6•15 ; An Invitation

After their little charade ended, Void drank the medicine-like soup made by Sarah and rested for the day.

Early the next morning, Void woke up feeling a lot better, although still a little sluggish. Most of the fever subsided due to the effects of the medicine taking effect.

However, from Void's point of view, even without a cure, he still would have recovered by this morning whether he took the medicine or not.

On the following day,

The morning sun shone, casting its eternal rays on the {Maison of Paradox ~ Everlasting Garden}.

The canvas of the skyline was painted in a mix of black and white, glittering like a yin-yang diagram. The ever-present greenery, filled with all kinds of plants, flowers, bushes, and finely shaped trees, was dancing to the tunes of the garden's ethereal nature, further perfecting the flawless visual of the word "everlasting."

In the heart of this wonderland of perfection stood an invincible structure, with only a mirage-like shape of its intangible form barely discernable to the naked eye. For those who wasn't an ability user, even tracing the outer lines of its boundaries would have been an impossible task.

Suddenly, in the black and white canvas of the sky, a red warning patch became visible, hinting at a breach of security.

In the indigo mansion, Sarah, who was enjoying some family time with Sora & Void, suddenly looked up, irritation shining in her eyes.

(Who is it?) she muttered, frowning.

(How did they discover the location of this dimensional pocket hidden between dimensions? Are they stray space travelers lost in rifts, who accidentally stumbled upon this particular lane?)

(However, that shouldn't be possible. 'We' disconnected all the nodes linked to this lane and even perfected this artefact for utmost safety. Then why? Is this still not enough concealment for peaceful isolation?)

(Well, dwelling on unfounded assumptions wouldn't help. I suppose I'll just have to find out for myself, right?) Making a decision, Sarah returned her gaze to Sora & Void.

(Sweethearts, stay put and don't leave the mansion. I'll be back in a jiffy.) Saying that, she disappeared.

(What do you think happened, Onii-chan?) Sora voiced, glossing over the disappearing figure of Sarah.

(Who knows, don't ask me,) Void shrugged at her inquiry, gazing into the void of the sky canvas.

(By the way, why are you clinging on to my arm?) Void asked, all the while glancing at his right hand, which was locked between both of Sora's hands, his elbow almost touching her non-existent bosom.

In response, Sora replied matter-of-factly, (Because I felt like it. You should be glad that I even offered to hold your arm.)

(I never asked you to do that,) Void countered, averting his eyes.

(Ara, but aren't you blushing?) Sora smirked while inching even closer.

(Don't be ridiculous. Also, stop imitating your mother,) Void's cheeks began flushing as Sora inched closer and closer.

At last, Sora paused at his ear, their bodies almost snuggling. She mischievously whispered, (Oh my onii-chan, it seems your sensitivity regarding girls is at an all-time high. Hehe. I guess I finally found your weakness.)

(Stop being absurd. I'm perfectly fine. See,) Void shutteringly voiced, trying his best to regain control of his confused emotions.

(At least show some restraint in front of our guests,) a wry voice came from right next to them. Turning around, they saw Sarah rubbing her forehead. Beside her stood two figures, a woman and a man.

******

Moments ago.

Beyond the Dimensional Pocket of the Everlasting Garden.

In a tumultuous expanse filled with shattered worlds and inert stars, a faintly perceptible enchantment floated in a circular motion amidst the cosmic debris, its position constantly shifting.

Suddenly, a beam of light streaked through the chaotic space, halting in front of the enchantment. As the light dispersed, a spatial craft resembling a car, complete with advanced technological features and futuristic mechanisms, became visible.

The door automatically unlatched, and a man clad in a butler uniform emerged. He then reached into the car, stating, "My lady," and a delicate hand promptly responded, stepping out of the car with the butler's assistance.

Shortly, a stunning woman with fiery orange hair and piercing green eyes strode, her attention fixed on the ever-changing enchantment.

After a moment, she gestured to her butler. The butler stepped forward, and his demeanor transformed as his muscles bulged to the max. Taking a firm stance, he delivered a powerful punch directly at the enchantment. BOOM - an blast occurred in the space, causing everything to spiral backward. Yet, the enchantment remained unaffected, completely repelling the attack.

This visibly frustrated the butler, prompting him to assume an even more profound stance, preparing for a stronger assault.

Yet, his attempt was halted by the woman, who raised her hand in command, declaring, "That's enough!" With that, she produced a token glowing in black & white hues and affixed it to the enchantment.

In the following second, a small fissure emerged in the enchantment, revealing a platinum-haired woman of unparalleled beauty.

Upon Sarah's arrival, she examined both the woman and the butler, ultimately focusing her gaze on the woman and noticing the card in her hand. A glimmer of recognition flickered in her deep blue eyes.

Sarah motioned for them, saying, (Please come inside).

******

Present, in the indigo Hall.

(Oh my, what a lovely pair of kids. They are more transcendingly beautiful than even you and her combined,) the orange-haired lady exclaimed in awe of both Sora and Void.

(Well, I can't argue with that. They might indeed grow up to be a more captivating duo than me and her,) Sarah shook her head chuckling.

(Are they twins?) the orange-haired inquired.

(Yes, they are indeed twins,) Sarah replied without a change in her expression, as if it had been the truth all along.

(So it really came true. Do you remember when we were young, the {Holy Saintess} prophesied about you giving birth to twins, isn't that right?) the orange-haired lady cheerfully said, reminiscing about their past.

(Yeah, yeah! You haven't changed a bit, huh? Still as cheerful as ever,) Sarah lazily remarked.

(So, what's your purpose? Are you here to waste a slot of chance in that token by visiting this place? Unless it's an important matter,) Sarah's eyes narrowed as she got to the point.

Instead of replying, the orange-haired woman produced an augmented envelope, digital swirls covering the envelope in a circular X shape.

She handed it to Sarah, who took it and opened it using her 'aura resonance'. She carefully read it, and a slightly surprised expression became evident in her oceanic eyes.

(Will your family be hosting this year's 'underage conference'?) Sarah inquired, to which the orange-haired lady nodded lightly, (Yes. This time, the heavenly order has chosen to hold the underage conference in our world, and the hosting rights have been handed down to our family.)

(It doesn't make sense, wasn't our world isolated, with an impenetrable barrier repelling foreign entities? How will they bring the children of foreign worlds into ours?) Sarah questioned with a frown.

(They plan to use all the 'guest tokens' reserved in the wallet. If that's not enough, they are even considering buying them from the all-inclusive market across both material immersion and reality.)

(Are they crazy? Why go to such lengths, even self-burning their resources? What are their intentions? Are they finally making moves on this lonely star, or are they starting a whole new game again?) Sarah's frown deepened as questions flooded her mind. her mind.

(Try not to overthink it. By the way, what do you think? Will you be able to find time in your schedule to bring your children to this grand gathering of underage conference?) the enthusiastic orange-haired lady asked, confident in her invitation

(Unfortunately~) yet, this one word almost caused her confident demeanor to crumble. But in that moment, a smile formed on her face as she listened to the latter half of Sarah's statement, (I have no choice but to make a visit. After all, I'm quite curious about their motives,) Sarah chuckled, finishing her sentence.

(Great. Also, I forgot to mention that there will be a ball dance specifically added to this year's underage conference,) the orange-haired lady said excitedly as she stood up.

(The location for the conference has already been decided. It will be updated on the invitation when the time comes.)

After the invitation ended, both Sarah and the orange-haired lady chatted for a while, while the butler stood like a statue, leaving Sora & Void to their own devices. After a bit, the chat ended too, with the orange-haired lady bidding her farewells.

(Alright, that's it. I'll take my leave then. See you at the conference, bestie! Bye kids, I hope to see you soon,) with that, the orange-haired lady and her butler disappeared.

Meanwhile, Sarah palmed herself and mumbled, (That Jary, she never changes.) 🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎🕎