After Elder Caine informed the Children of their next task, servants streamed into the reception area with the now-familiar floating platforms. This time, one platform stood out—three times larger than the rest, reserved for the towering ten-foot-tall Chaos Twins. The servants seated all the Children, placing the twins on the oversized platform.
Elder Caine addressed them: "The Mammys can only be summoned in a specific Hall, affectionately known as the Mammy Reception Hall. We'll need to travel there—it'll take about fifteen minutes by carriage."
With that, he and his Mate left the Med Bay, bidding Head Nocturne farewell. She waved as the Children departed, their platforms trailing the Infernals. The Children waved back, thanking her for her hospitality and assistance.
The platforms were attached to the carriage. Once the Infernals took their places on the rear balcony, the group set off into the forest.
Excitement filled the Children—it was their first time travelling without a forcefield, free to breathe in the forest's fresh scents.
During the ride, the Chaos Twins chatted with Elder Caine and Demon Lucifer, while the other Children listened closely.
"So, how does your new body feel, Chaos?" Demon Lucifer asked, intrigued.
"Powerful. My mind is clearer. Honestly, I'm just hungry," Chaos Yi admitted.
"Bulky, but light. I feel like I could punch a tree apart. But I'm starving! Can I have a snack?" Chaos Er blurted out, despite just finishing a large D-level breakfast.
"Looks like D-level might not be enough for you two!" Elder Caine laughed, tossing each of them a box of D-level Nutri snacks.
The twins grinned sheepishly and tore into the snacks as though they hadn't eaten in days.
"Don't choke! Your Mammy will make sure you get the right food and treats," Demon Lucifer teased as Chaos Er pounded his chest, mouth full.
Elder Caine shook his head at their antics, especially Chaos Er's goofiness—unless Yi intervened.
Caine messaged the other Elders to explain their delay; they were running an hour behind due to the Chaos Twins' situation.
Before long, the carriage emerged from the forest to reveal the Mammy Reception Hall—a mesmerising paradox of towering medieval arches and thick, moss-covered walls, gleaming with polished chrome seams and glowing translucent panels. Lights pulsed under ivy-draped battlements, hinting at hidden energy sources. Crystal-tipped turrets caught the dawn in prismatic hues.
The Children gasped in awe, wide-eyed at the impossible blend of castle and spacecraft. They marvelled at mechanical gargoyles beside solar wings and at doors that rippled open like liquid metal. Some eagerly anticipated entering the legendary hall, while others clung to their Twin's hands, overwhelmed by the grandeur.
"Wow…" Chaos Er whispered, as Elder Caine beamed with pride as though he'd built the place himself.
"Welcome to the most respected building in the Nursery, second only to the Councils," he announced.
The carriage stopped at the entrance. Servants disembarked, detached the platforms, helped the Children down, and ushered them inside.
"Hopefully, that was your last ride on these platforms. I hope you enjoyed it!" Elder Caine said once the Children were safely on the ground.
He led them down the halls to a door marked Infernal.
"This is where Infernal Mammys are summoned. If you don't mind, I'll let the Chaos Twins go first—they still look hungry after that box of snacks. I'd rather not be scolded by a new Mammy more than necessary," he joked. The Children nodded in agreement.
He opened the door, revealing a reception area—a spectacular fusion of interstellar futurism and gothic grandeur. Towering stone arches soared overhead, leading to a ceiling that shimmered with shifting constellations.
Behind the reception desk, stained-glass windows displayed swirling nebulae and distant Planets in colourful light, their images reflected on a polished obsidian floor. The desk itself, a bold centrepiece, was made of black marble, edged with sharp lines, embedded with lights, and floating holographic displays.
Ornate ironwork blended smoothly with advanced technology; cool, ethereal lamps and hidden smart panels adorned the room.
The space felt like a fortress lost among the stars—mysterious, majestic, and unforgettable.
A servant behind the desk stood to greet Elder Caine and the Children.
"We're here to summon Mammys for the new batch of Infernals," Elder Caine informed him. The servant nodded, entered information, and told them to wait for the Summoner.
"A special Summoner handles Mammys. They'll bring you in one at a time and complete the summoning after checking your details. They only see the first page of your Personal Tab," Elder Caine explained as they waited.
A tall Infernal male emerged from a hidden door. "Well, well, look what the cat dragged in! Elder Caine, good to see you. Who goes first?"
"The tallest Twins, so I can dodge their Mammy's scolding," Caine replied.
Brows raised, the man asked, "Why would their Mammy scold you?"
"They just left the Med Tank, had breakfast and snacks, and are still starving!"
The man went pale. "Oh…is that the brat?"
Elder Caine nodded gravely.
"Then we'd better hurry, or we'll be in for an earful!" He quickly ushered the Chaos Twins inside through the hidden door.
Down a long corridor and through a new door, they entered a laboratory. Stone walls interlaced with ManaTech circuits framed a massive circuit pattern in the obsidian floor, with two chairs at its centre.
The Chaos Twins sat. The Summoner checked their identities, then tapped 'START' on a holographic desk display.
"I've scanned your data into Tian Dao for confirmation—the summoning's begun. Just stay seated. Your Mammy will arrive in about two minutes; Tian Dao generated her yesterday."
The ManaTech circuits hummed and glowed, intensifying until a silhouette appeared at the centre of the circle. Light and sound surged, then faded, revealing the Mammy. She blinked and, upon seeing the Chaos Twins, her gaze hardened.
"What in all the hells have these Infernals been up to? Why are my charges starving?!" she shrieked, turning on the Summoner, fists clenched.
"Why am I the one who always takes the blame?" he moaned, dodging her as he messaged a servant: call Elder Caine—now.
Moments later, Elder Caine burst in to find turmoil: the Mammy cornering the Summoner, muttering furiously, and the Twins silent and stunned.
"Mammy, calm down—there's an explanation!" Elder Caine pleaded, hoping to avert disaster.
At his words, the Mammy whirled on him. He fled, hastily calling Head Nocturne. "Pick up… come on… finally! Do you realise I have an irate Mammy here because of you?" he complained.
Head Nocturne's hologram flickered to life. The Mammy froze, eyes narrowing; her glare was full of promised consequences.
Head Nocturne began, "Mammy, I'm sorry about their state, but their conditioning was so difficult we called in an elder Twin Demon and a Slayer to prevent complications."
The Mammy regarded her silently, her head tilting at a disconcerting angle.
Summoner and Elder Caine slumped to the floor, panting, as if they'd just survived a monster brawl. The Twins remained frozen in shock.
"May I have your name, Mammy, so that I can transfer your charges' medical charts? That should answer your questions," said Head Nocturne.
"Mammy Morgranna," she replied.
"Thank you, Mammy Morgranna. You now have all the relevant data and charts."
Mammy Morgranna scanned the data, straightened, and scowled. "I want to destroy that accursed Planet."
"You and every Infernal here, plus a Slayer and Twin Demon!" Head Nocturne replied.
Morgranna nodded, then turned to Elder Caine, still out of breath. "Can I take my charges outside? I need to feed, groom, and dress them properly."
All Elder Caine could do was nod and wave her off.
Morgranna gathered her charges under her arms and strode out with determination, brushing aside anyone in her way, intent on ending their hunger.
As she stormed past reception, Demon Lucifer gaped. "Was that… Mammy Morgranna? She's back?! Hells!"
Ignoring the Children and the servant, she dashed to the laboratory, skidding to a halt at the scene inside.
Regaining composure, she immediately called the other Elders. "Brace yourselves! The Chaos Twins have been assigned Morgranna as their Mammy!" she declared.
The holo-images of the Elders blinked into existence—each one shell-shocked by what they saw.
Elder Caine and the Summoner were still slumped on the floor in a half-ruined lab.
"What in Tian Dao's name happened?" Immortal Demon Shen croaked.
"Mammy Morgranna, after seeing her charges' starvation," Elder Caine panted. The Summoner nodded.
"How did she end up with those Twins?" Immortal Elder Lucius asked, frustrated.
"Tian Dao happened," the Summoner replied dully.
"I'll upload the summoning video to the Conclave so everyone's warned," Elder Caine sighed.
"At least she'll be able to control those two," Mortal Demon Sean said.
"And everyone else!" Demon Lucifer replied. "She's the first and most powerful Mammy, completely obsessed with making sure her charges survive until their natural end. She's absolutely relentless!"
"Can't be that bad, right?" Mortal Elder Kyle offered.
"Worse. Check the records. She was reclaimed ten thousand years ago, notorious and feared for her protection methods," Demon Lucifer replied. "When Outsiders targeted her last charge, she wiped out an entire civilisation to protect them."
The Mortals blanched—such brutality was shocking even among Infernals.
"And now she's with the Chaos Twins. Imagine every worst-case scenario, then multiply it by a thousand," Elder Caine concluded.
"Ah, fuck…"
That single, weary word embodied the dread every elder felt about Morgranna's return as a Twin Demons' Mammy.
While the Elders wrestled with looming disaster, the supposed disaster doted on her charges with the fierce care of an oversized, slightly manic mother hen.
She gently set them down outside the Hall, summoned their carriage, collected them, and took them inside.
She settled them in oversized, plush chairs and produced an array of C-level snacks and drinks, eager to satisfy their hunger.
As they snacked, she busied herself in the kitchen, humming while she prepared a rich lunch from D- and C-level provisions, clearly delighted to be caring for someone again.
The Twins devoured everything she served, their appetites only sharpened by the delicious aromas.
When the meal was ready, she tidied up, picked up the Twins, and placed them at the table under her watchful eye.
As they ate, she unpacked clothes and supplies, directing servants with brisk efficiency. She then went to the bathroom, ran a bath, and laid out grooming supplies, towels, and robes.
In the bedroom, she set out more supplies, laid out hair ties, pins, and bands, and carefully arranged comforting touches—plumped pillows, hung curtains, and arranged rugs.
When the Twins had finished, she instructed the servants to clean up, then carried the Twins to the bathroom. She undressed them and gently placed them in the bath.
She hadn't spoken until now. Then, in a soft but determined voice, she said, "My name is Morgranna, but you can call me Mammy. From today, you are mine. My mission is to ensure you live full, healthy lives until you naturally reach Eternal Slumber. I will see that you're well-fed, groomed, dressed, and never want for anything."
With thorough gentleness, she washed them from the horn tips to the toes.
After the bath, she wrapped each in a large, warm towel, dried their hair, dressed them in clean clothes, and tended to their horns.
She then asked how they wanted their hair: Yi chose a low, thick, loose plait; Er wanted the upper half styled in a tight warrior's bun, the rest left loose.
She brushed and styled their hair as requested, put shoes on their feet, and stepped back to admire her work with a nod of satisfaction before letting them leave the bedroom.
Finally, she asked if they wanted to sit on the carriage balcony with a hot drink. They eagerly agreed, basking in the mothering, their bodies and minds glowing from the bath and a hearty meal.
By then, carriages began to appear outside the Hall; clearly, others were receiving care from their Mammys. The Twins watched in curiosity to see if all the Mammys were as fierce as theirs. They were surprised to see that apparently, not all Mammys were like Morgranna.
Some of the Elders began to exit the building. They spotted the Twins sitting on their carriage balcony, with Morgranna hovering around them as if they were frail, weak beings liable to keel over at any moment, instead of the fierce, strong Infernal Twin Demons they were.
The Elders made their way over under Morgranna's intense scrutiny and asked the Twins how they were feeling. The Twins responded that they had never felt better. The Elders agreed, noting they already seemed in a better mental state than yesterday.
The Elders then greeted Morgranna, who replied tersely, still eyeing them warily as if they might steal her charges away at any moment.
Finally, they informed the Twins and Morgranna that they were almost ready to proceed to the settlements for their dorm assignment. The Twins responded happily, looking forward to their new home.