Adrian remained seated for a while after the panic passed. Olivia leaned slightly into the wall now, her head turned toward him without fear, without tremor. Her eye held the faint sheen of post-storm exhaustion, but not the chaos. Not the screaming fracture from before.
"You're stable now," Adrian said softly. "Would you like something to pass the time?"
She blinked. Then, slowly, "My sketchbook. Can I have it back?"
He gave a small, regretful shake of his head. "No can do. Pencil's too sharp. The safety review board would send me to ethics purgatory."
A sigh. She didn't argue, just let her head rest against the padding.
"Then… maybe a book?"
Adrian tilted his head. "What kind?"
"I used to read web novels. On my phone," she murmured. "But I guess phones are out of the question."
"Correct," Adrian said lightly. "But books, that I can manage. Paper, ink, and a ridiculous amount of teenage angst. I'll pick some good ones for you."
Her eye brightened. "Really?"
"I'm a man of my word."
"Thanks, Adrian," she said, her voice a soft hum. "You're the best."
He stood, brushing off his slacks and giving her a final nod. "Try not to miss me too much."
As he stepped out of the padded ward and closed the door behind him, the fluorescent light of the hallway flickered above. The familiar sterility of the hospital settled in.
A young nurse stood a few meters away, clipboard in hand.
Her black hair was tied in a ponytail that bounced slightly when she turned toward him.
She looked no older than twenty-three. Clear skin, bright eyes, and a quiet kind of beauty that didn't try too hard. She smiled, professional but curious.
"All done for tonight, Doctor?"
Adrian glanced at her name tag.
"Yes, Nurse Kaito."
She blinked, surprised that he knew her name. The corners of her mouth pulled into a small, pleased grin.
Well he just read it on he name tag.
Without another word, Adrian pulled out his phone, opened a web novel app, and quickly scrolled through the rankings. He took a screenshot of the top ten ranking and turned the phone toward her.
"May I have your contact? I need to send this to you. Olivia asked for books. I'd like you to get the printed volumes and deliver them."
Kaito hesitated, then nodded, pulling out her own phone. "Sure. Maybe… we can chat about other things too?"
Adrian gave a small smile. "I'd be a terrible psychiatrist if I refused friendly conversation."
She blushed lightly. "Then it wouldn't be so bad, Doctor Vale.
Kaito was still smiling when Adrian glanced back at her.
"One more thing," he said.
She straightened slightly. "Yes, Doctor?"
"For Olivia's restraints. Keep the leg and torso bindings. But switch the arm ones for auto-bind cuffs."
Kaito frowned. "Is that safe? She was thrashing pretty hard earlier."
"I've stabilized her," Adrian replied calmly. "For now, she's lucid. The auto-binders will react faster than a human could if she tries anything. And more importantly, she needs the freedom to turn pages."
A pause. Kaito didn't look convinced.
"She asked for books," Adrian added. "Not weapons. Let her have them. One volume of each from the list I sent."
"All ten?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"All ten."
"That's a lot of reading."
"That's the point," he said. "Boredom is a trigger. If she's idle, she'll spiral. Her trauma loops in silence."
Kaito still looked hesitant, so he leaned in not too close, but just enough to drop his voice slightly.
"Please do it for me," Adrian said, voice low, steady. "And I'll owe you one."
Kaito blinked. Her eyes darted up to meet his. For a second, her breath caught.
"Understood, Doctor Vale," she said quietly. "I'll take care of it."
Adrian stepped back, offering a small, satisfied nod. "You're efficient. I like that."
She turned quickly, clearly flustered, and began reviewing the list on her phone.
He walked away before she could recover.
As he exited the corridor and headed toward the elevators, Adrian pulled out his phone again.
The night was quiet, the building mostly empty. He opened the family chat and typed quickly.
Adrian: I need new clothes. And a haircut.
Adrian: Shopping trip tomorrow?
Adrian: You two in?
The replies came within seconds.
Tessa: You're actually asking us out? Are you dying?
Lira: Is this a trap?
Adrian: No traps. Just scissors.
Tessa: I'm in. If you ghost us, we're burning you at a stake.
Lira: Also in. You're buying coffee.
Adrian gave a faint grin.
"Good," he muttered. "Something normal."
The elevator dinged. He stepped inside and let the doors close.
Adrian stepped through the automatic doors, the hum of the hospital behind him fading into the night air. A breath of still warmth settled on his skin. The parking lot shimmered slightly under the overhead lights. Quiet. Uneventful.
Then he took one step toward his car and nearly tripped.
The sole of his left leather shoe peeled off completely, flapping like a tongue with each movement. He stared at it for a moment, expression flat.
"Of course," he muttered.
He bent down, yanked the ruined sole off with a sharp pull, and stood. No point limping across the city with one functional shoe. Fortunately, the nearest upscale retail block was just across the plaza a perk of working at the more 'prestigious' Eastern Branch.
Within ten minutes, he found himself standing inside a polished brand-name shop, surrounded by rows of high end leather shoes and the faint scent of polish and air conditioning.
"Looking for anything specific, sir?" the attendant asked.
Adrian raised a brow, holding up the sad carcass of his old shoe. "Something that won't betray me when I walk."
She laughed and gestured toward a display rack. "I have just the thing."
Fifteen minutes and one impromptu fitting later, he left the store with a sleek new pair of leather shoe hugging his feet. Black, minimal, sharp. It suited him.
He arrived home just before eleven.
The house was dim, most lights off except for the soft kitchen glow. On the table waited a traditional meal grilled mackerel, rice, and miso soup. Steam no longer rose from the bowls, but the effort was clear. Someone had cooked with intention. He stood for a moment, quiet.
Then he smiled.
He microwaved the dishes, one at a time. No rush. The quiet hum of the machine filled the kitchen. When the soup was warm again, he sat and ate quickly. Appreciative.
Afterward, he washed the bowls and wiped down the counter. Everything in its place.
Upstairs, the bathroom mirror greeted him with a light fog.
His reflection was leaner than ever, more defined.
A side effect of the Law taking hold sharpening his physical form into something more precise.
He bathed without hurry, water warm against his skin. Afterward, he stepped into the bedroom wearing nothing but black shorts. Towel around his neck. Hair damp, curling slightly from the heat.
Then he remembered.
The Lost Echo.
Adrian summon the scripture and reached in the book. His fingers brushed the item cold, hard, familiar.
The skull was no larger than an apple, faintly glowing with a soft blue light. A Rank 7 Lost Echo, taken from the underworld during his escape. It pulsed gently in his palm. Power bound inside memory. The echo of a Realizer long dead.
He sat on the bed and adjusted his posture, holding the skull carefully in both hands.
Just as he focused his attention inward
Knock knock.
"Adrian?"
He flinch. In one smooth motion, he placed the skull into an empty shoebox beside the nightstand and tossed a shirt over it. The box had the brand's logo still visible from the store earlier.
"Yeah?" he called back.
The door cracked open. Tessa peeked in, arms crossed against the doorframe.
"You sure we're going tomorrow?"
Adrian tilted his head, eyebrows raised.
"You almost never ask us to go out," she said flatly. "Me and Lira are going to beat you up if you ghost us."
Adrian smirked. "Of course we're going. I'm in dire need of a makeover."
Tessa narrowed her eyes. "You better not back out."
"I won't."
She stood there a moment longer, arms crossed, but her expression had shifted.
No longer just suspicious now puzzled. Her eyes dropped to his torso, lingering.
"Wait" she said slowly. "What the hell is this?"
Adrian tilted his head, eyebrows raised.
"This body," Tessa clarified, stepping closer.
"What is this? Since when do you have abs? And what why the hell are your shoulders like that?"
She stared openly now, like trying to solve a magic trick with no explanation.
"You used to be soft," she added bluntly. "Not out of shape, just... normal.
Now you look like someone sculpted you out of marble and aesthetic spite."
Adrian gave a soft, amused huff. "That's oddly specific."
"I'm serious." She pointed at him like accusing a suspect.
"Did you secretly hire a personal trainer? Did some Realizer inject you with a divine Steroid?
What is happening?"
He shrugged casually, walking over to close the door behind her.
"Perk of stress," he said. "And exercise. There's a gym at my workplace. I've been going for about five months now."
Tessa blinked, then narrowed her eyes again, slower this time.
"You? Five months at a gym?"
He gave her a faintly smug look. "Routine builds discipline. You should try it sometime."
She scoffed, though the edge was less sharp now — more bewildered than confrontational.
"Unbelievable. I guess nerd rage has it benefits"
"It is normal," Adrian said smoothly. "You're just late to the revelation."
Adrian didn't need to hear the words. The disbelief on her face was more than enough.
She held the stare a second longer, then nodded. "Alright. Just don't stay up all night reading philosophy or brooding or whatever you do."
She turned and walked off down the hall.
Adrian waited until her footsteps disappeared. Then, slowly, he glanced at the shoebox.
He didn't reach for it.
Instead, he lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The skull could wait. He had enough ghosts in his head already.
And tomorrow, he had something rare.
A day with his sisters.
Something normal.