Gabriel???

…

Upon opening his eyes, El found himself gazing at a wooden ceiling that seemed to greet him in return. As his sight gradually returned, the image resembled a canvas delicately brushed by a skilled painter's hand. It took a moment for his brain to process this realization, but eventually, he understood that he was alive and well, despite having been taken by those mysterious people.

"Uh… uh," At first, he struggled to move his stiff mouth and tongue until words finally formed. "W-where am I?" he muttered to himself. He was certain he was not in the village library, as he vividly remembered the moment when the wooden ceiling nearly collapsed on him.

As he propped himself up to sit slowly on the bed, El realized something was underneath him. He looked down. "Huh... Bed??? Is this a bed?"

He touched it, punched it, pushed it, and kneaded it – he explored it in every way he could. His eyes flickered with curiosity and awe. Apart from the occasional experiences that came to him through his fragmented dreams, he had never truly understood what a bed was in real life. It felt fluffy, comfy, and soft.

'I must be missing this for years.'

There was another thing he took notice of. And that was, his arms were bigger, longer, fairer, and not as thin and dry as he remembered. Suddenly, pieces of memories come to the inside of his head, accompanied by the assault of stabbing pain that throbbing continually. It was painful. He clutched his head tightly, which had been wrapped in a bandage.

Not so great for a start of the day, ay.

After a minute passed, there was nothing. He didn't even manage to comprehend what the memories were. Well, at this point, he was already getting used to that. At times, he knew what the memories were, but often couldn't even make sense of what it was. And another time, just like what he used to ponder, 'it's gone by the wind, I guess,' – the recollection leaving his side with no hints of smoke left behind.

'I lost my memories again huh? This time, it seems to be way longer than before. Maybe years… uh,' shaking his head in exasperation, he realized this was the first time his memories had such long gaps between what he recalled. His small, thin arm and malnourished self were nowhere to be found anymore. It felt as though, he was healthier this time around, and obviously, older.

Clenching his fingers tightly, he discovered an unfamiliar strength within his band of muscles.

"What a great day. The only thing I lack right now is… a delicious meal," he muttered to himself.

*Clack*

The sound of the door unlocking from the outside echoed through the room, causing El's body to tense up immediately. He pushed the soft white blanket aside, jumped up, and tried to stand on the floor. However, he soon realized that this was a terrible mistake.

*Thud*

His lower half was still stiff and numb, causing his feet to inevitably skid on the floor. He slipped and fell to the ground, almost face–planting. Luckily, his palm and forearm managed to catch himself just in time.

"So, you're awake?"

El's head turned toward the source of that deep, gruff voice. He found out it was a middle-aged man wearing black clothes all over his body, with stocky, well-defined muscles showing from beneath the tight long-sleeved shirt. And he was exceptionally tall and large too, with his body filling the doorway and nearly reaching the ceiling. He needs to bow down just to come inside.

"Ummmm, I'm sorry but who are you???" El asked him.

"It seems, you lost your memories again…" he replied. He had a thin beard on his face, giving him a rather stern appearance.

After closing the door behind him, he walked slowly into the room, approaching a wooden bookshelf, a study table, and a chair located on the side of the room. His fingers brushed gently against the spines of the books. His eyes seemed to be drawn to something.

To somewhere.

Finally regaining some sense and strength in his legs, El draws away from that man – with one knee bending to the ground and arms ready to retaliate.

The man could feel El's gaze on him. It was cautious.

Turning his vision away from the books to El, the man then walked to the chair, while lifting his eyebrows, and tilted his head once to the side. He said, "Being wary of strangers. Nice of you not losing that edge yet," he sat down abruptly on the chair.

Heaving a sigh, the man continued. "Remember this. Your name is Gabriel. And you must not use it in any circumstances. Understood!??"

"… why not? Besides, who are you anyway?" El replied while displaying an expression of confusion and displeasure. 'The heck, who are you naming me like a kitten?!!'

"I am… … you don't need to know that. You just need to trust me. If I tell you to go south. You go south. If I tell you to go north. You go north. If I tell you don't go west or east, then don't go. Do not ever go!!! From now on, your name is El. Only El. Etched it on your head, understand?"

"Wow, are seriously telling me to do what you want, when this is the first time we met? Should I say yes if you tell me to be sold to the house of slavery then?" El asked in bafflement.

"I won't do that. Don't worry, I won't hurt you," he leaned forward, then put his elbows on his knees. Eyes solemnly looking at El, still sitting with his oversized body on that poor, normal-sized chair.

"How am I supposed to trust what you said? You are not very bright, aren't you sir?"

Upon hearing that, the man's eyes twitched visibly.

"Anyway, you need to trust me if you don't want to die. That's all there is to it. And…"

"And???"

"Foods on me," he smirked after making that statement.

Meanwhile, El opened his eyes wide and then raised a question to clarify whether he had some problem with his ear.

"You mean… gulp. Foods on you, it was like what people said – free right?" El was interested. So interested, particularly in that 'food' part. It felt like his brain had just gone straight to the factory to be reprocessed – as his prudence went straight out of the window, and his wit was pushed to the side of the road.

'What the… what day was today? It must have been a new year, wasn't it?' El thought.

"Yes, hahaha… Yes, kid. It is free," the man appears amused by El's antics.

"For me??? Free?"

"Yes. It is."

"Alright, I am at your beck and call, sir," El's gleefully replied with a big smile hanging on his face. Still genuflecting, he placed his palm on his chest, above his heart, in a manner reminiscent of the knights in his many dreams.

"Good, let's go then. We get some food on the street," the man said as he stood up.

"Sir, if I may ask, you know me, aren't you? For how long? You even know about my memories. What... what happened after I was taken from the village?" El also stood up, facing the man.

"… this isn't the first time we've met. We've spent time together for quite a while now. If this is all about your memory loss, I'm sorry, but I can't say more right now..."

"... ok then. How about this? Why should I only use El if I have a name, sir? Gabriel, huh? Where does the name even come from?" El asked with glimmers of curiosity in his eyes. 'Gabriel, not bad for a name. But feels a bit girlish though...'

"Hmmmm… I tell you later. Come now, I'm hungry too..."

…