Care 1

 As the St. Maxmas holidays approached, the bustling Berk Academy emptied out as students made their way back to their hometowns to celebrate with loved ones. Even my closest friend and roommate, Alice Tozman, had departed on the train just yesterday, leaving me alone in the nearly deserted school.

For me, the prospect of returning to my hometown of Baron Belotte was not feasible. Situated near the southern border of the kingdom, the round trip would be too arduous to make in just one week. But the true reason for my decision to remain at the academy was the absence of family.

Ever since my mother passed away when I was just eight years old, our family had never fully reunited for the Maxmas holidays. As a toy business owner, my father was always busiest during this time of the year, and my two older brothers, who were attending the academy with me, were fully consumed with their studies. I still recall the first Maxmas holidays after my mother's death, when my nanny held me in her arms and tried to console my tears. Her kind gestures were appreciated, but they could never fill the void left by my mother's absence.

Since that year, I have spent all of the Maxmas holidays alone, feeling an aching emptiness in my chest whenever the season approached. Despite the solitude, I preferred to stay at the academy where at least a handful of others remained, rather than being completely alone at home.

As the final exams had just concluded, I relished the thought of finally getting a good night's rest. But before I could even close my eyes, a nightmare interrupted my peace. An unknown baby appeared in my room, its presence refusing to dissipate no matter how hard I rubbed my eyes or pinched my cheeks. This was a sight that should not and could not be happening.

My heart raced as I realized that this was no mere dream, but a haunting reality that I would have to confront.

The Holy holiday had started off as a nightmare, as I found myself waking up to an unexpected surprise in my own room at the Berk Academy. I sat up in my bed and looked around, confirming that it was indeed my room. But then, the intense pain in my cheek made me realize that this was an undeniable reality. How did this happen? How did this little baby get into my room?

The Berk Academy was an educational institution that nurtured important talents, who could potentially become the backbone of the kingdom. The boundaries were guarded to prevent strangers from entering, and magic was spread throughout the academy so that no one without permission could enter in the first place. But now, without any signs of an intruder, a baby had appeared in my room, alone.

It seemed impossible, but the baby was there, chewing on my blanket with his gums, and not showing any signs of fear towards me, a stranger. I couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?" Of course, it was a stupid question. The baby couldn't give me an answer, but I asked again, "Where are you from?" and "Where's mommy?"

The baby just lay there and looked up at me, his mouth open wide as if he was thinking deeply about something. I noticed his blue eyes, which seemed to remind me of someone, but I couldn't quite place it. Then, the baby spoke again, saying "Baabu" and "Dadabu!"

I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of worry wash over me. Who was this baby, and where did he come from? And why was he calling me "Dadabu"?

The baby rolled on the bed and made his way over to me, catching me off guard. "Huh?" I exclaimed, trying to back away. "Wait, wait! Don't come here!" But the baby was quicker than I anticipated, settling on my thigh and nuzzling into my arms without any warning. The warmth of his body and the scent of milk enveloped me.

"Wait, little baby!" I protested, holding onto the little troublemaker's waist with both hands. "Hababa!" he giggled, as if he was expecting me to play with him. His joyous laughter filled the room, but an instinctive warning sounded in my head. This was a problem I couldn't handle on my own. I needed to uncover this child's identity and take care of him, but I was alone and helpless.

In desperation, I thought of Felix Christian, my childhood friend whom I could rely on. He was the only person I knew who remained at the academy. Even though entering the men's dormitory was strictly prohibited, I had no choice but to seek his help. "You stay here," I told the baby, placing him safely on the floor before rushing to the bathroom. After a quick shower and change of clothes, I realized the baby's attire was woefully inadequate for the cold weather.

"Why are you wearing that?" I asked, frowning at the baby's thin, summer clothing. "Baa?" he cooed innocently, unaware of my worries. "It's not Baa, why are you wearing that? Did you come from Genoa?" I knew that in Genoa, the seasons were opposite to ours, but it was impossible for the baby to travel across the continent.

I wrapped the baby in a blanket, hugging him close and placing another blanket over his head. It felt a bit suspicious, but I didn't have time to worry about that. I had to find Felix and get help.

⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ ⏩ 

As I crept up the stairs of the men's dormitory with the little boy snuggled tightly in a blanket, my heart pounded with anticipation. I had to go to Felix’s room, and I couldn't risk being caught by anyone. But just as I reached the top step, a familiar voice shattered the stillness of the hallway.

“What the hell are you doing here, Elena?” The voice belonged to a senior from the same magic department as me. "If a female student enters the boys’ dormitory, there is a penalty. You know that right..?"

I turned around to face him, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks. "Hahaha. Senior, good morning. What are you doing here at this hour? Didn’t you visit your hometown?"

"I’m graduating soon, so I don’t think I need to go. I also have to write a graduation thesis." 

"Oh, I see. What topic are you writing your thesis on? I have a lot of interest in herbal medicine, so is it herbal medicine?" 

"I know that you were never interested in herbal medicine, but now you want to talk about it?" 

"Did you feel that way? Not really. I am really curious, that’s why I asked."

"Okay, I will believe it’s real, but what are you doing here at this hour?" His mischievous smile made my heart skip a beat. 

"Did you plan any secret meeting with someone?" he teased. 

"No!" I blurted out, my voice rising in panic.

Startled by my outburst, the little boy inside the blanket kicked and rustled, making me shush him with a gentle pat on the back. The senior's eyes darted towards the movement, and I prayed he wouldn't notice.

"It was a joke. So if it’s not a secret meeting, what are you really doing here?" The senior climbed up the stairs while asking, and I hurriedly followed suit.

"I was… on the way… to do a professor's errand." 

"Do errands like this? Which professor?" 

"It is a secret. And I was thinking of giving it early in the morning and go to see the festival." 

"Really?" The senior didn't seem to believe my clumsy lies, and his eyes bore into me.

As we ascended the stairs, he noticed the suspicious bulge in my chest and stomach. "What is that?" he asked, pointing to the blanket-wrapped object.

"…A book… Yes, it’s a book! It’s an errand to deliver books to Felix."

"It’s a strange shape to be called a book. Besides, why did you cover it with a blanket like that?"

"It’s winter. I don’t want it to get frost on my way." I inwardly cursed myself for the flimsy excuse.

The senior's skepticism only grew, and he moved closer to me, his eyes fixated on the blanket. Suddenly, the little boy inside the blanket let out a muffled cry, causing me to jump in surprise.

"Kiiii….." The senior's face twisted in confusion. "What? It’s not a book!"

"Well, this is…" I stuttered, my mind racing for an explanation. But before I could come up with anything, the blanket slipped from my grasp, revealing the little boy's head. 

"Dabu!" he exclaimed, and I felt my heart stop.

TOC I NEXT