Karen made it back to the base in one piece. Though her heart continued to race from the information she had gathered.
She leaned against the walls inside the portal chamber, clamping her knees together. Her breath came out in heavy gasps, suffocating her with an exhaustion she had never felt before.
"L-Lord Orion…" A tear streaked down her face as the name echoed in the room.
Orion had been one of the strongest people she had ever known. He taught her everything she knew, raised her like one of his own. To her, Orion was more than a clan head.
He was like a father to her. And losing him so soon hurt more than she had thought possible. Amidst the silence of the portal room, her shoulders quivered as muffled sobbing resounded.
Karen was a strong-willed woman, capable of handling most situations on her own. She rarely expressed emotions, only becoming more open when Arthur was born.
She had known the clan would not come out of that conflict unscathed. But what she had not expected, or rather had not wanted to think about, was that the clan could be brought to its knees and crippled to such an alarming extent.
Through the stream of silent tears she shed, a wave of raw emotions boiled within her, raging and directed at the people responsible for her clan's destruction.
The Intergalactic Council.
Karen clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles cracked.
"Lady Leah…" she whispered in a heavy tone, her resolve hardening. "No matter how long it takes, I'll find you."
Karen stood up and wiped the tears away. Though still emotionally drained and mourning, she had a responsibility to Arthur. She could not be seen forlorn.
For the sake of the lady, she could not afford to break down.
Not yet.
Turning her attention to the swirling portal, Karen depowered the device and locked down the room. She was not stepping outside this world until the situation around the Soren clan died down.
'Those bastards are going to regret their actions…'
With that silent declaration, she left the lower levels.
***
Arthur woke up feeling well rested. He looked around his room, and as expected, Karen was beside him, smiling.
"Good morning, Art." She placed a tender kiss on his forehead. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mhmm." Arthur nodded and then looked around expectantly. "Have Mom and Dad arrived yet?"
"That's what I want to talk to you about, Art." Karen mattered, attracting Arthur's attention.
"Really?" His expression brightened, his voice tinged with urgency. "Then tell me!"
"What did your mother tell you to do the first thing in the morning?" Karen flicked his forehead.
"Ouch!"
Arthur felt wronged and frowned. But then, he recalled his mother's teachings, momentarily flinching.
"Exactly," Karen shook her head with a knowing smile. "You need to wash up first thing in the morning. Come on, I'll help you."
Arthur followed begrudgingly, rubbing his forehead.
In the adjoining bathroom, Karen prepared the water, patiently waiting for Arthur to complete the first part himself. For a brief moment, the spark in her eyes dimmed as she recalled what she had learned the night before.
She had not been able to sleep all night, worrying excessively about what she would tell Arthur about his parents. It had taken more than a few hours to come up with something remotely feasible.
"All done!"
Arthur's chirpy voice broke her thoughts. She quickly masked her forlorn expression, replacing it with a beaming smile as she turned to him.
"Excellent. Now get in."
Arthur did as he was instructed, his crown jewels exposed to all. Watching him get inside the tub, Karen's gaze shifted to his chest, where a string of strange and mysterious tattoos covered the centre line of his chest to his navel.
Seven consecutive spheres linked together by a string that look a lot like branches. And within each sphere was a symbol depicting something. No one really understood how it worked, but from what she recalled, each sphere represented a different dimension.
Of the seven mysterious spheres, only one — the very first one — faintly glowed with an otherworldly aura, denoting the current dimension — their universe.
The rest appeared faint and faded, seemingly inaccessible. Karen swallowed, recalling the dark history surrounding people bearing these tattoo-like marks. A strange feeling always overcame her whenever she saw them, like she was being sucked in.
"Aunt Karen?"
"Ah, so sorry. I spaced out for a moment."
She was quick to clear the air, but Arthur had seen enough to know she was looking at the tattoos on his chest. Even he did not know why he had them, since he had had them since birth.
And whenever he asked his parents about the tattoos, he would be told he would learn about them when he grew up. Since then, he had not bothered thinking about them.
Though they looked cool to have.
"Okay."
Shrugging off her strange behaviour, Arthur readied himself for his bath. As far as he could recall, his Aunt Karen had mostly had a serious expression on her face, especially when she was dealing with other people.
"Aunt Karen?"
Arthur called to her at some point during the bath. Karen's hands trembled as she sensed the change in the boy's tone, already knowing what he wanted to ask. She drew in a soft breath and replied.
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"Can you tell me now?" Arthur looked right into her eyes.
Unable to hold the boy's gaze, she lowered hers and focused on her task. And for a moment, the silence weighed heavily between them.
"Your mother and father gave me a message to pass to you, Arthur."
She avoided meeting the boy's gaze, diligently rinsing his body. Expecting the boy to become excited, Karen met his gaze and almost caved. Arthur looked at her in a way she had never experienced before.
The boy's gaze strangely felt heavy. Demanding. Almost like he was daring her to lie to his face. But Karen held onto her unyielding resolve. She averted her gaze as naturally as possible and continued.
"They wanted you to know that t-they're doing everything in their power to join us here as soon as possible."
Her hands trembled as the words left her lips, a lump forming in her throat. The words felt insidious, eating her on the inside. Her eyes turned misty, brimming with tears she struggled to hold back.
"B-But some people are trying to destroy our home, and they can't allow it to happen. It is their wish that you grow and become strong. So strong that you can someday help them protect our home. W-Will you be able to do that, A-Art?"
Tears streamed down her face as the last of her deceitful words came to an end. A sharp ache tore through her heart as she looked at Arthur. The boy had his head lowered, his shoulders quivering.
"O-Okay, A-u—"
He burst into tears before he could acknowledge the message. She had just shattered the boy's innocence, and there was not much she could do. Her lips quivered as she pulled Arthur in a hug.
"A-Arthur. I'm so sorry!"
The two cried and found comfort in each other's embrace. Their lives were never going to be the same ever again, and young Arthur was bound to have the worst of it.