"Oh my goodness..." Elder exclaimed, staring at the fruit before him. "What is this fruit? This yellow, spherical delight shines like one of the blazing suns scattered throughout creation. What is its name?"
One of the stewards stepped forward and bowed.
"It is called a mango, my lord."
"Mango?" Elder repeated thoughtfully. "What a short name for such an extraordinary gift to the mouths of those who eat it."
He leaned back in his throne and placed a hand beneath his chin.
"No, no. Such a magnificent fruit deserves a grander name. I shall call it..."
Silence filled the Great Hall.
The stewards waited eagerly.
After several seconds, Elder suddenly nodded.
"I shall call it... Mango."
The hall fell silent.
A little girl standing beside the steward immediately burst into laughter.
Elder blinked.
The steward nearly collapsed from panic.
"My lord! Forgive her! She is only a child!" he cried, falling to his knees.
But Elder merely smiled.
The little girl's laughter was far too innocent to offend him.
Instead, he beckoned her forward.
"Come here, little one."
The steward looked as though his soul was about to leave his body.
The girl happily walked toward the throne.
Elder lifted her into his arms and gently tickled her side.
"What is your name?" he asked.
The little girl giggled.
"Tara. Tara the Star."
"Oh?" Elder smiled warmly. "What a wonderful and fitting name."
Tara grinned proudly.
Then, from far beyond the Great Hall, Elder heard footsteps.
His smile vanished.
The footsteps echoed through the castle corridors.
Getting closer.
Closer.
Elder immediately recognized them.
A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Oh no."
He hurriedly set Tara down and motioned for the stewards to leave.
"Quickly, quickly! Everyone out!"
Within moments the hall was empty.
Elder dashed back to his throne and sat upright.
He grabbed several documents and pretended to be deeply occupied with important work.
The footsteps grew louder.
His forehead was now covered in sweat.
The massive doors of the Great Hall opened.
Standing there was the Space Men.
The pressure in the room instantly increased.
"How dare you, boy?" she shouted.
Elder immediately sat straighter.
"Summoning me to the castle on such an important day! Do you even know what day it is?"
"Well... that is... to be precise..." Elder stammered.
He pointed upward.
"I'm not the one who summoned you, Space Men."
She narrowed her eyes.
"What?"
"It was my father."
The Space Men blinked.
"That man called me here?"
"Apparently."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
The Space Men folded her arms.
"Then why did the soldier say I was summoned by the Elder?"
Elder scratched the side of his forehead awkwardly.
"Well..."
He looked away.
"We all know you wouldn't respond to my father's summons."
The Space Men continued staring.
"So..."
"So?"
"So he made it look like I was the one who summoned you."
Silence.
Elder immediately regretted telling the truth.
The Space Men slowly closed her eyes.
Took a deep breath.
Then opened them again.
"You and your father are impossible."
For the first time since she entered the hall, Elder smiled.
"That is actually one of the nicer things you've said about us."
"So where is he?" asked the Space Men.
Without a word, Elder raised his hand and pointed toward the left side of the Great Hall.
The massive golden doors that led deeper into the castle stood slightly open.
"Well..." Elder began.
The Space Men immediately noticed the unusual tone in his voice.
"There is something you should know before you go and meet him."
The warning in Elder's words made her pause.
"What is it?" she asked.
For a moment, Elder looked strangely reluctant to answer.
He rubbed the side of his forehead and released a long sigh.
"Honestly, it will be far more meaningful if you see it for yourself."
The Space Men narrowed her eyes.
Whenever Elder said something like that, it usually meant trouble.
A lot of trouble.
"Boy."
"Yes?"
"How much trouble am I about to walk into?"
Elder immediately looked away.
That alone gave her the answer she needed.
The Space Men groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You know what? Don't answer that."
"I wasn't going to."
"You were."
"I was."
The Space Men sighed deeply and started walking toward the doors.
As she passed Elder's throne, she noticed something unusual.
The ruler of creation looked... nervous.
Not concerned.
Not worried.
Nervous.
That alone made her curiosity rise.
There were very few things in existence capable of making Elder nervous.
She stopped for a moment and looked back.
"What did he do this time?"
Elder opened his mouth.
Paused.
Closed it again.
Then he smiled awkwardly.
"You'll see."
The Space Men stared at him for several seconds.
Then she turned and continued toward the open doors.
Behind her, Elder silently clasped his hands together.
"May creation have mercy on Father's soul."
The Space Men stopped walking.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"..."
"..."
"...Good luck."
For some reason, those two words sounded less like encouragement and more like a prayer.
The moment the door to the chamber creaked open, Elder let out a startled cry.
The room was almost completely dark.
Heavy blankets had been draped over the windows, blocking out the radiance of Creation itself. Beyond those curtains lay the endless sea of stars surrounding the Great Castle, but not a single ray of their light was allowed inside.
A figure sat in the darkness.
The Man.
His body trembled beneath the blankets wrapped around his shoulders.
"Who... who is at the door?" he asked, his voice shaking.
"It is me," the Space Men replied. "You summoned me."
The Man visibly relaxed for only a moment before the fear returned to his eyes.
The Space Men frowned.
She had known him for ages beyond counting.
She had seen him face cosmic disasters, wars that spanned galaxies, and beings capable of tearing reality apart.
Never—not once—had she seen fear in his eyes.
Not before his sons.
Not before the Woman.
Not before Elder.
Not before anyone.
Yet now, he looked terrified.
"Why did you summon me here?" she asked. "And what exactly have you done this time?"
The Man's breathing quickened.
Then suddenly he shouted.
"I heard it!"
His voice echoed throughout the chamber and seemed to shake the walls themselves.
Sweat covered his entire body.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
"I heard it, Space Men!"
Silence followed.
The Space Men stared at him.
The Man lowered his voice to a fearful whisper.
"I heard the door."
A chill settled in the room.
"I heard it opening."
His eyes widened.
"Someone is trying to open it."
The Space Men folded her arms.
"What door?"
The Man barely seemed to hear her.
His gaze remained fixed on something far beyond the room.
Far beyond Creation itself.
"I had a vision."
His voice grew quieter.
"I heard them."
The Space Men remained silent.
"I heard their laughter."
The words left his mouth like a confession.
The room became still.
Even the air seemed reluctant to move.
The Space Men could not understand what he was talking about.
For the first time in a very long time, she was genuinely confused.
The Man suddenly turned toward her.
"Go to the Seven Clouds."
"What?"
"Go there and retrieve the signal."
He quickly scribbled coordinates across a glowing screen and handed it to her.
"These coordinates. This region of the Multiverse."
The Space Men looked down at the screen.
Then back at him.
Then down at the screen again.
"What are you talking about?"
The Man said nothing.
She took a step closer.
"No, seriously. What are you talking about?"
The Space Men pointed at the coordinates.
"You are trembling like the universe is ending."
The Man remained silent.
"You keep talking about doors opening."
Silence.
"You say you heard laughter."
Silence.
"And now you want me to travel to something called the Seven Clouds and retrieve a signal that appeared in one of your visions?"
She stared at him as if he had lost his mind.
"Is that even possible?"
The Man did not answer.
"Fetching a signal from a dream?"
Her voice rose in disbelief.
"How do you even know it wasn't your imagination?"
At last, the Man fell silent.
Completely silent.
The trembling stopped.
The room became unnaturally still.
Then he slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were no longer looking at the Space Men.
They were looking beyond her.
Beyond the walls.
Beyond the stars.
Beyond Creation itself.
And when he finally spoke, his voice was calm.
Far too calm.
"It was not a dream."
The Space Men felt a chill crawl down her spine.
The Man's expression hardened.
"I know the difference between imagination and memory."
A long silence followed.
Then he whispered:
"And I remember that laugh."