Chapter Text
“Wake up Zandik. You’re not going to make it to breakfast.” Dottore opened his eyes but the surrounding was still a blur, his eyes still not adjusted to the surrounding light. He didn’t know what had happened or where he was. Who was calling him Zandik? The only person who called him by that name was the Regrator and whoever the person calling him was, they certainly weren’t Feofan.
As his eyes adjusted, he saw the person waking him up, a girl roughly 13 years old sighed and said with a hint of annoyance “You’ve finally woken up. I’ve been nudging you to wake up for the past 15 minutes but you wouldn’t react at all as if you were dead.” Last thing he remembered was dying so there’s that. As he looked at the surrounding, he realized he didn’t know where he was. That was not good, he narrowed his eyes as his mind raced with all the possibilities. None of them made sense. The girl once again sighed “I’ll leave you to change your clothes but be fast you’re already late also wear something good, madam said there will be a new kid today and we have to make a good impression”
As the girl left, he sat down on the bed and looked at surrounding once. There was another bed on the other side of the room a desk was sitting at the end of the bed and a small closed near it. The same pattern was also visible on his side of the room though it looked much more occupied and used. Then he saw a full-length mirror. There was an 8-year-old child with shoulder-length wavy blue hair and crimson red eyes staring at him through the mirror. The child was him. Dottore tensed. What exactly had happened? He remembered burning Irminsul, saying goodbye to Feofan and then nothing.
Then he saw it on the desk. A small purple accessory with a fatui sign lying there. His electro delusion. He got up from the bad and picked up the delusion from the desk. He tried using it. It definitely works, but he noticed something different. The absence of elemental energy and ley lines and something strange in the atmosphere. He couldn’t point out what it was but he definitely would research it later but now he had a bigger problem. As much as he wanted the problem to be him turning into a literal child, the problem was much bigger. It was hunger, what a human need it was. He had made sure to get rid of the need when experimenting but now it was back.
He went to the small closet and opened the door. As expected, there was a few pieces of clothing, he decided on the one he deemed suitable for breakfast. Then he put his delusion in the pocket of his shorts (He wanted wear pants but he was wearing his only pair of pants which were pajamas). When he went out of the room the girl had already left, so he did most logical thing. He followed the noise. When he reached the dining room the children were already eating, he entered but nobody noticed… Well except a lady who smiled at him “Good morning sleepyhead. I kept your favorite breakfast for you.” And handed Dottore a trey with a plate with beans on a toast and a fried egg.
He wanted to tell the woman that no one dared to call the second harbinger sleepyhead but decided against it as he didn’t know what threat these people posed. So, he took his tray and sat at the end of a less crowded table. As he started eating, he heard whispers “Isn’t that Zandik?” “Don’t look at him or he’ll hunt you at night” “Is it true that he’s a vampire?” … Ah so he was not popular with the children here. What a surprise.
As he finished eating, he decided on a necessary thing. He had to go to a library and find information about this place. He got up and took his plate back to the woman. The woman smiled at him again “thank you Zandik, did you enjoy your breakfast?” He nodded “Yes, thank you. I would like to ask where I can find the library?” The woman chuckled “It seems you haven’t fully woken up yet that you can’t even remember where the library that you spend all your time in is. But now is not the time to go to the library as we’re going to welcome the new kid who’s to arrive soon.” He retorted “I’m not interested in welcoming a kid whose parents just died in an orphanage.” The woman’s smile dropped “Zandik! That’s not a good thing to say. And I’m sure you want to welcome your new friend.” Just because he was defeated in nod krai by the power of friendship does not mean that friendship was superior to knowledge. As he was about say something that would silence the woman and make her show him the library, another woman stood and clapped her hand and the room got quiet.
“Alright everyone let’s head to the entrance to welcome your new friend.” As the children got up and started heading to the entrance, the food woman (whose name was given to her by Dottore) smiled at him and pointed to where the crowd was heading. He scowled and followed.
Dottore did not want be at the front when welcoming the new orphan, but somehow, he got pushed to the front by the older children. He’d have to find a way to get his body back. Then the door opened and the kid walked in with a man carrying his luggage. He had expected a shy kid who was in some kind of bad situation.
“Everyone this is Feofan Veksel and he will join our big family as of today”
This was not some useless kid. This was Pantalone, the Regrator, the ninth of the eleven Fatui harbingers in the flesh… as an 8-year-old child.
Pantalone never had time to get enough sleep, so when he woke up feeling well rested, he was surprised and pleased. But what soon took that feeling away from him was the foreign voices that said “Poor boy, his parents were killed in a car accident” “Yes, I can’t help but pity him. He must be traumatized.” He opened his eyes and was met with a blinding light. As his eyes adjusted, he saw his glasses and reached his hands to pick them up. His hands did not belong to him they were that of a child’s. He wanted to freak out. Just what in the Tsaritsa’s name had happened to him? Last thing he remembered was wanting to smoke a cigarette after bidding farewell to Zandik.
“Oh! You’re awake dear. How are you feeling?” The woman spoke to him as if he were a sad child. No one dared to speak to him like that, but then he realized one thing. This was not his office; this place was completely foreign like the people present. He tried his best not to show his panic as he said “What’s going on?” The woman’s look of pity deepened “Feofan dear I know this is a shock, but everything is going to alright. It’s okay and natural to not know what to do, we’re here to help you.” “Help me?” “Yes, dear. We’ll help you get adjusted and find a new family and lots of good friends. We’ll also take you to a new comfortable house.” Pantalone realized that the woman would continue to spout nonsense if he let him go on so he decided for another matter. “My belongings, where are they?” The woman replied softly “Well you didn’t have much on you. Just your glasses and this accessory.” She handed him the said accessory, it was his cryo delusion. He felt more reassured now that he had his delusion with him. “What happened to my parents?” The man beside the woman said with a sad tone. “Unfortunately, they passed away in a car accident.” A car accident? As in the carriage his said parents were in had an accident?
Then the two gave him breakfast and explained how he was going to an orphanage and how procedure worked. But Feofan could only give them half his attention as he was thinking about more important matters; where this place actually was, why he was in a child’s body, and what had led to this situation. As he finished, they led him to the carriage that would take him to the said
orphanage. Then he saw the carriage, it had no horse and in a weird shape. If Zandik was here he would try to dissect the device to find out how it was made.
The ride was smooth and pleasant. When they reached the orphanage, the man helped him with his luggage which contained clothing. As they went inside, he was introduced to the children. Only one caught his eyes. The kid looked annoyed and then surprised. Feofan definitely recognized him.
He was Il Dottore, the Doctor, the second of the eleven Fatui harbingers.