Exhausted after an intense game, Elion enjoyed a well-deserved rest in his sister's cozy embrace as she carried him all the way home.
Unfortunately, Elion was so relaxed that he failed to notice the missing circus sign again, leaving the mystery unsolved.
When he arrived home, Elion was completely exhausted and thought about going to bed. But Annabelle wouldn't leave him alone, teasing and embarrassing him constantly, as if making up for something she had missed. Elion wasn't one to give up without a fight, so he pushed his fatigue aside and engaged in an endless battle with his formidable adversary.
With these cute teases and fun games, they spent time together until evening, waiting for their mother to come home. Seeing her charming children, who never tired of each other and argued very sweetly, she immediately forgot about her fatigue from a day's work. She went to cook dinner for them with a warm smile.
Already sitting on Annabelle's lap, who had volunteered to feed him, Elion said to his mother with a satisfied smile,
"Mom, Belle and I are going to the circus tomorrow."
"What? When did the circus come to Weimar?" She asked in surprise.
"I don't know, but we saw a really cool advertisement on the way to school. Belle will confirm it."
"Yeah." Annabelle nodded calmly.
"I see... What about your plans with your friends?"
"I asked them to come in three days. Is that okay?"
"Hmm... I'll have time to prepare a festive dinner the day after your birthday, so that works."
"Great! Thank you, Mom." The boy said, smiling happily. His mother smiled slyly and said,
"If you're so grateful to Mom, why don't you say something nice to her?"
"Huh? What kind of words?" The boy asked.
"I'll give you a hint. It starts with 'I.' And it ends with, 'love you, my dear mommy'. "The mother said, still smiling slyly.
"What?! Anyone but you, Mum! She has enough bad habits as it is. You shouldn't follow your wayward daughter's example! I definitely won't survive!" The boy protested, his face reddening. His mother giggled triumphantly, having achieved her goal.
"Heeheehee...."
"It's not funny!" The boy puffed out his cheeks.
"Heehee, you're right. It's not funny. It's charming," Said his mother, still laughing but now joined by Annabelle.
"Heeheehee."
"Hee hee hee."
Their voices sounded in unison, causing the boy to pout and stare silently at his plate of food.
At first, he refused his sister's help, but then he resigned himself to the situation and enjoyed the warm soup Anabel fed him.
They spent their dinner engaging in cheerful conversation and sharing stories and impressions of the day. Of course, Elion did most of the talking while the women listened to him with smiles.
After finishing his soup and resting in Annabelle's arms, Elion enjoyed a hot herbal tea. He was sure to sleep well afterward.
Looking out the window, through which only a blue moon was visible, Elion realized that night was falling and asked his mother,
"Mom, where did Dad disappear to again?"
*Click*
There was the sound of a key turning in the lock, followed by the door opening.
"Dad!" Elion shouted happily.
He wanted to rush out to meet his father, but he realized he didn't have the strength. He waited for his father in the kitchen instead.
"Hi, kid.... You look exhausted today, too. Right?" his father said in a tired voice as he appeared in the hallway.
"What happened, Dad?" The boy asked curiously.
"Well, as usual... I had a lot of work to do. What else?" The man said, looking very busy and sounding even more tired.
"I understand, but what kind of work?" The boy asked, anticipating another interesting story.
"Ha... In short, the Sea of Gelion has frozen over."
"What?! It's still far from the cold season, and because of its location, the Sea of Gelion shouldn't freeze over. What happened?" Said the boy, clearly delighted by the new mystery.
"Hah... That's what we're trying to investigate before sending out the Mystery Seekers's squad," The man said with a weary smile.
"Hello, girls... Celestia, if you don't mind, please prepare a late dinner for me. I'll need a lot of energy tonight... It's a pity the jam has disappeared" The man said in the same tone.
"So, It was you who ate it all!" The boy said reproachfully.
Donovan scratched his stubble, thought for a moment, and said in a dejected tone while looking through the window at the blue moon twinkling in the sky.
"Right... It was my mistake..."
...
Annabelle carried Elion, who had finished his tea and was nodding off, to bed. Celestia stayed in the kitchen to look after her husband.
"Should I stay with you tonight?" the woman asked anxiously.
"It's going to be a long night, so don't worry about it. I'll manage. Otherwise, I'll fall asleep at the table," the man replied in a reassuring tone.
Celestia, long accustomed to her husband's workaholism, did not argue. She simply rested her head on his shoulder and said quietly,
"Okay, I'll stay with you for a little while, and then I'll go to bed. Love you...
"Thank you. I love you, too." The man said, smiling wearily.
After a while, Celestia asked her husband, who was clearly preoccupied with something,
"Donnie... What happened to the sea in the end? You only told Elion a small part of it."
The man smiled and said,
"I said it was only a small part, didn't I? But the fact is, that's all we know."
"How?"
"Gardemarine's squad arrived in the city and reported two things. First, that half of the sea is frozen, and the ice is spreading. Second..."
The woman listened silently and did not interrupt him.
"Secondly, it's impossible to penetrate the Epicenter," The man said seriously.
"How so?" the woman asked, puzzled.
"There were various ways to prevent the Seekers from entering the Epicenter of Mystery Domain, but never like this."
Donovan looked at his wife dejectedly and said,
"Gardemarine reported that anyone who steps onto the ice and goes more than a kilometer deep will be frozen solid. Even mystical artifacts and abilities won't help. The Epicenter must also be at least hundreds of kilometers from the edge of the ice."
"Is it known what used to be in the approximate location of the Epicenter?" Celestia asked in an alarmed tone.
"The thing is, no. When Gardemarine first discovered this sea, he refused to sail any further. And even now, he won't say why," Donovan said dejectedly.
"Hmmm..." Celestia sighed deeply, then asked about more pressing matters,
"More importantly, have you prepared a gift for Elion?"
The man wasn't surprised by the sudden change of subject; this was clearly in his wife's nature. Finally cheering up, he said,
"Oh, yes, and he'll definitely like it. This time, I'll definitely beat you."
The woman cheered up too and replied with a smile.
"I highly doubt that. I have a real trump card up my sleeve."
On this dark night, lit only by the cold light of two moons, they smiled happily at each other.
Their smiles were undoubtedly filled with love.
...
Admiring her sleeping brother, Anabel smiled happily and stroked his hair. What the girl was thinking was unknown, but it was clear that she was filled with happiness, and her eyes undoubtedly ...
Reflected light.
Looking at her sleeping brother, she wanted to climb into bed with him and fall asleep again, but she restrained her impulses, knowing it would drive him crazy in the morning.
All she could say was:
"I love you..."
She kissed the boy on the forehead, which made his eyebrows frown slightly.
She kissed the boy on the forehead, which made his eyebrows furrow slightly. She giggled sweetly and finally said:
"Have a peaceful night... Dream sweetly."
She did not know that this dream would be filled with nothing but sweet peace.
Annabelle did not know that this dream would determine Elion Efistion's future fate and life...
Provided that this life is to continue.