Homecoming, Embrace of Chaos

Chapter: Homecoming, Embrace of Chaos

Home again.

The familiar, comforting scent of old wood, the ghost of burnt coffee, and a whisper of stale dust enveloped me the moment I crossed the threshold. The shop looked the same—every worn floorboard, every chipped corner—but after everything we'd just been through, it felt less like a simple storefront and more like a sanctuary. A cathedral of clutter. A chapel of second chances.

"I'm back!" I called out, voice hoarse and ragged from yelling, breathing in smoke, and maybe screaming at a Orc or two.

"Kuya Pepito! Welcome back!"

Marikit beamed from behind the counter, a burst of energy packed into a tiny frame. She dropped her cleaning rag and darted forward, eyes wide with relief as she scanned me from head to toe.

"You're okay!"

I let out a shaky laugh. "Hi, Marikit. I'm back—for good this time."

I collapsed into my usual chair behind the counter. The springs creaked in familiar protest, but it felt like the arms of an old friend. My whole body sighed. After all that? I'd earned this chair. Fought for it. Bled for it. Almost got eaten for it.

"What was it like? Being an adventurer?"

Marikit hopped onto a stool like a sparrow ready to burst into flight.

"Oh, it was amazing," I said, stretching my aching limbs. "Wanna hear about it?"

"YEAH!"

So I launched into the tale with the flair of a bard on payday. I painted the forest in shades of dread and moss, described the brutal surprise of the Orcs' attack, and might've cranked up my own bravery to, say, an 11 out of 10. Okay—12. Tak's heroics, though? That part was all true. The guy's a legend in a poncho.

Marikit gasped, flinched, laughed. She lived the story with me.

"You're so amazing, Kuya Pepito! You beat two Umbral Maw Orcs!"

I chuckled, warmth blooming in my chest. "Nah, Alimpatak did the heavy lifting. I just helped a little."

"No way! They said you saved them!"

"They did, huh?" I scratched the back of my neck, a little sheepish. "Well, I was terrified the entire time. But hey—I've now got a solid idea of what adventurers actually need. Call it market research… with a side of mauling."

She giggled, the sound clear and pure as temple bells.

Then—

"Pee-pitohhh! It's me, Susan! Are you home?!"

That voice. That soprano freight train that always brought paperwork, perfume, and a storm of energy.

I opened the door just a crack. "What's wro—"

BOOM.

No warning.

She barreled through like a panicked rhinoceros in designer pearls, and slammed into me full-force, arms wrapping around me in a full-body tackle-hug.

"Thank God you're safe!" she cried, clutching me like a long-lost son. "I heard about the orcs! Are you hurt?! Do you need stitches?! A shaman?! Holy water?!"

She was trembling, voice thick with guilt and panic.

"It's all because of my stupid request," she muttered into my shoulder. "I never should've sent you…"

I wanted to say something comforting. Reassuring.

But I couldn't.

Because my entire face was trapped in her cleavage.

Suffocating in floral-scented doom.

"Mmmrph. Mmmfrghh," I wheezed.

Susan gasped, misreading my struggle. "Pepito?! Your throat?! Are you bleeding inside?!"

Lady, my throat is fine. My lungs are screaming. And this is not how I envisioned dying.

"MISS SUSAN! KUYA PEPITO CAN'T BREATHE!"

Marikit, bless her tiny voice of reason, called out from the counter.

Susan blinked down. Realization dawned.

"Oh—oh my gosh!"

She backed off. I stumbled, gasping like I'd just surfaced from a very soft, very awkward underwater prison.

"Muntik na 'ko mamatay sa bundok…" I wheezed.

"Almost died in the mountains—but this was worse!"

Fresh air. Sweet, sweet oxygen. Never again shall I take you for granted.

Susan clapped her hands in relief. "Oh, Pepito! You're okay!"

"Please," I said, catching my breath. "Alimpatak did all the Orc-punching. I mostly… shouted useful things from a safe distance."

She didn't look convinced. "Their leader told me you handled the fight."

Record scratch.

Wait, what?!

"Tak, what in kamote hell did you tell her?!"

"All I did was throw spicy mist! That's barely a combat skill!"

Susan squinted at me. "Is that really all?"

"Promise. I item-chucked from the shadows."

Then, to my utter horror, she… dropped to her knees.

"Whoa, hey!" I knelt beside her. "You okay?!"

"I was just… so worried," she whispered, eyes glistening. "They said you fought Umbral Maw Orc alone. I thought I'd sent you to your death."

"Hey. I'm alive," I said softly. "Thanks to the crew."

She sniffled. "Help me up?"

I helped her to her feet. She wobbled. I let her lean on me for a beat, until her posture straightened and her composure clicked back into place.

"So…" she said, suddenly business-like. "Was it worth it?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I think I've got what it takes now—to impress the inspector."

She leaned in, eyes narrowing like a cat who just smelled tuna. "You've got some kind of storage skill, don't you?"

Panic. Internal system crash. Blue screen of brain.

"Wh-what are you talking about?!"

She smirked. "Wow, you're a terrible liar. Kinda cute, actually. But yeah—terrible."

"…Okay, okay. Fine. I have a storage skill."

"I knew it!" she said, smug as a dragon on payday. "You always had just the right gear at the right time. It was simple deduction."

"Didn't you say it was your intuition?"

"I lied."

"You what?!"

"Lesson one in negotiation, Pepito."

She pivoted, suddenly all business. "Okay. Do you have anything in your stash that might impress the Royal Inspector?"

"I do," I grinned. "I've got gear no one's seen before."

Susan's gaze softened. "Honestly, I thank God we crossed paths. I'm thankful for you both."

"Aww," I said, flushing. "You're laying it on thicker than banana ketchup on spaghetti."

She laughed. "So... what are you selling?"

"Ooh! I wanna see too!"

Marikit bounced closer, eyes wide.

I opened my phone like a magician. "Ladies, I present: the goods."

Out came:

Lightweight survival meals (just add water!)

A thermal blanket the size of a notebook

A collapsible water flask

Susan stared like I'd just summoned Excalibur. "These are… incredible."

"Just the start."

Then she hit me with the kicker:

"Oh, and by the way... the inspector? They're already in the next town."

Pause. Internal screaming.

"Already?!"

She smiled. "Better hurry."