At the End of the Hidden Greenery - Chapter 224

Though they lost all the items they had received on this business trip, everyone sincerely felt relieved that she was safe.

Skiass went off to check the direction by looking at the night sky, accompanied by Kaman. Lancet and Arven took up guard duty.

Solmih lay down beside Jiwoo.

Perhaps because of her worries, sleep didn’t come easily. Restlessly shifting in Solmih’s arms, Jiwoo spoke casually, as if making small talk.

“I guess I was a bit optimistic. When I heard we came to a time between a hundred and a thousand years ago, I felt a little excited.”

“…Excited about that?”

“Well… actually, yes. That’s roughly the age of my husbands. I even thought I might see Helka when he was young. But then I realized I probably shouldn’t.”

In novels or movies, time travel often came with strict rules. There were things you must protect or taboos you must never break. But it wasn’t that kind of reason. Jiwoo never really listened for those rules.

“Helka once told me that just because I travel to the past with Akarna’s power doesn’t mean I can change anything.”

For Jiwoo, it was just one of many things she had experienced.

“When you travel… from the moment you arrive, a new possibility is added. But I think I’d love that new possibility too much and want to bring it back with me.”

If she met her husbands from the past, she wouldn’t want to leave them behind.

Jiwoo hadn’t understood Helka’s words before, but now she did.

Helka said that while they recognized themselves in different timelines, they didn’t identify fully with those versions.

The children of Ellandos focused on what was in front of them and lived fully in the present.

They acknowledged other possibilities but didn’t dwell on them.

Still, Jiwoo was a little curious about their old self. She had left it to her imagination…

“If you were curious about that, why didn’t you ask?”

“What?”

“If you want to see what they looked like when they first opened their eyes to the world, there’s a portrait.”

“Really?”

“When you return, ask Helka to show it to you.”

Then Solmih whispered a secret in Jiwoo’s ear.

“Back then, Helka and Callan had short hair.”

“…!”

Jiwoo couldn’t imagine it! Helka had something like that but never showed it.

That gave her even more reason to want to return quickly.

“By the way, is there a past you want to change?”

After a moment, Solmih asked quietly.

“Because you said Helka taught you something like that. Usually, questions like this have set answers.”

As always, Solmih smiled gently, but concern showed in his voice.

“No, there isn’t. Thinking back, I don’t really regret any of my choices.”

Jiwoo thought for a bit before answering.

“But there’s something that’s been bothering me lately…”

“Yes?”

“…Do you remember the white bird I sent off before?”

After the wedding, as proof that she had let go of all regrets and chosen this path, Jiwoo sent it flying far away.

“Actually, El, the female who gave me that, said it could help me understand how to return to my original world. I worry that if I had that now, I might be able to go back easily.”

“…Not regretting the past means you lived fiercely and always did your best.”

Jiwoo sighed, and Solmih spoke softly.

“So I hope you won’t regret that either. Especially since, as you said, it proves you chose us.”

His kind comfort was truly reassuring.

“If you recognize possibilities, it won’t be too difficult.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can return. Don’t worry.”

“I hope I can find you. My husbands…”

Jiwoo felt like a lost child, overwhelmed at the thought of finding them among so many timelines.

As an Akarna who had crossed time, only she could think this way.

Solmih hugged her warmly, as if understanding her worries.

“Of course. You can return.”

“Yes…”

Jiwoo buried her face in Solmih’s rose scent and fell into a peaceful sleep.

***

That night, Jiwoo had a strange dream.

A dream of falling through a vast darkness where up and down were indistinguishable.

The sensation was unfamiliar and eerie, yet somehow recognizable.

Because she had experienced it once before.

When she entered to heal Ellandos beneath the sea, and the tree suddenly wrapped around her body tightly.

There was no ground beneath her feet, and she wasn’t floating in water either.

In the midst of the black darkness, only her body shone faintly white.

Reflexively, Jiwoo wondered/

Is there a tree nearby? They said this place would become desolate in the future, but maybe not yet.

“A tree?”

But no matter how she looked around, she saw nothing like a tree. Then, she felt the same chilling sensation as before.

She had come face to face.

With enormous eyes that seemed to fill the black space.

“…!”

Jiwoo shuddered and woke up.

Her husbands, skilled at reading presence, immediately confirmed she was awake and came to her side.

They were the first to sense the strange event.

“Huh?”

“Seo Jiwoo, could it be…”

Jiwoo realized later. She had almost fallen as she tried to get up.

“Could it be your senses acting up again?”

“Hopefully not.”

Jiwoo clenched and unclenched her hands, admitting her senses were indeed disturbed again.

“Oh…Why is this happening? Have we moved again?”

“No.”

“Am, am I going to keep experiencing this?”

They had to head to the capital now, but hostile groups surrounded them. It was a very difficult situation.

Since she couldn’t stay like this, her husbands took her hands and began massaging again to restore her senses.