The glow from the portal had dimmed slightly, but the magic book remained in Ren's backpack, its leather cover warm under his hand. The streets of the parallel America were still strange and confusing, and the four friends had spent hours trying to figure out how to survive. But the thought of home never left their minds.
Ren sat on the edge of a low wall, opening the book carefully. Its pages glimmered faintly, and the symbols seemed to shift as if alive. Hana leaned over, watching the light dance across the paper.
"Do you think we can go back?" she asked softly.
Ren nodded, though his brow was furrowed. "The book shows a diagram that looks like a portal. I think we can recreate it here. But it will take focus. We can't make mistakes."
Daichi shifted nervously. "Focus? We barely understand what we're doing, and now we are supposed to create a magic portal? Are you serious?"
Yuto adjusted his glasses, tapping the diagrams with a finger. "The symbols respond to energy, maybe intention. We just have to follow the instructions carefully. If we do it right, the portal should open back to our world."
Ren closed his eyes and concentrated, remembering the feel of the first portal. His friends did the same, keeping their minds clear and their hands steady over the pages. Slowly, light began to glow from the book, brighter than before. The air in the alley felt charged, and the hum of magic filled their ears.
The circular diagram on the page began to lift off the paper, floating in the air like a spinning wheel of light. The blue and gold streams shimmered, twisting together until a familiar doorway appeared before them.
Ren felt a wave of relief. "We did it. We can go home."
Hana smiled faintly, though there was worry in her eyes. "But… what if someone sees this? Or if something follows us?"
Ren shook his head. "No one can know. Not yet. This is something only we understand. If the wrong people found out about the book or the portal, it could be dangerous."
Daichi rubbed the back of his neck. "So, we promise? No one tells anyone? Even our parents?"
"Yes," Ren said firmly. "We keep it secret. The book, the portal, everything. Only us four."
They all nodded, making a silent pact in the middle of the busy city. The weight of the secret made them feel older, stronger, and closer to each other.
Step by step, they moved toward the portal. The swirling light reflected in their eyes, and the world behind them seemed brighter and more alive than before. And yet, they knew this was not just an adventure. It was the start of something bigger, something they could not fully understand yet.
Ren glanced at his friends. "Once we get home, we act like nothing happened. School, homework, everything normal. But we study the book. We learn more. And we stay ready for anything. This world… this other world… it is connected to ours, and we cannot ignore it."
Hana held his hand for a brief moment. "We'll be careful. We have to be."
The four of them stepped into the portal together. The familiar feeling of falling and floating returned, and the world around them blurred into light.
When they opened their eyes again, they were back in the quiet study room where their journey had begun. The magic book sat on the desk, still warm and humming faintly. Everything looked normal, yet they all knew it would never feel normal again.
Daichi let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Back… home. And no one knows."
Ren smiled, a mix of relief and determination on his face. "No one will ever know unless we decide it. This secret is ours. And one day, we'll understand why it happened, and what we are meant to do next."
Hana nodded, looking at the glowing book. "We made it back safely. That's what matters for now."
Ren carefully closed the book and placed it in his backpack. The weight of it felt heavier than before, but it was a weight he was ready to carry. They had crossed worlds, faced the unknown, and survived. And now, their promise to keep the secret bound them together even more tightly.
The quiet of the study room returned, but in their hearts, the adventure had only just begun.