The air around them was thick with uncertainty. The mansion—once their home—loomed in the distance, but it felt alien, as though time had warped everything. The brothers, standing in front of the man they thought they'd lost forever, could hardly recognize him. The father they remembered was gone, replaced by a figure so powerful and imposing that it sent a shiver down their spines.
Aleron Helios—strong, regal, commanding—was nothing like the timid, shy man they had known.
"My... my sons?" His voice cracked with emotion. "After all this time, you're really here... My sons..."
For a long moment, the brothers simply stared at him, feeling a wave of conflicting emotions. This was him? The man who had once been a shadow of himself, who had protected them despite his own fears. And yet, now he was powerful, unrecognizable, and far beyond the weak man they remembered.
Vexen blinked, taking in the changed man before him. His expression softened ever so slightly, but he kept his voice even, trying to hide his own confusion. "...It's been a long time, Father."
Draegen nodded, his eyes guarded. "Yeah. We... we thought we'd lost you. But we found you. We came back."
Aleron's gaze swept over them, his eyes brimming with emotion. "Where have you been all these years? What happened to you?" His voice trembled, his hands shaking slightly as he took a step forward, reaching out for them. "I thought I lost you all. What happened? Why didn't you come back? Why did you leave?"
For a long moment, the brothers stood in silence, each of them struggling to maintain their composure. The father they remembered had been a pillar of warmth, but now he seemed like a stranger. His appearance—strong, powerful—was so different, it made them unsure of how to act. They were no longer the children he had known.
Valthor was the first to speak, his voice soft but filled with a certain weight. "It's... It's not that we wanted to leave, Father. We've been through a lot. Too much." He faltered slightly, glancing at his brothers for support. "We had to survive. We couldn't come back until... until we understood everything. Until we were ready."
Aleron's brow furrowed. "But why now? Why after all these years? Where did you go?"
Vexen, ever the smooth talker, shuffled nervously, avoiding his father's gaze. His usual confidence had momentarily slipped, replaced by something unfamiliar. "We were... working, you know? Exploring the world, seeing what was out there. It wasn't safe to come back earlier. Things were... complicated. But we're here now. That's what matters."
Aleron's eyes locked onto Vexen, and the older brother could feel the weight of his father's stare. It was as if he was trying to read him, to understand why they had stayed away. The tension in the air thickened, but the brothers didn't dare reveal the truth.
Aleron's voice broke again, and his hands clenched into fists. "All these years... I thought you were lost. Where did you go? Why didn't you come back to me?"
The brothers winced but kept their faces passive. They were hiding so much. Valthor finally sighed, rubbing his temple. "We thought... it was best this way, Dad. We didn't want to drag you into it. We're sorry." He spoke with such sincerity that it almost felt like a confession.
The father looked like he wanted to say more, but something in his eyes softened. He slowly stepped forward, and in that quiet moment, his voice trembled again. "I see... So much time has passed. I didn't want to lose any of you. I did everything I could to protect you."
The brothers didn't know how to respond to that. They couldn't let him know the truth—not now, not yet. Not when they were still trying to figure out how this world had changed, and how they fit into it.
Aleron's eyes glistened as he looked at them, his voice cracking. "But you're here now... After all these years... I never thought I'd see you again."
Vexen, always the most playful of the brothers, couldn't help but let out a small, strained laugh, masking the tears that threatened to form. "We're here now, Father. That's all that matters. You're not alone anymore."
Aleron nodded, a weak smile tugging at his lips. But it was clear that his mind was still racing with questions, with doubts, with confusion.
"What happened to the Helios family?" he asked, voice still filled with that old worry. "Where is everyone? Why is this mansion so... different?"
The brothers exchanged uncertain glances. They were walking on a fine line—one slip, and the truth might come spilling out.
"We... We didn't know what happened either," Draegen lied smoothly, masking his discomfort with a tight-lipped smile. "Things have... changed a lot. We don't know why this place looks so different. It's all part of the world shifting, you know?"
Aleron stared at them, his gaze lingering. Something didn't add up. But he didn't press them further. Not yet.
The brothers didn't feel strong enough to tell him everything. But one thing was certain: they had found him. No matter how much time had passed, no matter how different he seemed, they were together again.
And they would find out the truth, no matter what it took.
Aleron's voice trembled as he continued, his expression shifting from joy to something more serious. "I'm glad you're all back... but there's something else you should know." He paused, his eyes flickering with a depth of emotion that was hard to read. The brothers exchanged wary glances, sensing the change in his tone.
"You have... new family members now," Aleron said softly, as if the words were difficult to speak.
The brothers' eyes widened. They looked at each other in disbelief.
"What... what do you mean?" Valthor asked, his calm demeanor faltering for the first time. He could feel his heart racing, the weight of something heavy pressing against him. "New family members?"
Aleron nodded slowly, a sad but proud smile tugging at his lips. "You... you have sisters now. Four of them."
The brothers stared at him, their minds racing to understand. Sisters? How could that be?
Kaelen was the first to speak, his voice tense with confusion. "Sisters? How is that possible? We—"
"I know it's hard to understand," Aleron cut him off, his voice full of emotion. "But after... after the years of searching for you, I thought I had lost all of you. Your mother and I never gave up hope, but... we couldn't find you. After a year of trying, we made a decision. We... we couldn't let the Helios family name fade, so we made children of our own—strong children—who could one day come back and meet you. They're your blood, born from your mother and me. They are your sisters."
The air seemed to freeze around the brothers. Vexen was the first to react, shaking his head as if he couldn't process what he was hearing. "Wait... you're telling me we have... sisters now? You and Mom... after we disappeared... made four more children?"
Aleron nodded solemnly. "Yes. After all the years of searching, we couldn't just sit idle. Your mother... she couldn't bear losing all of you. So, we made sure they would be strong, and when the time came, they would meet you. But... they're not like ordinary children. They've been raised with strength and discipline, prepared for the day you would return."
The brothers blinked, a mixture of confusion and disbelief washing over them. Raised with strength and discipline?
But, of course, they all knew the truth—none of them had been trained by their parents. They were still teenagers when they had been transported to Alexandria, a world they had never anticipated. It was there, in Alexandria, that they first learned the true depths of magic and power. That was the world where they began their journey—where they were shaped by harsh battles and challenges, learning to harness their strength, long before they had any idea of what awaited them in Murim. Alexandria had been their first home in another world, a place where they grew stronger and battled their way to greatness. And then came Murim, their second world, where they truly solidified their power.
They had been the ones who trained themselves, not their parents. But they kept their strength hidden, not wanting their father to know how truly powerful they were.
Aleron smiled proudly, clearly unaware of the brothers' hidden strength. "They've been raised well. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you. Don't worry about anything. Your mother, your sister, and I—we can protect you all from harm. You don't need to worry about a thing. You're home now."
The brothers exchanged awkward glances. Protect them? Did their father really think they needed protection?
Valthor, trying to hide the grin that was starting to form, cleared his throat. "We... we appreciate it, Father, but we can handle ourselves just fine." He gave his brothers a subtle look, signaling for them to play along.
Kaelen nodded, his face hard to read. "Yeah, we've been through a lot. We'll manage."
But inside, the brothers were already going crazy with the thought of their upcoming reunion. Sisters? Four of them? They had no idea what they were about to walk into, but the thought of meeting their new family was... well, it was kind of exciting. And a bit terrifying.
Vexen's eyes lit up mischievously, a sly grin creeping across his face. "Hehehe... this is going to be so fun," he muttered under his breath, his mind already working on the best way to prank his new sisters. "I shall prank them... hehe."
Kaelen, trying to contain his laughter, couldn't help but add, "What if one of them's a berserker like me? I could give them a run for their money. But I'll go easy on them, of course." He chuckled to himself, imagining the chaos.
Draegen, always the strategic one, scratched his chin. "If they're as strong as Dad says, maybe I should be... careful. But we'll see how they handle a few tricks," he said with a smirk. "I might need to test them out."
Valthor, the oldest and typically the most controlled, sighed dramatically. "If they're anything like us, they'll be insufferable," he said, rolling his eyes. "I mean, really—how bad could it be?" He shot a side glance at his brothers, clearly trying to mask his excitement.
Aleron watched them all, confused but smiling fondly. "You'll see them soon enough. They've been waiting for you, just like I have."
The brothers nodded, each of them feeling a strange mix of excitement and apprehension. The prospect of meeting their sisters, after everything that had happened, was something they hadn't expected. Their father, however, was too busy with his own emotions to notice the playfulness in his sons' eyes.
"We'll be ready," Valthor said, his tone calm but tinged with an unspoken excitement.
Aleron looked pleased, his smile growing wider. "Good. You should meet them as soon as you can. It'll be... quite the reunion."