My father held me in his arms as I trembled, my sobs muffled against his chest, his grip never loosening. Even when we stepped back through the portal into the human realm, he held me close, as though letting go might break us both. The sun had vanished, replaced by a solemn, watching moon. It was clear that hours had passed since we entered that other world. Yet, how the portal remained open for so long—and how those three men could summon it so easily—was something I still couldn’t grasp.
Back inside the house, I found myself in a strange yet familiar scene. My younger self was eavesdropping on Mom and Dad in the master bathroom. Dad sat shirtless on the edge of the tub, his face twisted in pain as Mom dabbed at the wound on his shoulder. The bite from that forest creature was gruesome,
