Everything around her was dark except for the gray lines that formed this unique space. Made of purple threads, she looked at her hands before realizing her situation. She decided to put her palms together, triggering a reaction within her.
"Wake up," she commanded.
Selene opened her eyes abruptly, arched her body, and opened her mouth in a primitive attempt to absorb as much oxygen as possible. Then, pain assaulted her body, but it wasn't severe enough to do more than make her let out a murmur of complaint before she could process where she was and what had happened.
She was in an odd position because, although she was lying down, she was resting on three pairs of legs. The owners? Kim, Noelle, and Morgana! They held the purple-haired girl on their thighs, each with a particular expression on her face.
"You're finally awake! Even though you were only unconscious for five minutes, I was worried about you," said Kim, anguish evident on her face. She was the one in the middle.
"Hehe, that final move was really interesting. Did I hear right? You used hysterical force! I thought your body wasn't strong enough to reach that point yet," Morgana said with a big smile. She was the one holding Selene's legs.
"Your mother and father went inside to get some ointment for your bruises. Your father really beat you up this time. How are you feeling?" asked Noelle, smiling delicately as she held the purple-haired girl's head and stroked her hair.
"I feel like I crashed into the city's force field at full speed," Selene replied, hissing constantly due to the pain.
"My body isn't ready to use hysterical force. I forced it to use it, but I only managed to use less than one percent," Selene said in response to Morgana's question. Morgana nodded before touching an ugly bruise on her friend's thigh, causing her to complain.
"Don't do that!" the purple-haired girl growled, shaking her leg in annoyance. This sudden movement hurt her more, causing her to grit her teeth and a tear to roll down her cheek.
She wasn't particularly sensitive to pain; she had suffered much worse injuries. However, she had fought alongside her father, who had fought in the military.
He taught Selene how to fight and had an unusually precise fighting style, despite the burly aspect he assumed when combining certain temporary enhancements.
Hyperion always struck where it hurt the most. He didn't criticize her openly this time, but her sore spots were a constant reminder of her flaws.
Still, this made Selene feel good because, even though her fighting style was different from her father's, she could learn from his precision. After all, her fighting style was direct and required knowing where to strike.
She always kept these bruises for as long as possible, using them to remember her fights. When she thought about this, an idea came to her.
"Will I be able to recreate this fight in my dreams using the Dream Interface Core? If I can do that..." Selene's pink eyes shone brightly, but she kept this thought to herself because she wasn't ready to act on it yet.
She couldn't miss the opportunity life had presented her with! The purple-haired girl looked at the three women who selflessly held her body. Each of them was a close friend of hers in the broadest sense of the word.
"I can smell the gloating emanating from your body, Moonie," said Noelle, causing the other two to pay attention. They noticed that the slight blush on Selene's cheeks was not due to the previous effort.
"If it weren't for the fact that you need me to hold you up, I would've thrown you to the ground by now," Morgana said as she placed her hand back on the girl's thigh. This time, however, her hand landed on an area not covered in bruises.
She then used her long nails to gently scratch Selene's skin, sending a shiver down the girl's spine and making her tremble. The three women noticed this.
"If Selene likes it this way, I can let her enjoy it as much as she wants," Kim murmured. Her voice was so quiet that it sounded like the buzzing of a mosquito. Because the girls were so close, however, they could all hear her perfectly.
"I don't think it's appropriate for you to have lewd thoughts with the three of us here together.
In the unlikely event that what you're thinking about happens, given your and Morgana's current physical conditions, you wouldn't be able to carry it out," Noelle said. This caused Selene to roll her eyes and purse her lips in protest. She felt that the blonde was ruining her fantasy.
"Then it would just be you and Kim," said the purple-haired girl with a lewd smile, receiving three serious looks as if they were treating her like a pervert.
"I think it's the effect of the hormones still circulating in her bloodstream. Endorphins are released during a workout, and the fight with her father was intense..." Kim tried to defend her friend by offering that explanation, but Morgana wrapped her arms around Kim's neck with a mocking expression.
"She's just a horny girl! I don't doubt what you're saying. Unless you have good hormonal control, almost no one can prevent the happy juices from flooding their brain. But look at her! She's hopeless," the brunette said, pointing at Selene, who looked away to avoid feeling more embarrassed by her friends' words.
Even though they were true! But they didn't have to be so blatantly obvious about it, did they? That's what was going through the purple-haired girl's mind. Clearly, she was the pervert, and the three women were just letting her know.
"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" asked Noelle, arching her body and bringing her face close to Selene's. Selene turned to respond and was now just inches away from Noelle, maintaining eye contact.
"I didn't say anything! You're the ones who made all this up. I'm just lying here quietly. It was you who said I had something on my mind," Selene replied with a dignified expression. However, it was clear that she was faking it because of her joking tone of voice.
"You really are a lost cause, aren't you? But I see you have a lot of energy. I think you can support yourself," said Noelle. She gave the purple-haired girl a little kiss on the forehead, then straightened her back.
"Come on. Selene doesn't need us anymore," the blonde said to the others before moving the girl's head off her lap. This caused Selene to put her hands on Kim's shoulders to keep from falling.
"Finally! I was being nice, but you just wanted to taste my flesh. Hehehe!" Morgana said this with a laugh as she removed Selene's legs from on top of her.
This left the woman in glasses in the middle, giving the purple-haired girl the opportunity to sit on her lap in one quick movement. She burst out laughing as if she had won something with her actions.
"How mean~! But Kim, you wouldn't kick me out~" Selene sang, settling herself on her friend's thighs. She faced her, wrapped her arms around her neck, brought her legs up to the back of the chair, and crossed her feet.
"You're such an opportunist," Morgana commented with disdain. There was a mischievous smile on her lips as she watched Kim's face turn redder and redder.
How amusing she found that! Of the group of friends, the girl with glasses was the calmest and most reserved. She was always trying to be the mediator and showed great kindness. However, the brunette knew better.
Kim was only like that with Selene! It wasn't because she was in love with her. There was no emotion as strong as love between them. Rather, it was a kind of deep trust that reached many levels, including the sexual.
Selene was Kim's first friend, and she valued their connection greatly. This is why she gave the purple-haired girl priority, and no one complained; they were used to this dynamic.
"No, but you should calm down. Your body is very... Hmm!" Kim was about to say something when Selene suddenly kissed her, making her let out a slight moan of surprise at the sensation.
She didn't complain about the purple-haired girl's sudden act, though. In fact, she returned the kiss the moment she realized what was happening. She carefully placed her hands on Selene's lower back, trying not to press too hard on her bruises.
"Is that the reward for letting her do whatever she wants?" Morgana asked Noelle. The blonde shrugged.
"Can't you see she's spoiled?" Kim is too lenient with her! She's only super strict and bossy with us," Noelle replied in an annoyed tone as she watched the two girls kiss passionately.
"Let's just take it as her congratulations for using hysterical force," Morgana concluded. She felt that perhaps letting Selene kiss Kim was acceptable under this argument.
It wasn't that she found watching two of her friends' kiss very interesting! Not at all! Well, a little. But that was also because, every time one of them achieved an important milestone, they "rewarded" each other in various ways, as was happening now.
Selene and Kim weren't deaf. They had clearly heard Morgana and Noelle. But while one of them was extremely bold, so much so that she started kissing Kim's neck, the other was shy, only raising her head slightly to give Selene more room to kiss her.
"Stop it. You're not in a private room," Morgana said, finally stopping them. Selene was still sitting on Kim's lap. Kim was breathing heavily from the experience.
"You're just jealous that I didn't kiss you," the purple-haired girl declared as she straightened up, as if to show off her chest.
But she was much less endowed than Noelle and Morgana in that area! This made her gesture seem more comical than serious, something the brunette emphasized when she patted her ample bust, causing them to jiggle a little.
"Yes, I am. When I take off these bandages..." Morgana didn't finish her comment because her heightened senses told her that two people were approaching.
"Looks like you're having a lot of fun, Selene," Hyperion said, startling the purple-haired girl. She turned to see her father standing next to her mother. Her mother had a strange expression on her face as she looked at her daughter.
Tea had been curious about how Selene's friendships had escalated so quickly, but, as she herself had said, a mother wouldn't want to hear too much about that.
However, Tea noticed that Selene had perfectly inherited her loose and daring side when it came to relationships. Perhaps this was a key characteristic of musicians!
"You say that as if I'm doing something wrong," Selene complained, shrugging before moving away from Kim's lap. Kim's face was now as red as a tomato.
"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Sahari!" the girl with glasses apologized, causing Tea and Hyperion to exchange knowing glances.
"Don't worry, dear, but a little calm would be nice, don't you think? Selene is still hurt!" Tea replied with concern, approaching her precious daughter and seeing all the bruises decorating the purple-haired girl's body.
"I'm fine, Mom! I don't have any broken or dislocated bones, just bruised flesh," Selene hissed when Tea touched the bruise on her shoulder, causing her pain again.
"With the cream you have in your hand, ma'am, the problem will be solved in just a couple of days," Noelle commented, pointing to the plastic jar Tea was holding.
"At least it was a fight against Mr. Sahari. Others would have been crueler if they were stronger," Morgana added. She had gone back for her plate of food and a glass of punch because she didn't have to carry her friend's body.
She loved to eat! As a Noetarch with an excellent metabolism, she could quickly and efficiently digest and process all the food she ate.
Now that she was recovering from serious injuries, eating provided her body with the energy it needed to accelerate the demanding healing process.
However, this process made her hungrier than normal, which is why Morgana had recently become the embodiment of gluttony, always chewing.
"You're being very cruel to her, Hyperion!" Tea smiled at the girls' comments, then looked at her husband and complained about their only daughter. He lowered his head, unwilling to respond.
It would be a waste of time. No matter what he said, he would always look like the bad guy. A mother's love for her daughter was so powerful that not even he could fight against it.
How could he explain to her what had really happened in his confrontation with Selene? Several days later, when the bruises on the girl had almost disappeared and were no longer such a stark reminder of the event in question, he could only tell her the nuances of it.
For now, it looked like he would have to sleep on the sofa for a while. Hyperion sighed deeply before looking up and watching Tea apply ointment to Selene's body despite her moans of pain.
"Really? Did you really use excessive force? Doing that is dangerous. Are you feeling okay?" the man asked, concerned about his daughter's health. She simply gave him a big smile in response.
"I'm fine! My muscles just hurt, and I'm hungry. I didn't use that power for very long, and I didn't use much of it, not even 1%," Selene explained to her father again. He nodded in acknowledgment.
"Don't play with that power so lightly. Your body isn't strong enough yet. It can have very serious consequences if you're not well prepared to withstand that strain," Hyperion warned. Selene nodded in agreement.
"I know. I don't plan on using it again anytime soon. I love my body too much to destroy it in such a foolish way," the purple-haired girl replied seriously, although her eyes narrowed due to the happiness she felt.
Since she had already experienced using the hysterical force once before, she felt much more confident about her permanent improvements and all the years of effort that went into them.
Now, all that remained was to grow stronger so she could use her power more often and safely. However, as with everything worthwhile, it would take time.
For Selene, going from 0 to 1 was the hardest part, but now that she had experienced such power firsthand, she felt she could use it more freely in the future when ready.
In this case, the saying 'Once is enough, countless times' applies. Ever since learning about this concept as a child, it has been her main goal. Today's situation took her completely by surprise.
She never expected this fight with her father to allow her to experience her first encounter with hysterical force. This is a state in which the body partially unleashes its hidden potential, enabling it to perform actions that would normally be impossible for a human.
Although it sounded incredible, it was not miraculous. Selene knew that this ability of the human body had severe side effects that caused more harm than good.
Even for a Noetarch, a person whose resilience is superior to that of ordinary humans, their body would be ruined if this force were used improperly because it overtaxes bodily functions.
But this did not diminish its appeal. Every self-respecting Noetarch wanted to harness even a hint of hysterical force! Because it meant having one more trump card.
This included Selene, who, more than anyone else, wanted aces up her sleeve and the ability to fight any danger head-on and overcome it. She was therefore very excited to have only scratched the surface. If she kept advancing, she would be able to use it better.
"I'm glad you're aware of the dangers, but I'll never understand why you have to fight until you end up like this, Selene." Aren't you and your father a family?" asked Selene's mother, her voice hinting at annoyance as she squeezed Selene's spleen, causing her to hiss again.
"Mom, be careful!" the purple-haired girl exclaimed, but the woman ignored her and continued talking.
"I've never seen them do anything remotely normal for a father and daughter. No trips to the park, no camping out in the backyard, no building forts with cushions, no buying ice cream, nothing!" Tea finished applying the minty-scented ointment to her daughter, and the scent invaded the noses of everyone present, especially Morgana's.
The brunette wanted to comment. After all, the smell of menthol annoyed her, as her senses were superior to those of the others. However, she kept her words to herself because Mrs. Sahari seemed not yet finished with her complaints.
"I installed that swing on that tree, and except for one time, they haven't used it since," Tea complained, pointing into the distance where a well-maintained swing hung from a thick branch.
Both Selene and Hyperion turned to look in the direction the woman indicated. When they tried to remember using the swing together, nothing came to mind.
Selene remembered swinging on it as a child, using her legs to gain speed and height, but her dad pushing her? Never! She did, however, remember her mom helping her.
Tea was right about the other things. However, Selene could say that she grew up with her father in the basement, learning about spells, technology, and how to combine them to create Glyphworks.
Her father taught her how to train with the Noeia, how to fight, and how to use weapons. He broadened her scientific knowledge, which was necessary for proper, permanent body enhancement. He even told her about the nuances of the energy they used.
Hyperion may not have been a conventional father, but Tea was right about that. They spent a lot of time together. He taught her how to cook and wash dishes. What better show of affection than teaching your daughter how to feed herself?
"Well, that's how we get along, Mom. You were there for those moments, but I shared many with Dad, too. It's 50/50 on both sides," Selene replied to her mother, who placed one of her hands on her daughter's head.
"Of course, but sometimes I wish they would calm down a little. I understand that. Well, I guess they know. You can see the danger; that's what makes you different from the rest," Tea said as she stroked Selene's messy hair. Selene stared at her with her pink eyes, which looked a little watery at that moment.
The three girls nodded, already knowing about Selene's natural talent since they shared many things. The same went for Noelle, who could smell emotions, and Morgana, who had extremely powerful senses.
"You want to become strong. I understand. Anyone who sees a world that explicitly shows its risks would want to be stronger," Tea said, recalling the moment she set up the swing, eager to share moments with her precious daughter.
However, in the most innocent tone possible, Selene told her mother that the swing emitted a pink mist that made her uncomfortable, so she didn't want to use it.
What Tea had spent hours making for fun and joy turned out to be dangerous for Selene! Tea cried a lot that night, but she didn't give up. She waited for her daughter to grow bigger and stronger, enough so that the pink mist would no longer be her most pressing concern, but rather the yellow one.
Only then could she preserve the good memories and videos recorded at the time. After revisiting those memories, Tea looked her daughter straight in the eyes.
"Never forget that you have a completely safe place here with people who love you very much and will do everything possible to protect you," the woman said, making Selene smile a little. Perhaps it was the scent of the ointment, but Selene felt a strong urge to cry at that moment.
In her special field of vision, Tea and Hyperion were the only ones emitting green mist most of the time. However, with her mother's words, Selene felt a slight change in the rest of the mists.
Morgana's black mist and Noelle and Kim's deep red mists turned green without changing back, at least while they were sharing this intimate moment with her.
"Thank you, Mom." Selene wanted to hug Tea, but her current physical condition was a major impediment.
Sensing her friend's conflicting emotions, Noelle approached the familiar trio. She pointed to the swing in the distance and suggested an idea with a smile on her face.
"How about we all try the swing?" I've seen it every time I visit this playground. I admit that I've wanted to use it, but I hadn't found a way or a moment to ask," said the blonde. Everyone reacted, interested in the idea.
"I want to go first!" Morgana exclaimed, raising her hand like a little girl. Kim lowered her arm and gave her a fierce look.
"Out of line! Selene goes first," Kim replied in a firm tone, very different from her earlier passive personality.
"But I raised my hand first! The rules say I should go first!" Morgana insisted, being stubborn about this issue.
"That's valid, Kim. Let her go first," Selene said with an amused smile, ending the conflict between her friends.
"HAHAHA! I won! Come on, push me! I want to go high!" Morgana shouted, running toward the swing. Kim walked behind her with a languid body.
"Looks like I have to prevent Morgana from breaking her neck. If you'll excuse me," Noelle said, moving away from the family and approaching the swing.
"Selene, haven't I told you that I think your friends are nice?" Tea whispered as she watched the three girls have fun together. Even Kim, who had previously had a long face, was now smiling.
"Sometimes, why?" Selene asked, tilting her head. She didn't understand what her mother meant. Her mother just smiled with strange complicity without giving her daughter an explanation.
"No particular reason. Go join them," Tea urged, pushing Selene in the back. It was just like when she was younger, and it was her first time socializing with other children.
"I'm proud of her," Hyperion whispered to his wife when the purple-haired girl was far enough away not to hear. This caused her to look up at her husband with a little surprise.
"Why are you looking at me like that? I always have been! Don't you say I spoil Selene? I thought it was obvious," Hyperion added, making Tea laugh.
"The strange thing is that you say that. Although you're sensitive, you have a hard time expressing your feelings. If I hadn't pressured you that day, you would've spent your whole life without telling me how you feel about me. You would've just been playful without wanting any commitment." Tea continued to laugh, but her eyes were fixed on her husband, making him feel a little intimidated.
"Haha, you say that because Selene is so entangled with her friends, right? She's different from me! I was flirtatious and didn't express my feelings because I was afraid for some strange reason.
Selene? She just wants to be free! I don't judge her, though. We all have the right to pursue what we want as long as it doesn't hurt others. The girls seem happy with their relationship, and I think it suits them perfectly," Hyperion commented, smiling proudly. But his smile turned stiff when he felt his wife pinch his waist.
"You're just praising your daughter for interacting with three women like that! They're close friends, not girlfriends! Don't think I've forgotten that while you were flirting with me, you were also flirting with three other girls.
The worst part is that you were so brazen as to tell me about it!" Tea pinched her husband's waist hard. He wore a fake expression of pain, but his skin was naturally thick, so it didn't hurt much.
"I admit that's one of the reasons I'm proud of her. You too. She made three friends who will always protect her. Isn't that good?" asked Hyperion, making Tea frown for a moment before responding.
"I don't like how you say it, but you're right. I guess our daughter would be happy to know that her parents are proud of her. But it's better not to tell her; her ego might inflate," Tea replied as she watched Selene on the swing. Each time, one of her friends pushed her.
Her happy face and continuous laughter said it all!