ARAIA'S P.O.V.
"Are you telling me that you found my body, lying on my own blood?" I asked them.
They're all sitting across from me in the bed.
They nodded their heads.
"But how did that happen? My body's not here, I mean, I'm in Alejandro's place…" How's that possible?
I literally had a life there, but they're telling me that my body's here all this time?!
What logic is that?
But if that's what happened, then, how's the body that Alejandro and I left in their world?
It's weird. Everything's weird.
I can't explain it, but that doesn't sound right.
"We don't have any idea as well." Joseph shrugged his shoulders.
I mean, I trust them, but I want to know what's really happening.
So, if I went back to Alejandro's world, does that mean my body would be left here? What do I do with my body?!
"Calm down." Alejandro squeezed my hand and said, "We'll find it out, just be patient."
Ha…
It took me a while before I finally calmed myself down.
I looked at my friends, they're still beside me, blessing me with their presence.
"I miss you guys so much…" I hugged everyone as tight as I could.
I can't help it. I just missed them so much that I wanted to embrace them until this longing in my heart went away.
I want to cry and have them pat me as they tell me that I've been brave for facing all the hardships before. I want them to pat my back and praise me for fighting back, for finding my way here.
Especially my mother. I miss her so much, but I'm afraid that she'll just snob me like how she usually does.
"I want to go back to Manila." I unconsciously said, which reached their ears.
"Sure, I'm sure you miss your mother." Bea pats my shoulder.
I nodded my head.
It's just been a couple of hours after I passed out in this world, and there are lots of injuries all over my body-
Kourtney gasped and said, "OMG."
"What?" All of our attention went to her immediately.
"Your injuries are healing!" She shouted.
I checked my body and she's right. Wow…
"It looks like your ability to heal yourself is with you." Alejandro held my hand. He's beside me all this time.
"Thank God…"
My friends watch my wounds as they heal by themselves.
They were so amazed by it.
"You can heal yourself…"Sky's eyes were wide as they watched my wounds.
"Well, yeah."
IT took a couple of minutes before my wounds were totally healed.
"Should we go back now?" Joseph asks us.
But I'm a bit guilty because they're supposed to enjoy this place but here I am, wanting to go home already.
"It's alright if I'll go back first." I said, but Joseph and Bea shook their heads.
"No, we'll go back with you." Joseph said in a tone where he's not accepting anymore but.
"Ha…If you guys insist."
I felt Alejandro's grip on my hand. He's looking at me warmly.
"Okay everyone! Let's get ready to go back!" Bea shouted.
All of them went out of the room to prepare their luggage, and so we did.
"Let me do that." Alejandro pulled the luggage in his arms.
"I can do it, honey."
He shook his head.
"No. You sit down and I'll do this."
Ha…
I sat down at the edge of the bed. I'm watching him as he folds my clothes and carefully places them in the luggage.
"You're good at this." I tease him.
He just shrugged at me while smiling.
Come to think of it, he's not saying anything about this world. Or he just doesn't get the chance to talk about it?
I'm not sure, but I've seen a couple of news articles where the astronauts who came back from space have been struggling to adjust here.
Even though Alejandro's not from space, he's also from another world or dimension, so, isn't it just the same thing?
But looking at him, he's not even struggling to stand, hmm… Oh, yeah, there's no difference in gravity here.
"I'm glad that you're adjusting just fine here."
I stare at him.
He looked at me and gave me a wink.
"Because I'm strong?" He said, then laughed.
I can't help but to laugh as well. I can feel his mood right now, and I can tell that he's happy.
I don't even know how much I've said this but I'm so lucky to have him as my husband. A supportive husband.
"Your friends are nice."
I nodded my head.
"I know." My friends are nice, to be honest, I missed them much more compared to my own mother.
They've been there for me ever since we've become friends, and now, they're still here for me.
They never judge me and say mean words at me. I'm so lucky to have them.
***
WE'RE NOW inside the van on our way back to Manila.
Alejandro and I decided to investigate the place where we found the crystal next time after going back from Manila.
"What is this thing again?" Alejandro's beside me. We're at the back seat because I know he'll ask me a lot of questions about this world.
"It's a van, a vehicle."
"We're moving." He added.
"Yup, we are."
He asks me more questions and I answer him every time as long as I can.
He's so patient while asking, even my friends are answering some of his questions sometimes.
They're now close with him.
They even introduced a card game that they played for a couple of hours while traveling. Alejandro promised himself that he'd create one when we came back.
"We'll stop here to get food." Sky pulled over at a restaurant near the highway.
"We'll get 'em, you can just stay here, love birds." Bea went outside with Sky.
We've decided that they'd just order a pizza so we don't have to go out of here.
My friends don't want to gather some unnecessary glances. It would also be troublesome if a problem occurs while we're eating, as Alejandro is still not accustomed to this place.
"I wish our son could see this…" Alejandro suddenly said.
I rested my head on his shoulder, "I want that too…"
Oh my God.
"Alejandro!" I gasped.
"What is it?" He looked shocked.
"The time difference here and to our home is insane! It'll take us a couple of days to get back, does that mean, by the time we went back our son's already an adult?!" I freaked out.
That'll never happen! I don't want to miss my son while he's growing!
"No! No!" I panicked in an instant. I don't want that to happen!
"Calm down, calm down." Alejandro held my hand but it's obvious that he just realized it as well.
"No…" My whole body's trembling, I felt like all of my strength left my body.
"We'll never let that happen…" He whispered as he hugged me tightly.
But I can't calm down… How do I calm down when I just realized that it would take us even a decade in our world if we stay for a couple of days here?
And it's also been a few hours after I wake up from here, that means it has been over a year now in our world.
I'm so sorry….I want to hug my son…
I didn't even tell him that you are free here and now, a lot of time has passed already…
It's breaking my heart, thinking how our son missed us…
What should I do…
Wait. The crystal. That's right, we can go back right now since we have the crystal with us. Maybe we can also bring our son here?
"Where's the crystal?"
I hurriedly searched for the crystal and I found it in my bag.
"We might be able to go back there now." I held the crystal and stared at it. I am thinking hard about the ritual that the elder had done.
How is it??
I was so immersed in thinking of a way to go back when the crystal suddenly shines.
"What was that?"
Bea, who's currently holding a box of pizza and everyone of us inside the car was blinded by the sudden light.
"Araia!" Alejandro held my hand tightly and pulled me into his arms.
What is this sudden light that the crystal is emitting?!
It doesn't feel weird but I can sense an aura inside the crystal.
Later on, the light changed into a portal.
This is exactly what happened before we went back to earth!
Does this mean that the portal is opening? But I have done nothing…
I didn't even create a ritual that the elder did, so why is the portal open?
Did it open by itself?
"Mom?"
I was stoned in my position when I heard a familiar voice.
"T-that's my son's voice…"
I opened my eyes, and I almost choked myself when I saw my son's head popping out of the portal.
"Zion!"
Oh my gosh!
"Mom!" His hand popped out of the portal, he reached out to me so I pulled him towards me.
"I'm out!" He said excitedly.
"My son!" Alejandro hugged us tightly.
You can feel the happiness in his voice. He may not show it, but I can feel his longing in his actions.
I know he missed our son…
"Woah, that's cool!" Our son, who's smiling brightly, looks the same as how we left him.
"Wait, how long has it been since we left?-No! How did you get here?" Right, how did he get here when he doesn't have a crystal?
Did the elder help him? But he's too young! What if his body can't handle the aftermath of the portal?!
"Uhm, I'm just wishing to see you, then a blinding light appears in front of me. I got curious so I took a peek inside, and boom! I saw you!"
W-what…
"You just wish to see us?" I asked.
"Yup!"
How is that possible?
I have to use a crystal to go back here, but how is it that my son just has to say a wish?
"OH MY GOD." Kourtney, who's on the seat in front of us, and everyone was eyeing us with wide eyes.
"Uhm, hi?" Our son waved at them awkwardly.
"Is that your son?" Sky asks.
"Yes…" I nodded my head.
They all gasped, Kourtney even covered her mouth.
"Wow…for real?"
I nodded.
"Who are they, mom?" Zion asked me.
He stretches his arms, that's where I realized that it was so tight inside the van, and he can't fit himself properly.
"Let me help you.” I moved our bags and helped him to sit comfortably.
"Hi! What's your name?" Bea moved to our side and started to ask our son a question.
She was followed by the others so I had difficulty asking our son about how he got here.
Maybe I'll ask him later.
We are just looking at our son while my friends are asking him questions about this and that. He would answer them politely and my friend would sometimes teach him things that he is curious about.
Looking at his disclosure makes me realize that I really missed him and I know that I would not forgive myself if I missed his growth.
Come to think of it, we've been out of our world for a couple of hours now so a couple of years should already have passed there. How come that my son looks exactly the same as when we left him?
Even the clothes are the same?
But what's blowing my mind right now is how did he get here just by wishing to see me?
To be honest, everything doesn't make sense!
I can't believe everything, the simple logic that I have learned when I came back here is that the time that would pass by in our world for a couple of hours here or not is the same anymore.
Because if that is what's happening, then my son shouldn't look the same! He should be five to seven years older now!
When I think about it, my mind is not giving me an answer.
"How is this possible?" I whispered to Alejandro.
He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I have no idea either."
See?
Even my husband doesn't have any idea how this portal works.
Argh. It's making my head hurt!
***
A COUPLE OF hours had already passed and we are almost in Manila.
My son was sleeping in Joseph's hand. They've become so close with each other that my son chose to sleep beside him rather than us, his parents.
It was overwhelming to see our son enjoying the company of my friends. They were so kind to him and accommodating at the same time.
This is one of my dreams, to have my friends see my son and it became reality in just a second.
Also, because we're having so much fun with my son, me and my husband didn't have the chance to ask our son about how he got here.
You just noticed that Zion is already falling asleep and Joseph is assisting him to sleep in his arms.
How cute.
I just focused on what's ahead of me. I am going to meet my parents soon.
And now we are near their house, I was just afraid that my mother would treat me as she always does in front of my family.
I already told my husband that fact, and although I am still hurt by the way my mother treats me, it's now understandable as she is not my real parent.
I just wish for her to at least treat my son with respect.
I've been with her since I can remember. I wish that the time we've been together was important to her.
But if she treats me and stays the same as before, I wouldn't say anything anymore. I would not push myself just so she would love me.
One of my reasons for wanting to meet her this bad is because I want to ask her how she found me. I want to know how I ended up in her arms.
I know that my biological parents made me transported into this world because of the war before. I just feel like everything will fall into place when I find the truth behind how and where my foster parents found me.
It may sound weird, but I want to know that fact.
"Mom…" Zion, who's half asleep and half awake, searches for me.
Joseph lifted him and gave him to Alejandro, my husband hugged him and faced him towards me.
"I'm here…"
I planted kisses on his forehead.
I love my son…
***
"Is it okay if we leave you here?" Bea asks me.
I nodded my head.
"Of course, thank you for everything up until now." I hugged them tightly.
I told them to just drop us off in front of my parents house.
I don't want to trouble them any further.
"Call us if you need anything." Joseph fist bumps my husband and kisses my son on the cheeks.
"Bye bye uncle!" Zion kisses them back.
"See you soon, little alpha!" They say.
Our son giggled.
It took us a couple of minutes before they finally left.
When it's just the three of us, I turn around to face my parents' house.
"Where are we now, mom?" Zion asks me.
"We're now at my parent's house, honey."
Everything looks the same.
I have learnt that today is sunday so my parents would be at home right now.
I didn't hesitate to ring the doorbell.
I felt Alejandro's hand holding mine and squeezing it as if he was trying to calm me down.
"I'm okay…" I assure him.
Only a couple of minutes after my mother showed up at the door.
"Araia." She calmly said.
Her warmth reached my heart. I couldn't stop myself, I hugged her as tightly as I could.
My tears started to fall down as she also hugged me tightly.
"Mom…"
All of the anxiety that I have been feeling since earlier suddenly disappeared.
All I can feel right now is the warmth that she is giving me through this hug that we are sharing.
I know that I left this place with a heavy heart but now that she hugs me back, all of the bad memories that I've had before are slowly disappearing.
"I…I miss you mom."
****
My questions with my parents are now solved.
When I went to my parents house, I learned that they found me in an orphanage near the forest.
They told me that they can't bear a child before so they wanted to adopt one and were lucky to have met me.
They said that I was adorable but then that's why they decided to adopt me.
However, when they went back to that place everything was rundown already, and it looks like everyone was not there anymore.
Apparently it would be meaningless if I pushed myself to see that place, since I will definitely find no one when I go there.
It feels like deja vu because that's exactly how I felt when the villa where I met the elder and the others suddenly disappeared really frustrates me.
Nevertheless, I was relieved already that my parents didn't encounter werewolves before. There is no strange occurrence in her story involving werewolves when they adopted me.
I decided to tell her about my origin and how I experienced things while I was gone. From the moment that I was transported by the portal and how I met my family, I told her everything.
It was shocking to her because werewolves are not real for them. However she did not fear them.
We've had to talk for a couple of hours, opening our hearts to each other.
So the misunderstanding that we had this past few years have been resolved.
She was so happy to meet my husband and my son, although it was still unbelievable for her, she still accepted them with open arms.
Although she wants us to stay in her house, I insist on going back because I still have a lot of questions in my head.
She helped us to have a vehicle to ride to go back to Sky's villa.
Now we are here inside it. I asked Sky before we left this place if we could stay here for a couple of days because this is where I was first transported by the portal, so I thought that maybe this place would also help me to go back there with my family.
Now that everything was settled aside from my questions, I have decided to ask my son right now.
"So, can you tell us how you got here?"
I ask my son, we are now in the garden sitting across from each other on this picnic mat.
"Elder Baster told me that there are some royalties who share their story that they can travel across the portal just by wishing for it." He said continuously as if he'd predicted the question and practiced the answer ahead of time.
"That's why you tried it." I said.
Alejandro gave him a cookie and a glass of juice.
Our son nodded his head.
Alejandro and I looked at each other. That explains how our son was able to get here but why did the elder not tell me about it before?
Why did he tell us to search for the crystal instead of just saying that wish would do?
I guess I still have a few questions for the elderly.
"Another thing…" Zion wiped his mouth and drank the juice before speaking.
"The elder told me to tell you that the time difference from here and there would now be the same as you, mother, connected the two worlds already."
What? How did I connect the two worlds?
"He said that you can go back and forth in this and our world without minding the time difference. Elder also told me to say this to you, 'It's magic.' "
"..."
Ha…Elder, you're keeping a lot of secrets…
"But how are you faring?" Alejandro asks Zion out of nowhere. What does he mean?
"I'm faring well?" Zion answered with a confused look in his eyes.
I can't blame him, even I, myself, don't understand the sudden question from my husband.
"Well, I was just curious because your mom told me that the gravity in this place can affect us who came from another world."
Wow, I didn't expect that Alejandro would ask our don about it.
I know that he is not so strict and he is also not that talkative and open on having this kind of conversation with our son.
But I know that he loves us and that is not questionable at all.
"Really?" Zion asked.
We both nod our heads.
"But what's gravity?"
"..."
****
We are now walking around the garden, we have decided that we will open the portal right now but we have to rest our bodies first before we try to enter the portal.
It is important that we are in a good condition before we try things. Although our son did not undergo training, and he was able to enter the portal and come here, we are not sure about what would happen if we try to go back.
There are questions in our heads if we would succeed in going back to our world, nevertheless our hope is still here and we are confident that we can make it.
After resting, we are now going to try to open the portal without doing the ritual.
"You go, son." Alejandro tapped out son's back. Signaling him to start wishing to open the portal.
We know that it might sound weird but it won't cause anything if we try.
"Aye-aye captain!" He said confidently with a word that he heard from my friends.
Ha…
After a few seconds he started to intertwine his hands and closed his eyes.
I am holding the crystal but our son told us that he doesn't need it.
The silence is deafening right now and our attention is on our son, who's wishing intently.
I am not sure if this will work because i can't send anything, i can't send any read energy that i felt before when i use the crystal and when i open the portal.
Alejandro might notice my uneasiness anytime by now.
I can't help but to close my eyes as well. I am now wishing as well to open the portal.
I was about to repeat my wish in my mind when I felt a weird feeling, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the portal.
"Holy Moly!" -Is what my son said.