MTLNOVEL Chapter 8: A Tablet, a Story, and a Smile
Elric moved quickly to the guest room. It was already quite clean since his mom liked to keep it ready for unexpected visitors."Huuuh… huuuh…" The sound of quick, steady breaths filled the room as Elric moved around, making final arrangements in the guest room.
He straightened the bedsheets with swift, careful movements and fluffed the pillows until they looked perfectly soft. His hands moved quickly, almost like a quiet rhythm playing in the background.
The gentle rustle of the blanket, the light tap of a water bottle being placed on the nightstand, and the soft scrape of the chair he pushed aside all came together to create a calm, focused atmosphere.
Outside, the rain kept tapping against the windows, but inside, the only sound was Elric's steady breath — "huuh… huuuh…" — like a small, determined heartbeat echoing in the quiet room.
When he finally stepped back to admire his work, he let out one last slow breath and nodded to himself. The room was ready. It felt warm, safe, and welcoming.
After making sure everything looked perfect, he called Ernestina over with a gentle wave of his hand.
She stepped inside, looking around shyly. Her eyes softened when she saw the freshly arranged bed, the little touches he had added just for her.
"Thank you so much, Elric," she said, her voice low but full of warmth.
He smiled, feeling his chest tighten in a way he hadn't felt before. "You're welcome. Um… sleep well, okay?"She nodded, settling into the bed and pulling the blanket up around her shoulders. Elric stood by the door for a second, as if he didn't want to leave. Finally, he whispered, "Good night," and she replied with a sleepy, "Good night, Elric."
He closed the door softly and went to his own room. Lying on his bed, he stared at the ceiling. His mind replayed their conversation, the stories, her gentle laughter. He imagined her alone in that room now, maybe feeling bored or a little scared in a strange house.
"I should cheer her up," he thought suddenly, sitting up quickly. He looked around for his tablet and felt a rush of relief when he found it fully charged on his desk.Without wasting a second, he walked quietly to her door and knocked softly. He waited, heart beating fast.
"Come in," she called after a moment.
Elric stepped inside slowly. She was sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking cozy and curious.
"Hey… uh, can I sit?" he asked, pointing awkwardly to the edge of the bed.
She nodded, moving over a bit to give him space.He sat down carefully and handed her the tablet. "I was thinking… maybe you'd like to check out some Bible games? I thought it might make the night less boring."
Her face lit up as she took the tablet, her fingers tapping lightly on the screen. The app store page was already open, waiting. She scrolled a bit, eyes scanning, and then suddenly her eyes sparkled.
"Oh! Superbook!" she exclaimed softly, her smile wide. Without a second thought, she tapped "Download."
While the app started downloading, Elric looked at her, feeling lighter than he had all day. "So… what's your favorite Bible character?" he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.
She tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "Hmm… I think Esther. She was brave, kind, and she stood up for her people even when it could have cost her everything."Elric nodded slowly, impressed. "That's… actually amazing. I don't know much, but I remember something about her risking her life for her people, right?"
"Exactly," Ernestina said, eyes lighting up even more. They kept chatting, throwing questions and ideas back and forth as the app finished installing. Finally, she opened the game, and together they started exploring the Bible quizzes and interactive stories.
They laughed when they got easy questions wrong and high-fived when they got tricky ones right. For a while, it felt like the storm and all the worries outside didn't exist. Just them, a glowing screen, and shared laughter.
Then there was a soft knock on the door. They both froze and turned.His mom peeked in, her voice gentle and warm. "Hey, you two. I'm off to bed now. Good night, okay? Don't stay up too late."
"Good night, Mom," Elric called out quickly, feeling a little embarrassed but happy.
"Good night, Auntie," Ernestina added sweetly, giving a small wave.
His mom smiled, eyes full of quiet understanding, and closed the door softly behind her.Elric turned back to Ernestina, his eyes meeting hers.
For a moment, they just smiled at each other, the quiet warmth in the room stronger than the loudest thunder outside..... It has just started.🤐