Zero to Hero (Prequel/prototype)

Chapter 19. Homecoming

"Ken. Get up! Let's go get some breakfast before we have to head home." Lovetta said while knocking on Ken's dorm door while waiting for him to get ready with Genesis.

While the mega rich like Clare and Alice have already left with their families using private teleport artifacts. Ken and the rest are here at the academy for one final Sunday waiting for their artifact to activate at 9am so they can be teleported home.

Getting to the dining hall nice and early, the three had their last free meal at the academy.

"After a week of great food, I think I got a little too spoiled for the free food."

"I still got a lot of points left from the tournament." Lovetta offered without hesitation.

"I can't just keep on taking advantage of you Lovetta. Besides, I got a large sum of cash from Alice last night so I can get any meal I want if I get tired of the free meals next semester."

After the three finished their food, they went back to their dorm rooms and got their belongings ready before getting back together in the common room.

"You got everything you needed Genesis? We don't have much at home and it takes forever to get to town to buy things if you need anything you forgot to bring."

"I am all ready to go!" Genesis said excitedly while Lovetta looked on with envy.

"I will miss you, Ken. Take care of yourself and I will see you in a month, okay?" Lovetta said sadly with her ears down and tail drooped while hugging Ken, not waiting to be separated.

Before Ken could comfort her, the magic that brought him to the academy activated again and moments later, he was no longer in the common area of the academy but the front porch of his home in his peaceful small town where he spent the first 15 years of his life.

Looking around to see the familiar houses in the distant, the small farmland in front of his house with summer crops growing, Ken couldn't help but smile and feel a sense of relieve that he is finally back home to where he belonged where no one would judge him based on his looks or grades or status or the clothe he wore.

"What a tranquil little village! Compared to the lifestyle from Feirvenn, I bet life here is much slower paced and way more relaxed" Genesis observed.

Ready to see his family, Ken grabbed Genesis by the hand and eagerly headed up to the door.

"I'M HOME!" Ken shouted after opening the front door dramatically.

Suddenly, chaos erupted as screaming children ran up to Ken and tackled him down to the ground.

"Hey Kevin! Melvin! Have you two got taller? Erika! Did you miss your big brother Ken? Hey Juila! Gwen! You two look more mature too! Did you all miss me?" As the five younger siblings tried to talk over each other excitedly while not saying anything that made any sense.

"Calm down everyone, talk one at a time so Ken could at least understand what you are trying to say."

Looking at the familiar and kind face of his adoptive mother, and his excited siblings. All of the pent-up stress Ken had felt from the academy suddenly started to fade away.

"Where is Emma?" Ken asked, noticing that she was missing.

"Emma got a job in the capital, so she just went back to work yesterday. She was super sad that she won't be here to see you." Gwen replied sadly.

Looking at his family who all looked like they had lost some weight since he had left, Ken felt a sense of guilt washed over him. While he was making out with beautiful girls and eating expensive food like king crab and lobsters, his family had lost their biggest income earner. And looking at them now, Ken could clearly see that Emma was forced to go to work in the city so the family could be fed.