The trip back from the university felt strangely unreal.
Kagen Walker walked slowly through the familiar streets with his heavy canvas backpack slung over one shoulder. Cars rolled past him along the wet asphalt. Children chased one another happily along the narrow sidewalks. Someone argued loudly over the phone outside a small grocery store. A delivery motorcycle sped by, its sharp horn making him flinch on instinct.
Everything was so... ordinary.
Yet so chaotic.
No royal knights patrolled the roads.
No proud nobles rode past on fine horses or carriages.
No one bowed down when he walked past them.
He should have felt relieved.
Instead...
His chest ached with a hollow, heavy pain. And almost without thinking, his right hand reached down toward his waist.
"...Right,"
he muttered, a bitter smile touching his lips.
"My sword isn't there anymore."
He had grown so used to carrying a blade at his side that its sudden absence made him feel oddly naked and vulnerable.
After nearly half an hour of walking, he finally stopped in front of a modest two-story house.
The familiar blue iron gate stood right there.
His mother's flower pots were lined up neatly beside the entrance.
The small mango tree stood quiet in the front yard.
Nothing had changed at all.
Kagen stood there silently, staring at the gate.
"So..."
he whispered softly to himself.
"I'm really back."
For the longest time, this had been the only thing he truly wanted.
To come back home.
To see his family again.
To live a completely normal life.
So...
Why couldn't he move his feet?
His hand trembled as he reached out for the metal handle of the gate.
*Creak...*
The familiar sound made his heart tighten painfully.
He slowly walked up the paved brick path.
Before he could even knock on the door—
The front door suddenly swung open.
"Kagen?"
His mother's gentle voice froze him right where he stood.
There she was, she was still wearing her blue floral apron. One of her hands was dusted with white flour.
She looked exactly as he remembered her.
And she blinked twice, looking at him in surprise.
"Kagen!"
she cried out.
Without another word, she hurried outside and wrapped both arms tightly around his neck.
"Oh, you're finally home!"
she said with a bright smile.
"I was beginning to think you'd stay at campus all evening! Were your classes really that long today?"
Kagen didn't answer her right away. His whole body had gone completely stiff.
He slowly lifted his shaking hands...
...and hugged her back as tight as he could.
"...Mom,"
he panted out.
His voice cracked completely.
His mother immediately pulled back a little to look into his face.
"Oh dear,"
she murmured, her forehead pulling into a worried frown.
She gently held both sides of his face with her warm hands.
"What happened?"
she asked softly.
"Were you bullied at school?"
"Did someone hurt you?"
"Tell me, sweetie."
Kagen simply stared straight into her eyes.
She looked exactly the same as always.
The same gentle brown eyes.
The same warm, comforting smile.
The same loving hands holding his face.
Hot tears suddenly spilled down his pale cheeks.
"...Mom..."
he whispered again, his throat choking up.
"I missed you so much."
His mother looked completely confused by his reaction.
"...You only left the house this morning,"
she said.
She laughed softly before pulling him into another tight hug, patting his back.
"My silly son,"
she chuckled softly.
"What in the world happened at university today?"
"You've become so emotional all of a sudden."
Kagen buried his wet face against her soft shoulder.
He couldn't tell her the truth.
How could he ever explain to her that for him...
It hadn't been just one single day, time has flown differently between the worlds.
It had been decades of endurance.
Years full of blood.
War.
Death.
Cold political games.
Deep heartbreak.
He simply held onto her tighter.
"I'm home,"
he whispered softly.
"I'm finally home."
His mother gently rubbed his back in quiet circles.
"Yes,"
she whispered back gently.
"Welcome home, my boy."
"You don't have to cry anymore."
Just then—
"Oiiii!"
A familiar, loud voice echoed down from the upstairs hallway.
"Kagen!"
the voice yelled out.
"What are you doing hogging Mom all to yourself out there?!"
Heavy, rushed footsteps thundered wildly down the wooden staircase.
A young girl with messy shoulder-length hair practically threw herself into the front entryway.
"There you are!"
Melissa Walker exclaimed, folding her arms over her chest with a pout.
"You promised you'd help me with my math assignment today!"
She stopped talking mid-sentence.
"...Why are you crying?"
she asked, squinting her eyes at him.
Kagen slowly turned his head toward her.
Melissa.
His annoying little sister.
The very person who had pushed him into performing that ridiculous magic ritual in the first place.
The one responsible for everything that had happened to him—
His right eye twitched violently.
"You–..."
he growled out softly.
Melissa frowned, taking a tiny step back.
"What?"
she asked, looking defensive.
"You..."
Kagen slowly took a heavy step toward her.
Melissa instinctively backed away toward the living room couch.
"W-Why are you looking at me like that?!"
she squeaked out.
"You look creepy!"
"You little!, I'm gonna–..."
Kagen started, but then he stopped dead in his tracks.
His dark brown eyes widened in complete shock.
Melissa looked... younger.
Much younger.
She couldn't have been older than sixteen years old and she was still wearing her navy blue high school uniform. Her hair was cut much shorter than he remembered.
Her face still carried that childish, round look.
Kagen froze right where he stood.
"...Wait,"
he whispered out.
Melissa tilted her head, looking at him like he had lost his mind.
"What now?"
she asked.
"...You're still in high school?"
Kagen asked, his voice full of disbelief.
Melissa blinked twice, looking at him like he was an idiot.
"Obviously?"
she snapped back.
"Were you hit on the head on your way home or something?"
"I've still got another full year before I even apply for university!"
Kagen's heartbeat suddenly quickened into a wild, frantic rhythm.
His breathing became uneven and shallow.
"...Another year..."
he repeated under his breath.
Melissa frowned even deeper, genuine concern showing on her face now.
"What is wrong with you today?"
she asked softly.
"...Brother?"
Kagen slowly looked away from her, staring blankly at the wall. His thoughts began racing at a terrifying speed.
'Melissa hasn't entered university yet...'
'She hasn't found that strange fantasy novel in the antique shop yet...'
'She hasn't brought it home and shown it to me...'
'She hasn't begged me to help her draw that stupid ritual circle on the floor...'
His eyes widened to their absolute limit.
'Then...'
'Does that mean...'
'I've returned to a time before everything even started?!'
All the blood instantly drained from his pale face.
'Then the chance to return to Edrath...'
'...will happen again in the future.'
His heart skipped a heavy, painful beat.
Lucien.
Sora.
Adrian.
Leo.
Elias.
His imperial father.
His imperial mother.
Everyone...
They were all still out there in that other world.
Waiting.
Living their lives without him.
His fingers slowly curled up into tight, shaking fists.
'But wait...'
His frantic breathing slowly began to calm down.
'What if everything starts from the absolute beginning again?'
'What if I go back...'
'...only to watch every single one of them being strangers to me all over again?'
A cold, terrifying chill ran all the way down his spine.
'No.'
He immediately shook his head side to side.
'It's far too risky.'
'I barely managed to survive that world once.'
'I almost lost my entire mind and soul.'
'I finally came home to my real family.'
His eyes wandered slowly around the warm, cozy living room.
The small television set was playing the quiet evening news broadcast.
The delicious smell of fried chicken filled the entire house.
His mother was humming a soft tune happily in the kitchen.
Melissa was already grumbling under her breath about her algebra homework.
It was so peaceful here.
It was so safe.
It was completely normal.
Just then a small, quiet smile finally appeared on Kagen's face.
'No,'
he thought to himself with absolute certainty.
'If that ritual book ever comes into this house again...'
'I am going to refuse it completely.'
'I won't open that cursed book.'
'I won't leave this world ever again.'
This time...
He looked over at his mother and sister with warm eyes.
'...it's much better to stay home where I belong.'
Little did Kagen Walker know...
Fate had already begun moving its dark wheels once more.
And some ancient, soul-binding promises...
could never be escaped simply by running away to another world.
*****