[Lady H*k*ge, you always mention about Illya’s eyes, what’s so special about them?] a blue orb of light hanging in the air fluctuated.

“When did I mention her eyes?” White spoke as she was weaving threads of light that connect to the hovering blue light.

[In the previous chapter, before going all yandere] Machina expressed frankly.

“What chapter are you talking about? And what do you mean I went yandere?” White pouted.

[Please ignore my words, I just want to know about Illya’s eyes.] stated Machina, disregarding White’s earlier words.

“Can’t you see that I am working on your Magic sensors, I need to focus whilst doing this, just have a flashback about the last day I spent with those two and try to remember the words I spoke of carefully .”

Hearing this, Machina began looking into the data of that day (she started having a flashback).
___________________________________________________________________________

Three years had passed since White dropped Serena and Illya at the Vermillion Manor.

Every month Serena accompanied Illya to visit (play) with her godmother.

That day too like always they came to the edge of the forbidden forest, from where White escorted them to her mansion.

Illya was three years old and was playing with White, Serena sat across them in the room smiling at them.

“Look god-ma, I can make fire as you taught!” declared Illya producing fire in her tiny palms and displaying it to her godmother.

“That’s excellent Illya, you are so smart you can already do magic, but remember you can never tell about this magic to anyone or the magic won’t work.” Said White rubbing the little girl’s head.

Abruptly a startled voice came, “White, how can Illya perform magic? Isn’t this too early? And without a spell even?” inquired Serena.
“Blame it on my blessing, as it’s not your orthodox magic there are no spells involved, it’s because of the phoenix blood in her, so just like a phoenix its natural for Illya to conjure and control flames,” replied White in a calm voice.

“God-ma, what is a phoenix??” A little voice interrupted the two grown-ups, Illya was tugging at White’s clothes with a curious look, she looked so adorable when her big crimson eyes opened wide in doubt and she cutely placed her chin between her thumb and index finger.

“Phoenix huh why don’t I just show it to you.” saying that White conjured a flame and manipulated it morphing it into a bird, it had a blazing body and crimson eyes.

The Phoenix flew around Illya for a few times and dissipated.

“So pretty and its eyes were just like mine,” mumbled Illya quietly.

“That’s how a Phoenix looks Illya and use the magic I taught you only when you are in trouble all right!” said White rubbing the girl’s head again.

Illya tilted her head at White’s words “Ok god ma but what does ‘trouble’ mean?” questioned Illya.

White gently picked up Illya and started walking towards a bed.

“You will know when you are older, for now, it’s time for your afternoon nap,” replied White.

“Ok god-ma, oh and when will you teach me magic again?” Illya’s eyes sparkling with expectation.

“Sorry Illya, but I have to go out for a long time and don’t know when I will be back,” said White with a sad tone.

“I can’t meet god-ma, why? I don’t want you to go!” declared Illya, about to cry and why wouldn’t she, she wouldn’t be able to visit her god-ma.

“Illya don’t cry you will make me cry too, sorry but I have to go, I also don’t want to leave but terrible monsters are causing trouble in a faraway place and I need to go beat them up,” replied White.

“Then, I will go with you!” said Illya, trying to stop her tears from spilling.

“But you are too young now, once you are 14 years old and strong I can take you wherever I go,” said White comforting the girl in her arms.

“Then when I turn 14 will you come and bring me to go with you?” demanded Illya in a slightly rough tone. She was about to sob.

“On your 14th birthday, I will come to pick you up so you must get strong and be ready for me to come to get you,” White spoke earnestly.

“Is it a promise?” asked Illya, extending her palm.

“Yes I promise,” said White placing her palm on that of Illya “So just wait for me.”

“Good, then I will become strong and wait for you to come, and don’t…. forget to... bring a gif……” Illya’s voice trailed off as she was falling asleep. She was tired because of playing a lot.

“ok, I will bring you many gifts!” saying so White kissed Illya’s forehead and laid her on the bed.

White suddenly felt that the conversation with her goddaughter turned very cliché, but still felt happy knowing that Illya will wait for her. She decided that she must quickly settle that problem and return.

After putting Illya to her nap, White quickly spoke to Serena who was near her in a sad tone “Sorry for leaving you out of the conversation like that Serena but I guess you already have a clue of what I am about to talk about and why I taught Illya magic??”

“What I understood is that you have to attend to some important business and will leave for a long time and you taught Illya magic so she can protect herself while you are not present,” Serena spoke calmly, even though still a little formally. She knew that White cherished Illya alot and treated her like family, but she still couldn’t forget that White was a goddess and maintained a tiny amount of formality.

“Correct, there has been an issue in the realm of gods and I need to go there to settle that issue, I will not be present for about ten years.” gloomily White stated, even though she could sense formality in Serena’s words she didn’t point out, by now she had gotten used to it.

“That long, is the issue very dangerous??” asked Serena in worry.

“Nah, not dangerous at all, rather troubling as it was because of a dispute between two gods and I can settle problems like this in an instant if I used brute force, but as you know not everything is solved that way so I have to follow a formal procedure which will take about ten days,” replied White easing Serena’s worry and was happy that Serena worries for her.

“Then why ten years?” inquired Serena.

“Ten years because of the contrast in time flow between mortal and gods’ realm. One day in the gods’ realm is equal to a year in the mortal realm,” replied White in a regretful tone, “I will miss 10 of Illya’s birthdays, so sad.”

“Is that so, we will miss you,” said Serena with a hint of sadness in her tone.

“you better miss me or I will be sad,” White said, placing her palm on Serena’s shoulder.
Then White turned her serious mode on “now for the important part, while I am gone take good care of yourself and my goddaughter, if you feel like there is any trouble when I am not there you can come here with Illya, there is a barrier here other than me only you two can enter, you will be safe here.”

“Oh, but we don’t know the path to come here,” asked Serena thinking about White’s words.

“When the need arises, and she knows she needs to come here, Illya’s eyes will find the path for her, when she finds the path no one can obstruct her from coming here you just need to be with Illya she will bring you along,” spoke White calmly while stroking Illya’s head.

“I don’t think there will be any problem which will force us to come here but still thankyou, White,” spoke Serena with her voice full of gratitude.

“I hope so and no need to thank me, she is my goddaughter giving her a few benefits and gifts is a given.” White chuckling at Serena’s words.
That was the last day White saw Serena and Illya.

Illya cried a lot whilst leaving that day.

____________________________

Back to present

[‘Illya’s eyes will find the path for her and when she finds the path, no one can obstruct her from coming here.’ these words don’t tell me….] Machina recalling the scene that day.

“Yes, the blessing contains a bit of space magic in it,” said White calmly.

[but goddess will Illya be able to handle space magic??] Machina asked in a concerned tone, one had to know that using space magic consumes a lot of mana and young Illya even if she had the blessing of White, will not meet the mana requirement.

“You don’t have to worry about that, that space magic is like a program rather than affinity or basic magic so it’s only used to bring her here and I have already sealed a bit of my power in her for the space magic,” said White.

White returned to Vierra ten years and 5 months later and it seems no one came to her mansion during that time, which meant both of them were safe.

“Ahh but it still pisses me off no matter how many times I calm myself, those bastards only if they were good and stayed put in their domains, next time they do something stupid I will erase them from existence” spoke White with a cold glint in her eyes.

[Calm down lady h*k*ge, please be patient for a few hours later you can immediately go meet your lovely goddaughter for her birthday. ]

“Yes, it’s her birthday tomorrow, I brought and made so many gifts, 110 gifts, ten for each of her birthdays I missed and tomorrow’s celebration,” said White smiling brightly with expectation dropping her previous mood.

[Oh and I had one more doubt from my flashback, the phoenix’s eyes and ill ....] said Machina remembering something but interrupted by White.

“Shh, I can sense a familiar presence coming here.” White just sensed a presence she was all too familiar with was nearing her mansion. She knew this power all too well, it was being emitted from the blessing she gave.

She rushed to the entrance and opened the gates, there she saw a small silhouette coming towards her.

She already recognised the person approaching. She had beautiful amber eyes just like her own, glowing like jewels in the night’s darkness.
White called out bewildered, “Illya! What happened?” she knew something happened to the girl, or else how could she activate her amber eyes?

The silhouette jumped into her embrace; the moonlight lighting up her small face, tears tracing her cheeks.

Illya cried loudly as she fell into the embrace of the person in front of her “GOD-MAAAAAA !!!!!!”