CHAPTER 1: A BROKEN FAMILY JUST GOT A LITTLE LESS BROKEN

It's been over a year since Subaru Natsuki has vanished on that fateful day. The day he went to the convenience store... and never returned, leaving his mother and father behind with no closure as to what actually happened.

At what used to be Subaru's house, his mother, Naoko, sat at the kitchen table with a blank expression, holding a cup of tea in her hand. Her emotionless expression only made her husband, Kenichi, more worried as he already tried everything to help her.

Her eyes were dead as she sits at the table, waiting for the day her son finally comes home. Kenichi also felt hurt by Subaru's disappearance, but he couldn't show it as he is more worried for his wife. Unlike his wife, he has already accepted that Subaru might not return.

He walks to the door, leaving Naoko at the table.

"I'm leaving." He told her as he slowly reaches for the doorknob.

Naoko gave no response. Kenichi just looks at her with a sad expression as he sees her broken expression. Tear stains could still be seen from where she was crying just moments before.

He opens the door and leaves, closing the door behind him. He walks down the streets waving at people with a fake smile hiding his despair. The people he used to talk with about his son waved back.

He eventually comes to a convenience store. The same one Subaru vanished from. They already had the police do everything they could to find their son. The cameras from the convenience store only show Subaru leaving the convenience store before cutting to him missing.

He walks into the convenience store, looking around. The clerk at the front desk, the same one from when Subaru disappeared, looks at Kenichi, recognizing him instantly. Kenichi put on his fake smile as he waved to the clerk.

"Hi." He speaks in a broken tone.

The clerk replies, knowing what Kenichi is doing here.

"Sorry, but there is still nothing on the cameras." The clerk speaks.

Kenichi rubs his head before he says "I thought so. I just...needed to check again." He then leaves the store.

His expression is one of longing, knowing how his wife feels. She never got to hear Subaru respond as he left for the store. He shakes his head. He can't keep feeling like this. He needs to let go. He needs to move on. If only it was that simple but he could never move on from this.

How could he? His only son just vanished without a trace. No evidence or clues as to where he went. No idea of if he was alive or not. And he knew that his wife blamed herself for Subaru disappearance, no matter how many times he assured her it wasn't.

He makes it home and opens the door. He walks inside to find Naoko still sitting at the table. She was looking at something on the table. Kenichi walks over to see what it was. It was a photo album. All the photos she had of Subaru.

Naoko looked at the pictures with broken smile as tears once again formed in her eyes. It was hard for Kenichi to watch with tears forming in his eyes as he looks away. He couldn't stand to see what had happened to his wife, but he couldn't blame her. Not when she already blamed herself. She was already overridden with guilt.

He left her alone and decided to make her something to eat. She must be starving as she hasn't moved from the table for days now. He was always worried leaving her by herself when he went to work. They still haven't gone through Subaru's room yet, leaving it the same way it was the day he vanished.

Kenichi's heart was broken. What could he do to help his wife? Was there anything he could do? He didn't have an answer and he knew Naoko wouldn't answer him as she has been unresponsive to him for about a month at this point.

He starts the stove and places a pot of water on the stove eye. He looks down with a sad expression as he thinks to himself. Where are you, Subaru?

Darkness.

Pure darkness.

Not a single sound or feeling.

Suddenly, he feels a breeze. It begins to get cold. He feels tired as he tries to open his eyes. Slowly, his eyes open to reveal the night sky as the wind gently blows. Subaru is filled with confusion as he sees the sky. He was in Roswaal's mansion when he went to sleep. His tracksuit is covered in dirt.

He slowly sits up to get his bearings. As he looks around, he's only filled with more confusion. He is on the side of a street. The area looked familiar. He slowly got up on his feet, stumbling as if he forgot how to walk for a second.

He turns around to see a very familiar sight. It was a convenience store. The same one he was at before being transported to another world. But why was he here? Was this a dream?

He looks around to see if anyone was nearby... but there was no one there. He walks towards the convenience store which still had the lights on. The door opens by itself, allowing Subaru to walk inside.

The clerk looks towards the door and an expression of shock is shown on his face. He believed the person entering would be Naoko as she used to come at this time every night asking about Subaru a while ago, but instead, he saw Subaru standing at the door.

"Y-Your..." The clerk stutters as he was lost for words.

Subaru takes a look around. Everything was the same as it was before he got transported. He still didn't understand how he got here, but a thought crosses his mind. A single thought. An important thought.

How are his parents doing? He looks down with a pained expression.

It was something he didn't want to think about. He got his closure with his parents during the trial in the sanctuary and came to terms with never seeing them again as well as saying what he wanted to them. But now that he was here, he was questioning whether this was real or not. Was he really sent back to Japan? He had to contact his parents. But he didn't have his phone anymore. He gave that up after his battle with the white whale.

Subaru started walking towards the clerk before stopping. He noticed his reflection in the mirror of the glass. He didn't expect what he saw. He looked... different. Different than he used to.

He looks away from his reflection and continues walking to the clerk. The clerk is still in shock as this boy walks up to him.

"U-Um, how can I help you?" The clerk stutters from shock.

Subaru stands in front of the clerk with a serious expression and a hint of pain. He then opens his mouth to speak to the clerk, but he hesitates. He clenched his teeth as he starts to wonder if he's ready to contact his parents after so long. If this was real, could he handle meeting his real parents? What would his parents think of him now? He still didn't know why he was brought back to this place to begin with. But he needed to do this and so he spoke to the clerk.

"Do you have a phone?" He asks, his voice cracking as he becomes nervous.

The clerk just stares in shock.

Naoko continues sitting at the table as Kenichi finishes cooking. He made curry and rice. He goes to the table carrying two plates of curry and rice. He places one beside the photo album Naoko is looking at and places the other one on the other side of the table.

"You need to eat Naoko. It's been days already and you haven't eaten a thing." Kenichi sits across the table as he speaks.

Naoko doesn't reply. Kenichi just looks at her with a saddened expression. She's only gotten worse since Subaru disappeared. Naoko needs to eat. He knew that, but there isn't anything he can do. All Naoko does is blame herself for Subaru vanishing. She believed she drove him off. It was all she could believe. She couldn't accept any other outcome. It must've been her fault. It was all her.

Suddenly, the phone rings. It startles Kenichi. The phone rings a couple of times before he gets up. He walks over to the phone and picks it up, answering it.

"Who is it?" Kenichi speaks. The voice on the other side shakes Kenichi to his core as it speaks.

"D-Dad?" The voice speaks. The voice is familiar. There was no mistaking it. This voice was... Subaru.

A tear falls down Kenichi's face for the first time in a long time as he hears the voice speaking. It couldn't actually be Subaru, right? Kenichi was starting to think that Subaru was gone for good. This was too cruel for a prank.

"Subaru?" Kenichi finally responds, his voice cracking. Naoko flinches as she hears Kenichi speak his name.

"D-Dad it's me." The voice replies back.

"Is it really you?" Kenichi asks as he holds his hand on his face.

"Yeah, it's me." The voice responds in a more cheerful tone. "I'm at the convenience store and asked the clerk to let me use the phone. H-How are you and mom doing?"

Kenichi hesitates to reply. "We've been waiting for you to return." Kenichi then thought of something. Subaru said he was at the convenience store. He has to go and meet him.

He turns around to look at Naoko. She is still staring at the photo album as she tries to escape her unbearable reality of not knowing what happened to Subaru. Kenichi has to let her know.

"We'll come meet you." Kenichi speaks to Subaru. Subaru doesn't respond.

Kenichi quickly hangs up the phone and runs to Naoko's side. He kneels beside her, placing his hands on her shoulder and thigh.

"Naoko, you'll never believe what happened. Subaru has returned." At these words, Naoko's eyes widen. She didn't speak a word. "He's at the convenience store. Let's go."

Kenichi then helps Naoko out of her chair. Her legs almost gave out as she hasn't moved from the chair in a couple of days now. She was mentally exhausted from the constant blame and lack of sleep. The two of them then left the house to meet up with Subaru.

Subaru hangs up the phone at the convenience store. His parents were on the way. The clerk stands behind Subaru nervously. Subaru walks to the front of the desk as he waits for his parents. He looks down with a pained expression. He didn't know what his parents were going to think of him. He was so... different now.

Then he smirks. He knows his parents will be proud. He's a new person. He isn't the same as he was last time he was with them. He's better and he's found people who... that's right. What about his friends? Are they okay? There wasn't any threats or dangers last time he was with them. He had saved the sanctuary and everyone in the mansion.

His expression changes to one of concern the more he thought about his friends. Suddenly, he hears a noise. He turns to look at the doors of the convenience store. Two people come into view. It was his parents, Kenichi and Naoko.

His eyes widen as he sees them outside. The doors to the convenience store slide open. Kenichi has Naoko's arm over his shoulder as he helps her walk inside. Their eyes widen as they notice someone inside the store. Their son stands in front of them. Their son who has been missing for more than a year, now stands in front of them.

Their eyes begin watering as they see their son. Naoko opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. She couldn't utter a single word. Meanwhile, Kenichi speaks, his voice broken.

"Subaru? Is that really you?"

Subaru turns his body to look directly at his parents. He couldn't believe that they were actually in front of him. He thought this must be a dream, but it was too real for that. His eyes begin to form tears as he takes in the sight of his parents. He was back. Back home. His mind begins filling with nothing but his parents. They were all he could think about now.

Before he knew it, his body had moved toward them. Naoko moves her arm off of Kenichi's shoulder and moves toward Subaru as tears fall down her face and finally, she speaks.

"Subaru, I missed you."

Subaru and Naoko hug each other tightly as if one of them would disappear if they didn't. They both sob. Naoko has a sad frown on her face as Subaru smiles. Naoko screams out as she holds Subaru in her embrace. Kenichi just stands behind Naoko with a smile. He didn't know what to say.

After a few minutes, Subaru and Naoko step away from each other, holding each other's shoulders as they looked each other in the eyes. Naoko smiles as she moves her right hand onto Subaru's face and wiping away a tear on his face.

"It's been so long."

Her voice is dull and broken. Kenichi walks up behind her, getting Subaru's attention. Subaru and Kenichi just stare at each other without saying a single word before Kenichi breaks their silence.

"I-It's good to see you Subaru."

Subaru didn't know what to say. He hasn't seen his parents in what feels like forever. He put his arm over his eyes to wipe away the tears. Finally, Subaru couldn't hold everything in as he starts crying harder.

Naoko looks up at Subaru as tears once again form in her eyes. She places her right hand on Subaru's cheek. Kenichi walks up behind Naoko and hugs the both of them as his face shows a broken smile with tears flowing down his cheeks.

The three of them stand, hugging each other as they all enjoyed this moment of relief. After a few minutes, everyone wiped their tears away. Their eyes were red from all the crying. Subaru stares at his parents with a smile as Naoko and Kenichi step back.

They take a good look at Subaru. Kenichi notices something. Subaru's eyes look different.

"L-Lets go home." Naoko speaks, her voice still breaking from her not using it in a long time. She sniffles as she shows a smile at Subaru. They all leave the store and walk back home. On the way home, Subaru and Naoko walk side by side, talking. The whole time, Kenichi felt that something was off.

He decides to shake it off though. His wife looks the happiest she's ever been since Subaru vanished.

They make it home. Naoko opens the door, letting Subaru enter first. He enters the house, looking around. It feels so unreal. Has he really returned home? The house looks exactly the same as when he left.

Naoko and Kenichi enter behind Subaru as they watch him look around the house, taking it all in. Finally, Subaru comes to a familiar door. It was the door to his room. Naoko walks up behind him. Her eyes still look exhausted.

"This is your room. I kept it exactly the way you left it." She speaks from behind him.

Subaru reaches out his hand for the doorknob, hesitating. He grits his teeth as he works up the courage to open the door. Finally, he grabs the doorknob. He twists the doorknob before swinging open the door inwards.

His room looks the same. Not a single thing was moved.

"Your mother couldn't handle the thought of moving anything in your room, but she did keep it tidy." Kenichi speaks as he watches Naoko and Subaru.

"I'm back." That is when it hit him. This wasn't a dream. He really returned to Japan.

As he smiles at the thought of being home, another thought hit him. What about his friends? Are they okay? How would he even get back to them? Is there a way to get back? His thoughts were interrupted as Naoko speaks up.

"So, where have you been Subaru?" Her voice was still hoarse.

Subaru flinches at the question before turning back to face her.

"You seem to be a lot better than the last time we saw you." Kenichi adds as he stands beside Naoko.

"I..." Subaru is speechless. What could he say? He can't just tell them that he was summoned to another world, could he?

He starts to notice that his parents were also different than the last time he saw them, though he guesses they must've been pretty heartbroken when he vanished. It's been so long since he was summoned. So he had no idea how Japan was after he left. Much less, how his parents were doing.

He starts to feel bad as he thinks about how they must've felt. He didn't want to think about it when he was in Lugunica, but now that he was back, it was all he could think about. How much has his parents suffered over him disappearing. How much have they agonized over it? How hard did they search only to find nothing?

He turns to face them directly as he prepares to speak.

"I... I'm sorry and..." He speaks as he bows his head. Slowly, he lifts his head to look them in the eyes as he continues, "thanks for everything. I don't think I've thanked you enough for what you guys have done for me. I think you from the bottom of my heart that you didn't give up on me and supported me even I became a shut-in."

Naoko and Kenichi were caught off guard by the sudden apology followed by a barrage of thank you's. Their son was a completely different person. He seemed... better. Kenichi and Naoko look at each other with shocked expressions before smiling. They wrap their arms around each other as they turn to look back at Subaru.

"We have no idea what you've been through, but it seems to have made a good impact on you." Kenichi speaks with his arm over Naoko's shoulder.

Subaru's smile drops as he hears those words. He looks down, thinking of all his experiences since he was summoned. All the times he died and all the times he wanted to give up.

The memory of having his stomach cut open by Elsa. The memory of Rem beating him with a chain. The memory of when he made a fool of himself in the castle. The memory of him returning to the mansion to find everyone dead. The feeling of freezing to death, the feeling of hopelessness he felt when he asked Rem to run away with him. The memories in the sanctuary of him being killed by Elsa and eaten alive by rabbits. All of his experiences flood into his head as he thought about everything that led him to where he was now.

His parents look confused as they notice Subaru's pained expression.

"Subaru?" Kenichi calls out, getting Subaru's attention.

Subaru looks up with wide eyes as he continues to think. Would it be okay for him to just enjoy this moment right now? In the back of his mind, he couldn't forget his friends. He looks back down as he continues to think before Naoko walks up to him and wraps her arms around him, surprising Subaru.

"Why?" She asked. "Why is it that it looks like you're going to cry. It looks like you're in pain, but why?"

Suddenly, Subaru's mind went blank. He didn't know what to say. Even if return by death didn't prevent him from speaking about it, how could he ever tell his parents? How could he tell his parents that he was summoned to another world and not sound crazy?"

"I... I think I just need some time. I'm really tired right now, so I think I'm going to go to bed." Subaru speaks has he puts on a fake smile.

He places his hands on Naoko's shoulders and moves her backward away from him. He then backs into his room.

"I'm going to sleep. We can catch up tomorrow."

"Oh, right." Naoko responds, putting her own broken smile on her face as she waves to Subaru. "Goodnight."

Kenichi stands behind her. "Goodnight Subaru." He speaks.

Subaru slowly closes the door to his room. As soon as the door is completely closed, he drops his smile and sighs. His mind couldn't stop thinking of all his friends back in the other world. He plops down on his bed, thinking to himself. Finally, he falls asleep.

In the middle of the night, Subaru's door slowly creaks open. A figure pokes their head into the room. It was Naoko. She looks around the room before her eyes fall on Subaru sleeping.

She lets out a sigh as she sees Subaru. It wasn't a dream. Subaru really did return. She closes her eyes as she lets out a huge breath. Suddenly, she hears groaning. She quickly looks up, startled to see Subaru moving around. She steps into the room and slowly moves towards him.

"Subaru?" She whispers.

She moves across the room to get a better look at Subaru as he moves around. Finally, she towers over him. Subaru seems to be in pain as he turns his head left and right. He is sweating and hyperventilating.

She takes Subaru's hand in hers. She slowly rolls up a sleeve of his tracksuit to grab his wrist. It was weird. He didn't even change out of his tracksuit before going to bed. She then notices something on his arm. It looks like a scar. She rolls up the sleeve even more to find more scars. Where did these scars come from?