The two of us quietly began walking home beneath the night sky.
The silence returned.
This time...
It felt peaceful.
After several minutes, Master suddenly spoke.
"...Listen carefully."
I raised my head.
"You don't have to carry responsibility for everything you see."
His voice remained calm.
"Only for what you choose."
"...Or what you truly can."
Those simple words quietly settled inside my heart.
"I understand."
"...Good."
Nothing more was said.
Yet somehow...
Those few sentences carried more meaning than an entire lecture.
The lights of his home gradually appeared in the distance.
Warm.
Peaceful.
Welcoming.
As we approached the front gate, Master suddenly stopped walking.
Without looking back, he spoke one final sentence.
"...Don't go to far..."
"...That you can't find your way home."
...
My footsteps froze.
Those words...
Why did they sound so familiar?
Suddenly...
A forgotten memory surfaced.
Not from HQ.
Not from another world.
From home.
From before everything began.
My mother stood at our doorway, quietly watching me prepare for my journey.
"...Why are you going?"
she had asked gently.
I remembered smiling.
"Because..."
"I found a place where I found happiness."
"...And friends."
She had looked at me for a long moment.
Then...
Her eyes softened.
"If you ever feel lost again..."
She smiled.
"...Don't go too far."
"...Come back home to your mother."
The memory shattered.
I slowly lowered my head.
That had been...
The last conversation we ever shared.
I never returned.
I never had the chance.
A painful ache settled inside my chest.
Master quietly knocked on the front door.
A few seconds later...
The door opened.
Makima stood there with a gentle smile.
"Welcome home."
Her eyes immediately shifted toward me.
Then...
Toward the bruises covering my body.
Without saying a word, she walked over and grabbed my wrist.
"...Come with me."
"H-Huh?"
Before I could react...
She had already pulled me into the living room.
Straight toward a quiet corner.
"Sit."
"..."
I obediently sat down.
There wasn't much choice.
Meanwhile, Auntie stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on an apron.
Gray followed behind her carrying several plates.
"...You're finally here."
She smiled warmly before walking straight toward me.
Instinctively, I stood up.
"...It's nice to see—"
Before I could finish...
She gently cupped my face with both hands.
Carefully studying me.
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"...You've become even more handsome."
She brushed a strand of my white hair aside.
"And..."
"The white hair suits you."
I blinked.
"...T-Thank you."
"It's nice to see you too, Auntie."
Behind her, Gray dramatically sighed.
"...Unfair."
"He's handsome..."
"But not as handsome as me."
He proudly pointed toward his own gray hair.
"We even have matching hairstyles."
Auntie laughed.
"You two..."
"...Are both like sons to me."
Gray instantly placed a hand over his heart.
"I've never felt more appreciated."
Makima returned carrying bandages and medicine.
Without hesitation, she knelt beside me.
"...Don't move."
"I need to treat your injuries."
Her hands moved naturally.
Almost...
Too naturally.
As if she had done this countless times before.
The way she cleaned each wound...
The way she wrapped each bandage...
There wasn't the slightest hesitation.
Watching her work...
A strange feeling settled inside me.
"...Makima."
She looked up.
"...Did you always do this?"
"Hm?"
"...Heal me after every training session?"
For the first time...
Her hands stopped.
She froze.
"..."
Her eyes widened ever so slightly.
Perhaps...
She hadn't expected me to ask that.
Or perhaps...
The question had awakened memories of her own.
She slowly withdrew her hand.
"...I..."
"I should've asked first."
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable—"
Without thinking...
I gently held her hand before she could pull away completely.
She looked at me in surprise.
"...Don't apologize."
I smiled softly.
"...It doesn't make me uncomfortable."
"If anything..."
"It feels..."
"...Comforting."
For a brief moment...
Neither of us spoke.
The silence between us wasn't awkward.
It simply...
Felt familiar.
As though our hearts remembered something our minds no longer could.
Then—
Knock.
Knock.
Another visitor had arrived.
Both of us instinctively looked toward the front door.
And somehow...
I had a feeling...
The quiet evening was about to become much livelier.
The moment the front door opened, the peaceful atmosphere inside the house disappeared.
"Zaraf!"
A familiar voice echoed through the living room.
Before I even had time to react, someone rushed toward me at full speed.
"...Guh!"
A pair of arms wrapped tightly around me.
I nearly lost my balance.
"...M-Miss Lucy..."
She hugged me so tightly that breathing became difficult.
"I was worried about you, you idiot!"
Her voice trembled ever so slightly.
Only then did I realize...
She had truly been worried.
Slowly, she pulled away before looking at me from head to toe with narrowed eyes.
"Hmph."
"So you're alive after all."
I smiled awkwardly.
"...It's nice to meet you again, Miss Lucy."
She blinked.
Then crossed her arms.
"Still calling me Miss Lucy?"
"You really haven't changed."
Before I could answer, another familiar figure stepped inside.
Captain Shin.
Unlike Lucy, he quietly greeted everyone before walking over to Master Ben.
The two simply nodded at each other before sitting together.
No unnecessary words.
Just mutual understanding.
"..."
Maybe that was what true friendship looked like.
After Makima finished wrapping the last bandage around my arm, everyone gathered around the dining table.
The aroma of freshly prepared food filled the entire house.
Warm soup.
Fresh bread.
Grilled meat.
Vegetables seasoned with herbs.
Simple food.
Yet...
It somehow felt more luxurious than any feast I had ever attended.
Auntie smiled as she placed another plate on the table.
"Everyone, eat before it gets cold."
For a while...
No one talked.
The only sounds were laughter, conversations, and the occasional clinking of utensils.
It felt...
Peaceful.
I quietly looked around the table.
Master Ben.
Makima.
Gray.
Captain Shin.
Lucy.
Everyone looked so natural sitting together.
For some reason...
My chest became warm.
"..."
'I missed this.'
Not the food.
Not the house.
This feeling.
The feeling of eating together with people who genuinely cared about one another.
A family.
Perhaps...
This was what a home was supposed to feel like.
I silently wished...
That this moment would never end.
After dinner, everyone moved into the living room.
Gray immediately dropped onto the sofa beside me with his usual carefree smile.
"So..."
He leaned closer.
"Do you know what happened while you were gone?"
I looked at him.
"...No."
"I wasn't exactly here."
He grinned mischievously.
"Oh..."
"Then prepare yourself."
"This one is going to surprise you."
I raised an eyebrow.
Gray rarely exaggerated.
Which meant...
Something significant had happened.
"The Ninth Creator has finally appeared."
"...What?"
"The Creator of Life."
For a brief moment...
I forgot to breathe.
Another Creator...
"So someone get the title of Life..."
Gray nodded excitedly.
"And guess what?"
"He's Captain Shin's student."
This time...
I genuinely stared at him.
"...Captain?"
"He accepted a student?"
Captain Shin...
The man who always claimed teaching was troublesome.
The man who never showed interest in taking disciples.
"...He actually did it."
Gray laughed.
"I had the same reaction."
"His name is Zeo."
"They say he can wield every single element."
Every...
Element?
That sounded impossible.
I leaned back against the sofa.
"...I'd like to meet him someday."
Gray nodded.
"You probably will."
"Oh."
"And another Creator awakened after you."
"The Eighth Creator."
Looks like...
The world hadn't remained still while I was gone.
New people.
New Creators.
New stories.
A small smile appeared on my face.
'I hope we become friends.'
While everyone continued talking, I noticed Makima quietly carrying empty plates toward the kitchen.
Without thinking...
I stood up.
"...Excuse me."
Gray looked confused.
"Where are you going?"
"...Helping."
He simply smiled knowingly.
"...Go."
I entered the kitchen.
Makima turned around in surprise.
"...Zaraf?"
"What are you doing here?"
I walked over beside her before picking up a towel.
"...Helping you."
She remained silent for a moment.
Then...
She smiled.
"...You really came."
"Hm?"
"I thought..."
She lowered her gaze.
"You wouldn't."
"You've forgotten everything."
"So I thought..."
"You wouldn't remember coming here."
I gently rinsed another plate.
"...Maybe I don't."
"But..."
I smiled faintly.
"I've always noticed the people working while everyone else was resting."
"So..."
"I thought you shouldn't have to do this alone."
Makima quietly looked at me.
For several seconds...
She didn't speak.
Then she simply nodded.
"...You're still the same."
I blinked.
"...Am I?"
She gave a small laugh.
"Maybe..."
"You've forgotten the memories."
"But..."
"You haven't forgotten who you are."
Those words lingered inside my heart long after our conversation ended.
Neither of us spoke much after that.
We simply washed the dishes together.
Strangely enough...
The silence didn't need filling.
Sometimes...
Understanding didn't require words.
The rest of the evening passed peacefully.
Gray somehow convinced everyone to play games together.
Lucy complained every time she lost.
Gray celebrated every victory as though he had conquered an entire kingdom.
Captain Shin watched quietly from the side.
Master Ben occasionally joined...
Only to defeat everyone effortlessly before returning to his tea.
Even Auntie laughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes.
For the first time in what felt like forever...
I simply enjoyed the moment.
No battles.
No responsibilities.
No fear.
Just...
People.
When the night grew late, Captain Shin and Lucy prepared to leave.
"You aren't staying?" I asked.
Lucy looked toward Shin before shrugging.
"Someone refuses to stay away from HQ for more than a few hours."
Captain Shin calmly adjusted his coat.
"...There is still work."
Lucy sighed dramatically.
"And where he goes..."
"...I go."
I couldn't help smiling.
"...You two really are inseparable."
Lucy merely smiled without answering.
Soon, silence returned to the house.
Everyone retired to their rooms.
For the first time in a long while...
I slept peacefully.
...
Morning arrived quietly.
Warm sunlight slipped through the curtains.
For a brief moment...
I wanted to sleep a little longer.
"...Wake up."
A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Gray stood beside the bed.
Unlike his usual cheerful expression...
He looked unusually serious.
Already dressed.
Already prepared.
"...Morning."
I rubbed my eyes.
"What happened?"
Gray folded his arms.
"You asked Captain Shin for permission..."
"...To enter the Fairy Realm."
The sleep instantly vanished from my body.
"...Yes."
He smiled.
"It's time."
I stared at him.
"...What?"
"Your request..."
"...Has been approved."
For a brief moment...
Everything became silent.
My heartbeat echoed inside my ears.
Finally...
The path ahead had opened.
The journey I had been preparing for...
Was about to begin.
The Fairy Realm awaited.
And with it...
A new chapter of my life.