In a mad world, only the mad are sane.

No man can stops the hands of time and months passed by. The young Charles seemed already in better health. His skin wasn't so pale anymore, his body, still as small as ever, had a good weight repartition. He was indeed well nourished nowadays. He would likely not complain much about his situation if he wasn't passed from hands to hands like merchandise ! So many social workers, different places, it made no sense to him whatsoever !

At first he started getting interested in his fate so he asked a few questions to the adults around him however they would answer him in baby talk. It was so frustrating that he decided to keep silent. This only worried the adults even more. He would only talk when Hugo was around.

A psychiatrist was assigned to him to help him develop healthily. As he had a traumatic childhood, it would mean a difficult growth. Or at least, it was what the adults around him thought.

He remembered the first time he met this man, he was accompanied into a strange room with an alphabet floor, moreover, it was quite smooth and soft. A strange discovery. There were lot of toys in the center of the piece. Ignoring everyone else, he went there and began studying the not so ordinary objects in his vision. From plush, soldier toy to cars. He looked them over in different angles. He also found a little robot who could move by itself by pushing a button. He was so amazed that he began giggling.

'A golem ! Seriously, this is so advanced that they give them to children ? Are they idiots !?'

The man next to him, who approached him silently but was still discovered and simply ignored by Charles, came up to him and asked him gently :

"Hello, my name is Damian, I'm here to help you. So, how are you Charles ?"

The boy gave him a placid look for a second before turning his gaze back to the toys. He answered calmly :

" Good, doing good... You ?"

Damian smiled.

"Me too, me too. But I have to ask. What do you think of your mother ?"

Charles stopped in his action and slowly lifted his head towards the roof. He looked blankly while thinking about the last time he saw her, lying on the couch. Now that he thought about it, she had her eyes only half closed at that moment. But he passed quickly after checking she was unconscious. He didn't check for breath. Well, it's not like he cared about her or the other way around anyway. He only wanted to go get some food. He stared at Damian before giving a beaming smile.

"She was an idiot and had it coming."

He was about to retake his little golem when something attracted his attention behind the Psychiatrist. Without waiting about him or his dumbfounded expression, he stood up and walked to a mirror.

It has been a while since he last observed himself. He stood there inspecting the strange boy which was his reflection. In silence, he remarked his little and fine nose, his hooded eyes, his high cheekbones and somehow square jaw line. It was quite rough and juvenile obviously. But more importantly, his eyes with his dense eyelashes. Except for the deep saphir blue colour, it was indeed the same very eyes he had when a ruled the world. From gold to blue, from auburn to raven black. His hair was short and a bit curly as it used to be in the past. It was so peculiar to see a reflexion of one self being so familiar yet so odd as if you couldn't put your finger on what was wrong.

He stood there in his little black shoes, a blue jeans and a white and simple shirt. It lasted a short moment but it lasted so long in his mind.

'Really...How surprising.'

"I indeed look like myself."

He then looked at the curious Damian but he spoke, he asked the man :

"Hey, when do I stop moving around ?"

'You're an "adult" so you should know about my situation, right ? Make up your minds ! If I need to be sent to an orphanage , do it quickly for fuck's sake !'

But then, he recalled his previous conversation with him and an important detail : he still had a father ! Somewhere at the very least.

He wondered if he will be kept by him. However, at this instant, the picture of his previous father overlapped the new one in his mind, creating a strange image. He suddenly guffawed surprising Damian who couldn't follow his train of thoughts anymore. He then laughed so much that he was short on breath at one point worrying the adults around him. But he quickly calmed down.

' Comparison will kill you they said. They are so right but not in the sense they intended. It should also be a crime !'

For a moment, he dared compare his previous father to the one who simply gave his seed then went on his merry way only to stop from time to time at the home in order to yell loudly (As if the woman didn't screamed enough !) or bring drugs into the house to make more deals. He was a selfish drug-addict with a violent behaviour. A very typical bad guy. He smirked. How could that even reach the little toe to the strict and well-respected father figure of the empire with an unapproachable aura and a piercing stare that could see through your soul. He stood tall, prideful yet not cocky. He invoked outright respect and awe. Even Charles, when he was still Argus, he still paled in comparison. He could only be described as a young peacock in front of him. He smiled bitterly while recalling that person and how difficult of a task it was to walk in his footsteps.

So Him versus this one. There was no comparison possible. One was a giant, the other a complete fool.

Damian gave a few worried look to the other adults in the room. He wasn't sure if the kid was alright in the head, it was concerning. However, he kept his smile and told the boy :

"Yes I know about that. You will stay with Hugo. You like Hugo right ?"

Charles wasn't so surprised, he stroked his chin in a little old man manner and smiled.

"Well of course ! He's nice."

Hours passed and Hugo finally came to take the little kid back to "their" home from now on. Charles smiled and stayed silent on his childish seat. He had used the mysterious "cars" quite a lot the past few months, yet, it was still so bizarre. He put his little hand upon the cold glass of the window and watched the sight stream passed his glimmering eyes. One could see him smiling like he was seeing and wonderful thing, yet he thought : How ugly. Especially the buildings.

Hugo's house was finally organised and proper. With Charles in his arms, in went to each rooms, he visited the place for the boy, telling where he could go and where not to, things he could touch to those he was not allowed to approach. Charles was excited.

'So those little holes bring forth thunder magic called electricity ! And it feed instruments in order to bring light whenever we want ! What ingenuity !'

After a while and a meal, he was brought to the bathroom and was washed up.

'So much for the dignity of an emperor uh.'

And he then went to bed after listening to a fairy tale. It was the Little Red Riding Hood. It found it stupid at first yet when he tought about again many problems and thoughts appeared.

'Wait. So there are case of lycanthropy !'

The next morning he was led to a nursery or so he thought. There were so many children, too much for his taste, and different object with so many colours ! He didn't where to look and that gave him a headache. He followed the class and did the things that were asked of him patiently.

' Cutting in a straight line. Whoua. SO. INTERESTING ! Someone kill me already ! If I could run away, I would have already done that. Poor me. Stuck here, in this body unable to do whatever I want. '

He first kept to himself and luckily for him no children bothered with him. Or so he thought !

In a break, he reached for books, he had discovered earlier yet couldn't do much. Now he had the opportunity. He opened the book and saw picture of different creature : fairy, elf, dwarf and such thing. But more importantly there was a dragon ! He was so happy yet a sadness took a hold of his heart. He had a difficult time to repress his tears. This young body was so hard to control.

' If I can find one, it won't be Xafyre but it'll also be a friend. Howe sweet home.'

Happy of he discovery, he closed the book. Then the title got caught in his gaze so he stared at it. Those classes weren't useless. He had started to learn a lot more such as the alphabet. He wasn't sure quite yet. But the word before him gave a bad feeling. He breathed in and called and adult. He pointed at the word and asked what it meant.

"Imaginary. It means it's from your imagination, like your dream, illusion."

"mm... so they don't... exist ?"

"... No I'm sorry Charles, they do not."

" Like lies ? And magic and knights too ?"

"... Yes, lies."

The teacher said nothing more, knowing she might have said something wrong to the kid.

But the boy simply put the book down and closed his eyes.

'I invoke thee, powerful force that lead this world :'

Suddenly opening his eyes and pointing his hand towards a chair he shouted :

"Fire !"

But nothing happened. He looked down on his hands, flabbergasted. He stated calming down, breathing slowly in search of the tingling feeling from magical aura but they were none to be found.

The teacher smiled awkwardly watching the kid realising that reality was disappointing.

Charles sighed, took the book and clutched it hard.

"Ahh ! what is this sorcery ! Where are my dragons ! "

In the nursery, a three and half years old boy named Charles and nicknamed Charlie, cried in anger while holding on a book entitled "Imaginary creatures". He looked around, watching the children ignoring him and adults observing him with amusement and awkwardness.

' I want to go home but it has been so long ! And magic keeps failing. I first thought it was a problem with my age but it doesn't seem to be the case ! '

He then throw the book far away and raised two little fists towards the sky, or roof, and yelled :

" Fine ! If it is so, I shall conquer this world too ! "

' Then I'll return home 'cause' I will find a way by then. But How. That is the question...'

Laughter could suddenly be heard around him. The adults couldn't resist. It was a funny little kid indeed. But a young girl looked at him in confusion yet awe before smiling. She approached him ankwardly. He looked at her. She had a tawny bronze skin, feline like eyes glimmering with passion with the color of autumn with shade of dark green. Her long wavy and dark brownish hair in a ponytail reached her shoulders. She was a lovely girl.

She spoke taking the boy aback :

" If you become king, can I be your queen ? "

Charles : '... What ?! '

He coughed, his brain working fast to find a good enough answer to this very early romantic confession. And inspiration came !

" We will see. First we will fight side by side and together we will rule ahahah ! "

' Wait ! Doesn't this mean that I agreed !? ' He facepalmed mentally, cursing this useless mouth of his.

' We shall rule this maddening world together then. 'Cause we're all mad down there ! Don't hate me girl, it's you who proposed !'

The girl smiled widely, her eyes bright like two little suns.

Charles then thought of something. He looked at her and asked.

"By the way, what's your name ?"

" Adele ! You can call me Addy Charlie !"

And she laughed.