Chapter 171: Home and Family

"We have visitors. Give them some food"

Hearing Viel's words, the disciples of the Heaven Bamboo sect quickly handed sweets to Xing Cai and the gang.

"What… in the world happened here?", Princess Cha Jin-ri could not help but comment as she unconsciously took the food that was handed to her by a Heaven Bamboo sect disciple.

These disciples were the ones unfortunate enough to check on the building when Viel fired his heat vision to the sky. They, along with the elder that first arrived, were beaten badly by Viel as made obvious from their swollen and bruised face.

But at least they weren't being used as a chair, they all thought as they looked at the state of their Elder, who now had an empty stare in his eyes as all his pride as a sect elder had disappeared.

They wanted to fight back at first, but when Viel used their Elder as a weapon and started swinging him around, they knew they were in over their heads. And so, they had no choice but to follow Viel���s orders and get food for the starving drifter children.

Xing Cai's face easily turned into a frown as she saw the hundreds of children that were scattered inside the building. Her hands trembled as she tried her best to restrain herself from snapping off the sect master's neck.

Children being abducted placed a bitter taste on Sofia's tongue. It reminded her of the children that were eaten and massacred by the demons in her kingdom.

"Brother!"

"A… Amira?"

Jiff quickly rushed towards his sister as soon as he heard her voice. He slightly crouched down to hug her.

"B...brother", Amira's tears quickly trailed down her face as soon as she felt the warmth of family.

"Are you… are you alright? How did they treat you here? Have you been eating well?", Jiff tightened his embrace, his words filled with only concern.

"I'm okay… I'm okay", Amira buried her face on his brother's chest as she let out all the loneliness and fear she had been feeling ever since she was brought here, completely separated from her family.

It took a whole minute before Amira started to calm down.

"Where are the others? Layla? Kala?", Jiff asked as he looked around the building.

"O...our carriage was attacked on the way here", Amira sniffed as she wiped the tears on her face, "Everything… everything happened so fast, but I remember them being taken by men in white robes"

Hearing Amira's words, Jiff could not help but release a deep sigh. It would seem that this was far from over.

"Did… did you come alone? What about Ibrahim and Fareed?", asked Amira.

"This…", Jiff didn't know what to say. How was he even going to break the news that Ibrahim and Fareed were dead? Amira just went through a traumatic experience, he wasn't going to add to it by telling her that they died trying to find out where she was taken.

And so, he could only let out a tiny smile, "They are back home, tending to the others"

"I... see", Amira once again wiped the tears that trailed on her face as she tried to smile back, "I can't wait to go home and see them"

But she's not. She is not going to be able to go home. The way to their world was already closed. She also won't know that her other brothers are dead, and Jiff will forever take this secret burden to his death.

As soon as Cha Jin-ri heard Amira's words, she let out a deep breath. She then looked at the gathering children let out a loud voice as she introduced herself.

"My name is Cha Jin-ri! And as most of you might have known from our golden-haired friend here…", Jin-ri pointed at Viel who was still leisurely sitting on top of the sect elder, "... we have come here to rescue all of you!"

The children all let out harmonious sighs of relief, with some of them hiccuping as they try to stop their tears from falling. Finally, finally, they could go home, they all thought.

However, the next words of Jin-ri instantly quieted them down.

"But we can no longer take you home", she said, her voice filled with remorse, "...The way to your home is close"

"W...what?"

"What's going on?"

"Why can't we go home?"

The drifter children all started whispering to each other.

"...Brother?", Amira, who was as confused as the other children, tugged her brother's sleeves, "What… what does the lady mean by that?"

Jiff, however, could not answer his sister. Instead, he just remained looking at Jin-ri, waiting for her to say more.

"All of you came from a place far away from here… through a magic door", Cha Jin-ri continued, "...And that door is locked now, and we have no way of opening them again"

"W...what!? That can't be…"

"Can you please call my mother? They took my phone!"

"My parents are rich, I am sure they can... they can take a plane to get here!"

"I… want to go home!"

"Who are you people!?"

"We are--"

"I want my mother!"

Cha Jin-ri could no longer talk as her voice was drowned by the cries of the drifter children. She could only sigh as she looked at Xing Cai and Sofia as if asking for their help. Xing Cai also looked at Sofia since like the children, she was also stuck in their world now.

However, Sofia only shook her head in response. She came here voluntarily, so she won't really understand the feelings of the children. If anything, the one that could understand them the most was…

Viel.

Xing Cai also realized that. Even though Viel entered the portal by himself, it was triggered by the emotions of a 5-year-old. And due to that, he was stuck there for 7 years.

He was the one that can understand the children and what they were going through, and also what they will go through from now on-- and it showed on his face.

His eyes were currently closed, with his head slightly lowered, releasing a pronounced sigh with every breath. Perhaps this was the best thing to do in this situation, to stay silent.

To let the children find their own way and let them adapt to the world on their own.

"...Brother", Amira could not help but grip her brother's hand as she bit her lips, trying her best not to cry as she imagined not being able to see her mother again. She was about to complain to her brother, but when she saw his trembling jaw, she mustered up the courage to be strong.

Tilly, who still could not believe what she heard from Princess Jin-ri, slowly walked towards Viel.

"...Viel, is that true?", she asked.

Seeing Tilly approach Viel, the other children did the same. From the time that Viel released the red light from his eyes, and when he protected them from the scary Elder and the other disciples, they were, in a sense, already drawn to him.

And so, once again, they circled around him. Looking at him for answers.

"...Viel?", Tilly tapped Viel's shoulders, who immediately lifted his head up in response.

"W...what?", he stuttered as he blinked his eyes a couple of times, the whites of his eyes slightly pink, "Do you need something?"

Seeing this, Xing Cai could not help but twitch her eyes. Was he… actually just sleeping? And here she was thinking that Viel looked cool when he was staying quiet earlier.

"Is it true that we can't go home anymore?", Tilly asked once again. And even though there was no hesitation in her words, her moist eyes revealed her distress.

"Yes", Viel answered instantly.

Hearing this, the children once again started whispering to each other. But before they could start crying again, Viel stood up, standing on top of the elder.

"But so what?", he said in a cold voice, "...Are you just going to cry here all day like the children you are? Crying like a lost puppy?"

Xing Cai, Sofia, and Jin-ri's eyes widened as they heard Viel's blunt words. Should they… let him continue? But seeing as the children quieted down as they listened to him, maybe this is what they needed?

"I... was an orphan", Viel continued, "And as of this moment, you are too", he said as he looked Tilly straight in the eyes.

"I was adopted by my grandparents, but they too are dead now", Viel then stepped off the elder and grabbed his head, "My grandfather was killed, he was beheaded… and I dragged his head all the way to the city", he continued his story as he dragged the Heaven Bamboo sect elder by the head.

"I… was trying to blame everyone, and because of that, I almost killed people that were dear to me. I was so sad and so mad at the same time, I almost destroyed the lives of many people… and this happened so many times".

Viel then dropped the elder and walked towards Xing Cai, "...But after that, after I calmed down. I realized that there were people that still care for me, sister Xing Cai", Viel gently touched Xing Cai's hand.

"She became my sister. She became my family when I thought no one was there for me"

Hearing Viel's words, Xing Cai's lips trembled as her eyes turned moist, "Viel…"

"What I am trying to say is…

...Sister Xing Cai can adopt all of you as well"

"..."

"...what?"