Eldric lost a day of his life, and it was his seventeenth birthday. His eyelids felt a dozen tons heavier than usual, as if he had woken from six feet under. His adolescent skeleton felt shattered. He recalled that he ran for at least a mile before getting to bed.

However, it did not take much time to end the dormancy. The unwelcome hazy drizzle from the edge of the wooden window swished into Eldric's bag of bones. It was the essence of an inclement snowstorm. Eldric had to open his eyes. He woke up instantly, got out of bed, and rushed to the calendar. On the inked, printed surface, his eyes were aghast at the Akt Marsch box. He did not find any mark on the date, just like he did for the whole month of February, though only two dates were unmarked. Although he turned seventeen, he figured that he missed his birthday.

He stepped to the window to have a quick glance at the drenched pavement of the little town of Vielist. He gave a petulant look to the stubborn drizzle, which was on its way to slosh the pedestrian. Pedestrians were unconcerned about being soaked in the first icy smoke of the season, but Eldric was concerned about his headache. He then turned his head to look at his unworn blue uniform and the polished badge that was embroidered finely with "Patriotische Schule der Wölfe."

He traipsed to the uniform and tried to feel something with his cold finger. The fabric still looked new, as it was only a few steps away. However, the stinky smell tickled his aquiline nose. It was the smell of his sweat. Eldric's brow furrowed, and he drew in tight. A discontented assumption flattered in the strong, inclement breeze. The wind soared in the archaic brick room. He had considered every possible outcome from this, but, long story short, it remained perplexing.

He put the blue uniform in its place. Soon after breakfast, he descended the metallic stairs attached to the body of the terraced building. The jade t-shirt and the dull pullover sweater on top of it both looked several weeks old. The odor delivered itself and became accustomed to Eldrict. He descended the metallic stairs attached to the body of the terraced building. The jade t-shirt and the dull pullover sweater on top of it both looked several weeks old. The odor delivered itself and is now accustomed to Eldric. Eldric trudged against heavy snow as the cloud that had just roared arrogantly from his window stepped back. The towering Norway spruce shivered with the chill wind. The sunshine took company soon after Eldric reached Ruhiges Café.

"Oh, dear Eldric!" a raspy voice knocked Eldric from behind. "You came back!" Edric hastily turned back. His eyebrows narrowed again. His thin lips were glued together.

"Didn't I come here yesterday... tante?" Eldric's worried mind questioned the lady.

"Of course, you didn't, or maybe you returned when I went to the post office. They told me the letter from my son would come, but it didn't."

Eldric was bothered by what he just heard. Eldric preferred the café across the street, in the heart of the Vielist. Since he left school intentionally three months ago, he decided to earn his living through this café. Serving the hot, sweet aroma of coffee beverages brought him nothing but joy. He was shifted from table number one to the existing five tables, whatever they wished to ask for. After the very end of the worn-out day, when the last customer would say "Auf Wiedersehen" with a pleasing smile on his face, Eldric would be seen washing the crockery. He was either content with having a reichsmark in his pocket or doing what he wanted to do.

The woman behind him was the owner of Ruhiges Café, Amala Schult. After her son went to the Soviet Union as cannon fodder, she was completely alone. When her forlorn eyes saw Endrick in Vielist's icy winter and the cold, desperate look on his face, she gave him the job of serving the table. The customers whose daily routines were to visit this little cafe at least once would know that Amala had found his son in Eldric. Her faded face probably found something to charm.

"This means that I was not here all day, am I right, tante Amala?" Eldric was curious.

"No, you didn't, dear." Amala was surely confused by his strange question.

"How come you don't remember that you didn't come here? Are you all right, Eldric boy?"

Eldric should have asked her more about yesterday, but this would make things complicated for her. She herself was competing with her melancholic dilemma.

"Umm... probably I am forgetting things a little. Didn't you find out why I didn’t come here?"

That is the question Eldrick should have to ask without tying things up. While their conversation was roaming, a rough gentleman sat at one of the five tables with a German newspaper. He crossed his legs while reading the newspaper, his pointed spectacles dangling from his ears. As soon as the order was taken, Amala did not hesitate to go brew coffee. Since the customers grew in number in the busiest hour of the Vielist capital, they had their talk interrupted for a while. It left Endrick with nothing but the concern of yesterday.

"Well, I heard you were at that school down the valley. I am pleased to know that you decided to continue your studies. This devastated country is counting on you, young man!" Amala was ecstatic to say that after the last customer left in the morning interval.

" ...but the way you showed up today and you came back to work again, what just happened to you, Eldric boy?"

Eldric was listening to everything his aunt Amala said. He lost his word to respond to Amala.