Ch. 16
It can't be true!
Blinking, I stare at the young man standing outside my door with a suitcase. My heart skips a beat.
That cheeky grin... as if nothing had happened.
His white fringe is gone, but that doesn't change anything. I still recognised him.
It's...
"Asta?" His voice breaks my thoughts.
I cross my arms over my chest and look at him coolly.
"Come on, you know exactly who I am. Don't pretend you don't recognise me," I reply.
He looks at me for a long time, too long.
As if I'm a complete stranger to him. A strange tingling sensation runs down my spine.
Drama must be in his blood."Don't you think what you're doing is absurd, Mr Fo-"
"Fo."
My breath hitches.
"Fo."
What is that? Why can't I say the name? Why can't I unmask him?
An uneasy feeling spreads through my chest. I lock eyes with him - a silent challenge.
But he avoids my gaze, as if he has something to hide. Instead, his gaze sweeps past me, out into the corridor.
Something is wrong.
I follow his gaze - and only now do I notice her.
My mother is standing a few paces behind me.
Her expression is inscrutable.
"Cuno?" she whispers.Cuno?
My thoughts race, but before I can react, it happens.
The guy shoots past me so quickly that I can only feel a breeze. I turn around and look after him, speechless.
What the hell has just happened here?
But this is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
Because the unthinkable is happening before my eyes:
My mother and this guy fall into each other's arms in tears.
What ...?
Where does this intimacy come from?
What the hell have I just missed?
“Auntie, I've missed you so much!”
Auntie?! Did the fox spirit just say auntie?!
My head jerks towards my mother, but she laughs, touched, and hugs it even tighter.
“Ewin, look who's here!”
No. No, no, no.
Don't tell me that Ewin has him too-
Before I can finish the thought, my brother pounces on the guy with the same exuberant passion.
I stare, stunned.
Because the unthinkable is happening before my eyes:
My mother and this guy fall into each other's arms in tears.
What ...?
Where does this intimacy come from?
What the hell have I just missed?
“Auntie, I've missed you so much!”
Auntie?! Did the fox spirit just say auntie?!
My head jerks towards my mother, but she laughs, touched, and hugs it even tighter.
“Ewin, look who's here!”
No. No, no, no.
Don't tell me that Ewin has him too-
Before I can finish the thought, my brother pounces on the guy with the same exuberant passion.
I stare, stunned.
My brain refuses to process this scene.
And as if that wasn't enough, only now do I notice Dr. Stalker - who pierces me with a questioning look.
Wait a minute ... does he seriously expect ME to explain to him who this mysterious guest is?
Me.
And as if that wasn't enough, only now do I notice Dr. Stalker - who pierces me with a questioning look.
Wait a minute ... does he seriously expect ME to explain to him who this mysterious guest is?
Me.
The one who isn't even sure right now if she wasn't completely wrong?
Damn. This is so embarrassing.
“Asta, come here!” My mother waves me over, laughing, while she has a laugh with the guy about some insider.
I stand motionless. Just look at her.
“Don't be so coy,” she teases. ”Just say hello to your tenth cousin!”
“Cousin?” I blink. Did I hear wrong?
“Don't tell me you don't recognize your cousin Cuno?”
Now all eyes are on me.
My mother,
Damn. This is so embarrassing.
“Asta, come here!” My mother waves me over, laughing, while she has a laugh with the guy about some insider.
I stand motionless. Just look at her.
“Don't be so coy,” she teases. ”Just say hello to your tenth cousin!”
“Cousin?” I blink. Did I hear wrong?
“Don't tell me you don't recognize your cousin Cuno?”
Now all eyes are on me.
My mother,
Ewin,
My supposed cousin,
Even Dr. Stalker.
And they all expect a reaction from me.
I'm absolutely certain: I don't know a cousin called Cuno.
Well, I have to admit that I've never really looked at our family tree ... but still.
Oh, who knows. Maybe this guy is actually some distant relative - tenth, fifteenth or hundredth degree.
My supposed cousin,
Even Dr. Stalker.
And they all expect a reaction from me.
I'm absolutely certain: I don't know a cousin called Cuno.
Well, I have to admit that I've never really looked at our family tree ... but still.
Oh, who knows. Maybe this guy is actually some distant relative - tenth, fifteenth or hundredth degree.
And maybe ... I just imagined the fox spirit thing.
After all, according to my former psychologist, I'm prone to stress-induced daydreams.
Maybe my grandmother's death is the trigger.
“Well, she was still very young back then. Of course she can't remember me,” he suddenly replies in my place.
His voice triggers something in me.
After all, according to my former psychologist, I'm prone to stress-induced daydreams.
Maybe my grandmother's death is the trigger.
“Well, she was still very young back then. Of course she can't remember me,” he suddenly replies in my place.
His voice triggers something in me.
A strange, gnawing feeling of unease.
Our eyes meet.
He keeps his expression still, controlled - but something happens in his eyes.
A play of colors.
Or rather: a colorless play of colors.
A shiver runs down my spine. Is he ... after all?
“Maybe the name Crevan means something to you?” Ewin breaks our eye duel.
Crevan?
I shake my head and smile uncertainly. “I don't know.”
Ewin sighs. “You really do have a memory like a sieve.”
“That doesn't sound good, Asta,” Dr. Stalker suddenly interjects.
He now scrutinizes me from the side.
I roll my eyes demonstratively.
“You should always take omens seriously,” he continues.
I wave him off - a clear sign that enough is enough.
“My health should hardly cause such a renowned doctor a restless night.”
“Who knows,” he replies with a hint of flirtation in his voice.
Our eyes meet.
And suddenly it feels like the world stands still for a moment.
His gaze holds me as if he has me figured out - as if he knows something that I don't know.
Our eyes meet.
He keeps his expression still, controlled - but something happens in his eyes.
A play of colors.
Or rather: a colorless play of colors.
A shiver runs down my spine. Is he ... after all?
“Maybe the name Crevan means something to you?” Ewin breaks our eye duel.
Crevan?
I shake my head and smile uncertainly. “I don't know.”
Ewin sighs. “You really do have a memory like a sieve.”
“That doesn't sound good, Asta,” Dr. Stalker suddenly interjects.
He now scrutinizes me from the side.
I roll my eyes demonstratively.
“You should always take omens seriously,” he continues.
I wave him off - a clear sign that enough is enough.
“My health should hardly cause such a renowned doctor a restless night.”
“Who knows,” he replies with a hint of flirtation in his voice.
Our eyes meet.
And suddenly it feels like the world stands still for a moment.
His gaze holds me as if he has me figured out - as if he knows something that I don't know.
There's this enigmatic play of colors in his eyes that has irritated me before.
I should look away.
I should look away.
I should ignore this feeling.
But instead, the strange tension between us intensifies, a quiet tingling that takes my breath away.
A smirk flits across his lips. Does he know what's going on in my head right now?
“The bathroom is just around the corner,” my mother's voice suddenly breaks the silence.
A smirk flits across his lips. Does he know what's going on in my head right now?
“The bathroom is just around the corner,” my mother's voice suddenly breaks the silence.
“Asta, please bring Cuno some new cutlery.”
I blink, as if waking from a trance.
Ewin laughs and pats Cuno amicably on the shoulder.
I blink, as if waking from a trance.
Ewin laughs and pats Cuno amicably on the shoulder.
“Then let's go and hear Cuno's adventures!”
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