City Nilo. Shuron's House.
At the dining hall, Aven was telling his wife and daughter about the earplugs incident while they ate dinner. He also talked about their outing earlier that day, but he made sure to omit anything related to the dangerous risks they had taken. Even though no one had been hurt, it wasn't something he could mention in front of the one who set the rules and could punish them all.
Shuron sat to the side, listening quietly. He didn't speak much, as his mind was still occupied with the starlight particles he had "seen" earlier that day.
Just as dinner ended and Shuron was about to head to his room to research those starlight particles, he was stopped by his father.
Aven looked at him and asked, "Shuron, now tell me your 'true' reason for going there and doing those strange meditation acts. Also, what were you trying to find in that tree crack?"
This question was also in Roxa and Shen's minds. However, they hadn't asked about it. Since they hadn't personally seen Shuron's strange actions and had only heard about them from Aven, their curiosity wasn't as strong.
But Aven had witnessed everything himself. He had been there. He remembered how Shuron had been staring into the tree crack, how he had gone silent several times with a strange expression on his face, and even that sudden meditation. Aven remembered all of it, and he was curious.
He wanted to understand not only those strange actions but also the reason behind them. Why had Shuron, a child, felt the need to go there? Why was it important to him? What was he trying to achieve?
Aven was curious. And now, after returning home, finishing dinner, and spending his precious weekend on this trip, he finally asked.
Shuron, on the other hand, was stunned when he heard his father ask that question. He had thought his father had fallen for his nonsense, but clearly, he hadn't.
Shuron's mind began racing, searching for a suitable explanation—something that would let him hide the existence of that being, as well as the truth about the starlight particles. Obviously, he couldn't talk about that being. As for the starlight particles, he couldn't reveal them either. He still didn't understand what they truly were. He needed to study them first, to learn more before telling his family. Acting on incomplete information would only cause problems.
So he kept thinking, trying to come up with a convincing story. But at that exact moment, his father's voice sounded again.
"Shuron, I want the truth."
The tone was serious—far more serious than Shuron had ever heard before. He looked up at his father, and his expression turned solemn.
"I've never seen father like this… not even in my previous world..."
His father, who was usually relaxed and easygoing around the family, now had a completely different presence. His face was firm, his gaze steady. The atmosphere in the hall fell silent.
Even Roxa and Shen were surprised. They looked at Shuron at the same time, wanting to understand why Aven had suddenly become so serious about that place. What exactly had happened there? Why did it matter so much?
Shuron, who had been desperately trying to make up a story, felt a wave of helplessness wash over him after hearing Aven's words. In his mind, he gave up. He wasn't going to lie again when his father was asking for the truth like this.
He turned toward his father, locking eyes with him. Then, in a calm and serious tone that matched his father's, he said, "Dad, I am from the future. When I first came into this world a month ago, I started hearing a voice in my head. I suspect that voice is the reason I came into the past. So when it gave me the location of that mountain range, I went there. That's the reason. And those strange things I did were also connected to that voice."
After he had finished speaking, he looked at his family members' faces. As expected, there wasn't a trace of belief in them. From their point of view, it was as if a "Not trustworthy and liar" sticker had been placed on his forehead.
On his father's face, there was also a disappointed expression, which hurt Shuron.
He immediately spoke again, the seriousness in his voice increasing, "Dad, Mom, Roxa. I swear that I am telling the truth. I can also tell you what will happen in the future or predict some events if you want. I can give any proof you ask for."
When Aven, Shen, and Roxa heard these words, their previous expressions shifted to surprise. Shuron had never sworn or taken any kind of oath in his current life. Not just him, no one in his family had ever taken any oath or sworn lightly. They always avoided doing so.
The reason lay within his family, the Rau family. The family itself wasn't very ancient, it had only begun with his grandparents. His grandparents had already passed away before he was even born. The Rau family had no other branches as well. There was no one else in their family apart from the four of them.
The family's one of the philosophy, passed down from his grandparents, was—
"Oaths or swears work best when they aren't used frequently, and only in serious situations."
Because of this, everyone in the family avoided making oaths or promises casually. Even shuron and roxa, who hadn't seen their grandparents respect and follow their grandparents beliefs and philosophy.
And now, Shuron had used a "swear." It meant he was telling the truth. There was no way Shuron would recklessly break the family philosophy like that for a joke.
But after the initial surprise, the full weight of his words settled in, and their expressions shifted into complete shock and disbelief. Even if they believed he was telling the truth, it didn't mean they could easily accept the idea of Shuron returning from the future.
Their emotions struggled to keep up with everything they had just heard, yet his "swear" still echoed in their minds. Bit by bit, despite the disbelief, a part of them had already started accepting it as reality.
Aven stood up from his place and rushed toward Shuron.
Shen, who had been about to do the dishes, placed the dirty plates back on the table and hurried toward him as well.
Roxa, who had been sitting on the chair until now, also stood up and rushed toward her brother. Though she didn't fully understand what was happening, she knew one thing clearly—her brother had come from the future, and she had thousands of questions for him.
When Shuron saw his family rushing toward him like that, he sighed in relief. They finally believed him. But now, he had to face a tiring task—answering all their questions.
The first question came from his father, "So which year did you come from?"
The second question was from his mother, "How was the family at that time?"
The third question, also from his mother, followed quickly, "Did you and your sister live a happy life?"
The fourth question came from his little sister, "Brother, was I a good, beautiful, amazing girl?"
The fifth question...
The questions kept coming, and he answered them one by one. He told them everything—his suspicions and theories about his return, about the powerful being, and other details. He even spoke about his regret of coming here and leaving his family behind there.
He also explained concepts like regression, transmigration, soul exchange, and other related ideas, helping them understand bit by bit.
After telling everything and coming clean, he noticed that the room had gone silent. There was no movement, no sound.
For a brief moment, he thought that "that" being had come and stopped time, ready to punish him for speaking its name in front of mortals. But he quickly realized nothing had happened when he saw his father and mother reach out and pull him into a tight embrace from both sides.
His father said, with a tinge of regret in his voice, "I didn't know what you were going through, being thrust into such a strange yet familiar situation."
His mother didn't say anything. She simply hugged her son and quietly comforted him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she imagined him struggling through a harsh and exhausting life just to keep his remaining family alive. But she hid those tears, not wanting her son to see them.
Roxa, on the other hand, stood silently beside them. She also wanted to hug her brother after hearing his story, but there was no space left for her to join in.
After a moment passed, Shuron opened his mouth, wanting to lighten the heavy silence. "Okay, okay. Don't worry. I'm not uncomfortable or unfamiliar anymore. It's already been a month, and I've adapted."
He paused for a moment as he felt his father and mother loosen their grip on him. Then he asked a question. Outwardly, he looked calm, but inside, he was nervous about bringing it up. Still, he decided to ask. It would be better to clear everything now than let problems arise later.
"Dad, Mom, Roxa… are you curious whether I'm still the real Shuron or not, after I took this body?"