chapter 23

After a long conversation with Ashley, she finally agreed to leave when I told her we would return in a few days—her dada was waiting for us where I planned to take her. Technically, it wasn't a lie. Her father, whom I had yet to meet, was actually waiting for us somewhere in my world.

Reluctantly, she agreed, but not before turning to her friends and telling them to wait for her return so they could play together again.

As we reached the foot of the tree, Uralic looked at me and asked, "Evelyn, don't you want to see your house?"

I stopped in my tracks, surprised.

My house.

If I had lived here for ten years, then there must be a place I once called home. The thought struck me suddenly, but I hesitated. The weight of everything I had already learned felt overwhelming, and stepping into a home I couldn't even remember would only make it worse.

I wasn't ready.

Looking at Uralic, I shook my head. "Maybe next time. Just... take care of it for me."

He studied me for a moment before nodding. "Alright. If you need anything, call me through the ring. I may not be able to come to you like you do, but I will try to help—no matter what."

I gave him a small smile. "I'll definitely reach out if I stumble upon something I can't handle."

His expression grew serious. "And after the forty-day recharge, you must visit. There are things I need to give you. Today, your visit was unexpected, so I couldn't prepare them all. But next time, I will have everything ready—things that will help you survive the disaster that's coming to Earth."

I blinked at him, startled by how much he wanted to help me. I didn't remember the last ten years of my life, but seeing the bond we had made me feel an odd sense of loss. For the first time, I regretted forgetting.

Uralic must have noticed because he smiled. "No worries. If you've forgotten the memories we made, we'll just create new ones. If that's what makes you sad, we'll fix it."

We walked toward the garden where I had first met him, and he gestured toward the space where the portal would open.

"Just command the portal, and you'll be back."

He handed Ashley to me, pressing a kiss to her temple and whispering something in her ear before I could hear.

Then, as if remembering something, he stopped me. "Wait."

I turned back to him.

"I know you won't let any harm come to Ashley, but as my special niece, she needs this. Just in case there ever comes a time when you can't reach her, I want to be assured that she's protected."

He pulled out a small locket. It was intricately designed, with a beautiful reindeer pattern, suspended from a delicate white chain.

"This will protect her. Never let her take it off," he said, carefully fastening it around Ashley's neck. Then, as if reassuring himself, he mumbled, "Not that it would come off without my command anyway."

I exhaled deeply, feeling the weight of everything ahead. "Thank you for everything. Truly. But now... it's time to go back. I have so much to do. I have to be prepared for what's coming."

With one last look at Uralic, I turned and opened the portal, stepping through with Ashley in my arms.

A bright white light flashed, forcing me to close my eyes instinctively. When the glow faded, I slowly opened them, finding myself back in my living room. Everything was exactly as I had left it—down to the smallest detail.

My gaze flickered to the wall clock, and confusion settled in. It was still the same time as when I had left.

10:30 AM.

That didn't make any sense.

I knew I hadn't spent too much time in Ashlyn, but it had to have been at least two to four hours. Yet, here… time hadn't moved at all.

Maybe a few minutes had passed at most, but nowhere near the hours I had spent in that other world.

I set Ashley down gently and exhaled. There was a lot to do—first, a grocery run, then shopping for baby products for this unexpected daughter of mine. I still hadn't fully processed that part yet.

And, of course, I needed to test the abilities of this ring.

The most basic one to try? Calling.

I pulled out my phone and looked at Yona's number. Then, I recited it in my mind and said, Call Yona.

To my surprise, the call connected instantly.

"Hey, Evie! How are you?" Yona's cheerful voice rang through, and I found myself both excited and stunned. This tiny ring had just made a call without me even touching my phone.

"Hi, Yona. I want to discuss some upcoming plans with you. Can we meet at Olive Young?"

"Of course! I'll be there in 40 minutes. See you soon!"

"Okay, see you there. Bye."

I ended the call, still marveling at how effortlessly the ring had worked.