II. Girls 'Christmas
In the human world, ten years ago…
Year 2003-
Mina. Albarea did not like his parents.
To put it more accurately, he hated it when his parents went to explore a strange world with their friends who had lost their son just to satisfy their curiosity.
"Mina, Daddy and Mommy are going to a very strange world. We might not be able to see each other for a few months. Aunt Mary will definitely take good care of you, so you must be obedient.”
Before leaving her parents, Mina was handed over to her distant relative, Aunt Mary, to take care of.
The father stroked Mina's head and said goodbye to the child.
"Dad, Mom, can you come back for Christmas?”
Mina, who was only seven years old, asked her parents expectantly. At least she hoped that her parents could reunite with her at Christmas.
"Mm... We will try our best."
The mother bent down to look at her little daughter, a faint smile on her lips.
"Mi Na…You're our treasure. We'll definitely come back. At that time, Mina would know many interesting things.”
"Yes…"
Mi Na nodded lightly. She could see the determination in her parents 'eyes.
"Mary, I'll leave Mina to you.”
In the end, Mina was entrusted to Aunt Mary's care.
Looking at her parents 'departing figures, Mi Na felt her heart empty and a little uncomfortable.
Aunt Mary was actually a little muddle-headed, but she was also a kind-hearted person.
She really liked children.
Therefore, Mina was indeed well taken care of at the auntie's house.
Mina, who was temporarily staying at her aunt and uncle's house, prayed every day that her parents would come back early until Christmas was approaching.
※※※※※
"It's going to be a great Christmas, isn't it, Mina?”
On the way home, Aunt Mary held Mina's little hand and muttered to herself.
Every house on the street was decorated with holly and mistletoe; People browsed through the display windows of the shops while walking on the streets. Their faces were filled with smiles that were more cheerful than usual, and they looked very happy.
"What does Mina want for Christmas? As long as you sincerely pray, Santa Claus will definitely fulfill your wish.”
Aunt Mary smiled at Mina.
" I hope Mom and Dad can come back on Christmas Day…"
Seeing that the other children could be with their parents on Christmas, Mina also expressed her wish. After Aunt Mary heard the girl's wish, a hint of sadness appeared in her smile.
She bent down and gently placed her hand on Mina's shoulder.
"Mi Na…Such a wish might be a little difficult... However, Mina must have other wishes too. You've always been a good child…Santa Claus will compensate you in other ways…"
"I know... Santa Claus doesn't actually exist, and the gifts that the children get are just prepared by their families in advance…"
Mi Na lowered her head slightly.
"Miracles don't exist."
"Mi Na…I understand how you feel."
Seeing the girl's disappointment, Aunt Mary sighed slightly and said earnestly.
"Your parents love you, but they have to leave with you because they have to complete a very important job. That's because the missing child is also your friend. They decided to temporarily separate from their families to protect the people they love, so... Don't hate them…"
"I know, I'm sorry."
Mi Na nodded and apologized softly.
"Mi Na is indeed a good child. I really envy your parents…"
Aunt Mary gently patted Mina's head.
"Even if your parents are not here, your uncle and I will take care of you as our own child.”
"So, at least we should have a happy Christmas.”
—1—
As the night fell, Mina, Aunt Mary, and Uncle happily enjoyed the Christmas dinner. After dinner, she sat in Aunt Mary's favorite rocking chair and listened to Uncle reading a book.
"Mina, you can open the present now. You will definitely like it.”
Aunt Mary's voice came from the hall, and there was a hint of anticipation in her voice.
"Hurry up, Mi Na."
Uncle closed the book and urged Mina to open her Christmas present.
"Aunt Mary has always been looking forward to it.”
"Yes."
Mina walked towards the main hall.
The hall was decorated with a tall Christmas tree. The tree was not only decorated with shiny ornaments, but there were also countless candles around it. The bottom of the tree was filled with gifts wrapped in gorgeous ribbons and flowers.
"Wow…"
Seeing so many Christmas presents, Mina's eyes widened.
"Mina, these are all your Christmas presents!”
Aunt Mary sat beside the Christmas tree and waved at Mina.
"Quickly open it and take a look!"
"Thank you, Aunt Mary."
Mina smiled happily and walked to the presents under the Christmas tree.
"Let's start from this…"
Mina decided to open the smaller gift box first.
She carefully unwrapped the paper and opened the box. There was a stack of neatly arranged but somewhat old green cards inside.
Mina picked up the stack of cards. The first card had a picture of a vampire wearing a medieval costume and a red mask.
"Vamdemon (Blood-sucking Magical Beast)"
Mi Na read the words on it.
"This is a Digital Beast Card…?”
"Yes, these cards were used by your father during his university days. Although they are outdated, they carry your father's memories and beliefs. In the past, your father was the champion of card games.”
Aunt Mary maintained a smile on her face, as if she had misunderstood something…
"I should share these happy memories with you.”
"Father's card…"
Mi Na looked at the card in her hand with a complicated expression, not knowing how to express herself.
(Does this really make sense?)
"Mi Na…Hurry up and open the next present. You'll definitely like it.”
Aunt Mary's gift made her husband blush. He seemed to see that Mina was confused by such a gift and was not happy enough. In order not to disappoint the girl, the uncle quickly let Mi Na open the next gift.
At the very least, most of the gifts were carefully selected by his uncle.
Compared to the first gift, the latter gifts were much more normal and suited the little girl's preferences.
Beautiful scarf, cute teddy bear, and Mina's favorite storybook
Every gift made Mina very happy.
"As expected, Mi Na hates your parents. That's why she doesn't like this gift…"
Aunt Mary was a little shocked by Mina's completely different attitude towards the other gifts and the Digital Beast card.
" No, Aunt Mary. I actually like it very much."
Seeing Aunt Mary's disappointed expression, Mina somehow panicked.
"Yeah, you think too much."
Uncle comforted Aunt Mary.
"Hehe, I see…That's great.”
Hearing this answer, Aunt Mary finally smiled.
※※※※※
After opening all the presents, Mina sat back in the rocking chair and listened to her uncle read to her, not wanting to disappoint her aunt. Mi Na even brought her father's card with her to show her love for her parents.
The rocking chair was rocking just right, and Mina herself was starting to feel sleepy.
"It's almost time to sleep."
Noticing that Mina was dozing off, the uncle carried her back to the room and gently placed her on the soft bed, covering her with a blanket.
"Good night, Mina.”
Aunt Mary kissed Mina's forehead and smiled at her uncle. They left the room and closed the door.
—3—
"Wu…Wu…"
Mina, who was sleeping soundly, was woken up by a series of continuous but soft sounds. It seemed to be the sound of some kind of animal. Mi Na sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes.
The alarm clock showed that it was one in the morning, and the soft sound came from outside the window. His voice was very soft, but it made Mi Na unable to fall asleep.
With dissatisfaction in her heart, Mina walked to the bed, wondering what animal was making her unable to sleep.
"What's that?"
Seeing the strange creatures outside the window, Mina's sleepiness was swept away, and her eyes widened in surprise.
They were a few strange and cute creatures that emitted a faint golden light. They looked like elves from fairy tales.
"Chirp ~~~ Chirp ~~"
Seeing Mina walk to the bed, the elves seemed to be very happy. They kept flying around the window, as if they were signaling her to open the window.
"Do you want me to open the window?"
Mina asked the elf outside the window, and she nodded.
"How unbelievable…"
Perhaps it was because children naturally had a good impression of cute existences. Mina did not feel uneasy at all. Instead, she opened the window, wanting the cute little elf outside to fly in and accompany her.
"Chirp chirp!"
The little elf flew into the room excitedly and circled around Mina. Then, it suddenly reached out its little claws and grabbed Mina's hands.
" What, what's wrong?!"
Mina was shocked by the elf's behavior.
At this moment, the little elf's body emitted a dazzling golden light. This light was so dazzling that Mina had to squint her eyes.
At the same time, something strange happened in the room, and Mi Na's expression became panicked.
Time seemed to have stopped. Even though Mina was still conscious, she could not move her body or even make a sound. The little elf continued to grab Mina's hands.
(Who can save me!!)
Mina prayed desperately in her heart, hoping that this was just a simple nightmare.
Countless white data cubes emitted from the little elf's body and surrounded the entire room. Even the ground turned into data cubes, as if they had entered another world.
Then, a white vortex appeared under Mina's feet, and a strong suction force sucked Mina into the vortex.
" Ahhhh!!!"
Mina screamed. She felt like she was falling from the sky. The strong wind messed up her hair. She could only squint her eyes, unable to see where she was falling.
Then, Mina lost consciousness.
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