A younger Lucian

As he entered the unconscious man's mind, a pain with a similar intensity with the retribution assaulted his head. 

He almost backed away from Lucian, but an invisible force pushed him to make him continue.

{Persist} Clepsydra said, and Sherdan had no choice but to do as she said with gritted teeth.

He focused all his attention on peering inside Lucian's mind, finding his own memories on the other hand, so he could do what he had planned to do.

As two minds entangled, Sherdan lost his consciousness in the mortal world, and two minds integrated inside Clepsydra's created space.

Sherdan opened his eyes in a familiar place. It was inside Lucian's room. He scanned the place, as he tried to discern what had happened.

Just as he was looking around, the door suddenly opened and he saw the young Lucian.

"Stay in here for the meantime alright? Listen to your mother " A younger Gila spoke to Lucian, and the boy, who appeared to be around 12 years old, nodded obediently. 

Gila kissed her child's cheeks and closed the door afterwards. The voices of several people were silenced, and he was left all alone inside the room.

Gila faced her husband's grumpy relatives, and with a tired smile on her face, she endured all their beration.

The young Lucian ignored the voices outside the room. He climbed up to his bed and covered himself with the sheets.

Sherdan stood there, surprised upon realizing that he had failed to enter his memories, but instead, he seemed to have entered Lucian's memories.

"Hic" A quiet sob resounded inside the room. And Sherdan glanced at where Lucian was hidden. 

The soft sobs turned to cries, and the sheet continued squirming. It was as though the young boy was trying his hardest not to let his voice be heard by anyone.

"D-dad" Lucian cried underneath the sheets, and Sherdan felt as though someone tugged at his heart.

He felt the urge to comfort him. 

He felt the desire to stay by his side.

Sherdan went to where Lucian was. He extended his hand to pat the other. Although he was well aware that he wouldn't be able to give his warmth to someone in the past.

All of a sudden, the scenario inside this particular memory quickly vanished and was replaced by another one.

"Lucian! Let's go to the cafeteria!" Lila called out to the man who was seated near the window. This time, Lucian was older than his previous self. He wears a junior high school uniform and a headphone hung around his neck.

As he propped his chin with his hands, several girls glanced his way. Although aware, he never glanced at them back. He was well aware that he wasn't interested in girls, so there was no reason to give them any ideas.

Sherdan stood on the sideline once again, staring at Lucian, who looked so unfriendly.

Sherdan thought with a smile, He had always imagine that Lucian had been friendly and easy going from the get-go, so he never imagined a day would come when he would see a grumpy looking Lucian.

"What?" Lucian asked after he stood up and went towards the other, who's already standing outside the room.

Lila only slapped his back as an attempt to liven him up. But rather than gaining what she had aimed to gain, Lucian only groaned from pain and almost flicked her forehead.

"What's wrong with you? That hurts." Lucian rubbed his back with difficulty, as he glared at Lila, who had a grin on her face.

"Ah, stop being so timid, would you? It's the first day of our high school lives! Would it hurt you to have some fun?" Lila walked ahead of Lucian, and the other followed close behind her.

Sherdan also ran to where the two were, and walked beside Lucian. 

He couldn't help but find this type of Lucian interesting, so he ended up staring at him all the way.

"What fun. I'm an introvert. " Lucian looked around the campus as they walk towards their destination. That was nothing but an excuse. He's actually excited about this first day, but he doesn't see a need to be so obvious about it.

It wasn't as if he's grumpy or stone-faced either; he just couldn't find the need to be so friendly to everyone.

"Introvert my ass--"

In the middle of Lucian's sight seeing, he suddenly collided with someone and lost his balance.

"Ah-!"

Sherdan was surprised and tried to catch him, but he just went past Lucian. Just as he was worried the other might hurt himself, a hand stretched out to grab a hold of Lucian's waist. 

The man who caught him helped him balance himself. 

"Sorry!" Sherdan's younger face came to view, and his eyecatching cheeky smile was plastered in his face.

Sherdan stared at his younger self, feeling a bit weirded out. Seeing yourself with your own eyes and not through a mirror is not a normal occurrence. 

The younger Sherdan apologized briefly before running away as if in a hurry. Sherdan, who was watching on the sideline, frowned as he tried to remember what had happened before that made him act so rudely.

He could remember how he was in a hurry to do something on the first day. This was the day before he met Friedde and fought with the mobs of delinquents. But, he couldn't remember ever bumping into Lucian.

"That's hella rude! Are you alright? " Lila's screams interrupted Sherdan's thoughts.

She glared at the younger Sherdan's back and turned her gaze at Lucian after realizing that he had turned unusually quiet.

Lucian had his lips slightly open, as he stared at where Sherdan ran off to.

"What's wrong with you---wait you didn't hit your head did you?" Lila panicked. She gripped Lucian's arms and flipped him around. She searched his scalp to see if it was damaged in some way, but saw none.

This made her even more worried.

If he's not head damaged---then why does he have this love struck look on his face?

'God tell me it is not love at first sight!'

The silent Lucian finally opened his mouth to talk. 

"I think I fell in love," Lucian said, his face dumbfounded. He looked at Lila, who was now looking at him as if she was deeply disappointed. Though she wasn't truly disappointed.

Lila facepalmed.

'He really fell in love at first sight'

She sighed and almost cried for her best friend. She lamented how her friend had such a flimsy reason for falling in love.

"Seriously? Love at first sight? At this age?" 

Lucian looked at her with a defensive stance.

"Isn't this the age when people fall in love at first sight?" 

"Aren't you an introvert? You're an exception" Lila reminded him of what he had said earlier. Seeing as she finally had a chance to rub this excuse on his wounds, Lila teased him. 

Lucian only coughed, and gave another excuse as ridiculous as the previous one.

"People change."

'After seeing a handsome man? That easily?' Lila wanted to smack her friend, but decided against it.

She comforted herself. Love at first sight should not be shamed. It is the same as when people fall in love with a kind person. Only that their reason for falling in love was the face!

"Pfft hahaha" Sherdan ended up laughing. It wasn't as if he was oblivious to Lucian's feelings towards him, it's just that he never really thought about it much.

This was not the first time he had someone who fell for him, but certainly the first time it happened in such a roundabout way.

In the middle of his laughter, the scenery vanished again and was replaced by a dark void.

His head was assaulted with pain once again, and a golden light emerged from out of nowhere. The light pulled him towards it, and he entered another memory.

His head was dizzy, and he found it difficult to open his eyes. 

"President. This is the document for the late Mr. and Mrs. Cohen's pending project. All the details about the Skier Hotel project are transcribed here. " The Head Secretary, Lincoln, handed a white and thick folder to the 20-year-old Sherdan.

The other had dark circles underneath his eyes and his messy hair wasn't any different to a bird's nest.

The Head Secretary took a brush from one of the drawers inside the office. 

"Should I comb your hair, President?" 

The question made the younger Sherdan laugh slightly, the gloomy vibe turned a little livelier and the Head Secretary smiled upon seeing that he succeeded on making Sherdan feel better.

With so much struggle, Mr. and Mrs. Cohen were able to get the rights to pass the company to their oldest child. If they found out any later that Anneye was a legitimate child, and that the Elder named the company under her, their child would have ended up fending for themselves.