Adrian began to imagine what would happen after his failure. He knew for a fact that his parents wouldn't be happy with him, but they'd still show some love towards him at the very least.
He imagined Lord Cedric screaming. Lady Mirenia crying. Serena begging. Fabian laughing. All the possibilities danced through his mind.
Adrian sighed. "No point imagining too much. It's not like I'm going to kill myself over this."
He combed his fingers through his hair, then dusted off his clothes and smoothed his sleeves, and then with quiet steps, Adrian left the room and made his way down the grand staircase.
The mansion felt colder and emptier now compared to its former merry atmosphere. He entered the entrance hall where his parents stood waiting.
"…Mother. Father," he greeted, bowing his head slightly.
Cedric's expression was unreadable. He didn't acknowledge the greeting. Mirenia avoided his gaze.
"You'll be leaving," Cedric said bluntly. "Now."
Adrian blinked.
"…What?"
"You are no longer recognized as part of the Borin family. It's simple enough for a genius like you to understand."
Mirenia felt too embarrassed to meet his gaze and could only mutter his name. "Adrian…" But she didn't speak further.
Adrian's heart didn't race or anything. He simply stood there, trying to process the weight of the words.
"You're... throwing me out," he said softly.
Cedric didn't respond, and the guards moved forward, prompting Adrian to slowly work towards the great doors, which the butler opened without a word.
Before Adrian stepped out completely, he looked back to observe the faces of his family.
Cedric's eyes remained cold as he simply stared at the floor; Mirenia's eyes were filled with tears, and Fabian and Diana both had a smirk on their face.
And Serena... Adrian really pitied her as she screamed and cried uncontrollably. If not for the maids restraining her, she would have even followed her brother to leave.
Julian seemed very calm, as his usual cold eyes were fixed on Adrian as if he were peering into his soul.
Adrian sighed after seeing enough and called out to his sister.
"Serena, don't worry. I'll be back. Take care of yourself, okay?"
That did little to control her as she only kept on crying as Adrian left the door for good, after which he was escorted through the gates and out of the Borin mansion.
"I can't believe they chased a ten-year-old kid out… in the middle of the night even. Sad."
He looked up at the sky and observed that the clouds had gathered above, and a cool breeze swept through the road.
Adrian hugged his arms tightly as a shiver ran down his spine and muttered to the sky:
"Please don't fall."
~CRACK!~
As if responding to Adrian's prayer, thunder rolled above, and the rain began to fall. But Adrian didn't run for shelter.
He stood beneath it with his white hair plastered to his forehead, with raindrops sliding down his cheeks like silent tears he refused to shed.
The rain poured harder and harder, and only then did Adrian begin walking down the muddy path.
Many minutes of Adrian aimlessly walking passed before he couldn't take it anymore, collapsing freely at the side of the road.
... And everything faded for him once again.
***
Adrian soon opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was warmth. Then the crackle of fire.
His head rested on a soft cushion and a thick blanket covered his body. A large wooden ceiling hovered above him, with heavy beams and lanterns swaying faintly with the wind.
"Eli, he's waking up!" a woman's voice called softly from another room.
Footsteps approached and a man in a leather apron and rolled-up sleeves stepped into view, wiping his hands on a cloth.
His build was thick and built with muscles, and soot smudged the edge of his chin. His eyes, however, were kind.
"Good, you're finally awake. You had us quite worried, lad."
Moments later, a slender woman entered the room carrying a bowl of steaming hot soup. She placed the bowl carefully on a small table beside the bed, before sitting on the edge of the mattress.
"My name is Mara, and this is Eli, my husband. He found you out in the rain last night, completely soaked through, and passed out on the roadside. If he hadn't spotted you, you might not have made it."
"Do you remember anything, lad? Where you came from, or what you were doing out in such weather?" Eli asked.
Adrian took some seconds to inwardly consider the consequences of telling them. He didn't think it would be the right idea for him to tell them he was the son of the Baron, but on the other hand, it didn't really matter too might to him.
Seeing his hesitation, Mara quickly offered him a reassuring smile. "You don't have to tell us if you don't feel comfortable right now, dear. You must've been through a lot already."
"Thank you…"
"It's alright. Whatever happened before is in the past now. You're safe here. And you can stay with us, at least until you figure things out." Eli added as he offered the soup to Adrian.
Adrian nodded his head in appreciation of their kindness and sat up to drink the soup. Once he finished eating, Mara guided him through a short hallway.
"There's a small room at the back," she explained softly, opening a wooden door. Inside was a modest bed, and a single window.
"It isn't much, but you'll be comfortable here. We left a bucket of clean water in the bathroom just across the hall. You can freshen up whenever you're ready."
Adrian's eyes swept over the humble room. While it was indeed far simpler than his former room in the Borin mansion, he was still very grateful he still had access to a room of his own.
"Thank you again," Adrian said, prompting Mara to smile warmly before stepping out quietly and closing the door behind her.
After contemplating for a moment, Adrian made his way to the bathroom. After he was done with a well-deserved bath, he changed into the oversized clothes Mara had left him.
Returning to the bedroom, he sank onto the bed and let his mind wander briefly, letting in memories of the cold rain and how close he'd come to losing his new life.
He quickly shook off those thoughts and instead, Adrian turned his attention inward as he recalled something he never really had time to study.
"Tech Core, you there?"