Matthew spent the night in the hospital in observation. But as all his exams were fine, he was discharged first thing in the morning. His father was the one who brought him home. The family ate lunch together being thankful for his return.
In the afternoon, Sarah went out with her friends while his father went to chess club with his. Matthew's mother was watching TV on the couch absent minded. Just some documentary about the habits of Blue Mammoths from a distant gate.
Matthew sat by her side and watched it with her.
After a while, his mother asked:
"How is everything?"
"Fine." He answered nonchalantly.
"What's about this elf girlfriend your sister told me about?"
Matthew choked with his own spit coughing strongly.
"She's not my girlfriend. She's just a friend I made while adventuring." Matthew spoke after clearing his throat.
"Is this the girl you went to see in the hospital that day?"
"Yes. Faralynn."
"Sarah said she's very beautiful."
"She is… But I'm not dating her. We're just friends!"
Matthew's mother laughed and said:
"Ok, I'm not going to pry anymore. But do bring her here someday. I'd love to meet her."
Matthew didn't answer that, but imagined how it would turn out. His mind racing in the fantasy of introducing Faralynn as his girlfriend to his parents.
"And that other girl. The one who brought you to the hospital? Vanessa. You're not dating her?"
"No!" Not that he didn't want to as well. "She's another friend. We made a party together. She's been helping me since I started adventuring."
"Oh! Is she the mother of that beautiful girl you babysat the other day? Katia."
"No. She's friends with Katia's father. Eric. She lives in their garage."
"I see. Are you interested on this Vanessa?"
"Mom! Please…" Matthew begged for mercy.
"Ok, ok… A mother is curious about these things. You don't need to get angry."
Matthew exhaled deeply turning his attention back to the documentary.
After a couple of minutes more, his mother asked:
"And about the scholarship? Sarah said it's a really big adventurer school. Are you going to accept?"
Matthew didn't answer.
"It seems a very big opportunity in your career. I think you should take it."
Matthew looked at his mother. Then he took a deep breath.
"You're not going to stop me? Even after all that?"
"You want me to?" His mother looked at him raising an eyebrow.
Matthew looked at the floor. He couldn't answer that question.
"I will not. Matthew. You chose this path and you grew so much walking it. I'm always worried about you of course. But, after everything, you saved a lot of people. I'm very proud of you." She said putting a hand on his head. "If you want me to say to you to give up, to give you an excuse for you to quit, I won't. If you are scared of moving on, I'm not going to blame you. If you want to quit, I won't stop you. But I will not give you an excuse to quit."
Matthew looked at his mother with teary eyes.
"You're doing great Matthew. You knew this job was dangerous, but you took it anyway. You were so brave. You risked yourself to save others. You are a hero, Matt. You'll give me a heart attack worrying about you, but I'm sure you'll use these powers for great things. Good things. I believe in you my son. You are my baby hero."
Matthew took his mother's hand that was in his head on his hands and kissed keeping it pressed against his face feeling the heat.
"Do you really want to stop Matthew?" His mother asked.
No. He was scared. Yes. But he didn't want to stop. He had a lot fun when things weren't chaotic. He wanted to have a normal adventure with Faralynn and Erin. He wanted to party with Vanessa, Paula and Michael. He wanted to eventually party with his sister when she turned 18. And he was curious of what the Gacha Leveling skill would give him next.
"I don't. I want to continue." He said after pondering.
"Then go to that school. It will be safer for you to have the orientation of the school." she smiled at him.
"Yeah. Thanks mom." Matthew said kissing her hand again. "I love you."
"Love you too, honey. Now get me a glass of wine. The good one that I hide from your father."
That night Vanessa called Matthew and asked him to go out. The poor boy thought it was a date and got all dressed up. But Vanessa brought him to a bar where Paula and Michael were waiting for him.
"Matt!" Paula got up from her seat and hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you are ok! You got us so worried."
Michael also got up and fist bumped him. "Man. I thought you were a goner back there."
"We were all worried." Vanessa said sitting down and quickly ordering a beer.
Michael and Paula sat back down in front of their drinks. Paula was drinking wine and Michael beer.
"What you drinking, kid?" Paula asked.
"I can't drink yet." Matthew said.
"Oh because of the meds? You're in pain?" Paula asked pending her head to the side.
"No. I'm not taking anything. I'm alright."
"He's 18 Paula." Vanessa said taking a sip of her beer. "He can't drink yet."
"Man… That sucks. You almost died and can't even drink?" Michael laughed.
Matthew also laughed and ordered a simple lemon soda.
"Oh yes. Matthew, check out! You didn't see her did you?" Paula said while lifting her arm and a huge white bird landed on it. "Look how big Lumi got thanks to you!"
"Is that Lumi?" Matthew widened his mouth in surprise.
"She turned into an Ice Phoenix!" Paula said fussing Lumi's feathers.
"Kid." Vanessa said. "You have no idea how lucky you were to only lose an eye."
"How so?" Matthew asked.
"Ice Phoenixes are as powerful as level 40 adventurers. The amount of mana that it would take to do what you did is incommensurate with your level. To just lose an eye. That's akin to a miracle." Vanessa explained while taking big gulps of her beer.
"Then how did I survive? How did I manage to do this?" Matthew asked a bit scared of what that meant.
"The mana knows." Michael said taking a sip. "All we can think is that the mana itself helped you."
"I like to think it was the mana of the dead adventurers that went up to help us. Even in death protecting everybody." Paula said letting Lumi fly to the table.
"There are things we just accept and move on." Vanessa sighed. "The mana knows."
Lumi walked over the table and pressed its head against Matthew's cheek in a tender motion rubbing her face on his.
"Lumi never did that before!" Michael got surprised.
"She only lets Paula touch her." Vanessa complemented.
"Of course she's affectionate with Matty. It's thanks to him she became an ice phoenix. It's like he's her daddy." Paula said the last word in a sultry voice and winked at him.
"Paula, don't tease the kid!" Vanessa got mad instantly.
"Oh, I'm not teasing." Paula said trying to hide a laughter.
Matthew swallowed hard. He's never been the subject of this kind of flirt before.
"Sis." Michael shook his head. "You're going to break him."
Paula laugh out loud.
They all drunk and ate and talked for hours until Michael carried Paula home.
"I've never seen her like that." Vanessa said while getting her keys from her pocket. "She seems so much more free now."
"Why do you think that is?" Matthew asked taking the key from her hand. "And you're not driving."
Vanessa made a silly face to him when he took her keys, but then said:
"You kid. I think seeing you hold back that demonic mana made her make peace with what happened to her and her ex." Vanessa put a hand on his shoulder. "You are unlucky as hell kid. But it seems you really help the people around you." She smiled.
Matthew didn't answer that. He just smiled back and mounted her bike with Vanessa on the back.
"You know how to drive one?" Vanessa asked worried about her cherished vehicle.
"I got the license. But never drove one so powerful." He answered tightening his helmet.
"Just be careful on the throttle. If you punch it, she'll kick you. Go slow and smooth."
Matthew drove Vanessa home parking the bike in the driveway.
Vanessa got out of the bike and patted his head fussing his hair.
"You're a really good kid. I'm really glad you're ok. I was so scared to lose you." She hugged him hard "Thank you for surviving."
Matthew hugged her back:
"Thank you for taking care of me. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."
"We'll party again. Another gate. Right?"
"Of course! I'm in your party now. You won't get rid of me easily."
Vanessa laughed and let him go.
"Sure you don't want to take the bike home? I can go pick it up at your place with Eric in the morning."
"No. I want to walk a little. Think things through." Matthew said with a half smile.
"Ok, kid. Goodnight then." Vanessa said kissing his forehead.
Matthew stood stunned in front of Eric's garage until Vanessa closed the door. The walk home was marked by a huge smile stamped on his face.