Unforseen Reunion

The dining table was set with a simple but hearty meal as Lizzie smiled, watching her children have their dinner. Their silverware clicked harmoniously against the ceramic plates, forming a metallic melody that blended with their chattering voices.

She turned to Keres, who they had adopted a few months back. He was a smart child, but he struggled with amnesia and seemed to have a rough past, making him a tough nut to crack.

"Kay, honey, I have some news for you" Lizzie said, reaching for his hand.

"I'm going to visit your school tomorrow for parent's day. I look forward to meeting all your friends and teachers" She added, a warm grin lighting up her face.

Keres froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. His hand trembled as he shut his eyes, thinking about the challenges that came with Lizzie turning up for parent's day.

School was already unbearable but when he imagined the whispered questions and curious stares from his classmates, his complexion sunk.

He withdrew his hand from Lizzie's and averted his gaze, subtly expressing his reluctance.

"Why bother?" He asked bluntly. "You're not even my real mom. No need to pretend to care about me when we're just strangers living under the same roof."

Lizzie felt a pang of hurt, but she didn't let it show. She knew that Keres' circumstances were unique, and that he was still having a hard time accepting his identity and new reality. Responding to him, she kept her voice calm and gentle.

"Kay, I know you're going through a rough time, and I completely understand. But I want you to know that I do care about you. A lot. We all do. You are a part of our family, and you always will be. So you can count on us for anything. We're here for you, no matter what"

Lizzie reached for his hand again, hoping he would take it. She looked at him with compassion and sincerity, hoping he would see it.

The other children at the table stayed silent, watching the scene unfold. Each had their own thoughts and feelings regarding Keres and the current situation.

Jelly, the youngest at just two years old, was too little to understand his circumstances. Unaware of his recent adoption, she adored Keres as her only brother, and always followed him around, playing with him whenever she could.

To her, he had always been and would always be a part of their family. Watching him pull away from Lizzie, she reached for him too, placing her tiny hand over his.

"Kay, don't be sad," She cooed.

"Mommy woves you. Me and big sisters wove you too" The toddler added, casting a sweet spell of reassurance over the table.

Mina who had recently turned sixteen was Lizzie's first biological daughter. She also cherished Keres, but sometimes found his edgy, unwelcoming attitude really annoying.

His persistent rejection of their kindness had begun to come off as rude and ungrateful. As she rolled her eyes, grappling with this frustration, Mina stole a glance at her older sister, wondering what she thought about the whole situation.

Sara, the oldest child, was twenty years old. She was adopted when she was seven, but she considered Lizzie as her real mother.

Though she found Keres annoyingly insecure, she understood him better than Mina or anyone else. Watching him was like looking at a heightened version of her former self. And when she saw him pull away from Lizzie, a tinge of sadness crept into her expression.

"Kay, it's alright to be doubtful" She said, reaching for his shoulder.

"I know how you feel. I've been there too. But you've got to understand that you have a family now. You no longer have to go through everything alone. We do care about you and we'll always be here for you" She added, her voice gentle and empathetic.

Keres looked at each member of his foster family, feeling a mix of emotions. Guilt weighed on him for ruining the mood, but he also couldn't understand why they were being compassionate towards him.

Having been abandoned once before, he needed to be wary of their affection to avoid getting hurt again. Moreover, he already stood out for the wrong reasons at school. He would have preferred to keep his adoption a secret.

But now, he had been cornered. The look in Lizzie's eyes meant that there was nothing he could say to change her mind. Furthermore, resisting any further would only hurt their feelings.

Caught in this emotional crossfire, he felt a strange heaviness in the left side of his chest. His breathing seized as an unbearable torment plagued the confines of his heart. Wincing, he instinctively clutched his chest wondering what was happening to him all of a sudden.

But more importantly, this isn't how the scene was supposed to proceed. Something crucial happened right after Sara spoke, but what was it again?

He desperately tried to remember but his efforts proved futile. As an unpleasant vibration began surging through his body, he shut his eyes, and wished he would wake up from this unsettling dream.

—

Keres opened his eyes to a cold and foggy morning.

Lying on a bed of dry grass, he found himself surrounded by trees dancing in the fierce wind. Their leaves rustled and twirled, performing a mesmerizing winter morning ballet.

When he tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through his skull. He groaned and clutched his temple, feeling his own warm and sticky sweat.

"Where am I?" He whispered to no response.

Using the support of the tree beside him, he pushed himself up, feeling dizzy and weak. He took a step forward and an acrid smell wafted into his nose.

As he blinked, trying to clear his blurry vision, he spotted the source of the smell— a dying campfire few meters away. Its feeble glow wrestled against the snowflakes drifting gently from the sky.

He was in a forest, although his immediate location was different from where he had fought Invel the previous night.

Caressing his forehead, he tried to take another step forward. But as he did, flashes from last night came rushing into his mind.

"Ga-hak!" His breath seized and he involuntarily released a wet cough.

He tasted blood in his mouth, feeling a sharp pain in his chest where Invel had struck him with the wooden sword towards the battle's conclusion.

Squeezing his chest, he slumped forward, his world spinning. But before he fell completely, he felt a warm breath on his ear, and then a pair of arms, holding him steady.

"You sure hate to take it easy, don't you?" The person said. It was a woman's voice, a familiar one.

With puzzled creases marring his face, he lifted his gaze and beheld her face, his eyes immediately widening in shock.

She radiated a charming beauty, her face gleaming with a gentle allure. Vibrant purple hair cascaded around her, adding a touch of aristocratic elegance to her appearance.

As for her eyes, though they appeared to boast a striking shade of blue, Keres knew her features well enough to tell that they were not her natural eyes but rather enhanced by contact lenses.

Keres' emotions swirled as his gaze met with hers. The thrill of seeing her again clashed with the anger and resentment that had simmered beneath the surface during her absence.

He had a thousand things he wanted to say to her, even more questions he promised himself he would ask her if they ever crossed paths again.

He wanted to tell her how much he had missed her, the suffering endured in her absence, how much he had hated her for leaving him. But he couldn't. The reality was too different from every scenario he had previously imagined.

And so, he stood there frozen, a heavy numbness weighing down on his heart.

"Maybe my expectations were a bit too high but what's this? You don't seem all that excited to see me" She teased, pouting her lips. "I'm hurt"

In response, Keres opened his mouth, but no words came out. It felt as if a sizable lump had lodged itself in his throat.

After a brief silence he managed to stammer a feeble apology.

"I'm sorry, Milan. It's just... I'm just surprised to see you..." His words lingered in the air, a heavy gust of wind descending upon them afterwards.

"Is that so..." Milan paused. Detecting his unspoken emotions, she shook her head and pulled him closer.

"It's alright. I'm the one who should apologize for not finding you sooner" She murmured, embracing him tightly, as if she was afraid to let him go.

Keres' mind raced as he felt her warmth, breath and heartbeat. Feeling a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

As much as he resented her, he couldn't deny the comfort of her embrace— a sensation he had missed more than he cared to admit. And for a moment, he wished he could stay in her arms, pretending that nothing had changed.

However, he couldn't. There were too many unanswered questions. He wondered why she was here, if he could trust her, and if she was still the same person he once knew.

Feeling her hand on his forehead, he flinched at her touch, not sure how to react.

"Are you still in pain? I was so scared when you had a fever. You were unconscious for so long..." She said, her voice laced with concern.

"Unconscious? For how long?" Keres asked, his eyes widening.

Milan let go of him and looked away. She seemed hesitant to answer.

"You were out for about ten hours. I'm sorry, I couldn't do anything else to help" She admitted, her voice tapering off.

Keres chewed on his lower lip, feeling guilty and anxious. Lizzie would kill him.

He had to get back home and explain what had happened. And also figure out how to hide his injuries from her.

But then he realized something. His left wrist that ought to be broken was fine again. Next, he touched his neck, where Invel had choked him. Then, his face, where Invel had struck him on multiple occasions. He felt no swelling, no bruises or marks; he felt minimal pain, if any.

"Lord Keres? Is something wrong?" Milan asked, noticing his expression.

In response, Keres shook his head, trying to dispel his confusion.

"How... how did you heal me? When did you get here? What about Invel?" He asked, bombarding her with questions.

"I... I used a healing potion on you" She said, avoiding his eyes.

"We got here right after you collapsed. There was a bit of a situation with Invel, but he's gone now, you don't need to worry about him."

Keres frowned. There was so much he didn't understand. Healing potions couldn't fix broken bones nor would they work on him because he had no chakra running through his panel. Moreover, how did she find him? What made Invel leave? And more importantly—

"We?" He raised his brows, catching a word she had slipped.

Milan opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, another voice abruptly cut in.

"Sorry to interrupt but the hounds must be on the move by now. We have to get out of here as soon as possible." The voice said, sounding blunt and impatient.

Keres' senses jolted at the unexpected interjection, a sudden shiver racing down his spine. As he turned, his eyes widened at the sight of a boy approaching from the mist.

The boy was dark skinned and slightly taller than Keres, with braided hair and piercing jade eyes. He wore an identical cloak to Milan's and walked forward leaving no footprints behind.

Questions buzzed in Keres' mind. He hadn't sensed the boy's presence at all and wondered how long he had been watching them. Glaring at the newcomer, he prepared to defend himself.

"Who are you? What are you talking about?" He demanded, tension tingling his voice.

Rolan paused for a moment before releasing a sigh.

"I'm Rolan, an old friend..." He began, introducing himself.

"I see you haven't explained the situation to him, yet" Rolan added, glancing towards Milan. Keres followed his gaze, directing a hopeful look at the young woman.

"What's he on about?" He asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

Milan looked at him with a pained expression. She seemed torn between revealing the truth and withholding it. But after a moment, she spoke, her voice hesitant.

"Lord Keres... I'm sorry, but... we have to leave the capital. It's no longer safe for you to be here" She confessed, avoiding his gaze.

Scepticism engraved itself into Keres' expression as he scoffed, struggling to believe what he heard.

"Leave the capital? Is this some sort of a joke?" He asked, a wry tone underscoring his disbelief.

"Look, I'm grateful for your help and would love to repay you in any way I can. But the thing here is, I have a family that's probably worried sick about me and I have to go back to them and apologize for making them worry" He stated, firmly.

Milan didn't know how to tell him the truth without hurting him. Her lips parted slightly as she struggled to find the right words to say to him.

"Lord Keres... please, listen to me. You must not go.... please don't go back. It's too dangerous" She pleaded, taking pauses in between her words.

"And let me guess, the only way I'll be safe is if I tagged along with you?" Keres sneered.

"..." Milan offered no verbal reply to his question, but her answer was evident in her eyes.

Keres looked at her with suspicion and resentment, unable to believe anything she said. Contemplating between anger and the urge to comply, he couldn't understand why she would show up like this after disappearing without a word or explanation.

Recalling the devastation he felt when she departed, a wave of anger eclipsed every notion of yielding. Right, forgiveness was out of the question— there was no way he could trust her.

Now surrounded by those who genuinely cared about him, he no longer needed Milan. His priority was returning home to his family, even if it meant permanently severing ties with her.

—