However, in this strange world, such a thing might not be considered madness but something highly dangerous. Aslan might think there was dark magic influencing his daughter, or, worse, his own daughter might be a witch. The lack of information left Aliana feeling overwhelmed.
‘What am I thinking? Aslan is my own father! Would he really harm me just because I listened to a robotic voice in my ear? Ugh... This world is so advanced; is there still primitive belief in dark magic?’
Aslan's brow furrowed because he had been silent for too long. Aliana didn't have much time left and had to answer Aslan's question now. Would she try to lie and hope that Aslan would believe her, or should she be honest and hope it wasn't perceived as a lie?
‘No! Aslan, I will trust you this time! Don't disappoint me!’
"Dad, I heard that name while I was bathing after school. A ringing bell followed by a robotic voice sounded in my ear, giving me a quest related to Baralyn Rajendra Chandra Mahendra!" Aliana said, clenching her fists. Her eyes followed Aslan's expression, hoping to find no suspicion or, even worse, fear.
However, what appeared in Aslan's expression exceeded anything she could have imagined.
Happiness, shock, proud, anticipation, fear, confusion, and disbelief all merged into a single expression that left Aliana, who was proud of her ability to read faces, bewildered. Aslan's eyes widened, resembling a whirlpool about to swallow Aliana in front of him, filled with excitement as if he had just discovered a hidden paradise behind a rainbow.
Before Aliana could ask what had actually happened to her, Aslan had already opened his mouth first, "Can you still remember in detail what the voice said?" he asked in a hurry.
Aliana was surprised. She did indeed remember every detail of what the robotic voice had said, and she could recite it perfectly without missing a single word or comma.
"Yes," she nodded, filled with uncertainty. She was taken aback by how excited Aslan's response was when he mentioned "the voice."
"What? Really? Are you not lying? Are you telling the truth?" Aslan asked with such enthusiasm that he squeezed Aliana's shoulder hard.
Feeling pain in her shoulder, Aliana was truly shocked by the transformation in her usually calm father. He seemed like a fanatic, making Aliana feel frightened. "D-Dad..."
Realizing he had lost control once again, Aslan quickly let go of Aliana's shoulder. "Ah... Oh... I'm sorry, Aliana. But... are you telling the truth? You're not lying, are you?" Nevertheless, it was clear that Aslan still wasn't completely calm. If he weren't in front of his daughter, he might be jumping around like a rabbit that had just found a cart full of carrots.
"Y-yes... Dad, what happened to me?" Aliana asked. Once again, she despised her lack of information. She felt as though her seven years in this world had been in vain. Aliana hated mysteries and loathed ignorance. Aslan's expression was utterly confusing.
"What else did the voice say to you? Did it order you to do something other than finding out about the Mahendras?" Aslan's voice was much more enthusiastic now. His eyes were ablaze, and he stared at Aliana as if she were God's messenger.
Aliana swallowed hard. She was no longer afraid of being considered crazy or a witch. But now she feared that Aslan might be the one who was insane, or perhaps someone following an obscure cult. She worried that after this, Aslan would take her into a dangerous cult community to be worshipped as their goddess.
However, she couldn't back down now. She had placed her trust in Aslan, and she needed to see this through. She just hoped her father wouldn't harm her. For a seven-year-old, who else could she trust if not her own parents? This applied to Aliana as well as Lady Boss.
"The voice instructed me to reach the Stasis Point," Aliana replied, changing "that robotic voice" to "that voice" because she realized how fervently Aslan worshiped it. If Aslan were truly a fanatic, Aliana would be safer if she didn't insult the god he revered.
As if not hearing the change in her pronunciation, Aslan fell silent for a moment, his brow furrowing. He seemed to be pondering something highly intricate, caught between two difficult choices. His eyes were no longer on Aliana but directed towards the floor, his hand stroking his chin. He appeared truly handsome in Aliana's eyes, like a beautiful painting.
"Dad, what's happening to me?" Aliana didn't want Aslan to get lost in his thoughts for too long. She asked her father the same question again.
Aslan looked at Aliana again and paused for a moment. Before taking a deep breath and saying, "Aliana, what you've experienced is so significant that I can't control my emotions. I'm sorry if I hurt you or frightened you earlier."
Regret was once again evident in Aslan's eyes because he had lost control twice today and scared his daughter. Not only that, there was a slight bruise on Aliana's shoulder from where Aslan had squeezed too hard. But an apology wasn't what Aliana wanted; she wanted answers to her questions.
"It's okay, Dad. What do you mean? What's happening to me? I need to know!" Aliana said seriously, this time in a more authoritative tone, no longer speaking as a daughter but as Lady Boss demanding answers.
Aslan fell silent again as if weighing whether to tell the truth or whether Aliana was ready to accept it. Aliana realized that Aslan was currently in the same position she had been in before, debating whether honesty was the right answer to her questions.
"Dad!" Aliana urged, unsatisfied with Aslan's hesitation. Aliana had put her trust in Aslan by speaking the truth. If she didn't get the answers she wanted from this, it would be difficult for her to trust Aslan again for the second time.
Aslan also seemed to understand what Aliana was thinking right now. He took another deep breath before answering, his voice barely above a whisper.
"My daughter, what you've experienced is not a curse or a disaster. It's a miracle and good fortune for you. Those destined to bring change to the world will hear that voice when they turn seven. At that time, they will receive mission after mission, along with rewards and punishments for those missions. Their destiny is so strong that they are said to be immortals, impossible to kill. The growth of their power is so rapid that it cannot be surpassed even by geniuses. Some say they are the progenitors of the beast-kin."
"They? Who are they?" Aliana asked.
"People call them by various names. Some say they are the Sons of Heaven, Children of Destiny, the Pegs of Change, Scions, or the World's Protagonists. But one thing is clear: their presence is so mysterious that no one knows who among them is one of them or not. The only sign that can distinguish them from others can only be seen when they reveal it themselves. The sign is just like what you're experiencing now, the tinkling sound like a bell, followed by a robotic voice giving you a mission to complete," Aslan answered with all he knew.
Aliana nodded, satisfied with Aslan's response. Her father wasn't keeping anything from her, and she understood why Aslan had been so excited. The picture in her mind was as if you felt incredibly happy when you found out you had won the lottery, so imagine how surprised you would be if your child was destined to be a world ruler.
However, there was something else Aliana wanted to know. She didn't believe that a cake would just fall from the sky into her lap without a massive lightning strike following it. "Dad, what happens if I don't complete the mission given to me?"
Aslan shook his head. "I don't know exactly what will happen. Only they know the rewards and punishments they will receive. But usually, the rewards for those who successfully complete the mission are so great that they have no choice but to complete it."
Seeing the reward for her first main quest, Aliana's forehead furrowed. She wasn't very sure about the "???" reward, but the "Maybe this is what you've always been looking for" piqued her curiosity enough not to let it go. She remembered her previous life and the loneliness she felt despite all the power and wealth she had.
Shaking her head, Aliana asked Aslan about her second main quest, "What is the Stasis Poi—"
"I'm home!"
The sound of the door opening was followed by the voice of a familiar woman from the living room. Zara's rough and loud voice interrupted Aliana's question, and Aslan's serious expression turned into the face of a man falling in love. Aliana could only smile wryly at the expression on Aslan's face, which sometimes made her stomach churn.
"Ah, your mother's home. We'll continue this conversation after she goes to sleep, okay? Now, let's go and greet your mother; she's probably tired from work," Aslan said, looking towards the living room.
"Okay," Aliana nodded, even though she knew that Aslan's focus was no longer on her. He probably didn't hear what she was saying.
Despite his hurry, Aslan didn't forget to give Aliana an obvious warning. "Don't tell anyone about what you've experienced today! That includes your mother! I don't need to explain, you are a very smart child. However, you must know that what you're experiencing can be very dangerous to others, even if ‘They’ can't die! There are things in this world worse than death!"
"Okay," Aliana nodded again.
She realized that Aslan wanted to protect Zara, which is why he told Aliana not to inform her. Aliana didn't need to think long about why Aslan ordered to keep her status as ‘They’ a secret. If ‘They’ were indeed agents of change in this world, those who already had power would not want that change.
And as Aslan had said, there were things worse than death in this world.
"Honey, Aliana, where are you?" Zara's voice sounded again.
This time, Aslan wasn't silent anymore; he hurriedly walked towards the living room. "Honey, I'm here."
Meanwhile, Aliana's stomach was churning again. Hopefully, she won't throw up her birthday cake tonight because the sweet is too much.
