Chapter 214 214

Chapter 214 214
The terrifying thought that they hadn’t managed to defeat the skirefen began visiting my mind more and more often. It scared me to the core, and with each passing day, despair closed in tighter and tighter.
"Iza, wait! Where are you going? I’m sorry if I said something wrong," Anton caught up with me, completely confused by my breakdown. "Let’s talk it through! I want to be in your life—and in our child’s life!"
"Oh, Anton… this isn’t your child."
For a few seconds, he froze completely, staring at me intently.
"How… not mine? You… you cheated on me?" his voice trembled as he searched my eyes.
"Well, you weren’t exactly faithful to me either…"
"I was!" he exploded.
"In our world, maybe you were. But in the world where my child’s father is—you weren’t."
Anton stared at me, eyes wide, trying to process everything I’d just said.
"Okaaay…" the suspicious look in his brown eyes softened. "I’ve read that pregnant women can have mood swings… and sometimes even psychological disturbances…"
He didn’t get to finish, because I kicked him in the shoulder and shot him an expressive look.
"Are you saying I’m a sick hysterical woman?!"
"No, Iza!" the redhead replied gently, hugging me softly. "It’s just that your body is restructuring right now. It needs time to adjust to the new hormones and changes. I understand everything. You can yell at me and call me names as much as your heart desires—I’ll take it all."
"Anton…" tears pressed into my eyes because of this man. "You’re so good. Laverna is incredibly lucky to have you."
On impulse, I hugged my friend, quietly sobbing. Right now, I desperately needed hugs and support—even if only from a friend.
"Well… if you want our possible daughter to be named Laverna, then I’m not against it," Anton chuckled, hugging me and completely misunderstanding everything, but I didn’t correct him. I really didn’t feel like ending up between white padded walls.
Time passed. A few more long weeks flew by in the blink of an eye. I still hadn’t gone to the hospital. It felt as if doing so would mean betraying—or completely losing—my hope of ever seeing my husband again. I wanted to go through all of this—this pregnancy, this parenthood—with him. With Kays. Not alone, and certainly not with anyone else.
I had Anton’s support. No matter how much I pushed him away or snapped at him, he stubbornly stayed by my side and endured my outbursts. And I’m endlessly grateful to him for that. Because without him, I wouldn’t have coped with all of this—I would have sunk into an even deeper depression.
Anton practically lived at my place. He was my shoulder to cry on and my emotional punching bag, wiped away my tears, and simply stayed close. More than once he ran to the store for my sudden cravings and helped me through early morning sickness.
Oh, Kays… where are you?! You promised me an easy, cloudless pregnancy!
Four months. Four whole months had already passed. And no matter how hard and painful it was, Anton eventually convinced me to see a doctor and get registered for prenatal care—threatening that he was tired of this and would drag me there by force if needed.
Our appointment was scheduled in two days, and I didn’t even want to talk. There was a hole in my soul, a child in my womb, and nothing but darkness and mute despair in my head.
We were sitting in my bedroom. Anton was holding me gently by the shoulders, my head resting against his chest. Some movie was playing on the TV—one I didn’t even try to follow. I just stared at one point on the screen, tenderly stroking my small belly—my only lifeline, the one thing still keeping my mind within the bounds of sanity.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some strange glow coming from the side of the TV. My hand froze on my belly, and I frowned, peering at something incomprehensible. Hope surged inside me, fast and powerful, and my heart began to pound anew.
The glow now clearly looked like sparks—like from a sparkler—and it was growing.
Anton noticed it too and stared wide-eyed at the strange phenomenon. I couldn’t hold back tears—this time from joy.
"What the hell…" the redhead whispered, pulling me closer.
The glow expanded to about two meters in height, forming something like a portal. Inside it there was only thick mist—and two vague silhouettes: a man and a woman. The man’s figure moved, and from the portal we saw an outstretched hand.
I recognized it instantly.
It was Kays’s hand.
"What is that?!" I heard Anton’s trembling voice, unable to believe his eyes, as I jumped up from the bed and he tried to hold me back.
"That, Antonio," I said, looking at the stunned redhead with boundless joy, "is a ticket to our happy reality."
I tightly grabbed my beloved’s hand—and by the collar, dragged Anton along with me straight into the portal.