Chapter Seventeen

Astrid’s POV

At the end of the swirling energy, we landed on our backs. The force of the teleportation left me breathless, but my thoughts weren’t on the rough landing. My eyes were squeezed shut, and all I could think of was Kaden’s face. The way his eyes had pleaded with me not to leave, the raw emotion in his voice when he called my name.

I sat up slowly, the weight of everything crashing down on me. My heart ached, like a tight knot had formed in my chest, and I couldn’t unravel it. It was like I had left a part of myself behind with him. Guilt gnawed at me, sharp and relentless. How could I disappear like that? How could I leave him when he needed me?

I buried my face in my hands, trying to steady my breathing, but the pain wouldn’t go away. My heart had shattered into pieces, and no matter how much I wanted to convince myself that I needed space and time... it still hurt.

I missed him already. I missed the safety of his arms, the warmth of his touch. But I had made my choice, and now I had to live with the consequences. Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I forced them back, refusing to let the sadness consume me.

Even though I wasn’t ready to admit it, a part of me knew that this wasn’t just about the prophecy or the amulet. It was about Kaden. And leaving him behind felt like I had left a piece of my heart in Rathguard.

I took a deep breath, my hands still covering my face, trying to gather myself. The air felt different, though familiar in a way that made me hesitate. The cool breeze against my skin didn’t carry the same magic-tinged weight of Rathguard. It was lighter, cleaner, like…

I pulled my hands away from my face and froze.

The sight before me sent a jolt of shock through my body. I wasn’t in some unknown magical realm or even anywhere near Rathguard.

I was home.

I blinked, barely able to process the scene. The dig site stretched out before me. The same excavation tents, the familiar rows of tools, and the dusty, rocky terrain where my team and I had been working before my world had been turned upside down. The sky above was the same clear blue I had grown up under, and the scent of earth and sun-drenched stone filled the air.

My heart stopped for a moment as disbelief coursed through me. I was back. Back at the dig. The place where it had all started. But how?

I turned to the monk, who had landed beside me and was slowly pulling himself up to his feet, looking around in confusion. His wide eyes mirrored my own, clearly not recognizing this place.

“How…?” I whispered, my voice barely audible as my mind struggled to catch up. The amulet buzzed faintly in my hand, its glow dim but steady, as if it were watching me, waiting for my reaction. Somehow, it had brought me back to the one place I had longed for more than anything since the day I was pulled into Rathguard.

A wave of emotion hit me like a tidal wave. Relief, disbelief, longing, and, most surprisingly, a hollow ache I hadn’t expected. This was my world. My life. The place I had spent years dedicating myself to. Yet now, standing here after everything I had been through, it didn’t feel the same.

It didn’t feel like home.

The dig site was empty, save for the equipment scattered around. My team wasn’t here. It was as if time had stood still since I’d left, but I knew better. Time didn’t stop. Had they gone searching for me? Were they still out there, wondering where I had disappeared to?

I pressed my fingers to my temple, trying to piece everything together. I had spent so long wanting to come back here, longing for the simplicity of this life, but now that I was here… I didn’t know what to feel.

“Is this your home?” the monk asked, his voice tentative, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.

I nodded, my throat tightening. “Yes… This is where I’m from. Where I work.”

But the words felt empty now. I glanced around again, and all I could think about was Kaden; his voice, his touch, and the way his eyes had looked at me when I left. A deep pang of guilt twisted inside me, knowing I had left him behind. He had been right there, asking me to stay, and I had just… vanished.

I should have felt safe here. I should have felt like I was finally free. But instead, I felt lost. I was torn between two worlds that I wasn’t sure I could ever reconcile.

I clenched my fists, and the amulet warmed in my palm. My heart was here, in the place I had dedicated my life to, but part of me, the part that had felt whole, felt loved, was back in Rathguard with Kaden.

And now, I didn’t know where I truly belonged.

I had to shake off the thoughts for now. I have to find my team and find a way to help Kaden. The base is about a half-mile walk away. It's not bad.

“If you don’t mind me asking, but what is your name?” I turn to the monk.

“Finnian, it is truly an honor to meet you.”

“Please, nothing fancy. I’m Astrid. Thank you for helping me.” I don’t think I could get used to being treated like this.

“Ah, humility is the best value one can have. I can start to see why Aranthor chose you.”

“Who?” My curiosity has officially peaked.

“I will explain in a calmer setting. My stomach is about to betray me,” he said, holding his stomach and mouth and moving them to the nearest bush.

“Give me a minute.” As he hurls into the bush, he stops for a moment, “I’m gonna need a bit.”

I cringe, feeling bad. " Uhm yeah… no worries. I’ll be around here.” He throws a thumbs-up behind him as he continues to hurl.

I walked around the dig site, the morning sun casting a warm glow over the familiar landscape. The sky was bright and clear, the kind of day that usually brought my team bustling in to start the day's work. If they were nearby, they’d be arriving soon. “So, time moves differently here than in Rathguard,” I whispered to myself.

I stepped under the shade of the main tent, where the large table sat empty, waiting for tools and scattered documents to fill its surface once more. The quietness felt strange, almost… eerie, as if the place had been frozen in time, awaiting my return.

Finnian joined me at my side, still looking a bit green. “Better?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He winced, holding his stomach. “Does it ever get easier?”

“Unknown,” I replied with a teasing smile, trying to hold back a laugh.

“Great, just fantastic,” he groaned, bending over to brace his hands against his knees.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his misery, finding some small relief in the humor of the situation. My attention shifted as the sound of an engine revving echoed through the air. I squinted, focusing on the approaching vehicle. That’s my truck!

As it came into view, I spotted Lily and Daniel inside. Daniel, behind the wheel, caught sight of me, and his eyes widened in shock. He frantically nudged Lily, trying to get her attention. She shot him a scowl but then followed his gaze—and when her eyes landed on me, she screamed.

I could hear her yelling at Daniel to drive faster, and the relief that washed over me was overwhelming. Tears spilled down my cheeks as I began walking toward the truck. Both of them leaped out before it even came to a full stop. Lily sprinted toward me at full speed while Daniel trailed just behind her.

Lily crashed into me, her arms wrapping tightly around me. “I can’t believe it’s actually you! You disappeared! Where the hell did you go?”

“I have quite the story to tell,” I shot them a smile. “But first, I would really, really love a shower.”

“Let's go; you need to tell us right after,” Lily says after reading my exhausted face.