Mystery of Time

Chapter 18: Glimpse of traveled haphazard Future

The rising sunshine fell across her face, the brightness piercing through her
eyelids. She instinctively covered her eyes with her hand, shielding them
from the harsh light. As she adjusted to the morning glare, she noticed
something unusual—a glittering ring on her finger, encrusted with
diamonds. She glanced down, realizing she was wearing a fancy coat, her
appearance polished and professional.
Confusion washed over her. Wasn’t it evening just now? Why is it suddenly
morning? Whose office am I in? Why am I dressed in such expensive
clothes? And what’s with this ring? Her thoughts spiraled into a whirlwind of
questions. Overwhelmed, she felt a deep sense of devastation. Tears
welled up in her eyes as she held her head in her hands, struggling to
make sense of it all.
“Why does this always happen to me?” she whispered to herself, her voice
trembling with desperation. “Why am I always left with nothing but
questions? Please… give me a sign.”
As if in response, the door to the office creaked open, accompanied by the
soft chime of a bell. Yuri jumped to her feet, her heart pounding with fear.
She turned to see who had entered, her voice filled with confusion as she
called out, “Voice?”
There he was—Voice, but not as she remembered him. He appeared older,
more mature, exuding a quiet dignity. Yuri’s mind raced as she realized the
truth: she had traveled to the future, and this was the result of the changes
she had made in the past.
Without hesitation, she ran to him, wrapping her arms around him in a
desperate embrace. She didn’t know what their relationship was in this
timeline or what had transpired between them, but she needed to hold onto
something familiar. Voice didn’t resist, but his expression was one of bewilderment. He was no longer just the quiet boy she remembered; he
had grown into a gentleman, refined and composed. Yet, something was
missing—his voice.
He gently pushed her away, pulling out his phone to type a message.
“When did you come back?” the screen read.
Yuri stared at the phone, astonished by the sophisticated device. But in her
confusion, she ignored the message. Voice, growing tense, shook her
slightly, urging her to look at the screen.
Finally, she nodded, her eyes wide with realization. She gave the text the
attention it demanded, but her confusion only deepened. Where had she
gone? Memories started flooding back, overwhelming her. The rush of
recollections was too much, and she collapsed. Voice caught her just in
time, holding her steady as she struggled to process everything.
As the memories settled, Yuri learned the truth. Voice was her husband, a
man she had been married to for six years. The ring on her finger was their
wedding band. They had two children—Amelia, five, and Bo, three. Aroha
was alive and thriving as an artist, though she was heartbroken, believing
she would never find love.
The reality of her life hit her hard. Their father, Mr. Kioshisperanse, was no
longer alive, nor were Mr. and Mrs. Henry. Yuri herself had become a
renowned detective, or more accurately, a celebrity much like her father.
But Voice, despite his intelligence and maturity, had never regained his
ability to speak and had carved out a humble life for himself.
Their marriage, once filled with love, was now on the brink of collapse. Yuri
had become resentful, constantly reminding Voice that she was the
breadwinner. Voice, in turn, silently bore the pain, enduring everything
because he loved her. He was content just to have her in his life, the
woman he had once dreamed of loving. But Yuri… she wasn’t happy. The
truth was, she had fallen into a great deception. In the present timeline, she had been saved after fleeing from Eden. When
she woke up in the hospital, she saw Eden bringing her a cake, alongside
Voice. They explained that it had all been a surprise for her birthday, a plan
they had concocted together. Eden had pretended to love her to help Voice
understand how she truly felt. Eden’s words lingered in her mind, “How
could you even think I would do something like that?” Despite it all, Yuri had
harbored lingering feelings for Eden, feelings that only grew after her
marriage to Voice had soured.
Eventually, Yuri started seeking happiness in Eden, rather than in Voice.
She made plans to leave her husband and children to run away with him,
lying to Voice that she was going on a business trip. Whether Voice knew of
her true intentions or not, he wished her well with a smile as she left. But
instead of finding herself with Eden, Yuri found herself back in her office at
home. It was as if the universe had given her one last chance to correct her
path.
As Yuri pieced together her memories, regret flooded her. She couldn’t
believe she had considered leaving her children, just as her own mother
had abandoned her. I’m even more wrongful than my mother! she thought
bitterly. But she knew she couldn’t let the guilt consume her. That wasn’t
the real me. The real me is here, and I have to make things right, she
resolved. She had to restore her life, her marriage, and her future.
She pondered Eden’s actions, trying to make sense of his sudden change.
Maybe he was the Eden who had traveled through time, she mused.
Maybe he understood that he needed to change his ways.
As she was lost in thought, the door opened again, and Voice rushed in,
concern etched on his face. He typed quickly on his phone, “How are you
now?”
Yuri smiled, though it was tinged with guilt and pain. “I’m alright. You don’t
have to worry about me anymore.” Voice, typing with evident concern, responded, “Why wouldn’t I? I should
always be worried for you as your responsible husband. But you didn’t tell
me when you came back.”
“Oh, umm…” Yuri hesitated, searching for a plausible excuse. “The plans
for my business trip got canceled, and I missed you and the kids a lot.”
Voice looked at her in surprise, his expression softening. He typed, “You’ve
never talked like this before.”
“Why? Can’t I be worried about my children as a responsible wife?” she
replied, a hint of playfulness in her voice.
Voice chuckled, pulling her into a tight embrace, as if he never wanted to let
her go. Their children soon arrived, but Yuri was momentarily at a loss. She
couldn’t remember their names. She ran a hand through her hair, trying to
recall them. Voice noticed and signed, but smiled gently.
“Our daughter’s name is Amelia, and our son’s name is Bo,” he reminded
her. “You named them yourself and didn’t give me a chance.”
Yuri’s eyes filled with tears of happiness. She had missed these people, the
ones she couldn’t save.
Amelia’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Do you know who came today,
Mom?”
Yuri shook her head. “No, who?”
Bo piped up, “Aunt Aroha!”
Voice patted Yuri’s head and said, “Get ready and come downstairs to meet
her. I’ll be waiting with them.”
Yuri nodded and prepared herself. As she moved through the house, she
realized just how wealthy she had become in this timeline. But despite the
opulence, money was the last thing on her mind. All she wanted was to
restore the trust, peace, and love she had lost. When she finally came downstairs, she saw Aroha, who looked even more
beautiful and accomplished than before. Yuri was genuinely happy for her
sister’s success, but a nagging thought gnawed at her. Does she know that
she’s my sister?
Yuri hesitated before asking, “What brings you here, friend?”
Aroha smiled warmly. “The reason is that I’m your elder sister, and I’m
getting married.”
Yuri wasn’t surprised by the revelation of their sibling connection—Mr.
Henry had made sure Aroha knew she had a sister named Yuri. But her
memories didn’t match Aroha’s words. Puzzled, Yuri asked, “I’m sorry, I
seem to have forgotten—who are you marrying?”
Aroha’s smile faded slightly. “I thought so.”
“Why is everyone acting like I don’t care?” Yuri asked, feeling a sting of
hurt.
“Because you really don’t care about us,” Aroha replied, her tone gentle but
firm. “Don’t take it to heart—it’s just the truth.”
Yuri winced inwardly. The words haunted her, even though she tried not to
let them. The Yuri who had once begged for attention had become
careless, focused only on her wealth. Perhaps this was why she had been
brought to the future—to correct her mistakes.
With a sigh, Yuri asked again, “I’m sorry, who are you marrying?”
Aroha’s eyes lit up as she answered, “It’s Voice’s friend, Eden.”
Yuri’s reaction was immediate and visceral. “Don’t do it. Don’t marry him.”
Aroha’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why? Why shouldn’t I?”
“Because he’s the man I once loved and trusted, but he’s dangerous,” Yuri
confessed, her voice trembling. “I even considered running away with him
after my marriage…” The words slipped out before she could stop them. She hadn’t meant to
reveal so much, especially not with Voice nearby. But the thought of her
sister’s life being ruined was unbearable.
Aroha’s smile vanished, her eyes darkening with anger. She couldn’t lash
out at Yuri, but the fury simmered beneath the surface. “When…when did
this happen?” she asked, her voice low but tense.
“Before my marriage, the first day I saw him,” Yuri admitted, guilt weighing
heavily on her heart.
“Then why did you marry Voice instead of Eden?” Aroha demanded, her
voice rising.
“Because Eden is not a good man,” Yuri replied, raising her voice to match
her sister’s. “But I couldn’t explain it then. I’m so sorry, Aroha. I’m truly
sorry.”
Aroha’s laughter was tinged with tears as she looked at Voice, who stood
silently, his face unreadable. He finally stepped forward, wrapping Yuri in
his arms.
“Did you forgive me?” Yuri asked, her voice small and filled with uncertainty.
Voice didn’t speak, but he pulled out his phone and typed, though it felt as if
he was speaking directly to her heart. “I forgave you a long time ago,
knowing what you did. Sometimes I felt angry and hurt because my wife
was cheating on me. But I also knew that you are the love of my life, and
we were always meant to be together. So I gave you one last chance with
Eden, but you still held a place for me in your heart. And Aroha helped me
with that.”
Aroha playfully protested, “Hey, don’t blame me!”
Yuri laughed through her tears, hugging both of them tightly. “Thank you,”
she whispered, “for guiding me back to the right path.” Voice smiled, then typed, “I’m going to check on the children. You two can
talk.”
As Voice left, Yuri turned to Aroha. “So, are you still going to get married?”
Aroha shook her head. “No. I’m an artist. I believe I’ll find the right love
when the time is right. But even if I don’t, I’ll be okay.” She laughed, though
it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Trying to lighten the mood, Aroha asked what Yuri planned to do about
Eden. But before Yuri could answer, her phone rang. The name on the
screen made her blood run cold—Eden.
This time, Yuri was serious. She had been fooled by him in the present
timeline and had misjudged him in the past. But not this time. She swore on
her passion for solving mysteries that she would finally bring an end to
Eden in the future timeline. And if he dared to cross her path again, she
would make sure he disappeared from every timeline, leaving behind only
the consequences of his actions.