CHAPTER 3 - Domain?

"Okay," Felicity said calmly, her voice devoid of emotion. "Just asking."

"Great! Now that everything is signed, we should get going," Mack cut in, brushing his hands together. 

He looked at Felicity with a quick, careless smile. 

"Babe, I'm going to head over with Phoebe to help her move into the house and check out the layout. You can handle driving the van back to your place by yourself, right?"

"Sure," Felicity replied with a simple nod. "I can handle it."

"Awesome. Call you later!" Mack said, already turning away.

Felicity watched in quiet amusement as Mack and Phoebe walked out of the lawyer's office together, their shoulders practically touching as they whispered excitedly about their new house.

The moment the glass doors hissed shut behind them, the neutral expression vanished from Felicity's face.

She pulled her smartphone out of her bag, unlocked it, and dialed a familiar contact. 

She placed the phone to her ear, listening to the tone ring twice before a rough, deep voice answered.

"Hello? Miss Felicity?"

"Mr. Harrison," Felicity said, her tone sharp, direct, and authoritative. "I need to place a massive bulk order through your warehouse connections. Canned goods, water purifiers, medical supplies, and heavy building materials. I need everything secured as soon as possible."

On the other end of the line, the warehouse manager paused before answering respectfully. 

"Noted, ma'am. I'll get the list and logistics ready right away."

Felicity ended the call and tucked her phone back into her pocket.

Stepping out into the parking lot behind the office, her eyes landed on her uncle's custom commercial van. 

It was a massive, dark matte-grey vehicle with heavy-duty tires and reinforced steel plating. 

To anyone else, it was just a sturdy utility vehicle. But to Felicity, it was her lifeline.

She pulled the heavy key fob from her bag and pressed unlock.

Beep-beep.

As the lock clicked, a quiet smile appeared on Felicity's face. 

She grabbed the handle, slid the heavy side door open, and stepped inside.

The moment her shoes hit the floorboards, her eyes widened in appreciation. 

It wasn't just a basic commercial van; it was a fully custom, high-end mobile living space. 

Her uncle had built it like a premium motorhome disguised under a rugged, military-grade shell.

Down the length of the interior, a sleek wooden frame housed a built-in bed with storage drawers underneath. 

Opposite the bed sat a compact kitchenette equipped with a deep stainless-steel sink, a small electric stove, and custom cabinetry secured with heavy latches to keep items from sliding during a rough drive.

Felicity walked further in, trailing her fingers along the smooth wooden panels. 

High above on the roof, she could hear the soft hum of the power inverter hooked up to pre-installed solar panels. 

The whole setup had its own independent power supply, complete with a clean water tank hooked up to the sink system.

A soft chuckle escaped her lips.

‘Did Phoebe even bother looking inside this van before she gave it up?’ Felicity thought, shaking her head.

In their past life, Phoebe had been so blinded by the size of the two-story house that she threw the van away without a second glance. 

She had assumed a house meant safety, completely ignoring the fact that their uncle had poured a small fortune into turning this vehicle into a self-sustaining survival rig.

Felicity took another step forward, her mind racing with logistical math.

‘The van is incredible, but where am I going to store several years' worth of bulk rations, medical crates, and water containers? This interior is cozy, but it’s nowhere near big enough for massive stockpiles.’

Just as the thought crossed her mind, her foot caught on a raised metal latch near the center floor panel.

"Woah—!"

Felicity stumbled forward, losing her balance. 

She reached out blindly to brace herself against the sharp edge of the stainless-steel counter. 

The metal corner sliced clean into her thumb.

"Ouch," she hissed, pulling her hand back.

A heavy drop of crimson blood dripped from her cut thumb, falling straight onto the metal latch on the floorboards.

The moment the blood touched the surface, the dark metal absorbed it like a sponge. 

A warm, golden light pulsed out from the floor, rapidly spreading across the entire interior. 

The floor beneath her feet seemed to melt away into a soft mist, and before she could even gasp, her surroundings vanished.

Felicity found herself standing in a vast, open domain.

The air was clean and fresh, filled with a soothing warmth. 

Above her was a sky of soft, swirling lavender light. Below her feet lay smooth, polished stone floors stretching out in every direction, spanning a massive area.

‘What... what is this place?’

"Welcome, Host!" a sweet, gentle voice chirped.

Felicity snapped her head around. 

Floating right in front of her was a tiny, glowing creature, no larger than a hummingbird. 

It looked like a small, translucent sprite made of soft blue light, fluttering tiny ethereal wings as it circled her head.

"A spirit...?" Felicity whispered, staring in awe.

"I am the core spirit of the Mobile Sanctuary Domain," the little creature replied happily, doing a tiny loop in the air. "Your blood has awakened the inner realm sealed within this vehicle!"

Felicity looked around the endless expanse. 

Unlike cold, mechanical systems, this place felt alive, warm, and vast.

"How big is this space?" Felicity asked, her heart beating fast.

"Right now, the sanctuary domain is at Level 1, covering about five hundred square meters," the spirit explained, hovering near her cut thumb, which was already magically healed and smooth. 

"You can store as many supplies here as you want! Food kept inside will never spoil, and water will stay completely fresh. As you collect rare energy sources and upgrade the base in the real world, this space will expand, unlocking new regions, rich soil for planting, and pure water springs!"

Felicity stared at the vast stone floor. 

Five hundred square meters of non-perishing storage right inside her van.

A slow, brilliant smile spread across her face.

‘Phoebe thinks she won with that house... but I just gained a self-sustaining world on wheels.’

"Thank you," Felicity murmured softly to the spirit. "I'll be back soon with plenty of work for us."

With a simple thought, the lavender realm dissolved, and the cozy interior of the van snapped back into view. 

Felicity was standing right where she had fallen, completely unharmed, with the floorboards as solid as ever.

Her eyes gleamed with renewed determination. 

She walked over to the driver's seat, climbed in, and turned the key.

The powerful engine roared to life with a deep, confident rumble.