I closed my eyes for a moment, letting their voices sink in, the weight of the reunion pressing down on me. My voice cracked as I replied, "It's good to be back home."

  We settled into the settee, a sense of familiarity and comfort returning. Elvina and Master sat in front of us, while my familiar moved toward Master.

  She looked at me, her face filled with concern, and asked gently, "Can you tell me what happened?"

  I took a deep breath, steadying myself before speaking. "When you were all unconscious, a beast came toward me. It grabbed me and took me deep into the forest, moving with incredible speed. After an hour, it finally stopped near its children."

  As I spoke, I caught a glimpse of Master's face—calm, impassive, but attentive, listening carefully to every word, just as my parents were.

  I continued, "Then, out of nowhere, a man appeared and killed the beast with a single strike of his sword."

  Master's lips curled into a small smirk at that, though he said nothing.

  I pressed on, "He told me to become his apprentice and live with him for five years. I wanted to contact you both, to let you know I was alive and safe, but there was no way to reach you. Still, Master showed me through magic that you and the others had made it out of the forest. I asked him to let me meet with you, but he refused. He feared I might become too emotionally attached and turn down the chance to grow stronger."

  Mom and Dad stood, stepping closer to Master, gratitude in their eyes. "Thank you. Thank you for saving our child. We are forever in your debt," they said.

  Master gave a slight nod. "I merely did what anyone would have done in that moment. Your child shows immense potential, so I made him my student. It's a duty to meet the parents of such a remarkable young one. But there are great challenges ahead, and he must grow stronger."

  Without asking further questions, Mom and Dad returned to their seats. Mom, her brow furrowed in curiosity, asked, "What is this little beast?"

  I smiled at the familiar perched on my shoulder. "I found an egg near the beast's children. I took it and cared for it until it hatched. Her name is Aurora. She's my familiar, and we can communicate inside our minds."

  Their eyes widened in disbelief. Dad, ever the skeptic, asked, "But I've heard that people can only use the power of their familiars. How can you speak to hers?"

  "I don't know," I admitted. "When Aurora hatched, I imbued some mana into her to bond with her, and that's when this mark appeared on my palm. Suddenly, she started speaking to me in my mind."

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  They were stunned, trying to make sense of it all. Dad was the first to speak, his voice full of wonder. "You said you've been training. Tell me, how have you progressed?"

  Mom, her face full of concern, added softly, "Dear, he's only just returned from near death. Can you be patient?"

  I smiled reassuringly. "It's alright, Mom. It's time I told you both everything. After all, I was planning to share it with you both soon anyway."

  I gave them a proud grin, my voice carrying a touch of pride. "I've reached the Dark Orange stage in my mana core, though I'm still not sure about controlling my aura."

  Dad's eyes lit up with pride. "Brilliant, my boy. You've clearly been training hard with your master."

  Just then, a polite cough interrupted us. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I overheard that your son is alive and has returned."

  Mom and Dad both turned, smiling warmly. "Ah, Liam," Mom said, recognizing the voice.

  Liam nodded with a grin. "I've heard of your accomplishments, Rayon. Reaching the Dark Orange stage at your age is no small feat. Remarkable."

  He glanced toward the door, then added, "My wife and two children are outside and would like to meet someone as extraordinary as you. May they come in?"

  Aurora hopped up on my shoulder, and I nodded in acknowledgment. We stood as Liam led his family into the room.

  A woman, about mother age, with vibrant green eyes and matching green hair, entered first. Behind her, a younger girl, smaller than me, with black hair just like his Dad and green eyes, followed closely, her face full of curiosity. A boy, my age, with the same physical appearance walked in behind them, his expression unreadable. The woman smiled warmly as she introduced herself.

  "My name is Canya Carnet. These are my children—Casia Ronhard, my younger daughter, and Calvin Ronhard, my son." She gave them both a playful pat and said, "I hope you all become good friends."

  I returned the introduction with a smile. "Nice to meet you. I'm Rayon Krater, son of Yuna and Albert Krater. This is my familiar, Aurora and the man standing next to me is my master, Agious."

  Liam chuckled softly. "Ah, so this is your master."

  I nodded. "Yes, he's the one who saved me in the forest."

  Liam looked at Master with newfound respect. "So, I take it your master will be staying here?"

  I nodded again. "Yes, I'd like to discuss it with you. He'll be staying with me for my training."

  Liam paused, considering the matter. "Of course, but there's something else. I've heard much about your skills. My daughter is seven and has already formed her mana core. My son is eight, and he did the same by age seven. I was wondering... could your master train them as well?"

  Master turned to me, seeking my opinion. I gave him a subtle nod, signaling my agreement.

  He smiled, bowing his head slightly. "Of course, it would be an honor. But there is one condition. I'll only be staying for six months so...."

  Liam nodded, understanding. "That's fine. But if you don't mind, I'd like to spar with you first. I need to know for sure that I'm choosing the right master for my children."

  Master chuckled softly. "Ah, doubt, is it? Very well. I have no problem with that but do spar with my student for your satisfaction. Let's see if I can prove my worth to you by this."

  Liam looked at me with wide eyes and there was a surprising reaction on his face. After some moment he said, "Rayon, would you mind sparring with me?"

  I smiled. "Of course, let's get this over with."

  Master called me and whispered in my ear, "Don't use goddess power or familiar."

  I said, "Yeah, I know."

  We both moved to the training field, our families gathering around to watch. Master's voice cut through the air, calm and authoritative. "Begin!"

  And just like that, the match began.