Chapter 3 – The Ring and the Past
The late afternoon sun spilled through the orphanage windows, casting a warm golden light across the quiet corridor. Outside, a gentle breeze stirred the leaves, as if the world itself was holding its breath—until footsteps broke the silence. He turned.
"And you, Lia?" Adrian murmured, voice low and hesitant.
Lia stepped closer, her eyes soft but firm. "Adrian… Director Maria didn't mean it in a bad way. I know she didn't. She's just… worried about you." Her words hovered, fragile but honest. "After everything that happened… we're just ordinary people."
Adrian exhaled slowly, feeling the invisible weight press down on his shoulders. The old floorboards creaked beneath his feet, their worn groans mirroring the doubts swirling inside him. He searched within for something steady, a solid anchor.
Lia reached out, her hand resting gently on his shoulder. Her touch was quiet strength.
"Come on, let's eat. Everyone's waiting."
In the dining room, the scent of fresh bread and roasted vegetables mingled with faint herbs, wrapping the room in warmth. Sunlight danced across faded walls, breathing life into the worn space.
"Where's Adrian, Mom?" Theo's eager voice broke the calm.
Maria smiled softly, eyes tired but kind. "He's on his way, dear. Lia went to get him."
Moments later, Adrian entered. Theo's face lit up like a beacon.
"Hey, buddy!" Theo's voice was bright, full of innocence.
Maria stood slowly, her smile fading into something heavier. Her eyes carried unspoken pain.
"Adrian… I want to apologize."
Adrian shook his head gently, offering a small, understanding smile. "No, Director Maria… I mean, you're just worried about me. I get it."
Maria's shoulders tensed, and she swallowed hard, her gaze falling. After a pause thick with silence, she made a decision.
"Adrian, come with me. I need to show you something."
The hallway stretched long and dim, lined with faded portraits and pools of dying light. Dust motes floated lazily, catching the last rays of the sun. It felt like stepping back into a forgotten time.
They entered one of the oldest rooms in the orphanage, the air heavy with the scent of age and memories. Maria knelt before an antique dresser, fingers trembling slightly as she opened a drawer. From within, she lifted a small ring, etched with strange and ancient symbols that seemed to shimmer faintly.
"You know, Adrian… there are divine heirs who carry the legacies of legendary blacksmiths. This ring was forged by one of them. It's a spatial ring — a magical relic that only someone with its family's blood can open. It was around your neck the day we found you… just a child. And… it might hold the answers you've been searching for all your life."
Adrian stared at the ring in his palm, a mix of wonder and confusion flooding his eyes.
"But… why now? Why give this to me?"
Maria's lips pressed into a thin line, her voice barely above a whisper. "When I was younger, I had many adventures. I believed that even if some were born heirs, they couldn't be so different from us — those who inherit racial powers. But that day… when I saw what that ring could do… I realized we're like ants compared to some beings. I was scared. Scared to tell you. Scared to burden you. That made me feel like a terrible mother."
Adrian stepped forward, his gaze steady, voice full of quiet strength. "Don't say that. You took us in — all of us forgotten orphans — and gave us a home. You gave family to someone who had lost everything. That means everything to me."
Maria's eyes glistened with tears. She reached out and brushed her hand softly over his cheek.
"I'll leave you alone now. You have something important in your hands."
She left quietly, closing the door with a gentle click.
Alone, Adrian sat in the stillness, the weight of the ring heavy in his hand. Time seemed to slow, the silence thick and full of anticipation.
(Thinking) Mom… Dad… what were you trying to show me?
He pricked his finger carefully, letting a drop of blood fall onto the ring's surface. A faint glow blossomed, soft but insistent. The air around him shimmered, the space bending and twisting until a hidden compartment revealed itself.
Inside, there was only one item: a weathered book.
Adrian pulled it out gently.
It was a diary.
His mother's diary. Eliana's.
His breath caught, fingers trembling as he traced the worn cover.
(Whispering) "Mom…"
He opened the first page. The familiar, flowing handwriting seemed to breathe life back into the room.
The world fell away.
In that moment, there was only him… and her words… waiting to be read.
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