"Here's the schedule: Monday to Friday, I'm busy debugging the universe and making sure the sun in this dimension doesn't explode. Saturday and Sunday... those are free days. Don't ask where I go."Desmond stood at the head of the long dining table in The Hub. He wore a casual black silk robe, holding a holographic tablet displaying the weekly schedule. Before him, his five wives—Nefertari, Eleanor, Livia, Nova, and Mia—were having breakfast with a very chaotic menu (wine, data chips, toast, and sunny-side-up eggs)."You're going to Earth again?" asked Livia, spreading jam on her toast with a dagger. "What's so interesting there? The air is dirty, the politics are amateurish.""There are things that need guarding, Livia," Desmond answered, closing his tablet. "You have your kingdoms here. But on Earth... something was left behind.""That fierce ex-girlfriend of yours?" Nova chimed in, her eyes blinking as she processed news data from Earth. "Stati

"Your novel sales statistics are up 300% in the Asian sector, Desmond. The royalties are enough to buy a small planet."Nova swiped a holographic screen across the crystal dining table. She was spooning cereal while processing inter-dimensional stock market data. Beside her, Livia was in a heated debate with Nefertari about the garden design—whether it should be Roman style with marble statues or Egyptian style with golden obelisks."Marble is classic, Nefertari. Sand is dirty," Livia scoffed."Gold is eternal, Livia. Stone grows moss," Nefertari retorted.At the end of the table, Eleanor was sharpening her sword with a magical whetstone, occasionally chipping in with sharp comments about military strategy.Desmond sat at the head of the table, massaging his temples. This household was never quiet.But at the furthest corner of the table, there was one silent chair.Mia.The Lamia woman was just stirring her por

"Shh... keep it down. The Little King is sleeping."Desmond cradled Dante in his left arm while slowly pacing the living room of The Hub. The half-Demon baby was fast asleep, sucking his thumb which had a tiny black nail. Desmond's tired eyes glanced at the holographic wall clock. 03:00 dimensional time.Mia had gone back to sleep in the bedroom after an exhausting breastfeeding session (baby Dante sucked milk and Mana simultaneously). Nefertari and the others were also resting.Only Desmond was awake, enjoying a moment of vigilant fatherhood.KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.The sound of knocking on the front door made of Cosmic Mahogany broke the silence.Desmond stopped. The hairs on his neck stood up.This was The Hub. This house floated in the rift between dimensions. There was no access road. No neighbors. The only way to get to the front door was to have the Admin access code or be invited."Sabrun. Who is that?" Des

"The sun here is too bright. White. Sterile. I prefer the purple suns of Aquaria."Desmond stood in the corner of a VIP room at Saint Jude Hospital in Neo-Chicago. He wore a long gray coat, a fedora pulled low, and sunglasses. He was in Invisible mode, leaning against the wall, staring at the scene before him with a heart that felt squeezed by an iron fist.Outside the window, the year 2065 was in full swing. Flying cars zoomed faster, buildings were taller, and robots walked the sidewalks. Twenty Earth years had passed since Desmond left Sella in the ruined front yard.But in The Hub dimension, for Desmond, it had only been a few months."Time is a bastard," Desmond hissed.On the hospital bed surrounded by advanced machines, an old woman lay weak. Her once black hair was now completely white, thin, and brittle. Her face was etched with deep wrinkles, and her hand pierced by IV lines looked like bones wrapped in paper skin.Sell

The dimensional portal door closed, leaving behind energy ripples that slowly faded in the garden air. Dante was gone.Desmond stood silent for a moment, feeling the emptiness of a father who had just sent his child off to wander. But that emptiness did not last long."Don't make such a sad face, Mr. Admin," Nova's voice came from the garden intercom. "Your son is having fun in the 21st century. Now it is your turn."The garden lights suddenly went out. The pathway leading to the main Mansion lit up with floating candles in purple and gold.Desmond smiled thinly. "What are they planning now?"He walked along the path of light.When he opened the massive double front doors, he was not greeted by the usual living room.The room had been transformed. The walls had vanished, replaced by an Open Space illusion that displayed a direct view of the Orion Nebula. The floor was covered in thick silk rugs from ancient Persia and gi