The Sound of Home

Arkiz leaned back in his chair, eyes tracing the coastlines, the borders, the Aether veins glowing faintly across the continents in the map.

Some places had more elemental abundance. Ignisar practically breathed fire. The elven lands pulsed with wood and plant energy. Zav'rok was a beast-core buffet. And the seas around Vaelmir Isles? Rich in water, lightning, and storm Aether.

Which was… suspiciously perfect for someone like Kael Thorne.

But hey. Coincidence was the universe's favorite hobby.

He leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head, map still glowing faintly in the dim light.

For a moment, he just sat there, listening to the rain.

Then… his eyes lost focus.

His gaze dropped from the map to the space in front of him.

And the thoughts he'd been dodging since waking up in this world finally caught up.

______

He remembered. Not everything. But enough.

He remembered the name Theo. The dumb grin. He remembered Alissa's voice, always teasing, always a little softer when it came to him.

He remembered his mom's cooking. His dad's groan-worthy jokes. His brother's sarcastic jabs during movie nights.

He remembered home. Earth.

And the book.

Stormbound. 

He was sure that was the trigger. It had pulled him in. That final page. That shimmer. That moment where everything snapped — and then nothing.

At first, he really thought he'd been tossed into that world — Velhara. The world of Kael Thorne, the storm-chasing pirate captain. The one who fought sea monsters and plundered forgotten ruins.

He was kinda excited, honestly.

He'd memorized the book. The plot. The locations. He thought he'd be able to cheat fate — use the knowledge to get ahead. He'd waited days — weeks even — for something to click. Maybe a clue. A ship. A sword. A mysterious old crewmember with dramatic timing.

Instead, he'd gotten diapers, teething, and three whole years of learning to use a spoon again.

It was only when he started picking up whispers of the Second Node that he realized something was off. Vireya wasn't Velhara, Kael's world. Their system UI, the elemental dynamics, the very names — different.

Once he saw an example of the image of a status screen in a book during a private lecture and noticed the planet and node name listed in the affiliation as "Vireya — Second Node," the truth sank in like a bad mood. Kael's story had been set in the First Node.

There went his plans to use the novel's plot as a cheat sheet. No fame, no future-predicting powers. Just vibes and vibes only.

He chuckled humorlessly. "At least I still remember how lightning works. And pirate sailing, maybe?"

Assuming he even got lightning.

The final nail in the coffin had been this map. It confirmed it. This wasn't Velhara. This was something else entirely.

A whole new world. Same soul, new rules.

"But who sent me here?" he muttered.

His first guess had been Kael himself — Kael's story had ended in a Leviathan attack. Tier 6 — Mythborne, ship torn apart, gone in a flash. Even if Kael had survived, there's no way he pulled off interdimensional soul travel from inside a collapsing ship while getting yeeted by sea-Godzilla.

Unless...

He stopped. No, that was just dumb. He didn't have the power. Period.

So who?

Who had sent him here? And why?

Arkiz exhaled slowly, pressing a palm over his eyes.

"This wasn't a story," he muttered under his breath. "It was… goodbye."

A long pause. Then, just above a whisper:

"Will I ever see you guys again…? Mom… Dad… Bro… Theo… Alissa..."

His throat tightened. He didn't cry. Not really. But it hurt — sharp, sudden, deep.

The kind of ache that didn't go away with time. It just learned to wait.

The wind blew through the pavilion slats. The tea had gone cold. Something warm twisted in his chest.

Then—

"Brothahhh—!"

A tiny, delighted squeal broke through the quiet.

His eyes snapped open. Reflexively, his body relaxed.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Couldn't help it.

He turned his head slightly, already knowing.

Lynea. His little half-sister. Just two years old and already a certified menace with a heart-melting laugh. Probably the only sibling currently home — and his clingiest fan.

Trailing behind her, in a flowing gown of sea-foam green, came Elowen ( Raen calls her Elya ) — his mother. Half-Moon Elf, full-time chaos engine. Her smile could derail speeches.

Behind her, more graceful than strict, walked Selis Nymerille Ryla, his father's second wife. Former merfolk princess, current elegant household co-ruler. (And a full-time music enthusiast.)

Arkiz sat up straighter, brushing away the shadows from his thoughts.

Maybe the future was uncertain. Maybe the past was a mess.

But right now?

Right now, Lynea was running straight into his lap like a flying squirrel with no brakes.

_____

"Careful, minnow!" Selis laughed gently as Lynea tumbled into Arkiz's lap, giggling like she'd won a prize.

Arkiz caught her easily and ruffled her sea-foam hair. "You're getting faster every day."

"I'm shpeed!" she chirped, proudly bonking her head against his chest.

Elowen chuckled, sliding into a seat across from him. "She's been waiting all morning for you to finish with these books."

"Books are important," Arkiz said, mock serious. "I'm basically preparing to become a scholar of freedom."

Selis settled beside Elowen on the cushioned railing, her elegant posture softened by the serene smile she wore.

But her golden eyes, always observant, lingered on Arkiz for a second longer than usual.

"You looked a little… sad earlier," she said softly.

Arkiz gave her a tiny shrug. "Just thinking about stuff."

"Big thoughts for a five-year-old," Elowen teased, but her voice was gentler now.

He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Selis didn't press further. Instead, she reached for the slender, gleaming flute tucked into her sash. "Then maybe what we need," she said, "is a little music."

She brought the instrument to her lips and played — light, flowing notes that shimmered through the rain like sunlight dancing on water.

The sound was soft but clear, carrying emotion with every rise and fall. Selis had awakened with water affinity at tier 0 and sound affinity at tier 3, but it was sound she truly mastered. Her music was more than melody — it was memory and magic.

Arkiz closed his eyes for a moment, letting it wash over him. It was like listening to the sea sing a lullaby.

And then she began to hum. A tune slow and nostalgic. A song about home —

" Where the wind hums low, and the lan-terns sway,

I drift through the dusk where the shores fade away.

In eve-ry wave, in a whis-pered flame,

I hear the song that knows my name.

.....

The stars may roam, and the skies may turn,

But the home-light's flame will always burn.

A laugh, a touch, a fa-mi-liar tone,

The pull of tides... that brings me home.

.....

The tea stays warm while the moon hangs high,

And dreams sail soft where the shadows lie.

No mat-ter how far the currents foam,

My heart still hums the way back home.

.....

So hush now, tide, and rock me slow,

Where whis-pered songs and moon-beams glow.

And if I'm lost, through wind or rain—

Your song will call me home again. "

________

By the end, Lynea had fallen asleep in his lap, tiny fingers curled into his shirt.

Arkiz leaned back, careful not to jostle her. The pavilion's wide railing was padded and soft — perfect for lounging. He reclined slightly, blinking slowly as the music settled in his chest.

Selis rested the flute gently on her lap, her fingers still poised like they weren't done playing.

"That was amazing," Arkiz whispered.

"I'm glad you liked it," she said, brushing her blue-pink hair from her shoulder. "Music should feel like a hug. Or a goodbye. Or both."

He nodded, a sleepy grin forming on his lips. "Aunt Selis?"

"Yes?"

"Can you teach me?"

She blinked. "To play?"

"Yeah. The flute."

Elowen's eyebrows shot up in amused surprise. "Now that's unexpected. He never even asked for toy instruments before."

Arkiz shrugged lightly. "I liked music back… before. And it sounded kinda perfect."

Selis beamed. "Maerin never wanted to learn. She always chased after flashy spells and enchantments."

"She still does," Elowen added. "Gave up lyre after one lesson."

"I won't give up," Arkiz mumbled.

"You won't have to." Selis leaned forward, pressing a hand gently to his head, " I'll teach you. We'll find a small flute that fits your fingers. You'll be my first real student."

He smiled softly, eyes drooping from the warmth in the air.

"Deal."

______

And under the quiet rhythm of the rain, the warmth of family, and the lingering echo of a song that felt like home…

Arkiz drifted off to sleep.