/// Arthur Leywin POV ///
I stood there, in the middle of the huge garden of our house back in Dicathen. My whole body was tensed up, stoned, as I continued to look at the one in front of me. And the next moment she was right in front of me, tackling me into a hug, knocking the air out of my lungs.
I wrapped my arms around her small frame- she was trembling, her legs shaky as she had trouble standing. Despite the strength that had already left out legs, we still clinged on to one another. I felt her weight on myself as she legs finally gave away, her arms still wrapped around my neck.
I coiled my hands around her waist supporting her as I brought her back to her feet. Her eyes met mine as I felt my heart flutter, butterflies flew in my stomach as I felt her face near mine.
The place was littered with colours as vibrant flowers bloomed all around us, but still I couldn't take my eyes off of the one approaching me. Her ruby red eyes, glowing, and I feel like I'm drowning in them. I swallowed in a dry slump of saliva as she stood further up, standing on her toes. I lowered my head a little, tilting it- gently and softly holding her. I kissed her. Gently and deeply.
And again, then again. I felt myself falling into an endless well of happiness as she kissed me again, her arms wrapped around my neck as she gripped my hair softly.
My eyes widened as I felt offensive mana build up. Without breaking our kiss I parted one hand that was behind her head and extended it in the direction of the fluctuation. Decay mana came approaching at blinding speeds but due to my own control over it I nullified it mid-air.
Finally breaking our kiss I put my hand beside her head and placed it on my chest. We enjoyed our embrace in silence, dividing our time apart in silence.
But suddenly, a young boy, almost 8 or 9 years of age stood in front of me in a battle stance as a small sword shimmered to life in his hands.
My heart thrummed as I saw his appearance- navy blue hair and golden eyes peering at me with malice and emitting a pressure unnatural for someone his age. He is like me.
"I'll say it once. Let go of my mother." He growled, his childish voice making his threat sound funny. A wave of relief washed up my heart as I saw my child- my son in front me, alive and strong. All of the worries that had bottled up due to the exchange with Azreal and Michael were washed away.
I decided to play a little with him. Caera tried to pry her face away from my chest but I murmured to her to not do anything. Tightening my grip over her I spoke,
"And what if I don't?" I asked as I felt a vein pop on his temple.
'A hot-head.. not bad.' I thought excitedly.
He didn't say anything as his left foot backed away forming an arc and the next moment his mana signature vanished, completely disappearing- not even leaving a single trace of it.
The next moment a barrage of sickly grey spikes came hurling towards me like huge bullets. Conjuring a sword of aether I brought my sword in a horizontal slash slicing through everything like butter. The next moment he arrived in front of my face slashing at me. I just bought my sword up to defend myself. Our swords clashed and then he created some distance between us.
Suddenly I saw the tears welling up into his eyes. His hands started to tremble as his gaze remained fixed on me.
"That sword. That was Aether." He said pointing at the sword in my hand with a trembling finger.
"Yes, it was. Do you know of anyone who can conjure these?" I asked as his sword fell from his little hands.
"Only two. Does that mean….. Dad? But how?" He asked as Caera peeled herself off of me and ran over to him. She stooped down and held him, cupping his face into her palms.
"Ethan, I told you not to come here. Why didn't you obey me?" She asked.
"Come on Caera he didn't …" I was interrupted as she shot a menacing glare in my direction.
"And you! Who fights their kid the moment they see him?" She almost yelled at me.
"But he attacked me first." I retorted as she held her forehead.
"Arthur, are you a 5 year old?" She asked, letting out a long sigh.
The boy, or rather Ethan, looked in my direction with wary eyes and then looked back at Caera, "Mama, are you sure he's my dad? He sounds immature." He said, and I felt an arrow stab my heart.
Caera let out a hearty chuckle as she ruffled his hair, "Although he sounds like this, he is your dad, and he's back for us. I used to tell you that he's out there right?" She said and I felt another pang of pain go through my heart as the realisation of how much they had gone through in my absence flashed in my mind.
I went towards them as I slumped down and grabbed my son by his arm. He turned towards me and I hugged him, burying my face into his little shoulder. All of the emotions I had stored away, locked away in the depths of my heart were released all at once, as tears started to fall from my eyes. He stood there for a while, totally petrified. I felt his muscles relax after a few seconds as his little arms wrapped around me.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for leaving you like this- all by yourself." I managed to say between sniffles.
"Dad, aren't you a man? Why are you crying?" He said as I peeled my face away from him to see a toothy grin over his face. I laughed, standing up I slipped my hands under his arms and picked him up. His laughter echoed through the intersection of trees as I swung him around.
"Arthur stop." Caera yelled again as she stopped me.
"Mama, it was just getting fun." Ethan let out a dissatisfied grunt. I felt more mana signatures approaching us.
"ETHAN, WHERE AR… holy fuck. His ghost is back to haunt us." I turned my head to see a man, almost my age, biologically, with messy black hair that fell over his face and ruby red eyes. He backed up, taking multiple steps away as soulfire danced at his fingertips.
"Come on, Nico. Can't you even recognise your best friend?" I asked as I placed a hand over my heart.
"The ghost talks too. Ethan, Caera get away from him." Nico roared but both of them deadpanned at him. A figure ran from behind him in a brown blur and tackled me in a firm hug.
"Ughh, Good to see you too Cecil." I said and she started to get up. While getting up she grabbed my arm and twisted it…. With mana. I winced, taken aback.
"That's for not letting us fight beside you." She said angrily and then at a blinding speed delivered a point blank fire explosion. I surrounded myself and Ethan in aether. The dust settled and I looked up to her,
"And this?"
"That's for disappearing." She huffed angrily. We looked at each other before all of us bursted into roars of laughter.
"Huh? What? Am I the only one normal here? How can you all get so familiar with a ghost or an imposter like it's a norm for you all?" Nico said, his face contorted into confusion as he continued looking at me. Another figure appeared behind and slapped him on his head,
"That's princess over there. There's no doubt about it." Regis walked from beside him with a grin over his face.
"Hey buddy." I said still laying on the ground, holding Ethan right beside me.
"Hey princess." He then looked at Ethan and smiled, "Looks like you've already met one, the other one is going to be a piece of work tho." Regis said, shrugging his shoulders.
"What do you mean by 'other one'?" I asked. Regis looked at me and then side stepped as four more figures appeared. 2 of them dashed at me and hugged me…. Again tackling me to the ground. I have already lost count of how many times I've been thrown to the ground under the weights of my beloved. I looked down to see the familiar auburn and ashen grey hair, with many strands of white mixed in them.
"Hey mom, hey dad. Missed me?" I joked but they continued sobbing. "You're back… my son is back." In between her cries, Mom repeatedly said that. I just stayed silent and hugged her back while stroking her little back and saying "I'm here" over and over again to calm her down.
After what seemed like hours both of them settled down. I looked beside them and felt a familiar presence, but this time it felt like there were two of them.
"Sylvie… don't you want to meet you papa?" I asked jokingly. She emerged from the shadows, followed by someone. The little figure sneaked a peak at me, and quickly hid behind Sylvie, her hands gripping Sylvie's dress.
"Who's that, Sylvie? Don't tell me it's your…" I asked, panicked by how my little daughter could have a child.
"She's not mine. Emma, come here." She said and grabbed the girl by her arm and brought her in front of me. "It wasn't one. You actually had twins." She said as I felt the ground beneath my feet disappear. It was a day full of surprises but this was what made me the most shocked…. And yet so happy at the same time.
I looked at the little girl, still tugging at Sylvie's dress, her hair extremely similar to mine and her eyes just like Caera, her lips pursed and her eyes twitched nervously at me, a sign she was curious, she was... the second most beautiful girl I've ever met in this world.
I lowered my body then stretched my hand forward, smiling gently I conjured a butterfly from the ice and flew it on my palm. I watched her, her ruby red eyes widening, her face surprised but looking even more curious now, she let go of her little hand on Sylvie's dress and started walking towards me.
The butterfly was still flying in my hand. When Emma was in front of me, she touched the butterfly, then the butterfly flew into her palm and stayed there.
"Do you like it?" I asked in a choked voice, without realising I was crying.
"Yes, it's really beautiful... umm... Dad." She said shyly. My heart seemed to fall into place when Dad's words were spoken by her.
"May I hug you?" I asked as I opened my arms, I was worried about her rejection.
She looked at me then turned her gaze to Caera, like asking her permission, and I felt Caera nod at her. Then the shy little girl who was standing in front of me, was now smiling very widely, and she jumped at me. And buried her body in my arms.
I tightened my grip on her. Like a child, I buried my head in her little shoulder and cried there.
I cried, and for some reason, everything I went through replayed in my memory.
All the things I've been through in this world.
The journey that started from when I was born into this world, happy moments with my family, and when war broke out and I lost everyone I loved, so because of that I had to go back in time and break the will of fate.
And from the repetition of that time, I can met my family again, met Caera and spend happy times with her, and until the memory when we separated, and when I had to endure all the pain and suffering in the land of the Gods.
All the things that have happened. All the things I sacrificed. Endless pain and death.
And to reach this day, I was willing to feel that suffering again and again. I'm willing to die again and again.
Because at this time, everything will be paid off today and I get a prize that is so priceless right now. My family.
Still crying, I felt a small hand gently caress my head, and she said "Dad don't cry, Emma is here, even though Emma isn't as strong as Ethan, but Emma has taken care of Mama all this time, so Dad no need worry, we both have even grown up and look at! My height is almost through Ethan" She said excitedly.
"Huh? What? You're still shorter than me Emma. You Shortie!" Ethan replied not wanting to lose.
(A/n 1 : Sounds awfully familiar)
(A/n 2 : hehe)
I chuckled and moved my body away from her, then wiped my tears.
I looked around me at this moment, Dad, Mom, Regis, Sylvie, Cecil, Nico, they were all laughing at this moment. I turned my gaze to Caera and she smiled at me.
(A/n 2 : I just realised, where is Ellie? 😂)
(A/n 1 : Nm her)
And when looking at her, I feel like everything will be fine now.
Maybe all the pain and suffering that we will experience will bring us down and not want to live anymore, but when we go through it, it will make us stronger and be a better person.
And from my previous life, I thought loving someone would make me weak, that's why I closed my emotions when I'm Grey. But no, they're who make me strong.
The most important part of us remains what lies inside of us. Our feelings, our love for each other, the strong sense of desire. Embracing love and being grateful for the emotions is a must. I made the mistake of bottling up my emotions once, but I won't repeat the same mistake again. Mistakes are what makes us- humans so beautiful. And learning from it is what makes those mistakes worth it. I realised the true meaning of love this way.
. The Prodigal Son Returns END