The Last Road Home

Chapter 3

The three women glanced at each other, looking confused, then came over to Aren. One rested a hand on his shoulder while another studied his troubled expression through the mirror.

“Would you prefer to postpone our celebration until after you've taken a bath, sir?” she asked, gently running her hand down his arm.

Aren barely noticed her touch. His unfamiliar reflection and the system that identified him as Aren Vale occupied his thoughts, and he needed time alone to make sense of everything.

“A bath would help,” he replied. “I need to clean myself up first.”

“We could join you if you like,” the woman beside him offered with a playful smile.

Aren hesitated, but he had more pressing concerns than enjoying their company. “That's not necessary. I'll call you when I'm ready.”

The women looked disappointed but did not argue. Before leaving, the blue-eyed woman placed the bottle of Phoenix tears on the table beside the bed.

“Apply this to your injuries, and you'll feel much better.”

“Thank you,” Aren replied.

The door shut. He picked the bottle up and just looked at the glowing liquid for a bit. Chest still aching. Missing teeth still there, reminding him what Grimjaw had done. If the medicine worked as promised, he could at least deal with his injuries before facing whatever came next.

He removed the stopper and carefully applied some of the liquid to the wound on his stomach and his swollen gums.

The effect was almost immediate. The bleeding stopped,and the bruises on his skin began to fade. When he checked his mouth, he found that the swelling had decreased and the damaged gums were already healing.

“That's incredible,” he murmured.

The medicine had helped with the injuries, but it hadn’t done anything about the dirt, sweat, and dried blood all over him. He put the bottle down and walked across the room to a door that led to a private bathroom.

Inside there was a big bathtub against the far wall. Warm water was coming out of a stone pipe connected to a natural spring, and the place was already filling with steam.

“Wow, I feel alive already!”

Aren pulled off his bloodstained clothes, stepped into the tub, and sank down into the warm water. He leaned back against the edge and let out a long breath as the heat worked on his sore muscles.

For the first time since he’d woken up in the arena, he actually had a moment to himself.

He submerged his head to wash away the remaining blood, allowing the water to run through his thick black hair. After a few seconds, he surfaced and wiped the water from his gray eyes.

“How are you feeling now? Has the medicine healed your wounds?”

Aren frowned at the unfamiliar voice. He’d turned down the women’s offer to join him, so he wasn’t expecting anyone to walk into the bathroom. He turned toward the noise, already about to tell whoever it was to get the hell out.

But instead he saw a tiny figure floating above the water. She had delicate features and a pair of golden wings fluttering behind her.

“AAAAAH!”

Aren jerked backward, splashing water over the edge of the tub. He quickly covered himself with both hands and stared at the tiny creature.

“Who are you? What are you doing in here? Are you some kind of flying insect?”

The little woman folded her arms, looking offended. “You nearly burst my eardrums! You could at least apologize instead of insulting me.”

“Were you spying on me?” Aren demanded. “Get out!”

He scooped up some water and splashed it at her. She got soaked, and her golden wings sagged under the weight of the water. Seeing her miserable expression, Aren immediately regretted his reaction.

“I'm sorry. I thought you were spying on me.”

She glared at him, waved her hand, and a faint shimmer ran over her. Clothes, skin, wings — all dry in a second.

“Stop making ridiculous accusations! Besides, I have zero interest in staring at your dirty, disgusting body.”

Aren blinked, not sure if he should feel insulted or relieved. He never expected to get chewed out by a tiny winged woman.

“Fine. Then tell me who you are.”

She flew closer and examined his face, paying particular attention to his mouth.

“What are you looking at?” Aren asked, instinctively closing his lips.

“I'm checking whether the medicine worked,” she replied. “You were badly injured, and I needed to make sure you were recovering properly.”

After examining him, she straightened in the air.

“My name is Liora. I'm a fairy, and I've been assigned to guide you.”

“A fairy?” Aren glanced at her golden wings before meeting her eyes again. “Guide me where? And did you bring me here?”

“No. I didn't bring you here, and I can't send you back to your world.” Liora shook her head. “Fairies like me are assigned to people who arrive here from other worlds. Our duty is to guide them and help them find a way home, but their return depends on what they do.”

Aren's expression grew serious. He had awakened in an unfamiliar body, fought a monster, and discovered a mysterious system. Now a fairy was telling him that he had arrived from another world.

“What exactly do I have to do to return?” he asked.

“You must complete a mission,” Liora explained. “Deep in the ocean lives a monster known as Abyssal Dreadmaw, a creature classified at the highest threat level. You must defeat it if you want to return to your original world.”

Aren stared at her, waiting for her to continue.

“Your soul is connected to your original body, and that connection makes your return possible. But there's something you must understand: if you die here, your original body will die too. You won't wake up safely in your own bed.”

For several seconds, Aren remained silent. Then he burst into laughter.

Liora's expression darkened. “What's so funny? Do you think I'm making this up?”

Aren was still trying to catch his breath. Her explanation sounded exactly like a video game plot — dangerous mission, big powerful monster waiting at the end. He’d spent hours playing Realm of the Forgotten with Chloe and Marcus, where dying just meant you tried again.

If this world followed the same rules, he reasoned, dying might be the quickest way to return home.

His laughter faded as he considered the possibility that he could test his theory immediately.

Without answering Liora, Aren took a deep breath and slid beneath the water.

For a moment, the fairy stared at the spot where he had disappeared. Then she realized what he was attempting.

“Hey! What are you doing? Get your head out of the water!”

Liora flew down to the surface, shouting in panic when Aren failed to respond.

“Aren! This isn't a game! You'll die if you keep doing that!”

But Aren remained underwater, convinced that death would return him to his original life. He held his breath as long as he could, ignoring Liora's frantic cries until his lungs began to burn.