Welcome home

The mist parted and revealed an all-too familiar scene: Rowan’s block. He stood outside his house. There were no signs of destruction, no sirens, no screams of fear and pain. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that he was getting a signal. It was 8 p.m., and he knew his parents were night owls.

Rowan slowly walked down the path to his house. His mother’s garden was growing nicely, and his father remembered to paint over the scratch on the front door. His hand shook as he reached for the door knob. He turned the knob, but it was locked.

His heart froze in his chest when someone on the opposite side unlocked the door and opened it. “Rowan? Where’ve you been, son? And what are you wearing? Were you at some ren faire thing?”

“Dad…!” Rowan breathed.

“Yeah?” Sean seemed confused by his son’s demeanor. “Come on in, it’s cold outside.”

Rowan walked into his house and carefully looked around. Everything seemed…fine. Just like he remembered it. “Dad, what happened today? Sometime in the afternoon,” he asked.

Sean closed and locked the door, then he went back to the couch to watch television. “Same as usual, I guess. I finished Mrs. Ruiseal's engine block and got that bonus.”

“Hi, sweetie,” Rowan's mother greeted him. “Nice outfit. How was the ren faire?” She joined her husband on the couch and joined him for their movie night.

“No one told me about a ren faire. I would have gone to that,” His sister sounded dejected as she sat on a sofa chair to enjoy the movie.

Rowan stood in the living room, stunned to see his family alive. “It…it wasn’t a ren faire!” He exclaimed.

His family quickly turned to him. “What was it then?” Morgan asked.

Rowan took a deep breath and explained. “Demons led by a corrupted ancient Danan princess and a dragon attacked the city and killed a bunch of people. A great spirit named Brenin Llwyd sent me back in time, where I met Princess Aislinn, the same girl from my book, and worked with her and other mythical people to stop the demon god Aonghas. We also prevented Aislinn from getting corrupted, which explains why the city isn’t on fire anymore.”

His family barely had time to take in his rambling before they burst out into laughter. “Rowan, I had no idea you were so creative!” Fiona praised her son.

“Going for extra credit, huh?” Sean wondered.

“I bet it’s a setup for a Renaissance Faire storyline to impress some girl,” Morgan offered.

Rowan sighed. “No, I swear it’s real. We faced down an army of demons.” Realization came over him, and he held his hand in front of him. “I met the goddess Mairwen, and she gave me a gift, the power of the Danan King Vercingetorix.” He recalled the warm light that erupted from him before and tried to summon it forth. By the time he could form a small sphere of light, his family had already resumed their movie night. “I guess I’ll just heat up some popcorn and grab the soda and cups.”

He joined them for their movie night and didn’t bring his adventures up again. Rowan was content to see his family again and spend time with them. They were alive, which was more than he expected. Sorcha’s warning that “Fate is not so easily overturned” haunted him for a time.

The following morning, Rowan walked to school as though his adventures in the past had never happened. He left his clothes and bag in Aislinn’s study, so he had to replace his textbooks when he met his teachers.

Rowan eagerly awaited his literature class. Professor Riordan didn’t act any differently during the lesson. He bumped his knee up and down, waiting for the bell to ring and signal the end of the school day.

“Okay, class, remember to review chapters twelve through fifteen for the exam tomorrow,” the professor announced after the bell rang.

Rowan almost bored a hole into the back of Professor Riordan’s head as everyone filed out of the classroom.

“Waiting for another demon attack?” Patrick asked when he set the board eraser down and turned to face his student.

“You’re definitely Pàrlan, Aislinn’s cousin,” Rowan accused him.

The professor shrugged. “You kept calling me 'professor' so much, what choice did I have?” Pàrlan joked.

Rowan angrily stood up and stalked his way to the teacher’s desk. “What happened? The Danans and Ossorians are barely myths. I haven’t seen Aislinn or Isolde around.” His voice cracked with pain. “We beat Eònan!”

Pàrlan’s face grew serious. “Yes, we did. The city still stands, and demons have not been seen in more than a thousand years.”

Rowan slammed his hands on the desk. “That’s my point! Everyone completely forgot about Aislinn, even though she saved them!”

Pàrlan’s face softened. “Yes, she did. I assume you expected her to be waiting for you here.”

“You’re here, that means the Danans are still around,” Rowan argued.

Pàrlan bitterly chuckled. “There is no grand conspiracy at play, Rowan. People have simply moved away from the old legends and myths that became the foundation of this world.” He put his hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “It is best that you move away from them as well. You could not have kept her.”

Pain flashed across Rowan’s face. He looked away from his former comrade and wished he could simply vanish.

Pàrlan smiled kindly and gently patted his shoulder. “Even if no one remembers her, and Aislinn’s very name is lost to the sands of time, we live on. This city, this very world, is her legacy. She would want you to enjoy it as much as you can.” The professor gathered his books and neatly placed them in his satchel. “It may not feel like it, but you won. The city stands, and Aislinn never fell to darkness.”

Rowan left the classroom in silence. He didn’t feel like he won much of anything.

Life continued on as it always had. Rowan didn’t mention Aislinn or Corbenic to his family, and Pàrlan didn’t bring up his people again. The only change was that Rowan cut through the park every time he walked to or from school. He hoped to meet Brenin Llwyd again and ask to return to the past.

Two months had passed, and Rowan put on a good performance of acting happy and upbeat. His parents sensed something was wrong, and his father correctly guessed that it involved a girl, but he played it off like it was nothing.

Rowan stayed up well into the evening to study for a math exam and was very nearly late to school. He cut through the park as usual and was quickly surrounded by mist. He stopped in his tracks, and his lips curled into a wide smile.

“O Grey King of the Mist, Brenin Llwyd!” He called out.

The familiar thin figure donned in a gray cloak stepped out of the mist. “It does not do well to look behind, young one.”

“I…want to see her again,” Rowan explained.

“You have fulfilled your oath and saved your home. Would you give it all up? Could you abandon your home so easily after risking your very soul to save it?” The spirit questioned him.

Rowan thought for a moment. “I realize how insane it might sound. I get that. But…I still miss her. I want to go back, even if it means I can’t return here.” His voice was resolute.

The mist gathered and blinded Rowan for a few moments. The familiar sight of Luíseach Castle’s courtyard stretched before him.

“Rowan?” A voice called to him. He quickly turned to face Aislinn. She was just as surprised as him.

He ran toward her and quickly wrapped his arms around her. “Aislinn…” he breathed.

The princess smiled and embraced him in turn. She released him after a few moments, tears of happiness trailing down her cheeks. “Welcome home.”