6

Venus woke up as her body slid out of what felt like a sliding tube. Or at least she thought so. Venus stepped on the ground unsteady, and would have fallen down if there were no hands to help her. Venus looked at the ground she was walking on with a happy face.

“Wow, I'm not going to die!” said Venus happy while smiling broadly, simplifying the true feeling of happiness.

Venus looked at the white circle where she came out. The glowing circle was now gloomy. Venus looked up and found only darkness. Her eyesight turned to the two people who helped her. A man with a fierce expression and a friendly-faced woman. The woman smiled. Venus had never seen them before.

“What is this?” Venus asked doubtfully. “New technology that anyone can order or what?”

The fierce man replied rather irritably, “I don't know what you mean! Just for information, this is not your Earth! This is the world of volts, Miss. And, now you stand under the Black Porch.”

Venus gawk. Which area is it from Earth?

“Huh?” said Venus late. “Volt what?”

“Ouch, forgive him, honey,” said the Friendly Woman. “However, he is right. You are from the First Earth, and this is the Second Earth! I don't know how to call it properly other than the word ‘Dimension’. And volts, darling, means controller. You can be called a volt if you are able to control one of the Talents! Amazing, right? I guess you're a crossbreed?”

The woman smiled attentively. Venus looked at them both. Venus suspects that the couple is indeed crazy. What is the relationship between volts and talent? As far as Venus is concerned, volts are something to do with electricity. Then what kind of talent is it? Talent in painting? Singing seriosa? Sewing? Useless debris?

“Don't look at us like that,” said the Friendly Woman, laughing crispy, making Venus flinch. “Try to see the Black Porch more clearly!”

Although a little wary, afraid that the strange couple suddenly decided to stab her in the back, Venus still did what the woman said. All that Venus can say is, lest she go crazy too.

The "porch" is indeed as creative as the name suggests. Almost everything looks black. From where Venus stood, similar white circles lined up. Each is two to four meters away from the other. The row was circular, continuing to connect with each other until it ended back to the white circle in front of Venus. Venus worried that her neck would break because of looking up and tiptoeing.

The area which contained a few dozen white circles was really wide. Many of them seemed to be vomiting children the same age as Venus. In the middle of the giant roundabout (or hole, Venus wasn't sure) again there was only darkness. In the middle of it towered something like a large pillar that was erect upward, then its tip widened to form a giant shade like an umbrella, as if it was replacing the roof. Venus realized with an uneasy feeling that she had previously thought it was the sky. It felt like there was a cold wind blowing from inside there. The darkness in the middle of the roundabout seemed to be connected to the back of the existing white circles. Like a pipe, it's just dark and without a frame.

Venus asks very urgent and important questions.

“Where can I eat something?”

The fierce man looked at Venus as if she were crazy. Venus thought that if she didn't eat right away, she wasn't sure that she could stand up to this oddity anymore. For some reason her life suddenly became familiar with everything that smelled of darkness. Besides, her stomach is rumbling. How long has it been since she ate last time? A day, two days, a century?

The Friendly Woman laughed at Venus and said, “Come on, then.”

“Where?” Venus asked, curious.

The Friendly Woman pointed with her chin toward the giant high wall, which stood not far north. The strange dark roof seemed to end at the end of the wall. Venus looked at the silver wall in amazement.

If this is the dream of crazy people, it doesn't look very bad, though.

Venus followed the two adults silently. There are a lot of adults who look after the vomit circle of people.

Vomit circle of people.

Gosh.

“Hey, uh, Sis,” called Venus to the Friendly Woman. “What is the white circle?”

“What? Oh, that's the Dark Portal.” The Friendly Woman answered and looked briefly.

Though the portal is white, Venus thought. What an evil.

“How about the dark pipe?” Venus asked again. 

“Darkness,” said the fierce man.

Venus snorted. Very helpful.

“Hey, Lan!” Someone's tenor made the Friendly Woman stop and turn. “Already completed?”

The Friendly Woman nodded and replied, “This is the last one. Yours yet?”

The man there walked closer, answering, “You see the portal itself is still bright. Gosh, even though I thought the First Earth wouldn't have many mulatto! I can't believe the portal that I maintain has pulled three crossbreeders from there! Fortunately, the Dark Portal works as desired. If not, I can't imagine what would happen if children from other languages ​​came into the car.”

“Well, at least you have something to be thankful for. As for the crossbreed, I think it was caused by the Voltura. You don't think so, do you, Gen?”

The man named Gen frowned. Venus followed her expression. What is that, Voltura?

“You mean, they are still alive and hiding there?” Gen said doubtfully. “Wouldn't the Gal know that it was?”

“We know that Gal is no longer the strongest because of the traitors,” the fierce man suddenly answered, “and Lan, please stop making guesses like that. It is very doubtful that the Voltura were there, considering the Gals were certain they had been crushed.”

Gen tried to argue, “Yeah, but a volt—”

“After all, do you have the heart to let this kid stand any longer here?!” snapped the fierce man.

Gen jumped as if electrocuted, and immediately rushed back to his portal. Venus looked at him pitifully.

“Gosh, Meres,” Lan sighed excessively. “You don't need that much, right?”

Lan rubbed Meres' arm and led him to walk.

“Come on, Crossbreed,” Lan invited without turning her head.

Venus followed them again. The girl massages her temples. The conversation with Gen had made her dizzy. What really happened? What did they say just now? Geez. She rubbed her eyes more in confusion than feeling tired. The names of the people here were also somewhat unfamiliar to the girl's ears, making her even more annoyed.