CHAPTER 60: CHAPTER 9.1 : THE CENTER OF DIMENSION

It was a bright sunny day. In the top floor of the Virellano family residence, a luxurious room bathed in white and gold hues stretched out grandly. Sheer curtains flowed softly from the high ceiling, catching sunlight that streamed in through the tall windows. The polished white marble floor gleamed beneath the golden-framed walls, which were adorned with elegant portraits of beautiful women in exquisite dresses—all daughters of the Virellano family.

On one side of the room stood a glass display cabinet filled with trophies, medals, and certificates of achievement. At the center, a lavish bed and work desk sat harmoniously among other pieces of high-end furniture. This was Aurielle Virellano’s bedroom.

Today was May 14th—one day before her birthday.

Aurielle was on a video call with her three sisters: Sarah, Lysha, and Elena.

"Don’t cry tomorrow just because we won’t be there," teased Sarah with a mischievous smile. She was sitting in front of a makeup mirror, surrounded by stylists and makeup artists fixing her hair and makeup.

"We already left our gifts with Sister Clarista," Lysha added, sipping juice from a glass. Sitting next to her was Nayala, David’s fiancée—technically their future sister-in-law—who nodded with a warm smile.

"I hope your gifts aren’t weird," Aurielle chuckled lightly.

On a slightly dim screen appeared a woman with long black hair shaded with a soft green-white gradient. Though her face remained in the shadows of her lighting, it was unmistakably Elena, the fifth Virellano daughter—an internationally renowned model and influencer.

"Sorry, sis. I’m still in Milan. My photoshoots are packed... hiks. But I’ll send something special tomorrow," said Elena casually as she tied her hair.

"Don’t tell me it’s just another voice note, Sister Lena!" Lysha teased.

"Ugh, as if!" Elena shot back instantly.

They all laughed together. The warmth and closeness between them was undeniable. Even though they couldn’t be there in person, their hearts remained in one place—with their sister, Aurielle.

"By the way," Sarah’s voice lowered, "Is Miss Aiza coming?"

Aurielle’s expression stiffened slightly. She shook her head slowly.

"I don’t know. I invited her personally. But... well, you know how things are between us when it comes to business... not exactly friendly."

"It’d be quite a moment if she shows up," Sarah remarked. "Might even steal the spotlight, haha."

"Hmph, are you underestimating me? Just wait till you get home," Aurielle replied, half-annoyed but clearly understanding the joke.

Meanwhile, the room behind Aurielle was growing more lively. Vianna was getting her hair done by their mother, Sandra.

"Mom! This fabric is so itchy!" Vianna complained, scratching her neck and ruining her hair treatment.

"Vianna, just a little patience... this is expensive fabric! And yet you can tolerate sweat-drenched martial arts uniforms just fine," Sandra grumbled, lightly tapping her shoulder.

"Mom! She almost used her martial arts belt as a waist accessory!" Clarista chimed in with a laugh, still wearing a Bluetooth headset while on a video call with David.

The room was bustling. Loud. Warm. A portrait of a family overflowing with laughter.

But that laughter began to fade when Sarah softly asked:

"So... is Al coming to the party tomorrow?"

Silence.

Aurielle glanced toward her mother. Sandra lowered her head briefly, then sighed before responding:

"No. He won’t be coming. His status hasn’t been officially announced yet... and his reckless nature is just too risky for a formal event like this. He needs more time to grow. But fortunately..." she lifted her gaze, "Al is currently away from home, and he doesn’t know tomorrow is Aurielle’s birthday. He’s off attending a scholarship program that always runs from the 14th to the 16th."

Aurielle nodded slowly.

Everyone actually seemed relieved that Al wouldn’t be attending—especially Aurielle, the star of the event. To them, the risk of Al causing a mess was too high. His mere appearance could ruin the family’s image.

Silence lingered briefly. Then Lysha spoke in a light tone:

"Sis Elena, when are you coming back to greet our newly found little brother? You’re the only one who hasn’t met him yet. Haha."

"That’s your brother, not mine," Sarah muttered irritably at the mention of Al as a sibling.

The others laughed, and Elena responded:

"You guys keep telling me how annoying he is. Yet you keep begging me to come home and meet him. Weird."

"You’ve got a point," Lysha replied.

Laughter broke out again—softer this time. Except for Sandra, who could only smile faintly from behind.

A part of her heart still felt that Al was far away from them.

And tomorrow’s birthday party wasn’t just about celebrating their eldest daughter.

It was also about one empty seat—one that felt heavy despite never being set.

---

Meanwhile, at the same time, in a futuristic room with glossy black metal walls, thin blue lines glowed faintly along their paths like veins of energy. The transparent ceiling displayed a slowly rotating night sky, revealing a full moon and twinkling stars. Unnamed machines hummed softly against the walls, etched with glowing ancient symbols that could only be read by those who had... awakened.

At the center of the room stood a massive circular altar-like structure, with a floating stone orb above it—half shining like the heavens, half dark like a bottomless abyss. The aura from the orb flowed like living yin and yang, slowly rotating, pulsing a presence that could be felt deep in one’s bones.

Sitting cross-legged beneath it, in a meditative pose, was a young man in futuristic black uniform with segmented liquid-metal armor perfectly fused to his body. None other than Al. His eyes were closed, and around him, energies of various colors—red, blue, purple, gold, green, and even unnamed hues—swirled rapidly like living mist, merging and filtering into his body. The residual energy, the useless remnants, evaporated into the air in colorful vapors.

The atmosphere was solemn. Until—

DUARRRGG!!

BUGHHH!!

KRAAKKK!!

The sound of a crash—something hitting a wall or maybe a table—rang out from outside. It was followed by the unmistakable sound of bickering, like two children fighting over a toy.

"Aaaaw, my cheek! My cheek’s not jelly—!! Stop biting me, you little gremlin!"

"Who are you calling gremlin, huh!? Don’t pull my hair!"

Al raised one eyebrow... still trying to stay calm.

Focus... natural energy... universal harmony...

BRAAKKK!!!

Another crash—this time, something heavy hitting the floor.

Al slowly opened both eyes. His once-calm face turned... flat. Very flat. He stood up. The sound of his armored footsteps echoed as he walked toward the metal door. With one hard, impatient motion, he forcefully dragged open the sliding door.

White light from the corridor spilled in, revealing two women in uniforms similar to Al’s... fighting like toddlers.

One was petite, almost loli-like, with shoulder-length blue hair layered with streaks of black and white. She was clinging to the other woman and biting her cheek like a plush toy. The other was taller and well-built, with flowing golden-brown hair, yanking the little one’s hair while yelling, "LET GO! YOUR BITE HURTS!!"

"ARGHHH, YOU’RE SO LOUD!!!" Al roared, his voice echoing with authority. Silence fell instantly like someone had hit a mute button.

The two women slowly turned, trembling.

"A-A-Ahaha... we were just... playing..."

"Sebastian. Execute them." Al ordered curtly.

Suddenly, from the far end of the corridor, a man appeared—Sebastian—wearing the same black uniform with elegant armor. His dark eyes glowed with a bluish hue, like a predator in the night. His wide grin made his presence even more terrifying. He raised a hand like a warning.

"Ah—NOOOOO!!" the two women screamed in unison.

They immediately turned and sprinted down the hallway. But Sebastian vanished from sight.

ZWWUUUSSSHHH—!!

Like a flash, he reappeared right in front of them in an instant. Their eyes widened.

"Eh—"

BRUGG!! BRAGGG!!

Two bumps with smoke puffing out, like cartoon hammer hits. The girls were left sprawled on the floor in twisted poses—legs up, one still biting the other’s hair.

Al sighed heavily and facepalmed. "Huff... You two are hopeless..."

Soon after, Ai—Miss Aiza appeared from the other side of the corridor. She approached calmly as usual, a faint smile on her lips as she observed the aftermath. Ai was carrying a holographic tablet.

"Everything’s ready, Master," she said softly.

From behind her, another woman emerged—tall and elegant, with long black hair tipped in emerald green. She walked calmly, holding a holographic map and looking directly at Al. Her voice was soft but firm.

"It’s time to go. Boss."

Al looked back at the massive orb still spinning in the meditation chamber.

"...Alright," he replied shortly.

Their footsteps echoed as they enter the room, each one casting a glance at the stone orb at the center. Suddenly, a burst of black and white light erupted, filling the room and forming ancient symbols in the air.

Then—darkness.

---

That darkness shifted—to a place not marked on any human map. A dimension adjacent to the human world on the planet Blue Star, with a reality and flow of time vastly different from human dimenson’s. A realm dark and ancient, where yellowish-black soil stretched far beneath a swirling red fog that moved like it had a will of its own. The wind didn’t bring comfort—it whispered ominous voices. This was Azzaleth—the dimension of the djinn, a realm that had existed long before the human world was even formed.

Here, unexplainable beings roamed freely. Much like how humans are the dominant species in their world, accompanied by animals and plants, here the djinn resembled humanoids with consciousness and intellect. There were wild beasts—some winged, some horned, some crawling—referred to as beasts or monsters. And there were magical plants with horrifying forms and powers.

In this dimension, power is law. But that doesn’t mean all its inhabitants are bloodthirsty. Just like in the human world, some live in peace, form communities, and uphold ancient values passed down by their ancestors. But many others speak the language of chaos.

In a dark valley of Azzaleth, where light could not penetrate the dense air, a massive being sat in silence. It rested calmly, its entire posture exuding dominance. One leg stretched out casually, the other folded to support an arm. Its left hand pressed against the stone floor, creating a perfectly balanced stance for the giant body. It looked humanoid, but had horns and enormous wings folded like a dragon’s. Its skin was a deep crimson—like smoldering embers not yet dead. A faint smile appeared on its shadowed face. Not a warm smile—but one filled with mystery, as if anticipating something great.

"Khu-ra-zai-hha-diri-nahk (I sense their presence...)" the being whispered—in a language only they could understand.