Reunion by Firelight

Meanwhile… Roy's Family

The atmosphere inside the command room was tense, thick with unease. The soft hum of machinery did nothing to ease the suffocating silence that had settled over them.

Ravindra's jaw tightened as he stared at the blinking console, its once-active signals now eerily silent.

"We lost the signal completely?" His voice was firm, but beneath it lay an edge of worry he couldn't suppress.

Siddharth, standing rigid beside him, barely unclenched his fists as he responded.

"Yes, Father. We have his last known location, but after that… nothing." His voice was calm, controlled—but his eyes burned with frustration.

Silence.

Sharvani pressed a hand against her chest, her heart pounding against her ribs. Her mother's instinct screamed at her, urging her to move, to act—

"We need to go. Now." Her voice was sharp, urgent. "We need to find him before—" She cut herself off, unable to finish the sentence.

They didn't need to say it.

Within moments, they were moving.

The sun had started to set, casting long shadows that stretched like clawed fingers across the terrain.

But there was nothing.

No tracks. No traces.

It was as if Roy had vanished into thin air.

Siddharth gritted his teeth, scanning every inch of the terrain. "He couldn't have just disappeared. He had to go somewhere."

Sharvani's hands trembled slightly as she clenched them into fists. She had seen Roy grow stronger, seen him fight—but he was still her child.

And right now, he was missing.

Ravindra's face was unreadable, but his eyes burned with a storm of emotions. "We'll find him. No matter what."

They pushed forward, searching.

But the more they searched, the more dread settled in their hearts.

Because the longer it took to find a trace—

The more they feared the worst.

The Signal Returns

Hours passed.

The sky had darkened, the moon casting a cold, silver glow over the desolate terrain.

Ravindra, Siddharth, and Sharvani had scoured the area, searching tirelessly. But there was nothing.

Not a single clue. Not a single trace of Roy.

Each passing second only made the sinking feeling in their chests worse.

And then—

A beep.

The console in Siddharth's hand suddenly flared to life, displaying a signal.

His heart leaped.

"The signal—it's back!" His voice cut through the silence, sharp and urgent.

Ravindra's eyes snapped toward him. "Where?"

Siddharth's fingers flew over the controls. His brows furrowed—then lifted in shock.

"Same location where it disappeared."

Sharvani gasped. "Then Roy—"

"He's there!"

They didn't waste another second.

They turned immediately, rushing back toward the spot they had already searched.

Had he been there all along? Hidden by something?

Had he been trapped? Hurt?

The questions burned in their minds, but there was no time to stop and think. They needed to see him. Now.

The closer they got, the more their hearts pounded.

And then—

They arrived.

And what they saw made them freeze.

Roy.

Sitting comfortably by a campfire.

Across from him, an unfamiliar man sat, his aura almost suffocating to sense.

And beside Roy—

Mimi.

But she wasn't floating. She wasn't just a hologram.

She was sitting there, eating. Like a real person.

Laughing. Smiling. Human.

The three of them were enjoying dinner, chatting as if nothing had happened.

Ravindra, Siddharth, and Sharvani stared.

Completely stunned.

A Reunion of Worry and Relief

Roy's laughter died in his throat the moment he saw them.

His family—his father, mother, and brother—stood at the edge of the firelight, their expressions a mix of shock, relief, and barely restrained panic.

What were they doing here?

His stomach clenched. Did something happen? Were they attacked?

Questions flooded his mind, but before he could say a single word—

"ROY!"

Sharvani rushed forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. Before he could react, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him in a crushing embrace.

"You reckless child!" she scolded, her voice trembling between anger and relief. "Do you have any idea how worried we were? Your signal vanished! We thought—"

She couldn't even finish.

Her hands gripped his shoulders, checking him over as if to make sure he was real, that he wasn't some illusion.

Roy felt a lump form in his throat. "Mom, I—"

Before he could explain, Siddharth stepped in, his face cold but his eyes burning with frustration.

"Where the hell have you been?" His voice was sharp, but Roy could hear the tightness behind it—the worry, the fear.

Ravindra stood a few feet away, arms crossed, his usually composed expression filled with quiet intensity. "Tell us everything."

Roy took a breath, trying to steady himself. He glanced at Ignis Fang, who was still casually sitting by the fire, watching everything unfold with amusement.

So he had noticed them approaching and just let them come?

Mimi, now in her new physical form, shifted awkwardly, looking between Roy and his family.

Finally, Roy sighed and nodded.

"Okay… Let's clear up this mess."

The Misunderstanding Unfolds

They all sat around the fire.

Sharvani kept gripping Roy's hand, as if afraid he would disappear again if she let go.

Siddharth leaned forward, arms on his knees, eyes locked onto Roy.

Ravindra, as always, was silent but focused, waiting for explanations.

Roy exhaled.

"So… first, I'm fine. Nothing happened to me."

Siddharth scoffed. "Nothing happened? Your signal disappeared completely! We searched for hours! If the signal hadn't come back, we wouldn't have found you!"

Sharvani nodded. "What happened? Why did it vanish?"

Roy scratched his head, feeling a little guilty. "That… was because I entered the World Ring."

Silence.

His family's eyes widened in shock.

"You what?" Ravindra's voice was calm, but his tone was deadly serious.

Roy swallowed. "I… entered the World Ring. The one Ignis Fang gave me."

He motioned toward Ignis, who simply smirked, resting his chin on his fist like he was enjoying a good show.

Siddharth's expression darkened. "And you thought that was a good idea? Do you even know how dangerous unknown relics can be?"

Sharvani's grip on his hand tightened. "Roy… why? Why would you just enter something like that?"

Roy hesitated before answering. "Because I had to."

His family frowned.

Roy glanced at Mimi, who was sitting beside him, looking more real than ever before. He smiled slightly.

"I went in because this was inside." He gestured at Mimi. "The World Ring had an opportunity—a trial—to help Mimi gain a physical body."

Sharvani and Siddharth turned to Mimi, their eyes widening as they finally took in the full extent of the change.

She no longer looked like a mere floating AI projection.

Her skin had warmth, her eyes glowed with life, and her expressions were so real it was almost unsettling.

Sharvani gasped softly, touching her own lips in shock. "She… she's real?"

Mimi grinned proudly, lifting her arms. "Yes! I can touch! I can feel! I can eat! Look, look!" She grabbed a piece of roasted meat and took a dramatic bite, chewing with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"It's so good! I never knew food was this amazing!"

Siddharth blinked, completely thrown off by her childlike excitement. "You're really… eating?"

"Of course I am! And I'll never go back to being a hologram!" Mimi puffed out her chest. "From now on, I am a real being!"

Ravindra observed her closely before speaking. "And what exactly happened inside?"

Roy sighed. "A lot."

He then explained everything—how he and Ignis Fang entered the World Ring, how they discovered the Hive Mind, and how Mimi had to fight for control over its body.

He didn't hide anything—not even how dangerous it had been, how she had almost lost herself inside.

By the time he finished, his mother's face was pale, and Siddharth looked like he wanted to punch something.

Sharvani smacked his arm. "Do you even understand how reckless that was?! You could have died!"

Roy winced. "I know, but—"

"No, Roy, you don't get it!" Siddharth cut in, his voice tight with emotion. "We thought you were gone. We searched everywhere! If you died in there, we wouldn't have even known!"

Sharvani clutched his arm. "You can't just throw yourself into danger like that!"

Roy looked down. He understood their fear—but he didn't regret it.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," he said, meeting their eyes. "But I had to do it. For Mimi."

Sharvani exhaled, rubbing her forehead.

Siddharth groaned, rubbing his temples. "You're impossible."

At that moment, Ignis Fang finally spoke.

"Your worry is understandable," he said casually, resting his chin on his palm. "But the boy is not as weak as you think."

His voice was calm, but there was an undeniable weight behind it.

Siddharth narrowed his eyes. "And you are?"

Roy quickly spoke before things escalated. "This is Ignis Fang. He's—"

"A past legend," Ignis interrupted, smirking. "But you may simply call me Roy's new teacher."

Silence.

Sharvani and Siddharth's eyes widened.

Ravindra, however, stared at Ignis Fang for a long moment.

Then, his gaze softened. "I see."

Roy looked between them. "Wait… do you know who he is?"

Ravindra's lips curled into a small, knowing smile.

"I had my suspicions."

Siddharth muttered, crossing his arms. "So that means we'll be seeing more of you, huh?"

Ignis shrugged. "If the boy survives, then yes."

Roy frowned. "I'm right here, you know."

Ignis just chuckled.

Siddharth sighed, then finally—finally—his expression eased slightly.

"At least you're safe," he muttered. "That's what matters."

Sharvani smiled softly, brushing Roy's hair back. "Just… don't do something like this again without telling us."

Roy grinned sheepishly. "I'll try."

She sighed. "That's the best I'll get, isn't it?"

Mimi, meanwhile, stood up excitedly.

"Okay! Since everyone's done being emotional—LET'S EAT!"

Roy's family stared at her for a moment—then chuckled.

The tension finally broke.

And for the first time since the search began—

They sat together. As a family.