boyutpedia Chapter 293 The Magical Corner of the Home
Chapter 293 The Magical Corner of the Home
Chapter 293 The Magical Corner of the Home
The afternoon snowfall gradually subsided, and the view outside the window was a blanket of white. Karen carried the hardwood box into the warm living room. Her father, David, was reading a naval engineering journal while wearing glasses, her mother, Emily, was knitting a scarf, and Lily was playing with her toy castle on the carpet.
"Dad, Mom, Lily," Karen's voice held a hint of barely perceptible excitement, "Could you come over here for a moment? Professor Nicolas Flamel and Professor Castor sent something that I think you'll be interested in."
Lily was the first to drop her toys and run over, her eyes sparkling: "Is it a present, Karen? Is it a magic present?"
"In a way, yes, Lily. And it was specially prepared for you, remember what I told you before?" Karen placed the wooden box on the coffee table, and David and Emily also put down what they were doing and curiously gathered around.
"Is this what you mentioned before, the one the two teachers sent?" David adjusted his glasses, carefully examining the wooden box, his gaze habitually analyzing its structure and materials. "It looks like exquisite woodwork, but from the outside, it doesn't seem particularly special?"
Emily, however, was more observant. She noticed the two intertwined, unique wax marks on the box lid: "These marks are unusual. What's inside, Karen?"
"This is what I told you about before, Mom," Karen said, choosing her words carefully, "a magical practice space. It's mainly for Lily; Professor Nico said in his letter that he hopes Lily will like this belated Christmas gift."
"Prepared for me?" Xinli pointed to herself in surprise, almost jumping up. "=A magical space?"
"Where is it? In this little box?" Her little hand couldn't help but reach out to touch the box.
Karen gently stopped her hand: "Yes, it's inside. The most important thing is that Professor Nico and Professor Castor made some adjustments to it, so it doesn't require any magic to use. So, Lily, and Daddy, Mommy, you can all go in."
"We can do both?" David's engineer's mind immediately started working. "A magically expandable item with an internal space larger than its external container? The principle behind it—and it doesn't require magic to activate? How is this authentication mechanism implemented?"
Emily, however, was more concerned with practicality: "A safe magical space? For Lily to practice? But Karen, didn't you say you were still working on it? Did you and the professors finish it so quickly? This—this is so thoughtful and generous."
“Yes, Mom, it’s very safe, and the instructors have thought of everything,” Karen assured her, then looked at the eager Lily. “Come on, Lily, you go first. Just like me, put your palm in the middle of the lid and think about opening it.”
Lily took a deep breath, as if she were about to complete a very solemn task. She carefully placed her small hand on the center of the smooth, cool wooden box lid, closed her eyes, and tensed her face, silently chanting in her mind: "Open, open, open quickly—"
Almost the instant she focused her mind, a very faint sound came from inside the box lid, as if some delicate mechanism had been triggered. Then, the lid slid open silently.
"Wow!" Lily suddenly opened her eyes, looking at the opened box with surprise.
David and Emily also leaned closer to take a look. The inside of the opened box was not solid, and there was no mechanical structure to be seen. There was only a soft, slowly rotating milky white halo, like a condensed cloud of mist confined to a small space, making it impossible to see anything specific inside.
"It's open? But I didn't do anything?" Lily looked at her hands in surprise, then at the box.
"The internal magic circle has completed the authentication and guidance," Karen explained. "Now, try gently touching this light with your finger."
Lily did as instructed, extending her index finger and carefully touching the halo of light. Her finger didn't sink into it, but the instant she touched it, her body paused slightly, and her eyes showed a moment of disorientation and extreme surprise.
"Lily?" Emily asked with concern.
"I—I think I saw it!" Lily jerked her hand back, excitedly babbling incoherently, "A room! A huge, bright, round room! There were colorful mats inside, and—and lots of glowing toys! Right there in the box!"
"Consciousness projection guidance." Karen nodded and explained to her parents, "By touching the halo, your consciousness can perceive the scene inside the space. Dad, Mom, you should try it too."
With intense research interest, David was the first to place his finger on the halo. His reaction was much calmer than Lily's, but his eyes behind his glasses widened instantly, his lips parted slightly, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. "—Incredible," he murmured, withdrawing his finger and examining it repeatedly. "This sensation is so real—although I've said it many times, I still have to marvel at the wonder of magic."
Emily also tried it out and was equally amazed by the clear interior view: "This is amazing!"
It's like a real room suddenly popping into your head.
Next, Karen guided the family through "access authentication." "Now, we need to get the box to recognize each of you. That way, you can open it individually whenever you want to go in later." He had Lily place her hand on the lid again, "and clearly think your name, 'Lily Hawthorne.'"
Lily did as she was told, concentrating her attention. On the surface of the box lid, several fine lines, amidst the natural wood grain, began to glow again, quickly outlining a simple rune that flickered twice before disappearing.
"It's a success!" Karen said.
David and Emily followed suit, and the lids responded with a gentle glow, indicating successful authentication. Lily seemed particularly excited about the process, as if she possessed a secret spell reserved only for herself and her family.
"Alright, now let's actually go in and take a look." Karen smiled and gestured to everyone, "Let's all put our hands on the halo and think about going in."
""
The family of four exchanged glances, their faces filled with anticipation and a touch of nervousness. They simultaneously reached out, their fingertips touching the soft halo of light.
The next moment, it was as if a gentle yet irresistible force was gently pulling at their consciousness, and the scene before them blurred and then cleared instantly! Their physical perception also changed; they were no longer standing in the living room, but were actually standing in a completely new environment.
They were in a spacious, bright circular room. The walls were a soft, milky white, radiating their own light and replacing the light fixtures. The ceiling was a realistic, comforting azure blue, dotted with a few slowly drifting white clouds. Soft light filled every corner, the temperature was pleasant, and the air was fresh.
The room was decorated with a childlike and magical touch: a thick, soft carpet with twinkling stars and crescent moons on the floor; and several large, brightly colored pumpkin-shaped and starry-sky-patterned cushions scattered around.
At the lower part of the wall, there are some interactive light and shadow decorations. When you touch them lightly, the light screen will ripple like the surface of water, or transform into the outlines of cute little animals such as cats, dogs, and birds, and emit a soft, pleasant humming sound.
In the center of the room was a low, white platform that looked like it was formed by intertwined natural tree roots, on which were placed several interesting-looking items.
Just then, a gentle, soothing, and familiar male voice suddenly rang out in the room, clearly pre-recorded by Nicolas Flamel. The voice echoed in everyone's ears: "Welcome, friends of the Hawthorne family. May this little space bring you joy and wonderful experiences. Explore freely without any worries."
"Wow—!!!" Lily's exclamation broke the brief silence. Her big eyes widened, filled with pure joy and disbelief. "We really got in! In a little box! That's amazing!" She excitedly spun around in a circle, then was immediately drawn to something on the central platform.
David and Emily looked around in shock. David instinctively stomped his foot, feeling the real, soft touch of the carpet beneath his feet. He walked to the wall and reached out to touch the milky-white, glowing surface. It felt warm and slightly elastic, and even when pressed firmly, it didn't budge. "Such a small box contains such a large space," he muttered to himself, trying to understand the principles behind it all, but it was clearly far beyond his comprehension.
Emily, however, was more focused on the feeling the space evoked: "It's so comfortable here, the light is soft and not glaring at all. The temperature is just right. It feels—very safe and peaceful." She watched Lily curiously exploring everything on the platform, a reassuring smile spreading across her face.
Lily had picked up a transparent, crystal-ball-shaped base with a prominent button on it. "What's this?" she asked, pressing it.
call--!
A swarm of colorful soap bubbles emerged from the top of the crystal ball. Unlike ordinary bubbles that rise or burst quickly, they floated lightly and slowly throughout the room, gently bouncing apart as they collided, their colors changing from blue to pink, or from green to gold. Lily squealed with delight, jumping up to reach the bubbles and having a wonderful time.
"A floating bubble machine," Karen said, looking at the instruction manual on the central platform, "that continuously generates magical bubbles, which can train Lily's concentration and tracking abilities."
Emily's attention was drawn to a harp without strings. Its frame was made of wood, but where the strings should have been were several solidified, rainbow-like beams of light. She couldn't resist reaching out her finger and gently running it across one of the beams.
A clear and melodious note rang out, and at the same time, the touched beam of light rippled out like water being disturbed, spreading out in circles of soft halos, with colors flowing and breathtakingly beautiful.
"The Rainbow Harp," Karen smiled, "touching the light strings produces notes and changes in light and shadow, cultivating a sense of rhythm and a perception of light and sound."
David became interested in a set of building blocks stacked beside the platform. These blocks were translucent, with a milky white glow slowly flowing inside. He picked up two blocks and found that they automatically "clicked" together when brought close, very firmly. He tried to build a simple arch bridge structure, which was exceptionally sturdy. "This magnetic attraction? No, it doesn't seem like it—" He tried to build more complex structures and found that these blocks could even slightly bend or change their connection angles within a certain range according to his ideas, perfectly matching his design. "This—this is so interesting! The design logic!" He almost forgot that it was a toy for his daughter, immersed in the joy of building.
"Magic building blocks," Karen explained, "have built-in guiding magic, are easy to assemble and shape, and inspire creativity and spatial imagination."
Finally, there was a shallow silver dish filled with fine, shimmering silver sand. Lily ran over and curiously stirred the sand with her hands.
A strange thing happened: as she moved her hand, the sand in the sandbox automatically rose and fell, forming miniature mountains and valleys. There were even shimmering silver lines simulating rivers, and some extremely fine, hazy green light spots gathered to form the phantom of a forest.
"A shapeshifting sandbox," Karen said, "responds to contact, simulating terrain. This involves high-level magical shaping and transmutation principles."
These props are extremely simple and intuitive to operate, requiring no spells or magic, allowing David and Emily to participate and enjoy themselves without any obstacles. Lily, on the other hand, was completely immersed in her "magical paradise," chasing bubbles, fiddling with the sandbox, and plucking the light strings, her giggles filling the entire space.
Karen watched her family happily exploring, her heart filled with gratitude. The gift Nico and Castor had prepared was far more than just a practice space; it was a wondrous gift that could bring magical surprises and warm connections to her family's daily life. Especially since the two mentors had also considered that non-magical people could also experience this gift.