I used to keep Atheria a secret.
A peaceful, slightly chaotic world I slipped into when Earth got too noisy. My second home. My café haven. The land of levitating pastries, glowing mushrooms, and coffee that sometimes told the future (very politely).
But now?
Now Naomi knew everything.
The time-freezing.
The notes.
The chapter count.
Even the thing with the goat crown from Chapter 11.
So when I offered to take her to Atheria, she didn't hesitate.
She just said, "Do I need snacks for the journey?"
And that was that.
Arriving in Atheria (Now with 200% More Screaming)
Naomi's reaction to stepping through the portal was… dramatic.
First, there was awe.
Then loud joy.
Then slight panic when a talking muffin tried to take her coat.
But overall?
10/10 transition.
She spun in place like a hyperactive tornado, eyes wide as saucers. "This place has sparkle trees! And is that a cat or a kettle?"
"Yes," I said, sipping tea from my café's balcony.
I had already reopened for the day.
The café—a cozy, two-floor house tucked on the edge of the floating town of Lira—was just as I left it:
Warm. Smelling like cinnamon and stars. Slightly magical, occasionally sentient.
Naomi immediately flopped onto one of the mushroom-shaped cushions.
"This is the best place ever."
"Don't tell Earth that," I said. "It gets jealous."
Naomi insisted on helping.
"Let me serve tea!" she said. "I'm great at pouring!"
She was not.
Our teacups danced away from her like they had developed survival instincts.
One flew directly into a customer's lap, apologized, and refilled itself.
Naomi chased after a rogue sugar cube that had started glowing ominously.
I stood behind the counter, laughing so hard I nearly dropped the muffin batter.
Eventually, she gave up and settled into a chair with a cream puff the size of her head.
"I think the café is… alive," she whispered.
"It is," I said. "Just a little. Mostly on Wednesdays."
---
Later That Afternoon
We sat outside on the café's terrace.
Floating lanterns drifted lazily in the sky. Somewhere nearby, a bard was singing a song about lost socks and true love.
Naomi looked at me over her third magical churro.
"You really come here often?"
"Every few days," I said. "When I need a break. Or when Earth is being weird."
She nodded slowly.
Then: "Can I… come back too?"
I blinked.
The portal had always been tied to me—through the journal, the stopwatch, the powers I didn't quite understand. But now, with Naomi knowing… maybe Atheria had accepted her, too.
"Maybe," I said, smiling. "But only if you don't scare off the teacups."
"No promises," she grinned. "But I do make friends fast. Even with toast."