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Dan Heng never played with other kids at the orphanage, not even when they asked. Usually, he would sit in a corner of the library they had and would read. And usually he was alone.
Until one day a grey hair boy was in the library.
Everyone knew who he was. Caelus, the gray haired boy with golden eyes. Tough, but kind, and sometimes stupid.
Caelus looked up to see Dan Heng looking at him. His face lit up.
"Dan Heng!" he said.
Dan Heng gave Caelus a puzzled look.
"Yes?" he said.
"Can I read with you?" Caelus asked.
Dan Heng had never been asked that. It made him smile.
"Sure," he said, sitting down next to Caelus.
So from that day on, the would hang out in the library, reading books together.
At one point they were reading about different kinds of metals and gems.
"Dan Heng! This one looks just like your eyes," Caelus said, pointing to the jade, the darker jade.
Dan Heng smiled.
"Let's see," he said, "there. Gold looks like your eyes."
"Because my eyes are gold?" Caelus asked.
Dan Heng laughed.
Then Dan Heng got the news of his adoption. He went back to the library that day, his teeth clenched.
Caelus doesn't know, but he will tomorrow, Dan Heng thought as he grabbed a book.
Then Caelus entered the library. Both of them were only like, what, five, and they'd been friends since four. It hurt for Dan Heng to leave him, but he had no choice.
"We congratulate Dan Heng, for he is going to his new family," the head of the orphanage said.
Dan Heng scanned the area, but Caelus wasn't there. The man behind him clapped his shoulder. Dan Heng shrugged the hand off furiously.
"Don't touch me," Dan Heng hissed before going off to search for Caelus.
But he had a pretty good idea where he was.
Dan Heng opened the library door and saw that Caelus was reading. Caelus looked up, and Dan Heng saw he was crying.
He made Caelus cry.
Caelus tried to smile, but it seemed forced.
"Well," he said, his voice wobbling, "at least you get a new family."
Dan Heng went over to Caelus and hugged him.
"I will find you," Dan Heng said, "I promise."
"Come on kid," said the man, "I don't have all day."
Dan Heng glared at him. Then, with one last hug, Dan Heng was gone.
Caelus kept running, that was all he could do.
He stumbled.
Tripped.
Scraped his knee.
But he kept running.
For Dan Heng.
But his legs gave out. He collapsed, tired and exhausted. He needed sleep. So he crawled next to a magenta colored car and closed his eyes.
But all he saw was Dan Heng.
Someone tapped Caelus awake.
"You okay kiddo?"
Caelus jolted awake fully, scrambling back. A woman with magenta and maroon hair was kneeling on the ground, a black cat next to her.
"I-I'm good," Caelus stammered.
The woman chuckled.
"No you're not," she said, "I'm Kafka. What's your name and where are you from?"
"Caelus," he blurted, "and I'm from the orphange."
Kafka raised and eyebrow.
"A runaway?" she asked.
Caelus shook her head.
"I'm trying to find someone," he said, "a friend."
Kafka smiled.
"You've got guts," she said, "I'll take that. Let me adopt you so I can help."
Caelus thought about it. It was better than being left in the orphange by himself.
"Okay."
The first thing Kafka did when she adopted Caelus was shopping. She went to a fancy place, since she was a fancy person.
"Take some clothes and I'll buy them," she said.
Caelus obeyed, taking some simple clothes that he liked.
As they went to the counter, Caelus spotted a jade necklace. Kafka noticed him staring at it.
"Do you want it?" she asked.
Immediately, Caelus shook his head.
"How come?" Kafka asked.
"It reminds me of the friends I'm searching for," Caelus said.
Kafka smiled.
"All the more reason to buy it," she replied, taking it.
"But it's expensive," Caelus said, protesting.
Kafka smiled.
"It's for you," she said, "this is going to be my first gift."
And from that day on, he wore that necklace.
"All done!" March 7th said.
Caelus and March 7th had become friends easily when the met. Both extroverts, both loud and both with endless amount of energy. They had finished their art project. Caelus now went to Astral Express school, which went from year zero to year eight. March 7th picked up her phone.
"My brother's back!" she exclaimed.
Caelus smiled at her. He had met her twin sister at a bike accident, when she nearly ran over him. Like him, also an orphan. Kakfa happily adopted her too.
"When can I meet him?" Caelus asked.
"Tomorrow," March 7th said, grinning.
Kafka knocked on March 7th's door, Caelus next to her. A woman with red hair opened the door. Himeko, March 7th's mother. Himeko beamed at Kafka. Caelus had a feeling that Himeko and Kafka liked each other, but right now he was more focused on March 7th.
"March!" he yelled, running in the house when he saw her.
She grinned at him.
"My brother is in his room," March 7th said, "he isn't the talking type."
The two of them walked to his room, chatting.
"Did he just come back from Japan?" Caelus asked.
March 7th nodded.
"Welt Yang is a friend of Mom's, so he went with him," March 7th explained.
Caelus nodded.
The two of them arrived at her brother's door. She knocked.
"Come in."
March 7th opened the door.
Caelus nearly gasped.
A boy with raven hair and earrings that had string connected at the back, was sitting on his bed, reading a book.
Dan Heng.
Dan Heng looked up to see Caelus, and his jaw nearly dropped.
"Dan Heng," Caelus breathed.
"Caelus," he said, "we meet again."
March 7th looked between the two of them.
"Do you two know each other?" she asked.
Both Dan Heng and Caelus nodded. March 7th connected the dots.
"Okay," she said, "I'll leave you be."
She shut the door behind herself.
And the first thing Caelus did was hug Dan Heng. They were both nine now.
"Four years," Caelus whispered, "four years and I finally got to see you."
Dan Heng hugged him back gently.
"I'm sorry, I should have contacted you sooner," Dan Heng said.
Caelus drew away slightly.
"What happened," he demanded, "did they treat you well? Are you okay?"
Dan Heng sighed.
"Let me tell you the full story."
"I was born in China, and in a wealthy family too. My family had been murdered and I was the sole survivor, and the sole heir to that wealth and power," Dan Heng said, "my relatives were greedy-still are too, but I ran away. That's how I ended up in the orphanage. But my relatives are smart, they found me at the orphanage and bribed a few people to make the adoption faster. Once I was back with them and they got the fortune, they kicked me out. Luckily Himeko was visiting around there and took me in. Now, I'm here with you."
Caelus was silent.
Then-
He hugged Dan Heng again.
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Caelus said.
Dan Heng smiled.
"It's okay," he said, "how about you?"
Caelus told hime everything. Even the necklace. When he was finished, Dan Heng shook his head.
"I can never leave you," Dan Heng said, "can I?"
"Nope," Caelus said cheerfully.
Caelus hugged him again. Dan Heng hugged him back.
"I would have never gotten through that without you," Dan Heng said.
Caelus gave him a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Dan Heng pulled up his sleeve, revealing a golden bracelet.
"You'll always be with me," he said, "not matter what."