Portals are just a Shift away || Solo leveling x reader

Epilogue - Portals are just a Shift away

The words that never let him go a day without laughing.

The hugs, crashes, wild comments.

The harsh words spewed out when he was hurt.

The shield that protected him from any excess harm.

His hands remember their body, his heart remembers their love, he remembered everything about them except for their name. Their features.

But you all know, that once upon a time, there was a character named Y/n L/n who rewrote the entire novel.

The creator of the system, the very life that created and helped the world lose a little less people.

Then one day, Jinwoo finds something.

A scrapbook.

Tucked in a tree in a location that he visited plenty of times.

Pictures of him in action, memes of him found online, articles with his name and descriptions.

Comments, thrist jokes, quoted memes.

Finally at the bottom,

Sincerely signed by Y/n L/n

Then Jinwoo remembers something.

"I gained the ability called shifting. You close your eyes, and you imagine, imagine hard about the person that you love, and you'll leave your body and become one with their universe." They laugh. "But it's only in name. Some people can do it, some people can't. I can't... so the universe hit me with a truck instead. That's how I ended up here!"

Searching his files with frantic hands, he tries to find the ability.

The system is gone.

Just like Y/n.

Jinwoo closes his eyes, thinks hard, writes it down.

Nothing works.

Jinwoo tries, but he keeps failing.

His ability is there, he just can't activate it.

He doesn't know what universe they're in.

Which timeline they're in.

He's helpless against it.

He can't feel their touch anymore.

"But then the universe takes pity on him.

"My child. Ashborne's vessel. Try imagining a world just like yours. With bustling lights, bright people, and harm like any other universe... Then remember the system that held them... the one that you erased..."

Jinwoo tries until he succeeds, and he finds himself somewhere familiar.

[Skill: Shifting utilized! Enjoy your stay in this universe]

He's in a city of bustling lights

No portals, no monsters.

It's just like his world after he turned back time.

Everyone's a stranger, he knows no one.

He wanders around, and he follows his heart.

And he follows his feet to wherever they would lead him.

Past the park that he used to run through with Y/n.

Past the building that was the tower of hell.

Past his home, where he had dinner with Y/n for 8 years.

Past the building, where he got ranked with Y/n.

Past the gym that he trained with Y/n in.

Past the countless portals that he had cleared with them.

Past the fried chicken place that he had visited countless times with them.

As he passes all these places, he can't help but think that he's still in his own world.

Perhaps Y/n never disappeared.

Perhaps he was just delusional to think that Y/n was completely missing.

Finally, he finds himself in front of an apartment.

An unknown apartment.

Hesitating at the door, he breathes to calm himself.

He takes a leap, and he opens the door.

It's warm here.

It doesn't look anything like his home, but it felt so warm.

Just like how he imagined his future with Y/n to be.

And he finds the person he's been looking for inside their room.

Their laptop open, reading the new chapter intently.

Shaking from their tears.

Three empty boxes of tissues next to them, the tissue paper all over the floor from wiping their tears.

Missing him just as much as he missed them.

And with a breathy sigh, he lets a tear roll down his cheek.

"I'm home... love."

They turn around, tears brimming, and at their door stands the very man they loved.

"... welcome home... Jinwoo""

The door to your room opens.

"Love?"

Eyes brimming with tears, you sob into the stranger's chest.

You knew this man, you knew his scent, his build, his body just like you knew your own.

"Welcome home... welcome home... I missed you so much... Jinwoo..."

Wrapping his arms around you, he lets out a breath shakily.

"... I'm home... love..."