Ron had succeeded in saving Akira and giving justice to Bruce's family.
The next day, Ron, Carter, and Akira returned to Hero Town. Soon after, Ron traveled to Dr. Thomas's dimension.
"Hyyyyaa, everyone," Ron greeted casually.
Skelly tilted his skull toward him. "Ron… you've caught the attention of the Beyonders."
Ron shrugged slightly. "So what?"
Skelly's hollow eyes darkened. "Don't take that lightly. The Castle of Wulkeria was one of the hardest challenges even for beings like me and Dr. Thomas. No one can use their abilities inside."
"But I could," Ron replied, frowning.
Skelly froze. "That… is shocking. No one has ever used an ability inside that castle."
Ron crossed his arms. "Then tell me about these Beyonders."
Before Skelly could answer properly, Yardy appeared beside them.
"Ron, Dr. Thomas is waiting for you," Yardy said. "I'll explain on the way."
As they walked, Yardy began his explanation.
"They are beings that exist in the outer layers of reality—immensely powerful. But they have rivals: The Outers. Both sides are enemies to each other. Ninety-nine percent of them don't even know we exist, and it's best that it stays that way."
He continued calmly.
"They can create and destroy infinite timelines… even impossible concepts, like a squared circle. In all known history, no one has ever truly stood against either side."
Yardy's tone grew more serious.
"There is a place called the Forbidden Region of the Universe. Think of it like how we watch cartoons and action shows—they're fiction to us. That region is fiction to our reality. We exist on the first layer. To the Forbidden Region, we are fiction. To the Beyonders—the second layer—we are also fiction. And above them are beings who view even the Beyonders as fiction, and so on."
Ron listened quietly.
"What happens in the higher layers does not affect ours. And we cannot travel to them anyway. It's best to stay in our lane."
Soon, they arrived at Dr. Thomas's grave.
Ron stepped inside and handed him the sample he had retrieved from the Castle of Wulkeria.
"What are you going to do with this?" Ron asked.
Dr. Thomas examined it carefully. "I need it to create something… something very important."
Ron hesitated, then spoke again. "Hey, Doc… have you ever heard of someone called DA?"
For a brief second, Dr. Thomas froze. A single drop of sweat slid down his temple.
Inside his mind, thoughts raced:
DA? How? Ron shouldn't have encountered him this early. My information must be wrong. If DA has appeared… why hasn't Ron changed? Did DA keep quiet? But why? What are you planning, DA? I'll have to accelerate my plans…
Outwardly, Dr. Thomas forced a calm expression.
"DA? I can't say I've heard that name. Why? Is there a problem?"
Ron studied him for a moment. "No. Just asking."
He turned and left.
Back in the human world, Ron stepped into his house.
Dream stood in the doorway, smiling softly.
"Welcome home."
Ron stared at her. "Who are you?"
Her smile faltered. "You're asking that now? Well, thanks to a certain someone's lie, I'm stuck being his wife."
Ron looked away slightly. "Sorry… it was the only way to save you."
She folded her arms. "Lia and the others always ask how we met, how we fell in love, who proposed… Don't worry. I tell them we were childhood friends."
Ron raised a brow. "Childhood friends? Not bad… but there's something I need to tell you."
Dream tilted her head. "I'm listening."
Ron exhaled slowly. "I want you to leave."
Dream blinked. "Oh? And why is that?"
"I found out my real wife—the one I married before my slumber—is alive. I need to find her. You should go."
Dream's expression darkened slightly. "So this must be that DA. If he told you that… why didn't he tell you the truth?"
Ron frowned. "What truth? Do you know about DA?"
She scoffed lightly. "You're the dullest man in the universe."
She turned away.
"Fine. I'll leave so you can be happy with your precious wife."
Before shutting her door, she muttered under her breath, "Stupid Ron."
Ron stood there, confused.
Why is she angry? And why do I feel like this? he wondered.
That night, the house felt unusually silent.
For days, Dream had cooked for him, kept the house lively, and filled the space with her presence. Now, the quiet felt heavy.
Ron knocked on her door.
No response.
"I'm sorry if I made you angry," he said through the door. "You can stay here until I find my original wife."
The door opened.
Dream looked at him calmly. "I wasn't going to leave even then. But… thanks. I'll take care of the house. And I'll help you find her."
Ron turned to walk away.
Inside his mind, his thoughts clashed:
Why do I feel relieved? Am I… falling for her? No. That's cheating. I'm only letting her stay because she has nowhere else to go. That's it. I don't like her.
(Ron vs. his thoughts — Round 1: Ron's victory.)
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling.
He found himself restless around her. He couldn't sleep properly. Every time she smiled, his heart raced. He started spending more time outside just to clear his head.
Then, one day, his phone buzzed.
A message from Carter:
Bruce invited you and your wife to a party. Lia and I are going too. Police might be there.
Ron stared at the message in silence.