HOMECOMING
A young boy and an old man were paying their respects at a cemetery. The sky was clear, but there was no sunlight, as it was early morning, with clouds obscuring the sun. The boy wore black jeans and a black jacket, with a white T-shirt underneath. He looked up at the sky and then bowed his head again.
“I’m glad you didn’t skip his death anniversary. You didn’t show up for the last few either,”
The old man said, gazing at the name inscribed on the grave: “King Jacaerys.”
“I didn’t come here for the anniversary, Grandpa. It’s just a coincidence, nothing more,”
The boy replied, placing his hand in his jacket pocket. The old man looked surprised.
“So what brings you here on your father’s anniversary, Liam? He would have been so happy to see this rebellious side of yours if he were still alive,”
The man remarked with a slight smile. Liam looked annoyed.
“It’s not like he was my real father or anything. He just found me before his final battle.”
“But he named you his successor, didn’t he? He saw something in your eyes. Maybe you reminded him of his past self.”
The old man seemed to enjoy Liam’s annoyed expression. Liam responded as he stood there,
“Stop making things up, Grandpa. I was there too. He just went insane before his death.”
“Well, even though you and he weren’t related by blood, he was just like you back then—always annoyed and living by his own rules,” the old man said as he started moving toward the castle.
“Again, stop making things up, Grandpa. I’m here for other reasons anyway,”
Liam replied, starting to move as well. The old man almost caught up to him.
“So what brings you here? Is it a girl, or do you want to go on another trip to Himalaya to enjoy the mountains?”
Liam replied with a sigh.
“Not any of them. I want to go to Maplewood High School. The Art and Language programs there are excellent. They recently won an international award for best painting.”
The old man interrupted, “No. I won’t allow you to go there.”
Liam looked at him with surprised eyes.
“You never had a problem with my education until now. You even allowed me to go to the Himalayas.”
The uncle replied with a straight face,
“I don’t have an issue with you going to any school. I have a problem with where that school is located.”
Liam’s tone shifted suddenly.
“Please, Grandpa. You know people. They don’t take admissions in the last year, but you have connections. If you could just pull a few strings…”
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The old man laughed and said,
“Just like him, you change your tone when you need something. Where has your attitude gone now?”
Liam attempted to convince him further.
“You always look out for me anyway. What could possibly happen?”
The old man's face turned serious.
“I’m not worried for nothing. That place belongs to that damn witch’s territory. If she finds out you’re the real successor, she will tear you apart.
"Although no one has seen her in the past hundred years."
Liam tried to convince him again.
“Look, nobody has seen her in 100 years. She might be dead, too. It’s not like she can sense me from her grave. Even if she is alive, it’s not as if she would come out into the human world to check if some young wolf invaded her territory.”
The old man looked at Liam and said,
“Well, rumor has it she had a daughter, and she’s in college. If you run into her, she could alert her mother.”
Liam interrupted by glancing at the old man’s face.
"If the Witch is still alive, it’s only a year, Grandpa. I promise I won’t fight anyone. After a year, I’ll turn 18, and I’ll have to start taking my responsibilities as King.”
“I thought you hated being a king. You really are stubborn,”
The old man replied as they reached the mansion.
“Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Remember, I’m doing this so you don’t do anything reckless,” Liam said, a smile playing on his lips.
“I promise no fights, no meddling with other tribes, and no contact with those vampires,”
The old man responded.
“I’ll give you a ring that should control your blood scent. And remember; don’t mingle with that Witch’s daughter. If you sense any danger, call me.”
Liam grinned and playfully grabbed the old man’s arm. “Who knows, I might make that Witch’s daughter fall in love with me.”
The old man looked at Liam, who then gave him a side hug, saying, “I’m kidding, Grandpa. Don’t look at me like that.”
A soccer match was underway on the field, with a signboard nearby engraved with “Maplewood High School.”
Four girls were seated in the gallery, enjoying the game. One of them, a blonde, was positioned at the center, flanked by two girls with black hair on either side, while a girl with red hair sat in front of her.
“Who do you think will win, Margaret?”
The red-haired girl asked the girl in the center. Two players from opposing teams collided over the ball; they were tall, white, and handsome.
“I’ll go with Tyler from Team Red since he has the stamina to keep up. He’s the lone warrior of the team,”
Margaret replied casually. The girl with red hair looked at her.
“But Ryan’s team is working together like a pack of wolves to counter Tyler’s brute strength.”
Margaret continued watching the match and responded,
“Whatever happens, I just hate wolves. Plus, I think Tyler is kinda hot.”
She smiled as she focused on the game. In that moment, the blue team leader clashed with Tyler.
“Who knows? The hottest boy in the college might just be wandering around while we’re busy watching this practice match because Margaret thinks Tyler is hot,”
The girl on the right remarked. The girl on the left replied while still watching the game,
“After all, she is our princess. I think I might just faint from watching these hot guys sweat.”
“And finally, I am here!”
Margaret suddenly felt a breeze and turned around. Liam was standing at the entrance of Maplewood High School with a school bag in hand, wearing blue jeans and a black shirt, and with a smile on his face.
