Kael opened his eyes and remained still for several seconds, staring at the familiar white ceiling above him. There were no cracks running across it, no strange magical symbols, and, most importantly, no enormous scorpion preparing to drive a poisonous stinger through his chest.
He slowly sat up and looked around his bedroom. The furniture, the large windows overlooking Manhattan, and the belongings he had left neatly arranged were all exactly where he remembered them. The small wooden house near the Fist King's training grounds was gone, along with the forest and his master's increasingly irritated expression.
A smile spread across his face as he took it all in. The permit had worked.
"I'm home."
He glanced toward the clock beside his bed. It was morning, and sunlight streamed through the windows, casting long shadows across the floor. That caught his attention almost as much as finding himself in his own room.
