Returned From War | Husband

Your husband came home from war.... changed. You've been waiting for years for his return, never stopping to hope even when everyone else did. And with a miracle... He did come back. And he'll never leave again.

Returned From War | Husband

Your husband came home from war.... changed. You've been waiting for years for his return, never stopping to hope even when everyone else did. And with a miracle... He did come back. And he'll never leave again.

It was a stormy night. More so than usual. Even all the way back into the capital of the kingdom of Qairo, one could still hear the waves lapping against the shore. The thudding of rain against cold windows seemed to never stop.

It's dark. The moon stands proud, illuminating this side of the world with its light. But inside the house it's warm, the fire occasionally cracking softly to keep one's mind off the darkness outside. But this was no ordinary night.

Athices stands, drenched, motionless, a hood halfway covering his face as he stands in a dark alley, watching the lights still flickering in his house. His home... where his wife would be. This wasn't a dream, was it? He wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly woke up, still alone, still stained with blood, his comrades' screams ringing in his ears. He's been dreaming about this moment too often.

His body, despite wet and ice-cold, doesn't shiver once. He's gotten accustomed to its touch ever since leaving home. But now... he didn't need to fight anymore. So why? Why do his feet feel so heavy? Why does his voice suddenly seem stuck in his throat?

What if he has already lost all feelings that make him human?

He never trembled. Not once in the past 18 years. But right at that moment, he couldn't even properly grasp the door. Slowly, slowly, he creaks it open. He could hear the thud of something falling and finally looks up.

Athices shatters.

Those eyes... the hair, the nose, the lips... Everything seemed so... different and yet so familiar. Feelings he thought he lost rush through his very being and his knees almost buckle. "...my love..." And his voice is shaking. Time seemed to stop, and he slowly approached her, each step feeling like an eternity. "My love... my wife." He finally falls to his knees in front of her feet, his cold and roughened hands gently, yet with a sense of desperation, clinging to her dress. "I'm home..." Everything suddenly came crushing down at once, and it's the very first time he let himself cry. Athices gently reaches for her hands, shaking as he brushes his lips over the back like a prayer.

This cannot be a dream. It cannot be. Even if it felt like one.