I walk at a calm pace toward my home. They've already waited for me for more than three years, so taking an extra day to appreciate the true nature around me while I organize my thoughts shouldn't be a problem.

Do I just walk up and knock on the door? Shout from the entrance? Hug the first person I see? How does one return home after three long years of being gone?

I thought about it for a whole day and couldn't find a normal way to show up without causing a scene. "At least I'll arrive right around dinner time." Everyone should be gathered at home to eat, so at least it'll be one single emotional shock.

On the way, I washed myself in a small stream and changed into the only set of clothes I have that isn't torn or scratched. I stop to look at Talar's entrance. Everything looks the same as always. There's barely any foot traffic at this hour, just a couple of guards at the gate.

They didn't ask too many questions when I entered. They didn't recognize me. I tried to hide my violet eyes and simply answered quickly and clearly. Inside the city, I move through the paths with the fewest people until I reach the large courtyard of my home.

I sneak through the emptiest routes I remember, slowly avoiding any sort of people in the way, until I finally reach the backyard of my house. I sit in a chair in the rotunda near the entrance. Since it's already night, everything is dark and it's hard to see in the dimly lit area. I sit, waiting, trying to find the right words and not cry.

All I can do is watch Arisa's clock as the minutes pass while I wreck my brain looking for the right words. Would anyone even know what to say in a situation like this? I let out a sigh as I give up on finding the perfect words. It's time to face this like a man.

Just one second before I stand up, I sense a presence coming out of the house. She's walking rather quickly toward my location. "Looks like I've been discovered." I don't turn around to avoid eye contact; I simply lower my head further, staring at the ground, unsure how to react to her.

The presence stops just behind me. I feel her eyes on my back, staring for a few seconds as if confirming whether it's really me. Her eyes blink several times before accepting the truth. Only when she's completely sure does she speak. "Young hero, are you lost?" My grandmother's voice hasn't changed in all these years. Just hearing it almost breaks me. I don't activate my focus skill—I want to feel everything.

"No matter how brave you are, there will always be moments of fear or panic." Her Imra wraps around me, trying to read my emotions. At first, it struggles to break through my defenses. I'd spent years learning to seal them, but now I let them all down.

"Was I found out that quickly?" The words come slowly from my mouth. I try to enunciate every syllable and control my reactions. I feel a little amusement come from her Imra, but it fades quickly and returns to its gentle warmth.

"I'm your grandmother. I'll recognize you for as long as I live." Slowly, she rests her forearms on my shoulders, her forehead against the back of my head. Her defenses open up. I can feel her emotions—pain, sadness, joy, curiosity, concern. They all flow into me and overwhelm me, making me shed a few tears.

"Welcome home, little boy. We've been waiting for you." My grandmother takes a step back. I feel through my domain that she opens her arms, so I turn around and give her a big hug. That warm embrace makes me feel like I'm home again, as if I never left.

"I have thousands of questions for you, though I'm not the only one. It's time to greet your parents." I wipe my tears, look ahead, and start walking toward the house with my grandmother. She holds onto my arm as we go.

Celes' Point of View:

"What just happened?" I ask my husband Jarrid, sitting across from me. He keeps eating mashed potatoes while thinking over my question.

"I'm not sure. This is strange. My mother never leaves the table during dinner." I see him rub his chin, trying to figure out why my mother-in-law would leave mid-meal.

"Maybe she remembered something important. She did say to wait a few minutes. That's very unusual." Since nothing comes to him, he just keeps slowly eating his mashed potatoes while we wait.

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Someone knocks at the dining room door. It opens slowly, and our mother-in-law steps back inside. She looks at us for a moment. "Sorry for leaving earlier. I went to pick someone up at the entrance. He'll be joining us for dinner."

Her words catch us off guard. I can't think of many people who'd be invited to dinner in such an informal way. I scramble through my mind, trying to figure out who it could be. "Come on in, don't be shy." She says while fully opening the door and pulling the person in.

Time freezes for a second when I see the boy beside her. That reddish-brown hair, violet eyes, a face far too pretty for a boy, and taller than I remember. Is it really...? Is that my son? Has Maki returned? How? I glance at the ring on my finger for a split second, then look back up at my son.

The sound of a fork clattering on the floor pulls me back to reality. At the same time, my husband uses his movement skill to appear beside Maki and hug him tightly. I don't waste another second. I jump out of my chair and run toward them.

"We missed you, son. Thank you for coming back in one piece." Those are the only clear thoughts in my head before I'm overwhelmed by a flood of tears and snot, hugging my son with my husband. I feel a hand gently caress my head while I keep my eyes shut.

"Thank the gods you're safe. Thank the gods you're finally back." I don't know how many seconds the three of us stayed there, huddled together. My mind shut down the moment I embraced Maki. I had been waiting for this moment for years—and it finally happened.

After several minutes, we move to the main hall. We've had extra plates of food brought in. I'm lying against Jarrid while he gently strokes my left arm. It was hard to pull myself away from Maki at first. Jarrid did everything he could to convince me that our son won't disappear again.

"Thank you for loving me so much. I'm sorry for making you wait all these years." Maki breaks the silence. He stands, bows, and sits back down. Then he gives the brightest smile I've seen in years. My heart is on fire just looking at my son.

Maki's Point of View:

My head knows it—tonight will be long. We'll probably stay up for hours in this interrogation. But I'm happy to answer anything if it helps them feel at ease.

"We'll always love you, son. We'll wait however long it takes." My father looks pretty much the same. His features haven't changed much, though I can see more wrinkles on his face and a few gray hairs starting to show. His usual playful attitude is still there, though he's trying to act a bit more serious.

"Our love is unconditional. You'll always have a home to come back to." My mother, lying beside my father, looks just as I remember. Still slender, with the graceful beauty typical of a noble. She radiates elegance in every movement.

"If you'd been stuck in another rift, I would've gone to fetch you myself, little one." That's my grandmother's way of saying she loves and missed me—though she already poured out her feelings on the way to the house.

"Now that we're all calmer from your return, tell us what happened in Spring City and what you've been doing all these years." Grandma gets straight to the point. There's no better way to calm them than by telling them how much I've grown and all that I've experienced. I'll just keep some of the conversations with Sus to myself—those that hint at a previous life.

My mother's expression turns serious. My father looks amused, waiting for my story. Grandma just stares at me with curiosity.

I begin telling everything—how I won the rookie tournament, the people I met there, and the moment we were teleported away. That's Act One. I stop to answer questions once I finish it.

My story is full of emotions I'd forgotten after spending so long buried in dungeon grinding.

"The youngest person to win the rookie tournament in the marquisate is a Vichag." My father seems quite proud. Everyone looks so relaxed—it doesn't feel like I've been gone for years.

The questions come pouring in. My father asks for tournament impressions, my mother worries about injuries or rival kids, and Grandma jokes, asking if I traumatized any poor kid with my power. I just roll my eyes.

I discover a lot while answering. Arisa visited our house several times after reporting what happened. Not just her—Bush came once with his father to pay their respects, and his family still sends us gifts on birthdays. Apparently, our family has forged strong ties with the two most important counts in the marquisate thanks to me.

The Solar family has come over for birthdays or vacations. According to Grandma, Sol became very close to her after seeing how Arisa tried to get close to me. Now they both call her grandma. That sent a chill down my spine. What's going on with them?

"Son, before you continue your dungeon story... do you know what day it is today?" My father interrupts. I think for a second and give up—I didn't keep track of days inside the dungeon. I shake my head.

"It's exactly six days before the end of the year." I turn to look at Grandma. Her birthday is on New Year's Day. That means we'll be having a double celebration.

Before I can say anything, my father continues. "The Solar family is coming in two days. We decided to spend New Year's Eve together." That news makes me happy. At least I'll see Baron Camux and Sol again—Cris must still be in school.

"That's not all. Originally, Count Timal was going to come with his daughter. But there's some kind of crisis somewhere in the marquisate, and he can't make it. Only Lady Arisa will come." My father laughs. "You'll surprise them when they see you. I'm sure they'll be delighted."

"Yes, it'll be fun." My mother and grandmother chuckle. Another chill runs down my spine. I try not to think about it and focus on the reunion. I'll see them after all these years—that makes me happy. I feel Grandma's Imra emit a strange joy. That makes me rethink things and realize the reason behind their laughter. Should I be worried?

"Continue the story, Maki." My mother's question pulls me back, and I resume with Act Two—until the moment Sus had to leave.

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