In the brightly lit hospital room, time seemed to stand still.
For a moment, I couldn't believe my eyes. The paper in officers hand dissolved into a dark red liquid, swirling and rising into the air. Before I could react, it started forming letters, right there in front of me. The name "Lucian Valentino" hovered in the air, written in blood.
I stared at it, frozen. My name. My name. It was hard to wrap my mind around it. For so long, I had been nobody just a nameless face in the crowd. But now, here it was, a name that was mine. I reached out, almost afraid to touch it, half expecting it to disappear like a mirage. But it stayed, solid and real.
A wave of relief washed over me, so powerful that I had to close my eyes for a moment. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest, like I could finally breathe freely. I had a name. I existed. I mattered.
But with that relief came confusion. Who gave me this name? I wondered if my parents no, if my blood relatives, whoever they were really cared for me or not. The officers had said that if my parents didn't care, they wouldn't have abandoned me. Was it something else? Well, if it was some other reason, I would take revenge. But if they are still alive and strong, they won't have the honor of being part of my life not now that it is mine. Did "Valentino" mean something? Was it important?
I felt a strange mix of emotions swirling inside me relief, curiosity, and something else I couldn't quite place. I had spent so long without a name that it felt almost foreign to have one now. Did this change who I was? What would it mean for me moving forward? I wasn't sure.
After a few moments, I took a deep breath, letting the reality of it all sink in. "Lucian Valentino." The name felt... right. It fit, like a puzzle piece I hadn't realized was missing. It was mine, and it made me feel whole in a way I hadn't expected.
A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips. I liked it. The name gave me a sense of strength, a newfound determination. I wasn't just some nobody anymore. I was Lucian Valentino. And I was going to make sure that name meant something not just to me, but to the world.
As the blood letters faded away, I stood there for a moment, letting the silence settle around me. I could feel something change inside me. I wasn't just surviving anymore. I was starting something new, something real. I was ready to face whatever came next not as a nameless boy, but as Lucian Valentino.
"Umm... what is happening here? Is Truthweave supposed to work like this too?" the officer with a ponytail asked, her eyes wide and her mouth agape, the surprise in her tone evident.
"I don't know myself," Sarah replied, her voice calm but tinged with confusion. "I've used it many times, but something like this has never happened. Normally, a name would appear on the page, not like this. I think this Truthweave was unique and mistakenly got mixed in. I'll report it to the higher-ups."
Sarah, a tall woman with brown hair, crossed her arms and looked at the unique and splendid scenery created by just a name suspended in the air, shining with a red light.
After a few seconds, the name suspended in the air began to disappear, dissolving into sparkling red particles. It was beautiful.
"VALENTINO," Sarah murmured, her brow furrowing slightly. "Never heard of this family name. Maria, please search it for me in the database. Look if this boy has any relatives or anyone closely related."
Sarah glanced at me briefly, her eyes thoughtful before she turned back to the other officer.
"Ah, okay, give me a sec..." Maria replied, pulling out a tablet from her ring and starting to search through the database.
"Congratulations, Mr. Lucian Valentino. You have a wonderful name," Sarah said, turning her face to me with a smile that seemed genuine, a rare softness in her usually composed demeanor.
"Umm, thanks, but I don't really think you need to search for my... relatives. I'm good without them," I said, my voice carrying a mix of uncertainty and determination.
I didn't know how to feel or what to do. The things that once seemed so distant now felt incredibly close, like I could reach out and touch the stars in the sky. It was almost like a dream, but even so, I didn't think I wanted to meet any of my relatives. I think I do have resentment no, hatred for them. After all, I've suffered enough, and now I don't really need anyone.
"Look, kiddo," Sarah said, her tone more serious but still laced with empathy, "I can understand how you might be feeling. But what if they had some serious reasons or difficulties? Don't you want to have a family, or do you prefer living your whole life alone, never knowing what it feels like to be with family?"
My jaw tightened as I listened to Sarah's words. A surge of frustration bubbled inside me, my pulse quickening. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling within me. My eyes locked onto Sarah's, conveying my determination and irritation.
"Look, ma'am," I began, my voice steady but edged with intensity, "I understand what you're saying, but you're missing the point. Just because someone shares the same blood as you doesn't make them a parent. To me, being a parent is about responsibility and how you feel about it, not just a genetic connection."
I shifted my stance, my fists clenching at my sides as I tried to keep myself grounded. "It's not about having the same DNA. It's about showing up for someone, caring for them, and making the effort every single day. Blood ties don't mean much if you're not there when it counts."
My gaze softened slightly, but the resolve in my eyes remained firm. "So, please don't try to tell me that family is just about blood. It's about the real connections we make and the support we give. That's what defines a parent to me."
"There are parents in this world who don't even have any blood relationship with their children. Tell me, does that make them any less of a family?"
I paused, letting my words hang in the air for a moment before continuing, "And I don't care if they want me or not. What I know is I don't care, and I would appreciate it if they don't disturb my life."
I finished with no room for negotiation, my resolve and firm attitude clear in every word.
Maria, who had been engrossed in her search, looked up at me for a moment, listening keenly to our conversation. She didn't say anything, just turned her attention back to her tablet and continued scrolling.
Sarah's expression remained steady as she listened to me. She processed my statement with professional calm, her face showing minimal reaction. Her eyes narrowed slightly in thought before she returned to her usual neutral demeanor.
"Understood," she replied with a measured tone. "I respect your decision and will keep my distance. But I still suggest you reconsider your thinking. I know you've lived a life full of thorns and hardships, but shielding yourself and your feelings like this won't lead to a good ending. Even if you don't want to meet your real family, I suggest you make yourself friends or a family you prefer. That's all I will say."
I listened to her words, her advice settling somewhere deep within me.
"I'll try," I replied, nodding my head slowly, "but for now, I don't think I need anything like that. It's a stupid topic, really. I mean, it's a bother, and there are not many benefits to it, but there are plenty of losses."
My thoughts drifted back to my childhood, to the times when I looked up to kids who had parents, who had families. But for some reason, as I grew older, I started to hate that stuff and think of it as a burden. Maybe it was because the things you can't have, you start to hate eventually.
"Sarah, I've checked the entire database, but I couldn't find anything about the Valentino family. I even looked through records that are hundreds of years old, but there was nothing," Maria suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"It's okay," Sarah replied with a disinterested expression. "Since the boy doesn't want to know about his family, let it be. But please, put in an application to the higher-ups to update the database. Today, we were unable to find files for two cases."
I don't know why, but I felt a pang of loss hearing that they couldn't find anything about the Valentino family. Was it possible that I still wanted to know about them?
I clenched my fists slightly, then forced myself to relax. No, I don't care about anyone, I tried to convince myself. Taking a deep breath, I calmed my mind.
Sarah glanced at me, noticing my agitation. A small smile played on her lips, but she didn't say anything.
Her smile only served to annoy me further, and I felt a flush of embarrassment. But I held my tongue, unable to find the words to express what I was feeling.
"Let's go, Maria. We're done here," Sarah suddenly said, turning around and walking toward the exit.
"Umm, okay," Maria replied, following closely behind her.
Just as Sarah reached the door, she stopped, turned around, and said, "Mr. Lucian Valentino, my apologies again, and thank you for your cooperation with this case i will wish you luck for your future