Revanio and Morgana exchanged glances — one filled with tension, the other with realization. There was only one possibility: This black-haired girl, Lizzy, had crossed through a Spiral Gate.
"Can you tell us about your home?" Morgana asked softly. "What kind of place is it?"
The question struck something deep inside Lizzy. Her eyes widened — then dimmed. She still couldn't fully accept the truth: she was no longer in her own world.
"My home is called Earth… It's a beautiful planet," she whispered. "Blue and white… in the Milky Way Galaxy."
Her voice grew smaller as she gazed at the open window, staring at the violet, glowing sky — impossibly unreal. "The sky there isn't like this… the moon isn't this big… and nothing floats in the sky like that…"
Her breath trembled.
"This isn't Earth. If so… what planet is this? How did I even get here? A-Am I… an alien now?"
Silence settled over the room — heavy, unmoving — until Milliane's soft voice gently broke it. "The night sky here really is purple," she said, staring out the window with innocent wonder. "Pretty, isn't it? What does the sky on Earth look like?"
Lizzy blinked. Milliane, who had been hiding timidly behind Revanio, was now inching closer with sparkling curiosity. Her adorable behavior eased Lizzy's heart a little.
"So… it's already night here, huh?" Lizzy murmured. Everything outside looked like something from a fairy tale. "I have to admit, it's beautiful. And the stars — there are so many."
Her gaze softened with quiet nostalgia.
"On Earth, the night sky is black. Seeing this many stars… you'd only find it millions of years ago. Now? You can count them with your fingers, especially in cities. The night sky there is just… dark."
She exhaled, then smiled faintly at Milliane. "But during the day, the sky turns blue. And when there are clouds, it becomes really pretty."
"Blue? The daytime sky is blue? Like Milliane's eyes?" the little girl asked, wide-eyed and earnest.
Lizzy nodded with warm enthusiasm. "Yes! Exactly like your eyes, Milliane. Truly beautiful."
Milliane giggled shyly, her cheeks glowing. "Here, the sky turns orange during the day. And red when evening comes," she added proudly.
"Actually," Morgana corrected gently, "our sky was originally like Earth's. But because of the energy released from the Altar of the Sky, it shifts in color."
Lizzy's lips parted slightly as she looked again at the floating crown-shaped formation. "What… exactly is the Altar of the Sky?"
Morgana smiled at her quick comprehension. "It is the main source of magical energy on this planet, Laurel Zero Five. The Altar of the Sky absorbs sunlight and converts it into magical particles before releasing them back into the air. That process changes the sky's color across the entire planet."
"Magic…" Lizzy whispered. Even though she had seen it in storybooks, experiencing it felt unreal.
Revanio finally spoke, voice low and serious. "Every ten years, the magic stored in the Altar overflows. The surge creates a small celestial body — one that looks like a pale moon."
"Overflow of magical energy?" Lizzy echoed, turning toward him.
Morgana stepped in, continuing smoothly, "Whenever that happens, the entire planet is shrouded in darkness until the energy is released."
Revanio's gaze locked onto Lizzy's obsidian eyes. "This event is called the Silver Sibling Moon."
Lizzy's breath caught. Everything here felt unfamiliar — frighteningly new.
"And when that much magic is released at once," Revanio continued, "it destabilizes the magical particles in the air. That instability damages the boundaries of space and time… creating fractures."
He paused. His aura felt different now — heavier — and it made Lizzy stiffen.
"These fractures," he said, eyes never leaving her, "open paths to other worlds. We call them… Spiral Gates."
Morgana added gently, "During the Silver Sibling Moon, Spiral Gates appear across the universe. They pull in anything nearby. It's very likely you were drawn in by one."
Lizzy lowered her gaze, finally understanding the strange sensation she had felt. "So… that strange feeling… it makes sense now. I was just opening a convenience store door and suddenly… I was here. It felt like I was sucked into nothingness and floated for so long."
"But not everything can pass through a Spiral Gate," Morgana said quietly. "Small creatures — bugs, animals — can't cross. Even ordinary humans shouldn't be able to."
She looked away for a moment.
Revanio folded his arms, stepping closer. "They would just drift inside the void until the Gate vanished and reappear in their own world. The fact that you crossed over proves something."
A cold shiver ran down Lizzy's spine. She tensed.
"You are not an ordinary human," Revanio said, hazelnut eyes narrowing. "What are you?"
His piercing stare made Lizzy freeze. Her heart pounded painfully. "I… what?"
Morgana quickly tapped his lips. "Hush. Don't scare her. Whatever she is, she's still just a girl. Maybe a little stronger than average — but still human."
Revanio muttered underneath his breath, "What kind of human punches a Mothman so hard it flies several kilometers…"
Morgana ignored him and straightened. "The point is, Lizzy arrived here through a Spiral Gate," she concluded.
"But," Revanio added, "we don't know which type. When I found you, there were no traces left."
Lizzy blinked. "There are… types of Spiral Gates?"
"Yes," Morgana replied kindly. "Spiral Gates adapt to the aura of whatever creature is inside. That's why each Gate has a different color. There are three we know so far."
Revanio, the eternally grumpy one, lifted three fingers: "White Gate — gentle, harmless beings. Red Gate — ferocious, dangerous creatures. Black Gate — calamity-class entities."
He walked to the window and closed it tightly. "During yesterday's Silver Sibling Moon, a powerful pressure wave appeared. That's the sign of a Black Gate. And when the phenomenon ended… I found you. Alone. Deep in the forest, far from any settlement."
Milliane tilted her head. "Lizzy has black hair and black eyes. That's super rare here."
At that, both Morgana and Revanio's expressions darkened.
"Yes," Revanio said quietly. "Because on this planet, black is believed to bring curses… and calamity."
The air seemed to grow colder.
Lizzy felt her whole body grow rigid. One look at Morgana and Revanio's reactions told her that the belief wasn't a joke — it was real. No wonder black hair and black eyes were considered rare… or ominous. If something was seen as dangerous in a world like this, then usually…
"Then… what will happen to me?" Her voice trembled as she asked the question, her face drained of all color. Inside her mind, she had already imagined the worst — being captured, imprisoned… or even executed.
But Milliane, with her innocent smile, suddenly reached out and held Lizzy's hand. "Don't worry, Lizzy. Our home is very safe. Mother said you aren't a bad person. So everything will be okay."
Her soft reassurance stunned everyone in the room. Even Morgana paused for a moment before smiling warmly.
"Milliane is right. You're safe here, Lizzy. We'll all protect you."
Lizzy looked deep into Morgana's aquamarine eyes, searching for lies — but found none. Milliane's gaze was just as pure. When she turned toward Revanio, the young man said nothing, only giving a small, reluctant nod.
It seemed they truly meant what they said. At least for now, Lizzy could breathe again.
"Thank you… for all your help," she said sincerely. "But there's still something I'm curious about."
"What is it? Go on, we'll answer if we can," Morgana replied gently.
Lizzy wet her lips nervously. "To be honest, I still don't understand. How do you deal with the dimensional cracks caused by the Silver Sibling Moon? Isn't it dangerous? And the Spiral Gate… how long do they normally stay open?"
Revanio, arms crossed, answered her calmly. "Spiral Gates usually appear for only about an hour, each at different locations. They continue appearing and disappearing for as long as the phenomenon lasts. Sometimes they leave traces, but seeing those traces requires special magical tools."
He paused before adding, "As for the dimensional fractures — yes, they're dangerous. But once the magical energy around the planet stabilizes, the scattered particles detect anomalies. If anything unusual appears, the magic repairs it naturally. Over time, the cracks vanish on their own."
Morgana nodded. "In short, the planet's magic heals itself."
It was still confusing, but Lizzy managed to grasp the general idea. "I see… I thought maybe a Spiral Gate would still be open because of those cracks. I thought I might still have a chance to go home. But if that's not how it works, then…"
Suddenly, Morgana took both of Lizzy's hands and gently rubbed them. "There are still many mysteries behind the Silver Sibling Moon. Most of the information is kept secret by the Kingdom. The truth is… the phenomenon might not happen only once every ten years."
She squeezed Lizzy's hands with reassuring warmth. "What I want to tell you is… there's still hope, Lizzy. You will return home safely someday."
Her voice was sincere — and unbearably gentle.
Lizzy could only nod. She had no idea how to return to Earth, so all she could do was accept her current reality.
"You were unconscious all day," Morgana added softly. "Aren't you hungry, Lizzy?"
Kruuk… kruwuuuk…
Lizzy's stomach answered for her — loudly.
Her cheeks burned in embarrassment as everyone burst into laughter. Even Revanio, who had been frowning the whole time, turned his face away as his lips twitched, trying to hold back a smile.
"I've already prepared dinner," Morgana said, rising to her feet. "Let's eat together first."
She and Milliane left the room, leaving Lizzy and Revanio behind.
Lizzy stood to follow — but Revanio suddenly spoke. "We'll be the ones to figure out the solution," he said firmly. "Don't do anything reckless."
Lizzy nodded. She didn't want to cause trouble again. She owed this little family her life — the least she could do was behave.
Downstairs, only the four of them gathered for dinner. Lizzy devoured the food Morgana prepared, even asking for seconds — twice — which left Milliane wide-eyed in awe.
Afterward, Lizzy was allowed to wash up and wear one of Morgana's old dresses. It was a bit small but comfortable enough. Even though Lizzy didn't like long skirts, she didn't complain.
"Your necklace is so pretty," Milliane said, appearing just as Lizzy finished getting dressed.
Instinctively, Lizzy touched the golden sun-shaped pendant. "It's a keepsake from my father."
"A keepsake?" the little girl echoed softly.
Lizzy's smile faded into melancholy. She remembered her father's face — the warmth she would never see again. "He gave it to me before he left. For my birthday. It's… precious to me."
Milliane blinked slowly, then lowered her head. "My father left too. He never came back. Mother said he went to Heaven after winning a battle against monsters."
Lizzy inhaled sharply — guilt stabbing her. She didn't expect Milliane to share the same wound.
Her hand moved on its own, gently patting Milliane's head. "At least you still have your mother and brother," Lizzy whispered. Even if your brother is unbelievably grouchy, she added silently.
Milliane's eyes sparkled again. "With Moriga and Lizzy added, our family is big now!"
"Moriga? Who's that?" Lizzy asked curiously.
"My cat."
Oh, thank goodness. Lizzy had feared it was a ghost or something supernatural following Milliane.
"Where is Moriga? I haven't seen him."
"He usually sleeps in the shop, guarding it so no thieves sneak in. If Lizzy wants, I can take you to see him!"
Lizzy nodded, and Milliane eagerly pulled her hand.
But when they reached the stairs, they froze. Voices — unfamiliar voices — were speaking at the front door.
Morgana stood near the entrance, finger pressed to her lips, signaling them to stay quiet.
Lizzy immediately pulled Milliane back.
A low voice spoke from behind the door: "Is there something you need at this hour?"