Josh's parents' reaction was... well, it was about what one would expect. Shock, disbelief, a million questions all tumbling out at once.

  "Josh? How? But... we saw you die! We buried you!" His mother's voice was a mix of hysteria and overwhelming joy, tears streaming down her face as she reached out to touch him, as if to make sure he was real.

  His father, ever the pragmatist, was a little more restrained, but his eyes betrayed his own astonishment. "Son, what in God's name is going on? How is this possible?"

  Josh tried to explain, to make them understand the utterly insane events of the past week. "I know it sounds crazy, but after I... after I was killed, I was transported to another world. A world called Alleran." He paused, searching for the right words. "I became a hero there. I met goblins, oni, elves, giants, dragons, etc. And at the end of it all... I managed to defeat the Dark Lord that terrorized them all.”

  He knew it sounded ludicrous, like some fantastical tale spun from a fevered imagination. And judging by their expressions, they thought so too.

  "Elves, goblins, and a… Dark Lord?" His dad raised an eyebrow, a wry smile playing on his lips. "My little man, a hero? I'll be damned." But beneath the humor, he could see the pride in his eyes.

  His mother, however, was less concerned with the details and more with the fact that he was standing before her, alive and well. She pulled him into a tight embrace, her voice choked with emotion. "Oh, Josh, my baby. I don't care about Dark Lords or other worlds. Just that you are here, and alive!”

  It was then that he realized something. "Time... time moves differently there," he explained. "I was in Alleran for over a year, but only a week has passed here."

  His father chuckled. "Well, that explains the new muscles. You've been hitting the gym in another dimension?"

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  His mother finally pulled away, her eyes searching his. "Josh, do you... do you still want to be a hero?"

  The question gave him pause. He thought about the battles, the sacrifices, the weight of responsibility. He thought about the peace he had found in those final moments, the acceptance that had come with saving Sasha. His expression sobered, but then he smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile.

  "I was a hero, Mom. And I'll never forget what I did there. But right now? Right now, I just want to focus on living a normal life."

  As if to emphasize his point, he focused his will, and the magical energy that still flowed through him transported the mystical Azure knight armor away, leaving him in the simple, practical clothes of a villager. The clothes fit snugly against his now much larger frame, the muscles he had gained in Alleran now quite apparent.

  His parents stared, their mouths agape. Sasha, who had been standing nearby, blushed a deep crimson, her eyes wide with surprise.

  His mother recovered first, a look of understanding dawning on her face. She exchanged a look with his father, and they both nodded. "We understand, son," she said. "We'll let the school and the authorities know what happened. You... you should probably get some rest. You've been through a lot."

  Sasha, still somewhat speechless, managed a small smile. "Yeah, Josh. It's... It's good to have you back. I'm glad you're alive and well, and soon everything will go back to how it use to be”

  But then, Josh walked over to her, his heart pounding in his chest. He reached out and pulled her into a hug, a real hug, the kind he hadn't been able to give her in over a year. He felt her stiffen for a moment, her face pressed against his much broader chest, her body trembling slightly. He could feel the heat radiating from her face.

  "I missed you, Sasha," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. "I'm so glad you're still here."

  Sasha finally relaxed into the hug, her arms wrapping around him tightly. He could feel her smile against his shirt. A few minutes passed before they separated.

  Later that day, he found himself back in his room. It looked so alien now, so small and... ordinary. His old posters, his half-finished projects, the familiar clutter—it was all a stark reminder of the life he had left behind. Then as Josh laid down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. Was he still dreaming? Was this all some elaborate hallucination? He didn't know.

  But either way, he decided in that moment that he would never again take his normal life for granted. He had been given a second chance, a gift, and he wasn't going to waste it.