Parents

Eleven had only intended to walk past the two strange people, but unexpectedly, they stopped him.

Looking up at the two people blocking his path, Eleven said nothing. Instead, he tried to use his Spiritual Power to see through their face coverings and find out who they were.

Soon, however, Eleven's expression became a sight to behold, tinged with disbelief.

"Dad? Mom?" Eleven's voice was full of disbelief and excitement.

"That's right, it's Mom and Dad!"

The two people in front of Eleven also took off their hoods, revealing their delicate features. They were Teng and Amanda, who had met with Maria earlier.

"Sweetheart, how did you get so badly hurt? Come here and let Mom take a look!"

Amanda seemed very excited to see Eleven, and her face was somewhat flushed. When she noticed his injuries, she could no longer keep her composure. She rushed forward, grabbed his shoulders with both hands, and examined him carefully from head to toe.

Looking at the beautiful woman so close to him, Eleven was thrilled. She looked exactly like the mother in his memories. It really was Mom!

Although Eleven was not the original Eleven and, strictly speaking, this person was not his mother either, he didn't care. He had completely embraced his identity and believed that he was Eleven.

The children at the orphanage had always held beautiful fantasies about parents, an absence in their hearts that could never be filled. Influenced by what he had heard and seen, Eleven had also come to deeply miss the loving mother and father in his memories. Sometimes, he even wondered whether he might ever see them again.

"How could you hurt yourself like this? You've been so naughty!"

Amanda gently drew Eleven into her arms and stroked the bandaged injuries on his body.

Eleven leaned stiffly against Amanda, at a loss for what to do.

He realized that he wasn't as overwhelmed as he had imagined. Though he was happy and excited, he didn't feel the same closeness to his parents that he remembered.

He had imagined throwing himself into his parents' arms when he met them, and the three of them embracing as they shed tears of happiness.

But none of that happened. Although he could feel love in his mother's embrace, there was an invisible distance between them that he could not dispel, no matter what.

"Eleven, we've come to take you home." Teng crouched down in front of Eleven as well and smiled at him.

"Dad..." Eleven looked at the man before him and called out softly.

Teng smiled gracefully, reached out to take Eleven's small hand, and said, "All right, let's go. We still have a lot to do."

"W-where are we going?" Eleven asked, a little flustered, as his parents led him forward.

"Home, of course, sweetheart." Amanda took Eleven's other hand and answered gently.

"Home? Where is home?"

Eleven was puzzled. He really didn't know where his original home was. He had memories of spending time with his parents, both happy and sad, but none of where those events had taken place. He could remember the little details of his childhood, but not where they had happened.

"It's very far away, so we need to set out as soon as possible," Teng answered calmly as they walked.

"How far? Can we come back to Magnolia?" Eleven looked up at his father.

"Of course, if you still want to come back in the future." Teng smiled at Eleven.

Eleven suddenly stopped walking. He didn't let go of their hands, but held them both back.

"But I don't want to leave here." Eleven looked up at his mother and father, tears welling in his eyes. "Can't we live in Magnolia? I'm a mage now too. You don't even have to work, I can earn lots of money! Um, um..."

Eleven began to choke up as he spoke. For some reason, he felt terribly stifled and desperately wanted to give voice to the pent-up feelings in his heart.

Seeing him like this, Amanda crouched down slightly and wiped away his tears with her fingers. "We can't, sweetheart. Mom and Dad and you have very important things to do. We can't stay here."

"Besides, working as a mage is too dangerous. You'll get hurt, so don't do it anymore, all right?"

Amanda grew distracted as she said this, and once again began gently stroking Eleven's wounds, her heart aching.

"I, I..."

Eleven looked up, wanting to say something in his defense, but Teng's stern voice interrupted him. "Enough, Eleven. Won't you listen to your parents anymore? We won't hurt you. Come on, no more talk."

Eleven felt a force pulling at his hand. Though it wasn't very strong, he felt as though he couldn't resist it. It was a father's authority.

"But, but I can't just leave without saying goodbye to my friends at the guild! And everyone at the orphanage—if I just leave like this, they'll worry. At least let me, let me..." Eleven struggled one last time as he was pulled along.

"They'll be happy that you've found happiness, sweetheart," Amanda said gently, still stroking Eleven's face.

Feeling Eleven's small hand struggle continually, Teng seemed to grow impatient. He suddenly turned around and crouched down in front of Eleven. He held out one hand, made several strange gestures in front of him, and then clenched it sharply.

"All right, Eleven, forget those companions of yours. Come with Mom and Dad," Teng commanded calmly.

But the obedient response Teng had imagined did not come. Instead, hearing Teng's words made Eleven resist even more strongly.

"No!" Eleven twisted his body with all his might, pulled both his small hands free from his parents' grasp, and retreated a few steps. "I don't want to leave here like this!"

Teng was surprised that Eleven could still resist him, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled again. "Then what do you intend to do, Eleven? Don't you want Mom and Dad anymore?"

"I..." Eleven opened his mouth. He didn't want to give up so easily on the family affection he had finally found. "Can't you really stay here? Can't we live here together?"

Eleven still clung to the hope of having it both ways.

"No. Mom and Dad have things they must do too. We can't stay here." Teng refused Eleven, still smiling.

Eleven's tears flowed once again. He didn't know what his parents had to do, and he didn't want to ask. All he knew was that he had to choose between his birth parents and his friends at the guild, and he hated having to make that choice.

"Then could you give me a little time to think about it...?" Eleven asked quietly, wiping away his tears.

"Mm, all right, we'll do that." Teng smiled and stood up, pressing Eleven no further.

Seeing that Teng was no longer blocking his path, Eleven cautiously took two steps forward. Then he looked back at his parents. "I'll come here tomorrow evening and give you my answer!"

With that, Eleven ran off without looking back. He urgently needed some time alone to calm down. His thoughts were in such a mess that he couldn't even control his Spiritual Power properly.

Teng and Amanda watched Eleven disappear into the distance, their expressions complicated, but neither went after him.

Teng: "He really did become a mage, and one who specializes in the spiritual aspect."

Amanda: "Yes. Mommy is so happy for him!"

Teng: "He's changed so much. His personality is completely different from before."

Amanda: "It's a good thing that he's changed!"

Teng: "He won't come with us willingly."

Amanda: "No, he won't."

The two continued exchanging remarks as they gradually disappeared into the darkness.