Chapter 370: Home Again

"Luna! Is that really you?"

The question came from an elderly woman standing near the village square. She had one hand pressed against her mouth, and her eyes were fixed on Luna as though she was afraid the sight might disappear if she blinked.

Luna turned toward her.

For a moment, she didn’t recognize the woman. Her memories of the village had been frozen in time, preserving faces that had aged and lives that had continued long after she was gone.

Then she noticed the familiar silver pendant around the woman’s neck.

"Mrs. Bell?"

The woman’s face crumpled.

"Oh, child!"

She hurried forward and pulled Luna into an embrace. Luna barely had time to react before the woman began crying against her shoulder.

"I thought we’d lost you too. We thought everyone outside the village had forgotten us!"

Luna’s arms slowly wrapped around her.

"I didn’t forget. I never forgot any of you."

The words seemed to open a floodgate.

Another villager approached, followed by two more. Some recognized Luna immediately, while others stared at her uncertainly until her grandfather stepped forward.

"It’s Luna," he told them, his voice weak but unmistakable. "My granddaughter has come home."

An old man near the remains of a nearby house let out a startled laugh.

"That little troublemaker? The one who used to sneak into my workshop and steal scraps of wood?"

Luna pulled away from Mrs. Bell, wiping her cheeks.

"I didn’t steal them! You said I could have the leftovers!"

"I said you could have them after I finished working. You took them before I was done!"

"You left them unattended!"

"Because I thought I could trust you!"

A few villagers laughed.

It was a small sound, fragile and uncertain, but it spread through the square. For the first time since they had awakened, the people of the village were laughing about something that had nothing to do with their suffering.

Luna stared at them, overwhelmed.

She recognized the workshop owner, the woman who used to sell vegetables near the market, and the man who had repaired the old stone bridge every spring. Some had changed so much that she struggled to match their faces with her memories, but their voices brought pieces of her childhood rushing back.

"You’re all here," she whispered.

Mrs. Bell took her hands. "Not everyone, dear. Some of us are still missing, and some haven’t woken up yet. But we’re here."

The reminder hurt, yet it also gave Luna something to hold on to. Their home had suffered terribly, but it wasn’t empty.

There were people left to find, people left to help, and a future they could still build.

Before Luna could say anything else, three villagers approached her at once.

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Did you really restore the World Tree?"

"Is it true you brought the golden light back?"

Luna opened her mouth, but another question came from behind them.

"And who are all these people with you?"

She looked at the gathering crowd, then at her companions standing a short distance away.

"I—well, we—"

Her grandfather chuckled weakly.

"One question at a time. Give the girl room to breathe."

He stepped beside her, resting one hand on her shoulder.

"Luna has traveled farther than any of us could have imagined. She helped restore the World Tree and its five Mirrors, and she brought these people with her to help save our village. Without their cooperation, I doubt any of us would be standing here."

The villagers turned toward Arthur and the others.

Arthur raised a hand in greeting. "We were glad to help. But the restoration was a group effort. Luna helped reconnect the local roots, and everyone contributed to making it possible."

His grandfather’s expression softened at the words, though Luna quickly shook her head.

"Arthur is being modest. They helped me when I didn’t know what to do, and they never let me face this alone."

Melo grinned. "She makes us sound much more organized than we actually are."

"Speak for yourself," Athy replied. "Some of us were organized."

"Some of us were busy preventing Kong from asking whether the villagers had any food left."

Kong immediately protested. "I waited until everyone was safe!"

"An admirable display of patience," Vedas said dryly.

"I knew you’d understand!"

"I didn’t say that."

Laughter spread through the gathering crowd. Even Luna’s grandfather smiled at their exchange.

Sun stepped forward, placing a hand against his chest.

"Regardless of their questionable behavior, you may rest assured that your village has received the assistance of a truly exceptional group!"

Mithra glanced at him. "You helped carry debris for about five minutes before giving a speech."

"A leader must inspire others!"

"Then inspire yourself to pick up another beam."

Sun stared at her, visibly offended, while Kong snickered.

Arthur shook his head. "All right, everyone. We can introduce ourselves properly later. Right now, we should check the village and make sure nobody needs immediate help."

That brought the gathering back to reality.

Professor Roland and Professor Scolding had already begun coordinating with Athena and Leon to inspect the restored mana pathways. Metapholes was checking the damaged buildings, while Athy helped identify places where lingering corruption might still be hiding.

Vedas moved toward the western edge of the settlement.

"I’ll check the perimeter," he said. "The corruption appears to have receded, but we shouldn’t assume every damaged area is safe."

"I’ll go with you," Mithra offered.

Melo looked toward the villagers. "I’ll stay here and help them sort out who’s awake and who still needs treatment."

"I’ll help too," Luna’s grandfather said, attempting to straighten his back.

Luna immediately turned toward him.

"Grandpa, you can barely stand."

"I can still give instructions."

"You can give instructions while sitting down."

He opened his mouth to argue, then noticed the determined expression on her face.

"...You have become very difficult to negotiate with."

"I learned from you."

The old man stared at her for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.

"Fair enough."

Arthur helped him settle onto a nearby stone bench. Eden remained close, monitoring the weakened circulation through the roots, while Luna joined the villagers in organizing the cleanup.

The work began slowly.

Some people searched their homes for usable supplies. Others helped move fallen beams away from the streets, while several villagers gathered around those who remained unconscious. Professor Scolding instructed everyone to avoid disturbing the deeper roots until the remaining pathways had been inspected.

Arthur and Leon worked together to lift a collapsed wooden support from the entrance of an old house.

"Careful," Leon warned. "The lower beam is still holding part of the roof."

Arthur adjusted his grip. "Then we’ll raise it just enough for them to pull the loose pieces out."

With Metapholes directing them, they lifted the support while two villagers retrieved a box of old tools from beneath the debris.

A woman watching nearby suddenly gasped.

"My husband’s tools!"

She hurried over and knelt beside the box, touching each item as though checking that they were real.

"He made these himself. I thought they were gone."

One of the villagers smiled. "Then we’d better make sure they’re still usable."

Nearby, Athena and Professor Roland examined a section of the restored mana pathway.

"The flow is stable here," Athena reported. "But the eastern section is still weaker than the others. The World Tree has restored the original circulation, yet the local network will need time to recover."

Professor Roland nodded. "Mark the affected areas. The villagers should avoid drawing too much mana from those channels until the circulation strengthens."

Luna listened as she passed, committing the information to memory.

Even with the golden light gone, the restoration had left them with work to do. Their village was alive again, but keeping it that way would require care.

At the square’s opposite end, Kong suddenly stopped.

His nose twitched.

He turned left.

Then right.

Finally, he pointed toward a low building partially hidden behind a cluster of regrown bushes.

"What’s that?"

Melo glanced over. "A building."

"I know it’s a building. What kind?"

Kong’s eyes widened as he noticed a faded sign hanging above the entrance.

"The communal kitchen!"

Before anyone could stop him, he raced toward the door.

"Wait!" Arthur called. "Make sure it’s safe first!"

"I’ll inspect it thoroughly!"

The door creaked open. A moment later, Kong’s voice rang out from inside.

"There’s a pantry!"

Sun appeared beside him almost immediately.

"A communal kitchen, you say?"

Kong poked his head out. "There are pots, storage shelves, and a cooking area. Some of the supplies are still here!"

Sun’s expression turned solemn.

"Then we have a responsibility."

Mithra, who had returned from the perimeter long enough to check the square, raised an eyebrow.

"What responsibility?"

"To ensure that the celebration marking this village’s salvation is worthy of the occasion!"

"You mean you want to cook."

"I mean that a heroic achievement deserves a heroic feast!"

Kong nodded enthusiastically. "Finally, someone understands!"

Melo crossed her arms. "You two had better not eat everything before the villagers get a share."

"We would never!" Kong protested.

Sun placed a hand over his heart. "I am wounded that you would question my generosity."

"You both look suspiciously excited about the pantry," Athy observed.

"That’s because we’re inspecting the supplies," Kong insisted.

"Of course," Melo replied. "Inspect them into a meal, then."

Despite the teasing, the communal kitchen soon became another center of activity. Several villagers joined Kong and Sun, checking what remained usable and gathering ingredients from nearby homes. The supplies were limited, but enough had survived to prepare a simple meal.

For the first time in years, the village’s kitchen was filled with voices instead of silence.

As the afternoon passed, Luna found herself moving from one group to another. She helped an elderly couple recover belongings from their house, spoke with children who barely remembered the world before the corruption, and listened to stories from villagers who had been conscious for only brief moments during their long ordeal.

Some remembered the darkness swallowing the streets. Others recalled hearing distant voices or seeing faint golden light through their dreams.

Nobody knew exactly how much time had passed for each person while the corruption held them, and there were still villagers who needed care. But their memories were returning, and with them came the realization that they had survived.

Luna tried to answer every question and greet every person who approached her.

Eventually, her grandfather called her back to the bench.

"Sit down for a moment."

"I’m fine, Grandpa."

"You’ve said that at least six times."

"Because it’s true."

"Then you won’t mind proving it by sitting down."

Luna hesitated before finally joining him.

He studied her face with a fond expression.

"You always did try to carry too much by yourself."

"I didn’t want anyone to feel forgotten."

"And yet, you don’t have to be the one who remembers everything for everyone. They can tell their own stories, too."

Luna glanced toward the square.

Mrs. Bell was helping two neighbors sort through their belongings. The old workshop owner had recruited several young villagers to salvage tools, while others were making lists of damaged homes and gathering supplies for repairs.

They weren’t waiting for Luna to fix everything.

They were already helping one another.

"I suppose you’re right," she admitted.

"Of course I am. I’m your grandfather."

She laughed and leaned against his shoulder.

After a moment, her expression became more serious.

"Thank you for staying alive."

He wrapped an arm around her.

"I should be thanking you."

"No. I mean it." Luna looked down at her hands. "When I found the village, I thought I had lost everything. I kept telling myself I needed to be strong enough to face whatever I found here. But when I heard your voice..."

She swallowed.

"I didn’t know what to do."

Her grandfather gently squeezed her shoulder.

"You don’t always have to know what to do, Luna. Sometimes, you only need to take the next step."

She nodded, holding his hand.

Across the square, Arthur watched them for a moment before returning to the work. There was still much to repair, and the village’s future remained uncertain, but Luna no longer stood among the ruins alone.

Later, when the immediate checks were complete, she approached Arthur and the others as they gathered near the square.

"Thank you," she said.

Kong looked up from a basket of recovered ingredients. "For what? We haven’t even eaten yet."

Melo sighed. "You have a remarkable ability to ruin a serious moment."

"I’m helping!"

Luna smiled, then looked at Arthur.

"Thank you for refusing to leave me behind. When I told you I wanted to come here, I thought I would have to face everything alone. You could have gone back to the World Tree and left me to search by myself."

Arthur shook his head.

"We’re friends, Luna. Helping you come home was never something you needed to repay."

"But you all took risks for me."

"And we’d do it again," Vedas said as he joined them. "Though next time, I would appreciate a destination with fewer collapsing chambers."

"That sounds reasonable," Athy agreed.

Mithra smiled. "Besides, you helped save the World Tree. You think we’d let you walk into a dangerous village without backup?"

Sun raised his chin. "Naturally! Our expedition does not abandon its companions!"

"Especially when there’s food involved," Kong added.

"That’s not what I meant!"

Laughter rose around them.

Luna looked at each of her companions, allowing herself to believe what they had told her. She had come searching for the remnants of her home, uncertain whether she would find anything beyond memories.

Instead, she had found her grandfather, her people, and a future she could help rebuild.

Before she could say anything else, Mrs. Bell approached with several villagers behind her.

"We’ve been talking," the woman announced. "And we want to do something for all of you."

Arthur glanced at the others. "What do you have in mind?"

Mrs. Bell smiled.

"A celebration. Nothing extravagant, not with so much work left to do. But our village has been given another chance, and Luna has finally come home. We want to welcome her and her companions properly."

The villagers around her nodded in agreement.

Luna stared at them, her eyes beginning to shine again.

Her grandfather rose carefully from the bench, supported by her arm.

"Then let us celebrate," he said. "Tomorrow, we begin rebuilding what we’ve lost. Tonight, we remember what we’ve saved."

Cheers rose across the square.

For the first time in years, the village was preparing to celebrate its future rather than mourn its past.

And Luna, surrounded by the people she had feared she would never see again, finally felt that she was home.