“Mom, please… If they said a week off, then just take the week off,” I pleaded with my mom as we returned back home from the hospital.

I had decided not to tell her about the portals while in the hospital just in case someone overheard us. Didn’t want even more people thinking I was crazy.

… But, that was just an excuse. I was still concerned about telling her everything.

Mom sighed.

“Okay, fine… No working from home, I promise,” she finally acquiesced, although her expression told me that she didn’t like it.

I nodded and gave her a small smile as we entered our apartment and took off our shoes.

So now I was on a break from exploring the portals and Mom was on a medical leave from her job. It was the perfect opportunity to tell her everything and give her the healing potion.

… But then, her headaches would be gone and she would probably go straight back to work, wouldn’t she?

My stomach growled.

I blushed as my mom turned to me with a blink.

“Ah, sorry honey. I’ll go prepare something–”

“No, no. It’s fine. I’ll… I’ll make us some food. Go lie down, I’ll call you when I’m done,” I said, trying to sound firm.

She gazed at me for a moment before nodding with a wry smile.

“Alright then. I’ll go lie down.”

And so she went to her bedroom while I put my fanny pack back into my room and then took stock of what we had in the fridge before beginning to prepare some simple pasta with sauce.

Then I realized that I was still stalling. Still irrationally afraid to tell her about everything.

Why was it such a problem? I’d told Frank and Casey without an issue.

What was the worst that could happen? Unlike back in the day, I had actual physical proof now. I could show her the portal, I could give her the potion, or I could transform right in front of her.

The pasta began boiling.

Did I think she would be horrified and the stress would be too much for her…?

Maybe.

Or maybe I was afraid that she would ban me from ever opening another portal again if I told her just what had happened earlier today. Maybe she would even want us to move just so I wouldn’t have a portal in my room anymore.

I pursed my lips as I stirred the sauce.

But she wouldn’t do that… My mom wasn’t the kind of person to overreact like that. Heck, she might even do the exact opposite and declare that she wanted to go on an adventure inside one of the portals with us.

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I drained the pasta and mixed it with the sauce.

But even if she banned me from ever opening another portal, would it really matter that much? Did I absolutely need these portals in my life? I’d nearly died in the RLO world and I had died inside Wiland. They weren’t that great for my health, were they?

… But then again, the portals had also let me meet Elyssa and learn the true form skill. And frankly speaking, I couldn’t imagine being without the skill nowadays. Even now, I felt tempted to transform and only refrained because I didn’t want to shock Mom yet.

I sighed as I turned off the stove, grabbed a pair of plates, and split the food between them.

Time was up. Despite still having some reservations, I would tell her at dinner.

I went to fetch Mom, who was dutifully resting in her bed without a phone in her hand, and a minute later, we were seated at the table, eating our dinner.

She still seemed a tad out of it and we barely spoke throughout the dinner. I kept second guessing myself and backing out of telling her, but when we finally finished eating, I steeled my nerves and spoke.

“Mom…?”

“Yes?”

I took a deep breath.

“If… If you could magically cure your headaches right now, would you still stay home and relax? Or would you just get back to work?”

She blinked at my odd question.

“If I could magically cure my headaches…?” She chuckled. “Well… No. I promised you, didn’t I? Even if somehow the headaches suddenly go away, I’ll keep my word.”

I looked at her for one slow moment before nodding.

“Okay… In that case, I… I want to show you something,” I declared as I stood up.

She looked at me in confusion.

“Show me…?”

“Yeah, it’s… I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. But I figured everything out only about a week ago, so… Umm…”

“It’s alright, Renee…” she said soothingly, seeing me getting a bit frantic. I could tell that she was a bit wary now, though. “What is it that you wanted to show me…?”

“It’s…” I swallowed. “Let’s go to my room, actually.”

She gave me a casual nod but I didn’t miss the way her eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

“Alright then,” she said, before casting a glance at our sauce-stained plates.

“I’ll, uh, do the dishes later,” I assured her as I scooped the plates up and placed them inside the sink.

Then, we went into my room in silence. I was getting nervous now, but I couldn’t back out anymore.

We entered my room and I stopped near my desk, eyeing the closed portal as it crackled invitingly. I shook my head and grabbed my fanny pack again, rummaged inside it, and pulled out the vial of opaque red liquid.

Mom’s eyes immediately widened in alarm.

“Renee, what is that…? Why do you have a vial of blood on you?”

I winced, realizing just how it looked.

“No no no, that’s not blood. It’s… It’s a healing potion, Mom. If you drink it, it will… uh, help you with your headaches,” I explained, feeling a bit stupid.

And then she took on an all-too-familiar expression that I still hated. Pity.

“Oh, Renee…”

“No, Mom, listen! I… Remember what I’d told you about the floating purple cracks in space a few years back? They are real! They exist! And I have proof now!”

“Renee, I–” The pity deepened, but that only spurred me on to keep spilling.

“They are closed portals, Mom! And I can open them! They lead to… to fictional worlds! There’s a portal right here in my room!” I stabbed a finger at the portal my Mom clearly couldn’t see. “And it leads inside Rogue Life Online! That game I showed you a few days ago! This potion is from inside the game! And it works! I tested it!”

Now, she looked utterly horrified.

I kept going.

“And it’s not just potions! It’s even magic and special skills! I can use real magic, Mom! Well… not really. I’m actually really bad at using magical items, but I can use the true form skill! Look!”

And then, going with the flow, I used the skill and transformed into my not-true form in front of my Mom for the first time.

She completely froze and her eyes turned into saucers even as they ran up and down my figure.

She then blinked, wiped her eyes with her hand, blinked again, and continued to stare.

I felt a little embarrassed, being stared at like that.

“What…?” she croaked out.

Maybe I shouldn’t have bombarded her with everything like that…

She gasped.

“There’s no way…” she croaked. “Was it real…? It wasn’t just a weird dream…?”

My head snapped up and my eyes widened.

What?

A dream?

What was she talking about?