INSANE!

The sun had set behind the horizon, leaving behind long shadows that stretched across the barren land, while the sky began to be painted with the last hues of twilight, which seemed to melt slowly into the approaching darkness of night. The cold air began to creep in, carrying with it the scent of mud and wild plants that struggled to grow in this world.

The sky announced the end of the day, paving the way for the deep blackness that would engulf everything, where unlit places became akin to absolute voids, where one could not even see their hand in front of their face. Alucard, who had been lying on the dew-soaked grass, sighed slowly before lazily getting up, trying to shake off the lethargy that had settled in his limbs. He didn't want to stay here for long, as this abandoned and forgotten corner of the colony didn't seem safe after sunset.

He began to take sluggish steps, as if he were still torn between his desire to leave and an inexplicable feeling that pulled him to stay. But the growling of his stomach, protesting his hunger, snapped him out of his hesitation, urging him to hurry back. He clenched his stomach for a moment, as if trying to soothe his hunger, and quickened his pace, determined to reach the cabin.

Lerin always arrived at the cabin at this moment, when the horizon was painted with the red of sunset, a scene that always coincided with her parting from Misa.

She glanced up at the second floor, but she waited for Misa's footsteps as she went to her cabin before climbing up. When she was sure Misa had entered her cabin, Lerin hurried upstairs. She opened the door gently, then stood at the threshold, scanning the room with her curious, gleaming eyes. And as expected, Alucard wasn't there.

She stepped forward slowly, as if searching for something invisible, a new trace that would hint at his movements. But everything seemed completely ordinary, with no surprises. There was no sign that he had taken any of his work tools, which in itself was a good thing. At least, he wouldn't be spending his time on that exhausting, fruitless work. But soon, her mind began to spin new questions: Where could he be now? If he hadn't gone to work, where else could he have gone? How could a boy like him wander around the colony? Was he just idling around?

She frowned slightly as she stood in the middle of the room, realizing that something about his behavior was beginning to change, but the answer wasn't here. She exhaled softly before turning to leave, "He won't go far. It's Alucard."

As she returned, she picked up the items she had left on the cabin's threshold and quickly climbed up the stairs for the first time. She pushed the door open with her foot and entered, finding the place as quiet as she had left it. She closed the door behind her with a smooth motion, then walked over to the table, where she carefully placed the items before preparing for a grand task.

With confident steps, she headed to the corner of the room, where her cloak hung. She grabbed it and wrapped it tightly around her waist, as if it were armor she was donning to embark on a special culinary battle.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and she began to move in a dance-like manner, not quite rhythmic but full of energy, as if summoning the creative spirit that would accompany her in this endeavor. Her movements were unpredictable, leaning to the right before spinning lightly to the left, as if she were drawing her own rituals, announcing the beginning of her culinary creativity.

She let out a light laugh and began to think about the recipes that would make this day more enjoyable. For others, it might just be preparing a meal, but for her, it was something else entirely: art, an experiment, and a small celebration of the day's achievements.

The moments passed slowly, and the houses closed their doors one by one, while the workshops had been closed for a long time. Everyone announced their surrender, retreating to their shelters, fleeing from the darkness of night that loomed over the colony. Despite the scattered lights that were carefully placed, providing decent visibility, the night in this world, where the moon had departed, was not just ordinary darkness; it was a deeper, heavier darkness, as if it were an entity in itself.

Alucard walked with sluggish steps, his back hunched like an old man worn out by the days, his eyes barely able to see the path ahead. He lifted his head occasionally, staring into the dark horizon as if the distance doubled with every step he took.

He sighed bitterly, then muttered in a hoarse voice, "I'm getting closer... Damn it, I'm going to die from exhaustion."

But despite that, he kept walking. Dying on his feet was better than surrendering to the darkness.

The hours passed. He was getting closer; he could feel it. And now, he could see his cabin. It was finally there!

A wide grin spread across his swollen lips, his dirty teeth protruding through the dry cracks on his mouth, and his puffy face made the smile even more grotesque, but he didn't care. He began to run, as if his energy had suddenly exploded! He no longer felt as tired as he had moments ago, as if the sight of the cabin had sparked all his strength.

He reached the door, opened it violently, panting, his eyes darting quickly in search of one thing...

His mother was there, dancing, oblivious to the world around her, wrapped in her cloak, moving in harmony with her steps. She hadn't even noticed his entrance.

"Mommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

Lerin suddenly gasped, her body jolting in shock! She hadn't expected this loud voice that shattered the moment she was living in. She hadn't even noticed when the door had opened.

As for him, he ignored her startled gaze, his eyes fixed on one thing only... the food!

"What are these delicious dishes? What is this smell?! I'm going to dive into them with my mouth right now!"

But before he could take another step, she screamed again! A strong gasp, as if she had seen a ghost standing in front of her.

"What? Why are you screaming?!" he asked, puzzled, but all he received was another scream, louder than the first.

And she screamed a third time, and by then, he realized what she was seeing... It was Alucard.

His face was like a canvas of bruises and swelling, his clothes torn, wet, stained with grass and dirt, his hands scratched, wounds scattered across his arms and face, his hair disheveled, his eyes swollen, and chaos surrounding every part of him.

It was him... but he looked as if he had just emerged from a battle with a group of wild boars.

"Where have you been, you lunatic?!" Lerin shouted, staring at him in disbelief. "You go out for a day in the colony and come back looking like this?! What happened to you, you fool?!"

But Alucard didn't listen; he didn't care. He was devouring the food voraciously, as if he hadn't eaten in years.

"Eat slowly, you maniac!" she yelled angrily, watching him shove bite after bite into his dirty mouth. "How can you allow yourself to eat in this state?! Look at yourself! You haven't even answered me!"

He lifted his head for a moment, still chewing, then muttered with a full mouth, "Mom, why is there so much food?"

Lerin looked at him, closed her eyes, clasped her hands in front of her chest, then raised her finger in a dramatic gesture, as if she had taken on a completely different persona.

"It's a glorious day, Alucard!" she said enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with a strange euphoria. "I've never flourished like this before! Hehe! I've made my son feel like he's in heaven!"

Alucard looked at her with half-awareness, still devouring the food greedily, then said between bites, "And what are these dishes? They're delicious..."

But his words were muffled, to the point that she couldn't understand a word he was saying, as his mouth was completely full.

The lack of clarity in his words was enough to bring Lerin back to her senses, causing her momentary euphoria to fade and her angry tone to return.

She waited until he finished his food, her eyes never leaving him for a moment. And as soon as he put the last bite in his mouth, she spoke seriously this time:

"What's happening to you, Alucard?"

He lifted his head with a cold determination, strange for him. Then he replied with the same seriousness:

"Mom, I'm a man now. I won't come back here in this state, but I don't care if it happens outside... I'm not your prisoner."

Her eyelid twitched for a moment, then her features hardened as she stared at him:

"What do you mean?! What nonsense are you saying? Have you lost your mind?! Have you looked at yourself?! You look like a torn doll! Tell me, what's happening to you?!"

She studied him, expecting some hesitation, but he didn't show any.

"What's happening to me... is me. I'm what's happening to me, Mom. It's a glorious day for me too, and I won't ruin its end here."

"What are you saying? Have you lost your mind?! Oh my God!"

"Am I the crazy one? Who's screaming loudly now?"

She gasped angrily, "Don't you see yourself?! My screaming is just a simple reaction compared to your appearance, you lunatic!"

He turned his head lazily and said indifferently, "It's nothing, a simple wash and I'll be fine."

Her eyes widened in shock, "A wash?! Do you think washing will erase those scars of yours?! They look like fish scales! Where the hell have you been?!"

He exhaled, as if tired of talking...

"It doesn't matter, Mom. My state is like everyone else's, it's an ordinary day... What do you expect from me? To come back to you like the noble characters from the stories you used to tell me over and over?"

Her eyebrow rose, and her eyes gleamed with anger, "Your tongue has really grown, you brat..."

He should have responded, defended himself, but he didn't. Instead, they stared at each other for a long moment before bursting into laughter!

They laughed madly, as if their previous conversation had been nothing but a silly joke. They screamed, laughed until tears streamed down their faces, rolling on the floor, repeating some of their words as if mocking themselves.

They could have choked from laughing, but they didn't care... In that moment, amidst all the madness, there was nothing but their voices filling the space.

The rest of the night passed with the sound of running water, the stinging of wounds touched by water and soap, and muffled cries of pain from Alucard, met with annoyed glances from Lerin, as if she hadn't expected any other reaction from him.

Her hand was steady as she passed a wet cloth over the scratches covering his body, while he twitched with every touch, grumbling from time to time:

"Ow... by the moon, Mom! Be a little gentle, are you trying to kill me?!"

"You brought this on yourself, stop complaining!"

The situation remained the same for a while, until she finished cleaning him and treating the worst of his wounds. The pain had subsided, but it hadn't completely disappeared, just like the exhaustion that weighed heavily on his body.

After that, they worked together to clean the table, picking up the empty plates, gathering the leftovers, and wiping the stains left by his violent feast. They didn't talk much, but the silence between them wasn't dry or heavy; it was filled with something intangible... they found solace in each other's presence.

Finally, when there was nothing left to tidy, they stood in front of each other at the door.

They didn't exchange any words, just a long look, then a step forward, and a warm hug...

"Goodnight, Mom."

"And you too, my son."

The hug was short but contained everything that hadn't been said. After that, Alucard turned and began to climb the stairs.

His steps were slow, heavy, like a mummy exhausted by time. Every part of his body screamed for rest, but his mind was empty. He didn't think much about what had happened, didn't analyze his mother's words, and didn't review the events of his long day.

All he wanted now... was to sleep... to rest.