After several hours of quiet rest on the ship's leather couches, the steady hum of the engine and the subtle rocking of the vessel had lulled the world into a peaceful blur. Zay slowly rose, stretching slightly before making his way to the steel door. His boots echoed lightly against the metallic flooring as he pulled it open, stepping into the dim hallway. A soft breeze trailed behind him as the door creaked shut, and he continued walking until he reached a room just to the left of the control room. Without a word, he stepped inside and quietly closed the door behind him, locking it with a flick of the handle.
"t's been on my mind for hours..." he muttered, his voice low. "Typically, they're fine for the first seven years... then that's when the real problems start for them. But nothing has gone right in this reset—besides fucking Ronald... which, honestly? That's saying a lot, considering he wasn't even a threat when I killed him. So maybe... maybe going home just to check things out isn't such a bad idea. I hope everything is fine."
Zay exhaled through his nose, frustration flickering in his eyes as he walked over to a simple wooden chair in the corner of the room. He shrugged off the thick fur coat Renzo had given him and draped it over the backrest, the fabric folding softly with a heavy thud. Turning, he approached the dark red curtains that framed the wide window and pulled them closed, casting the room into a darkness.
The rain began moments later—gentle at first, then steadily picking up. It pattered against the darkened glass ceiling above the deck, the sound muffled but present, like a thousand tiny fingertips tapping in rhythm. Each drop distorted the moonlight that shone through, casting wavering silver shadows across the walls and floor.
Zay collapsed onto the bed, letting himself sink into the mattress. His gaze lingered on the ceiling above—polished red marble. Veins of darker crimson ran through it like old blood, and for a moment, he felt as though it was breathing with him. He let out a tired sigh, closed his eyes, and drifted into sleep before a full minute passed.
Lily remained on the couch for over an hour after Zay left, her fingers loosely laced across her lap as thoughts swirled endlessly in her mind. The steady beat of the rain overhead gave rhythm to her silence. Eventually, she stood and walked toward the ship's metal railing.
The moon hung low in the sky, its pale glow reflected in the black waters below. Lily stared down at her reflection, distorted by both ripples and rain.
'I'm not sure, honestly. I've enjoyed every moment with them... but maybe I should stay behind. Since Renzo, Zay, and Silver won't be home, I could help our parents. I wouldn't have to worry... not about them, or about Maple.'
She leaned her elbows against the railing, folding her arms and resting her chin on top. The rain misted gently around her, and she didn't move—just stared out into the open water, letting the silence soak into her skin for several long, slow minutes.
Eventually, she turned from the railing and stepped back underneath the darkened glass of the deck. She made her way to steel door before walking into the hallway. Her footsteps light on the hallway's floor. She passed several doors until she came across four rooms with beds. She paused at the first one, opened it slowly, and stepped in.
With a soft click, she locked the door behind her. The room smelled faintly of polished wood and clean linen. She walked over to the large window, pulled the black curtains closed, and sat on the bed without saying a word. The rain whispered outside, and for now, that was enough.
Renzo woke up on the couch and chuckled lightly as he heard the rain before closing his eyes again and instantly falling back asleep.
After four days on the ocean, each day passing by slowly as they all went on with their own things. Zay focused on meditating, Renzo decided to workout for several hours everyday. And Lily? She decided to go through the ship and found a staircase in the bedroom on the right of the control room. At the bottom of the staircase, a part of it was filled with wooden barrels, and the rest of it was shelves with books, and a long stone table with several chains around the table. She had been spending her time reading books and when they all met and spoke to each other, it was mainly just for eating cooked meals on a stove which Zay cooked for them.
On the fifth day, they docked at the port in the Ovaris Empire. Zay grabbed the chain and one of the guards at the port saw the ship and walked over before the guard nodded and Zay threw the chain over to him. The guard caught it and almost got dragged into the ocean before barely catching himself with a grunt and tied the chain around a large pole that was made from metal, steel, Iron, and other materials.
The boards of the ship fell and landed onto the dock as the three of them got off of the ship and stretched their bodies out a bit.
"Let's get going? I don't want to wait any longer than necessary. We have a lot to do until we can get into the second sequence." Zay said before walking away instantly. Renzo nodded and began walking off with him. Lily followed behind her two brothers.
After walking into the marketplace of Ovaris, Zay couldn't help but smile seeing the place at dawn. Merchants getting ready to open, blacksmiths at work already, hammering away. The trio walked through the marketplace as rain started to drizzle down before immediately turning into a storm of rain as it cam down heavily.
"I'll never miss the damn rain of this place. That's for sure." Renzo muttered under his breath before Zay nodded in agreement.
Rain hammered against rooftops, rain cascading down in rivulets against fogged window of different shops within the marketplace.
They walked past the marketplace, their boots slamming into large puddles of water as it splashed across the cracked stone ground. Making their way to the middle-class district. Zay took them through alleyways. They twisted and turned in several different ways until they found their house and stopped walking.
"Well... this will be... what's the word I'm looking for?" Zay asked, turning his attention to Renzo and Lily.
"I think the word you're looking for is... awkward." Lily replied before swallowing hard.
"That's definitely the word," Zay muttered, his voice low as the rain tapped steadily on his shoulders. He took a slow breath, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.
For a long moment, there was only the sound of rain cascading from the rooftops, splattering into the shallow puddles forming at their feet. Then came the muffled thuds of footsteps—heavy and uneven, drawing closer.
The door swung open with a loud creak, revealing Dale Yuso, clad in a worn long black robe, hair disheveled and eyes fierce with frustration.
"I told you officer pieces of sh—"
He froze mid-rant, his eyes landing on Zay. Then on Renzo. Then on Lily.
His voice caught in his throat.
"I-Is this… a dream?"
Without waiting for a reply, he stepped out into the rain and grabbed Zay into a bone-crushing hug. There was no hesitation in the way his arms shook around him. He pulled Renzo in next, clapping his back hard, then Lily—gently, protectively. A storm raged above, but none of them seemed to notice.
"J-Just where the hell did you all go!?"
"Why the hell are you yelling so much?" came a familiar voice from deeper inside the house.
Rosemary stepped into the living room a plate in her hand and she looked up, curious about the yelling.
Her breath hitched. The plate slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.
She bolted forward without a second thought, her arms wrapping around Lily with an urgency born of sleepless nights. Then Renzo. Then Zay. Finally, she pulled all three into one massive embrace, trembling as she buried her face into her son's shoulder.
"Where the hell did you go!?" Her voice cracked. "It's been over a fucking year!"
They stepped inside, rainwater trailing behind them, the warmth of the home slowly wrapping around their soaked forms. The faint scent of rosemary stew lingered in the air. Furniture looked untouched, the fireplace empty, and yet it all felt smaller than they remembered.
Before they could respond, the soft thump of bare feet echoed from the hallway.
Maple emerged in a loose leather coat that was zipped and long black pajama pants, her messy hair even more unruly than usual.
She blinked and stared.
Then she ran.
"Zay!"
She tackled him hard enough to knock the wind out of him, sending him toppling backward onto the floor with a grunt. He coughed, laughing through it.
"D-Damn," he rasped, hugging her tightly.
She clung to him like a lifeline before launching herself at Lily and Renzo, tackling them both in one motion as they all collapsed into a tangled heap on the floor, laughing and half-crying.
They stayed like that for a while. Holding. Reassuring. Letting the weight of the year crash down in silence.
An hour passed before the tears stopped, replaced with steaming mugs of tea and dry towels wrapped around their shoulders as they sat gathered in the living room, the rain still pouring outside like it was trying to catch up with time lost.
Zay sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he finally spoke.
"We… landed on Milo first. By accident. After that, we ended up on the continent of Quivarem. We stayed there most of the time. Found someone to stay with, and left it a week ago… and headed straight back here. There's some more to it but to keep it all nice and simple, this is all that happened."
Renzo nodded, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.
"We didn't waste a second."
Lily gave a small smile. "We just wanted to come home."
Dale looked between them, his mouth tight with emotion, then leaned back in his seat, wiping his eyes with the side of his hand.
"Welcome home, kids."
Outside, thunder rolled distantly as the storm continued to fall, but within the Yuso household, warmth had finally returned.
Zay sat in silence for a moment before finally speaking.
"…Renzo and Lily might stay… but I have to go. I don't have much time left. I-I'm sorry. Just… whatever you do," he said firmly, standing up and turning to face the door. "I strongly recommend leaving the empire within the next two years. Move to the far side of the continent. There's a village called Summitset. It's safe there."
Without waiting on anyone to reply, without saying another word or a glance back, Zay reached for the door handle, pulled it open, and stepped outside, closing it gently behind him.
'I love them… but if I stay here, nothing will change. I've tried before—staying with them, hoping things would be different—but I'm never strong enough to stop what's coming. If I want even a sliver of a chance, I have to do this. Still… Ovaris really is on time with producing more Earth-like clothing. Never understood how they managed that so quickly—from the moment I arrived, to seeing full wardrobes a few months later. Honestly, it's impressive.'
He stepped down the small stone steps outside the house, the soles of his boots lightly tapping against the slick surface as he looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly rising toward its peak, dimly glowing behind thick, shifting clouds.
Rain soaked his hair, streaking down his face as he lowered his gaze and exhaled softly through his nose. Then, with his hands tucked into the pockets of his fur coat, Zay began to walk away slowly.
"It's about time I finally let go of all the sentimental bullshit," Zay muttered, his voice low and unwavering. "I need to get stronger… far stronger than I ever have in any reset. And this time… with the Monster Core, I will."
A sharp smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he pulled one hand from his pocket and wiped the cold rain from his face—only for more to take its place instantly, streaming down like the world itself was trying to wash him clean. Unbothered, he tucked his hand back into his coat, the smirk never fading.