from the records. At the crime scene, investigators had only found the bodies of novice scientists. Not a single trace of a little boy's body was ever discovered. Charlotte knew the boy was still alive, but with so little information, she could do nothing. It felt as if the entire truth had been deliberately buried by the higher officials themselves. For the first time in her career, she faced a case she couldn't solve — and that unsettled her deeply.
"I deserve a break," Charlotte muttered, standing up from her desk. She walked out of her house, pulling a cigarette from her pocket as she decided to take a quiet stroll to clear her mind from the endless loop of the Desmond case.
As she lit the cigarette and exhaled a thin trail of smoke, her sharp eyes caught sight of a small figure in a tattered cloak, face completely covered, sprinting desperately down the narrow alley across the street. The boy was clutching a loaf of bread tightly to his chest, running away from an angry baker who shouted curses while chasing after him.
"You brat! Stop… huff… running!" The baker shouted, growing tired. He eventually slowed to a stop, bending over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He glanced at Charlotte and let out a heavy sigh. "Kids these days… How did it get this bad? To the point where they have to steal someone else's bread just to survive, Charlotte?"
Charlotte took a slow drag from her cigarette, puffing out a thin cloud of smoke that lingered in the cool air. She stared at the empty alley where the cloaked boy had vanished, her expression unreadable.
"I… I don't know when it started, nor how," she replied quietly.
The old baker shook his head in disappointment. He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his brow, and began walking back toward his shop. As he left, he muttered loud enough for her to hear, "The old saying 'kids are the hope of the future'… it's gone now."
"No doubt," she smirked, watching the old baker walk away. She took one last drag, then stepped on the cigarette, crushing it under her heel until the flame died out. Charlotte turned and faced the direction where the young boy had fled. He must've been around thirteen…
She walked down the narrow alley behind her house and soon found him—crouched in the shadows, already eating the stolen loaf of bread like an animal. His face hidden beneath the tattered cloak, hands and feet dirty. She hesitates before reaching a hand out to him.
"Hey, where are your parents?" she asked warmly, her voice gentle like a caring parent. The boy looked up at her with pure horror in his eyes. He suddenly shook with fear, the stolen bread slipping from his hands and dropping to the dirty ground. He quickly covered his head with both arms, curling into himself.
"Don't hurt me…" he begged, his voice trembling and small. Charlotte's gut twisted painfully. A wave of genuine sorrow washed over her as she looked at the frightened child. She knelt down slowly, keeping her distance so she wouldn't scare him further.
"I won't hurt you," she said softly, her tone calm and reassuring. "I promise. I'm not going to hurt you, okay?"
The boy slowly lowered his arms and looked up at her. The first thing that crossed his mind was how calm and beautiful her face was. A strange sense of comfort and warmth gradually replaced the terror in his chest. He gulped nervously, his throat tightening as he tried to steady himself. "I… I have no parents…" he said in a low, shaky voice, still scared but no longer trembling as violently as before.
Charlotte made a small hiccup sound, suddenly embarrassed as it became obvious how insensitive her question had been. Obviously he has none, why did I even ask that?
Her cheeks warmed slightly. "I'm sorry," she said gently, her voice soft with regret. "I didn't mean to offend you. Let me ask another question instead," she said with a soft smile. "Do you have a name?" Charlotte gently reached out and removed the boy's tattered cloak as the boy replied quietly, "none."
At first, Charlotte didn't even register his answer. She was completely astonished by how the boy looked. His hair was long and flowing, shimmering with a beautiful mix of blue and yellow hues. His eyes glowed with a striking golden-jade color. His appearance was breathtaking—beautiful, charming, and handsome all at once. He had almost no masculine features, except for a single strong, sharp jawline that gave his delicate face a quiet, refined strength.
"Uh-huh? None, you say?"
"Yes, none. I have no name," the boy replied softly.
Charlotte was dumbfounded. A stunning young man like him having no name at all?
"Then… how about this?" Charlotte slowly stood up and looked down at him with a gentle smirk.
"I'll take you in and give you a name. I have no love-life in my current situation — I'm too busy, so I don't have time to find love or have kids of my own. I'll take you in as my son, and I'll be your mother."
She said warmly. "I'll name you Leofric. Leofric Alain y Malbas. That's my family name, so don't dishonor it." Leofric looked up at her hesitantly before asking in a quiet voice, "Will you… adopt the other kids too?"
Charlotte paused for a moment, then shook her head with a small sigh. "Nah, sorry, but I can't. It's already hard enough feeding one more mouth. Taking in more kids would be too much."
The boy, now named Leofric, looked down sadly at the ground. Charlotte noticed this and gently patted his dirty head. She didn't mind the grime at all—it was her way of comforting him in this harsh reality. After their talk, Charlotte immediately took Leofric back to her house. Once inside, she decided he needed a proper bath. Since he looked like he didn't know how to clean himself properly, Charlotte personally helped him bathe. She left him relaxing peacefully in the warm bathtub while she quickly went out to buy him some new clothes. When she returned, she helped him dry off and dressed him up in the fresh clothes she had bought.
Charlotte then stood back, contemplating whether she should cut his long, flowing hair. After a moment, she decided against it. It was honestly too beautiful to waste. She was utterly astonished by how he looked now. Clean, well-dressed, and properly groomed, Leofric appeared even more beautiful and handsome—a perfect blend of delicate charm and quiet strength that left her momentarily speechless.
"Wow… just wow." Charlotte stood there, completely starstruck and proud of how well she had cleaned him up. Overall, Leofric looked beautifully feminine, yet he still carried subtle masculine features — most notably that strong, sharp jawline. She had never seen anyone quite like him before… a boy who was both strikingly beautiful and undeniably handsome at the same time. "Ahem… Leofric, since I'm too young to be called 'mother,' just drop the formalities and call me Charlotte. Alright?"
"Yes, Charlotte," he replied softly.
Charlotte nodded in agreement. She turned toward her table, then looked back at Leofric. "Do you know how to do chores?"
"Chores?" Leofric tilted his head, clearly confused by the word. "Cleaning. Do you know how to clean stuff?"
"Yes… I think I can." Charlotte nodded once more before returning to her seat. "Then, would you mind cleaning the house?" Leofric gave a small nod. "Okay." He immediately began cleaning the house quietly and diligently wiping down surfaces, sweeping the floor, and organizing what seems to be out of place.
Meanwhile, Charlotte sat at her table, still deeply focused on the case. She continued searching through documents and notes, looking for any remaining clues about Subject L-001 and the missing Dr. Desmond. Then it came to mind—the fragments that Subject L-001 had absorbed were able to develop a core inside his body. Although it was unknown whether the core was complete, mana would still flow through the user's body at all times. Charlotte discovered a crucial information: the fragments used in the experiment were actually parts of a demon's body. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she thought, If that's the case… then L-001 should still leave traces of a demon's mana. She let out a quiet sigh and rubbed her temples, lost in her thoughts as the soft sound of sweeping continued in the background.