NOVEL NEXT Chapter 534: Reunion: It Is Good To Be Home
[Michael's Home.]
The familiar iron gates of the villa came into view as Mira and Maria stepped out of the car, their schoolbags slung over their shoulders. A shared glance of surprise flickered between them as they spotted a familiar figure on the veranda. A surge of excitement propelled them forward.
"Jennifer!!"
"Bestie!!"
Jennifer, Erika, and Tyson turned, smiles lighting up their faces; while Jennifer rose from where she was sitting, walking towards the two girls.
"Slow down, you two," she chuckled, embracing them both tightly. "You're big girls now."
"We missed you so much!" Mira and Maria exclaimed in unison.
They pulled back, and Maria eagerly asked, "When did you return?"
"Just today, about an hour ago, I think," Jennifer replied, her smile warm.
"Bestie, what about brother?" Mira asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"My dear Mira!" Jennifer reassured her, a confident smile gracing her lips. "Your brother is fine... I don't believe anything in this world can truly threaten him anymore."
"That's good to hear," Maria sighed in relief. "What about those bad guys? The gods and Typhon?"
"Micky took care of them all," Jennifer stated definitively. "The whole world is safe now!"
"What a relief!"
Jennifer glanced up, and the rest of the group followed her gaze towards the gate. Rahond and Violet were strolling towards them, hand in hand.
"Oh... Did they finally get together?" Jennifer asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Yeah, Miss Violet said yes about three weeks ago, I think," Mira replied, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Tyson mentioned Michael might be returning, so we rushed over as quickly as we could," Violet explained, a bright smile on her face.
"Yeah," Rahond added his agreement.
Jennifer subtly shifted her gaze towards Tyson, a silent question in her eyes. He seemed to be deliberately looking elsewhere, avoiding her direct stare.
"I hope he didn't announce this to the entire Amerisa," she murmured, her tone a gentle but firm warning.
"Oh... No, no! I only informed the elders... well, I consider them family and close friends now," Tyson quickly clarified, a nervous chuckle escaping him.
Jennifer nodded slowly. "It's good you're all here, but I'm not sure when Michael would be—"
WHOOSH!
Her words were abruptly cut short by a sudden distortion of space behind Violet and Rahond. Erika instantly stood up, her eyes widening. Every head snapped towards the shimmering crack that was rapidly expanding into a swirling gateway.
Anticipation hung heavy in the air as a polished black boot emerged, followed by the rest of Michael. Being a Supreme, his presence radiated an almost otherworldly handsomeness as he walked out from the gateway.
"...."
A collective silence fell over the group.
'Did he... get a makeover? How did Micky get even more handsome?' Jennifer thought in bewildered amusement.
Destroyers, perched regally on Michael's shoulders, and Reaper, who materialized silently behind him, surveyed the familiar surroundings.
"It is good to be home," Destroyers and Reaper said in perfect unison, their voices a low rumble.
"Big Brother!!"
Mira was the first to break free from the spell. Without a moment's hesitation, she dropped her schoolbag and sprinted towards Michael.
A warm smile spread across Michael's face as he saw his younger sister, noticeably taller than he remembered. He opened his arms, and Mira leaped into his embrace.
"What the!" Yers grumbled, as Destroyers took flight from his shoulder.
"I missed you so much!!!" Mira cried, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck.
"I missed you too!" Michael replied, his voice filled with affection.
"Oh, Brother!"
Mira pulled back slightly, her expression shifting. She hurried back to her discarded schoolbag and retrieved a familiar dagger.
"You took that to school?" Michael asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Yes! You said I shouldn't go anywhere without it," Mira said with a small, determined smile. Suddenly, her smile faltered, and her eyes filled with sadness.
"I... I thought you were dead."
Michael gently caressed her hair, offering a reassuring smile.
"But you can see, I'm alive and well... Let's forget all those scary thoughts, okay?"
Mira slowly nodded, her gaze fixed on his face. "You're never leaving me again! Right?"
"Right!" Michael affirmed, squeezing her hand. "I promised."
A genuine smile finally returned to Mira's face.
Michael turned towards Violet and Rahond.
"Michael, we missed you," Violet said warmly, stepping forward to embrace him briefly.
"We knew nothing could truly harm our Guild Master," Rahond added, shaking Michael's hand with a respectful nod.
"How is Amerisa?" Michael inquired.
"Hey! This is not the time for that!" Maria interjected playfully. She stepped forward and enveloped Michael in a tight hug. "You have some serious making up to do with my sister. She's been so reckless lately," she whispered in his ear before pulling back.
"Thank you, Maria," Michael said with a grateful nod. He then turned and began walking towards the villa, a sense of quiet anticipation surrounding him.
Tyson hurried to catch up, throwing an arm around Michael's shoulders in a brotherly hug. "Bro, I'm throwing a welcome back party for you tonight! The whole of Amerisa will celebrate your return... We've got the grand hotel booked, everything's taken care of."
Michael pulled back slightly, raising a questioning eyebrow at Tyson.
"Don't worry, you can just show up and leave whenever you want..." Tyson added with a nervous chuckle.
Michael sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. "Okay, go ahead... At least you'll be wasting your own money."
He clapped Tyson on the shoulder and continued towards the villa.
'Wasting my money? I have more than a trillion! Spending a few billion is nothing!' Tyson thought to himself, a wide grin spreading across his face.
'I need to make a video!'
He quickly took out his phone.
Knock!
"Come on, let's go get ready," Jennifer said, playfully knocking Tyson on the head. Before he could protest, she grabbed his arm and steered him towards their sleek Lexus.
Michael finally reached Erika, stopping directly in front of her. She remained frozen, her mind seemingly struggling to reconcile the man before her with the image she held in her memory.
"My Love... I am so sorry for all the—"
Michael's words were cut short as Erika surged forward, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce embrace. She pulled back just enough to pepper his face with kisses, her lips finally lingering on his.
She buried her face in his neck again, her breath catching in her throat.
"I missed you so much!" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Michael gently stroked her silver hair, a tender smile gracing his lips. "I am here now, and I will never leave you again."
"You promise?" she asked, inhaling his familiar scent as if to reassure herself he was real.
"I promise," he affirmed, holding her close.