Chapter 13: The Price of Returning

My mind was a mess, struggling to piece together everything that had happened over the past two days.

Day One—I opened the door for Luo Ping. He counted as a ghost. I broke the rules.
Day Two—I was supposed to welcome strangers, including ghosts. But when the paper turned black, I panicked and dragged him into the wardrobe without even greeting him.

“So… I did break the rules.”

My voice caught in my throat.

“If you hadn’t broken the rules,” the doctor said calmly, “you would’ve had your memory erased and been stuck in that day—forever looping.”

“Then you’re saying I should’ve broken the rules? So what now, I should just hand you the note—or better yet, my heart?”

I glared at him. I didn’t believe a word of his nonsense.

“I need your heart to save my fiancée,” he said quietly.

“Oh, so I’m just supposed to die for that? My life doesn’t matter?”

“You dying isn’t the end,” he snapped. “You don’t belong in this world. If you die, you’ll go back to your own timeline and live again. But if she dies, she’s gone for good.”

Dr. Chen’s voice rose to a furious pitch. The veins in his neck bulged.
Then, suddenly, like a balloon deflating, he slumped back and sighed.

“…I’m sorry. It was me who brought you into this time loop.
You were the only one who could save her.”

“But something went wrong. The timeline unraveled, and I don’t even know what’s up with that note anymore.”

“That ghost woman who’s been chasing you… she’s a product of the time collapse. She doesn’t belong anywhere. And the only way she can exist again is to replace you.”

“I just wanted your heart. That’s all.”

He let out a long, exhausted breath and sat down on the floor.

“As insane as it all sounds… I still need to ask. Why me? Why am I the only one who can save her?”

He looked up at me, his eyes red.
“Because… she is you. In this timeline.”

“...What happened to her?”

“She has a severe heart condition. She won’t survive much longer.”

“If I give you my heart… will I still be able to go home?”

He didn’t answer.

Now it was Dr. Chen’s turn to fall into silence.

“Maybe I never should’ve even considered it,” he finally said, voice hoarse.
“I’m sorry. I wanted your heart, but seeing your face—the same as hers—I realized how selfish I’ve been.”

“I dragged you into all this just to avoid the pain of losing her.”

“Go,” he said, standing slowly. “Forget all of this. Go back.”

A bitter smile tugged at his lips, and I saw a flicker of tears in his eyes.

“What about your fiancée…”

“Life and death are fate. That’s the ending meant for the two of us.”

His words moved me.
Somewhere in another timeline, another version of me was deeply loved.

But I wasn’t a saint. I wasn’t about to die out of sentimentality.

So I asked, “How do I go back?”

“Leave the hospital. Once you pass through the doors, a flash of light will appear. That’s your way home.”

“That simple?”

“That simple.”

My heart began to race. After everything, I was finally going back—to the world that truly belonged to me. To my real family. My real life.

“Thank you… for sparing me. I hope your fiancée finds a heart that’s both suitable and legal.”

With that, I turned and walked toward the hospital’s main entrance.
Walked… then jogged… then ran.

The doors drew closer and closer. My pulse thudded in my ears.
I reached out my hand, yearning to feel the warmth of the sunlight waiting just outside.