As the horizon glowed with a soft pink hue, the flowers' petals began to close. The birds chirped loudly as they drifted back to their nests.
"Xenoki, did you find anything about those rebels?" Saya asked through NTS as she sat upright on the couch.
"No, Milady. They hid well this time, and it seems they have already established a network across Earth," Xenoki replied.
"Find them as soon as possible and kill those dogs on sight."
Xenoki could feel Saya's killing intent through her thoughts alone.
"Yes, Milady," Xenoki responded.
As the strange, planet-shaped clock ticked away, Saya sat calmly on the couch. But beneath her composed expression, her mind burned with rage.
Ko slowly opened his eyes.
"Hmm..."
He paused.
"Two big mountains covered in thick brown cotton fabric," he muttered out loud.
Saya looked toward her right shoulder and saw Ko resting his head against it, staring directly at her bust. He remained in that position for a few moments, seemingly unaware of what he was looking at.
He slowly lifted his head and found Saya sitting beside him, fuming with anger.
As he realized what he had just blurted out, Ko thought to himself, *Uh-oh... So those weren't mountains. I had my doubts, though. They're perfectly rounded.*
Saya stared into his innocent eyes as he continued examining her figure. Without a word, she pressed her index finger against his forehead and shoved him backward.
"Ssshh," Ko hissed in pain.
He looked back up at Saya, whose face radiated an intimidating aura that almost blinded him.
"You perverted brat. Can't you keep your eyes under control?" Saya asked as she withdrew her finger from his forehead.
"U-Umm... I think you're misunderstanding something," Ko said, swallowing nervously.
He stared at her face for a few seconds before hurriedly changing the subject.
"Where's Kenny? Is she in her room?" Ko asked with an awkward chuckle.
Saya turned her head away before answering him.
"She went out to the convenience store—"
Suddenly...
Ko's eyes glitched for a split second. It looked as though the Light and the Void were clashing within them.
Sensing the disturbance, Saya turned to her right and saw Ko's golden aura slowly shifting into a dark purple hue. The memories Xenoki had suppressed flashed through his mind for an instant.
Saya cupped Ko's cheeks and channeled a portion of her consciousness into his mind.
Inside, his mind resembled the cosmos itself. The Light and the Void were separated by an endless expanse where time itself was nonexistent.
On the left, Saya saw violently boiling Void energy containing the memories Xenoki had sealed away. From within the singularity-like mass, she could hear Ko's anguished cries echoing endlessly.
*Even we can't harness the power of black holes... Who is this boy?* Saya wondered.
She slowly turned to the right.
There, she saw the golden Light.
It overflowed with a life force so immense that it resembled the very origin of the cosmos. The warmth radiating from it stirred an overwhelming urge within Saya to lose herself in its embrace.
Unable to resist, she slowly reached out.
The instant her fingertip touched the Light, countless memories flooded into her mind.
She saw Ko's warm smile.
She saw his father gifting him his favorite game.
She saw the lunch he shared with Kenika and how deeply he admired her from the moment they first met.
Then came glimpses of him secretly admiring Saya's beauty from afar, followed by memories of her acting like an airhead in the kitchen because of his curiosity.
The Light completely enveloped Saya.
Realizing she was being drawn into it, she quickly pulled her hand back.
*What is this Light? It almost made me feel as though it were a place for an eternally blissful slumber.*
After witnessing these two opposing forces, Saya concluded that Ko's memories and emotions were intrinsically tied to them.
She silently watched the boiling, mud-like Void energy for several moments, deep in thought.
She gently rested her forehead against Ko's and eased his anxiety.
"It's okay. You're safe now. There's no danger anymore," she whispered in a soft, soothing voice unlike her usual cold and intimidating tone.
The boiling Void energy within him gradually calmed as the golden Light spread throughout his body. Saya remained in the same position for several minutes, sealing away his dark Void energy. Unconsciously, Ko began sharing the golden Light with her.
The two of them sat on the couch facing each other as the golden Light enveloped them like a warm blanket. For a few heartbeats, Saya quietly immersed herself in its warmth.
Ko slowly opened his eyes and found Saya cupping his cheeks with her forehead resting against his. His face flushed as he stared into her closed eyes.
"Uhh... Ma'am," he called softly.
Saya loosened her grip and slowly pulled away.
Ko looked at her like a dog waiting for a treat, expecting an explanation.
"What?"
She paused with an annoyed expression as her usual cold voice returned.
"You looked like you had a fever, so I checked your temperature," she said, turning her head away.
"Ah... I do think I'm feeling a little hot too," Ko replied, placing his palm against the side of his face.
He then turned toward the entrance and noticed Xenoki standing there with an irritated expression.
"Umm... Ma'am, I think your husband is jealous. He's staring at me pretty intensely," Ko muttered nervously.
Saya shifted her gaze toward the living room entrance and saw a grumpy Xenoki standing there with his arms crossed.
To be continued...