Hearing the bell ring, Sophie gave a little jump, startled by the sound of the large instrument.
After a few seconds, the same servant who had helped her with her bags appeared to open the huge white wooden gate, with some details made of amethysts and diamonds, which was on the right side of the bench where Sophie was sitting.
The little demigoddess started to get euphoric, anxious, and very, very happy. She knew exactly who the person behind that huge gate was. It could only be him. An old friend of hers, and crush, from childhood. They studied, trained... did a lot of things together. He was the one who always helped Sophie with her studies and with the arduous and heavy training for the CSA entrance exam.
He trained her daily, gave emotional support, trained with her, helped her in the toughest subjects... All this to see her old friend happy. He wanted to be able to go to college with her, study with her, create a universe with her... He wanted to be able to always be by her side.
The servant opened the gate in a few seconds, what felt like hours to Sophie's anxiety. The purple-haired girl quickly rose from the bench, placed her hands over her heart, and crossed her delicate fingers. The girl had anxiety racing through her veins. If the servant took another second, Sophie would have a faint. She wanted to know if her beloved was also recommended or if he would have to take the entrance exam.
Anyway, the gates opened and revealed a tall boy, with dark skin, red hair like fire, and water-green eyes, like the most beautiful oceans on the beaches, reflecting a unique glow when seeing his secret beloved standing there, waiting for him. Sophie freaked out inside to see her love there, standing there, wearing a beautiful suit with gold buttons and a reddish tie. That was Nathaniel uni-Alpha, Sophie's best friend and secret love.
Sophie's eyes filled with tears and she hurried toward Nathaniel, unintentionally pushing the servant who was heading back into the castle.
"NATHANIEL! NATHANIEL!" She kept running and hugged her best friend tightly. She wished she could feel his heat, his scent, his skin. She wished she could cuddle with him forever, but she knew that wouldn't be possible, so she just gave him a long hug.
"Oh! I missed you too Sophie! But don't exaggerate, it's only been a week since we've seen each other!" Nathan feels a little short of breath when Sophie hugged him with her enormous and exaggerated strength.
Sophie, hearing this, squeezed the redhead tighter, making Nathaniel feel her big, but not huge, breasts; a form of protest. When he felt his friend's soft breasts, Nathaniel blushes and lowers his head, a little embarrassed. Sophie didn't notice her friend's shame and continued in the long hug.
When younger, in high school, Sophie lived clinging to Nathaniel's right arm (lucky the demigod was ambidextrous). Nathaniel always asked her to stop squeezing her arm so tightly, but he loved it; the only problem was that Sophie sometimes went overboard with strength, and that wasn't pleasant.
Nathaniel tells his friend that she was hugging him too tightly, and asks her to lower her strength a little. She is a little embarrassed by the act and breaks the hug.
"Sorry Nathan, it's just that I was missing you so much..." She pulls back a little, standing a few inches away
"Do not worry. And I also missed you, 'Phie" He gave Sophie a wink, showing her that he understood her side perfectly and that he wasn't upset with her friend's act.
'Phie...' Sophie melted when Nathan called her that nickname. It had been a while -- about a week -- that the Zeptelian princess had not seen the boy. And that was more than enough for Sophie to get melted when her crush called her by her nickname.
"So, you were also recommended to the CSA ???????" Sophie asked anxiously, as she didn't want to raise false hopes that her friend and she would both be recommended to a demanding gym.
"Yes" A short, blunt answer, very the uni-Alpha face
"REALLY???? WOAAH, I'M SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!!" At that moment, Sophie's joy was so great that it overwhelmed her, making her celebrate it as if she were a child in the playground. She started to give little jumps and gently clap her hands.
With that, Nathan gives a slight sigh. He was already used to his friend's bouts of euphoria, it was nothing he wasn't used to. Privately, he was happy to see his friend be happy for something "silly" (which is someone else's approval). He never understood this way of his friend. They trained and studied together, so in the demigod's head, Sophie kind of already knew they were going to be recommended.
Just a few minutes after Nathan arrived at the castle, Sophie's parents arrived at the place to find out who the individual was ringing the bell. They were briefly surprised to see Nathaniel.
Michaela gave a shy smile when she saw that her daughter was with the demigod; in contrast, Haddes, Sophie's father was somewhat angry to see his daughter so close to him; jealous of father.
Mr and Mrs uni-Zepta walked towards the gate, where Sophie and Nathaniel are. Anyone looking at the gods of the Zepta universe sees a clear difference between Michaela and Haddes.
While the goddess is small, 160 cm tall, with a delicate walk, a sweet face, and a cute voice, the god are tall, brutish, with a thick voice that frightens even the most frightening and brave knights, not to mention the beard and hair, which give an air of importance to those who see him.
Sophie drew from everything exactly a bit of her parents' personality; she has an angel appearance, a perfect body, nothing too exaggerated, everything just right; a delicate face, with medially full lips with a pinkish color, large dark purple eyes, which gives her an air of cuteness; and her hair, being straight, lilac in color and having a unique shine. She is cheerful with her friends, sweet with her parents and family, shy with those she doesn't know, and angry with those she hates. When she gets angry, her eyes turn a whitish color and thus she releases a supernatural strength to the poor bastard who is close to her.
When Sophie's parents approached them, they greeted Nathaniel politely. In fact, it was only Michaela who greeted him; Haddes didn't very like Nathaniel -- even though he was his daughter's best childhood friend. But that was just silly father jealousy. Although, the uni-Zepta family already had mini discussions about it; It was no big deal, they just said that it was something silly and that the father didn't need to worry, since they (Sophie and Nathaniel) "are just friends". After a while, Haddes' paternal jealousy subsided; but that doesn't mean he started liking Nathaniel, just tolerated him. Maybe one day that will change and Haddes realize that Nathan isn't all bad the way he thinks.
After Sophie's mother greeted her daughter's best friend, Haddes just said a curt "Hi". Nathan felt that the atmosphere between him and Sophie's father became heavy, and decided not to push the envelope; he was embarrassed and looked away from the huge man who intimidated him.
Sophie and Michaela gave the man of the family disapproving looks, intimidating him. They are the only entities that put fear on that big god. He sighed and said a kinder "hi" to the demigod in front of him. Nathan responded with a half-shaky, scared "hello". No wonder Haddes is considered the greatest, most powerful, and terrifying god of all universes; he can put fear in anyone, even the bravest, which is Nathaniel's case.
"So... I came to pick Sophie up for us to go to the CSA..." he finally announced the reason for his visit
"Ah yes! You told me you would come to get me so we could go together. But isn't it too early yet? Well, I packed my bags due to anxiety, you know how I am right, but I thought you would come later"
"That. In a few hours the resistence test will start, to see who is fit to enter the academy, and I was wondering if you would want to go with me" when he said those last words, his face flushed slightly. He closed his eyes and took a deep, subtle breath to calm himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep, subtle breath to calm himself.
"Well, I'm going to want to go see yes, haha. Thanks for caring"
Meanwhile, Sophie's parents were watching the whole little scene. Sophie's mother thought that scene the cutest thing in the universe, while Haddes looked at it with a little anger, seeing that guy so close to his daughter. He took a deep breath, which seemed to help calm him down.
"Let's go? It's still a little early, but I'm afraid something might happen along the way... Not to mention that we can already choose our rooms since we'll start living there next week..." Nathaniel asks, controlling all the anxiety stored inside of you
" But can we choose our rooms yet? It's not a little early, is it? Like, there's still the entrance exam..."
"No, no. Those recommended can now choose their rooms. The staff who take the entrance exam and pass will choose the remaining rooms"
"Got it..." That was a bit confusing for Sophie but she didn't want to worry her best friend about it.
"Are you going already?" Haddes question
"We are going Yes. Nathan and I are going to see the training of the people who are going to join the academy. And we will also choose our rooms. It's a little early for this, but we want to choose the coolest room possible!!
"I heard... well, daughter, before I go, I wanted to give you something" With that, the god of the universe Zepta takes out a gold bracelet with a huge shining pearl in the middle "This bracelet will be for you to keep contact. In case something happens, press this pearl. We will get back to you as soon as possible. - He knelt in front of his daughter, took her right arm, and placed the bracelet gently on her little wrist.
Sophie thought that piece the most beautiful thing in the world and stared at it for a few seconds. Then she looked into her father's eyes and hugged him. A father and daughter hug. The purple-haired girl felt sheltered in her father's broad shoulders. The father wished he could never let go of his little girl; he wanted to protect her forever. Unfortunately, to her father's misfortune, her little demigoddess had grown up and now she would have to leave. Something very difficult for the father to digest.
Haddes and Sophie break the hug. Something the father didn't want, but he didn't have much choice about it either.
"I'll miss you daughter... I hope you get great grades, learn a lot at the CSA, and, most importantly, that you make a lot of true friendships."
Michaela and Nathaniel looked at the whole scene with water in their eyes. Michaela loved those two with all her strength and seeing them like that comforted the heart of the beautiful goddess present there.
Nathaniel loved seeing Sophie happy like that with his father, seeing them like that reminded him of his childhood and adolescence, when he trained with his father when he wasn't with Sophie. Now he was an adult. He would create a universe a few centuries from now and would probably never have that father-and-son moment again.
"And you, Nathaniel" he says, turning around with a serious look but not the usual intimidating look "take good care of Sophie. She is now in his hand..." And so, Hades enters the castle, suffering internally to see his daughter leave
After the god enters the castle, the goddess Michaela gives her daughter a tight hug and thus begins to cry uncontrollably.
"Oh daughter" she speaks in tears "Mom will miss you so much..."
Returning the hug, Sophie also says that she will miss her mother. She knew she wouldn't see her parents for a while, and that made uni-Zepta's heart sink. But, she knew that it would be necessary, she could never be under her parents' wing if she wanted to follow her dream of creating the Etta Universe.
"Goodbye daughter..." Michaela reluctantly breaks the hug and takes both of her daughter's hands "follow your dreams princess, and never, ever let anyone step on you. Get over it, show it to everyone and, most importantly, show yourself that you are capable of doing unimaginable things" Taking her hands from Sophie's hands, the pink-haired goddess places her hands on her daughter's cheek and gives her a warm, motherly kiss on her forehead "Mom loves you, my little princess..."
"I love you too, mommy..." Sophie feels some tears come down her face and, in an automatic gesture, her mother wipes them away quickly.
As he walks a few inches away from her daughter, Michaela turns to the demigod who was watching all this with a few tears on his face.
"Take care of her Nathaniel" Now she has turned to her daughter again "and take care of him, princess"
"Yes mom!"
"Yes, Lady uni-Zepta!"
They speak in unison, and then the goddess releases a sweet, genuine smile and releases a last "I love you" to her daughter. The daughter retorted. Then, the goddess enters the castle.
"It's time for us to go, Sophie..."
"I know, Nathaniel... We better get going. The sooner we go, the better."
Nathaniel readily agreed. Both went towards the golden carriage that was "parked" in front of the castle. Nathaniel asked the driver to pick up Sophie's bags, which were on the side of the bank. The driver went quickly towards the bags and brought them quickly without too much difficulty; then he put them away in a specific corner made for storing big, heavy things, like Sophie's suitcases.
After the driver had collected his bags, the huge gates protecting Zepta Castle were closed. Sophie heard a huge bang, which made her heart feel even sadder. But that was part of it. It would be difficult at first but in the end, it would be worth it; she would make her parents proud.
Sophie looked at the castle one last time and said "Goodbye, Daddy. Goodbye, Mommy" mentally. Then the little demigoddess entered the carriage. Nathaniel walked in right after Sophie. The driver closed the carriage and went to his place, where he would drive the carriage for the CSA.
"Ready? He announces, warning that the carriage is about to depart."
" ..... " Sophie is huddled in the corner of the carriage, looking out the window, where she can see the stars in the Zeptelian sky.
Nathaniel looks at his friend's situation and is too sorry for her.
"Yes! You can go Marcus..." Nathaniel speaks, as Sophie couldn't utter a word.
And so Marcus started the carriage. Sophie was feeling bereft at the moment. She would miss her parents so much. She looks to the side and sees Nathaniel looking out the window, distracted in his thoughts. She approaches him, takes his left arm (which is the arm that is closest to her), and hugs him like a teddy bear; she also takes the opportunity to lay her head on her friend's shoulder.
Nathaniel, in turn, takes a little fright at his friend's actionsions but doesn't complain. He understood his beloved's situation perfectly. So he laid his head carefully on top of Sophie's head, joining her at that moment.
And so, Sophie and Nathaniel set off on a trip to the Celestial Star Academy, which is at the center of the Universe System...