She stood up slowly, stretching her arms and feeling the muscles in her 12-year-old body tense and relax. It was a strong, athletic body, one she had learned to handle skillfully. Since she started training in sports, Allegra had found a way to channel the energy that seemed to overflow within her. The deep sadness that had consumed her in those early days, when she barely understood where she was or what had happened, had faded with time. She didn’t know if it was because of her youth, the novelty of being a boy in a different body, or simply because life continued on. But that sadness, which once made her wish to disappear, was now a distant echo. Even so, Allegra knew she couldn’t allow herself to forget. Writing in her journal was her way of keeping that connection to her past alive, of remembering who she was and where she came from.

Today, however, as she approached the full-length mirror in the corner of her room, a pang of melancholy swept over her. There she stood—a tall boy for his age, with silver hair softly falling over his forehead and deep gray eyes that sometimes, in moments of intense emotion, would change color. Allegra stared at her reflection, trying to see beyond the boy she had come to know over the past two years. What did Felicity look like? The image of her former self was fading, like a dream that slips away upon waking.

She vaguely remembered the shape of her face, but specific details slipped away like sand through her fingers. In an effort to hold onto what remained, Allegra went to her desk, where a worn notebook lay, filled with memories she had fought to preserve. She sat down and opened the notebook, urgently searching for the pages where she had described her family and herself, in a desperate attempt to keep that connection alive.

The faces of her mother and father were blurred in her memory, but reading the words she had written years ago brought a comforting warmth to her chest. Though a haze covered those memories, the love and longing to reunite with them hadn’t weakened. The notebook had become her link to the past, a testimony to her former life and the person she had been.

She took a deep breath and continued reading, letting the words soothe her. The notebook was her lifeline, the only anchor keeping her tied to a past that felt more distant with each passing day. But even amidst that sadness, Allegra felt a spark of hope. Though the details were fading, the love she felt for her family remained strong, and that was what kept her going.

With the start of school just around the corner, Allegra knew she had to prepare herself. It wasn’t just about going back to school, but about adapting to a life that, although strange and sometimes confusing, was hers now. She had to grow stronger, both physically and mentally, because she knew the path to finding answers would be long and difficult.

At the end of the day, after finishing her lessons and training, Allegra lay down on her bed, the notebook closed but always nearby. Aoi and Wolfgang watched from the door, their faces filled with a mixture of happiness and hope as they saw how their daughter—or rather, their son—was becoming someone stronger and more determined.

Unaware of their gaze, Allegra stared up at the ceiling, wondering what the future held. She had learned much in those two years—about the world, her new body, and herself. But one thing hadn’t changed: her desire to uncover the truth and reunite with her family. With that resolve in mind, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over, knowing that the next day would bring her one step closer to her goal.