Marem had left the room to ask her family about the condition her dad was in. She found out that while it only took a few minutes to heal him, he still wanted some time to rest after the fight. But he did agree to talk to her and Leo, but he wanted some time to collect himself.

Leo let out a sigh of relief at the news that he would help them. In the meantime, Marem told Leo all that she knew about her father. While she could have also told him about the living legends, they figured it would be best to leave it to her father. Even if it had been years since he retired, there was likely no one in the world that knew the legends as well as him.

Marem explained, “My dad told me that his life on Earth was disappointing. He never went into detail, but he admitted that it wasn’t a life he wanted to live. Then, one day, he was summoned into the king’s throne room. The kingdom needed a hero strong enough to fight the Demon King, who had recently risen up from the world of shadows.”

Leo could only think about how unbelievably cliché this all sounded. He couldn’t exactly judge, considering a truck had killed and sent him to another world just a couple of months ago.

Marem continued, “He studied swordsmanship and magic, eventually becoming the first ever Spellblade Master. After he built a party of powerful heroes, and picked up a few wives, he finally killed the first Demon King. He only ever mentioned it once, but he was offered a way back home. It wouldn’t be easy, or cheap, but the king was willing to do it for him.”

Leo spaced out, completely losing track of whatever Marem was saying. He couldn’t focus on the conversation anymore, his lungs felt as if they were suddenly robbed of air. There was so much focus on the idea of finding an Otherworlder, or fighting against the calamities and the kingdom, that he never considered there would be a way to leave.

If there was a way into this world, then there would have to be a way out of it. It felt like, in an instant, the worries he had just faded. A door that he never knew existed just flew open. The idea that he could just leave, that he could go back home, and continue to live the life that was once his. It burned itself into his mind.

…But did he want that? Leo had spent months in this world, admittedly not a substantial amount of time. Yet, this brief period of time has shaped him more than anything he had ever experienced before. He’d fought for what he believed in, with a motivation and determination that never once existed inside of him. He made friendships deeper than anything he ever knew before, bonds that could last a lifetime.

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Then, there was the loss and hopelessness that he faced. He saw a man die for the first time, someone he cared about. With the kingdom and the calamities, he was surrounded by overwhelming forces that threatened to overtake him the second he made a mistake.

It would be easy to escape from the struggles of this world. No longer need to spend his restless nights wondering who he might lose, and if he had it in him to save everyone. But then, what was all the fighting for?

He didn’t know if he had it in him, the ability to be something greater than he could ever imagine. Even if it would be easy to leave it behind, he just couldn’t leave. What was the suffering for, if not to make him stronger? He would take on whatever the world had to throw at him, because he was certain that he would end up a better person by the end of it.

Leo decided that even if he had a way to leave, then he couldn’t. Too much has happened, and he now has a responsibility to this world. No one has made this his responsibility, but he has chosen to bear it anyways. Finally, after being lost in thought, he snapped back to reality. He was walking down a hallway behind Marem, completely unaware of where they were headed.

“Alright, so you know what you’re going to ask him?” asked Marem.

“Your dad?”

“Obviously?”

“Yeah, I got it all down.”

He, in fact, did not have it all down. Leo tried his best to center himself with reality as they journeyed through the grand halls of Marem’s home. The oak flooring echoed each footstep they made, making certain that no one would be surprised by their arrival.

When they arrived at John’s bedroom, it looked far grander than it was the night before. The wide doors could allow a dozen people to enter at once, and their gold lining was a simple yet elegant addition. Marem used one of the wrought iron knockers, waiting a moment before her dad beckoned them in.

Leo took a deep breath to brace himself, prepared for how the air would change around her father. He still didn’t know what it was, the suffocating feeling that surrounded the man. Even when he asked Marem about it, she had no idea what he spoke of.

Yet, when they entered the room, nothing changed. Leo cautiously took a few breaths, but nothing was wrong. Her dad looked up at them from his bed, and his face was a near mirror to Leo’s expression. They both knew that something was different, but they couldn’t explain what it was.

Her dad broke the silence first. “Jesus, kid, you kicked my ass.”