Henry Taylor knew of Bastian's special status and had seen him in his human form before. Seeing him again now felt like a lifetime ago.
"You..."
"Chief Steward, long time no see." The man suddenly spoke, interrupting Henry. His voice was low, so light that only the two of them could hear it.
And with this one sentence, "long time no see," Henry was completely convinced of his identity. Overwhelmed with emotion, Henry didn't care about propriety and opened his arms to hug him.
He whispered in his ear, "You've returned? Really returned!? Bastian..."
"I am no longer Bastian..."
"Then you are..." Henry released him, looking at him with confusion and surprise.
"I am no longer the Dragon Beast, I am a human..." he said, with a faint smile curling his lips, "Of course, not entirely!"
