Adam gently held his parents' hands, channeling mana into them, hoping to ease their mental burden. Slowly, they stirred, their eyes fluttering open, confused. As they looked at Adam, recognition dawned, and their eyes widened. Tears welled up, and they rushed to embrace him, crying, "I'm so glad to hold you again, son!" His dad sighed in relief, holding him tight.
After the initial emotional outpouring, they sat down, and Adam began to recount his life after their passing. His mother's hands clenched, her face contorted in suppressed fury. His father trembled with rage, finally shouting, "I told you Adam should have gone to my side of the family! You believed your sister would take care of him, and she took all the money we saved for him and threw him out!"
"Did you really think I could foresee them changing their tune?!" his mother retorted, her voice equally sharp. "I'm more frustrated and betrayed than anyone to have my own sister do that to my son!"
For the first time in his life, Adam felt truly at home, even amidst their bickering. "I'm just glad to have both of you back in my life," he interjected softly, and his parents, startled by his voice, immediately calmed down. It was true; Adam was here, safe in their arms. His mother still twitched with barely contained anger, but his father spoke, his voice grave, "We couldn't protect you before, son. But in this life, if anything ever happens to you... they will face the wrath of my anger." The kindness they once embodied had been hardened by the knowledge of Adam's suffering.
The Kirin's Vengeance
Suddenly, a bright light filled the living room, and the majestic Kirin appeared. "That's it!" his mother exclaimed, her eyes still blazing with anger. "The creature that saved me before! Do you believe me now?" she challenged her husband.
Still in awe, his father could only nod. She walked towards the Kirin, climbed onto its back, and declared, "I'll see you both again once I'm back!" With another flash of light, she and the Kirin vanished.
Adam and his dad stared at each other, utterly bewildered. "Did that just happen?" Adam mumbled.
Lyra's voice, sounding almost amused, chimed in. "Adam, I believe your mother just summoned the Kirin to finish some unfinished business."
Unbeknownst to them, Adam's mother and the Kirin had returned to their old world, arriving at her sister's house. The door splintered open as she kicked it down.
Empowered by the mana-rich environment of her new world, her strength was amplified tenfold. With a furious twitch of anger, she hunted her sister down and proceeded to beat her into oblivion. She dragged her to the backyard, healed her just enough to continue, and then resumed the brutal beating.
"You're lucky you're related to me!" she snarled, "I would have killed you for what you did to my son!" She continued punching and healing, dragging her sister back inside by her hair, delivering one last punch to her nose before healing her just enough to avoid any visible damage, but ensuring the pain would linger. With a final, satisfied huff, she leapt out the window onto the Kirin and vanished.
The Kirin reappeared in the living room with Adam's mother, who gently patted and kissed its head before it disappeared. Adam and his dad were still shell-shocked. She wiped her hands, which, to Adam's horror, were stained with blood, as were her clothes.
"Mom, are you okay?" Adam asked, concerned.
"Never felt better!" she laughed, a wild, almost maniacal glint in her eyes. "Oh, this blood? It's nothing dangerous. I just didn't want to heal my hands right away. A little reminder of the pain my son went through."
She smiled kindly, though a sinister undertone lingered. "Don't worry, son, I'm really fine."
She then dragged his bewildered father into the next room. Lyra, overhearing their hushed conversation, informed Adam that his mother had indeed returned to their old world to "deal with" her sister. Adam's dad high-fived his wife, lamenting, "You should've taken me with you!" His mom laughed, "Maybe next time. See if my Kirin lets you join us."
A Growing Family
Adam's mother re-entered the living room, her earlier intensity replaced by a radiant smile. "Adam, I know you're new to this world, but I have a surprise for you. They'll be reaching the door any second now."
Just then, the front door swung open with a bang, and two young girls, about six years old, burst in, arguing about who reached home first. His mother spread her arms wide, beaming. "Here they are, Adam! Your younger sisters. They're twins!"
Adam stared, a new wave of joyful surprise washing over him. He had found his parents, and now, a new family was instantly thrust upon him. The Unknown Lands had been a trial, but the rewards were beyond anything he could have imagined.