Chapter 1
Prologue | A Young Child Who Will Bring Great Change to the World!
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Countless twinkling stars adorned the night sky, creating an atmosphere of profound tranquility and solitude.
The soft glow from the houses below, combined with the radiant moonlight, enhanced the night's beauty for anyone who gazed upon it.
On a small patch of grass, a nine-year-old boy with white hair and mismatched eyes—one red, the other blue—sat alone beneath a tree, gazing up at the beautiful night sky filled with twinkling stars.
The little boy's name was Araki. He lived in an orphanage, having been found on its doorstep by the caretaker nine years ago.
Araki loved to be alone at night, gazing up at the stars. In his eyes, the only remaining beauty in the world was the vast, starlit night sky, now that everything else had abandoned him, even fate itself.
As he was savoring the beauty of the night sky, he suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
"Araki, a family will be taking care of you tomorrow." The orphanage caretaker said kindly, her gentle smile still gracing her face, which remained beautiful despite her age.
A wide smile instantly lit up Araki's handsome face. Even as a child, his features were strikingly handsome, especially with the added allure of his beautiful eyes. Anyone who saw him would be immediately captivated.
Hearing his aunt's words, he quickly turned to look at the orphanage caretaker, a bright smile spreading across his face.
"Is it true, Auntie?" Araki asked eagerly, his eyes shining with hope.
"Yes, Araki. They'll be here tomorrow." The orphanage caretaker replied gently, stroking his hair.
Araki was overjoyed to hear that a family would be taking care of him.
From a young age, Araki never knew who his parents were. The orphanage staff only told him that they had found him at the doorstep with a note bearing his name.
To make matters worse, Araki was often bullied by the other children at the orphanage, who would pelt him with stones.
It must have hurt to be hit by stones thrown by his friends, but instead of retaliating, Araki remained silent and didn't do anything. He believed that if he fought back, nothing would change, because fate had destined him to be this way.
"Are you alright?"...
....
Araki suddenly jolted awake when the orphanage caretaker clapped her hands right in front of his face.
"Araki? Are you daydreaming? Is everything alright?" The caretaker asked.
"No, Auntie." Araki replied quickly, shaking his head slightly.
The caretaker smiled at Araki and told him to go to bed early so he wouldn't oversleep tomorrow when he met his new family.
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Araki entered his room, a place of profound significance to him, where he felt most at ease, alone and undisturbed by others.
His room was remarkably simple, containing only a bed and a small wooden wardrobe tucked into the corner. Since he was moving out the next day, he packed the clothes he still considered wearable.
After packing all his belongings and clothes, Araki sat dejectedly on his bed, his face etched with deep sorrow. His gaze was downcast, but then he reached under his shirt and pulled out a necklace. It featured a pair of pristine white wings, exquisitely crafted. This necklace was the only truly precious thing he owned in the world.
"Father, Mother... Why did you leave me?" Araki asked sadly, staring at the necklace in his hand.
Before he knew it, tears began to stream from his beautiful eyes, so deeply did he miss his parents. Though they had left him, he could never forget them, even though he had never seen their faces.
But then, Araki abruptly wiped away the tears streaming down his cheeks. He had suffered enough. At least tomorrow, he might finally find his new happiness. Living with the love of parental figures was his only dream, a dream he had cherished deep within his heart for so long.
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The next morning, Araki woke up very early, as was his habit. After tidying his bed, he immediately left his room and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, knowing he would be meeting his new family later that day.
"Araki, are you ready to meet your new family?" The orphanage caretaker asked, her face softening into a gentle smile.
"Yes, Aunt." Araki replied quickly, his own smile wide and bright.
After ensuring nothing had been left behind, the caretaker gently took Araki's hand and led him out of the room toward his new family.
(Short Timeskip)
Before him now, Araki saw a man and a woman, both appearing to be under thirty, gazing at him with tender affection, their faces adorned with gentle smiles.
"These are your new family, Araki. Say hello." The orphanage caretaker said, her voice soft and kind.
Since this was the first time he was meeting his new parents, Araki naturally felt awkward. He walked slowly and stiffly toward his new family to greet them.
"H-hello. My name is Araki." He said awkwardly.
"Hello, Araki! From now on, you'll be our son and live with us." The woman in front of him said, her face beaming with joy as she looked at him.
"That's right. From now on, we're your mother and father." The man beside her added, a gentle smile spreading across his handsome face.
Being treated so warmly by both of them naturally filled Araki with immense joy and happiness. His eyes glistened as he gazed intently at his new parents, so absorbed that he didn't even notice tears beginning to stream down his cheeks.
They immediately embraced Araki's small body, gently patting his back. Then, they took his hands and led him toward his new home, together with his new family.
But as the three of them reached the doorway, Araki suddenly stopped walking and turned to look back at the Aunt, the orphanage caretaker, who was standing behind them.
"Auntie!" Araki shouted, running toward the orphanage caretaker.
Araki's new parents exchanged glances before smiling at the sight of their son sobbing as he tightly embraced the caretaker.
"Auntie, thank you for taking care of me all this time." Araki said, sobbing as he hugged the orphanage caretaker tightly.
"You're welcome, Araki. Seeing you happy is my greatest joy." The caretaker replied, her eyes glistening as she looked directly at him.
Araki then began to loosen his embrace from the orphanage aunt and started to remove the necklace from his neck.
"Please keep this necklace, Aunt. I'm giving it to you so you'll never forget me." Araki said softly, handing over the only precious thing he owned to his aunt.
Araki draped the necklace around his aunt's neck, then gently stroked her cheek for the last time. He didn't know when he would see the aunt who had cared for him again, so he decided to give her the necklace as a reminder that she had treated him like her own son.
"Thank you, Araki. Aunt will cherish this forever." The woman replied, her eyes glistening with tears.
Araki's new parents took hold of his small hands and began to lead him out of the room.
The caretaker could no longer hold back her tears. The only person she had ever loved had left her. Yet no matter how far Araki traveled, the cherished memories of raising and caring for him would forever remain etched in her heart.
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