The Top Omega Hunter Wants a Quiet Life [BL]-Chapter 198: Ch : Epilogue- To a better tomorrow (Part 2)
By the time the sun began dipping toward the horizon, the yard had grown warmer and softer, and Emma was finally starting to tire herself out with how much she had talked.
Even Ben gave up trying to stop her at some point. Edwin just looked amused.
But eventually, I caught Theo’s eye, and he gave a small nod—almost unnoticeable, but enough for me to understand.
It was time to go.
"We should get going. You all need to rest anyway."
I said, standing slowly.
"Rest? When do I ever—"
Emma scoffed.
Ben gently tugged her arm.
"When your body shuts down mid-sentence, apparently."
Emma glared at him, but the yawn that slipped out ruined any credibility she had.
Edwin smirked.
"He’s right. You should sleep."
"That’s betrayal-!"
She muttered, pointing at him accusingly before turning to me with a tired smile.
"Come back soon. And bring your partner too."
Theo didn’t even flinch this time.
After exchanging goodbyes, the two of us finally stepped out of the yard, closing the wooden gate behind us.
We walked without talking at first, just enjoying the quiet. No monsters. No quests. No impending disasters. Just the sound of leaves rustling above and the faint hum of distant traffic.
It felt... peaceful.
Theo was the one who finally broke the silence.
"You looked happy back there."
I shrugged lightly.
"They’re important to me."
"I can tell."
We continued walking until the neighborhood shifted from older, familiar homes to newer, well-designed ones. The path curved slightly, opening into a small residential cul-de-sac lined with clean lawns and quiet houses.
I wasn’t expecting anything.
And then I saw it.
A two-story house, modern and clean, with wide windows and a backyard lined with trees. There was a small "FOR SALE" sign by the mailbox.
I stopped walking.
Theo paused beside me.
"Something wrong?"
I tilted my head, studying the house.
The front had a cozy porch. The backyard—what little I could see from the angle—looked spacious enough for quiet evenings. The whole thing gave off a strangely warm feeling.
Before Theo could say anything else, I walked straight toward the gate.
"Ace—?"
"Just checking it out."
There was a broker sitting at a foldable table on the lawn, flipping through a file. He looked up immediately when he spotted me.
"Ah! Ace! What an honor—please, please, let me show you around!"
I blinked.
Theo blinked harder.
The broker nearly tripped over himself grabbing keys.
But I didn’t mind the attention. I just pointed at the house calmly.
"I want it."
He froze mid-movement.
"Y-You... you want it?"
"Yes. How fast can I move in?"
I nodded once.
The broker blinked rapidly, as if trying to process my words.
Normally, buying a house involved paperwork, waiting periods, approvals—long, tedious weeks.
"You... want to move in now?"
The broker repeated, almost faint.
"Yes."
Theo finally stepped closer.
"Hold on. Why are you buying a house so fast?"
I looked at him over my shoulder.
"Well, we’re back. We need somewhere to live."
I shrugged lightly.
"And this one looks nice."
Theo stared at me with the kind of expression people made when a puzzle suddenly gained an extra piece that didn’t fit anywhere.
"You decided that in ten seconds."
"More like eight."
I corrected.
His lips twitched, half exasperated, half fond.
"You really—"
But before he could finish, I turned back to the broker.
"So? When can we move in?"
He snapped to attention.
"Well—normally—we do not allow immediate move-ins, even for premium clients. There is always processing time, inspections, contract confirmation—"
He stopped, swallowed, then lowered his voice dramatically.
"...but since it’s you, Ace... you could move in right this second if you wanted."
Theo muttered under his breath.
"Of course."
I nodded, satisfied.
"Then let’s do that."
The broker stared as if I had just blessed his entire existence.
"Yes, absolutely—right this moment! I’ll process everything instantly—please give me just a minute!"
He scrambled through his files so fast papers nearly flew away. Within minutes, he produced the documents, hands trembling as he pointed to where I needed to sign.
I skimmed, signed everything, and then slipped him a card for full payment.
His jaw dropped. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
"T-Thank you! The house is officially yours now—effective immediately!"
I nodded again.
Theo let out a slow breath beside me.
"You really don’t do things halfway, do you?"
"I don’t see the point in waiting. It felt....right."
I said simply.
"And that’s it?"
He asked.
"That’s it."
Theo stared at me for a moment longer, something soft and unreadable flickering in his eyes. Then he exhaled and smiled—small but real.
"Alright. Then show me our new home."
I stepped past the gate, up the small path leading to the front door. The broker fumbled with the keys, then handed them to me with both hands like he was offering a sacred treasure.
"Enjoy your new house, Ace!"
"I will."
I said, turning the key in the lock.
The door clicked open.
A faint scent of fresh paint and polished wood drifted out.
Without hesitation, without second thoughts, I stepped inside.
Theo followed right behind me.
The house was ours.
The house was quiet after we finished unpacking the bare essentials. It still felt strange, standing in a place that was supposed to become "home" from now on.
The air inside smelled clean and unused, as if waiting for someone to claim it properly.
I stepped forward, feeling an odd heaviness settle in my chest. It had been sitting there since before we left Emma’s place.
My hand brushed against the bottle in my pocket and memories assaulted my mind.
"Kuro."
I whispered the name before I even realized I was doing it. I started to walk out.
Theo looked up when I passed him in the hallway.
"Where are you going?"
"Backyard. I need to do something."
I answered simply.
He didn’t press for details at first, but I knew him well enough to sense the question building in his mind.
Still, I carried the small glass bottle that held Kuro’s remnants—what was left of a demon who had lived far longer than any of us should have—and stepped out.
I walked farther, stopping near the far corner of the yard where the earth looked soft enough to work with. Kneeling down, I ran my fingers over the soil, feeling its coolness.
"That should do,."
I returned to the corner of the yard and set the bottle down carefully beside me before beginning to dig.
The soil gave way easily under my hands, crumbly and slightly damp. It didn’t take long to make a hole deep enough, but even then, I hesitated for a moment, staring down at the empty space.
A space for someone the world would never acknowledge.
Theo came up behind me then, stopping just a step away. His shadow fell over the ground as he watched what I was doing.
"So this is what you meant."
He said softly.
I nodded, picking up the bottle again and holding it in both hands.
"Kuro might have been a demon. And he might have done terrible things before we crossed paths. But... he also saved my life. More than once."
Theo folded his arms, his expression unreadable.
"It was his purpose. Even he said so."
"That doesn’t matter. Purpose or not, he made a choice. And I’m still alive because of it."
I replied without looking up.
I lowered the bottle into the small pit, gently as if I were laying someone to rest. The glass caught the sunlight for a moment, glowing faintly before settling into shadow.
"If I don’t acknowledge that, then I feel like I’m pretending none of it happened. Like he didn’t exist at all."
I continued quietly,
Theo exhaled slowly.
"You always do this."
"Do what?"
I asked, reaching for the soil again.
"Give meaning to everything. Even things that were meant to disappear."
Theo said, almost sounding as if he didn’t know whether to admire it or be frustrated by it.
I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I covered the bottle with soil, patting it down with careful movements until the ground looked smooth again.
Only after brushing the dirt from my hands did I turn to face him.
"He mattered to me. Maybe not in a way others would understand. But he did."
I said simply.
Theo’s gaze flickered, softening just a little as he looked past me at the newly covered patch of earth.
"And now? Are you done?"
He asked.
"For now. At least I wanted to give him this. A grave. A place."
I said with a tired smile. Theo stepped closer until he stood right beside me.
"Then... I’m glad you did it. Even if I don’t fully understand it."
He admitted.
I sighed, feeling a strange mix of sadness and relief settle in my chest.
"Thank you."
We both stood there for a while—just watching the earth, silent but not uncomfortable. The breeze brushed past us again, softer this time, as if acknowledging what had just been done.
Eventually, I straightened and stretched my back.
"Come on. We still have a lot to settle inside. And... it’s going to be our home now. Might as well start making it feel like one."
Theo nodded, his hand brushing mine briefly before he turned toward the house.
I took one last look at the small grave before following him back inside.
A fresh start.
A place to breathe.
And a quiet promise that nothing from the past—good or bad—would be forgotten.
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This story has ended. If you need a new one, you can check my new one out.
