"Are you awake?"

The child looked around, rubbing his dirty eyes at the unexpected voice. "Hmm…?"

He was in a room he was seeing for the first time and had a soft blanket that he’d never touched in his entire life. In fact, it was not very luxurious, but for a child who had always slept on straw under a worn-out blanket, this was a feeling that he had never felt before. 

"... Yes!" The child woke up from his slumber and came to his senses. He was startled when he saw an unfamiliar old man, and he quickly jumped up from his position.

"Huh-huh, there's no need to be so surprised. After all, that the scary thing has passed."

The old man's words reminded the child of the terrible memory from last night. When he saw the child grow frightened, the old man did not forcefully close the distance but put a warm drink down from afar and took a step back.

"Do you remember my name?” He asked.

The child fumbled through his memory. The name of the old man came to mind through a gap in his confusing memories, and he said in a trembling voice, "…Ze, Zendia Blade.…"

Zendia watched the child respond with his name and praised him. "You're smart. You didn't forget my name after I only mentioned it once.”

Rather...