We picked up Edith from her tent and made our way back home. The ride was mostly filled with silence, except for the occasional rustling of the wind and the distant murmur of soldiers securing the aftermath of the battle.


    Azrael’s face, however, was ridiculously swollen—like someone had hammered it repeatedly. It was hard not to stare.


    “…Azrael, how the hell did you get hit this bad?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.


    “Girly,” Azrael turned his battered face toward Edith, forcing a grin despite the pain, “your brave uncle here got mauled by a giant brown.”


    I couldn''t help it—I burst out laughing. The sheer venom in his voice while describing me was gold.


    Azrael immediately shot me a glare so intense it felt like he was stabbing me with his eyes. Ah, the satisfaction.


    “Uncle, can you please stop bullying Azrael?” Edith suddenly chimed in, her tone a mix of concern and slight reprimand.


    My grin widened. “Oh no, dear niece. I’m not bullying him. It was his own fault for jumping headfirst into a fight with something clearly stronger than him.”


    Azrael scoffed. “Yeah, yeah. Easy to say when you’re not the one being tossed like a ragdoll.”


    Then Edith dealt the killing blow. “Azrael… if you don’t start being careful next time, I’m going to start calling you uncle too.”


    Azrael’s eyes immediately bulged. He grabbed her hand in pure desperation. “D-Don’t you dare! Girly, you can’t do me like that. I’ll be cautious! I swear!”


    I nearly choked on my own laughter. “Pfft—Good job, Edith. I’m so proud of you.”


    “You two are conspiring against me,” Azrael whined, slouching in his seat dramatically.


    The bickering continued the entire way home, with Azrael suffering loss after loss in the verbal battle. Poor guy never stood a chance.


    ……


    When we arrived home, Azrael stepped out of the car, his eyes locked on the manor in front of us. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.


    “…Aren’t you rich?” he teased.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    “Sure am. Mom and Dad should be inside. Go surprise them,” I said, nudging him forward.


    He took a deep breath, his smirk softening into something more genuine. “…Alright. Let’s do this.”


    We stepped inside. Both Mom and Dad were on the couch, chatting casually, oblivious to our presence. Azrael tiptoed behind them like a mischievous kid and suddenly hugged them from behind.


    Their response was almost instinctive—both of them placed their hands on his arms, confused by the unexpected touch.


    “Look who’s back!” Azrael announced, his voice cracking slightly.


    Simultaneously, they turned. The moment their eyes locked with Azrael’s smiling face, time seemed to freeze.


    Azrael didn’t hesitate—he pulled them into a tight embrace, almost crushing them. “Missed me?”


    The silence stretched on longer than I expected. Neither of them moved, their brains struggling to process the impossible sight.


    “…Seriously? No reaction? I thought you’d start crying or something,” Azrael muttered, his voice breaking slightly.


    And then—


    They both laughed. Quiet, disbelieving chuckles turned into genuine, relieved laughter.


    “He hasn’t changed one bit,” they said in unison.


    Azrael joined their laughter, his grip tightening. “Damn right. My majestic self doesn’t change that easily.”


    Mom, tears finally falling, stretched his ear painfully. “Took you long enough to come back, idiot.”


    Azrael winced but hugged her tighter. “I’m sorry, Mom. Just think of it as my study abroad.”


    Dad, struggling to hold back his emotions, patted Azrael’s back. “Well, since you’re back… you better get a job. Otherwise, that excuse won’t cut it.”


    Azrael grinned. “I already have a job.”


    Both of them froze. Mom turned to me, confused. “…Is he serious?”


    I scratched the back of my head. “Yeah, unfortunately. He’s joining me as an Astra.”


    Mom’s expression instantly fell, her voice trembling. “Will he be okay? Is he strong enough to survive?”


    Before I could answer, Edith suddenly piped up with far too much enthusiasm.


    “Oh! Grandma, Azrael is really strong! He literally fought a 200-meter tall turtle today that created a whole separate dimension to trap him. He came out alive—just a bit battered, though. I didn’t even stop him because I knew he’d survive!”


    I swear I saw the light leave Azrael’s eyes as she casually exposed his recklessness. Oh, my sweet innocent niece.


    Mom’s face darkened instantly. “…A turtle? Separate dimension? And you didn’t stop him?!”


    “Uh—wait, Mom. I can explai—”


    “And you!” She turned her rage toward Azrael. “Are you insane?! Do you know what could’ve happened?! You would’ve been grounded if you were still a kid! Arc, why didn’t you stop him?!”


    “…I was busy saving his sorry ass.”


    That earned me a glare too. Worth it.


    And so began the longest counseling session of our lives. Mom spent the next hour scolding all of us. Azrael got the worst of it, followed closely by Edith, who was reprimanded for encouraging his recklessness. I even got my share of scolding for not dragging Azrael’s body back the moment he jumped into the fight.


    Azrael slumped in his seat, dead inside. “Today is the worst day ever.”


    “Best day ever,” I muttered, smirking.


    ……


    After the storm settled, I took some time to explain everything to our parents—the experiment, the rescue, and what led to Azrael’s return.


    “…So Junia’s still working on stabilizing the experiment. Hopefully, we’ll be able to save more people in the future.”


    Dad nodded thoughtfully. “And you pushed her to expedite it?”


    “…Yeah,” I admitted. “I had to. I couldn’t lose him a second time.”


    Azrael, who had been resting his head on Mom’s lap, suddenly perked up. “…Wait. You rushed Junia’s experiment because of me?”


    I let out a slow sigh. “…Yeah. After you disappeared, everything fell apart. Mom and Dad barely smiled. Sis cut contact. Edith locked herself up. I kept blaming myself—thinking if I had been braver, I could’ve saved you.


    “So… when I saw even a sliver of hope to bring you back—I took it. I didn’t care if it was dangerous. I just… couldn’t lose you again.”


    Silence. Thick, suffocating silence.


    Azrael’s face fell, his usually playful demeanor fading into something unreadable. Then, after what felt like forever—


    “…Show me my room, Arc,” he said quietly. “I need to sleep.”


    “…Yeah. It’s beside Edith’s room upstairs.”


    Azrael turned to Edith. “Come with me. You should sleep too.”


    She hesitated, but seeing the faint vulnerability in his eyes, she wordlessly followed him upstairs.


    As they disappeared, Mom’s voice trembled. “Arc… take care of him.”


    “…I will, Mom. I promise.”


    That night, none of us slept soundly. But one thing was clear—Azrael was finally home.


    And I’d make damn sure he never disappeared again.