Kai stood at the door, his hand hovering over the handle. He had expected this moment to feel different—like relief, maybe even excitement. Instead, hesitation weighed on him.


    Leaving meant moving forward. It meant returning to his journey.


    But for the first time since arriving in this world, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to.


    The warmth of the Ironhart home lingered behind him—hearty meals, chaotic dinners, laughter that felt real. A home.


    His grip tightened. He took a breath and prepared to step out—


    “Please… don’t go yet.”


    The voice was small. Fragile.


    Kai froze.


    He turned, finding Thara standing behind him, gripping the hem of her sleeve. Her usual cold stare wavered, uncertainty flickering in her sharp eyes.


    Bram and Durgan weren’t surprised.


    Bram sighed dramatically, arms crossed. “Well, this Compound Crossbow is still a prototype.”


    Durgan let out a slow breath, shaking his head. “…I suppose it was inevitable.” He met Kai’s gaze, his voice softer than usual. “You can stay.”


    Something inside Kai cracked. He didn’t think—he just moved.


    Without hesitation, he pulled all of them into a hug.


    Bram yelped, caught off guard. “Oi—!”


    Thara stiffened but didn’t pull away.


    Even Durgan, gruff and stubborn, didn’t protest.


    For a long moment, they stood like that.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Kai exhaled, a mix of relief and something deeper settling in his chest.


    Maybe this wasn’t just a stop on his journey.


    Maybe it was something more.


    Kai barely had time to process the warmth still lingering from the hug before Durgan cleared his throat, stepping back.


    “Well, boy,” the old dwarf muttered, rubbing his beard. “If you’re staying, you’ll need a place to sleep. But this house is full.”


    Kai blinked. Wait. I didn’t think about that.


    Before he could offer to sleep outside like some kind of stray animal, inspiration struck. His eyes darted to Bram.


    “…What about the secret room?”


    The reaction was instant. Bram’s entire body tensed. His golden eyes narrowed in pure betrayal. “You wouldn’t.”


    Kai grinned. “I would.”


    Durgan, who had been mid-thought, turned sharply. “Secret room?”


    Bram immediately stepped back, raising his hands defensively. “Wait, wait, WAIT—”


    But it was too late. Kai, now seeing his golden opportunity for payback, started marching toward the back of the house. “Come on, I’ll show you!”


    Bram lunged to stop him, but Thara caught him by the collar, dragging him back effortlessly.


    “TRAITOR!” Bram wailed.


    —


    The moment Durgan saw the hidden basement room, his expression darkened.


    Rows of unfinished blueprints lined the stone walls, along with spare crossbow bolts, metal scraps, and—oh.


    Explosives.


    Durgan exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temples. “Bram.”


    Bram shrank under his grandfather’s gaze, looking anywhere but at him. “Uh. I can explain?”


    Durgan’s eye twitched.


    Kai, now realizing he may have just set off a chain reaction, cleared his throat. “A-Anyway! Uh, if I clean it up, I can stay here, right?”


    Durgan gave him a sharp glance but sighed. “…Fine.”


    Kai grinned, only for Bram to elbow him in the ribs. “I hate you,” he muttered.


    —


    Later that day…


    Kai was scrubbing dust off the stone walls when Bram, still sulking, muttered something under his breath.


    “Snitch.”


    Kai smirked. “Oh, come on. I did you a favor. You shouldn’t be storing explosives under your house.”


    Bram crossed his arms, pouting. “I had everything under control.”


    Kai snorted. “Uh-huh. Sure.”


    Before Bram could argue, a deep voice rang from the hallway.


    “Thara, I’m going out.”


    Kai barely registered it—until the next part.


    “And we’re out of herbal tea. Can you buy some for me, sweetie?”


    Silence.


    Kai froze mid-motion, nearly dropping the brush in his hand.


    He slowly turned his head to Bram.


    “…Did he just say—?”


    Bram met his gaze with a knowing look. “Yep.”


    “Sweetie?”


    “Yep.”


    Kai’s mind blanked. Durgan, the gruff, no-nonsense, crossbow-sniping legend of a dwarf, had just—


    Bram sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I know. You think he’s all tough, but Thara’s his favorite. He calls her that when no one’s around.”


    Kai stared in disbelief.


    Is this real life?


    Bram gave an awkward cough. “I mean, he cares about us too, obviously.”


    Kai wasn’t sure what was more shocking—that Durgan had a soft side, or that Bram felt the need to clarify.


    —


    Still lost in thought, Kai stepped into the living room just as Thara was adjusting her crossbow straps.


    “Where are you going?” he asked.


    “Town.”


    Kai blinked. “Wait, there’s a town nearby?”


    Thara gave him a blank stare. “…Yes.”


    Kai processed this.


    An actual town. With people. Stores. Maybe even normal food.


    And he hadn’t seen it yet?!


    Before he even realized it, words tumbled out of his mouth. “Can I come?”


    Thara hesitated. “You’ll slow me down.”


    Kai clutched his chest. “Ouch.”


    Bram, who had wandered into the room, smirked. “She’s not wrong.”


    Kai ignored him, turning back to Thara. “Come on, I need to see it at least once. I’ll be useful, I promise!”


    Thara stared at him for a long moment. Then, with a small sigh, she turned to leave.


    “…Do what you want.”


    Kai grinned. “Yes!”


    Bram shook his head. “Rest in peace, Thara.”


    Kai ignored him, already following Thara out the door.


    He had no idea what to expect, but one thing was certain—


    He was finally going to see more of this world.