Ryan swallowed hard and slowly looked at the woman again. He desperately hoped that his eyes were deceiving him. "System, what is my mother doing here?" Ryan asked in a trembling voice. His voice was filled with fear and disbelief. Even though a part of him already knew the answer, he needed the s

Ryan took a slow breath and stepped closer to her. He tried to keep his voice calm because he knew that she was already frightened. "Mom, we both died on the same day," Ryan explained gently, his voice filled with a mixture of sadness and reassurance. "I know this is difficult to understand, but th

Ryan suddenly spun around when the familiar voice echoed through the wilderness. His body immediately became tense, and his eyes widened when he saw Martin standing several feet behind them. The Gatekeeper was dressed in his long black robe, which moved slightly with the breeze, while the massive

Ryan's mother immediately followed his instructions and dropped to the ground beside him. The powerful force released by Martin's staff swept over them, passing so close that Ryan could feel the pressure of it against his body. For several seconds, neither of them moved as they remained crouched

Ryan continued running through the forest while tightly holding his mother's hand and pulling her along behind him. Ryan's breathing had become heavier, but his mind was focused on something else. He needed to understand why the portal had rejected them despite appearing to be completely open.