A Homecoming and an Unwelcome Surprise

I left the hospital with my mask tucked safely inside my bag.

There were still some reporters outside, lingering like vultures waiting for something to happen. If I walked out as Mr. Angel, I'd be swallowed whole by their questions and flashing cameras.

So, I left as just Reynard.

No mask. No spectacle. No reason for anyone to look at me twice.

The hospital doors slid open, and the cool afternoon air wrapped around me. It felt strange.

Familiar, yet foreign.

I took my first unmonitored steps into the world, free from the weight of an exosuit, free from Alexis' brutal training, free from the suffocating sterility of the hospital.

Each step felt solid. Controlled. Effortless.

The past month had been pure hell, but Alexis' methods had worked. My body had readjusted, rebuilt itself, strengthened in ways I hadn't even noticed until now.

I took a slow breath, walking home without difficulty.

By the time I reached my apartment, the sun was low in the sky, casting golden streaks across the cityscape. I punched in the code, stepped inside—

And was immediately tackled.

A blur of warmth and movement slammed into me, nearly knocking me off balance.

Sienna.

She clung to me so tightly it almost hurt, her arms wrapped around my waist, her face buried in my chest.

Her body trembled.

"I thought you were dead," she choked out.

I froze.

Sienna rarely cried. She was the kind of person who carried her struggles quietly, who forced herself to be strong no matter what.

But now—

Her breath hitched against my shirt, and I realized just how much she had been holding in.

She thought I was dead.

For months.

Slowly, carefully, I lifted a hand and rested it against the back of her head, fingers threading through her soft hair.

"I'm here," I murmured. "I made it back."

She shook her head violently, pressing herself closer as if she was afraid I would disappear if she let go.

"I missed you so much."

I felt something tighten in my chest.

Before I could respond, another pair of arms wrapped around me.

This one was softer. More controlled.

Camille.

She didn't tackle me like Sienna, but she pulled me into a warm, steady embrace.

No words. No theatrics. Just quiet relief.

I closed my eyes.

For the first time since leaving Earth, since Mars, since that hellish descent back home…

I finally felt like I was home.

We ended up on the couch.

Sienna, still clinging to my side, had practically cried herself to sleep against me.

Her soft, steady breathing filled the quiet space.

Camille sat across from us, watching with a calm expression—but I could see the exhaustion lingering beneath her eyes.

"She's been working herself to death," Camille finally murmured.

I glanced down at Sienna. Her body was smaller than I remembered, but there was a strength to her frame that wasn't there before.

"What do you mean?" I asked softly.

Camille sighed.

"Since you—" she hesitated, "—since your 'death,' Sienna didn't know what to do with herself. She threw herself into work. Non-stop. Pushing harder, taking on every job she could, as if… I don't know. As if working hard enough would somehow make up for losing you."

I swallowed.

She had buried herself in labor because she didn't know how else to cope.

"...She's an A-Rank now."

My eyes snapped to Camille's. "What?"

Camille nodded. "She ranked up a couple of months ago. Construction Worker—A-Rank."

I knew it was possible, but it was rare.

I immediately activated Scan.

Name: Sienna Locke

Profession: Construction Worker (A-Rank)

Skills:

Structural Reinforcement (Lv. 7)– Enhances durability and stability of constructed buildings.

Heavy Lifting (Lv. 8) – Increases physical strength for carrying materials.

Precision Engineering (Lv. 7) – Improves accuracy when measuring and assembling structures.

Endurance Boost (Lv. 7) – Reduces fatigue from manual labor.

Team Coordination (Lv. 6) – Enhances efficiency when working with others on large-scale projects.

Rapid Blueprint Comprehension (Lv. 4) – Improves speed and accuracy in reading construction plans.

My eyes flickered over the new skill.

"Rapid Blueprint Comprehension," I muttered.

Camille smirked. "Yeah. She picked that up somewhere along the way."

I glanced back at Sienna, still asleep against me.

She had leveled up.

Through sheer willpower. Through months of exhaustion and emotional turmoil. Through grief.

I ran a slow hand through her hair.

"You did good, Sienna," I murmured under my breath.

She stirred slightly, but didn't wake.

Camille watched me for a moment, then stood up, stretching.

"Well, I'd love to let you two have your little reunion, but we have other things to deal with."

I raised a brow. "The mask?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. But give me a couple more days."

I frowned. "Why?"

Camille smirked. "Because I'm making outfits too."

I blinked. "What?"

She crossed her arms. "Think about it. Sienna, Alexis and I have completely different body types from you. If we just throw on a mask and your old outfits, people will immediately know something is off."

She wasn't wrong.

She continued, "So I'm designing three outfits. One for Mr. Angel. One for Mr. Fox. One for Mr. Dust."

I raised a brow. "What kind of outfits?"

She smirked. "Don't worry, sweetie. They'll be perfect."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're enjoying this too much."

Camille grinned. Then her gaze drifted down to my torso, her expression shifting slightly.

"Speaking of body types…" she murmured.

I frowned. "What?"

She gestured toward me. "You… look different."

I blinked.

I hadn't really looked at myself since leaving the hospital. But as I glanced down—

I noticed it too.

My body was bigger. More toned.

My shoulders were broader, my arms stronger, my core tighter.

I ran a hand over my forearm, feeling the subtle increase in density.

Alexis.

Her training—her experiments—had changed my body.

"Damn," Camille murmured. "Two girls aren't enough for you, sweetie?"

I shot her a deadpan look.

She laughed.

"Relax," she teased. "I just mean—first Sienna, then me and now this nurse? You really collect women, huh?"

I groaned. "You're impossible."

She winked. "And you love me for it."

I sighed. "Go finish the damn outfits."

She mock-saluted before walking off, humming to herself.

I leaned back on the couch, closing my eyes for a moment.

But something nagged at me.

The fact that my body had changed this much in a single month.

It wasn't normal.

Even with intense training, even with Alexis pushing me to my limits, this level of transformation was too extreme.

Something else had happened.

A slow realization crept in.

I opened my system.

And froze.

You Have 8 Unread Notifications.

A strange weight settled in my chest.

Not from excitement.

Not from relief.

From dread.

Because hiding these skills just became much, much harder.