Chapter 6: Suplies

Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Suplies Damien frowned as he read her words. "Betty, what do you mean? Are you defying me now?" Betty’s lips twitched in disbelief. ’Man... why does he sound like he’s the emperor of some ancient empire?’ She calmly held up her notebook again: {I said what I wanted to say. Now, I have more important things to do.} Damien inhaled sharply through his nose, anger flashing in his eyes.He gave a cold nod. "Fine. Just remember this—I don’t consider you my sister either. You’re nothing but a black mark on our family name." With that, he spun around and took a step toward the door—only to suddenly flinch in pain. "Ow—" Betty’s face paled when she saw Sophia standing behind him, her tiny fist still raised in the air. She had punched him squarely in the back of the knee. ’Sophia!’ Betty rushed forward, scooped the little girl into her arms, and quickly stood between her and Damien. Damien turned around, furious. "What do you mean by that, Betty? Not only do you talk back now, but you’ve started attacking me too?" Betty gave him a nonchalant shrug, using her body to block Sophia entirely from his view. "Hmph." With a cold snort, Damien turned and walked out. BAM! He barely missed getting slammed by the door as Betty shut it right behind him with force. Outside, Damien stared at the door for a moment, suspicion in his eyes. Then, shaking his head, he muttered something under his breath and walked away. As the door clicked shut behind Damien, Betty finally relaxed. The tension in her shoulders melted away. She quickly knelt in front of Sophia, her expression serious. She picked up the notebook and scribbled quickly before showing it to the little girl: {Sophia, do you know how dangerous that was? What if that bad guy had done something to you?} Sophia pouted and shook her head. Then, without warning, she leaned forward and wrapped her tiny arms tightly around Betty’s neck. "No, Mommy. He was mean. He talked like you owed him something." Betty’s stern expression softened into a smile. She hugged the girl back, standing up with her in her arms, and gently booped her nose. "Hehehe!" Sophia giggled happily, her arms still wrapped around Betty’s neck. Betty chuckled, then placed her gently on the sofa. She sat beside her, wrote again, and showed her the notebook: {But you know that was dangerous, right?} Sophia nodded firmly, her small fists clenched with determination. "Yeah! But I’ll protect you, Mommy. You’re the only family I have in this world, so I’ll protect you no matter what!" Betty’s heart clenched. A wave of warmth washed over her—something she’d never felt before. She had never known what it was like to have a family... not even in her past life. Reaching out, she gently patted Sophia’s head with a soft smile. {I can protect myself, sweetheart. And as your mother, it’s my responsibility to protect you. When you grow up and become strong, then you can protect me, okay?} Sophia beamed and nodded. "Okay!" After finishing breakfast, Betty turned to look at Sophia, who was already sprawled on the sofa, her eyes glued to the cartoon flashing across the TV screen. She scribbled on her notebook and showed it to her: {Baby, Mommy has to go somewhere for a little while. Promise me you’ll stay inside and won’t go anywhere, okay?} Without even glancing away from the screen, Sophia gave a firm nod, her eyes sparkling as she giggled at whatever was playing. Betty smiled warmly. ’She’s acting like that cartoon is the treasure of the world... Good, at least she’s distracted.’ She stepped outside, pulling the door shut behind her, and looked up at the bright, cloudless sky. ’Now... time to collect supplies. The space may have magical animals, but we can’t live off meat alone.’ Soon, she stood in front of a large supermarket, its auto doors sliding open with a soft whoosh. Grabbing a cart, she started filling it with practical items—dried foods, canned goods, medical supplies, hygiene products. Then, her eyes landed on the rack of vegetable seed packets. She paused. ’The space is mostly like Earth’s terrain... can I farm in there?’ Shrugging, she began tossing seed packets into the cart. Tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, herbs—anything that could grow fast and be useful. She picked up some tools next—shovels, gloves, a mini gardening kit. By the time she reached the checkout, her cart was overflowing. She inserted the debit card and held her breath. Beep. Transaction approved. ’Tch... it’s empty now. This must’ve been the original owner’s entire life savings.’ She smiled awkwardly at the cashier, then grabbed the bags. ’Well... it’s not like money will matter once the apocalypse begins. This was a ticket to survival.’ Her hands were overflowing with bags as she exited the supermarket. Looking around carefully, she quickly slipped into the basement parking area, making sure no one was watching. With some effort, she awkwardly pressed her fingers to the phoenix mark on her hand, despite them being full. In a flash—she vanished. Inside the phoenix space, the first thing she noticed was the familiar rush of wind and the sound of cascading water. Betty looked down and groaned. She was wrapped in leafy jungle wear again. ’Great... looks like I really need to make a proper outfit here if I’m going to keep jumping in and out like this.’ She placed the shopping bags near the glowing tree, then walked over to sit by the cliffside overlooking the waterfall. The mist cooled her face as she let out a long sigh. "So, you came back, huh." A familiar voice called out. Betty turned, smiling as the little phoenix flew down and perched beside her. "Yeah. I figured I’d cook you up since I’m starving."She smirked playfully. The phoenix huffed and turned its tiny head with a dramatic snort. "Hmph. It’s not like I can’t see the outside world. Nice try, trying to scare me." She puffed out his feathers in mock indignation. Betty laughed softly. ’This fiery bird is too full of himself... but kinda cute.’ Betty’s eyes lit up as she turned toward the phoenix, a spark of hope flickering in her chest. "Oh! I almost forgot—" she blurted out, sitting up straighter."Is there a way... to heal my voice outside this space?" The phoenix tilted its head, tiny feathers ruffling as it studied her for a long moment. Then, slowly, it nodded. "Yes... there is a way." Betty’s eyes widened. "Really?!" But the phoenix lifted one clawed wing, cutting her excitement short. "However, it will not heal you instantly... not yet, anyway."