Fifteen Years.
That's how much time has passed since my brother's death. In these years, I watched my niece grow up, heard her babble her first words, and saw her take her first steps.
Curiously, the first thing she said was "dad," and she called Morgana "mom." After several days of insisting, Morgana got her to call her "sister," although unfortunately for me, she continued to call me "dad."
By the time she turned one, she could talk and walk. She was very hyperactive and talkative, which gave us both headaches. When she was four, I took some time at night to talk to her about my brother and Lucia.
Although she was very interested in learning about her real parents, she never stopped calling me "dad." Over time, I got used to it and cared for her like my own daughter, while Morgana grew fond of her and looked after her like a strict older sister.
Gaia and she became very attached, to the point where they slept together in the same room. It was a constant pain to see Gaia, but as time passed, it managed to heal some of my agony.
I came out of the kitchen with breakfast ready and saw Morgana setting the table. "Morgana, you finish serving; I'm going to get Milim."
"Alright, Master. She's probably in the backyard playing with Gaia," she said, taking the food from my hands and placing it on the table.
I nodded and walked toward the backyard, where I found Milim playing with Gaia.
Milim wore a long-sleeved black shirt, a pink tie, and a vest over it, along with a black skirt above her knees. Her pink hair was tied in two pigtails with golden and black ribbons.
An unusual outfit for a girl, but she loved that dress so much that I had placed advanced self-cleaning and self-repair spells on it.
I approached, smiling, and called out, "Milim, Gaia, lunch is ready; let's eat."
Milim and Gaia stopped playing and ran toward me, while Gaia shrank to a height of 25 cm. Milim hugged me, and Gaia lay on my shoulder while purring.
"Haha, come on, let's eat before it gets cold." We entered the house and sat at the table.
The meal was noisy, with Milim chattering about this and that, the usual for every day.
Once we finished eating, I looked at Milim. "Milim, today you turn 15, and so do you, Gaia. That's why I have a gift for you," I said with a smile.
Milim was about to leap toward me when I raised my hand. "But…"
"I will give it to you after I finish a job of mine; in the meantime, I'll allow you to travel outside the forest with Morgana accompanying you," I finished while watching their reactions.
Milim launched at me like a bullet, and Gaia followed.
"Thank you, Dad! I love you! I love you! I love you!" she shouted with joy while continuing to kiss my cheek.
I laughed at her antics while returning the hug until Morgana grabbed both her and Gaia by the neck and pulled them away from me.
"What have I told you about behaving? It seems you need more lessons on manners," Morgana said with a smile on her usually stoic face.
I didn't even try to contradict her when I saw Milim's sad look and Gaia's tears. I walked quickly to the exit but stopped before leaving.
"Morgana, I'm counting on you. And Milim, Gaia, behave now that you go out; the world isn't as safe as the forest," I shouted as I stepped out.
After leaving the house, I disappeared from where I was.
---
A simple cabin floated in the void. It was very unusual amid the total lack of "everything" around it.
A ray of light traveled through the 'nothingness' at a speed that exceeded millions of times the speed of light. In an instant, it appeared at the cabin entrance, revealing a beautiful, androgynous being dressed in a completely black suit.
"Babyl, I'm back," said the being as it opened the door and entered.
Inside the cabin, there was nothing out of the ordinary—wooden furniture, wooden tables, and sofas that created a simple yet cozy atmosphere.
Walking to the center of the room, the being removed the jacket of its suit and settled onto the sofa while a cup of coffee appeared in its hand.
As it took a sip of coffee, a whitish golden orb appeared and transformed into a young woman.
The woman was beautiful, exuding an air of a scholar, with pale skin and a simple white tunic complemented by her bare feet. Golden glasses adorned her face, and her platinum blonde hair flowed freely down her back.
Her most striking feature was her eyes; they had white irises with golden veins running through them. Smiling at the being, she approached and made a small bow.
"It's good to see you again, Master Velzarion. I assume it's time," she said as she straightened up.
"The pleasure is mutual. And as you say, tell me how the preparations are going," Velzarion replied while looking at the woman.
Babyl adjusted her glasses, and an old-looking thick book appeared in her hands.
"During my time studying the islands outside our world, ironically, since time doesn't exist here," she said while laughing a little.
Noticing my expression, she coughed very falsely and resumed her speech. "As I was saying, during my study time, I discovered that the nearby islands vary greatly in size and complexity; some islands have finite structures, while others have infinite ones."
The explanation lasted half an hour as she described the structures and more. I already knew most of this, but I enjoyed seeing how dedicated Babyl was to her studies.
"You've made great progress in your studies, Babyl, but why do you call them islands?" I asked with curiosity.
Babyl perked up when I mentioned that. "It's simple. You see, the structure itself is an immeasurable mass of land surrounded by an ocean that falls like a waterfall. To the naked eye, they appear exactly like drifting islands surrounded by the sea, hence the name."
I was somewhat lost by such an explanation. "So... they have the shape of lost islands, and that's why you named them 'islands'?" I asked slowly.
Babyl vanished the thick book and clapped with joy. "Exactly, Master! I knew you'd like it!" she said proudly.
"But I... didn't say I liked it." I could only say that in my mind. I sighed ironically as I rose; my coffee cup dissolved into particles, and I decided to change the subject.
"Babyl, you've certainly done a great job studying these 'islands,' and for that reason, I congratulate you; it's a great achievement." I complimented her while patting her on the shoulder.
Babyl was stunned but quickly recovered, smiling brightly while nodding. "Thank you for your praise, Master; I will continue studying, and I'm sure I will find more."
I nodded at her conviction. Babyl was a woman who loved what she did; if she said she would find something, then she would.
"Well, make the preparations for the trip; I'll finish some matters and return to depart." I said goodbye and left the cabin.
Babyl nodded and bowed as she disappeared.