Without any other choice, although without letting their guard down or trusting the stranger, the people present started to walk, including the little one who was not noticed by anyone, who also followed the group without separating much.

The footsteps could be heard echoing among the immense bark of the gigantic trunks, which seemed never to end. In the silence of the place, Wulfgang had to speak, for some questions were going around in his head and he could not remain silent. "You seem to have much knowledge of our children. More than we ourselves have. To what is this due?"

The Great Wise Wizard paused. Calmed, he put his hand to his beard as if recalling something in the back of his mind so he could decide to speak. "Believe it or not, in her previous life, one of the sons she is expecting was known as Leonel. He, along with his two brothers David and Stephen, after the forced confinement of Hades, became known as ‘The Judges of Hell.’ He was given the task of separating the souls in sorrow. He let go of the innocent souls that did not serve as food for the demons to use the space with those that could serve the purpose."

Rey turned his head and looked up at Heroclades. He was relating the conversation of the moment to the one they had held previously. The guy with the tanned skin and the well-groomed beard was lighting up his face with a smile from ear to ear. He was happy because he was still hopeful. "Now everything fits," the little boy said to himself. "Perhaps, this is why I remember him making so much emphasis on being my master. But if his enemies become mine too, he will bring me a lot of trouble... especially that Zeus fellow."

Heroclades said tactfully, "The oracle to whom I had turned was not wrong."

No one spoke at the words of the man who wore robes of gold thread, but his comment was not taken well at all by anyone present.

The Great Wise Wizard continued. "With time and effort, the reforms of Hell by this individual became more and more noticeable. With the excuse of optimizing the entrance, the retention of those brought in and found guilty, except for Tartarus, the whole place ended up being an impenetrable plane for many gods, with the exception of a few entrance keys that are still out there, like the parchment I gave to Ambrogio. I also have answers to several other questions. Come on, let's not let silence be present on this walk."

Mijan, making use of his intelligence, added, "Like what?"

"Won't you wonder for what reason," said The Great Magician, "Mr. and Mrs. here are the most persecuted couple of the moment? Regardless of all the trouble they caused in the background, don't you think it's a bit overdramatic that so many individuals were out to get their heads?"

"Because of the prophecies." stated Wulfgang. "I answer as if I know why to follow up with a question: how do you know so much?"

"It's just that I'm someone who appreciates listening and, in this very particular place, no one has secrets. Besides, as I said before, you are not the only ones who made it to the entrance of the circle. The scroll transported everyone who was enveloped in the light."

Heroclades, somewhat disappointed, added, "What a pity, I thought they had ended up turned to dust. And what are the chances that they will return to meet us?"

"They are minimal. They must go through the lower circles to do so and even if they manage to do so, they also have to find a way to enter a place that is designed to prevent the entrance of the non-chosen... Returning to the subject, as I could hear, the prophecies of those who live outside are not composed of empty words, but by making the comparison with my knowledge, I could reach a conclusion..."

Katherine claimed somewhat impatiently, "Give us the explanation at once. You don't need to lead the conversation."

"The Judge and Reconstructor of Hell, Leonel, despite being a legitimate son of two fragments of the transcendental spirit of the earth, made it so that, for humans, the chances of ending up in Hell upon death went up to seventy percent, not counting the endless reasons that were added as characteristics to be eligible for a position in the circles of the place. ‘To new times new reasons to be damned,’ he said. With this, mortals understand that the next incarnation is sure to be a threat to the race. Therefore, those on the outside felt the need to protect themselves in some way from what they feared and could not control. Isn't it ironic, the relentless persecution against you led them to this circle, the circle where everyone wants to be inside the place no one wants to get to?"

Ehimus said in amazement and almost unable to believe what her green eyes were seeing, "Is that what I think I'm seeing!!!?"

Rey, who had been paying attention to the words of the Great Wise Wizard and already had humans on the list of potential enemies, as soon as he heard the elf's words hurried his pace to see what she saw.

Once at the front of the line, the little one that no one could see noticed how Ehimus, Katherine, Wulfgang, Heroclades, Maryam, and Mijan stood in awe as they made out what they least expected to see in such a desolate and dark place. However, the little white-eyed one looked somewhat disappointed. He thought the bright illumination was annoying. He remembered that it took some getting used to and irritated his eyes. But the adults could not help but hasten their footsteps. They walked, ran, and even jumped into the brightness that appeared at the end of the path. They exclaimed the word "Light!" as if it was something they hadn't seen in a long time.

"How is it that they can adapt to the brightness of the environment crowded by this light?" wondered Rey narrowing his eyes and covering his face with his hands as he strained to see the expressions the elders made.

Once he could see into the divinity of the place, to Rey the elders seemed to be saying they couldn't believe their eyes. And it was logical. Those who had been surrounded by darkness, piercing screams, the smell of burning flesh and a haze of blood could not imagine such a change in such a short time.

"But how is it possible that there is such overflowing, lush beauty even under the stones?" said the green elf, stretching out her hands and dancing on the grass. "Lush vegetation full of life and glory. The sovereign scent of flowers fills the air, carried by the soothing and relaxing wind that pierces the horizon and touches our bodies. The most wonderful of skies bathes us with its light. Even the enigmatically captivating sound of rushing water. Nothing ever seen by me before, not in storybooks or legends."

To the little boy, the elf had a point. Stopping his eyes from narrowing, Rey had to admit that the contrast of the decrepit and hostile world outside, compared to all the different colors that made up the splendorous atmosphere, made the older man's reaction understandable.

The sound caused by the walking of spindly feet on the fresh grass moistened by a thin layer of water made way for an old woman's voice to be heard. "Welcome to this, the lowest circle of Paradise, the Heavens. The following circles overlap each other at the top of the mountain and are known as the Nine Heavens."

The first name mentioned, even if it was a low circle, reflected in everyone's gazes a carefree future. Ehimus asked, "Isn't there any more?"

The Great Wise Wizard continued. "No. Above the Nine Heavens is the ‘Garden of Eden,’ and higher up the ‘Empyrean,’ which is guarded by a flaming sword and faceless beings of luminous yellow bodies and fiery blood... but that is not information you need to know."

He paused in his walk and lay down on the side of the path.

"I'm afraid that's as far as my humble guidance goes. I have other business to take care of. Even so, I will make the time to be your quartermaster. That means I will solve any problems you have so that you can avoid having to interfere directly in any matter. I will come and greet you every morning from now on. Now, if you will allow me, I recommend that you follow the path. It will lead you to the house that will serve as your stay."

Rey noticed how the elders were happy, so happy that they could even jump for joy, including the muscular vampire. On the other hand, for some reason, Lobato Wulfgang's face didn't seem to fit. Curious, the little boy approached his father, the one who held his mother in his strong arms. From closer, it was obvious that he was trying to hide the sadness that so hungrily wanted to devour his eyes and bathe him in tears.

At that precise moment, Maryam raised her hand and touched her beloved's face. The thin-lipped, pale vampire whispered something in the lycanthrope's ear:

"I can hear your heart trembling. It burns inside you to know there is no turning back. Though I know that for you that will be no excuse for you to give up... Fang, eat of the fruit with me, share the path of your friends. You know that few can do ‘the right thing’ when it really matters. I ask you..."

Wulfgang returned a whisper, "Sadness is an irreversible current of grief when you realize you are about to give up the last chance to be there for someone... My heart trembles and aches. Not because there is no turning back and I am leaving that world with its problems to someone else, but because I know I am moving away from all the things I am to get closer to you and all the things you are." A whisper from someone humble, honest, noble and sincere, who was becoming a selfish liar.

Maryam, in a whisper, replied, "And isn't that what love is? To love can be to sacrifice your happiness or that of someone else. Just because you are in a safe place does not mean that your responsibility as a father is over. Who assures you that my future will not be in danger once my children are born and you are gone? Don't turn around, don't walk away and leave me here, even if I deserve it... Out of love I gave you everything without expecting to receive anything in return... It's not that I didn't want to tell you, it's just that I didn't have the courage... Now, when I need you most, I'm asking you. Stay with me until they grow up or die. Give me the chance to earn everything I want by my own means."

Wulfgang clenched his jaw and decided to turn a deaf ear so as not to end up in an argument with the vampire or worry those around him. The arrogant-bodied lycanthrope, with the first step he took on the soft grass, tore the regrets from his heart and moved on. Without looking back, worrying about himself and his own responsibilities, he acted as one who gave up the idea of returning to the other plane.

Rey's eyes were wide open, and they were not looking to the sides, the forest or the sky, but were fixed on his father. He thought that none of the others present had left unfinished business on the other plane, that perhaps that was the reason they were happy and his father was not.

Ehimus, chewing with her mouth crammed with the plants and flowers of the place, said, "I'm excited. Seeing so much green brings me so much happiness that I don't need a house to sleep in!"

Mijan, showing the ghost of a smile on his face as he watched the half-empty bag of the group's treasurer hang, replied, "You're right, "Green. The white aura of the place is to my liking. The tranquility and ambiance is more than someone like me could ask for. I didn't want to abuse the hospitality. Besides, it's not like we have a lot of money. In order not to inconvenience, it would be better to camp here while I responsibly look for the best way to double and triple our capital."

The Wise Magician, tainting the expressions on his wrinkled face with suspicious intrigue, added, "Here, the night does not pass in the same way as it does on other planes, much less the one from which you came and to which you are accustomed. I insist that you follow the path and arrive at your assigned residence. You do not have to worry about money or any form of payment, believe me. It is my pleasure to provide you with everything you need to have a pleasant stay. If you should happen to need my services and cannot wait until the lights come back on, you can find me in the sanctuary at the beginning of the lake you see there. The waterfall of ‘Destiny and Knowledge’ on the Great Knowing Rock is my humble abode. This whole area belongs to the feline guardians you saw earlier, so on your walk try not to disturb the young or their mothers."

Changing his tone along with the expressions on his ghoulish face and showing cheerfulness he continued, "Until the next dawn, my dear tenants." Fading his silhouette, he made known the last detail that, not because it was less important, was almost overlooked.

As soon as the old man left, Mijan repeated the phrases that had troubled him most. "Here, the night doesn't pass the same as on the plane we came from... Oh, yes, yes, yes... Of course, it doesn’t. It makes sense, not that I see a sun or a star to provide us with light. Since we don't have to worry about money, I think it's worth taking your advice. There is nothing better than what is free."

Heroclades discreetly walked over to where the elf was standing and asked her, "Green one, can you sense the presence of anything else but these striped beasts?"

Ehimus answered as soon as she finished adorning her garments with the flowers and vegetation of the place, even making herself a crown. "Yes, but, at the same time, no. Very ephemeral, as if they were not on this plane... spirits. This place is very weird. If I could describe it, it's like a spider's web. A gigantic circle filled with spirally woven curved filaments that make up countless bristles. Agh! It is very difficult for me to perceive the presence of non-hostile entities in a place as complex as this, but we are definitely not alone. Many with the rank of god sleep under the ground. Just as many individuals in the vicinity who have the nature of fairies and the odd other entity I've never sensed before."

"Like which ones?" asked Heroclades.

"A dullahan, dwarves, white witches, scholars, I suppose the odd hero and many humans," Ehimus replied.

"Hmm, interesting." Changing his attitude, Heroclades continued. "I guess we'll have time to meet the neighbors... The journey has been long and these tired bones of mine are already looking for where to sit. Besides, in what paradise are there no women, alcohol, and glory that those who have arrived are not worthy of!"

Rey listened to everyone talking and celebrating as they started to walk. The little boy that no one ever saw looked away from his parents, especially from Wulfgang's face. A sad and tired face of someone defeated, even after having achieved a victory. Something intrigued him very much. Doubt, like fire, was growing inside the little boy, curiosity that burned inside his body. Rey also felt that the most important moment of knowledge was near, in which he would discover the reason for his journey into the past.

Walking down an already well-worn path along with the others, Katherine stopped and let the pair pass her. The muscular vampire stopped to look in the direction of one of the many gigantic burrows inhabited by the beasts, large and beautiful, who were the masters of the place, as the old man with the black complexion had said.

Rey stopped and looked to see that, like the first attackers, these large animals also had the same four-footed form. The difference was that they had white fur with black stripes on their heads, backs and tails.

The vampire, who was walking last, together with the little white-eyed one, looked across the lake. In the gigantic pool that seemed to transit the brightness of the place, the water, so pure and crystalline, could be confused with the liquid light that was concentrated there. The two attentive onlookers overcame the brightness and focused their gaze in the distance until they could distinguish how the gigantic beasts came out of the lake. Then they shook their bodies energetically and started on their way after picking up with their mouths what they had left on the shore.

As soon as Rey tried to turn his attention back to his parents, who had already gone ahead, one of the black beasts appeared out of all the white ones. That one, although different, was the same size and walked the same as the others. The reckless animal approached the shining water as the others did, only this one left on the shore of the lake the body of a dead person it was carrying in its mouth, just before it went into a slow plunge into the water, which seemed to be the very way of the place. The beast disappeared from the view of the spectators. She swam back and forth. Sometimes subtly, also aggressively, but only when the brightness of the water was infected by black, before the eyes of the little one, the big thing turned white, as all the others were white themselves.

"A camouflage so they won't detect it in the dark," the vampire said quietly, sharing with herself her discovery and, of course, also with the little one that no one saw. "Ahh, the smell is familiar. It's charcoal they use so they don't stand out in the dark. Where do they find the charcoal? It's weird because you can't see any fire or signs of smoke anywhere. Hmm?"

Although neither the color nor the size of the trees in the forest were anything natural... In the distance, the beast came out of the water at the same time it stopped being completely black. It shook itself vigorously and immediately picked up the corpse of a person and went to another place where similar ones of different sizes were waiting for him.

Rey watched and thought. He had understood that those who painted their coats with charcoal carried on their shoulders the responsibility of protecting and bringing food to those who stayed behind. Also that the food for those beasts could very well be any creature that was not strong enough to defend itself or intelligent enough to know how to escape. It all seemed to be simple to understand, but, suddenly, he began to see the world in a blur.

Water came out of Rey's eyes as he watched playful, energetic cubs from a den welcome the hunter of the group. The largest, which had the prey in its mouth, had been walking wearily, but not at that moment when his family saw him arrive. The beast had changed its behavior, perhaps to appear well and not to worry the others. It walked proud of itself for its achievement and, as if it had left all its problems aside, it gave its young the meat it had been carrying and had worked so hard to obtain. The gigantic animal left her cubs enjoying the delicacy to move on and put its head on top of the couple's back and embrace them affectionately. The two parents then lay down together to watch their children eat.

They were beasts that could not even be understood to speak to each other. They were beings that did not stand on two legs, that had no hands, and yet they had a family bond much stronger than the one Rey remembered seeing between his two parents. He thought he was sick when he felt salt water coming out of his eyes. He didn't like the feeling he was experiencing seeing other creatures with parents who got along well, who showed happiness and familiarity with each other. Rey was moved by not being able to have had that kind of experience. "And for what reason?" he wondered as he wrung his eyes.

The small, green-haired, green-eyed girl called out the vampire's name for the third time before running over to where she stood and taking her by the hand.

"Katherine, what are you doing? You must not stray from the group."

Rey turned his back to the scenery and, thanks to the squeals Ehimus was giving the muscular vampire, managed to collect herself a bit from her sentient state. When the little guy raised his eyes and could see clearly again, he saw that Katherine had one hand raised in the direction of the white beasts. It seemed that she had something to say and was going to lean on what her finger was pointing at. Katherine, showing her bias, added, "I wasn't wrong! Fang broke the animal's tooth. The poor thing has a fate worse than death awaiting it! A hunter with a missing tooth will not be able to get food on its own, it will be hopelessly doomed to starve to death. What if it has a family?! Or if the mother is forced to forage for food? What will happen to the cubs? They will be left alone!" With every word a whole storm of doubts was unleashed in the vampire's gaze, who was usually unexpressive and acted as if nothing mattered to her.

Ehimus facial expression showed that she understood the vampire's point. “Coming from where you do makes you a natural animal advocate. I, as the queen of the forests and nature that I am, will grieve and cry over the miserable death of an animal that was only looking for food for its family. I can understand you and give you every reason in this regard, but if I regret anything, it is that I was not resourceful enough to be the one to take the reins of the situation and solve it my way. Besides, Wulfgang is the shield of the group, as are you. Whether it was good or bad, it was the decision he made."

Katherine replied, "A coward's decision, I'd say!" she stated as she folded her arms and puffed out her chest.

Ehimus, somewhat irritated, let out what was itching on her tongue as she pointed her index finger at the vampire, "And what decision did you make?"

Katherine didn't know what to answer, but before she could open her mouth she was cut off.

"Yes, that's the difference between you and him. You're less than a coward. I learned a long time ago that it's no good insulting those you follow because you're insulting yourself."

Katherine looked at the little green girl as if her eyes were aflame. She was silent, but her hand seemed ready to brandish the large cross-shaped sword hanging from her back.

Rey understood that, from the vampire's point of view, she could no longer lower herself to the level of a foolish woman who had lived far less time. She was also angry at not being understood and urged to fight to prove her right by force.

Ehimus defiantly put her hands on either side of her waist and rose on the tips of her toes to appear taller.

Rey took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and turned around. He intended to continue on his way, but didn't realize he was in the path of the light elf who was coming rushing to the scene. Too late to react, Rey covered himself with his hands and slid one of his feet backwards preparing for the collision, however, the "silver-haired elf" ran through him like it was nothing. The experience lasted only a second. Rey, while inside that body, saw everything black, but also felt the overwhelming sound of the organs doing their work.

Mijan, who came to intervene resentful and annoyed at having to deal with all the divergences in the group, went on. "What of women? What of sex? What of alcohol? What about pleasures? All De-Grecians are the same. And now these two! Give me a fucking break, will you? Katherine, Ehimus, stop making my life more miserable than it is. Please fight a little lower and where no one will see you, or I'll have to kill you."

Ehimus began to shout, "Uri-Uri-Uri-Uri-Uri!"

At the same time, he ran with his hands raised with the intention of escaping from Mijan and shouting so loud as not to hear Mijan's claims. As soon as Katherine looked at the light elf, he tensed up completely. Rey could tell that Mijan had the attitude of someone who regretted addressing a physically stronger and more intimidating member.

The little girl in green stopped when, before her eyes, at the end of the path, a whole enigmatic building became distinguishable to her, whose structure blended perfectly with the surrounding landscape and did not seem to be part of the forest.

Everyone looked where she was looking.

Rey, the child that no one saw, knew that this was the place where he was born, but the adults did not. They were amazed as soon as they saw the very particular mansion that was named home by the Great Wise Wizard.

It was as if it was the first time they had seen a facility that was laden with fine leaves, leaves that disappeared in the morning and also acted as walls. Behind the intertwined green and dew, one could also see sturdy white walls that, without having a solid base, levitated through the air on the ground, as they came from above along with the leaves. The immense structure, lacking windows, but full of fine and graceful edges, swayed in the breeze of the gentle wind, as did the trees in the surroundings. A small staircase of five steps, made up of roots, seemed to be what joined the earth to the residence, straight out of the most fantastic fairy tale. Although, up close, not even the stairs touched the ground.

Without ceasing to inspect with their eyes and questioning the safety of the immense structure, the group arrived at the foot of it.

Heroclades, the most excited of them all, was the first to climb the five steps and, grinning from ear to ear, knocked five times on the door. No one answered. He knocked again, and this time added in a loud and energetic voice, "Hello, is anyone there?"

But silence was still present. Behind the wooden entrance there seemed to be nothing and no one. The echoing knocking made the place resemble an empty shell. With no response, the tan-skinned man turned around and with the word in his mouth almost swallowed his tongue from the shock he took. Eliminating the wide grin he wore on his face, he proceeded to scratch his chin and stammer as he closed one eye and opened the other.

"Since when was she behind us and we still weren't paying attention to her? Impressive. Only a ‘Life Snatcher’ or an ‘Aura Controller’ could move so close to me without me noticing, leaving out the others."

Heroclades had reason to be surprised. Despite the alert state in which those present were in, a woman with secretive airs and dark dress, of some white stripes, appeared behind everyone unnoticed. In real combat, or if it had been an ambush, one of the members of the group would surely end up dead. Such an incident was a problem to consider.

Rey, as a good spectator, was the first to infer the reason why his and his father's master was arguing with himself. He also knew the harmless purpose of the curious maid who wore an apron and had appeared behind Lobato Wulfgang, who was the last of the group after Katherine had joined.

"What's wrong with Hero?" asked Ehimus mockingly, for he reminded her of a senile old man from home. Her shrill voice again broke the peaceful silence that seemed to have lasted a long time. Mijan again complained. Katherine asked with irritation that if for a moment she could keep quiet.

Then Wulfgang asked, "Hero?"

"Fang, can you feel her?" said Heroclades.

The lycanthrope was silent at the question, closed his eyes, and with his nose sucked in as much air as he could. Once inside, Wulfgang let out the air he had breathed in and returned a confident look to his master.

Rey did not understand the reason for this gesture; he only saw his father with a confident expression.

Lacking reason to further procrastinate the suspense of his unusual behavior, Heroclades raised his hand and pointed with his index finger.

The members of the group averted their gazes, turned their necks and even turned their bodies to follow where the finger pointed, right to the end of the line. Beyond Wulfgang, stood a female body whose hands were held behind her back and eyes wide open, like a child who wanted to see something without touching it.

Maryam made her closed eyelids blink. Mijan could not help but reflexively recoil. Ehimus opened her eyes in surprise and Katherine clicked her tongue. Rey could notice how, except for the young wolf and the tan-furred old man, the other members took caution, barely catching sight of the maid who had appeared out of nowhere behind them. Wearing a white apron over her long black dress, she seemed to ignore the negative behaviors of those present, not because they meant her to be attacked, but because she could not take her eyes off Maryam. Rey could sense an unusual feeling in the Sylvia he knew. "If I had to describe it, I would say she doesn't look at my mother, she looks at where my mother is. On my father's hands. She looks as if she's losing something that belongs to her."

After so much tension in the atmosphere, Wulfgang turned and, before he could say anything, he heard a question.

"Why is she in your arms, carried in the same way that knights carry princesses in fairy tales?"

Wulfgang, deciding not to be impolite, answered with kindness and understanding, "Since she is very weak, and I feel that for the time being it is better that she rest in my arms."

Slowly, Maryam opened her eyes as if to see whose interested voice was speaking to her beloved. The attentive maid reported the vampire's behavior to the wolf cub with an "Oh, look... She's opening her eyes."

Maryam, looked up to meet her beloved's face, then faintly turned her head and observed the young woman wearing a servant's apron.

"Hello. If it is not inconvenient for me to ask, may I know who you are, curious young lady?" she asked with a pleasant expression on her face. She who, at all times, behaved politely and courteously.

"Who am I!?" As someone who had realized that her feelings were taking the initiative, at the question, she rectified her posture, changed the expression on her face and bowing gracefully continued, "I am Silvia Dina De-Heavens, the Third."

After introducing herself when her name, provenance, and descent were requested with a simple, "Who are you?" she returned to neglecting her demeanor as one who had no further obligation to remain polite or elegant. Inside, Silvia had marveled at being called a young lady, and she could not restrain herself from asking, "Why are your eyes so blue and your skin so white? Why do you call me a young lady when you obviously look younger than me?"

Maryam picked up the lock of hair hanging in front of her face and played with it in her right hand.

"My eyes are blue like those of my ancestors, as are my skin and hair. They represent one of the marks that distinguish my lineage, a lineage that has lasted almost as long as time itself."

After answering, she smiled showing part of the fangs that protruded from her lips and then gave a seductively serious look, the same look a child would give at the sight of one more toy that perhaps she could add to her collection.

As the elusive maid spoke to the vampire, Rey could tell how everyone's expressions were relaxing on their faces and they seemed to ponder. "Perhaps it was because she, at no time, showed bad intentions or any kind of hostile behavior as to cause those present to continue to act so suspicious. It was time to forgive, and even if they took the event as a warning, there was no reason for them to continue to fight. The maid and the Great Wise Wizard possessed so much power as to wipe out anyone present, and yet they chose peace, friendship, and understanding. It was a kind of respect they could show and precisely how strong that was the reason they trusted so much. It wasn't that they didn't have enough reason to wage war and unleash a fight. His father and the group were newcomers to the place. They looked different, they had other customs, and who was to say that they would not do harm. But it's useless to keep thinking about that," the little boy said to himself.

The person in charge of receiving and attending to the guests decided to change the subject. She seemed to be feeling a shiver down her spine, provoked by the vampire's intentions. Even Rey had noticed that his mother could take her whims very seriously. She tended to analyze, calculate, and ponder all her actions, and more so if they were for the purpose of satisfying her personal entertainment.

Silvia, somewhat uncomfortable at feeling the direct flirtation of someone of the same sex, decided to change the subject. "How careless of me, I didn't invite them in."

Leaving the vampire aside and going through everyone like someone trying to hide her attributes, she continued, "In case I can't open the door for you during the day, you should know that between the ground and the roots there is a passage that gives entrance under the kitchen floor. You can also use the fireplace, but unfortunately it must always be lit. Wait for me here, I'll open it for you."

Disappearing from where she was, Silvia appeared as she opened the front door to the house.

"Welcome..."

Both her voice and demeanor changed drastically, as if she had put on a totally different being. If Rey had not seen her acting the same way as when she was forced to say her name, he would have assured that they had changed the maid.

The members of the group walked through the door which, once opened, radiated an incredible glow that could only belong to another world. The interior of the place, with a minimalist style on the outside, stood out for its fine architectural combination of various eras and worlds. Columns of marble and limestone, detailed with gold, silver, and bronze plated insignia, symbols, and stories. The ceiling was composed of semicircular arches with floral touches that made use of the pillars and merged with paintings in movements. The stairs and the balcony conveyed the sensation of amplitude and height, while the finely cast glass and ironwork were integrated into each other. Symmetry was the main feature of the floor, which made use of a carpet just below the armchairs. The furniture and paintings showed ostentation and waste of goods and wealth. The residence was a fusion of the tastes of the tenants who would inhabit it. This was obvious to the little boy because none of them seemed to complain or be uncomfortable with where they were going to live. Rey knew that the first floor consisted of a large living room, which connected to the dining room. From the dining room to the kitchen and past a hallway, were the bedrooms. Going up the shiny staircase, on the other side of the fireplace, one could reach the upper floor, which had a balcony and only one door leading to a bedroom.

Silvia, pointing with her open hand to the different parts of the house, continued, "At the top of the stairs is the master bedroom. We have a kitchen, living room, dining room, multiple bathrooms, and the rest of the rooms are down the hall. They don't need to be confined."

With different gestures and nonverbal language, Silvia spoke and acted like someone who should have correct posture and move with elegance and style at all times, making smooth and harmonious gestures wherever she went, also to perform any of the tasks she was given.

At the same time that the elders went inside, Rey noticed something at that moment: his father could very well be the strongest, the living example of someone who throws himself into combat and guides his followers in a charismatic way, making sure that his back never touched the ground or saw a blow, but the one who pulled the strings and kept such a chaotic and disparate group was Maryam. Of course, the more members the group had, the stronger it would be, and the vampire was not against such an occurrence. Perhaps, like Wulfgang, Silvia was acting the way she was acting because of Maryam's presence.

As soon as everyone entered the interior of the house, Mijan took the opportunity to voice his concerns to the servant girl.

"If it's usual for you to disappear and reappear as a ghost... I'm not going to feel very comfortable to say the least. Especially when you can't be felt at all."

In response to the comment, Silvia showed a discreet smile, to suddenly make the door close by itself after everyone entered. Ehimus went white with fear, Mijan and Heroclades searched for an explanation to the event, except for Katherine, who for some reason was furious and looked at the light elf as if she was about to explode. The servant girl, tall and slender in build, ignored the muscular vampire's palpable irritation as she surveyed the tenants up and down.

The little green one commented in a voice so low she could barely be heard, "I think this house is much more fantastic than I expected. It doesn't match the outside appearance with the inside at all."

The maid turned her gaze from everyone to focus on the little girl in green, who had made a comment that was not too far from the truth. Silvia did not know what to say or how to refer to it. With politeness and etiquette, she decided to respond to the comment while with her open hand she pointed to the door, "As you know, young lady, the inside of the house is not connected to the outside and it's all thanks to that door. This house, over time, will accommodate the needs of its tenants. Example: their rooms will be enlarged without limits, and they will have what they need, when they need it, so they won't get bored."

Rey realized that, with those words, the maid had not corrected Ehimus and at the same time had explained, without being impolite, the correct reason for something. But Silvia was creating a distance between the guests and herself by speaking in that way. As if formality would widen the field between friendship and duty.

Wulfgang also seemed to realize that the maid was acting aloof and, in an attempt to cut the so palpable distance, proceeded to introduce herself. "The little green-haired one, this is Ehimus Eximos De-Elves. This is Heroclades Poro De-Greece, my current master. She is Katherine Priovam De-Amazons, sister of the one who I carried in my arms. This is Mijan Bloke De-Technologies. My name is Lobato Wulfgang De-Arkadia. And my dear wife, here, between my arms, is Maryam Priovam De-Nazareth. Silvia Dina, at this moment, I speak for all of us and we are delighted that you welcome and accommodate us. You can leave formalities aside and call us by our first names, yes?"

Silvia nodded happily, interlocking the fingers of her hands in front of her chest and flashing a smile as she gave a little prance. Immediately, a but came up, "Nothing would make me happier, sir. Although I'm afraid that won't be possible. I am strictly forbidden to interfere directly or indirectly with those who inhabit the facility. I am a servant and serving is my job; if I do not follow the rule, I will have to face the consequences. I ask you not to go any further into this matter..."

Rey was thoughtful, not about Silvia's situation, but about the components that made up a name. He understood that the first part was the name by which an individual was recognized. He was called Rey, although he did not have a last name like his siblings. Neither he nor his siblings carried the third component, "De."

Silvia continued, "It is a pleasure to serve you tenants from so many different places that exist out there... I hope you have enough time to tell me your stories, for nothing is truly insignificant to me. Again I introduce myself: I am Silvia Dina, "the third one," and I am for your services.

"Different places that exist out there." Silvia's words brought clarity to the thoughtful little boy. The third component of the proper name in a presentation referred to the place of origin. Along with this, Rey also understood something crucial: listening to adult conversations required more than just paying attention to the topic. He could admit that, if at that moment the Great Wise Wizard asked him to explain some of the history of the adults' arrival, he would not be able to do so, not if he just kept listening for the sake of listening. Rey understood that there was a big difference between listening and understanding, that just by listening he would not get the knowledge because listening does not require much effort, being something that was done unconsciously. On the other hand, understanding requires full attention and retaining needs even more energy so that the information understood is not easily forgotten, as the Great Magician had warned him. "I am not to continue listening from now on. I have to interpret and understand the meaning so that I can act accordingly if necessary..." he said to himself.

From one second to the next, the newcomers had already spread throughout the residence, touching everything and seeing everything like curious little ones who had a new place to explore and conquer.

Rey was curious too. It was no less true that he was already familiar with the residence, but he had never entered anyone's room, as he was not an adult and consequently did not have one of his own. Regardless of the issue of understanding, he believed it was also important to observe everything carefully. Turning his head as he heard footsteps up the stairs, Rey watched his parents follow Silvia's directions.

On the second floor, after climbing the stairs, Rey stared at the huge red heart accompanied by grazes protruding from the relief of the wood that made up the door to the room he had never dared to enter. The entrance was just as he remembered it, with multiple silhouettes depicting patterns so well carved that they made it impossible to think of anyone having done it with their hands. The polished doorknob had a yellow glow that could turn normal light into a golden glow, which reflected a yellowish hue.

 Wulfgang, with a weary attitude, said, "To the good anyone can easily get used to. I have no reason to feel uncomfortable," he added as if it were the mantra he kept repeating to himself over and over again.

Silvia had the courtesy to turn the golden knob and open the door for the couple who, without much delay, entered the room where they could rest undisturbed.

Rey remained outside. They had closed the door almost in front of his nose, leaving him no time to enter. Curiosity called to him, but he wasn't too happy to walk through anything. As he raised his hand and made contact with the wood, he realized that it was solid. He remembered that during the instant in which Mijan pierced him, everything went out, He heard strange sounds, and he didn't feel very pleasant. But it was an instant in which he managed to break through something in that world. Maybe he could not go through the door, not because it could not be crossed, but because he did not know how to do it voluntarily.

The little one that no one saw could walk as everyone else did. It wasn't like he was sinking to the ground or floating through the air like a ghost, so what was the difference? The answer was obvious to him. Purpose or wait. Yes. Every time he set out to touch or waited for something to touch him, he could not. Even at the moment when he consciously willed his feet to touch the ground he walked on, he began to sink. That was the key: "wanting." So, Rey wanted to touch the door, and the result was that with his fingers he managed to go through the door. Then followed his hand, his head, and finally his body.

Rey watched as Wulfgang gently dropped his betrothed's delicate body onto the bed. The lycanthrope took a deep breath. He looked around that huge room once more, as one who did not know where to begin would observe, until he moved his nose and brought it close to his garments. Rey couldn't smell, but his father's expression made it clear to him that the smell of the clothes he was wearing gave him the perfect clue where to start. As he moved about the place, the little boy watched how his parents acted in privacy.

Wulfgang turned on the faucet of the rare bathtub, as high as the bed at the foot of it. The basin had rounded edges, the occasional handrail, and numerous colorful jars. It was nearly three feet high, with a width of five feet by a rim five feet long. Large and white, with an interior that appeared to be made up of three or four seats.

Carefully, Rey perched on the edge of the bed to get a better look at how the rare bathtub filled. At his mother's feet, as his father undressed, he watched the steaming water crowd the place. He was grateful to be able to walk through what was solid. He thought that if he fell in, it would be easier for him to drown than to get out. Being of such a small size, he would not be able to make it out on his own and he didn't trust his parents to help him either. Rey was startled to hear the sound of a shower running. His father, despite having turned on the faucet of the huge bathtub, removed his clothes and moved on to take a shower in the small corner bathroom. "Maybe he has so much dirt on his body that he doesn't want to contaminate the bath water," Rey thought.

Nevertheless, Rey pranced back and forth a little and took the opportunity to approach his father. The lycanthrope had stripped off all his garments, and did not have his guard up. It was the best time to take a close look at the flesh that seemed to be well attached to the muscles. His father's naked body was enviable, it looked solid and sturdy like a perfectly carved log, but what stood out the most were the more than hundreds of patches this one had on the skin. It was also curious how his father had not had any wounds on his back from which scars remained. Rey could understand that, for his father, the flesh patches on his skin were not wounds from a past, but trophies that carried the burden of what had happened and the experience of surviving by breastfeeding in all dangerous situations.

Feeling as good as new, Wulfgang dried the remaining moisture from his body with the nearest towel and, after draping it over his shoulders, re-entered the room with the intention of taking care of what he had left in preparation. The bathtub at the foot of the bed was already on the verge of overflowing. You could say that the water flowing out of the faucet was stopped just in time.

As soon as the attentive husband had added to the water what he thought would do his beloved's skin good, still lying between the sheets, he rose from the edge of the large tub of water to make his way to the foot of the bed. Wulfgang leaned in close enough to say in the vampire's ear the following words, "Look how you're wiggling that little ass so provocatively, aren't you? We can do two things at once..."

The wolf had the ghost of a smile on his face and spoke in a suggestive tone. Maryam, with an amused, mischievous and vicious look, added, "In this place, without the others? No, please, you know we can't...at least not without them. What if they get jealous?"

Wulfgang, stroking her back, replied, "They are forbidden to be jealous," he stated after he planted a kiss on the vampire's lips.

Rey's heart, for some reason, skipped a beat. He didn't remember seeing his parents melting their mouths with each other. Both full of vice and desire, their hands wouldn't stay still, and they caressed each other. His mother's skin was like silk, soft and warm, and his father's lips went to her neck and began to give her little nibbles in the area. Maryam was breathing and writhing on the bed, her breathing became deeper, as Wulfgang reached between her legs. Maryam, as one who was about to give in to persuasion, said, "I still don't trust. I don't think it's safe... Besides, you know it takes a lot for me to be satisfied just with you."

"All right," said Wulfgang. "I don't care today if you can't hold back... I have a feeling it will be fun. I'll be late in coming, at least for a few hours. Don't pretend you don't want to when you want to."

"If you want, you can masturbate. It's fine with me. Young man, I advise you not to involve me in this or keep warming up. Putting out this fire takes a lot of work."

Rey noticed that Wulfgang rose up on his knees on the bed and moved his hips closer to where his mother's head was. He had something firm, imposing and throbbing that rose up until it reached his navel. The same piece of flesh that had once hung and swayed from side to side with every footfall, now seemed unyielding, veins popping and blood about to burst. Wulfgang, who pushed the limb down with his thumb and released it so that it whipped against his stomach and made the sound of a firm crash, added, "Do you think you can spit on it?"

Maryam gave a smile, turned her body over on the bed sheets and nodded her head as she gathered her hair.

"As proof of my love, I plan to let you continue to spoil me in your own way. Don't stop..."

She sat up and after opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue, she dropped saliva on the standing member then gave a suggestive look from the bottom up.

"What else do you want me to do..."

With a wider smile on his mouth, Wulfgang smeared that fluid all over his member, and then with great delicacy, patience, and care he removed his beloved's garments.

Rey saw how his father carried his mother in his arms, but Maryam was not as before. This time she was able to cling with her hands and legs around the torso of the lycanthrope who entered the bathtub. She, supported by three limbs, the two arms and Wulfgang's lower limb, looked desperate as her husband sat on the edge. Still, she held on while he, with a sponge, patiently rubbed her tits.

Rey was looking intently at his mother's naked body. A great contrast could be seen, almost as much as day and night. Unlike her father, she had no scars, all white skin, and from her chest protruded two large, rounded, pale girths. Maryam's breasts and buttocks looked delicate and vulnerable. The flesh of these was not tight to the muscles like the former. They were rather spongy and striking to the eye, so much so that they bounced and jumped at the firm lashes of an open hand.

The atmosphere between the two parents was becoming complicit. As if all the discomforts they both had were gone.

"Let the warmth of the water relax you."

At the lycanthrope's words, Maryam's pale face, along with her ears, began to redden. The vampire slowly opened her eyes, her gaze lingering on the eyes of the one who carried her and let it slide over his sturdy body.

"You have beautiful red eyes and I love being able to see myself reflected in them...as you shove it all the way in," she said as she rolled her own.

While Maryam had the face of someone who was waiting for something, Wulfgang slowly settled his beloved's body more on top of his and finally let her sit fully on top of him. Just as slowly, Maryam opened her mouth wider and wider until she let out a small moan and clung with her hands to her beloved's shoulders.

Rey wondered, "Is mother the type to be devoted and devoted to whomever she cares about? Father, on the other hand, seems to be someone who can't feel comfortable without doing something for someone. But me... What position would I be in? Am I the type who feels sorry for others unless they let me do something for them?"

Again and again, he skirted the room with wide-eyed attention, heedless of his parents' odd behavior. But once the moans and motions of the water became annoying and wouldn't allow him to think any longer, he decided to leave the same way he had entered. As soon as he stepped through the door, he was surprised to see Silvia sitting quietly behind the entrance. She, with her ear glued to the wood and one eye at the level of the lock, was trying to control her agitated breaths as she looked through the hole and moved her right hand between her legs, at the same time making her presence disappear.

Rey tilted his head to one side, blinked twice, and brushed aside the behavior of those adults who appeared to him to be acting irrationally. Following in their footsteps, he walked down the stairs and looked up. No one was there. The other individuals had already settled in their quarters.

Curious to see what the inside of the remaining rooms looked like and already ready to set off, Rey realized that he could not move from his place. Sown on the floor, eyes wide open, the little boy watched as the maid came down the stairs like lightning. Ehimus also passed through the place with astonishing speed. So did Mijan, Heroclades, and Katherine. The adults went to and fro, gathered in twos or threes, split up, came from right to left or up and down with the speed of the blink of an eye.

Rey was confused. "Is it me who is going slow, or is it that the world around me is going faster?" he asked himself without being able to move from his seat.

Silvia was the last one left. She seemed to be dusting the great hall with a feather duster. In another blink she seemed to be sweeping the floor and, finally, she wiped the surfaces that were not walls, ceiling, or floor. Finally, after seeming to organize the place to perfection, she turned off the lights and left everything dark. The darkness lasted a long time. It was maintained by several blinks of the little one's eyes. It required some time for all the lights in the house to come back on, as well as for Rey to be able to see and move normally.

From the second floor a piercing scream could be heard. "It was Mother," thought the little boy. Although Rey had never heard her scream, the scream was characteristic of the voice she had. But in what situation could she be in to make her scream like that?