Chapter 48: The Morning of Farewell

[13th April 2024]

As Jason and Rossy quietly talked about him, Evan walked toward his apartment. His steps were slow, almost hesitant—burdened by thoughts too heavy for a boy his age.

He wanted to stop. Every fiber in his body screamed for him to turn back. But the road he had chosen was a one-way path. One misstep could mean ruin—his hopes, his future, and the warm life he dreamed of sharing with them… all shattered.

Still, he had to move forward. Even if what he had now was earned through his own strength, it was thanks to the chances they had once given him. To Rossy and Jason—he owed more than he could ever repay.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he arrived at his room and stepped inside.

After tending to a few small tasks, he decided to turn in early. Tomorrow… would be a long day.

But sleep wouldn’t come.

His eyes remained open, unfocused. It felt as if sleep had been stolen from him entirely.

“Ahhh, come on, brain, let me sleep...”

He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, frustrated by his own restlessness.

Still no luck.

So he got up, drank two full liters of water, and returned to bed… only to feel another urge—this time, the bathroom.

After the second round, he finally lay down again. This time, mercifully, it worked.

He drifted into a deep sleep filled with bittersweet dreams—soft, distant echoes of the past that felt warm but unreachable. He longed to hold onto them, but something kept them out of reach.

He let go and simply watched them from afar.

“I will… protect you… I promise...”

The words escaped in his sleep, his lips parting as a droplet of saliva slid out. A single tear followed—a silent promise made under the cover of night.

That was how Evan spent the night—lost in dreams and sleep-talk, whispering to a memory that meant the world to him.

[14th April 2024 – Morning]

Beep beep beep!

Evan’s phone alarm blared exactly at six in the morning.

Annoying at first—but his eyes flew open the moment he remembered what day it was.

Today wasn’t just another day.

It was

the

day.

A possible turning point in his life. One misstep, and his chances of survival could drop by nearly forty percent.

No time to waste.

He got up immediately and made his way to the bathroom.

He had to follow the plan—convincing his aunt and uncle that he was going to meet his biological parents. Just walking out without a proper setup wasn’t an option.

Minutes later, he emerged clean, dressed in new clothes. No jeans, no tight clothing. Just loose trousers and a long-sleeved t-shirt—perfect to hide the device strapped underneath.

Once ready, he gathered a few final items:

— A written letter.

— His old phone from before arriving here.

He swapped SIM cards, leaving the new one in the old phone. There couldn’t be any tracking—not from his uncle, not from anyone. The old phone, he’d hand over as a keepsake.

Descending the stairs, he found his aunt Rossy sweeping the same spot over and over again, clearly lost in thought.

“Hi Aunt, what are you doing?”

His voice startled her out of her trance.

“Oh, Evan. I was just thinking… Come, have breakfast before you leave,” she said, noticing his casual clothes.

“No, Aunt. I’m actually here to say goodbye. I brought something—for you and for Jason, in case he comes looking after I’ve left.”

Her face instantly fell, a wave of sadness crashing over her.

“Can’t you at least come in for one last breakfast?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“I’d love to… but my ‘parents’ said we have to leave the kingdom by seven-thirty sharp. But hey—don’t worry. We’ll have many more breakfasts together. You

do

believe I’ll come back, right?”

He tried to sound cheerful, to lighten the mood—but the attempt only made her eyes brim with more tears.

“No… I know you’ll return. But can’t you at least take this phone? Keep it… as a memory…” she said, now sobbing.

“Aunt…” he paused, swallowing a lump in his throat.

“Some things are gifted as keepsakes when there's a chance we may never meet again. But I’ll come back. I swear. And not a single day will pass where I don’t think of you both.”

By now, emotion overwhelmed both of them.

“Okay, then. Goodbye. Please give my regards to Uncle Jason,” he said and turned toward the door.

Rossy could only watch as he walked away, his back growing smaller with every step.

But then—he turned around.

“Aunt Rossy—listen. I won’t say this again.”

He inhaled deeply, his voice cracking.

“I’ll miss you,

Mom

. Please give my regards to

Dad

. I love you both so much. Don’t be sad… I’ll find a way back.”

With that, Evan sprinted through the gate, tears streaking down his face as he vanished into the early morning light.

Moments later, the apartment door creaked open again.

Jason stood there, having overheard everything.

He walked slowly toward his wife, tears in his eyes. She remained frozen, staring toward the gate.

“What happened, dear? Let’s go inside… he’s already gone.”

But before he could lead her in, she pulled him into a tight embrace and buried her face into his chest.

“Jason… he called me

Mom

. And he called you

Dad

.”

Her voice trembled, but it held something more than grief now.

Hope.

“He

will

come back. Even if he’s in hell, he’ll find a way.”

Jason smiled, resting his chin atop her head.

“Yeah… after all these years, he finally called us his parents. That means he’s accepted us… and now he has someone to come home to.”

To some, it might seem like a small thing.

But for a child who had never once said

Mom

or

Dad

in years… saying it now, at the edge of goodbye—it meant everything.

And people don’t betray those who finally find a place in their heart.

If they do…

Then they were never in your heart to begin with.

To be continued...

A/N:

Hey guys! How did you like this emotional chapter? 🥲 Let me know in the comments below.

The next chapter’s gonna be wild—get ready for some serious infiltration drama! 👀🔥