Parallel Memory

"Mom..." Zero said softly, surprised and guilty to see her standing there.

Zero's voice caught in his throat as he locked eyes with his mother. Emotion welled up inside him, a mix of joy, guilt, and longing. He had prepared himself for a difficult conversation, but now, seeing his mother's face, all the words he had rehearsed vanished from his mind.

His mother, with tears welling up in her eyes, rushed forward and embraced him tightly. The years of separation melted away in that moment, replaced by the warmth and familiarity of a mother's love.

"Zero, my dear, is it really you?" his mother whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

"Yes, Mom, it's me," Zero managed to say, his own voice trembling. "I'm sorry for disappearing without a word. I never meant to cause you so much worry."

Zero felt a lump in his throat, struggling to hold back tears himself. He hugged his mother back tightly, feeling the warmth of her embrace.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to worry you," he said, his voice trembling.

His mother pulled back slightly to look at him, her hands cupping his face. "Oh, my dear child, all that matters is that you're here now. You're safe, and that's all a mother could ask for."

They stood there, holding each other, the weight of their unspoken words hanging in the air. It was a bittersweet reunion, for Zero knew that he would soon have to leave again. But in this moment, he allowed himself to savor the love and warmth of his family.

Zero's mother stepped back, wiping the tears from her eyes, and took a moment to compose herself. She had so many questions, but she knew this was not the time for that. What mattered now was being with her son, even if it was just for a little while.

"Come, let's go inside," she said, leading Zero into the familiar surroundings of their home. The house had changed a bit since he left, but the essence of it remained the same.

Zero looked around, memories flooding back to him. The living room where he used to spend evenings with his family, the kitchen where his mother cooked his favorite meals, and the hallway adorned with pictures capturing the moments of their lives together.

It felt like stepping into a time capsule of cherished memories.

"Zero, I have heated the water. You can take a bath and I will prepare your favorite dish."

Zero's mother said.

Zero nodded as he went to take a bath.

*******

Inside Shadow Genesis Guild.

Shadow Genesis guildmaster, Warren Elea was busy handling all the business expansion that the guild has.

Zero has poured in a lot of resources so that Shadow Genesis could grow, and in 2 years they had managed to go from Silver graded guild to High Gold graded guild.

In the process of becoming a powerful guild, the number of numbers that they had made had also increased. There were many guilds who were not happy with Shadow Genesis's growing power and wanted to stop them.

However, they could not as they were not capable. With their strong alliance with NightShade and ShiverSong guild who are both Gold graded guild, they could even rival even Diamond graded Guild.

With their growing influence, the number of people and organizations wanting to work with them had also increased. As such, he as the guildmaster has also gotten more tasks.

However, it was a good thing for him. If not for work, Warren might have spent all his time worrying about Zero who disappeared out of nowhere. Although due to the message left by Zero, they knew that Zero didn't die at Devil's Invasion, they were very worried.

Warren, as Zero's father, felt very guilty. He didn't know the reason why Zero left but felt that it was because he was weak.

He doesn't know the reason for the change but Zero had become very strong and knew that his disappearance might have to do with becoming stronger.

Warren thought that if he was powerful then there wouldn't be a reason for Zero to leave. He felt the same helplessness as when Zero lost all of his friends and were accused of murdering them.

Zero's personality changed and he became quiet. He tried to help and even tried to find evidence to prove that his son was innocent but there was no clue.

To feel less guilty, Warren started to concentrate and spend all his time making the guild stronger.

*RING! *RING!

Warren Elea's phone rang loudly on his desk, momentarily pulling him away from the pile of documents he was reviewing. He quickly reached for the phone and glanced at the caller ID. It was his wife's number.

"Hello?"

Warren answered.

"Warren, you won't believe who just showed up at our doorstep!" his wife exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

"Who? What happened?"

Warren asked worriedly. He thought that it might be some enemies who wanted to kidnap his wife.

"It's Zero! Our son, Zero, he's back!" she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

Warren couldn't believe what he was hearing. Zero, his son who had disappeared two and a half years ago, had returned? He felt a rush of emotions flood through him - relief, joy, and a tinge of sadness for the time lost.

"Are you sure it's him?" Warren asked, trying to contain his emotions.

"Yes, it's him! He looks a bit different, but it's him." his wife replied, her voice now filled with tears of happiness.

Warren had a smile on his face as his eyes were getting a little blurry. However, to keep his dignity as guildmaster and father, he didn't cry.

"I'll be there right away," Warren said as he ended the call.

He immediately stopped looking at the documents and stood up.

"Osian!"

Warren called out in a very loud voice.

"Guildmaster, you called?"

Osain Mitchell soon appeared after hearing Warren call him.

"I will be going home. You can handle the rest of the work."

Warren said.

???

Osian didn't know what was going on but seeing Warren in a hurry, Osian agreed without asking anything. He was also relieved to see Warren head back home early.

Warren was an extremely serious person who took his responsibility seriously. His dedication to the work only increased after Zero left and even when Osian advised Warren to go home and rest, he would continue to work hard.

It was like he was trying to distract his mind and focus on something. Fortunately, Warren was a strong man and they had great Mana herb to keep him healthy, otherwise, an average person would have died long ago.

So, Osian was rather relieved when Warren left the work early.

******

As Warren rushed home, his mind was filled with a mix of emotions. He couldn't believe that his son, Zero, had returned after all this time. He felt a sense of relief and immense joy.

As he reached the doorstep, his heart was pounding with anticipation. He took a deep breath to steady himself and then pushed the door open.

Inside, he saw his wife standing with Zero, their faces glowing with happiness. Warren's eyes met Zero's, and he saw the guilt and uncertainty in his son's eyes.

"Welcome home, Zero!"

Warren said, his voice filled with fatherly affection. He didn't want to ask why or the reason he left. What he wanted was for his son to know that his father missed him and that this was his home.

As Zero stood in front of his father, the guilt inside him intensified. His parents have always sacrificed everything for him but he couldn't do anything for them.

Rather than repaying what they had done, he had left without a word, causing them so much pain and worry.

"Come here, son," Warren said, opening his arms invitingly.

Zero hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward and embracing his father. It was a long, heartfelt hug, and in that embrace, all the unspoken words and emotions flowed between them.

"I missed you so much, Dad!"

Zero finally managed to say, his voice breaking.

"I missed you too, son," Warren replied, his voice filled with both joy and sadness. "But you're here now, and that's all that matters."

Warren's wife joined the hug, and for a moment, it was as if time stood still. The family was together again, and they cherished this moment.

Zero looked at his father and mother's face. Both of them had more wrinkles than in his memories but the warmth he felt was the same.

He knew that he was not a good son. There were many things that he did and would do that he couldn't explain to them but he didn't think that was important right now.

What was important is that he was home now!