Jalen rejoined Jael, Calen, and little Vinh at the inn he had booked. The air was heavy with exhaustion, yet the moment Jala saw her brother, she leapt into his arms, her tears streaking down her cheeks like rivers breaking through a dam.
"Big brother Jael!" She cried, her voice trembling with relief and disbelief.
"It's been a long time, pipsqueak," Jael teased, ruffling her hair with the same casual affection he had shown her since childhood. His smile was warm, though his eyes betrayed the weight of battles fought and scars carried. "You've grown a lot too. You're even as beautiful as Mother."
"You too," Jala said, smiling through her tears, her heart swelling with joy at the reunion.
"You think I'm beautiful?" Jael shrugged, feigning ignorance, his grin widening.
"No!" she punched his shoulder, though he exaggerated the pain with a dramatic wince. Jala was strong now, standing at the peak of the Moon Realm, yet she was still not strong enough to truly hurt Jael. "I mean, you look so much like Father. I can barely tell the difference."
She greeted Calen and Vinh out of courtesy. She wasn't close to Calen, but he was her father's disciple. Vinh, however, was a stranger to her, though she thought of him as a cute child. Ironically, he had lived ten years of life in the Time Realm while being only five months old in the Origin Realm. Jala herself, though she looked older, was in truth nearer to his age. The paradox of cultivation and realms made their lives strange, but it also bound them together in ways ordinary mortals could never understand.
Together, Jalen led them out of Sol Ria. Behind them, the city was in turmoil. Nobles argued in hushed tones, cultivators speculated with fear and awe, and the Raven State delegation lay crippled, seething in humiliation. The echoes of conflict reverberated through the streets, but Jalen did not care. His only concern was his family. Empires could rise and fall, but his children, his wife, his blood — they were the only treasures worth protecting.
The journey home took a week, crossing mountains and rivers, aided by Flash Reverse when needed. Each night Jala clung to her father, unwilling to let go, while Jael kept watch with quiet pride. Calen and Vinh followed, awed by the man who had defied empires for his family.
At last, they returned to the Rouna Continent. Yet Jalen's heart sank when he saw Hewitt Capital. The city bore scars of battle. The Flare Palace still stood, but scaffolding clung to its towers, repair formations humming across its walls like faint heartbeats. The battle days earlier had left wounds that would take months, perhaps years, to heal. The sight was a reminder that even victories came at a cost.
He left Calen and Vinh at the palace's main entrance and went straight to Rana's chamber. She was with Raja, tears streaming down her face, her body trembling with both grief and hope. The moment Jalen stepped inside, the air shifted.
"Hello, flame brain," Jalen said, forcing a smile, his voice gentle yet strained.
"Dad?" Raja's voice cracked with disbelief. He looked fourteen, the exact image of his twin sister, only with shorter hair — and almost too pretty for a boy. His eyes widened as he saw Jael and Jala behind his father. "Big brother Jael? Sister Jala? How?"
"You've gotten bigger too," Jael said, pulling him into a hug. Raja embraced him tightly, his body shaking. He had missed his big brother more than words could express.
"Come on now, don't cry," Jael teased, though his own voice wavered.
"Who's crying?" Raja muttered, drying his tears with the back of his hand, though his cheeks betrayed him.
Rana rushed to Jala, clutching her tightly as though she might disappear again. "My daughter… are you hurt? Did that creep assault you?"
"I'm fine, Mom," Jala assured her, her voice steady. "Dad came for me before that creep could do anything."
But Jalen's jaw clenched, his fist curling. "Had I been here sooner…" The words slipped out, raw and bitter. It was the instinctive regret of a father who had missed the moment his child needed him most.
"Our daughter is safe," Rana said firmly, her voice cutting through his guilt. "That's all that matters."
But Raja was not finished. He stood before his father, his eyes burning with pent‑up frustration. "Where were you, Dad? Because you were gone, Jala got kidnapped, and Mom was always crying." His words lashed out like blades, each syllable carrying the weight of his pain. He loved his father, yes, but he was upset too — upset with Jalen, upset with himself for being weak, for failing to protect his sister. "Do you know how hard it was to see Mom like this? To watch Jala taken before our eyes and be unable to do a thing about it?"
"I…" Jalen stuttered, his voice faltering.
Raja's voice trembled with anger and pain. "We needed you, Dad, but you weren't here. Jala was taken, Mom cried every night, and I couldn't do anything. Do you know how hard it was to watch all that?"
Jalen's chest tightened, his shoulders heavy with guilt. He lowered his gaze, unable to meet his son's eyes.
"I failed you, son," he admitted, his voice raw. "You're right to be upset. Please forgive this worthless father of yours. Give me a chance to make it up to you, your mother, and your sister."
The words hung in the air, heavy and sincere. Raja's anger cracked, replaced by tears. He rushed forward, burying himself in his father's embrace. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to… it's just—"
"It's okay, son," Jalen whispered, holding him tighter, as though he could shield him from every sorrow. "I can't promise tragedies won't come again, but I swear I'll do everything in my power to protect you all."
Raja nodded, forcing a smile. "Okay, Dad."
The words were simple, but they carried the weight of a storm finally breaking. His smile was fragile, trembling at the edges, yet it was enough to show his father that forgiveness had begun to take root. Jalen's chest loosened, the crushing guilt easing just slightly as he saw his son's attempt at courage.
For a heartbeat, silence filled the chamber. The flicker of the palace lanterns reflected in Raja's eyes, making them glisten like twin embers. He wanted to be strong, to show his father that he could endure, but inside he was still the boy who had cried himself to sleep when Jala was taken, the boy who had clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms, wishing he had the strength to protect his family.
Jalen reached out, brushing a hand through Raja's hair, the same way he had when Raja was small. "You've grown so much," he whispered. "But you don't have to carry all the pain alone. That's my burden, not yours."
Raja swallowed hard, his throat tight. "I just… I don't want to lose anyone again." His voice cracked, betraying the fear he had tried to hide.
"You won't," Jalen said firmly, his tone carrying the weight of a vow. "Not while I still draw breath."
The promise hung in the air, binding father and son together. Raja's forced smile softened into something real, faint but genuine, and he leaned into his father's embrace once more.
After the reunion, Jael guided Raja and Jala out, leaving Jalen and Rana alone. The chamber grew quiet, the air thick with unspoken longing. Jalen pulled Rana into his arms, kissing her deeply. All his pent‑up desires exploded in that moment, years of separation collapsing into a single embrace.
"I missed you," he whispered, his voice raw.
"Me too," she chuckled softly, her tears mingling with laughter.
"Not as much as I did," Jalen teased. "For you, it's been almost five years since we separated. For me… it's approximately six hundred and nineteen years, some months, and a couple of days."
Rana narrowed her eyes, suspicion flickering. "You didn't go start another family somewhere else, did you?"
"Well, I might have…" Jalen scratched the back of his head, feigning mischief.
"Stop playing with me!" Rana shoved his shoulder, puffing her cheeks in mock anger.
"You started it," he laughed, then his voice softened. "I promised we'd be together forever. I'm not backing out if you aren't."
"I have the most incredible husband. Why would I?" she said, her smile radiant.
"Gosh, I need you more than ever," Jalen murmured, his voice trembling with sincerity.
"Me too," she replied, her eyes shining. "But there are people here who need to see you. Your parents, your brothers, your sisters."
Jalen sighed, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him. "You're right. But when I'm done…"
"You'll have me to yourself," Rana finished, her voice a promise.