FINALLY WHERE I BELONG

FINALLY WHERE I BELONG
Mike’s POV

Elba?

She was here too? I stood at the front desk with Emily by my side, still processing her sudden appearance.

Xander had regained consciousness shortly after Alda left. Honestly, why wouldn't he? The entire family had come to visit him, and every single one of them had a lot to say. Or maybe he just sensed Alda's presence. Either way, I was relieved to see him awake.

Emily and I had only come downstairs in search of Alda after dismissing our parents. The moment Xander opened his eyes, Alda was the first person he asked for.

But the last person I expected to see standing in this hallway was Elba. My gaze shifted from her eyes down to Alda, who had also noticed us.

I turned back toward the exit where Elba had been standing just a second ago, but she was already gone. I moved before I could even think.

"Where are you going?" Emily called out after me.

"I'll be right back! Get Alda to Xander!" I threw over my shoulder, dashing straight out of the building.

Outside, there was no sign of her. The only people around were a few patients and hospital staff going about their business. I couldn't understand why she had vanished like that, but I was just glad to see her.

Refusing to give up that easily, I paced around the compound searching for her. If Alda hadn't called out her name too, I would have convinced myself I was hallucinating. Finally, a sharp, stinging pain flared across my healing injury, forcing me to stop. Giving up for now, I headed back to find Emily. She was dropping me off at the clinic since I was officially being discharged today.

Alda's POV

I didn't even wait for Emily to finish her sentence. The moment she said Xander was awake, I bolted toward the elevator.

When the doors slid open on his floor, I sprinted down the hallway, coming to a sudden halt in front of his ward to catch my breath. Before I could pull the door open, Charles stepped out.

"Alda! Where have you been? We’ve been looking all over for you," he said, his voice laced with concern. But in that moment, all I cared about was Xander.

"Is he okay? Tell me he's okay," I stammered, my heart racing.

"He's okay. He just asked the doctor to clear the room so he could rest, but you're the only person he's been asking for since he woke up. He's sleeping right now—the nurse just administered his medication, so the sedative probably pulled him under, but it should wear off soon."

I nodded, fighting to keep my tears at bay, but they spilled over anyway.

"I also wanted to apologize for earlier," Charles added gently. "It was wrong of me to snap at you the way I did. I was just—"

"It's okay, Charles. I completely understand. Honestly, I owe you, Mike, and Xander everything. I don't know what I would have done without you guys. I never would have made it this far if you hadn't been there for me." I wiped the tears running down my cheeks.

"I'm just glad I could help, and I'm glad it's finally over," he said, patting my back comfortingly.

"Yeah... everything still feels too good to be true. It feels like a dream."

"What about your parents?" Charles asked suddenly. "I nearly forgot they were admitted here as well. Are they responding to treatment?"

His question made me freeze. Admitted? Treatment?

Does he know my parents are alive? I had been meaning to ask Elba about it. My parents had suddenly come back to life when the whole world believed they were dead. Hearing Charles's words made me realize that rewriting my parents' fate meant changing history so they never died in the first place.

"Alda?" Charles called, drawing me out of my thoughts with a confused, suspicious look.

"Oh—sorry. I didn't mean to space out," I lied quickly, trying to sound convincing. "My memory has been a total mess lately. I keep forgetting things. How did my parents end up in the hospital again?"

Charles looked at me strangely before answering. "They were shot by your ex-husband and ended up in a coma."

"So the past changed," I whispered under my breath, fresh tears rolling down my face. "They didn't die from Seth's attack..."

I had truly believed I would never see them again.

"I need to drive Emily and Elara home, and Mike was discharged today too," Charles said, offering a small smile. "Could you stay with Xander until I get back? I promise to make it quick."

I nodded, returning his smile as he turned and walked down the hall.

I slipped inside the quiet room where Xander lay sleeping and pulled a chair up to his bedside. Taking his warm hand in mine, I rested my gaze on his peaceful face and waited for him to open his eyes. Tears continued to fall, but this time, they were tears of pure joy. Leaning in, I pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

A light knock sounded at the door before it creaked open. Elba stepped inside—the same Elba who had practically vanished into thin air moments ago. There was a deep sadness lingering in her eyes, though she forced a small smile the moment she saw me.

"You're here," I said, returning her smile.

She nodded silently.

"Charles said he's sleeping," I added, my voice dropping to a soft whisper. "I just wish he'd wake up and look at me."

"Do you want me to wake him up?" Elba asked. The smile on her face still carried that heavy melancholy.

Suddenly, I noticed something. Her eyes...

"Wait a minute," I interrupted, staring at her blue eyes. "Didn't you say Almaruda's power was lifted from you?"

"Well... long story short, I got it back," she said softly.

"Huh?"

"I have Almaruda's power again," she explained, her gaze holding mine. "But this time, it isn't a curse. It's to keep it safe."

A wave of overwhelming gratitude washed over me. I stood up and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you so much for saving my parents, Elba," I whispered into her shoulder.

"But I didn't—"

"I saw her too," I cut in, pulling back from the hug. "The spirit who wanted us to bond with a gem and become a spirit goddess. She came to me."

"What?" Elba’s eyes flashed with sudden anger. "I thought I explicitly told her to leave you out of this! How can they be so selfish? If it wasn't for you, Siofra wouldn't have made it this far, yet they still attach conditions to everything!"

Her outburst made me chuckle softly. "It's okay, Elba. Really, I don't mind. If it weren't for them, there wouldn't be a Barnard left standing. But look at me—I got my life back, and I got my parents back. I get to live my life with the people I love while having the privilege of knowing an entire other realm exists." I looked down at the animal spirit mark resting on my wrist.

"Don't you regret it at all?" Elba asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Don't you regret knowing about our world? Aren't you scared of serving some mother goddess after this lifetime is over?"

I could tell she was voicing her own deep-rooted fears.

"No," I answered honestly. "I don't regret meeting Siofra, and I don't regret meeting you. I don't regret knowing Álfheimr exists. I was given a second chance at life with everyone I love by my side, and I intend to be happy this time around. I'm going to do whatever brings me joy, and I just hope you'll stop walking on eggshells and loosen up too. I want to see you smile, Elba. I miss the playful, curious version of you that only comes out around a certain someone."

Elba immediately averted her eyes.

"What's the point?" she murmured, sadness clouding her striking blue eyes. "I'm the only one holding onto these feelings, completely unable to hide how attracted I am to him. I honestly thought I'd never see any of you again. I thought I was going to be alone all over again. I felt so terrified in the sea—the same ocean that was my only sanctuary for hundreds of years while I was trapped—only to realize I wanted more after spending less than three months out of it. And to think, all I wanted in the beginning was to get my powers back and disappear into the water. Now that I'm finally free... I don't even know what I want anymore."

"I think you already know where you want to be," I said softly. "You're just scared."

I pulled her into another hug, and after a moment of hesitation, her tense body finally relaxed against mine.

"How come she's stealing my hug?" a weak, raspy voice grumbled from behind us.

I froze. Turning around, I saw Xander sitting up in bed, looking pale and exhausted, but staring directly at us.

"I waited all this time for you," Xander added, a faint smirk playing on his lips, "only to catch you giving away my hug."

The sound of his voice snapped me out of my shock. Leaving Elba's side, I rushed over to the bed, threw my arms around his shoulders, and buried my face in his neck, weeping tears of relief.