Master of dreams

After bringing a sleeping Milim back home, I quietly placed her in her bed, tucked her in, and left the room.

As I walked toward the living room, I found Morgana sitting on the sofa.

"That barrier the elves erected is quite interesting, don't you think?" I asked while heading to the kitchen to prepare a coffee.

I heard her grunt but she didn't say anything. "The fact that they discovered that magic and abilities are essentially information is intriguing, but predictable," I mentioned with feigned interest.

It was predictable that the elves would learn such a thing. They are the race with the most connection and attachment to the nature of the world; it was only a matter of time before they noticed.

I knew Morgana was furious. What they did to her was not so different from what humans call "rape."

But I also knew that for Morgana, such a thing would be a foolish notion, so her anger was somewhat perplexing.

I brought two cups of coffee and offered her one. After she took it, I sat down beside her. We didn't say anything for several minutes until she decided to break the silence.

"I felt my body decomposing and my core contaminating; they... sought to enslave me as if I were a whore," she said in a monotone voice.

"But I killed them; they didn't succeed. Even then, I was dying. If you hadn't arrived, I surely would have vanished," she continued, looking at her cup of coffee.

"The important thing is that you are still here, alive." I felt her glance at me, but I continued.

"What happened to you is not your fault; if anything, it's mine for leaving you alone. Unless you want me to erase your memory, I can't give you the comfort you seek," I said, the last part with a hint of irony in my voice.

She looked at me with her piercing purple eyes, narrowing them. "Do you think I feel disgusted with myself?" she said with a growl.

"No, in fact, that doesn't even concern you. I know you so well that it would be a miracle if you understood what I feel," she finished in her monotone voice. I wanted to reply, but she spoke again.

"You don't know what it's like to love someone who can't reciprocate. Someone who will never see you with love because they don't even understand what it is; they only mimic feelings... like a puppet," her tone rose, clearly angry.

"In the end, you are nothing more than a being who lives without purpose, without desires, without love, without anything," she concluded in a whisper.

I couldn't say anything, even though I wanted to tell her that I did understand. The truth was that I didn't; everything was as she said. I could only mimic emotions, as it was nearly impossible for me to comprehend them.

Suddenly, she got up from the sofa and looked at the stairs, where Milim was watching us with teary eyes. I quickly got up and walked to her side as Morgana left the house.

"Sweetheart, you woke up earlier than I thought," I said while kissing her forehead and hugging her.

"You were arguing with my sister, Dad. Why?" she said softly. I could only sigh internally as I took her in my arms and carried her to the sofa.

"I wasn't fighting with her; we were just talking about what happened today," I said as I placed her on the sofa beside me.

"She'll be fine; you don't have to worry. She is strong, and you know that." Milim nodded at my last words; she knew her sister was very strong.

I smiled when I saw that. "Well, since you know that, why don't I prepare something delicious to eat?"

Her eyes lit up when I mentioned food, and I quickly went to prepare something. "Pancakes, Dad!" she shouted from the living room.

---

After eating, she got sleepy, so I took her to her room and tucked her in again, giving her a kiss on the forehead before saying goodbye.

Just as I was walking toward the door, she called me. "Daddy, do you really love me...?" she said sadly.

I felt something strange in my chest upon hearing her question; I didn't know what it was. I just... somehow knew it hurt, but why?

I turned around, and for the first time, I smiled in the most sincere way I ever had, far from the fake and empty smile I usually wore.

"Of course, I love you, and if only you knew to what extent, nothing could ever make you sad for even a second in your life." I walked away, leaving those words behind, and as I closed the door, I heard her whisper.

"Thank you... Dad."

---

Morgana didn't know what to feel. She loved Velzarion, and it hurt her that he couldn't love her back. She knew it wasn't his fault, which is why, more than feeling guilt toward him, she felt guilt toward herself for her negligence.

That cold and indifferent man, the one who created her and with whom she spent millions of years by his side, she didn't know why she fell in love; he had nothing special.

As she pondered these nonsensical thoughts, she heard footsteps in the distance. Looking back, it was that man. His usual black suit and indifferent face; she knew that even if the world were destroyed, that face would not change.

"It's a cold night, don't you think?" he said first.

I looked at him for a few seconds and replied, "It is. What are you doing here?"

He walked until he reached my side and sat on the log beside me. He didn't respond or look at me; instead, he gazed at the sky and nothing more.

"Milim asked about you; she told me to take you inside the house," he finally replied. "I also came on my own accord. After all, I think I need to adjust that perception you have of me."

He stopped looking at the night and turned to me; I felt my heart beat a little faster when our eyes met. I averted my gaze and looked at the trees to try to calm myself.

"I can't feel those emotions that humans have; that's correct. The emotions you all experience are almost impossible for me to understand, and all I can do is pretend that I can feel," he spoke again.

His voice, though unfamiliar to him, had a sad tone that betrayed pain.

"I am the dream that disguises itself as reality. Sighs that are echoes of a world I do not know, emotions I cannot comprehend," he whispered. "I exist for life , even if I cannot come to understand it."

"However, for something beyond my understanding, I have come to care. For my brother Veldanava and my younger siblings, for Milim, Gaia... for you," he said as a smile grew on his indifferent face.

It was the most sincere smile I had seen since I created him, and that sight excited her but also made her anxious.

"I love you, Morgana. Perhaps not in the way you would wish, and it's true that I cannot give you what you want from me. But I love you," he concluded with a sigh.

My heart raced so fast that my head felt a bit hot. I lunged before I could even think and kissed him. It was clear he didn't expect it, as his eyes opened wide in surprise.

After several seconds, I pulled away, my face flushed. "I-I'm sorry... I... I didn't think about what I was doing! I-I knew but didn't want to!" I said so many incoherent things that I decided to just shut up.

I waited for him to get angry, but he only laughed like a madman, and it wasn't until several minutes later that he calmed down. He chuckled quietly while saying, "Such a thing is unheard of, hahaha. But adorable and sweet."

I watched as he quickly stood up and walked toward the house while touching his lip.

I didn't know whether to follow him or stay until he turned around and looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Are you going to stay there all night? Come on, I'll treat you to a coffee."

He paused again. "By the way, aren't you too old to be stammering..." he didn't finish speaking as he dodged a kick from me.

I entered the house while leaving him outside, and I heard him say softly.

"I would paint a thousand suns in the sky if that would ensure your happiness."