The Jones family arrived home around 3:30. It was still too early for dinner and Elias hadn’t made it home yet. So Rebecca made some chamomile tea for everyone and brought her mother some excedrin with hers. Edward turned on the TV and changed the channel to some cartoons.

Maria was sitting comfortably next to him as she sipped her tea. She had a headache but Rebecca had already brought her something for it. So it was just a matter of resting.

Kailan took his armor and sword into his room and set them up in one corner before joining the rest of the family in the living room. He stepped into the bathroom on his way and wet a cloth with cold water, bringing it out and placing it on Maria’s forehead. It was cool and refreshing.

As 4 o’clock rolled around, Elias finally arrived. He was surprised to see his mother sitting on the couch leaning against his father with a cloth over her head.

“Mom, are you ok?” He asked with concern.

“You missed the most amazing thing. Mom had a few drinks and got herself drunk.” Rebecca replied as she chuckled recalling her mother in her drunken stupor.

“Drunk?” Elias thought as he looked at his mom strangely.

“I’m fine. How did it go?” Maria huffed a bit at her children.

Edward made a cutting gesture across his neck, indicating that he shouldn’t ask any further. But Elias made a mental note to have a lengthy talk with Rebecca later on to find out all of the details.

“It was fine. I had to write a report and then speak in front of the board. They had a lot of questions about what really happened at the dungeon. And even more about Kai.” Elias replied with a bland and uninterested tone as he sat down next to his mother on the couch.

“What did you tell them?” Rebecca asked as she looked at him curiously with a bit of seriousness mixed in.

“Don’t worry. I only repeated what was said by the press and told them I don’t know anything other than that. It was easy to convince them since I couldn’t even answer questions like what talent rank my little brother is.”

Kailan was curious to meet the upper echelons of the Sacred Paladins. He had already met the heads of Twilight Garden, so he wondered if Elias’ guild were similar. It was a religious guild so there were probably some differences in how they thought or approached things.

“Speaking of which. How did it go with you Kai?” Elias asked, his entire posture perking up with anticipation.

Rebecca proceeded to tell Elias everything that had happened this morning. When she came to Kailan’s talent and individual ranks Elias jumped in fright.

“Demon rank?! And he even has a Mortal rank Individual?!”

Kailan pulled out his Hunter ID and showed it to Elias. Elias could only slump back down onto the couch and stare at the ID with the words Demon printed across it. It was unbelievable. A rank above King rank and his little brother was it.

Elias already had a bit of a complex with his sister being a rank higher than him, now his little brother was three whole ranks above him. He felt that it just wasn’t fair. But he was also happy and proud.

Rebecca continued her story including their little shopping trip.

“Wow. So you’re a warrior like me. Where’s this giant sword?” Elias asked as he looked at his brother full of jealousy.

“Come on. It’s in my room.” Kailan chuckled as he got up and led Elias back into his room where he pulled out the Zweihänder.

It was a beautiful blade. Simple but well crafted. Elias admired the blade as he ran his hand along it.

“This makes you a front line fighter like me. Just be careful of narrow spaces with this large blade.” He said as he turned back to his brother.

“I know. I have ways of dealing with that. Plus I’ll be learning some offensive spells soon so I’ll actually be a mid to close range fighter.” Kailan explained as he put the sword back into its case.

“You make it sound so easy...” Elias pouted. Kailan just chuckled at his antics.

Just as they turned to head back into the living room, Maria walked into the doorway.

“Eli, beat it.” She said as she gestured for him to leave.

Elias turned to Kailan and patted him on the shoulder as he whispered. “If it makes you feel any better both Becca and I had to have ‘the talk’ with mom also.” Before turning and leaving the room.

Maria closed the door and walked to his bed before sitting down. She patted the space next to her inviting Kailan to sit. They both just sat there for some time before Maria broke the silence.

“Kai, I know you don’t want to hear this and I know that you’re an adult who can make his own decisions. But please hear your poor old mother out.” She looked at him lovingly as she held back her tears.

“You know that you’re my baby and I love you. I don’t like any of my children doing this dangerous business. When you were taken from us it was like the life was sucked out of this family. I thought I had lost you.” Maria could no longer hold back her tears.

Kailan listened quietly with rapt attention as he felt his heart ache. The emotions he had suppressed all this time were truly starting to set in.

“And when we got you back it seemed like a miracle. And I just wanted to hold you tight and never let go, because I’m terrified that you’ll disappear again.” She took Kailan’s hands into her own as she collected herself to continue.

“But ever since you’ve been back, you’ve seemed distant, like you’re not happy to see us. And now you want to go off and challenge the dungeons where people die everyday. You just got back not even for a week. It’s reckless and dangerous. And I just want you safe.”

“Mom…” Kailan called out in a low tone as his voice cracked slightly. But Maria cut him off by putting her finger over his mouth to hush him as she shook her head sideways.

“You’re mother isn’t stupid Kai. I know the world is changing and that this is the new normal. I just wish that you would talk to us. That you would let us in. There used to be nothing I didn’t know about you. Everyone is entitled to some secrets, but you have so many that it seems like it’s built a wall between us.” She placed her hand on his cheek, drawing him into a hug.

Kailan felt suffocated. He really did have a lot of secrets, some he kept because he had a responsibility as a God, others he kept because he didn’t want his family to worry. And some he just couldn’t tell anyone.

His biggest issue was that he was having trouble feeling the same things that they were. After all, for him it had been a thousand years. That’s a long time to get over the loss of one’s family. Emotions are fickle and they don’t just form in an instant. They are built over time. And they are torn down over time. But a person never truly loses the feelings they once had for someone, there’s always a sliver left over, a memory. Sometimes they even transform.

For Kailan, they had dulled greatly. That memory was there, but the love he once felt had been replaced with a mere glimpse of a moment of happiness that flees away as quickly as he recalls it.

Kailan held his mother’s shoulders as he lightly pushed her away so that he could face her. He knew that he needed to explain it to her. He didn’t want there to be this giant rift between them. He had lost them once, and he didn’t want to lose them again.

Taking her hands, holding them gently, he started to open up.

“I know that I seem distant. And I’m sorry for that. I don’t mean to. Mom, there’s something you need to know.” He took a deep breath as he prepared himself. Maria adjusted herself to more comfortably face him.

“Do you know about the last Returnee, how he went to a realm where time worked differently?”

“Of course. Everyone knows about anything to do with Returnees. Especially that case, since…” Maria paused herself as she looked surprised. The thought of where Kailan was going with this had hit her like a truck.

“Yes. Asgard is similar. In fact nearly all of the other realms are. Time flows differently for the ones that are further away from this one. Sometimes it’s slower, sometimes it’s faster. And for Asgard, time moved faster. Much faster.” Kailan explained as Maria started to well up again.

“It may have only been 10 years for you, but for me, I’ve been gone for over a thousand years. Time moves 100 times faster in Asgard. I came to the realization that I would never see any of you ever again, a very long time ago. That’s why it’s been difficult for me to adjust.” He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

“When I first found out that you were all alive, I honestly didn’t know what to feel. It was like a memory coming back to me that I had forgotten. It’s not that I’m not happy to see all of you alive. It’s just that it’s going to take time for me to remember the feelings that I had in this place.”

Maria covered her mouth as the tears started rolling down her face once again.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s a lot. The truth is I stopped trying to find a way home a long time ago because I had honestly thought that all of you had already died of old age.”

“Oh Kai. My little Kai.” Maria felt so heartbroken. She had been facing the loss of her son for a decade, but Kailan had been facing it for a hundred times longer. She had no idea and not even a clue of what he had to go through.

“Mom, it’ll be alright. I am happy that you are all alright and that I’ve found you again. But I made a family in Asgard. I was forced to come back here because it’s the rules. I have to train to gain the power that I need in order to find a way to get back to that family. I don’t intend on leaving any of you again, but I also can’t bear to leave them. And unlike us, every day is a hundred days to them. That’s why I’m in a hurry. It’s not because I’m trying to run away from you or run into the jaws of death.” He smiled as he caressed her face with care, wiping away the tears.

Kailan’s smile turned serious. “There’s something else.” Maria froze as she stared straight at Kailan waiting for him to continue.

“Things are only going to become more chaotic. The Merger has only just begun. Right now a small amount of the population has been connected to Gaia. But that number will grow naturally over time. And eventually, it won’t just be sentient lifeforms. All life will connect. Both plants and animals alike. Once they start to connect, they will inevitably go through mutations becoming similar to the creatures from the dungeons. The entire world’s landscape will change.” He explained.

“Dungeon activity will also increase as the same thing is happening on other worlds throughout the various realms. The dungeon Rebecca entered is an indicator that this process has already started. The creature I killed wasn’t a Plebeian or Mortal rank talent. It was higher, probably around the Knight range. Which means the mini-boss was most likely a King rank. This will start to become more common as well. Just as our world has young mid-rank talents, so do other worlds and they all have a need to level up.” He closed his eyes momentarily before opening them with a piercing focus.

“It isn’t just guilds or nations that I have to worry about. I need the strength to fight against entire realms, and to protect all of you in the process.” Kailan’s strict face slowly formed a loving smile.

“I know that you’re only trying to protect me. But I am far stronger than any being on this planet. And my strength will grow exponentially in a short amount of time. Plus I was trained by some of the greatest warriors in all the realms. So please, let me do my part to protect all of you. You don’t need to worry so much about me, I’m very difficult to kill.”

Maria felt a weight lifting from her heart. She had been worried all this time because Kailan was acting so differently and reckless. But in truth it was just that he had experienced far more than she knew. And that he was preparing for what they would have to face in the future. He was thinking of them. He suffered through so much and came out stronger than ever.

This was her son. He had his father’s childish and goofy personality, and his mother’s intellect and foresight. She felt a welling of pride rise within her. She wanted to know more, in fact she craved it, but she knew that it would take time. And now she knows why.

“Silly boy. How could I ever stop worrying over you. It’s a mother’s prerogative.” She said as she wiped her tears showing a smile.

“Alright, I give my full support and approval for you to go dungeon raiding. Just don’t forget about the family you have right here. Understand me!” Maria stated with a commanding tone.

“Yes ma’am!” Kailan saluted his mother as he straightened his back. It was good that they were finally able to joke like this. It brought a smile to Kailan and Maria’s faces.

“Mom, one more thing.” Kailan relaxed as he whispered to his mother.

“There’s more?” She said exasperatedly. Wasn’t this enough for one day?

“Just don’t tell dad and the others. Not yet at least. I don’t want to worry them.”

Maria thought for a moment. “Alright. I’ll let you tell them when you’re ready. Just don’t wait too long. I’m sure they also feel the same way I felt. And when you’re ready to talk more let me know. I want to know everything, especially about this family you left behind.” She smiled as she agreed to keep his secret for now.

Maria gave Kailan the biggest hug she could before releasing him and getting up to leave. “Oh! I just thought of something.” She turned back to him.

Kailan looked at her curiously.

“If you were there for a thousand years then that means you’re older than me. Now who needs a retirement home?” She asked with a wide triumphant grin as she held her head up high, opening the door and walking back into the living room.

Kailan’s shoulders slumped as he had a helpless look plastered on his face. She had totally taken control. That was the mother he remembered from a thousand years ago.

“Maybe I should connect her to Gaia. If she goes raiding we probably won’t need to worry about any dungeons breaking ever again. The number of forming dungeons would probably drop as well. The other worlds would have someone new to fear.” Kailan thought as he got up to follow after Maria.

Rebecca, Elias and Edward were all sitting on the couch waiting with great anticipation, when Maria walked out from the hallway with a pleasant grin. Kailan came out shortly after her, also smiling. It wasn’t the resolution they had expected but it was good that it clearly went well.

“Alright, who wants spaghetti?” Maria called out energetically.

“Why do we always celebrate with spaghetti?” Edward sulked. He wanted pizza for dinner.

“Who asked you! Spaghetti is a tradition so of course we celebrate with it.” Maria snapped as she eyed her husband.

Rebecca and Elias were surprised. Maria hadn’t acted like this ever since Kailan disappeared all those years ago. Whatever they had talked about must have been profound to have reverted her back to her strong-armed self.

“I’m good with spaghetti.” Rebecca called out.

“Me too.”

“Me three.” Both Elias and Kailan also sounded out after Rabecca.

“Spaghetti it is then. Four out of five votes, sorry sweety.” Maria declared as she smiled triumphantly towards Edward. Edward just slumped into the couch as the defeated party.

“I’m going to go change.” Kailan said as he turned back down the hall towards his room.

Maria immediately went into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. She wanted to start early so that they would have a little more time after for family time. She felt better than she had in a long time and she wanted to savour that feeling.

About 15 minutes later, Kailan walked out from the hallway back into the living room. Rebecca was the first to notice him and she couldn’t help but let out the loudest laughter anyone had ever heard from her. Elias curiously turned towards Kailan and he too started laughing profusely.

Kailan was wearing his panda one-piece pajamas. He looked particularly cute in them, especially considering the large wooden case on his back and the small travel bag in his other hand that had the cleaning tools in it.

Kailan looked at his siblings curiously.

Edward also finally noticed his son and had an odd expression like he wanted to know what Kailan was doing. Maria, hearing all the laughter, walked around the corner from the kitchen and about jumped in fright.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

“I was just going to clean and sharpen my sword while we watched TV.” Kailan replied innocently.

“Absolutely not. You take that thing right back into your room, this instant young man! You can polish and sharpen it in there.” She berated, pointing back down the hall to Kailan’s room.

Kailan turned, sulking as he walked back towards his room.

Rebecca and Elias couldn’t stop laughing. In fact their laughter increased seeing him sulking as he walked away. “Oh no! It’s… Sword, Fu, Panda!” Elias called out as his laughter increased.

“Sword-Fu-Panda!” Rebecca repeated as she fell over onto Elias holding her stomach.

Kailan paused his footsteps as he turned to glare at Rebecca and Elias. But they wouldn’t stop. Maria and Edward were holding back their laughter as they tried to retain a straight face. Edward was having the most trouble. His face twisted and looked more constipated than anything as he tried his hardest not to laugh.

Maria had to turn around and cover her mouth, walking back into the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready in five minutes.” She called out, her voice slightly cracking.

Kailan returned his sword back to his room in a huff, deciding that he would work on it later.

Everyone rushed to the dinner table. It was a night of laughter and chatting, just like old times. Everyone was happy to see Kailan participating and Maria finally going back to being her normal self.

After they finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, everyone sat down to watch a movie. The night ended happily as they all retired to bed, ready to tackle a new week.

But as everyone slept and dreamt of good things, Kailan laid in his bed staring out of the window at the moon. He was recalling the day and how it had started rough but ended well. The feeling of returning to his family and finally working things out with his mother. The happiness he felt enjoying his time with them. “It would be great to share this feeling with Hrafn.” He thought silently as he too fell asleep.