The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 51 - Homesought

Zalan felt before he saw. He was lying in bed. Before he opened his eyes, a huge smile stretched its way onto his face. He had successfully survived the other world. He could get on with his life. He made it.

Home.

Something that delighted him further was that his memories were still with him. So clearly, he remembered all the events of the other world. Rep and his other friends. His amazing powers. The adventure he went on.

He even felt the familiar weight of his phone in his pocket. He'd forgotten about the sensation until now. He opened his eyes and sat up.

His heart skipped a beat. The room looked familiar, but not in the way it should have been.

"Zalan?" Rep asked, stunned from his cot.

"Rep?" Zalan said, a dread sinking quickly into his heart.

Zalan slapped at his hip, feeling for his phone. Dozens of gold coins shifted in his pocket. His eyes went wide. He stared at Rep with consternation.

"Rep, why are you in my home?" he asked seriously.

"You are in Journey House," Rep replied.

"Why are you in my home?" Zalan repeated, not having registered the first response.

"Oh, Zalan..." Rep said, feeling saddened for his friend.

"Journey House isn't my home. This isn't... I'm not... The Homeseeker was supposed to take me home!" Zalan said.

It was only then he felt the Artifact in his hand, still gripping tightly to it. He first looked at it with surprise, then glared at it.

"Ah, the Artifact can be used more than once. Otherwise it would have faded away. That is good to know," Rep said, trying to calm the situation by changing the subject.

Zalan looked up to Rep, then slammed the button on the Homeseeker, listening to it hum as it prepared to send him home. Rep looked to his friend with a heavy heart. Zalan was desperate. He was surrounded by the black glow, staring at Rep with a hint of fear as he suspected that it wouldn't work a second time either. With a loud pop, Zalan disappeared from existence, then reappeared moments later, reentering with another reality-warping snap of noise. Zalan was laying down once more, then shot up, first looking to his hand to confirm he still held the Homeseeker.

"I'm still here," Zalan said to himself.

"Indeed," Rep agreed sadly.

"Why am I still here?" Zalan asked Rep, looking lost. Confused. Hurt.

"I do not know," Rep shook his head.

"But I got the Homeseeker. I did what I was supposed to. But this isn't my home," Zalan said, almost in anguish in his confusion.

This gave Rep an idea. He thought about it for a second, then decided to share,

"This is the closest thing to your home in this world. The Homeseeker brought you to the place it considered to be your home in this world," Rep said.

"This isn't my home! Nothing here could be my home!" Zalan shouted.

Rep remained silent, not having anything more to say.

"Why am I still here?" Zalan asked more adamantly.

Rep lowered his gaze, ashamed that he did not succeed in the quest to take Zalan home.

"Why am I still here? We got the Homeseeker," Zalan said, his confusion boiling into more fiery emotions.

"We can figure this out," Rep assured him.