Sayu was seven years older than him.
When they tried to undress the boy to check his injuries, they found no buttons or ties—nothing to open it by. Not knowing how to take it off properly, Dominic reluctantly took a knife and carefully cut the clothing open. Beneath the torn fabric was a thin inner layer, which they also removed. That revealed pale, white skin.
Dominic told Sayu about the broken bones, and Sayu began calmly and efficiently wrapping the boy's torso in firm, binding bandages to stabilize him.
While watching the healer work, Dominic suddenly felt uncomfortable seeing someone else touch the boy. It caught him by surprise. He didn't understand it, but he didn't want the boy's bare skin to be exposed in front other people, even for medical treatment. That thought annoyed him.
When the boy's upper body was finally covered in bandages, Dominic felt strangely relieved.
He explained to Sayu what had happened—how he had healed the boy.
Sayu was visibly surprised. After thinking for a moment, he spoke in a calm, thoughtful tone.
"It might be that your magical compatibility matched perfectly. It's rare, but sometimes two people have such closely aligned energy and traits that they connect completely. I've heard of it happening—just once in a lifetime. They say there's only one such person for each of us."
"Matched… compatibility?" Dominic asked.
"Yes," Sayu said. "A one-of-a-kind bond. A person who fits you and no one else."
After Sayu left to return to his many duties, Dominic stayed behind. He remained in the room, quietly watching the boy sleep.
—A one-of-a-kind bond? This boy?
Later that day, after wrapping up reports and paperwork from the day's beast hunt, Dominic returned once more to the boy's room.
Dominic's footsteps must have woken him. The boy opened his eyes.
"So, you're awake?" Dominic asked gently. He spoke, but the boy only stared at him, looking surprised.
His eyes were black—deep, dark like the night. They were mysterious and strikingly beautiful.
Dominic found himself momentarily entranced, caught off guard by how mesmerizing they were.
But the boy's expression soon hardened. There was a calm, cool sharpness about him. He didn't look panicked, he just cautious and reserved. He seemed like someone who didn't lose his composure easily.
He moved his lips, trying to say something, but Dominic couldn't quite catch it.
"Are you alright? You were badly hurt," Dominic continued, keeping his voice calm and low.
This time, the boy responded clearly and politely, thanking Dominic in a steady voice.
It was an unexpectedly composed answer for someone who looked so young.
And then, without hesitation, the boy claimed that he wasn't a child—he said he was eighteen years old.
Dominic blinked his eyes, taken aback. That couldn't be right.
There was no way he looked eighteen. If anything, Dominic would've guessed thirteen, or maybe fifteen at most.
Yet, the boy seemed absolutely serious. He was calm but firm—he wasn't joking.
He looks so adorable.
That thought crossed Dominic's mind before he could stop it.