Family Reunion

Feeling assured by the warmness his mother shared through her palm, Luke slowly slides the door to the right as the insides gradually revealed into his sight.

"You didn't miss your son and wife, James?" A man with his hand bandaged asked.

"Of course I miss them. Fortunately, I'd get discharged today." A middle-aged man answered. His face wasn't that old with only wrinkles below his eye bags. Probably due to having stayed at the hospital for too long, making the man's face thin and slightly pale.

His mouth is already opened and about to tell more regarding his family when the door slides open. Shifting his grey eyes to the door, his eyes widened in surprise and joyfulness.

When Luke saw his father's grey eyes hauling over him, he startled for a moment as their eyes locked with each other.

Creasing her forehead looking at her husband's skinny appearance, Yera made his way to her husband's bed, while Luke gets dragged by his mother due to their locked hands.

"Look, what hospital just did to your body. You weren't this skinny before." Yera chided as she patted James's arm.

"It's fine. The hospital did nothing wrong. I only found the hospital's food not appealing, thus choose not to eat much." James answered with a smile assuring his wife, then looking over Luke, who seems dazed at the moment, "Hello, Luke."

All nervous and anxious feeling he felt during the journey evaporated in an instant upon hearing such a gentle tone from his father. Throughout the entire journey, Luke's mind has been restless, not knowing how to act in front of his father.

Like a broken arm, uncontrollable teras began stung out from his eyes. Although Luke didn't even know the man before him thoroughly, the fact Luke's eyes start reacted by pouring tears was enough to confirm his doubt. This man in front of him was "Aine Luke's father" who has raised him since little. With a horse voice, Luke responded, "Dad."

A missing piece within his heart seems completed at the moment. He's now blessed with a complete family that previously he never had. He shouldn't forget about this fact for the lifetime, that he's a member of a complete family.

Luke's father was stunned upon witnessing his son's abrupt crying. With a tone of worry, he hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, son?"

Luke's mother was aware of his son's weird behaviour. But this is not the right time to inquire about it further. Hence, she quickly suppressed her curiosity and answered on Luke's behalf, "He's been like this these past days. He said it's because of the sudden increase in his hormones."

Seeing her son crying wasn't gonna end soon. Luke's mother pulled the hospital curtain to give their family some privacy.

After crying with his heart all-out, Luke sniffed until his nose turned red and wiped the remaining tears on the corner of his eyes.

'What am I doing? Both mother and father must be wonder what's happening to me.' Luke lamenting but he couldn't stop himself from crying.

Ever since he transmigrated into Aine, he had this tiny feeling that he didn't belong here, which is actually true because he was from Earth. He isn't the genuine Luke. He was another Luke, a substitute. Henceforth, being granted an opportunity to meet the real Luke's dad was saddening him. At the thought of real Luke died without a single family member knows, Luke feels guilty.

Nevertheless, he didn't want to make them worry anymore with his weird trait. Thus he forcefully swallowed his grief and smiled, "I'm sorry, ever since I ate potion, my emotions are quite unstable."

"Huh? Eat potion? What do you mean?" Luke's father asked confusedly with a big question mark over his face.

It had to be said that potions were a well-off item that Luke's father would never think his family could afford it even if he worked for his lifetime. Hence, hearing his son said he consumed a potion, Luke's father's brain couldn't connect the dot between the two matter.

Looking at her husband who reacted pretty well the same as her, Luke's mother sighed, "It's like what you hear, dear. Our son consumed a potion and now on the Transformation stage. If you don't know about the Transformation stage, it was a phase where a normal human would turn into Transcender in a few days adjustment."

Luke's father went silent for a moment as his brain processed the information he just received before abruptly exclaimed, "P-Potion, you mean that kind of potion??"

"Yup, the same potion that able to grant a superpower to a normal person."

"How? I mean, how can our son consumed it?" Luke's father then covered his mouth in shock as he gazed at Luke and his wife in horror, "It couldn't be you both sold our house to purchase the potion, right? But it was my parent's gift for our wedding, dear."

Watching her husband keep blabbering nonsense, Luke's mother quickly interrupted, "Stop it, won't you? Our house is still intact with all of its furniture."

"Then, how did he?"

"Let's talk about it later at home." Luke's mother rolled her eyes before twirling her body around, "Am I not beautiful to be praised? I was trying hard dressing up for you today, though."

"Of course, my wife is the sweetest woman in the world. Come here." Luke's father praised before he spread his arm widely.

Jumping onto his embrace, the couple gradually immersed in their own world, completely disregard their surrounding.

Witnessing this heartwarming scene played before his eyes, Luke felt a fire of determination lit up within his heart. A determination to protect his family. It was also the only request he ever remembered from Aine Luke. On his deathbed, he swears to God that if someone were replaced him, he wants that person to have stronger temperamental than himself, that could at least won't let his parent drown in grief.

"How's your school, Luke?" Luke snapped out from his thought upon hearing his father's question.

Luke gawked at his father's question. He didn't know how to answer that question. Should he tell his dad that the school actually expelled him? Luke secretly glanced at his mother, asking for help.

Luke's mother covered her mouth as she chuckled, looking at how Luke looks distressed at the moment.

Luckily, his mother didn't tease him too much and replied briskly, "Your son has been expelled from school."

"Whaat?? How could that be? Isn't Luke doing good enough at academics?" Luke's father said doubtfully.

Since Aine Luke's goal was to make his family out of poverty, he studied diligently and always earned top ranks in his class. Hence, Luke's mother's statement regarding Luke was expelled from the school was quite unbelievable to believe.

"Anyway, your beloved and favourite son get expelled because he was fighting back against the bully. You know that those bullies had a good background. They definitely bribe the school to expel our son." Luke's mother explained.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Luke's father spoke in a downcast tone and glanced at his son and wife in dissatisfaction.

Luke's mother heaved a sigh before answering, "I don't let you know because I'm afraid it will affect your mental state. You're currently in the middle of treatment; I don't want my husband to become worried and affect his recuperation process."

Luke's father couldn't say anything since what his wife said was true, though. He'll hardly focus on any recovery process since his mind would always drift to his son's condition.

Just then, the sounds of the door slides open echoed within the room, followed by a gentle voice, "Is the patient named James Lewis here?"

Luke's mother quickly pulled the curtain open and answered while pointing at her husband, "He's here."

The nurse smiled, "Congratulations on your successful recovery Mister Lewis. The doctor said that you didn't need to stay at the hospital anymore and only needed to consume some medicine to improve your body condition."

She continued while passing a paper to Luke's mother, "Please bring this paper to the pharmacy located on the first floor to receive the appointed medicine for Mister Lewis. After receiving the medicine, you must head to the administration department located on the same floor as the pharmacy to report your status. Upon finish reporting, you can directly go home while bringing along with your medicine."

Luke's mother nodded her head understandingly.

"Then, I shall excuse in advance. Thank you for choosing Hall Hospital as your treatment place, and we all prayed for your health would always be safe and sound." The nurse bowed slightly before she stepped out of the room.

Luke's mother turned to her husband with a delighted expression plastered over her face, "Finally, you're discharged." She pounced on her husband, and the whole patient in the room sends a congratulatory message for James's recovery.

The family swiftly tidied up James' bed and only stepped out after bid their farewell to the patients in the room. Because his legs couldn't walk straight away normally, Luke and his mother slowed down their pace to similize it with James's pace.

Arriving on the first floor, Luke's mother went to the pharmacy alone while Luke and his father sat on the available seats. The whole process didn't take a long time. After waiting only for 10 minutes, Luke could see his mother figure walked in his direction.

Afterward, they headed to the administration department to report James' condition.

Exiting the hospital, Luke inhaled the fresh air deeply.

'Finally, no more medicine scent.'