Sarah decided to take them home by cab. The way they were dressed, she thought it would be too much for the bus ride home.

Once she called Vanessa, news about Matthew’s return spread like wildfire. Soon there were people calling her to confirm that he was back. Some people she didn’t even know.

Sarah kept replying to everyone on her phone while Matthew went to take a shower and change clothes. Not because he was dirty, but because he was finally home and wanted to relax under a hot shower.

After the shower, he put on some pants and went back into the bathroom. Looking at the mirror, his beard and hair, he chuckled. He did look like a bum.

"But it’s an improvement over the pirate." Sarah joked when she caught him examining his face and guessing what he was thinking.

"I’m going to miss using the eyepatch to school." He joked as well and started to shave. "Can’t believe you haven’t thrown away my stuff." He said, talking about his toiletries.

"I knew you’d be back." Sarah smiled, leaning on the door and just watched her brother shave. "I missed you, jerk." She added.

"Missed you too, sis." He replied, tapping shaving cream on the sink.

"Let me cut your hair." Sarah said, coming inside and taking a pair of scissors as soon as he was done shaving.

Ffyr was in Matthew’s room with Tylith showing her how the computer worked when the downstairs door opened.

Hurried steps were heard and soon Matthew’s mother stood at the bathroom door with her hands over her mouth and tears flowing over her eyes.

"My baby!" She said, crying while looking at Sarah trimming his hair.

Martha then rushed and hugged Matthew with all her might and cried loudly.

Sarah just smiled with the scissors in her hands and tears coming back to her eyes.

When their father joined them upstairs and hugged Matthew with the same intensity as their mother, no one could hold their tears.

After a long time, they all finally got tired of standing in the middle of the bathroom, hugging each other, and let go. Matthew then sat down and Sarah finished cutting his hair.

While she finished his hair, Matthew told them how he got back to Earth.

"I knew God would help my son. I prayed every day." Martha said.

"It’s true. Ever since you got lost there, your mother started going to church to pray for you." Robert, their father, said.

"That must be why Avariel found us." Ffyr said, poking her head inside the bathroom.

"Ffyr?!" Martha exclaimed, seeing the fairy as tall as a human. "My god, how have you grown!" She added and hugged her. "It’s so good to see you too!"

Robert waved at Ffyr since Martha’s hold was too strong on her.

"Who’s Avariel?" He asked.

"An angel that helped us." Matthew didn’t give much details.

"That other woman in your bedroom?" Matthew’s father asked. He passed through his room before finding him in the bathroom.

"No. That’s Tylith. She’s..." Matthew didn’t know how to introduce her.

"I’m a succubus." Tylith said, getting close. "I helped them as well in exchange for coming to Earth with them."

Martha didn’t act scared at all from the revelation that she was a demon. Instead, she took Tylith’s hand in hers and squeezed gently. "Thank you for bringing our Matt back."

That made the demoness blush and mumble "you’re welcomed".

"Oh yeah. Grandma Ma sent you this!" Ffyr took another cookie bag and gave it to Martha.

"Wait, mom?" Matthew’s mom asked incredulously.

"We had to go to heaven for a while to be able to return." Matthew explained. "Grandma took us in while we were there."

Martha cried, ate a cookie and cried again. She prayed in her head for her mother, thanking her for everything.

Sarah lent some clothes to Tylith since her mother commented on how she "dressed like a whore". Ffyr refused to change clothes.

Soon after the doorbell rang. It was Vanessa, Eric and Katia. The little girl, now 9 years old, ran past everyone and hugged Matthew first.

"Uncle Matt!"

Vanessa hugged him soon after.

"You came back, you bastard. Making us worry like that."

Eric just gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

"You’re a tough bastard."

"Who the hell gave you permission to come back now?!" A female voice shouted at the front door that was still open.

It was Paula alongside her brother Michael.

"I just picked a Somniomancer class today to talk to you and you decide to come back today?!" She complained while hugging him and crying. "Thank god." She added.

Michael only gave him a quick hug.

"Welcome back, man."

"Erin said that she and the girls will come tomorrow. Erin is going to Nuilynn to fetch your girlfriend." Sarah said to Matthew while everyone got comfortable in the living room.

Tylith sat by Michael’s side and rested her legs over his smiling at him seductively.

Martha sat down holding Matthew’s hand on another couch with Sarah holding his other hand on the other side.

Robert and Eric brought chairs from the kitchen so that everyone could be seated.

Katia was marveling at Ffyr’s size and clothes.

"You look so cool!" The kid commented.

While the fairy played with the girl, Matthew told everyone there the full course of events that happened in hell.

How he aided Aym to defeat Beleth. How he spent 2 years in Violentia just surviving. How Avariel came to him to help save her sister. The battles he had to save Nanael. Meeting Belial at Haeresis and how the demon king restored his soul to normal.

"Why would he do that?" Vanessa inquired, still not able to leave her lawyer side behind her.

"I have no idea. The only demand he made was for me to keep this sword at my side." Matthew explained showing them the dark blade.

"It doesn’t matter." Martha said, tapping Matthew’s hand affectionately. "He’s back now and he’s healed. We can worry later."

Vanessa smiled, but could not relax. Matthew owed his return to a demon king powerful enough to be a greater god.

Then Matthew told them the events that happened in Ira. About Vine and how Tylith helped them find Mitzrael and how now she was to live on Earth away from the demon king Vine.

Michael was particularly moved by Tylith’s story. Either because she was openly flirting with him or because her story made him remember what his own sister went through.

Paula, on the other hand, was cautious about the demoness. It was not because she accepted Matthew’s demonic side when he had one that she would accept a literal demon.

She admonished her brother in private when he started flirting back with Tylith.

Then Matthew told them about heaven and how he found his grandma there. He offered them all the cookies he brought from heaven which were not only delicious, but also covered in holy energy. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Matthew answered some questions, but soon the conversation shifted to other topics.

They told him that the Howling Spear guild was condemned by the demonic invasion and all who were not dead were now in jail. Sarah showed him her stats, how she was training hard to be an adventurer.

It was really impressive. They all were putting an extra effort to become more powerful. All of them with the sole purpose of helping Matthew in hell.

Paula and Michael had just leveled up to level 21 that same day. Eric was at level 31. And Vanessa showed him the same focus and determination she showed when hunting the Howling Spear guild. She was now level 26. She had an impressive 148 Agility. Matthew was at 60, but could go as high as 150 with his Unholy Mana skill.

"The girls at Laufgraan were no different. Even Tina was working hard as hell." Sarah commented. "Lynn herself was level 29 when last I heard."

"29?" Matthew asked, surprised.

"She and Vanessa were both possessed to help you. You should’ve seen them." Sarah said.

"They both started to go into dungeons together after you left." Eric said, his arm going over Vanessa’s shoulders.

Vanessa blushed a little with the proximity.

After the Howling Spear guild was arrested, both of them could close the wounds in their hearts. With time, the proximity and taking care of Katia, both of them ended up in a relationship.

"I’m glad for you." Matthew smiled genuinely.

After much discussion, Michael convinced Paula into letting Tylith stay with them in their apartment. They had an empty room that she could use.

"I’m keeping my eye on you." Paula warned the succubus.

"I don’t mind." Tylith answered playfully. "I enjoy having an audience."

Paula just breathed heavily, calming herself down before driving away.

Eric, Vanessa and Katia left soon after.

"Guess, Ffyr will have to sleep with me." Sarah said, locking her arms with the fairy. "She doesn’t fit Matt’s headstand anymore." She smiled.

"It’s going to be so fun!" Ffyr smiled too and went upstairs with Sarah.

Matthew’s parents soon went to bed as well.

Matthew went to his room. It hadn’t changed a thing.

He sat on the bed and looked at his phone still charging on the dock after 2 years of having no battery. The battery was full, but he was a bit overwhelmed to pick it up and check his messages. Service was cut, but he still had his home internet.

Faralynn was at Nuilynn, he couldn’t contact her anyway. He decided to sleep and wait for the morning. Hopefully, she would be back by then.