Chapter 50 · The Night of Coming Home
City Government District One · Secure Residential Zone
Hidden deep within the city’s greenbelt, the government’s secure residential compound lay encircled by dense forest.
The terrain was layered and intricate, with only a few internal routes linking it to the main roads and the underground levels of City Hall—
a forbidden zone where no unauthorized civilian could even draw near.
A black sedan rolled to a silent stop before a two-story villa.
Not extravagant, but spacious: a small courtyard, high perimeter walls, and a quiet warmth beneath its layers of security.
YiChen had barely stepped out of the car when the front door burst open—
“Brother!”
ChengYu shot out like a cannonball, colliding into him with a thud.
YiChen grunted—the kid was still as strong as ever.
He ruffled his brother’s hair, and for the first time in days, something inside him eased.
“Been doing alright?”
“Yeah!” ChengYu beamed, eyes bright as starlight. “You don’t know, Bro—so many people came wanting to meet you! Then the police brought us here… but Vivi’s gone missing…”
Zhang Han hurried out, eyes shimmering with tears.
“Xiao Chen—you’re home… Was the mission smooth? Are you hurt?”
YiChen’s smile softened. “It went fine. I’m okay, Mom.”
Mark appeared in the doorway, relief breaking through the lines on his face.
“Don’t just stand there—come in. Hungry?”
“Now that you mention it…” YiChen touched his stomach. “Kind of.”
Zhang Han turned instantly toward the kitchen. “Dinner will be ready soon. Sit down and rest.”
She hugged him briefly, and for a heartbeat YiChen caught the faint scent of cooking oil and detergent—familiar, ordinary, safe.
The air filled with the aroma of soup simmering.
ChengYu chattered about the past few days; Mark poured water quietly and listened.
Zhang Han busied herself at the stove.
The blood, the screams, the despair—none of it seemed real here.
YiChen sat in the living room, listening to the rhythm of the knife against the cutting board, watching the sunset stretch tree-shadows long across the windowpane.
For now, the pain was gone.
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This… was home.
?
After Dinner
They gathered around the table while YiChen recounted the mission.
ChengYu rested his chin on his hands, eyes wide.
“Bro! You really chopped down that many Fiends with an axe? That’s so cool!”
YiChen smiled faintly, glossing over the blood and danger, painting it as a light adventure.
But Zhang Han knew her son too well—the gentler his tone, the heavier the truth beneath it.
Her fingers twisted the edge of her apron, then deliberately relaxed.
“So you’ll be accelerating the test-field growth at City Hall tomorrow?” Mark asked, voice mild.
“Yeah.” YiChen nodded. “You want to come?”
“Yes! Yes!” ChengYu nearly bounced out of his chair. “Bro, I want to go!”
Zhang Han laughed. “Of course Mom wants to see you work.”
Mark smiled. “We’ll all go.”
“Awesome!” ChengYu cheered, darting behind YiChen and throwing his arms around his brother’s neck.
“Finally, I get to go with you! Can’t wait for tomorrow!”
YiChen let him hang there, a smile tugging at his lips.
Outside, night deepened.
Inside, the lights glowed warm and steady.
?
Later
Hot water washed away the fatigue that clung to him.
Towel-drying his hair, YiChen pushed open the bedroom door—and stopped.
ChengYu sat cross-legged on the bed, grinning mischievously.
“Bro, watch this!”
Before YiChen could reply, ChengYu closed his eyes and formed a seal.
A gentle current of Spirit Force rose within him, condensing into a soft azure sphere between his palms.
The glow pulsed with his breathing—steady, controlled, perfectly balanced.
For a moment, YiChen saw another version of him—the one from his fractured memories of a life long lost.
A faint ache bloomed in his chest.
The warmth from the shower turned cold.
The light circled ChengYu three times before he drew it back in.
He opened his eyes, face bright with anticipation.
“Bro, how was that? I’ve gotten better, right?”
YiChen sat beside him, ruffling his hair.
“Yeah. Really well done.”
ChengYu’s eyes sparkled. He hesitated, then asked softly,
“Then… next time you go on a mission, can I come with you?”
The room went still.
YiChen’s breath caught.
That eager face blurred into another—his brother sprawled across scorched earth, flames roaring like molten rock, the helplessness of watching it happen, powerless to stop it.
Pressure built in his chest—heavy, suffocating.
He lowered his head, pretending to fix ChengYu’s fringe—to hide his eyes.
After a long pause, he said gently, evasively,
“You did great. Better than most adults already.”
ChengYu lifted his face, waiting for a yes.
YiChen stayed silent for a while, then murmured,
“But… Xiao Yu, you can grow stronger still.
Fighting isn’t the goal. Protecting is.
If you want to stand beside me one day… that makes me proud.”
His gaze softened, though sorrow flickered behind it.
“But for now… you don’t need to take risks.”
ChengYu froze, lips parting—but didn’t argue.
YiChen patted his shoulder and drew him briefly into a hug.
“Give me a little time,” he whispered. “Let me finish these battles first. When it’s safe again…”
ChengYu felt his brother trembling—just slightly.
He hugged him back, whispering so quietly it almost vanished into the dark,
“Okay.”
Wind brushed the treetops outside; the curtains swayed faintly.
Inside, silence settled.
They said nothing more—
because nothing more needed to be said.
?
Midnight
The house slept.
Moonlight slipped through a slit in the curtains, laying a pale stripe across the floor.
From a pile of laundry in the washroom, a forgotten pink rabbit Light Beast wriggled free.
It twitched its ears, sniffed the air, and hopped onto the kitchen windowsill—
where Zhang Han’s carefully grown pot of cilantro released its fresh, tempting scent.
The little creature tilted its head, eyes glimmering red in the dark.
Then, without hesitation, it bent down—
and began to nibble.
