Dark-red fog disturbance on planet Kepler-438b

The warm afternoon sun streamed through the window that day.

My favourite library desk was cluttered with books and laptops.

It's a common sight here. Everyone, in search of their own space, sat spaced apart.

Being a city-run library, it was frequented by not only students but also many ordinary citizens.

Mothers with their children in tow were also a common sight.

But that day was slightly different.

As usual, I was diligently wrestling with my laptop in a corner.

Yet I was exhausted, so I lifted my gaze to stretch my shoulders, and saw a book coming out of the bookshelf directly across from me.

Wait, let me clarify. It wasn't my book. It was emerging from the bookshelf on the other side of the room!

Initially, I thought I was seeing things.

But even after blinking several times and focusing again, the book continued to come out.

"What's happening?"

Incredibly, I found myself tiptoeing towards the bookshelf where the book was emerging.

Initially, my vision was somewhat blurred.

As I drew closer, the hazy form became distinct.

It wasn't an object, but a child!

A little one was pulling out the books.

"Hey, kid, what are you up to?"

I'd never interacted with a little child in the library before, but today was different.

It was intriguing. The situation was amusing.

Then the tiny child, wearing a green cone hat, responded without turning around.

"I'm searching for a novel. A fantasy one. But I can't find it."

"Which novel are you looking for?"

The red-haired youngster was so adorable that I instinctively crouched down.

This kid didn't resemble the average children visiting the library.

What set him apart?

He was so diminutive that even with the height of the cone hat included, he barely reached 30cm.

In my curiosity, I observed the child, who possessed pointed ears and a high-bridged nose, as he spoke.

"I don't believe it's here in the stars."

After uttering this, his expression turned sorrowful, and tears welled up in his round eyes.

"I was told that my friend is going to die."

What a sudden statement!

Despite my surprise and discomfort, I couldn't help but feel a wave of sympathy for the child.

So, I decided to ask.

"What happened to your friend?"

"Nothing yet. But I heard that my friend might die."

Tears threatened to spill from the little one's eyes!

What should I do?

Left with no other choice, I found myself wiping away the boy's tears and consoling him as if I were his nanny.

"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay. I'll help you."

"Really? How?"

"Um, well.... Oh! I think we should start by finding out where you live."

Why would I suggest such a thing?

Well, I simply intended to find his mother and resolve the situation. Quite obvious, really.

However, the child seemed to struggle with an explanation. All I was asking was for his home address!

The youngster took some time, appearing to grapple with a particularly difficult piece of homework, and then moved.

He headed towards another bookshelf and fetched an astronomy book.

He opened it and pointed to a specific location.

"Planet Kepler-438b?"

"Yes. I think it's here."

"Oh, I see…. 'Kepler-438b has the highest Earth Similarity Index of 0.88. The closer it is to 1, the more similar it is to Earth. Mars has an Earth Similarity Index of 0.70. Kepler-438b is 470 light-years away from Earth.'"

"Yes, I think so. I saw it on my way here, and our star and your star look similar. They're alike in size. I'm not joking. I'm certain!"

Looking at him as if he were a creature from another world, the little boy emphatically stated his point, nostrils flaring. He spoke as if he were laying down an undeniable truth....

I mean, the kid's expression was indeed serious. Well...

"Oh, yeah. Haha~ But isn't it too far for me to accompany you?"

"Why can't you? I just made the journey."

Yeah, you just arrived, you extraterrestrial…. This leaves me lost for words....

"Oh, right! You could have come! By the way, since it's such a considerable distance, what mode of transportation did you use? A UFO?"

Perhaps that's the case.

The small stature of this child is quite unlike a human's and his distinct appearance is unique.

Perhaps he's an extraterrestrial entity.

Am I on the verge of encountering a UFO? Could I be abducted?

"The stars here are peculiar. If you truly desire it, you can transport here using thought energy. It doesn't work on our planet because our thoughts differ, but there was no such hindrance when I traveled here. It appears people here don't put much faith in the power of thought energy."

"Oh, I see…. Ha, ha, ha!"

Yes, thoughts become reality! But isn't that only possible in self-help books….

"You can do it, too."

"Oh? Ah, of course! I can do it!"

I have no other option. The little boy was gazing at me, his eyes filled with hope.

But what should I do? I don't want to let down this earnest young boy….

"Ah, yes! That's the spirit! You mentioned you were in search of a fantasy novel, correct?"

"Yes, I'm serious."

"But why a fantasy novel?"

"That's what the deity who created us revealed in my dream. He instructed me to seek help from a fantasy writer."

"Well, I mean, why do you need to find a writer?"

"You don't know? I'm attempting to alter our narrative by inscribing it. Power of thought!"

"I see! Then, I'll scribe it for you."

"Really? Are you certain?"

The small child eyed me skeptically, but a clear smile emerged on his face.

"Absolutely! Have faith in me!"

With confidence, I straightened my shoulders and carefully placed the tiny one on the desk.

After all, the chair was far too big for such a small child.

Next, I retrieved a sheet of white paper and a pen from my bag.

Sure, I could type it on my laptop, but doesn't jotting it down while conversing add a personal touch?

"Then, shall I dust off my long-forgotten skills? When I think about it, the last time I wrote was a decade ago? It's been quite some time. Hahaha~"

That's how it is. As any novelist would know, getting started is often the hardest part.

As I pondered where to begin, the child took the initiative and started speaking.

Perfect timing!

"My name is Spark. We are a species known as pixies, quite distinct from humans."

Thus began the little boy's tale, a story intertwined with the lore of the creation deity.

This isn't Genesis, is it?

* * *

Right at the center of the vast cosmos, where the Big Bang originated, there was a tiny planet named Zion.

Zion, with a diameter of merely 6 to 7 km, was so small that you could traverse its entire landscape within an hour's walk.

Due to the planet's diminutive size, the peak of the highest mountain stood only at 5.6 meters.

From the summit of this rather modest hill-like mountain, a spring flowed, forming a stream.

Once this stream gently trickled down and reached a level area, it expanded into a small pond roughly the size of a basketball court.

Splash, splash—

A boy stepped onto the surface of the pond.

He appeared to be a resident of a petite cottage nearby.

As the boy meandered forward, ripples spread across the surface of the pond.

When the boy, in his slow progression, reached the middle of the pond, he abruptly ceased walking and reached into the water.

"I got you!"

When the boy drew his hand out of the pond, he held a fish as large as his own body in both hands.

Flap, flap—

With his entire body, the boy embraced the writhing fish, determined not to let it slip away.

Whoosh~

Just then, a flame, shaped like a dove, whizzed past the boy's ear, accompanied by a gust of wind.

"Oh, that tickles!"

Splash—

Startled, the boy lost his grip on the fish, and it darted back into the pond.

Bubble, bubble—

As the boy submerged, a vista unfolded as though he had entered a shallow sea.

Possibly due to the pond's crystal-clear blue waters, the boy could make out the fine sand on the bottom.

Ancient corals, growing over hundreds of years, connected to form a magnificent landscape, a massive coral reef area.

The boy descended and swam amid the colossal coral reefs, accompanied by a red and white striped clownfish.

Fish of various sizes frolicked among the coral reefs, in perfect harmony.

A pod of dolphins, appearing from an unknown origin, also joined the aquatic revelry.

Bubble—

'What's this bubble?'

Next to the boy frolicking with the dolphins underwater, a large bubble surfaced.

As the bubble ascended unhindered, the boy had a peculiar thought.

Instinctively, he shifted his gaze downwards and felt an unfamiliar presence emanating from the grand reef cave.

'What's that? Should I get closer?'

As if lured by a piece of bait, something surged out of the cave as the boy attempted to approach it.

Overall, it resembled a hybrid of a fish and a lizard.

As soon as its head emerged, it swayed side to side like a sea serpent, followed by its massive body, approximately 12 meters in length.

In an instant, it closed the gap and lunged at the boy.

'Mosasaurus!'

As the boy recalled the monster's name, the mosasaurus, now alarmingly close to his feet, unhinged its jaws.

Clap!

Fortunately, the boy managed to evade the initial attack.

Just as the boy was about to be devoured by the Mosasaurus, a pigeon-shaped flame zipped past the monster's eyes.

In comparison to the enormous sea monster, the boy, standing at a mere 142cm, was akin to a tiny fish.

However, had he moved just a bit further, he would've been shredded by the Mosasaurus' dozens of jagged teeth.

Rolling—

The monster's eerie eyes followed the boy's movements.

A courageous dolphin darted up to the boy, whose body had stiffened in shock, brushing against his face.

It was only then that the boy snapped back to reality.

He grabbed onto the dolphin's fin, and the dolphin swiftly swam towards the water's surface.

Meanwhile, the Mosasaurus, after making a sluggish turn with its immense body, started to swim in a sinuous, S-shaped pattern.

The Mosasaurus moved as though it was leisurely swaying, however, when the boy dared to look back, it was dangerously close to his feet.

Then, it unhinged its colossal jaw, revealing dozens of sharp teeth!

Splash—

Just before the boy and the dolphin could be devoured by the monster, they burst out of the water.

Simultaneously, a massive spray of water erupted, and the Mosasaurus also leaped to the surface.

Sploosh, sploosh—!

Both the Mosasaurus and the dolphin submerged back into the pond.

Meanwhile, the boy thrashed on the surface as if wrestling with muddy water.

Soon after, the boy hoisted himself up and sprinted across the water's surface.

Splash, splash—

Having escaped from the pond, the boy hastily pushed open the cottage door.

* * *

Huff, puff—

The boy, who had rushed into the cabin, was still panting heavily, unable to calm down.

A pigeon-shaped flame, slowly fluttering by the boy's side, seemed to hover around him in a reassuring manner.

Droplets of water trickled down the boy's dark brown hair, now damp from his recent escapade.

"Welcome back, Jis. You said you were going fishing. Where are your catches?"

A woman in her early 30s, with rich black curly hair and captivating eyes, greeted the boy.

"Big Mama! It was a Mosasaurus! I almost got eaten by a Mosasaurus!"

"What a ruckus you're making. If you were eaten, you could just come out again."

"No way! Can you imagine how painful that would be? Absolutely not!"

Big Mama, who was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, just chuckled, her broad mouth curving into a smile.

"He's not the tiny creature I remember! He's gotten so big!"

Big Mama swept past the jabbering Jis, making an expansive gesture with both hands.

Approaching the hearth, she leaned in towards the ashes and whispered.

"Scarpa! Wake up, or I'll douse you with water."

A small flame then sprouted from the ashes, stretching as if waking from a nap.

"Yawwwn~ Is it already time to prepare dinner?"

"Yes, today is a special day, so we're using the large pot."

As Big Mama tossed a stack of logs into the fireplace, Scarpa eagerly consumed them, then said,

"Hurry up over here. I need more heat."

The pigeon-shaped flame that had been hovering around Jis promptly flew into Scarpa's body.

In an instant, a flame erupted, igniting the additional firewood that Big Mama had placed.

As the fire grew, the heat increased in the large stove positioned directly above the logs.

Now it was time for Big Mama to get busy.

Big Mama chopped vegetables such as onions, carrots, caraway, and ginger, and cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.

Sizzling~

When she added the pork fat to the heated pot along with the other ingredients, it produced a delicious sizzling sound.

While Big Mama was tending to the stew on the hearth, Jis prepared the table for the meal.

The boy tapped the table and exclaimed,

"Plate!"

Immediately, an object responding to the name appeared from under the ceiling and softly landed where the boy had tapped.

"Fork! Knife! And this is a big plate!"

As the utensils landed on the table, a colossal knight materialized.

The knight, fully armored, had eagle-wing-shaped flames flickering behind his back.

Creak— Creak—

There was a distinct sound of metal grating on metal every time the knight moved the dishes.

"Bread, butter, goat cheese and.... Onions, carrots, fish.... Good! I think we're all set. Thank you, Holy Knight!"

After placing the roast pork and stew on the table, the Holy Knight nodded.

Then, the Holy Knight slightly lifted the helmet of the armor, revealing a flame inside the hollow helmet, which he used to light the candle.

Once the dinner table was set, Big Mama took her seat and declared the commencement of the meal.

"Well, we ought to fill our stomachs before embarking on a long journey, right?"