Cough! Cough!
Lucifer, who was still in the old man's arms, started coughing extensively as his eyelids flickered.
'He is alive? He really is alive? This is a miracle,' the old man thought as he stared at Lucifer, shocked.
"Grandpa Chi, you didn't tell us. Who is this kid?" The middle-aged man once again asked the old man, who seemed to have his attention somewhere else.
Without thinking twice, the old man started walking towards his house. "I'll tell you in the evening. Please give me some privacy now. I need to give him some first aid."
The old man opened the door of his house and hastily stepped inside before he closed the door. Lucifer had slowly started opening his eyes as the old man entered his home.
He was still in the old man's arms as he looked at the old man with his curious eyes.
"Who are you?" Lucifer asked the old man, confused.
The old man saw Lucifer's hand moving towards his chest. Worried about his touch, he placed Lucifer on the ground in a hurry before he stepped back.
"I am the man who saved your life," the old man answered Lucifer, who was standing on the ground, looking around.
" You saved my life? From who? Where am I?" Lucifer asked, not understanding what the man was saying.
He could feel that his head was aching a lot. It was as if someone was playing drums inside his head, banging them again and again. He tried to remember what had happened, but he couldn't remember anything.
"You don't remember how you ended up in the sea?" The old man asked Lucifer.
"I-i don't remember anything. Who am I? What am I?" Lucifer asked hysterically as his eyes looked at unfamiliar surroundings.
No matter how much he thought, he couldn't remember anything. Every moment of his life before this moment seemed to be blank.
"You don't remember your name either?" The old man asked, frowning.
The headache seemed to be increasing so much that Lucifer couldn't help but scream out loud.
"It hurts so much!" He yelled as he held his head tighter.
Lucifer's headache only increased the more he thought about it. He couldn't help but drop to his knees as he held his aching head.
Seeing Lucifer in so much pain, the old man couldn't help but sigh. He couldn't understand what was happening.
It seemed like being dead for so long had affected Lucifer's head. Even though he came back to life; even now, his memories seemed to be missing.
' It looks like his memories are gone. This isn't good since he can't remember anything. I need to calm him down, or if he loses control, he might destroy the house with his decay,' the old man thought as he slowly stepped closer.
He had decided on a plan. The only reason Lucifer was worrying so much was because he couldn't remember anything. He needed to give him something to remember so he could calm down, even if that thing was fake.
"Listen, Alex! Calm down. You don't have to worry about a single thing. You're in your own home after all," the old man told Lucifer as he stepped closer. Even though he was worried that Lucifer might touch him, he took the risk.
"Alex? Is that my name?" Lucifer asked as he slowly raised his head. Tears could be seen on his face, trickling down slowly.
"That's right. Your name is Alex. Your full name is Alexander, but I call you Alex with love," the old man answered as he rubbed Lucifer's head.
"Now, Alex. Don't worry about anything. I think you lost your memory in the accident, but you don't have to stress yourself. I'll tell you what happened. It would be like you never lost anything. Trust your Grandfather," the old man further said.
"Trust Grandfather? You are my Grandfather?" Lucifer asked as his curious eyes looked at the old man.
The nerves of his head were still visible as his head was still aching. It was as bad as it could be, but his heart was getting calm.
"That's right, Alex. I'm your Grandfather. Now stand up and come with me to the bedroom. I'll tell you what happened," Grandpa Chi told Lucifer as he stopped rubbing his head.
He reached out his hand carefully and wiped Lucifer's tears before he stepped back.
Lucifer didn't know why, but he liked the genuine and gentle look on the old man's face. It was as if this was something he longed for.
He confused this longing with something different. He thought that he felt this way because the man was really his grandfather as he slowly stood up.
"Here, wear this first," the old man gave Lucifer his black gloves.
Lucifer didn't ask many questions as he wore the gloves.
"That's better. Come, I'll show you your bedroom."
The old man escorted Lucifer to his own bedroom, which only had a bed that was big enough for one person.
"Lie down on the bed and give your body some rest. And listen to my story," the old man commanded Lucifer as he entered the bedroom.
Lucifer did as he was told and laid on the bed.
"My name is Chianne Alaric. But you call me Grandpa Chi with affection," the old man told Lucifer before he smiled.
"Grandpa Chi..." Lucifer muttered.
"That's right. You stupid grandson of mine, why did you have to go to sea at a time like this? I had warned you so many times, but you still didn't listen, did you? You went there after all!"
"You know, if I hadn't found out about this, you would have drowned. You worried your grandpa so much," the old man said, changing the story a bit.
Since he wanted Lucifer to be calm, he knew that he not only needed to give Lucifer the memories, but he also needed to give him a family. And he decided to be that family.
He pitied Lucifer, but he also liked him.
'If my son and my daughter-in-law hadn't died years ago, they might have had a son who would be just as old. Is this God's will? I become his family, and he becomes mine? Am I doing the right thing? It doesn't matter. This is what needs to happen.' he thought as he clenched his fist.
"Alex, I'll tell you everything from the start. You were born right in this house. But when you were five years old, your father and your mother died because they drowned. That's why I always warned you against going near the sea. In this house, only we two live as a loving family, and that's all."