Chapter 3 — Between Two Worlds

9:19 PM.

The garage had been closed for two hours.

Naomi was home, her jacket tossed over a chair, a half-eaten bag of noodles on the coffee table the living room was small, square, but truly hers. She stretched, sighed, then stood she ran her hand over the white wall, just above the old TV. a quick, precise gesture a pink flash lit up the wall folded like a canvas, and a door appeared: thin, elegant, woven from light the pink door. Naomi placed her hand on the large door with a sigh "Just a peek..."

She opened it on the other side, it wasn't Tokyo anymore; it was the divine forge, her world. shains of fire hung in the void, living hammers striking the hearts of stars, and at the center, the grand armory of worlds, where weapons awaited their masters. Ténébra, her daughter, was there a black silhouette, a crown of embers, eyes like two abysses she floated above a cosmic crucible, calmly commanding the flames to dance.

"You're doing well..." Naomi murmured, a smile on her lips.

Ténébra lifted her head, sensed her presence, and nodded gently, without a word, like a soul-to-soul greeting. Naomi conjured a multiverse sphere between her fingers and spun it.

"No divine war tonight, no rifts, just gods squabbling." she sighed. "The clans of Universe 5 again? they're worse than teenagers."

She put away the sphere, closed the door with a simple snap of her fingers the pink door evaporated in a murmur of soft electricity back to Tokyo, back to her living room, back to the real warmth of an imperfect world.

10:01 PM. A beep, a message.

"Naomi-san, the white Civic needs to be dropped off in Yokohama. We're swamped. Thanks!"

She put on her overalls, tied back her hair, and went down to the garage the client's car was already on the trailer she got into the old transport truck, started the engine no magic, just a steering wheel, an engine, a GPS she drove for an hour, dropped off the car, waved, then, without even going home, headed towards Hoshizora bar the streets were quiet; the city floated in the mist. Yumi was already outside, leaning against a lamppost, chewing gum.

"Still working late?"

"A Civic on a trailer modern magic."

"You wanna see some real engines burn tonight? there's a race at arakawa tunnel, more technical than the last one the pros train there." Naomi nodded, not a word, just that curious, silent look the look of a girl who has already seen gods fall, but who is starting to discover the thrill of the road.

End of Chapter 3 — Between Two Worlds