Chapter 337 Lingering Shock

As the initial shock of recognition slowly settled into an emotional storm, Suzuka broke the silence with a playful grin, attempting to diffuse the tension with her trademark humor.

“Wait, hold on a second,” she said, glancing between her father and her mother.

“Who’s this little bundle of joy? You said your son? When did you two get a kid? Wait a minute - does that make him my little brother now? You two sure didn’t waste any time replacing me with a new family member while I was gone!”

Her jest seemed to cut through the emotional whirlwind, causing a chuckle. Suzuka’s attempt to lighten the mood was a small but appreciated reprieve. Her father’s face still streaked with tears, cracked into a tearful smile as he tried to reconcile the fact that his long-lost daughter was standing before him.

Meanwhile, Olivia had taken the opportunity to bond with the baby. She was crouched down, her usual cool demeanor softened by the innocent joy of the moment. The little one’s tiny fingers wrapped around her pinky, his giggles a sweet sound of pure joy. Olivia’s eyes sparkled with a gentle warmth as she playfully wrestled with the baby’s tiny grip, her tough exterior momentarily giving way to the scene’s tenderness.

Megan, still wiping away tears, finally managed to compose herself. She looked warmly at Olivia and then back to Suzuka.

“Let’s get inside,” she said, her voice choked but steady.

“We can talk about everything inside. There’s so much to catch up on.”

She lifted the baby, who gurgled happily in her arms and then offered a kind smile to Olivia.

“Hi, I'm Megan. Suzuka's mother,” she said, her voice breaking slightly with emotion.

“You must be Suzuka's friend. It’s lovely to meet you. Let’s get inside where we can all talk and, hopefully, find a bit of comfort.”

Olivia smiled back, her demeanor still cool but noticeably softer.

“Nice to meet you, Megan. I'm Olivia,” she replied, giving a polite nod.

“I’d be happy to join you all inside.”

As they made their way to the house, she glanced back at her father, still awash with the remnants of disbelief and joy, and at her mother, who had embraced the baby with a love that seemed to span the years Suzuka had been absent.

They settled around the table, the room, modest yet inviting, was bathed in the soft glow of a few candles and a crackling fire in the hearth. Megan put her baby to sleep in a tiny crib adorned with delicate, hand-stitched linens. She then set a spread of snacks - freshly baked bread, cheese, and fruits - alongside a pot of strong coffee, filling the room with comforting aromas.

Steven, his eyes still wide with a mix of doubt and relief, turned to Suzuka.

“I don’t even know where to start. It all feels like a dream. I still can’t believe you’re here, back with us. After all this time. We thought you fell victim to some monsters. You went to school and never came back. We tried to look for you, but there were no traces, no witnesses. What happened to you that day?”

Suzuka took a deep breath, savoring the moment of reunion before diving into her story. She opted for a carefully crafted version of events, choosing to leave out certain details and names, particularly Antonio’s involvement. 

“Oh, you know me, dad. I always get myself into some kind of mess. One minute I was just walking home, and the next - bam! Lights out. I got hit on the head. When I woke up, I was way out of town, in a place I’d never seen before, deep in the forest riding on a four-wheeler trunk. All tied up. Turns out I’d been snatched by some guys from MIS. MIS, nothing surprising there, I'm I right?”

Steven’s face darkened with anger.

“Damn those MIS bastards. If someone mysteriously goes missing it's always them. They think they can do whatever they want. They need to answer for what they did. Do you remember how they looked? Anyone we know? Anyone from around town?”

Suzuka waved a dismissive hand, her smile playful and teasing.

“Oh, don’t worry, Dad. They’re taken care of. Let’s just say, no one’s going to suffer by their hands again.”

Steven’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Is that so? Did you do it yourself?”

Before Suzuka could respond, Megan, her face lined with worry, interrupted.

“Suzu, dear? Are you saying that you... killed them? Are you saying that you have blood on your hands?”

Suzuka’s laughter rang out, light and carefree.

“I wish! But no, the bastards got lucky. Some beast tore them apart before I could even get my hands on them. That's how I got free. They killed each other and I was left all alone in the forest.”

Megan’s expression shifted from worry to relief.

“Well, I wouldn't call them lucky but thank God. My little Suzu is not a killer.”

As the tension in the room eased, Megan’s gaze turned to Olivia, who had been quietly observing the exchange with a warm smile.

“Um, Suzu, dear? We would love to hear more about what happened to you but I think you should introduce your friend to us. Who might this lovely lady be?”

Suzuka, now leaning back in her chair with a relaxed demeanor, nodded toward Olivia.

“Oh, come on, I was getting to that part. She comes up later in my story, but alright, I’ll introduce her now. This is Olivia. She and her team helped me reach the nearest town out of that damn forest. We are close friends now.”

Olivia gracefully gave a friendly bow.

“Ah, yes, it is true, I did rescue this lovely, pretty warrior lost in the forest. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all.”

Megan’s eyes lit up with curiosity and admiration as she took in Olivia’s poised demeanor.

“It's a pleasure to meet you too, Olivia,” Megan said warmly.

“Thank you for helping our daughter. Thank you very much. I’m sure it wasn’t easy.”

Steven, still processing the whirlwind of emotions and revelations, poured everyone a cup of coffee and began to serve the snacks Megan had prepared. His hands trembled slightly, betraying his lingering shock.

“So, Olivia, tell us a bit about yourself. How did you come to cross paths with Suzuka?”

Olivia accepted the coffee with a nod, her demeanor poised and composed.

“Well, I’m part of a small group that specializes in scouting and recovery missions. Thomas, the leader of the party I'm in had some business in that area. His younger brother had gone on a subjugation mission - clearing goblin infestation in nearby castle ruins. But he never returned so he decided to look for him. We could not find him that time but we came across Suzuka, who needed assistance. We were able to help her out of the forest and ensure she got to safety.”

Steven modestly bowed his head in appreciation.

“You have our deepest thanks. We had given up hope of ever seeing our daughter again. At first, we tough she fell victim to goblin scouts and was dragged to one of those damned nests of theirs but after some time and searching we did not find any traces of goblins. We assumed that she was kidnapped but no one saw anyone suspicious lurking around. Our search or any attempt to figure out what happened to her failed.”

Suzuka, sensing that her parents were digging deeper into her kidnapping decided to shift the topic.

“Yeah! It sucked! But let's forget about kidnappers, I'm here now and It’s really good to be back,” she said softly.

“I’ve missed you both so much. And I’m glad Olivia and her team were there when I needed them. I mean I was losing hope. I thought I would be stuck in that cave for the rest of my life. My every attempt to find my way out of that forest failed miserably. Corrupted magic is no joke, I can tell you that. If you think you walk one way, it turns out you walk in the opposite. It messes with your senses like crazy.”

Steven's eyes widened with astonishment.

“You were stuck in a cave? Surrounded by corrupted magic?”

Suzuka nodded.

“After I escaped from my kidnappers, I stumbled into this cave. And get this - I even made friends with a minotaur that lived there! He calls himself Bill, grumpy old fella.”

Steven’s jaw dropped, and he gaped at Suzuka in sheer astonishment.

“You did what? A minotaur? In a cave? And even become friends?”

Steven’s gasp of disbelief was mirrored by Megan’s incredulous reaction.

“Say what? How is that even possible? Minotaurs are supposed to be... well, monsters. How could you possibly make friends with such a creature?”

Suzuka waved her hand dismissively, a playful grin on her face.

“Haha, well, I could only call one part of him a monster. At first, he was pretty terrifying, sure - huge horns, massive muscles, and a growl that could scare a dragon but after a few weeks, he turned out to be alright. Besides, he was nice enough to help me out. We became good friends, though he was awfully supportive of me leaving.”

Steven, still reeling from the revelation, shook his head in amazement.

“Well, I’ve heard that minotaurs are the failed creations of MIS, at least the first-generation ones. They’re supposed to be quite volatile and unpredictable. Unlike the second and third generations who are more stable and reasonable. We even have a few in the military now. I’m just floored that you managed to run into one, especially a first-gen! At least I assume he was first-gen. I’m just surprised you encountered one, especially one that wasn’t hostile.”

Suzuka nodded, her eyes reflecting a mix of fondness and amusement as she remembered her unusual companion.

“Oh, he was definitely a first-gen, alright! He was a bit rough around the edges, but he turned out to be quite a decent guy. We helped each other out and he ended up teaching me a thing or two about survival in that forest.”