Chapter 38: Back Home

That day, three days left before the tournament finals, Leon was halfway through breakfast when his phone started ringing. Glancing at the screen, he saw that it was his sister who was calling, Alice.

Leon stared at the name for a moment, wondering why she was calling, before answering.

"Hello?"

"Lili!"

Hearing that came, Leon immediately frowned. "Don’t call me that."

Alice laughed on the other end, "You still hate it? C’mon, it’s not bad at all!"

"It is." He answered lazily.

"But it suits you~"

"It sounds like a girl’s name."

"But it sounds so cuteee~"

Leon sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"Why are you calling?"

"I wanted to check on you." Alice answered, her voice still as joyful as ever.

"I’m fine."

"I heard about your match." She said.

Leon paused... ’Of course she has.’ News traveled quickly after all.

"You won?"

"Shouldn’t you know that as well?"

"Hahaha—I knew you’d win!"

’You definitely did not know that.’ he thought to himself, but didn’t bother saying it.

Alice continued talking as if they hadn’t been apart for several days, not to mention emotionally distant for years.

"How’s your leg?"

"Fine, I don’t feel a thing anymore."

"That’s nice! You can walk around properly now! Are you eating properly?"

"Yes." He asnwered. ’I could walk properly before leaving.’ He said internally.

"Sleeping?"

"Yes."

"Studying?"

Leon looked at the half-finished textbook sitting beside his plate.

"Not like books matter that much..." He mumbled.

"That’s not an answer..."

"Then no."

Alice laughed again, more prolonged this time.

Leon couldn’t help but smile slightly. There was something strange about talking to her. She acted as though nothing had changed between them.

"You should come home," Alice said eventually.

Leon looked down at the table at that, "Why?"

"Mom’s worried about you, you know."

"She called me earlier, though."

"I know~"

Leon raised an eyebrow.

"You know?"

"Of course!"

"Did you two plan this?" He asked lazily.

There was a brief silence as a weird laugh came from the other end, "Hihihi... maybe?"

Leon sighed.

"So you did..."

"We’re worried about you~"

"I survived a dungeon, you don’t think I can survive a bunch of teenagers."

"That doesn’t mean you don’t need to come home~ And you’re also a teenager, you know..."

Leon couldn’t really argue with that.

Alice’s tone became slightly softer as she spoke, "Just come visit for a little while."

For a short while, Leon considered it.

He didn’t particularly want to spend his time at the estate when the tournament finals were approaching, but he also didn’t have any reason to refuse. In the end he agreed.

"Fine. I’ll come by."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Great!"

Leon could practically hear her smiling.

"When will you be coming by?"

"Probably tomorrow."

"Good. I’ll see you then, Lili."

"Stop calling me that."

"Hihi—" She hung up laughing.

Leon stared at the phone for a few seconds before putting it down.

He had barely finished breakfast when another call came through.

This time, the name on the screen was Alyssa.

"Hello?" He asnwered.

"Leon." A voice came through. Her voice was as calm as usual, some would even say cold.

"Alice said you’re coming home." She said.

"She called you already?"

"Yes."

’So they definitely planned this.’

"I’m coming tomorrow."

"Alright, that’s good then." She replied.

Leon waited, but that was apparently all she wanted to say.

"That’s it?"

"What else would there be?"

"I don’t know, you called me."

"I wanted to make sure you were actually coming."

"I am."

"Then I’ll see you tomorrow."

The call ended.

Leon stared at the screen confused.

’That was a conversation?’ Coming from Alice to that was a huge change, though, he didn’t hate it either.

He put his phone away after that. She wasn’t cold toward him exactly, he’d say she simply wasn’t particularly expressive.

Alice on the other hand, he wasn’t sure if it was just within the family or that was her default self, she could probably talk to a wall for twenty minutes and somehow make it feel like a meaningful conversation.

Thinking about it, Leon smiled faintly, but then the smile disappeared.

He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the way, he’d started caring about them. It hadn’t even been that long since they reconciled.

While the original Leon had been their brother, he wasn’t... At least, not psychologically.

He still remembered waking up in this body and knowing almost nothing about the people around him. He had been an outsider trying to understand a life that wasn’t his... yet, now, when he thought about Alice or Alyssa, there was a strange sense of familiarity too deep to be casual that hadn’t been there at the beginning.

That thought made him a bit uncomfortable.

’When did that happen?’ He questioned himself.

Perhaps it was the feelings of the old Leon? But he didn’t particularly love them either, their relationship wasn’t particularly good...

Whatever the reason, Leon decided not to think about it too much.

He had enough problems already.

...

The next afternoon, he returned to the Carter estate following a brief flight.

As he expected, there was a driver waiting for him in a luxurious blacked out SUV.

The moment he walked through the front door, he was greeted by his stepmother who almost seemed like she had been waiting.

"You’re finally home."

"It’s only been a few days." Leon smiled.

"A few days is long enough." She said as she looked him over. "You’ve gotten thinner."

Leon blinked. "I don’t think that’s even possible... is it?"

"It is."

"I’m eating, though." He said defensively, knowing fully well he had been skipping most meals and living on snacks... guess there were just somethings changing worlds didn’t solve.

’How did she even see it?’ He asked himself. He had looked at the mirror that morning and noticed nothing at all.

"Well, clearly not enough." She said as she turned toward the stairs. "Come with me."

Leon followed her upstairs.