[ He's not the type to get lost. Even as he strays from his usual path, intuition and years of honing both body and mind take him where he wants to go. But today time seems to move slower than he's used to. Using the doppelganger too much has its drawbacks, and as much as it scares him to say, he thinks he's grown used to them by now: the patchwork of memories blending into one another, the moments he'd even forget his own name. Nothing, however, could prepare him for this. Just an hour earlier, he was on his way to the very same ramen shop. Now, in the darkness of the night, he can't even remember where he is.

Elmott finds a boy younger than his students standing on the side of the road. With his long hair and soft features, he could easily be mistaken for a girl, but his hands are far too broad and rough for anyone to think so.

Even so, he's a child. He looks up at Elmott with glassy eyes, and his voice shakes as he speaks: ]

Um, I tried looking for my master... but I can't find him anywhere. [ He snivels. ] I don't know where I am. Do you know where this is, mister?