It was immortalized by Tolkien that the basic of an adventure is just going there and coming back again. Going there, wherever there is, and experiencing great things is not the whole adventure. Coming back is the most important part. Having a home to return to. Always and again.

When Matthew opened the door of his home and his mother and sister received him with tight hugs and with tears in their eyes. When even his father came and hugged him tightly holding back his own tears. Matthew finally relaxed after 5 days of fighting for his life.

His legs weakened. His breathing slowed. His eyes watered.

He hugged his family tightly.

"I'm home."

The food his mother cooked him that afternoon was the best food he ever ate in his life. It was the answer to the question "how home tastes like?" An overly salty spaghetti with meatballs and industrialized apple juice. Tastes he never gave much appreciation before, but that now tasted like ambrosia on his tired mouth.

Vanessa stayed to eat with everyone and they all talked lively about how happy they were that Matthew was back, but no one asked him what happened inside the dungeon. They would all wait until he was ready to talk about it.

After lunch, Vanessa went back home to allow Matthew to sleep. Matthew's father went back to work, but his mother and sister stayed home for the day. The house seemed alive again after him returning alive from there.

The hot shower and the smell of soap seemed to take away all the tiredness he was feeling. It was like his body itself was allowing him to relax. As he rubbed his body and washed away all the sweat and blood from his skin, a smile came to his face. He was home.

The smell of his room contrasted with the smell of the dungeon. The softness of his sheets against the hardness of the stones he slept on. The warmth of the sun out his window and the sound of birds chirping against the cold silence of the Labyrinth. All that made his mind go blank and drift him to sleep.

He was back again.

Matthew woke up with Sarah knocking on his door. When he finally opened his eyes, she was already inside his room sitting on his bed by his side and putting her phone on his ear.

"It's your girlfriend." Sarah said.

Matthew looked at her confused and then he heard Faralynn's voice on the other side of the line.

"Matthew?"

"Hello? Lynn?" Matthew said still waking up. His mind having a hard time remembering the things that just happened.

"Matt." Faralynn called him again. "Sorry I missed your call, but something incredible happened." She said with her voice wavering as she was holding back tears.

Matthew grabbed the phone realizing that he didn't talk to her after he got out. He sat up and said:

"It's not a problem. I was also busy." He tried to sound as pleasing as he could.

"You really came out." Faralynn said almost crying.

"I did. Sorry about that." Matthew said.

"Why did you stay in there so long." Faralynn asked, her voice had a hint of annoyance in it.

"I had to conquer the dungeon." Matthew said simply. "How is Faynn? Did she wake up?"

"How do you know?" Faralynn asked surprised and concerned. "She's well. It's like she never got hurt in the first place." She added.

"Thank God." Matthew exclaimed.

"You know she was dead, don't you?" Faralynn interrogated him.

"Yes." Matthew answered.

"What did you do in there? Tell me what happened." Faralynn ordered him.

"I conquered the dungeon. Mommy said she would grant me a wish if I did." Matthew explained.

"And you wished for Faynn back?" Faralynn asked, her voice wavering.

"Yes."

"Why? You didn't have to." Faralynn's voice showing she was crying even though she was trying to hide it.

"Because Faynn is a friend. And because she's important to you." Matthew smiled looking at his sister who was listening in silence trying to decipher the conversation.

"You stupid man." Faralynn said crying openly now. "You didn't need to risk your life for hers! What would I have done if you died too?!" She scolded him.

"I couldn't let her dead having the means to bring her back." Matthew said with no regret about his actions.

"You stupid man!" Faralynn repeated herself louder. "But…" She said softly sniffing. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." She repeated as she cried loudly.

"I love you." Matthew said with a wide smile while Sarah widened her eyes and brought her hands to her face hiding a large smile.

"Fuck you for making me pass through that." Faralynn said after a while recomposing herself.

Matthew just laughed at that. He knew she didn't mean it.

"I love you too." She said after a moment of silence. "Thank you. Really." Faralynn added. "But never do that again."

"I can't promise you that." Matthew said. "You know me."

"I do." Faralynn agreed. "I'll just have to make you then." She chuckled on the other side of the line.

"I want to see you." Matthew declared.

"Wait. Now?" Faralynn exclaimed surprised.

"Yes. Right now." Matthew confirmed.

"But… I'm not ready." Faralynn said while Matthew could hear the clatter of something on the other side.

"I don't care. I'm going to your house right now." He protested looking at the clock, it was still 6pm.

"You don't need to." Faralynn whispered. She wanted to see him too, she couldn't deny it, but she also was shy about it. "You can see me tomorrow."

"No. I'm coming right now." He said getting up and changing clothes not concerning himself with his sister.

"If you truly need to." Faralynn whispered again. Her voice was low but happy.

"Se you soon." He said turning off the call and giving the phone back to his sister.

"You're going to tell me the whole story later." Sarah said picking the phone. "Lynn was a mess when you were out. And with Faynn dead. So give her a very tight hug for me too." She added getting out of the room.

"Ffyr. I'm going to see Lynn." Matthew said putting on the necklace of Vitality and the ring of Charisma. "Are you coming?"

"I don't think I should. I'll just stay here. But summon me if you need me." The fairy answered turning on his computer. "I'll play some games." She declared.

Matthew took the bus to meet Faralynn. When he arrived, she was already outside by the front gate of the Laufgraan state waiting for him. A huge smile appeared on her face when she saw him walking towards her, but she soon disciplined herself fixing her perfect hair and hiding her feelings under her usual mask.

Matthew didn't say a word. She just hugged her fast and kissed her. Faralynn took a few seconds to go through the surprise of being suddenly kissed like that, but then she just held him back and kissed him as well.

"I'm sorry for making you worry." Matthew said after they took some time to breathe.

"You should be." Faralynn said hiding her true feelings.

"How's Faynn?" Matthew asked looking to the house through the gate.

"She's well. She's eating a lot. Seemed like regrowing her organs and being brought back to life gave her quite the appetite." Faralynn smiled.

Then she looked at Matthew caressing his hair. Her eyes showed pure love. That man thought for 5 days to bring the woman she considered a sister back from the dead. She kissed him passionately.

"Thank you for bringing her back." She said forgetting all her bashfulness. "I truly love you."

"I love you too." He said kissing her again.

Faralynn then pulled him by his hand away from the house. She walked with him to the grove that neighbored the state. While they walked she asked about Ffyr, about the dungeon and about Titania.

Matthew found it cute how her ears twitched with jealousy every time he called the Queen of the Fae mommy, but didn't say anything because she knew there was nothing he could do about it.

She marveled at his tale about fighting minotaurs and lightning lions. She fawned over Matil expressing her deep wish to meet the Nixie. She gasped as he told her about his fight with Enkidu with details. She tensed when he told her how he almost died. She gnashed her teeth in anger when he told her about Titania's whims.

"She could've healed you." Faralynn said rubbing his face around the eye patch referring to how the goddess refused to heal his demonic soul. "It's getting bigger?" She asked about it.

"I'm not sure, but it seems so." Matthew answered. "I'll talk with Professor Claude about it when I go back to school."

"We need to find a deity to heal you, then." Faralynn said stopping by a pond.

"Where are we?" Matthew asked.

"In my favorite spot." She said pulling him to her into a hug. "Look at how the moon reflects on the water." Faralynn said turning to face the pond with him.

"It's very beautiful." Matthew said keeping his eyes on her.

"Cheesy." Faralynn protested, but her ears twitched and flushed red.

Matthew kissed her and she kissed him back. The kiss deepened while Faralynn pushed him into the soft grass and got on top of him.

"No one will come by at this hour." Faralynn smiled at him seductively.

Matthew's hands grabbed her waist and he smiled back at her.

"Come here." He said pulling her body to his.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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.