In the late hours of the night, when Petter's eyes began to burn with fatigue from staring at the screen, the door to his room opened with a slight, almost inaudible creak. When Petter slowly turned in his chair to look, he was met with that dazzling sight he had seen in the morning: his mother. Although Sarah carried all the weariness of the day on her shoulders, in that slate-grey pencil skirt and ivory silk blouse, she still stood like a queen—perhaps even more impressive in her dishevelment than she had been in the morning. She hadn't even put down the leather bag she was holding; it was still hanging on her shoulder. Clearly, she had come to see her son as soon as she entered the house, without even changing her clothes, disregarding the ache in her heels. That bold, matte red lipstick she had applied in the morning, though slightly faded by the day's coffees and conversations, still maintained its provocative trace at the corners and center of her lips. The blush on her cheeks had become more pronounced against her skin, which had paled with fatigue.
"Sweetheart... You haven't slept," Sarah whispered, her voice hoarse. "Did you guys eat something?"
At that moment, Petter felt all the accumulated excitement inside him explode, caught between the news from OPG and his mother's captivating image, which smelled of "lived experience." He quickly rose from his chair, closed the distance in two large strides, threw himself at his mother's neck, and hugged her tightly with all his weight. This sudden and enthusiastic movement caused Sarah, who was already struggling to stand on her high heels, to lose her balance for a moment. She stepped back, leaned her back hard against the doorframe, and responded with surprise by hugging her son, who was wrapping around her like a vine.
"Petter! Ah! Calm down, sweetheart! What is this excitement?"
"No! I can't calm down!" said Petter, burying his face in his mother's neck, the spot he had kissed and smelled that morning. His voice sounded muffled, his warm breath burning his mother's skin. He rubbed his nose against his mother's skin, inhaling the unique scent of her perfume, powder, and skin that had lingered on her all day. "Also yes, we ate. Maya is sleeping."
With her free hand, Sarah stroked her son's back up and down along his spine, lightly digging her nails into his shirt. "Alright, what happened? Tell me."
Petter suddenly pulled back but didn't let go of his mother. His hands gripped the sleeves of Sarah's silk blouse; not caring about wrinkling that expensive fabric or crushing it under his fingers, he pulled her into his room. "Come! Come, sit here, I'll tell you!"
"Stop! Calm down! Petter, I haven't even taken off my bag, my shoes are killing me!"
But Petter didn't pay much attention. He dragged his mother to the middle of his room and quickly, without any regard for his mother's thin heels or fatigue, pushed her toward his own computer chair and sat her down somewhat roughly. Sarah fell into the leather seat with surprise and a bit of resignation. The bag on her shoulder slid onto her lap, her pencil skirt rode up. Petter immediately moved beside her, placing one knee on the ground, coming eye-to-eye with his seated mother, perhaps even a bit lower. His eyes shone with a fire she had never seen before.
"Mom," he began, placing his hands on his mother's knees, on her bare legs exposed by the skirt riding up. He grasped the smooth skin of her kneecaps with his palms. "After the broadcast... I was talking to Liam. Then my phone rang. An unknown number."
Concern appeared on Sarah's face; she could feel the warmth of her son's hands directly on her skin. "Who was it?"
"It was OPG, mom. They called from Octanos Prime Generations."
Sarah's brows furrowed, that faded red lipstick on her lips tightened. "What for? Is there a problem with the order?"
Petter smiled like a victorious commander, squeezing and releasing his mother's bare knees with his hands. "No! No problem! Just the opposite! They called for installation! Do you understand? INSTALLATION! They are coming tomorrow! Tomorrow at two o'clock, they will be in our house to install two Omni-Chambers!"
The expression on Sarah's face changed slowly. First she didn't understand, then she understood but didn't believe, then she believed but was shocked. "What? Tomorrow? That... that's impossible, Petter. They just announced everything today. Logistically, something like this isn't possible."
"I know! I thought the same thing! But it's the truth! The woman was so calm, it was like she was calling for a pizza order. She said, 'Your appointment has been created for tomorrow at 14:00, Mr. Aksu.'"
Unable to suppress his excitement, Petter slid his hands from his mother's knees, maintaining skin contact, up to her thighs and began to rub her legs vigorously. It was as if he wanted to engrave this news onto his mother's skin, to confirm this reality by touching her.
Sarah didn't object to her son's warm hands wandering on her legs, warming her skin. With tired eyes, she looked at this excited man at her knees. While rubbing his mother's legs with his hands, Petter rested his head on his mother's lap, on her bag, and rubbed his cheek against his mother's stomach.
Sarah plunged her hand into her son's hair, running her fingers over the nape of his neck, lightly pulling at the roots of his hair. "You..." she whispered, her voice soft but containing a spark. "You were like this even when you were a baby, do you know? Even while nursing, you wouldn't stay still. You would constantly knead my skin with your hands, cling to my leg, my breast. I couldn't separate you from myself. Now you've become a huge man, and you're still the same. You cling to me."
Hearing these words, Petter lifted his head. His eyes had darkened, his breathing quickened. "I can't separate," he said in a hoarse voice. "Next to you is the safest place."
And suddenly, with an unpredictable move, he straightened up, brought his face close to his mother's, and latched onto her left cheek, right at the corner of her lips. This wasn't an innocent kiss; pressing his lips, he began to exploit his mother's cheek with a wet, loud, almost licking, vacuuming kiss. He was tasting the powder she had applied in the morning, the salt of her skin.
"Petter!" Sarah tried to laugh with surprise, but her voice trembled. "Son, stop! What are you doing? You washed me with your saliva!" She tried to pull her head back, but Petter threw one hand behind his mother's neck and stabilized her. With his other hand, he was squeezing his mother's bare leg. His kisses slid from her cheek to her chin, then to her neck, finding that sensitive spot he had kissed in the morning and exploiting it again.
"You're so sweet," murmured Petter, his lips on his mother's neck. "I wonder if the taste of that lipstick from this morning is still there?" He touched his mother's chin with the tip of his tongue.
At that moment, Sarah decided to take the reins. The fatigue inside her gave way to sudden adrenaline and a desire to respond to her son's daring game. She firmly grabbed Petter's face from both sides with her hands, separated his head from her neck, and forced him to look at her. Squeezing his cheeks within her palms, she looked at Petter, whose lips were puckered, with sharp, narrowed eyes.
"This morning..." said Sarah, her voice lowering dangerously. "I told you something this morning, do you remember? I said you would account for that mark on my neck."
Petter grinned with difficulty, his face squeezed between his mother's palms. "I remember... I came to pay."
"Is that so?" Sarah lightly dug her nails into Petter's cheek. "My account isn't closed that easily, young man."
Suddenly, Sarah grabbed Petter by his hair and brought his face even closer to hers. Their noses were touching. "Are you curious about that lipstick from this morning? Since you want it so much..." Sarah pressed her lips not to Petter's lips, but to his cheek, exactly opposite to where Petter had just kissed her. But this wasn't a kiss; rubbing her lips against her son's cheek, she crushed them hard as if wanting to smear her remaining red lipstick onto his face.
"Here you go," she said pulling back. A red stain had formed on Petter's cheek. "Now you are branded."
Petter brought his hand to his cheek and touched the stain, then looked at the redness on his finger. His eyes darkened even further. "This isn't enough," he said in a growling voice. He lunged again, this time burying his face in his mother's chest, into that slippery fabric of the silk blouse. rubbing his face between his mother's breasts and on the silk fabric, he murmured. "We'll settle the account later... Right now you smell so good."
He was squeezing his mother's waist with his hands, crumpling her blouse, burying his head here and there like a cat. He wanted to ruin Sarah's elegance, her order, to knead her. The bag in his mother's lap fell to the floor, its contents scattering on the carpet, but neither of them cared.
Sarah pulled the hair of this huge "baby" thrashing in her lap, rubbing his face against her chest, hard this time, forcing his head back. "You're wrinkling it!" she said, her voice sounding more aroused than angry. "You ruined my blouse! You're crushing the fabric!" But with her other hand, she was stroking the back of Petter's neck, pressing him to herself.
"I'm crushing it," said Petter, his head laid back in his mother's hand, his eyes locked on hers. "Let it wrinkle. Let it get messy. Even..." He slipped his hand inside the slit of his mother's skirt, his palm directly contacting her bare kneecap and from there moving up to her thigh. "...let it tear."
Sarah held her breath, reflexively closed her legs, trapping Petter's hand between them. There was a submission mixed with authority, a desire mixed with anger on her face. She leaned in, getting close enough for her lips to touch Petter's forehead.
"You're going too far," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Your punishment is getting heavier."
The silence of the night was not enough to suppress the intensifying, almost tangible electricity inside the room. With the computer screen going into sleep mode in Petter's room, only the orange beam of the street lamp and the rapid breathing of two people remained. Within the dangerous and inviting echo created by his mother's words "Your punishment is getting heavier," Petter changed his position with an instinctive movement. He was still on his knees, but this distance wasn't enough for him. He gently spread his mother's legs sitting on the chair and placed his own body in that gap, dropping his hips onto his mother's thin-heeled shoes, onto her delicate feet. He was now sitting completely between his mother's legs, integrated with her.
His arms were wrapped around Sarah's waist like a vine. He buried his face in his mother's stomach again, into that warm and soft skin under the silk blouse. However, this time he didn't stop; he slowly slid his head up, passing between her breasts to her neck, and then to her chin. Petter wasn't even looking at his mother's face; he was acting entirely on his senses. His lips found the edge of Sarah's chin and from there began to climb toward her cheek with wet, wide, and exploiting kisses. It was like a dehydrated person reaching a water source; every kiss was audible, every touch had a vacuuming intensity.
Sarah had plunged her hands into her son's hair, running her fingers through those thick locks, but this was more an effort of control than a caress. As Petter's wet lips wandered on her cheek, the powdery taste of the blush she applied in the morning and the slightly salty taste of skin brought by the day mixed together. Petter didn't care one bit about ruining the makeup on his mother's face, about the lipstick and blush smearing onto his own lips, nose, or even onto his white shirt when he leaned against her chest. On the contrary, this blending of colors, this "contamination," was like proof that the sterile mother-son relationship between them had collapsed and a more primal, chaotic bond had been established in its place.
While Petter's tongue drew circles on his mother's cheekbone, Sarah leaned her head back against the headrest of the leather chair and closed her eyes. "Petter..." she said breathlessly, squeezing her son's shoulders with her hands, trying to stop him even a little. "Wait... Wait a bit."
Just as Petter was about to make another dangerous move toward his mother's lips, Sarah's fingers closed over his lips, stopping him. Petter began to kiss his mother's fingers, to lick her palm, but Sarah was determined.
"Listen to me," Sarah said, her voice shaky but serious. She opened her eyes and looked at this man, her son, sitting in her lap, between her legs. Half of his face was painted red with his mother's lipstick, his hair was messy. "The time has come, Petter. I need you to be by my side not just at home... but at the company too."
Petter stopped licking his mother's palm, paused. His wet lips were still touching her palm. Pulling his head back slightly, he looked at his mother with misty eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice hoarse. He moved his hands from his mother's waist to her hips, to where that tight skirt stretched, and continued to squeeze and knead involuntarily.
Sarah took a deep breath, trying to ignore the heat generated by her son's hands on her legs. "Lately... I've noticed inconsistencies in the company accounts and some project files. They look like small things but... my instincts tell me something is going wrong." She put her hand on Petter's cheek, trying to wipe the lipstick stain with her thumb but spreading it more. "The board members... I can't trust them, Petter. Those vultures in suits are all after their own share. I... I need someone of my own blood, my own soul. The only person who won't betray me."
Hearing these words, Petter slipped out of that cloud of lust for a moment. His mind cleared. This offer wasn't foreign to him. Before his father Bryan died, he had always prepared Petter for these days. He had taught him not only coding but also how to read financial statements, crisis management, and strategic thinking. While dealing with projects like "Nar-En" for years, Petter had actually gained the equipment to manage his father's legacy in the background all along.
That wild glint in his eyes gave way to a determined, mature look. "No problem," he said, his voice full of confidence. "Just as I solve software and algorithms, I'll solve those accounts too. I'll find out who is up to what."
He leaned down and kissed his mother's kneecap, then slowly began to stand up, holding onto his mother's legs. As he rose, Sarah stood up from the chair as if tied to him by an invisible string. They were both standing now; their knees touching, their chests almost joined. Petter's hands were on his mother's waist, Sarah's hands on her son's shoulders.
Looking into her son's eyes, Sarah continued to explain the seriousness of the situation. "The current problem is small, yes. Maybe a simple accounting error. But..." She bent her knee slightly and leaned it against Petter's leg. "...in the future, especially if potential partnerships or investments with OPG come up, I need a mountain I can lean my back on. I need to know I won't be stabbed in the back."
Petter grabbed his mother's waist tightly and pulled her toward himself, toward his groin. "I am your mountain, mom," he whispered. "And I won't let anyone, any vulture, hurt you. I'll start examining those files tomorrow. If necessary, I'll scan the entire digital infrastructure of the company. In my kingdom, no one can touch you."
Sarah felt herself melt in the face of her son's possessive, strong attitude. Knowing that the heavy burden she had carried alone for years was now shared by a strong shoulder gave her an indescribable relief followed by an intense wave of desire. Her fatigue had flown away.
She narrowed her eyes, that dangerous smile appearing at the corner of her lips. "Well done to my loyal knight," she said. Then she lowered her voice, bringing her lips close to Petter's. "Business talk is over. Now... it's punishment time. Come here."
As soon as she finished her sentence, Sarah lunged without waiting and pressed her lips hard against her son's. This wasn't a gentle kiss; it was a seal, a demand, a hunger. Petter responded almost with a roar to this move. He wrapped his arms around his mother's back, her shoulder blades, and pressed her to himself, squeezing as if he would put her inside him.
While lips crushed each other, tongues entered a wild war. They were exploring each other's mouths with wet, fast, breathtaking strokes. Petter took his mother's lower lip between his teeth and tugged, while Sarah sucked on her son's tongue. The only sounds filling the room were wet kissing noises and muffled moans. The lipstick from the morning was now on Petter's lips, chin, even on the tip of his nose. The blush had spread to both faces due to cheeks rubbing against each other.
At a moment when they were breathless, Petter suddenly pulled back hard. His chest was heaving like a bellows. His eyes had turned pitch black.
Sarah looked at him with swollen lips and misty eyes. Breathless, with a challenging attitude, she whispered, "What happened? Was that it? Are you tired already?"
Growling at this provocative question, Petter lunged again. He grabbed his mother by the back of her neck, pulled her close, and kissed her even harder, even more demandingly this time. He ravaged the inside of his mother's mouth with his tongue, then suddenly pulled back again. There were only a few millimeters between their faces.
"Tired?" said Petter, his voice like a threat. "I'm just warming up."
Sarah tilted her head slightly to the side, her messy hair falling onto her face. "Then..." she said, and this time she made the move, biting Petter's lower lip and pulling him to herself. "Skip the warm-up, show me the burn."
With this invitation, Petter completely lost his control. Not giving her a chance to form another sentence, he closed over his mother's lips again. This kiss was like an attack. Tongues were locked, teeth were clashing. Clothes were rubbing against each other, fabrics were stretching. Petter's hands were kneading his mother's hips, trying to hike up her skirt. Sarah's hands were tugging at Petter's shirt, digging her nails into his back.
Petter slid his hands to the back of his mother's legs, to that soft spot behind her knees, and began to move up to her thighs. Just then, with unexpected agility, Sarah tripped Petter by hooking her leg behind his knees.
As Petter lost his balance and stumbled backward, Sarah used her body weight to push him toward the bed. Petter fell onto the bed on his back. The springs creaked. Before he could understand what was happening, Sarah, spreading her legs to the absolute limit that tight skirt allowed, sat on top of her son, right on his groin.
While Petter looked with astonishment at his mother sitting on top of him, Sarah put her hands on her son's face, cupped his cheeks, and pinned him to the bed. Her messy hair fell like a curtain over Petter's face. Lipstick marks, mixed with sweat and blush, had turned both faces into a battlefield.
Breathless but with the air of a queen holding control, Sarah fixed her eyes on her son's. And in that moment, that endless, possessive maternal skepticism inside her slipped through the lust and showed itself.
"Tell me," she whispered, narrowing her eyes. "How are things with Chloe?"
Petter, nailed to the bed, crushed under the weight and heat of this magnificent woman sitting on him, paused for a moment at the meaninglessness of this question. Was his mother asking about Chloe, right now, in this position? "Chloe?" he groaned, his hands going to his mother's waist. "I mean... there's nothing. We just talk simply. School, classes... No opportunity for other things. Just a friendship as you know it."
Sarah brought her face a bit closer as if unsatisfied. "Are you sure? I know how that girl looks at you. Those artistic moods of hers, hovering around you..." Sarah went crazy thinking about these emotional outbursts directed at her son, the possibility of him belonging to someone else. Both emotional jealousy and the fear of the family's assets and power being divided made her extra possessive. "I want to hear that you are not interested in her."
Squeezing his mother's hips, Petter said, "I'm not interested. The only woman I'm interested in is sitting on top of me right now."
Sarah smiled with the pleasure she got from this answer. "Good," she said. "I prefer it to stay that way."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Petter threw that flirtatious look from below. "So my queen... What happened to you?" He slid his hand up from his mother's hip to her waist. "You were extra beautiful today. That radiance, that energy... Or is a new unit at the door? Is there someone on the board who impressed you?"
Sarah, in that tired, messy but still captivating state, let out a sincere and relieved laugh. She liked this question of jealousy. She started pinching Petter by tugging at his shirt collar. "Don't be ridiculous, sweetheart," she said. "You know... There is no room for anyone else in my life but you guys. All those men are boring robots in grey suits." She brought her face close to Petter's, rubbing her nose against his. "We are three. And we will always stay that way, right?"
"That's true," said Petter, his voice determined. "Three people. Forever."
With this oath of loyalty, Petter moved with the rising desire inside him. He lifted his head to wrap his hands around his mother's neck, to sit up and kiss her again. But Sarah didn't allow it. Leaning her palms on her son's shoulders and giving all her weight, she pressed him back hard into the bed, into the mattress.
"Lie down," she whispered.
But Petter didn't give up. While lying on his back, he slid his hands hard onto his mother's back, and from there down to her hips where the skirt stretched. He wrapped his legs around the outside of his mother's legs and with a sudden, strong muscle movement, using his mother's weight, tried to tip her to the side, to reverse the position.
"Ah! Petter!" Sarah struggled to keep from screaming as she lost her balance.
A struggle began on the bed. They were pinching, biting, kissing each other, tugging at fabrics with their hands. Sarah's silk blouse had come out completely, Petter's shirt was totally wrinkled. Finally, using the advantage of his youth and strength, Petter managed to get Sarah under him.
Now Petter was on top. He had settled on Sarah's shoulders, pinning her to the bed. Without waiting, he buried his face in his mother's neck. He slid his tongue down his mother's neck to her collarbones with wet and wide strokes. From there he descended to her breasts where the silk blouse stretched. The outfit was almost nonexistent now; the buttons of the blouse were strained, the fabric sticking to their skin. Petter was planting torturously hard kisses, bites, and blows on the right and left breasts over the silk fabric.
Sarah threw her head back, clutching the bedspread with her hands. "Petter..." she moaned, her voice muffled. "God..."
Petter was fully erect and had no state left to hide it. He placed his thigh over his mother's tight skirt, between her legs. The fabric of the skirt was so tight that the range of motion was limited, but Petter began to push and rub his thigh rhythmically and hard toward his mother's groin, as much as the skirt allowed.
When Sarah felt this pressure, her eyes rolled back, her breath caught. "You're very... very hard," she whispered, lifting her hips toward her son's thigh. "The fabric... the fabric will tear."
Without stopping his movements, breathless, Petter said, "Let it tear. I don't care. I want to feel you. Only you."
He latched onto her lips again, then went down to her neck again. Hands, legs, tongues were intertwined. The bed creaked, breaths echoed in the room.
Just then, a thought fell into Sarah's mind like lightning. She stopped suddenly, covered Petter's mouth with her hand. Her eyes were wide with fear, looking at the door.
"Shhh!" she whispered. "Petter... stop. Maya... What if she wakes up? She might hear us."
Petter paused with his mother's hand on his mouth. He lifted his head and looked at the door, then turned back to his mother. He slowly pulled his mother's hand from his mouth, kissed her palm. "Don't worry," he said, his voice hoarse but sure. "She's already in deep sleep. She got very tired today. A cannon blast wouldn't wake her. Besides, the door is closed."
Sarah hesitated for a moment, but the confidence in her son's eyes and the intense desire beneath it suppressed her fear. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," said Petter, and as if to prove it, he pressed his thigh hard into his mother's crotch, that sensitive spot again.
With this movement, Sarah's last resistance broke. She dropped her head back onto the pillow, wrapped her arms around her son's neck. Licking, kissing continued harder and wilder at every point. Now hugging and tangling in bed, the tearing sounds of strained clothes and the sounds of bodies colliding mixed together. A button from Petter's shirt popped off and fell to the floor. Sarah's skirt was gathered at her waist, her legs completely exposed.
Positions changed constantly, they dragged each other to every corner of the bed. While Petter sucked his mother's neck, Sarah dug her nails into her son's back.
At one point, Petter's movement was so hard and sudden that Sarah felt pain and took a sharp breath. Petter noticed this and paused for a moment. He brought his face close to his mother's, rested his forehead on hers. Breathless, "I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice full of regret. "Did I hurt you? Should I stop?"
Sarah opened her eyes. Her pupils were dilated, her lips swollen. She put her hand on her son's cheek, stroked his lip with her thumb. She shook her head. "No," she whispered. "No, don't stop. It's okay. Just... continue. Don't leave me."
With this approval, Petter hugged his mother tighter, and in the darkness of the night, inside that room, they continued that forbidden yet inevitable dance with greater passion.
The air inside the room consisted not of oxygen anymore, but purely of electricity and humidity. Time, which had flowed at a crazy speed until that moment, suddenly became heavy like a slowed-down film frame. Every second lengthened, every touch spread over a century. As Petter pressed his thigh into his mother's groin, over that tight and now wrinkled skirt, the world consisted only of that point of contact.
Sarah's head fell back, the veins in her neck became prominent. Her eyes were closed but her eyelashes were trembling. Petter watched every change of expression on his mother's face, that purest state of pleasure and surrender, in slow motion. A drop of sweat trickling from his forehead slid slowly down his temple and fell onto the pillow. The orange light of the street lamp shimmered on their sweaty skin, illuminating their bodies like a bronze statue.
That was the moment when words ran out, only instincts spoke. While Petter applied his final, strong, and rhythmic pressures with clenched teeth, Sarah's nails dug deep enough to almost tear the shirt on her son's back. The buttons of the silk blouse, unable to withstand this pressure any longer, popped one by one, and the fabric opened completely. Skin mixed with skin, sweat with sweat.
And then, that moment of explosion came.
A muffled, long moan spilled from Sarah's mouth; her body tensed like a bow, her toes curled. Petter convulsed at the same time with a deep growl from his throat, buried his head in his mother's neck, and trembled with his whole body. Time stopped inside the room. There were only two bodies holding onto each other, waiting for this intense and burning wave to pass over them. Their heartbeats were synchronized and violent as if beating in a single rib cage.
Minutes later... Or maybe seconds... The concept of time had vanished.
When the storm subsided, only wreckage and peace remained. Petter slowly slid off his mother to the side but didn't detach from her. He put his arm under his mother's head, wrapped his other arm around her waist. Both were lying on their backs, looking at the ceiling, breathing in gasps. The silence of the room had returned, but this silence was not tense, but serene and heavy.
Sarah's chest rose and fell as she took deep breaths. She opened her eyes slowly and watched the ceiling. Then she turned her head slightly and looked at her son. Petter's face was covered in war paint mixed with her own lipstick, blush, and sweat. His shirt collar was torn, buttons popped. Her own state was even worse; the skirt she wore with that "Queen" air was gathered at her waist, the silk blouse completely open, her bra strap slipped.
A light, tired giggle spilled from her lips. "God..." she whispered, her voice cracked. "Look at us. We look like we came out of a battlefield."
Petter turned to his mother, looking at her with that tired but satisfied smile on his face. He raised his hand and pushed back the damp strands of hair stuck to his mother's forehead. "The most beautiful battle..." he murmured. Then he touched the smeared lipstick at the corner of his mother's lip with his finger. "But I think our queen's armor took some damage."
Sarah brought her hand to the torn silk blouse on her chest, crushing the fabric between her fingers. "I loved this blouse," she said with fake sadness. "I bought it in Italy. Now... it looks like a floor cloth."
"I'll buy a new one," said Petter immediately. "Even better. I'll buy ten."
Sarah smiled, put her hand on her son's cheek, tried to clean the trace of her own lipstick with her thumb but the stain was stubborn. "Half my lipstick is on your face, Petter. If Maya saw you like this, she'd think you were a clown."
Petter laughed, his chest shaking. "Maya is asleep, we're lucky. Otherwise she'd ask 'Why is my brother red?'" Then he got serious, his gaze sliding to the redness on his mother's neck and chest. These were the marks of his own beard and hard kisses. "Did I hurt you?"
Sarah followed her son's gaze, felt the sting on her skin. It was a sweet ache. She shook her head. "No," she said softly. "These... are just signatures. Your signature."
They lay silently for a while longer, listening to each other's heartbeats slow down. Sweat had started to cool on their bodies and that sticky feeling was making itself known.
"Petter," said Sarah, trying to sit up slowly. "I need to take a shower. I can't sleep like this. I smell... like you everywhere. And I'm sticky."
Petter also sat up on his elbows. "Me too," he said, taking off the shirt on him completely and throwing it on the floor. "I think we sweated so much that we'll need to ventilate this room tomorrow."
Sarah looked at her legs dangling from the bed. Her stockings had runs, slight redness had formed on her knees. She tried to stand up but her legs trembled. "Ah..." she said, leaning her hand on the bed. "My legs aren't holding."
Seeing this, Petter immediately jumped out of bed. With his bare chest and messy state, he came to his mother's side. "Don't tire yourself," he said.
Before Sarah found the opportunity to object, Petter bent down and picked his mother up in his arms once more, but this time with affection and care. Sarah wrapped her arms around her son's neck, rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're spoiling me," murmured Sarah as her eyes closed.
Petter left the room with his mother in his arms, walking toward the bathroom in the silent corridor. "Queens don't walk," he said in a whisper. "They are carried."
He pushed the bathroom door open with his foot. Inside was cool and smelled of tiles. Petter lowered his mother slowly to the ground but didn't let go. They looked at their reflections in the mirror. Two people, messy, flushed, tired but belonging to each other.
As Petter turned on the shower water and adjusted the temperature, Sarah hugged him from behind, resting her cheek on his back. "Together..." said Sarah. "We should save water, right?"
After adjusting the water, Petter turned to his mother, looked into those wet, misty eyes. "Definitely," he said and reached out, completely stripping his mother's ruined silk blouse from her shoulders. "Come on, let's get clean. Tomorrow is the big day."
In the bathroom slowly filling with steam, as the sound of water covered the silence of the night, a new page was closing and another was opening.
As the first light of dawn filtered through the kitchen window, the long, golden stripes forming on the wooden floor illuminated a completely different atmosphere this morning. Hanging in the air was not just the scent of freshly brewed coffee and toasted bread; but the fresh yet intimate scent of intense desire, sweat, and that long shower taken before dawn, which had permeated the walls of this house throughout the night.
Maya, sitting at the table, absentmindedly staring at her bowl of cornflakes, was swinging her legs and constantly asking, "Have they come? Have they come?" Her innocent impatience made the tension on the other side of the table even more apparent.
Sarah stood at the stove with her back turned. Although she seemed to have no trace of her messy, sweaty, and moaning state from last night, Petter knew the truth. She was wearing a comfortable, cream-colored, cashmere loungewear set. However, the first detail that caught Petter's attention was the collar of the blouse. Even though the house was warm, Sarah had chosen a turtleneck model that completely covered her neck. Petter knew the reason for this choice very well; hidden beneath that fabric were the purplish signatures left by his own lips and teeth, those badges of "queenship." His mother's small precaution created a crooked, satisfied smile on Petter's lips.
Petter approached the counter with his coffee cup in hand. He stood right behind his mother, close enough for his body to touch her, but he didn't make contact. He just let her feel his heat. "Good morning, Queen," he whispered, his voice carrying an echo of the growling tone from the night.
Sarah flinched, gripping the spatula in her hand tightly. When she looked at her son over her shoulder, there was an expression of mixed concern and curiosity on her face, along with a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes shone with a mixture of the night's surrender and the shame brought by the morning. "Good morning," she said, her voice coming out a bit shaky. "Maya will hear, stay back."
Instead of pulling back, Petter snuggled a bit closer, bringing his nose near his mother's hair and taking a deep breath. Under the scent of shampoo, he could still smell his own scent. "Turtleneck..." he murmured in a mocking whisper. "Are you cold? Yet you were quite hot last night."
Sarah poked her son hard in the stomach with her elbow but couldn't hide the smile at the corner of her lips. "Take your seat, Petter. You'll spill your coffee."
When they sat at the table, Petter looked as if he hadn't slept all night; there were slight dark circles under his eyes, but he wasn't tired; on the contrary, he was overly energetic, like a testosterone-loaded hunter. His gaze was constantly on his mother, especially on her covered collar and her hands.
"Did you check ChronoFeed?" said Petter, placing his phone on the table, but not taking his eyes off Sarah. He extended his leg under the table and slowly rubbed it against his mother's leg, her calf. Sarah flinched, almost choking as she took a sip of her coffee, but she didn't pull her leg away.
"It's been total madness since last night," continued Petter, a double meaning in his tone. "People are divided in two. Those who say we should delay our decision, that we should wait... And those who call us 'pioneers of history,' the brave ones." While pushing the phone toward his mother, his fingers passed over hers, pressing onto her skin. "Some economists wrote that this move by OPG will reshape everything. There are even psychologists analyzing Marcus Thorne's presentation. They published articles on how the man's body language influences people, how it triggers their desires."
Sarah took a large sip of her coffee, trying to relieve the dryness in her throat. The contact under the table was increasing her body temperature. "Such a big event happening in such a short time..." she said, fixing her eyes on her son's. She was speaking carefully, choosing her words. "This is what worries me, Petter. Everything is too fast. It's like out of control. Suddenly... the whole order changes."
Petter slid his leg under the table a bit higher, toward his mother's kneecap. "But mom, isn't that how revolutions happen?" he replied, his voice velvety. "Something slow and controlled isn't called a revolution, it's called evolution. This is a revolution. And we are right in the center of it." He leaned toward his mother. "Think about it... A world where boundaries are lifted, rules are rewritten. Not just for Maya's education... What a huge potential this is for us too. A place where everything we want can be real."
Understanding only the surface of this idea, Maya jumped in excitedly. "Can I see dinosaurs too, brother?"
Petter took his eyes off his mother and turned to his sister, his smile softening. "Of course you can see them. You can even tame a T-Rex." Then he turned back to his mother, his gaze darkening again. "Taming wild things... is always possible."
Sarah raised her eyebrows as if to show she understood this implication, but her worries could still be read on her face. This worry wasn't just for OPG; it was about how the walls they tore down at night looked in the daylight. "But what about the real world? What if people stop going out? What if those old, safe boundaries like neighborliness, friendship... turn into meaningless interactions? I am a businesswoman, Petter. I am in a world where there is order, hierarchy. What if this order collapses completely?"
This was a question Petter had thought about before too, but his answer was different now. He spoke with the air of that strong man preparing to take his father's place. Reaching out his hand across the table, he took his mother's hand in his palm and stroked her skin with his thumb. This movement was at an angle Maya couldn't see.
"I know, mom. These risks exist," he said in a reassuring voice. "But this is like the first human who found fire worrying 'what if this fire burns everything.' Yes, it can burn. It can burn us too. But at the same time, it can warm us..." He lowered his eyes to his mother's lips. "...cook our food, keep us alive. What matters is how we use it. Who controls that fire." He squeezed her hand a little tighter. "That's why it's very important for us to be inside this technology, at the very top. We will set the rules. Both in that world... and in this world."
Sarah relaxed with the warmth coming from her son's hand. His possessive attitude reminded her of their wild lovemaking at night, making her tremble inside. "Rules..." she repeated in a whisper. "Yes, there must be rules. Especially for Maya. No more than two hours a day, right peanut?"
Maya pouted. "But brother..."
"No buts," said Sarah, bringing back that authoritative, 'Queen' tone to her voice. "These rules will definitely exist. And..." She gave Petter a meaningful look. "...even if some boundaries are crossed, the main control will always be with us."
Breakfast passed with such double-meaning conversations, future planning on the surface but flirtatious bickering deep down. The decision was clear; the installation would be done in Petter's room. After breakfast, Petter immediately went up to his room and started clearing a large space by pushing the heavy furniture aside. Sarah, leaning against the doorframe, watched the muscles tensing and the neck sweating as her son exerted strength with an admiration reminding her of those moments at night.
Time refused to pass. Expectation had made the air in the house heavy. Finally, when they were done, they decided to go out to the garden to get some air. It was a sunny, warm Saturday morning. As Sarah bent down to tend to her flowers, that tracksuit set on her revealed the curves of her body. Although Petter seemed to be playing ball with Maya, his eyes were constantly on his mother. Every time Sarah bent down, every time she reached out, Petter paused, biting his lips while visualizing those scenes from the night in his mind. Sarah was aware of this too; whenever she straightened up and looked at her son, that accomplice smile appeared on her face.
Toward one o'clock, Petter's phone rang. The caller was the woman with the same flawless voice from yesterday.
"Good day, Mr. Aksu. Our installation team is ten minutes away from your address. Is everything suitable for our arrival?"
Petter stopped in the middle of the garden. Phone to his ear, he walked toward his mother watering the flowers. Sarah straightened up, dropping the hose in her hand. Petter came to his mother's side and said, in a voice Maya couldn't hear, "They are coming." Then he put his hand on his mother's waist, squeezed lightly. "They are coming to establish our kingdom."
Sarah placed her own hand on her son's hand at her waist. "We are waiting," she said.
The moment had arrived. The future was ten minutes away.
Exactly ten minutes after Petter's phone call, a silent monster appeared from the corner of the street. This resembled no known vehicle. It wasn't a standard truck or van. It was a matte black, low and wide vehicle with rounded corners and wheels almost hidden inside the bodywork. It had no engine sound; instead, it emitted a low-frequency, vibrating hum that could only be heard when very close. This hum was the kind felt in one's rib cage. On its side, there was a massive OPG logo shimmering like obsidian, brighter than the matte surface of the vehicle. When the vehicle stopped in front of the house, it lowered a few centimeters closer to the ground with a hydraulic hissing sound, crouching like a predator preparing for its prey.
The side doors of the vehicle opened silently upward, sliding like oil, just like in the most crucial scene of a sci-fi movie. A six-person, fully equipped team descended from inside. These were not ordinary movers or technicians. They wore dark gray, one-piece, synthetic uniforms that hugged the body like a second skin, revealing muscle lines, with strategically placed pockets and magnetic tool holders. An obsidian-shimmering OPG logo was embroidered on their necks and arms. Beyond professional seriousness, an almost robotic focus dominated their faces; their movements were coordinated, silent, and wasteless. It was as if they had come to manage a covert operation, not install a game room.
The team leader walked toward the door with a transparent, tablet-like device in his hand. Petter, Sarah, and Maya were waiting for them at the door. Petter stood right behind his mother, almost glued to her. Sarah's shoulders were upright, but Petter could feel her tension by lightly touching her waist.
The man looked at Petter. "Mr. Petter Aksu?"
"Yes, that's me."
"Please look at my device for identity verification." The man extended the tablet to Petter. A thin beam of blue light emitted from the tablet's camera scanned Petter's eyes. A second later, a calm, melodic female voice saying "IDENTITY VERIFIED" was heard from the tablet. After the interrogation, the man turned his gaze briefly to Sarah and then back to Petter. "We request your permission for a house check, Mr. Aksu. We need to verify system compatibility and security protocols."
Petter said, "Of course, go ahead," and stepped aside to clear the way.
The six-person team dispersed silently into the house like shadows. Their movements were so quiet and efficient that it was as if they weren't stepping on the floor of the house but floating above it. Sarah shuddered slightly at this invasion and involuntarily took a step back toward her son. Her back touched Petter's chest.
Petter didn't miss this opportunity. In that brief moment when Maya was busy examining the team's outfits, he brought his chin close to his mother's shoulder. "These men..." whispered Sarah, not taking her eyes off the scanning team. "They scare me. They are too... perfect. And they enter everywhere in the house."
Petter blew his breath behind his mother's ear, right at the end of that turtleneck sweater. "Let them enter," he murmured, his voice low enough only for Sarah to hear. "They are looking at the walls... I am only looking at you." He placed his hand in the hollow of his mother's waist, stroking gently with his thumb. "Don't be afraid. This is our kingdom."
While two of them measured the walls, electrical outlets, and signal strength with scanners in their hands, two others were checking the structural integrity of the house. Their leader, pulling up a three-dimensional plan of the house from his tablet, was processing the data coming from his team instantly. Petter, Sarah, and Maya stood in the hallway, watching this futuristic scene. Petter continued to stand behind his mother, wrapping her with his presence.
Ten minutes later, the team gathered in the living room again. Their leader turned to them with a sad but clear, professional expression. "Mr. Aksu, Mrs. Aksu... We have a problem."
Petter's heart clenched, his hand on his mother's waist tensed. "What problem? I prepared my room, moved everything aside."
The man turned the tablet toward them. On the screen, the plan of the house and the rooms with red "X" marks on them, especially Petter's room which he had prepared with blood, sweat, and tears in the morning, were flashing. "Unfortunately, no room in your house is compatible for the full installation of the Omni-Chamber."
Sarah was surprised, her brows furrowed. "What do you mean? Petter worked for hours. Is the space not enough?"
The man explained patiently, like a teacher explaining to a student. "The problem isn't just space, ma'am. This system is not a device that is plugged into a wall outlet and operated like a simple game console. This is a high-performance technology with its own ecosystem." The man opened a diagram on his tablet. "The Omni-Chamber requires its own energy panel. This panel can draw high amperage electricity instantaneously, and the standard electrical wiring of the house cannot withstand this, creating a fire risk. Additionally, the system has its own satellite connection device for uninterrupted and secure data flow. This device must be mounted in a location with a clear view of the sky. This is not possible in the rooms inside your house."
Petter asked with disappointment, "So what is this like? I mean, what does the full installation look like?"
With a touch on his tablet, the man showed them a three-dimensional, hologram-like model of the Omni-Chamber's full installation. What they saw was much more than a simple room. They already recognized the transparent, glass room. But now, at the top of the room, there were two panels that looked like black wings, resembling solar panels but more complex, extending elegantly upwards. And in the middle of these two panels stood a device creating a barely visible, slightly vibrating airflow.
The man continued to explain: "These two panels are hybrid energy panels. They both regulate electricity from the grid and provide short-term power in emergencies. The device in the middle is our quantum-encrypted satellite connection module. This is the safest method against potential hacking attempts from outside."
Then, the man pointed to the floor of the structure with his finger. The floor was thicker than normal. "This is the brain of the system. Inside, there are local server disks capable of processing petabytes of data instantaneously, cooling systems, multi-core processor modules, and Eden's self-learning advanced artificial intelligence processor."
He pointed to the side. "These small modules are scent, atmosphere, and raw material sensors. They ensure the experience inside is completely realistic. The humidity of a forest, the scent of a flower..." The man paused for a moment, his eyes going back and forth between Sarah and Petter. "...or you can feel the warmth of a touch."
Petter and Sarah involuntarily looked at each other at this word "touch." The memory of the touches at night shone in their eyes.
The man continued: "Also, inside... there is a raw material, filament-like, of a kind we cannot fully explain, which instantly turns what you see into something touchable, physical. This technology is our kitchen. Company secret. But we also need a special, ventilated area for the storage and processing of this raw material. In short, a more open space is required."
These explanations had attracted even Sarah's interest. This was much more than a toy. This was a science fiction laboratory in itself. Petter looked at his mother. There was an expression in his eyes saying, "We'll handle it, right?"
Sarah returned to that "Business Woman" mode within seconds. She made calculations in her mind, found the solution. She pointed to the large glass door at the back of the living room. Her posture straightened, taking on an authoritative air. "Our backyard is quite large. Is it possible for you to do it in this part?"
The team leader walked toward the garden, raising his tablet for a quick scan. A few seconds later, a satisfied expression appeared on his face. "Yes. Possible. Even perfect. We will need to make a few updates and build a structure protected against extra external factors like rain, snow. We can install the two rooms side by side inside this structure. For this, you will need to pay a fee of 2000 dollars as an additional service fee outside the room."
Sarah didn't hesitate for even a moment. She took out her phone. "I approve," she said, her voice definite and clear. Petter looked with admiration at his mother's determined state, her power as she spent that money in one go. "The Queen commands, it is done," he thought to himself. Sarah gave Petter a fleeting, flirtatious look while making the payment.
With this approval, the team gained incredible speed. The men returned to their matte black vehicle. When the back of the vehicle opened, they took out strange, portable materials from inside that they hadn't seen before. These were modular panels, as strong as steel yet light as a feather, stainless, water-repellent. Each piece locked into another perfectly with a satisfying "click" sound.
Within an hour, a modern and minimalist designed, roofed, open-sided, anthracite-colored structure had risen in the middle of the garden. This structure looked as if it hadn't been built by humans there, but lowered from the sky as a whole. As Petter and Sarah stood side by side watching this transformation, Petter unnoticedly wrapped his little finger around his mother's little finger. This was their silent, small contact.
The real show began after the completion of the structure. While special hydraulic arms extending from inside the matte black vehicle lowered the Omni-Chamber parts one by one, Petter, Sarah, and Maya watched this scene holding their breaths. First, heavy and massive base units, about two meters by two meters for each room, covered with complex circuits and input ports, were placed on the ground. Following these parts which were the brain of the system, cornerless, single-piece glass panels reflecting sunlight like a diamond within special transport skeletons came. Next were more delicate, complex components like crystal-like artificial intelligence modules glowing with soft blue light and filament cartridges filled with thin silvery threads, and dozens of sensors of different sizes.
The installation process literally resembled a silent ballet performance. Without saying a word, working in perfect harmony, the six-person team fixed the base units to the floor of the newly constructed structure, then integrated the special power cable pulled from the main panel of the house into the system. Then, the glass panels carefully lifted by four people locked into place with a magnetic hiss heard when approached to the base unit and a glittering blue light line appearing. With the joining of all four panels, the main skeleton of the rooms emerged.
The placement of the internal hardware was a stage that fascinated the viewers even more. When one of the technicians seated the artificial intelligence module into the slot in the center of the base, a low, melodic hum rose from inside the room. As other team members plugged filament cartridges, scent synthesizers, and sensors into invisible slots inside the walls, a light, satisfying "click" sound was heard from each part.
After the installation ended with the assembly of the transparent ceiling panels and the iconic energy/satellite modules placed on them, one of the technicians animated the two transparent rooms in the garden with a command entered into his tablet. The soft white light emitting from inside and blue data lines appearing and disappearing for a moment on the glass surfaces combined with a low but powerful hum that carried the anticipation in the air to the peak.
While the clock showed 18:20, the setting sun painted the sky in orange and pink colors, and at the end of four hours of uninterrupted work, two glittering structures stood in the middle of the garden as if they had come from another world.
Collecting his tools, the team leader came to them with the satisfied expression of a professional who had done his job well on his face. "Installation complete, Mr. Aksu."
"Incredible," whispered Petter, unable to take his eyes off the structures. He lightly touched his mother's arm standing next to him, squeezing her skin with his fingers. "This... was wonderful."
Smiling, the man said, "If you are ready for the first activation, I can transfer the basic information," asking for Petter's phone and opening the OPG Connect app. On the main screen of the app whose interface changed, "Chamber-1 (Petter)" and "Chamber-2 (Maya)" tabs had appeared. Showing usage details, the leader said, "Standby mode and opening operations are done from here. Energy consumption, internal temperature, and system status can be tracked instantly, while security protocols are also always active. In case of a possible anomaly, the system will automatically shut down and send us a warning."
Continuing his briefing, the man added, "When you enter, the door will close silently behind you, but don't panic. The system will guide you audibly and start the initial calibration process which takes about five minutes. Just follow the instructions, the rest is entirely up to you."
Extending his hand, when the man asked, "Do you have any other questions?" he said, "Alright," in response to Petter shaking his head speechlessly. "Then... welcome to Eden."
Following his farewell, the team leader and others gathered up with the quiet and efficient discipline they arrived with, loading all equipment into the matte black vehicle. The vehicle, coming to life with the closing of the upward-opening doors, rose with that characteristic low hum and hydraulic hiss, silently moving away in the street where twilight had fallen.
As they walked toward the house from the futuristic structures in the garden, a new and passionate thought had sprouted in Sarah's mind. Watching the pure excitement in her son's and daughter's eyes, she saw that the technological wonder was not just a game, but also a new way of life, a virgin territory waiting to be discovered. She thought to herself, 'I should order one for myself too.' Rather than a momentary whim, what she felt was the desire to be a part of the future, to see the new world her children would discover with them, and more importantly, to stand beside Petter in his "kingdom." She probably would; because she now wanted to be everywhere her son was.
When they moved to the living room, they dropped themselves onto the sofas with the fatigue and excitement of the day. Maya sat on one side of her brother, and Sarah on the other, with very little distance between them. Since Maya didn't have a phone yet, all controls for her Omni-Chamber were defined in the "OPG Connect" app on Petter's phone. The situation gave Petter both a technological power and a sweet responsibility of control over the family.
Unlocking his phone and starting the app, Petter could feel the breath on both sides in the screen light illuminating the dim living room. The "Chamber-1 (Petter)" and "Chamber-2 (Maya)" boxes appearing on the elegant and simple interface on the main panel shone with "Online - Idle" status and 100% power level. Sliding his finger on the screen, Petter extended his arm behind the sofa, behind his mother's shoulder. While Maya was focused on the screen, Petter's fingers had secretly started playing with the hair at the nape of his mother's neck, touching her skin.
"Wow," murmured Petter, his eyes on the screen while his hand stroked his mother's neck. "Much more than I expected."
The first stop of the app, divided into tabs, was the "Equipment" section. In the menu resembling a control room where hardware settings were made rather than just an inventory list; dozens of lighting schemes like "Cyberpunk Night," "Forest Morning," "Deep Space" were available. While the "Sound Profiles" tab offered wide options from cinematic orchestra to ambient nature sounds, the "Haptic Feedback Intensity" setting could be changed from 1% to 100%.
Leaning toward the screen, Sarah's breath touched Petter's neck. "So you set the mood of the room before going in?"
Looking into his mother's eyes, Petter squeezed his hand on her neck slightly. "Exactly," he said, his voice becoming a bit hoarse. "Not just the world... It's like choosing the intensity of the touch you will feel, the extent of the pleasure."
Then he clicked on the "Concepts" tab where the real treasure was located. The screen turned into a gallery consisting of breathtakingly beautiful visuals. Hundreds of worlds divided into categories like Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Historical, Abstract, and Relaxation were at his fingertips. Maya, jumping in place upon entering the Fantasy category, was beside herself seeing enchanting names like "Aethel's Elf Forest," "Echo of Crystal Caves," and "Lumina's Sky Gardens." In the Sci-Fi tab, neon-lit streets of "Neo-Kyoto 2099" were listed, while in the Historical tab, Ancient Rome and Viking villages were lined up.
The "Design Chains" tab Petter clicked had a much more complex structure. "Like a modular creation tool," said Petter, as if talking to himself but his gaze was on his mother. "Look, it says 'Outfit Design Chain'. By choosing a basic armor skeleton and adding different materials on top..." He cast a fleeting glance at the tracksuit on his mother. "...or by removing, you can create your own style."
Eyes wide open, Maya asked, "So can I build my own castle?"
"And how," said Petter, ruffling his sister's hair. "If you want, you can even build a castle where every tower is a different color."
While continuing to browse the app, he wondered what the grey-colored, locked "Room Expansion" tab that caught his eye was. It was obvious that the possibility of expanding space with new modules to be added to the physical room in the future would be offered; OPG's plans were just a beginning.
Seeing that a maximum of five Omni-Chambers could be defined for an account in the "Account" tab, Petter realized that rich families or companies could establish their own small virtual universes. The system with incredible functions like Playground, Living Space, Simulation Space was not just a console, but a personal dimension gate that could serve every purpose.
Feeling that he was only skimming the surface in the bottomless ocean full of construction plans, vehicles, buildings, weapons, and spells, Petter greatly enjoyed watching his loved ones on both sides looking at this digital wonderland with their heads resting on his shoulder.
"Incredible, Petter," said Sarah, admiration in her voice. "Not just a game; an educational tool, design platform, therapy room... Its possibilities are endless."
Nodding, Petter said, "I think the same, mom," and turned to the excited little body next to him. "So, my little fish... Among all these worlds, where would you like to go first?"
Maya, thinking for a moment, closing her eyes to visualize the world in her dreams, began, "I..." "I want to go to a place with floating islands. But let the islands be crystal, not soil. Let waterfalls flow between them but not down, upwards, towards the sky! And let glowing butterflies fly around that make music notes when I touch them!"
Petter and Sarah, smiling at each other in the face of the specific and creative dream, were amazed by the reflection of Maya's pure imagination.
Turning to her mother, Maya said with unshakable confidence in her eyes, "Mom. You choose a concept for me, come on. Find a place like I described. Please?"
Moved by the sweet responsibility, Sarah's fingers touched her son's fingers for a slightly long time while taking the phone from Petter. In that short moment, their gazes locked. After browsing between "Fantasy" and "Abstract" categories, Sarah stopped on one. In the visual, there were crystal islands suspended in a sky of pink and purple tones, with rivers of light flowing through them. "I think this is the place you're looking for, peanut," she said. "Lumina's Sky Gardens. The description says, 'A realm woven from dreams where gravity is a suggestion and music is a color.' I think you can find glowing butterflies there too."
Hugging her mother's neck with joy, Maya shouted, "Yes! Yes! This is it!"
"Great choice," said Petter, lightly scratching his palm while taking the phone from his mother's hand. "What about me? I'll try 'The Forest of Whispering Giants'. Let's see what level that praised realism, touch sensation is at."
Petter, first entering Maya's panel and selecting the "Lumina's Sky Gardens" concept, pressed the "Create Environment" button. Then switching to his own panel, he performed the same operation for "The Forest of Whispering Giants."
With the intense hum rising from the two rooms in the garden, the white light inside began to fluctuate with pink, purple, and deep green tones, the main colors of the selected concepts.
"Are you ready?" asked Petter, standing up.
Holding the hand of Maya jumping in place, Sarah gave her son a meaningful look and said, "We are ready."
They quickly went out to the garden. Petter, watching Maya run to her own room under Sarah's supervision, headed alone to the other room.
When he approached it, behind the transparent door that slid open with a silent hiss, it was illuminated by an empty and neutral white light.
Upon stepping inside, the door closing behind him with the same silence cut his connection with the outside world like a knife. With the command "Please stand in the marked area on the floor" from a calm, genderless voice, Petter walked onto the glowing blue circle in the center of the floor, and the moment he stopped, he witnessed an incredible change. The door he had just entered ceased to be a passage, losing the thin joint lines at its edges, and melting away before his eyes, turned into flawless, smooth glass like the rest of the room. He was now inside a completely closed, inescapable glass box.
Immediately after, the world dissolved.
Rather than a simple screen change, what happened was a total destruction and reconstruction of reality. While the familiar view of the garden shattered instantly as if into thousands of glass shards; colors, shapes, and sounds flowed into each other. It was as if a new universe was being born in place of one dying at the speed of light. Meaningless but fascinating explosions of color and light passing before his eyes as if inside a kaleidoscope were accompanied by the roar of a storm, choral hymns, and digital screams filling his ears. Petter, not feeling his body for a moment, floated in the chaos of the moment of creation as pure consciousness.
When the chaos, whose duration could not be understood, subsided as suddenly as it began, colors and sounds slowly fell into place. The young man opening his eyes was no longer inside a glass box.
Around him stretched a forest composed of massive and ancient trees, whose trunks were covered with emerald green velvety moss, so thick that ten people could barely hug them together. While sunbeams leaking through the treetops invisible due to the dense fog above created divine light pillars on the ground; strange mushrooms and plants never seen before, emitting faint blue and purple light from within themselves, were growing on the ground.
The slight rustle of leaves reaching his ears, the melancholic bird song coming from afar, and strangest of all, the deep, low, and constant whisper as if coming from the massive trees themselves, was far from being frightening; on the contrary, it was like the ancient song of the forest saying "welcome."
Petter, feeling a cool, moist breeze on his face thanks to the illusion completed with airflow sensors and scent generators, filled his nose with the smell of wet earth, rotting leaves, and resin. The level of realism was so high that for a moment he thought he might have really teleported to another world; it wasn't like looking at a screen, but like being personally in the heart of the forest.
With the question "I wonder if I can walk?" appearing in his mind, he hesitantly stepped forward with his right foot. He was walking. While the ground beneath his feet gave the feeling of normal forest soil, it slid imperceptibly, and physically moved the landscape according to whichever direction he stepped. Although he moved around the forest and the perspective changed flawlessly thanks to the world's most advanced, multi-directional treadmill, he actually always remained in the center of that ten-square-meter area. His brain didn't question this perfect illusion for even a moment.
As he walked toward the nearest massive tree, the moss texture and bark cracks on the growing trunk became distinct. When he stopped right in front of it, although his logic told him this consisted only of photons and pixels; his eyes, senses, and whole being screamed its reality.
He slowly raised his trembling hand. As his palm approached the tree bark, the last remaining centimeters melted and contact occurred.
His whole body shook as if struck by electricity.
He had felt it. His fingertips were contacting a real texture, not a cold glass surface. He sensed the moist, spongy softness of the moss, the hard, rough, and indented surface of the tree bark underneath. This situation, the marvel of the technology called "Filament," was beyond a virtual reality; it was touchable light, a dream turned into matter, a synthesized reality. Petter's world, taking the first step and making the first touch of his new life, would never be the same again.
Shaking off the shock created by the touchable bark of the massive tree, Petter dived into exploring the whispering forest around him, feeling like an explorer. Touching one of the glistening mushrooms on the ground, he experienced its smooth, cool surface flexing like a sponge. While walking toward the melancholic bird sound coming from afar, he admired the ground beneath him sliding perfectly to maintain the illusion. After a while, he remembered that he needed to wake up from this dream and check on his mother and sister.
Inside the virtual world, the phone in his pocket was like a small, solid, and real anchor. When he took out the device and opened the "OPG Connect" app, he encountered the status of his room appearing as "Active - In Use" on the main panel. He read the explanation "To end the experience, give the command 'End project' in a clear voice" in the help menu.
Taking a deep breath and looking one last time at the incredibly realistic forest around him, Petter said, "End project." His voice echoed clearly amidst the ambient sounds of the forest.
When faced with the question "Voice command detected. Should the experience recording of this session be taken, or just ended?" from the calm, genderless voice coming from inside the room, he realized he could record these moments and live them again. "Just end," he replied.
With his command, the magnificent forest dissolving as if water was poured over a watercolor painting; after colors flowing into each other, tree lines blurring, and a short light chaos like in the moment of creation, left its place to the neutral, white-lit glass box. The appearing door line slid open with a silent hiss.
When he stepped out, he encountered his mother anxiously pacing in the garden painted crimson by the last rays of the setting sun, in front of Maya's room right next door, which was still glowing in pink and purple tones.
Seeing Petter, Sarah ran to his side immediately. "Petter! Are you okay? It took so long!"
Although Petter's eyes looking at his mother shone with the astonishment of what he had just seen, the fire of that secret shared with his mother burned deep within. Placing his hand on the woman's waist, he whispered, "Mom..." "It was far beyond an ordinary screen experience." Guiding his mother to the bench in front of Maya's room and sitting side by side, he didn't neglect to lean his leg against hers. "Hasn't she come out yet?"
Shaking her head anxiously, Sarah said, "No. I call out but she doesn't hear. Sounds of music and laughter are coming from inside." Putting her hand on Petter's knee and squeezing his fingers slightly, she added: "Leaving her there alone... I don't know if I did the right thing." The deep concern in her voice touched Petter's heart.
Holding his mother's hand and stroking her palm with his thumb, Petter said, "Don't worry, she's safe. The system is incredible, words are insufficient." He brought his face close to his mother and lowered his voice. "I was there, I was really inside a forest. I felt the wind on my face, the humidity in the air, the smell of the soil. It wasn't like watching a movie, it was like living in it, touching it."
Looking into her son's eyes shining with excitement, Sarah recognized the intensity in this gaze. With her voice turning into a whisper, she asked, "But isn't this dangerous?" "I mean for our brain? Doesn't it feel strange to return to the real world after such a realistic experience?"
Lowering his eyes to his mother's lips, Petter said honestly, "A little." "I'm dizzy, as if I returned from a long journey. But do you know what the most incredible moment was? I touched a tree."
"What do you mean touched?"
"I reached out and felt it. The tree bark, the moss on it... It was hard, rough, cold, and moist. Not just an image, it was matter. The technology they call filament changes everything; it wasn't just seeing and hearing, it was feeling and touching." Running his hand over his mother's arm and feeling her skin through the fabric, the young man continued: "If simulation becomes indistinguishable from the real world, the concept of 'real' might lose its meaning. Maybe reality was just a data stream interpreted by our brain, and OPG was offering us a new one."
Sarah's body, pausing for a moment in the face of philosophical depth, reacted to her son's touch. "Even the thought fascinates and scares me. Maya is very young; the line between real and imaginary is already very thin for her. What if she loses that line completely? What if she starts loving crystal gardens more than here?"
Understanding his mother's concern, Petter put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "That's why we are here. To guide her, to teach the balance between the two worlds. This is not a threat to be banned, but a power to be understood and managed."
Their conversation was cut off by the sound of cheerful music rising from Maya's room. Sarah, standing up again anxiously, said, "She needs to come out now. She stayed too long."
Taking out his phone, Petter said, "Don't worry, I'll handle it," and entered the control panel of Maya's room. When he pressed the "End Session" button, a warning appeared on the screen: "Security Protocol: Cannot be interfered with externally without user approval. The command must be given from inside to end the session."
"Damn it," muttered Petter. "I can't force her out. The security measure is a bit too tight." Seeing the "Send Parental Instruction" option at the bottom of the screen, he clicked it. To the appearing question "What message would you like to send to Maya?", he wrote "Sweetheart, time to come out now. Dinner is getting cold. We missed you very much," and sent it.
A few minutes later, the music stopped. Following a moment of silence, on Maya's face coming out of the door sliding open, there was an expression of pure admiration and happiness they had never seen before; her eyes shone as if she had seen thousands of stars.
Their next test would be whether the two could meet in the same virtual environment, but it had gotten quite late, bedtime was approaching.
When they entered the house, Maya started describing the extraordinary experience she had while putting on her pajamas. Her narration consisted of a child's excited, breathless, and equally magical words.
"Mom! Brother! It was wonderful! The ground was bouncing! It was like made of crystal and every time I took a step I was thrown into the air like on a trampoline! Islands were floating in the sky! I just had to think to jump from one to another! I thought and poof! I was on the other island!"
Sitting on her mother's bed, she was trying to act out what she saw with her hands and arms. Sarah and Petter, sitting side by side on the edge of the bed, touching arms, were watching her. "Waterfalls were really flowing upwards! It was like water was pouring into a sea in the sky! When drops fell on me I didn't get wet, on the contrary, small, glowing stars appeared on me! And butterflies... oh, butterflies! They were colorful, luminous. When I touched them a melody started playing around me! Every butterfly was a different note, I made my own song by touching them!"
Pausing for a moment, Maya said, "Also I met Lumo!"
"Lumo?" asked Sarah smiling, giving a short glance to Petter; as if saying "What is this?"
"Yes! A small, round creature made of light. It didn't have eyes but could see me. It didn't speak but I understood it. It showed me the Sky Gardens, showed secret caves. It became my friend."
Maya's enthusiastic narration had deeply affected both Petter and Sarah. Beyond just playing a game; what she experienced was making a new friend, composing, exploring.
Maya fell asleep in her mother's arms dreaming of crystal gardens. Sarah left the room after gently laying her in her bed and covering her.
Petter, sitting in the living room, was listening to the low hum of the refrigerator in the silence of the house. When Sarah came and sat in the armchair opposite her son and crossed her legs, the fabric of her tracksuit stretched. They sat silently for a while trying to digest the incredible events of the day.
Finally, it was Sarah who spoke. "It's something much bigger than I expected, Petter. That expression on Maya's face... It was the expression of someone who witnessed a miracle rather than just an entertained child."
Nodding, Petter said, "I felt the same thing." "Education, art, communication... It can change everything. But it's also dangerous. Maya talked about an imaginary friend named 'Lumo'. What if those imaginary friends replace the real? What if children don't want to leave those perfect worlds? A big responsibility."
"I think about this too," said Sarah, fixing her eyes on her son. "As a business woman, I see the market potential, but as a mother, the dangers... Addiction, disconnection from reality, social isolation..." She took a deep breath. "That's why I made a decision. I will order one too."
Pretending to be surprised, "Really?" asked Petter. Whereas he was expecting this.
"Yes. If I want to understand the new world my children will live in and protect them, I must enter that world myself. I must learn its rules and dangers firsthand. It's not something I can stand on the sidelines and watch."
Getting up toward the end of the conversation and sitting next to his mother, Petter said, "Thank you for everything, mom." Although his voice was full of sincere gratitude, there was that sparkle from the night in his eyes. "For trusting me. For giving us this incredible opportunity." Leaning down, he planted a huge, loud kiss on his mother's cheek. His lips lingered a bit too long on her skin.
Smiling, Sarah took her son's face between her palms and kissed his forehead, cheeks, tip of his nose. Just then, suddenly shouting "There, I caught you!", Petter went down from his mother's shoulders with his hands and ruffled her hair in an instant.
"Petter! Don't!" screamed Sarah, both laughing and trying to push her son's hands away. "I dealt with that hair all day!"
"But you are not in a meeting anymore, my queen," said Petter, starting to tickle his mother's waist. "You are in my kingdom and here hair gets messy!"
Struggling to escape her son's mischievous attack, Sarah finally slipped from Petter's hand and jumped up. "You are done, young man!" she said, waving her finger at him but her eyes were shining. A funny but equally high-tension chase began in the living room around the sofas with Petter standing up. Petter was dancing around his mother, trying to touch her; Sarah was both laughing out loud and running away from him. Finally, Sarah cornered Petter and started tickling him.
"Surrender! Surrender, I tell you!"
"Never! Revolutionaries never surrender!" shouted Petter, bursting into laughter while his mother's hands were under his shirt. As Sarah's hands wandered on her son's chest under the pretext of tickling, their breaths mixed together.
The seemingly childish game had taken away all the intensity, philosophical depth, and worries of the day. Only the pure, joyful but equally fiery laughter of a mother and son who loved each other very much and explored their boundaries remained.
When they finally got tired, they collapsed onto the sofa breathless. Resting her head on her son's shoulder, Sarah's hand was on Petter's chest. "I love you, my naughty son."
Petter smelled his mother's hair. "I love you too, my beautiful queen."
When they went to their beds that night, their minds were both tired and incredibly alive. As they fell asleep, there were crystal gardens, whispering forests, and the warmth of each other's skin in their dreams. A new age had begun and they were right in the heart of this age.