Chapter 590 - 589: Return to the Bunker, and a New Home for Alessa."

Before leaving the mining cave where the Order's church stood, Alex cast one last glance at the dead monster that Claudia had become—driven by her envy and her obsessive desire to become a goddess.

For a moment he narrowed his eyes at the creature's corpse, then turned away. He looked at Heather and Harry, who had already started climbing the stairs toward the surface to finally leave Silent Hill.

Still carrying Alessa in his arms, Alex followed after them. No one except Alessa, who was sitting in his embrace, noticed how every corpse of the slain Order members—and even the monster's body itself—was swallowed by Alex's shadow. Alessa looked up at her father; he placed a finger to his lips, signaling that this was their little secret.

Alessa gave a small nod, understanding: her new dad already had plans for these people, and she didn't mind at all. Everything that had kept her tied to this town was finally gone. Now she could live like a normal child—with a loving, caring family. Alessa wrapped her arms around Alex's neck, already feeling the beginning of her new life, a life in which no one would ever call her a witch, a monster, or a child of the devil again.

When they reached the surface and emerged once more into the administrative building, Alex was the first to step outside, still holding Alessa. He was greeted by an ordinary abandoned amusement park. There was no fog, no smell of blood, no dampness or rot. Heather and Harry came out behind him and saw the same thing: Silent Hill was no longer a town shrouded in mist.

"So… it's really over?" Heather asked, looking around.

"Yes. Now it is. No more fog, no more monsters that can leap out of it," Alex replied with a faint smile.

After those words, Heather finally felt true relief; she let out a long breath, as though the last heavy burden had slid off her heart. Harry, too, was surprisingly glad to hear it. In the past he had seen and endured so much in this town—knowing that Silent Hill had returned to normal brought him considerable peace.

Alessa lifted her gaze to the sky. The sun was shining now—no longer hidden behind gray clouds and thick fog. For the first time in many years she felt the warmth of sunlight on her skin, and she liked the sensation after so long in darkness. Yet such a prolonged existence filled with hatred and gloom had left a clear mark on her, shaping her into exactly who she was. She squinted against the bright light, still adjusting to it.

Alex noticed Alessa's reaction and gave a small smile. He understood perfectly: even though his new daughter longed for family and warmth, she would always remain the same girl who wanted revenge on everyone who had ever hurt her. Alex didn't mind at all if Alessa continued to behave like Dark Alessa—he would love his daughter regardless. He was certain she would end up closest to Wednesday and Zhang Ya; their personalities were strikingly similar.

After enjoying the fact that Silent Hill had returned to normal, Alex led everyone toward the town exit so they could leave it for good.

Leaving the amusement park behind, Alex, Heather, and Harry walked along the empty streets of Silent Hill. Once the fog had lifted, the town became just another abandoned settlement: old houses, windows and doors boarded up—yet no bars, no bloodstains, nothing that hinted at a curse.

Heather kept looking around, amazed at how much Silent Hill had changed after the fog disappeared. Alessa, meanwhile, sat calmly in Alex's arms and was already dreaming about what lay beyond the town limits—she had never left it, not even as a child. Her entire life had been tied to this place, but now she could leave.

"The town changed so much once the fog lifted," Heather said, still glancing around.

"Now it's simply an old abandoned town. According to official documents and statements, it was closed due to a mine fire. Only a handful of people ever knew what really happened here," Alex replied, continuing forward.

"So no one else will ever know what used to go on in this place?" Harry asked, turning his head toward Alex.

"Well, Harry… you could write a book about it. A psychological horror story where the protagonist rescues his daughter from the clutches of cultists," Alex said, stroking his chin and chuckling lightly.

"Dad, that actually sounds like a good idea. If the book gets popular you could make a ton of money," Heather said with a smile, holding her father's hand.

"I don't know, Heather. I doubt anyone would want to read something like that," Harry replied, shaking his head slightly and looking at his daughter.

"Why not? Nothing's stopping you from trying. Just write about what you saw in this town, what you went through, what thoughts went through your head the first time you arrived in Silent Hill. You already kept a journal before—this is almost the same thing," Alex said in a calm tone.

Hearing Alex's words, Harry paused for a moment, seriously considering the idea of writing a book and telling the truth about everything that had happened to him and his daughter. The only thing holding him back was the knowledge that the horrors of Silent Hill were real—and no one would ever believe it, even if he wrote only the truth.

Another reason was that Heather had been at the very center of those events. Harry looked at his daughter; she nodded, showing she would support whatever decision he made. Seeing her smile, Harry gave a small smile of his own, beginning to feel genuine relief that everything had finally ended.

Despite her exhaustion, Heather kept gently encouraging her father to write the book. Harry could only respond with a weak, strained smile. Alex walked beside them, quietly thinking he wouldn't mind reading the book Harry might write about what he had survived in Silent Hill.

Smiling, Alex glanced at Alessa, who sat quietly in his arms. In her eyes he could see she was already eager to leave this town. With the fog gone, the roads were no longer blocked by strange barriers; landslides had vanished. They reached the southern part of town without issue—the very place where Alex and Heather had begun their journey through Silent Hill. Retracing their steps, they passed through the cemetery and emerged onto the forest trail leading to the lookout point.

"Just a little farther and we'll leave this town behind," Heather said with a smile.

"I think it was a pretty fun adventure—considering everything that happened along the way," Alex said calmly, stroking Alessa's hair.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a fun adventure," Heather replied with a tight smile, glancing at Alex.

Alex only smiled back and gave a light shrug: for him, every such journey was something new and worth remembering. After all, this particular adventure had given him a new member of the family—Alessa.

When they reached the lookout platform, Alex gave a small smile and set Alessa down on her feet. The moment she touched the ground she immediately took his hand—she had no intention of letting go anytime soon. Driven by curiosity, Heather ran to the coin-operated binoculars to take one last look at Silent Hill—just as she had done at the very beginning of their journey. This time she could actually see the town that had once been hidden by fog.

Alex walked over to his motorcycle, which had stood waiting here the entire time. He sat Alessa on the seat, then pulled out his phone to text the girls and find out whether they had finished and where they were. The reply came almost instantly: the girls had completed their task, stopped the ritual by killing the last monster, and were now on their way back. Alex sent their current location so they would know where to go.

After finishing the messages, Alex looked at Heather and Harry—they were taking one final look at Silent Hill, a place they would never return to. He turned his head toward Alessa and noticed that she was now holding Robbie the Rabbit—a plush toy that hadn't been in her hands before.

"Alessa, where did that rabbit come from?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It appeared out of the shadow. I thought it was for me," Alessa answered, lifting her gaze to him.

Alex gave a small nod and glanced at his own shadow. It had taken on the shape of Zhang Ya. Realizing his wife had decided to give their daughter her first gift—a creepy Robbie the Rabbit—Alex could only sigh. Then he noticed that Alessa's shadow looked strange too. Narrowing his eyes, he understood why: Zhang Ya had literally merged her essence with Alessa's shadow, granting the girl direct access to the Red City and all the beings that dwelled there.

Alex thought to himself: that was actually quite a caring gesture from Zhang Ya. Understanding that he needed to explain this to Alessa, he began telling his daughter what was happening with her shadow. Alessa listened attentively, clutching the creepy Robbie the Rabbit to her chest and nodding. She quickly grasped why she could still feel a connection to the Pyramid Heads—even though the foggy Silent Hill no longer existed.

Realizing what her new mother had done, Alessa couldn't help but look at Alex's shadow—the one shaped like Zhang Ya. Learning that her new mom also ruled over a terrifying city, Alessa felt an even deeper closeness to her. For now, Alex decided not to explain the true purpose of the Red City—he knew Alessa would learn about it later.

"So how are we all getting out of here? I'm pretty sure we won't all fit on your motorcycle," Heather said, walking over to Alex and Alessa together with Harry.

"We're waiting for my family. Bureau operatives should arrive soon too. Unfortunately, you'll have to go through the standard procedure," Alex replied, sitting on the motorcycle beside Alessa.

"What procedure?" Heather asked, crossing her arms.

"Just a routine interview. A couple of questions—that's all. It's only for the report. After that they'll do residual checks on the town, but that won't involve you," Alex said, stroking his chin.

Heather frowned slightly but nodded. She understood: she shouldn't have even been allowed into Silent Hill in the first place. If not for Alex, she would most likely still be in handcuffs. And then she never would have discovered who she really was or what tied her to this town. Thanks to Alex she had finally understood her own identity, and after everything she had endured in Silent Hill, it felt as though all the pieces had finally fallen into place. She was free at last—and she had regained what she had been missing for so long.

Ten minutes later a Bureau of Control transport vehicle pulled up. Fernandez, Saga, and Casey stepped out.

Sighing and realizing it was time for bureaucracy, Alex approached Fernandez and handed him a flash drive containing video footage so he could fill out the report. Fernandez looked at the drive in his hand, then at Alex.

Alex quickly gave an oral summary of everything that had happened in Silent Hill. While Alex was delivering his report, other agents questioned Heather and Harry with standard questions. When Alex finished the condensed version of events, Fernandez glanced at Alessa—she was sitting on Alex's motorcycle, hugging Robbie the Rabbit—and gave a nod to show he understood.

"What about that private investigator Douglas I sent back?" Alex asked, lighting a cigarette.

"We picked him up. He's being temporarily detained, but we'll release him soon. We also detained another man who tried to leave town. He claims he ended up here by accident and just wants to go home. But I know for a fact—he's lying," Fernandez replied, frowning slightly.

"By accident? Would that man happen to be named Vincent Smith?" Alex asked, smiling faintly and exhaling smoke.

"Yes, that's him. Do you know something about him, Agent?" Fernandez said, nodding to show Alex had guessed correctly.

"Yeah. Ran into him in Toluca Prison. He's a priest of the Order. If you want to avoid future problems—put a bullet in his head and dump the body," Alex said, shrugging carelessly.

"I'm afraid that's not part of our mandate," Fernandez replied, shaking his head to show he wasn't going to issue an execution order.

"Then just send him to the research division—let him be a test subject for anomalous objects. But gag him first: Vincent is very good at manipulating people. He didn't become the youngest priest in the Order for nothing," Alex said, exhaling smoke.

Fernandez considered Alex's words and gave a small nod, though he still pointed out that such actions were outside his authority—he would need approval from higher-ups. Alex nodded, perfectly familiar with all the red tape. Just in case, he decided to message Jesse so she could issue the order to send Vincent to the research division as a lab rat.

While Alex was talking with Fernandez, Lucina, Alice, Samantha, Wednesday, and Enid returned. They looked somewhat tired and dirty after everything they had been through. Even while speaking with Fernandez, Alex heard Enid complaining that her hair had turned into straw because of all the work and that she had broken a nail. The other girls listened to her complaints calmly until she finally stopped—including her desire to go on vacation somewhere.

When the girls climbed up to the lookout, they saw the Bureau agents. Lucina immediately approached Alex and Fernandez to hand over her own flash drive with footage—including the dog tags of dead agents they had managed to recover. Seeing the tags, Fernandez frowned slightly and took them from Lucina's hand. Lucina had no intention of giving an oral report—she was exhausted. All she said was: everything is on the drive. After that she hugged Alex and closed her eyes. Alex smiled, stroked her back, and shifted his gaze to the rest of the girls.

Alice wasn't tired at all—she was a vampire, after all. Samantha was resting, sitting on the motorcycle. Wednesday, though tired, didn't show it. And Enid was looking at her broken nails with tears in her eyes.

Realizing it was time to leave, Alex patted Lucina on the shoulder—he still had one last thing to do. He decided to approach Heather to say goodbye. At that moment a medic was checking Heather over while Harry gave his statement for the report. When Alex approached, the medic nodded, gave Heather final recommendations, and left.

"I think it's time to say goodbye, Cheryl," Alex said with a smile.

"Yeah… So where are you headed next?" Heather asked, giving a slightly sad smile.

"Home first. And if nothing urgent comes up—I'm going to lie on the couch. Or maybe we'll all go somewhere on vacation. We could all use a break. And don't even start with the 'Death doesn't need rest' line," Alex said with a light smile.

"I was just about to say that. You ruined it," Heather replied, smiling at him.

"Little brat. You should rest too. The school year is almost over—so I doubt you'll be going back to class anytime soon. Oh, right—almost forgot. If you ever feel like an adventure, here's my sister's number," Alex said, ruffling Heather's hair and handing her a business card with the number.

"Adventure? I don't think I'll want any adventures for a long time," Heather said, taking the card.

"Trust me—you won't find adventures like these anywhere else. Because they won't be here," Alex answered with a cryptic smile.

"What do you mean—not here?" Heather asked, lifting her gaze to him.

"When you call that number—you'll find out. My sister's name is Valerie. You're the same age. And if you ever want to see new places—just call. I know people like you," Alex said, lighting another cigarette.

"People like me?" Heather asked, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Exactly. After a while, normal life is going to bore you. Ordinary life isn't for you. Anyway—you know what to do. If you ever want to see the world differently, just call and say I gave you the number," Alex said, gently stroking Heather's hair.

Heather looked once more at the number on the card Alex had given her and gave a small nod. She understood: it would be hard to return to a normal life—even if her father wanted her to. Staring at the number, Heather thought: maybe she really would call it in the near future. She had no idea that it would happen very soon indeed—and that her life would once again change dramatically when she finally understood what kind of "adventures" Alex had been talking about.

Alex gave a small smile at Heather's thoughtful expression, stroked her hair one last time, and turned to leave. As he did, he felt a sudden push against his back—he was tightly hugged from behind.

"Thank you," Heather said, hugging Alex hard from behind.

"Anytime, Cheryl. See you soon," Alex replied with a light smile, without turning around.

"Are you saying that as Death—or just saying it?" Heather asked, looking up at him.

"You'll find out soon enough what I mean. Life is beautiful because it's unpredictable. And you're going to understand that very well, very soon," Alex said, beginning to walk away and waving goodbye over his shoulder.

Heather stared in stunned silence at Alex's retreating back. Inside her, curiosity awakened: what would happen after she called the number Alex had given her?

Alex returned to the girls and suggested heading back—they agreed immediately. Not wanting to waste time on the drive, Alex decided to teleport everyone straight to the RV. Before leaving, he waved one last time to Heather—and then teleported himself and the girls away.

Seeing Alex and his family vanish, Heather's mouth fell open in shock. She looked around, hoping she wasn't the only one who had seen it. But all the Bureau agents simply ignored the event and continued with their work.

At that same moment, Alex and the girls appeared beside the RV. The instant they stepped inside they were greeted by utter chaos—caused by GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who had been left to "watch" the house on wheels. Seeing that Alex and the girls had returned, the three immediately tried to run away or hide.

The girls didn't even have the energy to react. Alex sighed, snapped his fingers, and cleaned up the entire mess.

"Hey, you three. Stop hiding—you need to meet the newest member of the family," Alex said, looking at the three pairs of paws sticking out of the cabinet.

GIR, MIMI, and Stitch peeked out from their hiding spots when they heard Alex's voice and stared at Alessa, whom Alice was now holding. Seeing Alessa, the trio immediately approached her and began circling. Alessa, in turn, was mildly confused about what—or who—GIR, MIMI, and Stitch actually were. The three looked from Alessa to Wednesday—and this could have gone on forever if Alex hadn't explained that Alessa was his newly adopted daughter.

GIR, MIMI, and Stitch immediately nodded and began rummaging through their tiny bags. Alessa showed strong interest in the strange trio. Moments later, her arms were filled with an enormous pile of various snacks—a gift from GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.

Staring at the huge variety of snacks in her hands, Alessa didn't even know what to do—she hadn't eaten in so long she had almost forgotten what food tasted like. While the other girls quickly went to shower off the grime, Alice took it upon herself to explain everything to Alessa and bond with her new daughter at the same time.

Moments later Alessa was happily trying different snacks that GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were practically feeding her—which eventually led to yet another fight among the trio when they started arguing over which snacks tasted best.

"Don't worry about them. This happens all the time," Alice said, stroking Alessa's hair. The girl was stunned by the fight between GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.

Alessa nodded in bewilderment and continued listening to everything Alice told her. Meanwhile Alex poured himself coffee, sat in a chair, and stretched out his legs. Though he would never admit it aloud, the adventure in Silent Hill had left him quite emotionally drained.

Sipping coffee and watching Alessa integrate into their insane family, Alex couldn't help but smile. Even Wednesday showed concern for Alessa—in her usual cold manner. But Alex knew: Wednesday saw a younger version of herself in Alessa because of their similar personalities. He was certain Wednesday would take it upon herself to raise Alessa to be just like her. Alex imagined it for a moment and chuckled quietly.

"We should throw Alessa a welcome party. And bake a cake," Enid said with a smile.

"It doesn't have to be a whole event," Wednesday said calmly.

"Wednesday, you don't understand—it's necessary," Enid replied, pouting and looking at Wednesday.

"You're right—I don't understand. And I don't intend to," Wednesday said without lifting her head.

"I think a small family dinner would be better. I'll cook for everyone. That'll be enough. We're all tired—we all need rest," Alex said before Enid could start arguing with Wednesday.

Enid paused for a moment, then nodded. But it all depended on Alessa—did she want a party, or would a simple family dinner suffice? Alessa realized all the attention was on her and simply shook her head, indicating she didn't mind either way. For her, simply having a family was already happiness.

Seeing that Alessa was fine with just a family dinner, Enid calmed down and dropped the party idea. Alex was just about to call Sam and Dean when the two of them walked into the RV—looking extremely tired and filthy.

Dean and Sam immediately poured themselves coffee to wake up—they didn't even know how long they had gone without sleep while dealing with the problems in Ashland. They had been in an alternate world the entire time, and it was hard to tell how much time had actually passed. Alessa saw Dean and Sam and wanted to know who they were. Dean and Sam also noticed the new addition—Alessa.

"So you actually saved her. Good," Dean said, nodding.

"Dean," Sam said, elbowing his brother.

"Alessa, these are Dean and Sam Winchester. You can think of them as your uncles. Despite Dean's rough tone—he's actually very kind. And if you need to learn or figure something out—Sam's the one to help you," Alex said with a smile, introducing Dean and Sam.

"Damn right, kid. Sam's a total nerd. But if someone's bothering you—come straight to me. I'll handle it," Dean said with a grin, looking at Alessa.

Alessa nodded in slight confusion, showing she understood. She was still slowly getting used to this family she had become part of. Not wanting to waste time, Alex immediately teleported the entire RV back to the Bunker—no one objected.

The moment everyone returned to the Bunker, Alice and Enid immediately grabbed Alessa to assign her a room and decorate it. Lucina, Samantha, and Wednesday went to change clothes. Alex, Dean, and Sam decided to talk and headed to the library.

"So what's this Metatron's Seal you took from the cultists?" Sam asked as they entered the library.

"That is the Hand of God. An artifact touched by God Himself," Castiel said, appearing suddenly as usual.

"Look who decided to show up. And where have you been this whole time?" Dean said, turning toward Castiel.

"I was searching. From Metatron I learned that this seal is a powerful artifact possessing immense power and knowledge," Castiel replied, sitting at the table.

"So it's basically a divine atomic bomb or something?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"You could call the artifact that. But I no longer sense great power within it," Castiel said, frowning and taking Metatron's seal in his hands.

"I think I know why. In the past, Harry Mason used this seal to escape Silent Hill together with Cheryl. I believe all of its power has been completely depleted," Alex said in a thoughtful tone, inventing a plausible lie.

"So our divine atomic bomb is a dud now. Are there more of them?" Dean asked, wearily leaning on the table.

"That's exactly what I was trying to find out. With power like that we could stand against Amara. But I found no trace that would lead me to similar weapons," Castiel said, giving a small nod.

"At least now we have a lead on what to look for. Like Alex said—Amara will be distracted by Lucifer for now. We can try to track down similar artifacts," Sam said, frowning slightly.

"I think Lucifer will be looking for similar artifacts too. He definitely doesn't have the power to defeat Amara. She'd wipe the floor with him," Alex said, nodding.

"Then we'll look too. After all, we've got Death himself helping us. I think we'll manage. But first—let's actually rest like normal people. For God's sake, we just finished two jobs at once. I think I've earned some expensive whiskey, pie, and a nap," Dean said, nodding and standing up from the table.

"Of course. I'll cook dinner—after all, we have a new family member. We should welcome Alessa properly," Alex said with a light smile.

"That's what we should've started with. I'm going to grab some pie," Dean said with a smirk.

Castiel raised an eyebrow and looked at Alex. Alex explained who Alessa was and that he had adopted her. Castiel nodded understandingly—his brother had finally saved a child and even given her a family. What truly pleased Castiel was that he would now be near one of his nieces.

Alex noticed the faint smile on Castiel's face and shook his head slightly—he knew very well how awkward his brother could be when speaking in his usual hard-to-understand tone. Dean had already headed to the kitchen to eat pie and hold out until dinner. Sam wanted to get straight to work—search the old archives for anything that might point to the Hand of God.

Seeing that Sam had no intention of resting, Alex made it clear: better to rest first and tackle it with a fresh mind. Sam frowned slightly but nodded. Alex perfectly understood the reason for Sam's behavior—it was all connected to Lucifer's deception and what had happened near Lucifer's cage.

Sam nodded at Alex's words and also went to rest. Castiel, meanwhile, had vanished again—only to reappear holding a large plush teddy bear. Seeing this, Alex chuckled quietly and headed to the kitchen to start cooking—already imagining Alessa's surprise when she learned that one of her uncles was a literal angel.

Entering the kitchen, Alex began preparing dinner. Some time later Lucina and Samantha joined him—they wanted to help. The three of them finished cooking surprisingly quickly. By dinnertime all the food was ready—everyone gathered in the kitchen.

Alessa sat on Alice's lap, staring in wonder at the dishes on the table—not knowing which to try first. As promised, Alex brought out whiskey that could only be bought in Night City.

The simple family dinner—which doubled as Alessa's welcome party—passed in a warm family atmosphere, exactly what Alessa had always wanted. Throughout the entire evening Alessa smiled and rejoiced that she finally had a family. Even Wednesday—who rarely smiled—smiled that day when she noticed Alessa's happiness.

By the end of the day Alessa was so exhausted from everything that she fell asleep in Alice's lap, hugging her tightly.

Two short days passed after their return to the Bunker—during which Alessa quickly settled in and grew very attached to her new family. The girls even took her on a small family trip to the mall to buy her new clothes and anything else she wanted. When the girls returned to the Bunker they were carrying mountains of shopping bags.

The only one who hadn't joined the outing was Wednesday—she hated crowded places like malls and therefore stayed in the Bunker with Alex. But Alessa herself was extremely happy with the trip.

One such morning Alex woke up because someone was poking him in the face. Opening his eyes, he saw a pair of black eyes staring at him from very close range.

"Alessa… Why are you waking me up the same way your mom Wednesday does?" Alex said, yawning lightly and stroking Alessa's hair.

"Uncle Sam said to come get you. He found something about the Hand of God," Alessa replied, looking up at Alex.

"Oh. Give me a minute—at least let me wash my face," Alex said, yawning again and getting up from the couch.

Alessa nodded and sat on the couch to wait for him. Alex quickly washed his face to fully wake up, then picked Alessa up and carried her to the library.

Entering the library where everyone was already gathered, Alex sat at the table and placed Alessa on his lap. He saw a huge pile of documents, books scattered across the table—including a nautical chart with a route and even blueprints of a submarine. Alex immediately understood what information they had found—and why they had woken him.

Meeting Lucina's gaze—she nodded to show he had guessed correctly—Alex gave a small sigh.

"So what did you find that was worth waking me up for?" Alex asked, still yawning.

"We need to go to the past," Sam said, turning his laptop screen toward Alex.

"I'm probably not fully awake yet. Can you repeat that?" Alex asked, lifting his gaze to Sam.

"We found references to the Hand of God in old records. A woman named Delphine—a member of the French branch of the Men of Letters—stole an artifact from the Nazis during World War II. The Nazis intended to use it to win the war. And that artifact was supposed to be delivered to America," Lucina explained, understanding that Alex was only pretending not to know.

"And why do you need the past? To steal the artifact from the Nazis before Delphine does?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. The submarine carrying the artifact sank. To avoid disrupting the timeline, we decided the best option is to steal the artifact before the sub sinks. That should work, right?" Alice said, outlining the plan they had come up with.

"First question—who's going to the past? The girls are out immediately—too noticeable. So it's just you two," Alex said, looking at the girls and then shifting his gaze to Dean and Sam.

"I'll go. I suggested the plan—I'll do it," Dean said, nodding.

"You remember the rules, right? Those who were supposed to die in the past stay dead. If the sub sank—it sank. That already happened and can't be changed. All you have to do is steal the artifact—not try to save everyone, Dean. Am I being clear?" Alex said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"I know those damn rules. I've learned them the hard way more than once. So, Mr. Death—are you sending me to the past or not?" Dean replied in an irritated tone.

"Then I'll go grab my bat—and we'll head to the past," Alex said, standing up from the chair.

"Honey… it looks like you're not going to the past," Lucina said with a light smile, looking at her phone screen.

"Why not?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Something happened at home—and they need you there. Urgently," Lucina answered, barely holding back laughter.

Alex noticed that Lucina was trying not to laugh and immediately realized: yet another absurd incident had occurred in Orario. Alice, Samantha, and Enid instantly pulled out their phones, looked at the family chat, and also nearly burst out laughing. Alex narrowed his eyes but still nodded.

Since he wasn't going to the past after all, Alex decided to take Alessa with him to Orario. In any case, he wouldn't be needed in the Bunker for the near future—this gave him time to see what on earth had happened there.

To be continued…

(Let me briefly explain what happens with the time-travel event. Dean travels back in time, ends up in a submarine, tries to steal an artifact, and gets caught. And in the end, he only gets the artifact just before the submarine is destroyed. I've shortened this, but the dialogue, persuasion, and all that was left out. As for what happens in Orario, well, hehehe. That's a secret for now. But the four gremlins are to blame for what's happening in Orario.)

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