Aurora and Ellyn walked side by side with Minx through the vibrant, floating amusent park nestled in the void between universes of Pantheos.
The air was alive with laughter, the distant screams of thrill-seekers on looping roller coasters made of literal light, and the cheerful chis of ga stalls offering impossible prizes.
Colorful platforms drifted lazily, connected by glowing bridges of pure divinity, while massive Ferris wheels spun slowly, offering breathtaking views of countless universes twinkling like distant jewels in the darkness.
"So, which ride next?" Aurora asked cheerfully, her white and blue hair swaying as she gestured toward a towering drop tower that seed to pierce into another dinsion.
"That one looks fun.... You drop straight into a pocket of reversed gravity. Or we could try the Mirror Maze — it shows you versions of yourself you’ve never seen before."
Ellyn smiled softly, her long black hair catching the light as she pointed to a gentler ride — a carousel of floating dream-horses that changed form with every rotation.
"Or maybe sothing calr? We don’t want to overwhelm little Minx on her first visit."
Minx skipped between them, still clutching her growing collection of Ash-thed gifts tightly to her chest like precious treasures.
She was about to respond with her usual playful energy when she suddenly paused mid-step.
Her small body went completely still.
She felt it — two distinct sensations hitting her at once.
First, a deep, quiet click inside her core, like a missing piece finally locking into place. Then, a faint ripple in the air, the subtle shift right before new presences arrived.
Her red eyes flicked downward for a split second, checking the countdown in her status.
[Estimated ti remaining: 9 hours]
’What just happened...?’ she thought, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her mind before she quickly masked it with her innocent, childlike expression.
She continued walking as if nothing had changed, but her senses were now on high alert.
In that exact mont, Isis appeared with Unara and Creara right beside her — the three spirits materializing casually as if they had been walking with them the entire ti.
There was no flash of light, no grand entrance—just their sudden presence.
Isis cast a quick, mildly exasperated glance at Aurora and Ellyn.
Aurora offered an innocent smile, while Ellyn’s expression eased with relief.
With a warm, playful grin, Aurora turned to Minx, motioning toward the two newcors.
"Minx, these are two of my many mothers — Mother Creara and Mother Unara."
Creara stepped forward first, her black-and-red hair flowing dramatically as she flipped her hand over with a flourish.
A small, elegantly wrapped gift appeared in her palm.
"We heard a lot about you," Creara said with a sly smile. "And I figured you might like another present."
Minx’s eyes lit up as she took the gift, tearing into the wrapping with childlike excitent.
Inside was another detailed Ash figure — this one even more intricate, capturing his calm, commanding presence perfectly.
She was about to fawn over it, hugging it tightly with a delighted squeal, when the figure suddenly spoke — in Ash’s own voice, low and smooth, audible only to her.
"Nice to et you... First Transaction."
Minx froze, her red eyes widening as she stared at the figure. She then looked up at Creara and Unara, who were both watching her with knowing, mischievous smiles.
Creara winked playfully.
"Do you like the gift?"
Minx clutched the figure tighter, her small smile returning as she answered with genuine delight, though her mind was racing.
"It’s the best one so far."
Inside, she couldn’t shake the feeling that sothing had shifted.
’How could they possibly know that title?’ she wondered, maintaining her charade.
She wasn’t truly worried for many reasons... and the main one was sothing Unara had already noted.
Minx’s true body... well, it wasn’t here.
’What a recurring thing...’ Unara mused silently as they all resud walking as if nothing had happened.
’So, does anyone plan on filling in?’ Aurora and Ellyn linked the others ntally through their bonds.
-----
Ash and Elysia drifted in a limitless void, where up and down didn’t exist.
All around them was an endless, blank sea of white, stretching on forever without a single feature or horizon in sight.
It felt neither hot nor cold, neither empty nor full.
It just existed — a place beyond ideas like distance, ti, or even existence itself.
The silence was complete, yet not heavy — the sort of quiet that made every small sound seem imnse.
Elysia drifted beside him, her golden eyes quietly exploring the emptiness with a hint of wonder.
"What exactly will we find here...?" she murmured, more to herself than to Ash.
"I an... after forming the Bond with Minx just now, we did edge a little closer to the power of ta."
Ash stayed silent for a mont, his reddish-purple gaze sweeping the void—calm yet watchful, like he was reading an open book whose first words had yet to appear.
But.... they had little ti to wonder.
A ripple went through the white expanse — subtle at first, like a stone dropped into still water — before glowing golden words materialized in the air before them, elegant and precise, as if written by an invisible hand.
[Author: NovelGeek2 — The Creation of The First Transaction]
Then the void shifted.
A silhouette of a figure appeared in the distance, standing before seven massive white boards that floated in the nothingness.
The boards were massive, each rising like skyscrapers, their surfaces bare except for the first four, cluttered with handwritten notes, diagrams, and scribbled-out lines.
Ash and Elysia stood quietly, watching the Author — a young man in casual clothes, dreadlocked hair, and, oddly enough, smoking?
He paced in front of the boards, marker in hand, tapping his chin as he moved.
"Hmm, I’ve read countless novels by now..." the Author muttered to himself, his voice echoing strangely through the void, as if it were being projected directly into their minds.
"But I can’t seem to find one that doesn’t nerf the OP-ness of their Main Character."
He paced faster, gesturing wildly with the pen.
"I an, Noah Osmont — he’s probably the strongest I’ve ever read... but then there’s the other Noah from Harem Stealer..."
He paused, scratching his head with a laugh.
"Though I haven’t finished that one yet... he seed to be on the path to being quite strong."
Ash’s lips curved into a faint, amused smile as he watched the man ramble. He crossed his arms, leaning slightly toward Elysia.
"Looks like soone’s having trouble writing a proper overpowered protagonist," he murmured dryly.
"At least he’s self-aware of sothing."
Elysia smiled softly, though her eyes remained focused on the boards.
"He’s... surprisingly human. For an Author."
The Author walked over to a much larger white board — easily the size of a mountain — and began editing a section labeled
[The Ten Lucky Draws: Origin].
"The Treasury of Reality..." he said aloud, scribbling notes. "You will be the Origin of Ash’s Lucky Draws."
He paused again, shaking his head as he took another puff of whatever he was smoking.
"Dammit... I’m not sure if Realities will even be the final plane of existence... So, maybe the na will change later."
Ash watched the man edit the board with calm interest.
The realization that he was seeing the very hand that had written his life — the source of every event, every struggle, every triumph — didn’t shake him.
Not anymore.
He simply observed, occasionally comnting with dry humor.
"My Ten Lucky Draws, huh?" Ash said with a small chuckle.
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