Seeing Zamira's strong resolve, I could only sigh inwardly. Her crimson eyes were calm, unwavering, the kind that told she had already made up her mind long before voicing it out loud. There was no point trying to talk her out of it now.
"Alright," I finally said, exhaling softly. "We'll wait for Amber to co back first."
Zamira nodded once, satisfied, and took a seat beside in the living room. The atmosphere was quiet, almost too quiet, broken only by the faint hum of distant creatures in the garden. Ti passed slowly, but luckily, not for long.
The door slid open not even ten minutes later.
Amber walked in, her arms full of snacks, packaged sweets, crunchy bars, and so brightly colored things I didn't even recognize. Her cheeks were puffed as she chewed, crumbs nearly betraying her usual composed image. The mont she stepped into the living room and saw both Zamira and staring straight at her, she froze.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Mmm?" she mumbled, her mouth still full, smiling awkwardly as if she'd been caught doing sothing illegal. "Why… are you two staring at like that?"
I sighed, rubbing my temple. "Vera just delivered a baby," I said. "We were waiting for you to co back."
Amber blinked.
She hurriedly placed her snacks on the nearby table, swallowing hard. "Wait—really?" Her expression shifted instantly, shock written all over her face. "She already gave birth?"
"Yes," I replied.
Her hands hovered in midair for a second before dropping to her sides. "I—I can't believe I missed it," she muttered, then looked back up at . "You said "we" were waiting for . What do you an by that?"
I gestured toward Zamira.
"She wants to follow us back to Earth."
Amber turned fully toward Zamira, surprise flashing across her face. "You do?" she asked.
Zamira nodded calmly. "Yes. I wish to see the child… and be there."
Amber blinked again, then let out a small breath. "That's unexpected," she admitted. "You've never even been to our house on Earth before."
"I am aware," Zamira replied evenly. "That is precisely why I want to go."
Amber crossed her arms, thinking. "Then… shouldn't we inform Zagrath as well?" she asked after a mont. "Wouldn't it be unfair if she didn't know?"
I shook my head slowly. "If I inform her and she decides she wants to follow us too, then who stays behind on the vampire planet?" I said. "Besides, Zagrath doesn't seem interested in going to Earth in the first place."
Amber hesitated, clearly conflicted.
Before she could argue further, Zamira spoke up. "He is correct," she said. "Zagrath has her duties here. This place requires a ruler's presence."
Amber let out a small sigh, then nodded. "Alright… I get it."
Just as we were about to move, Amber suddenly froze, her palm slapping against her forehead.
"Oh no."
Zamira and I both looked at her.
"What?" I asked.
"I didn't get any gift," Amber said, panic creeping into her voice. "For the baby. I ca back with snacks like an idiot."
I couldn't help it. A chuckle escaped my lips.
Zamira smiled faintly as well. "It doesn't matter," she said gently. "You can get a gift later. What matters is that you are present."
Amber looked between us, then relaxed, letting out a breath. "You're right," she said, embarrassed. "I'm overthinking again."
We made our way toward the warper chamber shortly after. I stepped up to the console and began setting the coordinates, syncing them with the warper back on Earth. The familiar low hum filled the room as the device ca to life, arcs of energy forming a stable gateway.
"Ready?" I asked.
Amber nodded eagerly. Zamira simply stepped forward.
The mont we entered the warper, the world twisted and then snapped back into place.
We erged into a familiar room.
Only Amber and I recognized it instantly. Zamira's gaze swept across the space, taking in every detail—the reinforced walls, the discreetly placed systems, the overall structure.
"So you truly did set up a warper in a single room," she said. "Just like you did on the vampire planet."
I nodded. "Yeah. It makes warping back and forth between Earth and the vampire planet a lot easier."
There was no ti to linger.
We hastened our steps, moving out of the room and into the hallway that connected to several sections of the mansion. The mont we stepped fully into the corridor, sothing hit .
A strange sll.
Clean… sterile… mixed with sothing soft and unfamiliar.
My heart skipped.
It was a hospital-like scent. The sll of a newborn.
It was coming from the living room.
My pulse spiked as I broke into a faster pace, nearly jogging down the hallway. Amber followed close behind, Zamira's footsteps steady but quick as she kept up with us.
As we turned the corner, the living room ca into view.
And there she was.
Vera sat beside a baby bed, her posture tired but peaceful, her expression glowing with a soft, maternal warmth I had never seen before. The crib was placed carefully near the center of the room, and surrounding her were the rest of my won, each wearing expressions ranging from awe to excitent.
My breath caught in my throat.
I stood there, frozen for a second, just taking it all in.
I took a step forward. Then another.
Vera looked up and the mont her eyes t mine, she smiled.
==============================
Cast your votes using power stones and golden tickets to unlock more chapters.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Reviews
All reviews (0)