Whether it was little Sally or Angie, their personalities spoke for themselves.
Especially Angie—her bright, generous, and straightforward nature made it nearly impossible for anyone to dislike her. At school and university, she was the kind of person people naturally gravitated toward. Friends came easily to her.
And that same warmth, that sunny spirit, made Wanda and Pietro feel something they hadn't felt in a long, long time—comfort.
Since their childhood, the siblings had lived like ghosts—drifting from place to place, constantly scraping to survive. Wanda's powers, still unstable in those early days, had only brought them more trouble. And then came HYDRA.
Endless experiments. Unimaginable pain.
But here… here was a warmth they hadn't felt since the day their parents died.
So Pietro chose to leave.
Not because he didn't like it here—because he liked it too much.
He feared that if he stayed any longer, this warmth would soften him, dull the edge of his fighting spirit.
He joined the Avengers to grow stronger. The moment he saw Bella's overwhelming power—the kind that made even thunder gods nervous—he realized just how far behind he truly was. If he wanted to protect Wanda… he had to become stronger.
Of course, he also wanted to be a superhero. To be famous. To be somebody.
And truth be told, even if he hadn't chosen to leave, Bella would have kicked him out eventually. After all, aside from Cosmo, she didn't want any more boys in her family.
---
That night, dinner was a lavish affair in the vast dining hall—over 200 square meters in size.
The massive sandalwood table was completely covered in dishes: golden king prawns, platters of seafood, delicacies from both East and West. Each one was exquisitely crafted by top-tier chefs using ingredients that cost more than some small countries' weekly GDP.
Little Sally was devouring food with both hands, her cheeks smeared with sauce, completely carefree.
Wanda was shy at first, unsure if she was allowed to indulge—but the casual, joyful atmosphere around the table slowly melted her hesitation. Before long, she was eagerly tasting everything.
She hadn't seen this much food—let alone eaten this well—in years.
Back at HYDRA, she and Pietro hadn't been starved exactly… but their daily "meals" were carefully rationed nutrient formulas. High in value, low in joy.
But here? Bella's family didn't believe in stiff dinner rules. No posturing, no sitting up straight, no "may I be excused?" nonsense. Everyone ate, talked, and laughed freely.
And they included Wanda in everything.
Even offered her wine.
For the first time in ages, Wanda felt happy. Curious. Hungry for more than just food.
Especially when Bella began sharing her adventures across the universe.
Wanda listened, eyes shining, absorbing every word like a sponge. When she finally leaned back, patting her full belly with a wince, she gave a helpless groan.
"If I stay here long-term… I'm gonna turn into a chubby paper doll."
But then she looked at the others. Half the food was still on the table. Bella and Angie were still eating. Even Nina and Cosmo were helping themselves to dishes humans normally wouldn't let their pets near.
"…Wait," Wanda blinked. "You all eat like this every day?"
She regretted the question the moment it left her mouth—was that rude?
But Bella just smiled, and before she could answer, Sally chimed in proudly—one hand gripping a giant crab leg, the other clutching its claw.
"Hee hee! This is nothing. A few days ago, we ate a beast on an alien planet—it was bigger than our whole house!"
Wanda choked, stunned by the little girl's casual flex.
Eating something bigger than a house?!
Was that… was that something to brag about?
…Well, yes. Honestly, Wanda was jealous. She wished she had a stomach big enough to do the same. That table of exquisite food was delicious—but also, kinda torturous.
Bella calmly picked up a slice of rice noodle-wrapped meat with her chopsticks and took a bite, savoring the flavor. Then she took a sip of red wine and explained:
"Our physical structure is different. Angie and Nina are exceptions. But me, little Sally, and Cosmo? The food we eat is rapidly converted into bioenergy. Nothing's wasted."
Wanda's eyes widened slightly.
Bella continued, "Your Origin Magic Power is very ancient. In fact, there are few things in the universe that surpass it in potential. But your body hasn't caught up yet."
Suddenly, it all made sense.
But… something still bothered her.
"Sister Bella," she asked hesitantly, "you keep calling my powers 'Origin Magic Power.' What exactly is that?"
She had always assumed she just had a strange kind of energy. She had never imagined it had a name that sounded so… divine.
Bella smiled faintly.
"Origin Magic Power is one of the oldest forces in the cosmos. Its roots are mysterious. At its peak, you can bend reality with a single thought. You'd be no different from the gods in mythology."
But she didn't elaborate further.
Because even Bella wasn't entirely sure. She had once tried researching it in the forbidden library of Kamar-Taj, but found nothing. When she asked the Ancient One, the answer was vague—more riddles than facts.
Eventually, Bella gave up. She hated mysteries.
If she wanted to understand, she would just get stronger. That's all there was to it.
Still, she couldn't help smiling now.
Once Wanda grew up… she'd be another little lamb waiting to be sheared. Of course, the official excuse would be "education." She'd used the same excuse on Cosmo, after all.
Poor Cosmo. He had suffered three entire planets' worth of "training."
These days, he actively avoided Bella when she looked too motivated.
Now it might be Wanda's turn.
(^∇^)
In her heart, Bella was humming.
Tomorrow, she planned to track down that stingy, black-hearted demon head—Braised Dantou—and demand the Darkhold. Others who obtained it either went mad… or died.
But in Bella's eyes?
It was practically made for Wanda.
There was no way she was going to let it fall into someone else's hands.