"Jay… Leena… is that really you?" I asked, my eyes widening and my lips parting.

The duo moved forward and hugged me from either side.

"Thanks for saving our lives that day, Raj," Leena said, her voice cracking.

"And forgive us, as we couldn't do the same for you," Jay added.

"What are you doing, guys?" I scoffed. "This is unlike you. There shouldn't be formal words like sorry and thanks in friendship."

Despite what I said, the two didn't part for more than a minute and began crying while holding me. Even though I made the choice myself, they must be feeling guilty about everything that happened that day.

"You have become even more beautiful, Leena," I said, complimenting her.

Her face blushed red upon hearing the sudden compliment.

"Since when did you begin speaking so openly!?" she exclaimed. "Previously, you wouldn't even open your mouth in a girl's presence."

"And now you are trying to steal someone else's woman right in front of them," Jay scoffed, pulling Leena closer by the shoulder.

"Oh! You two are still together," I sighed. "It's a pity, I guess."

Veins bulged on Jay's forehead and he snapped, "Bastard, we will marry soon, so stop all the wrong thoughts you are having!"

"Wh-who said I will marry you!?" Leena shouted, burning crimson as she removed his hand from her shoulder. "You haven't even proposed to me yet!"

"You were together for one year when we were in college, so it must have been six years. You haven't proposed to her yet!?" I playfully gasped.

Leena's face turned frustrated and angry, while Jay threw daggers at me with his eyes.

He grabbed me by the shoulder and whispered in my ear, "Bastard, why are you adding fuel to the fire? Please stop agitating her further."

"Hehehe~ I get inner peace when I see your troubled face," I replied, shrugging.

While the three of us were having our reunion, Maa and Sister Aisha placed the dishes on the dining table while Inayat set up the plates with her little hands.

"Jay! Leena! Raj! Wash your hands and have dinner!" Maa called, putting an end to our petty arguments.

---

"Raj, you have become quite handsome," Leena said, munching on her dinner. "I couldn't even recognise you for a moment."

"Did you have plastic surgery or what?" Jay demanded, sitting beside her. "I visited you just last month, and you looked like a skeleton as you always did!"

"Jealous of my looks, are we?" I asked, showing off my jawline.

"Ughh! Just eat your dinner, bastard, or I might puke!" Jay snarled.

It had been years since I last ate food made by Maa's hands. The dining table was filled with joy and laughter, and logically I should have been feeling happy. However, since I returned to Earth, I felt strangely empty inside.

"I wish they were also here with me," I murmured inwardly, digging into the food.

---

"After you fell into a coma, I visited the hill again and carefully investigated the area," Jay revealed as we stood on the balcony for fresh air, while Leena stayed inside helping Sister Aisha and Maa with the dishes. "However, we couldn't find any hint of that monster that attacked us. It disappeared as if it never existed. I, Leena, and Saya tried to convince the police, but they didn't believe us due to a lack of evidence."

"Now that he mentioned it, I never found out who that man was, why he was so injured, and where he got the Sword of Awakening," I thought inwardly before speaking up, tapping Jay's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. It's all in the past now. By the way, since we are on the topic, do you know what Saya is up to these days? It was our first meeting that day, but I thought we got close enough for her to at least call me to ask about my well-being."

A smirk appeared on Jay's face as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and asked, "Are you sad because your crush didn't come to meet you? Well, she has become a big shot now, so she won't have time for you."

"It's not like that, man!" I denied firmly. "While I was scrolling through news articles on my browser, more than 80% of them were about her, and surprisingly most were negative—like she destroyed a building, murdered Awakeners, or even dirty scandals about being with multiple men."

"So you are worried that your lovely Saya has turned into a villainess," Jay teased before continuing, "On a serious note, I don't know much since I'm not even an Awakener, but if you want my advice, stay away from her. Her personality totally flipped after she awakened her powers. She didn't even come to meet you once in the last four years!"

Taking a brief sigh, I replied, "Well, I can't judge someone solely based on rumours."

Our conversation unknowingly continued for hours as he told me how he survived the apocalypse and lived his life over the past five years. He took over his father's farm in the village and was living a peaceful life there. However, despite being a farmer, they were well off because the land they owned was enormous, and crop prices had also skyrocketed since farming was declining in this modern era.

The reason he wasn't proposing to Leena was also because he was afraid that an urban girl like her wouldn't like life in a rural area.

"You shouldn't make her wait too long," I advised. "We don't know what fate has in store for us. It's better to confess when you can, or you'll only be left with regrets!"

"Haha! Are you saying this because you regret not proposing to Saya?" he teased before revealing, "Don't worry! I will propose to her sooner than you think!"

"What are you two talking about?" Leena's voice came from behind, sending shivers down Jay's spine.

"N-nothing! We were only talking about the weather! Right, Raj?" he blurted, hitting my shoulder.

"Yeah-yeah, whatever you say," I sighed.

"Jay, it's already dark. We should go back, or my mother is going to nag me again," Leena ordered, already carrying her purse.

"Oh right, we need to go back now!"

Once I returned after seeing the two off at the exit, I found Inayat standing behind me with puffed cheeks and folded arms.

"Uncle Raj! You are only playing with your friends and haven't played with Inayat yet!" she scolded, pointing her little finger at me in anger.

"Oh, I'm really sorry for neglecting you, Princess Inayat," I said, grabbing my ears. "Please forgive your stupid uncle and let him play with you now, hmm?"

As punishment for neglecting her, for the next half hour I had to give her a horse ride around the entire hall until Sister Aisha forcefully took her to her room to put her to sleep.

"Kids nowadays are too energetic," I sighed, walking toward my room, guided by a maid.

As soon as I entered, I asked inwardly, "Vivi, do you know the identity of the man who carried you in sword form and attacked me in the hills?"

For a moment, no response came. Then, just as I was about to move to the bed, the window popped up with a single message:

"Yes."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.