Saga of Atlantis

Chapter 96  Side Story : Stephanie And Sarah

[Third Person POV: general]

On a lonely island, surrounded by the vast blue ocean, there was a beautiful house that showed the perfect blend of nature and human skill.

The island was peaceful, with only the soft sounds of the waves telling stories of faraway lands.

This place became a perfect haven for the grand house, standing tall in the middle of lush greenery.

The house itself was a marvel of architecture, mixing modern luxury with the timeless beauty of nature.

It was built using materials that matched the surroundings, with a combination of stone, wood, and large glass panels that let the breathtaking views of the ocean be a part of its design.

As Sarah and Stephanie approached the house from the edge of the island, they were welcomed by a carefully designed garden.

Colorful flowers danced in the ocean breeze, creating a beautiful display of colors that reflected the magic of the surroundings.

The air carried the sweet scent of blossoms. 

"Are you sure we are in the right place, Sarah?" Stephanie asked as she strolled around, feeling the gentleness of this place.

"Why do you ask?" Sarah asked her own question as she led the way towards the house.

"Well, that bitch never had the sense of finding a good place," Stephanie replied as she luxuriously followed her.

"Yeah," she nodded with a soft smile before answering her question. "He was the one who made this place for her."

"As expected," Stephanie grumbled as they arrived in front of the house.

*Knock, knock*

They both waited after Sarah knocked on the door.

"Anyway, what surprise were you talking about?" Stephanie asked, as no one was opening the door.

"You will see," Sarah replied with a slight smile as the door swung open.

The one opening the door was a little girl in her night pajamas. Her brown hair fell down, touching her shoulders, while her blue eyes were filled with childhood innocence and curiosity.

As her eyes fell on Sarah, a smile full of happiness blossomed on her face, and Sarah couldn't help but smile back at her. They both moved closer as she jumped on Sarah.

"Aunty Saaaraaah."

"Babbbyyy Zaaiiiraaaa."

As they both exclaimed simultaneously, Sarah caught her in mid-air as she hugged her tightly, but as she heard her calling Aunty, a cute frown formed on her face.

"How many times do I need to remind you, baby? It's Mommy Sarah, mommyy Sarah," Sarah said between kisses she placed on the small face, making the little girl giggle in delight.

"Mommy, Aunt Sarah is here!"

She exclaimed as she landed on her feet.

"Coming." A gentle and soothing voice came from the inside before the footsteps echoed in the house.

"Hmm, Aunt Sarah, who is she?" Zaira asked as she looked curiously towards Stephanie, who was frozen in her place with her mouth wide open.

"It's Mommy Sarah," she corrected before she looked back towards Stephanie. With a slight smirk, she replied, "And she is your grandma."

"Close your mouth, grandma~." Saying so, she placed her hand under her chin before abruptly closing her mouth, bringing her out of her shock.

"I a-am n-not that old!" Stephanie exclaimed, a little flustered by the absurdity of the situation.

"Look who decided to wake up." As Stephanie was about to inquire about the little girl, a voice brought her attention towards her.

The woman had curly ash gray hair falling down and touching her waist. She had an enchanting body that emitted a motherly aura, with her beautiful gray eyes filled with mystery.

She wore a simple black gown, and over it, she wore a light blue apron with a teddy bear printed on it.

"Valeria," Stephanie mumbled as she looked at the woman, but Valeria quickly shifted her eyes towards her daughter.

"Hey, Zaira, when are you going to take a bath?" She scolded, but the girl ignored her as she held Sarah's hand, dragging her.

"Let's go play, Aunty Sarah!" she said, and Sarah followed her without resistance.

"Sarah, please make sure she takes a bath first," Valeria requested, and Sarah nodded in response.

As the two women were left alone, they quietly looked at each other, both of them just observing each other for a while, remembering the past they shared.

"Come in," Valeria said, breaking the silence between them as she moved towards the main hall.

"Hey, are you using the time capsule?" Stephanie asked as she stood there.

"Yeah," Valeria replied, glancing back, " and let me tell you right now, I am a lot stronger than you.".

Stephanie stood there as she looked at her until Valeria said, "Come inside; I won't kill you for now, I promise.'

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. Following her, she asked, "Is she his daughter?"

"When did you wake up?" Instead of replying, Valeria asked.

"Last week."

"So, what was the first thing you did after seeing him?" She asked, glancing back, but she continued before she could answer, "Let me guess, you slapped him so hard that he lost his wisdom teeth."

"Hey! I am not that brutal."

"Did you not?"

"I did, but only because he lied to me. He said I would only fall into a coma for a week." She grumbled as sadness became evident on her face.

"True, for that, he deserved more than just a slap." Valeria nodded as they both arrived at the main hall, sitting on the sofa against each other.

"Anyway, I don't want to talk about that. Answer my question first," Stephanie said, but Valeria looked at her as if she were an idiot.

"Isn't that obvious? He is the only person I have loved all my life." She replied as she moved towards the kitchen, bringing out some food for her.

"But that doesn't make any sense; how could he do that when he clearly stated that he can't be present in the same timeline as his past self?" Stephanie grumbled as she massaged her head, feeling frustrated.

"Did you forget about his affinity?" Valeria asked as she brought a bowl of fruits and some freshly baked cookies.

"Wait, you mean he slowed down her growth in the womb?" As if she realized it, she asked Valeria, who nodded her head.

"But it still doesn't make sense," Stephanie grumbled again as she thought about it more.

"Don't think too much; you will get a headache," Valeria suggested, sitting down on her sofa.

"You have changed a lot, haven't you, Valeria?" Stephanie asked as she picked up a cookie, "You didn't try to kill me just as you saw me."

"Who do you think I am?" she said as she looked at Stephanie.

"Remind me again: how many times have you tried to kill me?" As if triggered by her words, Stephanie asked, munching on the cookies.

"Does poison count?"

".....yes."

"Every time you eat in front of me."

"See! You are crazy!" Stephanie exclaimed, finishing the cookies and grabbing another one.

"Plus one," Valeria said, and Stephanie looked at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked, finishing another one.

"Plus two."

"Y-you crazy bitch!" Stephanie exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table, "Who tries to poison their guest?"

"Tsk, still immune to poison," Valeria said, clicking her tongue.

"Damn you and your poison affinity," she grumbled before munching more cookies, as this level of poison had stopped affecting her body.

"Anyway, you are awfully calm about my daughter's situation," Valeria said, squinting her eyes. "I was pretty sure you would have made a big deal out of it."

"I have come to terms with that bastard's way of doing things, and it's not like you have something that I don't," Stephanie replied, smiling happily, looking at her.

"Annoying bitch."

"Cunning bitch."

They both clicked their tongues at the same time, cursing each other.

"YyyyyEEEAAAAhhhh!"

As they both sat quietly, Zaira arrived, her wet hair covered in a towel as she happily hopped on the ground, followed by Sarah.

"It feels good to see you both not try killing each other," Sarah said as she dried Zaira's hair with a towel.

""Shut up!""

"Whatever, anyway, I have an announcement to make," Sarah said, ignoring their outburst as she gently closed Zaira's ears.

"I am suckin him the next time he is coming home!" she declared, making both women give her a death glare, which she just ignored by shrugging her shoulders.

"I will kill you if you do that!" Stephanie exclaimed as she looked at Sarah.

"It's worth the death," she said seriously as she removed her hands from Zaira's ears, "and if you guys are forgetting it, he was the one who practically made me submit to him; all I am doing is taking a little revenge."

"Wait,wait, what if you were the one who started it, and then he was the one who was taking the revenge when we met him?" Stephanie said it with a thoughtful expression, thinking about it.

"It's a Cannon Event." Sarah seriously nodded in agreement.

"No, it's not," Valeria said, changing the topic. "Anyway, let's talk about the situation about our main enemy, for which we are tolerating each other's existence."

"Stephanie, are you sure you can do it?" Valeria asked as she locked eyes with her.

"Yeah."

"He is going to hate you after he knows what you did."

"I know," she whispered softly, but her expression remained firm. "But he needs to understand that it's not a game; too much is at stake here and I do not plan to lose any of it."