Harmonies Unveiled

Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the curtains, Joel slowly stirred from their slumber. Stretching their arms and legs, they blinked their eyes open, feeling a sense of renewed energy coursing through their veins. The events of the previous day still fresh in their mind, they sat up in bed, their thoughts swirling with a mix of curiosity and anticipation. However, they felt more... freedom and peace—as if the heart was light as a feather without any thoughts of regrets left.

Weird... this time they don't experience the same nightmares. But this time is something new.

With a sense of determination, Joel swung their legs over the side of the bed and stood up. They made their way to the desk where the notebook lay, its pages now filled with their thoughts from the previous night. But there was an unquenchable thirst for answers, a need to uncover the truth behind their existence.

With a pen in hand, Joel began to sketch, their hand moving swiftly and purposefully across the page. The image took shape—a cylindrical tube, translucent and filled with a liquid of vibrant green hues. It seems like they're on a experimental tube.

As they finished their sketch with the new elements, they put the notebook back on the table. They went outside their room to the living room downstairs, bringing their tablet on their hand too.

While sitting on the comfortable sofa, they scroll through the new private messages they got. There was a new notification from their dad. Telling that tomorrow he'll be off from work and Joel should start packing their things to return to their home.

Later, Yuka was seen walking downstairs, her graceful steps carrying her towards the living room where Joel sat engrossed in their tablet. She wore a gentle smile on her face, a comforting presence that always seemed to ease Joel's worries.

Yuka approached the sofa and took a seat beside Joel, her eyes glancing at the tablet screen while she is still holding her mug of water. "Well, someone's been waking up early,"

Joel looked up from their tablet, a sheepish smile forming on their face. They typed out some words on the memo, "Honestly, I didn't realize that I woke up this early lmao," they replied. It is very rare for Joel to wake up early in the morning around 7 am. usually they woke up at 10am or 11 am. Perhaps the transformative power of the music they experienced last night had changed something within them.

"Oh! Also you dad just contacted me that you will be returning tomorrow, you should prepare before you forget!" Yuka notifies them. Joel gave a convincing nod and a thumbs up as an indicator that they understood.

A few hours of them sitting in the living room, they finally stood up from the sofa, tablet in hand, and made their way back to their room upstairs. The sketches and notes on the desk reminded them of their journey, the mysteries they had unraveled, and the strength they had gained.

As tomorrow comes by, Joel stepped outside, the warmth of the sun enveloping them. They closed the door to the mansion, bidding farewell to Yuka's mansion. They walked towards their dad's awaiting car, putting their belonging into the car's storage.

Entering their home, Joel was greeted by the familiar sights and sounds—the creaking of the floors, the scent of the living room, home sweet home. It felt like they had never left, yet everything felt subtly different.

Over the following days, Joel settled back into the routine of their everyday life. The notebook they were writing to record their dreams is no longer useful for them, so they stored it on their studying table.