Thoughts

"That humanoid energy… it's called a Stand?"

Back at the hotel, Kai Adler lounged in a chair, sipping tea. He had just called Uncle Leon to come pick them up.

Hearing Hermione's question, Kai nodded lightly.

"That's what the old man called it."

"Truly amazing…" Hermione's eyes sparkled with curiosity.

The world was vast, full of mysteries. Barely a week into their travels, and they'd already encountered abilities she'd never read about before. It only fueled her excitement for the journey ahead.

Neither of them took the incident at the restaurant to heart. Their paths had merely crossed with those Stand users by chance. In two days, they would be leaving Berlin and heading to Egypt to find Ron and explore together. There was no reason to believe they'd run into those people again.

Just another passing encounter.

Moments later, there was a knock on the door.

Captain Leonhardt stood outside, his expression dark and worn.

The day had clearly taken its toll on him. The passenger plane that made an emergency landing off the German coast had left a trail of horrors: multiple passengers and the flight crew dead, their tongues ripped out, their faces twisted in agony.

Worse still, when Leonhardt traced the lingering traces of Black Magic, he discovered that one of the so-called perpetrators—likely a Stand user—had also died in their seat. It seemed two factions of superpowered individuals had clashed mid-flight, with innocent civilians caught in the carnage.

But the survivors of that other group had made it to the ground.

Racing back to the Magician Association's headquarters to organize a search, Leonhardt received a call. A restaurant brawl in Berlin, reports of unexplained phenomena—the telltale signs.

Their department's subtle safeguards were working. Around the city, strange posters, mysterious business cards, and hidden advertisements pointed people to emergency contact numbers for unexplained supernatural events. Most dismissed them as urban legends, but they existed for exactly this reason.

By the time his team arrived at the restaurant, the scene was a mess. The five combatants gone. Only the shaken owner and staff remained.

And two witnesses, described as eerily calm children who ate their meal amidst the chaos… and left.

It wasn't hard for Leonhardt to connect the dots.

Standing now in Kai's hotel room, he glared at him.

"You were at the scene?"

Kai didn't bother lying, swirling his tea, eyes steady. "Yes."

"Then why didn't you stop them?"

Kai arched a brow, amused at the absurdity of the question, his gaze silently saying, How could you possibly expect that?

"We're just children," he answered evenly. "What exactly could we do?"

"And besides, no one was hurt," Kai added casually.

Leonhardt exhaled sharply, recognizing his own misplaced frustration. They were kids, at least outwardly. Even with magical talent, expecting them to step into an unknown fight was ridiculous.

Still… the scene from that plane gnawed at him.

"No one was hurt?" Leonhardt scoffed, voice cold. "Three pilots and dozens of passengers are dead, tongues ripped clean out of their mouths. Blood everywhere."

He wasn't above playing up the horror, just to rattle Kai's unnervingly calm mask. Something about this boy unsettled him—the way he carried himself like an adult, too composed, too sharp for his age.

Hermione gasped, eyes widening in alarm. But Kai? He merely sipped his tea, utterly unaffected.

"I doubt it was them," Kai replied coolly.

Leonhardt's eyes narrowed. "And how would you know?"

Kai's lips curved faintly, a subtle smile laced with quiet confidence.

"If it was them, you'd have far bigger problems. You wouldn't be here interrogating two kids. You'd be coordinating a full-scale manhunt."

Hermione, beside him, finally let out the breath she'd been holding. Others might question Kai, but her faith in him was absolute. He could shield her from anything—she never doubted that for a second.

"I didn't think they seemed bad…" she added softly, though her voice faltered under Leonhardt's scrutiny.

Leonhardt seized the opening. "What can children tell about good or bad people?"

Kai's polite smile vanished, his eyes sharpening with a chill far beyond his years.

"Can adults?" His voice, though calm, carried the weight of steel. "I wonder who treated us like dangerous criminals the moment we arrived, without reason, without proof. Two children, mind you."

Hermione quickly grabbed his arm, sensing the tension rise.

"Captain Leonhardt, weren't you here to take us to Uncle Leon? Let's go!" Her voice was chipper, defusing the moment.

Kai's irritation dissolved instantly, helpless under her gaze. I was only standing up for you…

This time, they didn't use Black Magic for travel. Leonhardt, ever the practical one, simply drove them.

On the way, he pressed for details—descriptions, abilities, everything Kai knew about the Stand users.

Even if they weren't murderers, foreign superpowered individuals couldn't roam unchecked.

Once they reached the Magician Association's headquarters, Leonhardt barely said a word, only grumbling as he pulled away, tires screeching slightly.

At the entrance stood Uncle Leon, casually stamping out a cigarette as they approached, his face creased with an easy, familiar smile.

"How was Berlin treating you these past few days?" he asked warmly.

"Very good," Kai answered.

"Leonhardt didn't give you too much grief, I hope?" Uncle Leon chuckled. "He's always been… intense. Don't mind him."

After some idle chatter, they retreated to the office.

Uncle Leon wasted no time, his tone sobering.

"There's news on what you asked me to look into."

Kai's heart tensed. His parents. His old life. Would they recognize him now? His body, appearance—everything changed when he crossed into this world at eighteen. Now he was barely twelve, with an unfamiliar face and an unfamiliar fate.

Uncle Leon met his anxious gaze with a sigh, sliding a file across the table.

"There's no record of a family named Adler at the address you gave. There never has been."

Kai's expression froze.

Uncle Leon's features softened with sympathy. "I'm sorry, kid. You came all this way, hoping to find your parents, your family. But there's nothing. No leads. No records."

Hermione's eyes shimmered with concern, watching the flicker of emotion on Kai's face.

For a long moment, Kai sat silently, tension wrapped tight around him. And then… he exhaled.

His heart was a complicated mess of disappointment—and relief.

This world isn't the same. Deep down, he'd always known. His parents from his previous life were long gone—lost to that fateful train headed for the capital.

Now, he was Kai Adler in this world. Alone. Untethered. With nowhere to return to.

But with that realization came clarity—a release from the haze he'd carried since awakening here.

The Black Magic in his body settled. His connection to the Obscurus stirred gently. In that moment, Kai made peace with his form, his power, and his identity.

He understood: as long as he discovered who this Kai Adler was meant to be… as long as he avenged his past… the Black Magic, the Obscurus—it would all be his to control.

No more backlash. No more division.

A soft smile curved his lips. He patted Hermione's small hand on his shoulder, glancing up at Uncle Leon.

"Thank you, Uncle Leon. You've done a lot for us."

Uncle Leon's eyes narrowed in concern at Kai's sudden composure.

"You sure you're alright?"

Kai's smile deepened, his gaze tender as it fell on Hermione.

"I'm fine. Thank you for taking care of us these past few days. But we'll be traveling on—we still have Egypt to visit."

Uncle Leon instinctively lit another cigarette. "You're leaving already? Can't you stay a bit longer?"

"Our holiday's short. Time's tight," Kai replied, tousling Hermione's curls.

"And… she doesn't like flying."

Hours later, on the shadowed docks of Berlin, several towering figures stood before a colossal ship.

A single name lingered in the cool evening air:

"Dio… we're here."