Chirp… chirp, chirp!
The song of a yellow bird drifted through the window, weaving its way into a hazy dream. Michael rolled over, instinctively pulling the smaller form beside him closer.
"Elysia..." he murmured.
"Oh? So you'll call me Elysia from now on?"
Michael's eyes snapped open. Mobius's face, inches from his, framed by dark circles, swam into focus. A moment of confusion, then understanding.
He pursed his lips, searching for an excuse, a way out of this awkward situation.
"Tch, I hate seeing you squirm." Mobius threw off the covers, hopping out of bed and quickly dressing.
Michael watched her, noting that she'd grown taller overnight, a visible effect of the [Śeṣa] ICHOR Factor. Thankfully, she'd anticipated this and brought oversized clothes.
But his mind wasn't on her clothes. He'd added another layer to the wall between him and Elysia.
"What are you waiting for? Come on, we need to test if your core synchronization has been affected."
"Do we really… have to?" Michael instinctively recoiled at the thought of leaving the room.
"Hmm?" Mobius turned, a smirk playing on her lips as she slipped on her lab coat. Her expression hardened. "Michael, are you coming or not?"
"Coming… I'm coming…" Michael reluctantly got out of bed, then froze, his hand hovering over his discarded underwear.
A question echoed in his mind: Would you do this so casually in front of Elysia?
The answer was obvious.
He dressed slowly, each movement punctuated by a long pause.
Mobius waited impatiently, assuming he was still recovering from recent events.
She opened the door, looked around, then said dismissively, "Alright, come on. Elysia's not here."
Michael cautiously poked his head out, then Mobius grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
"At least let me close the door!" he grumbled, using his spatial powers to slam it shut.
Half an hour later, as the nine o'clock bell chimed, the door next to Michael's opened. Elysia had composed herself. While not her usual cheerful self, the anguish in her eyes had faded.
"I wonder how Michael is… I doubt Mobius's methods are very… delicate." She took a few steps towards his door, then stopped.
It was slightly ajar, the room empty.
She stepped inside. The air was still warm, carrying a faint, unfamiliar scent. She touched the rumpled bedsheets. Still slightly damp. He'd just left.
Mobius's methods were effective… Wait, what's this…?
She picked up a green hair, her heart sinking. She searched the sheets, finding more. Strands of green stood out starkly against the white fabric.
"Heh… so that's how she solved it…" Elysia bit her lip, trying to force a smile, but her lips trembled. Tears fell onto the sheets.
...
"Michael, what are you doing? Increase your Honkai energy output!" Mobius stared at the readings on the screen in disbelief.
But the sweat dripping from Michael's face told her this was all he had.
"End the test!" Mobius stormed out of the lab, ignoring the data printout Klein was holding.
Michael jumped off the testing platform and followed, leaving Klein unsure whether to upload the results.
"What's my synchronization rate?" Michael demanded. He knew his performance was abysmal. The Honkai energy that once flowed freely now trickled out like a weak stream, requiring all his effort.
Mobius hesitated. She punched him lightly on the chest, offering unconvincing reassurance. "Terrible. 43%. Based on your Honkai energy output, it's barely twice what it was before the 3rd Eruption."
"Is that so…?"
"Don't worry," she patted his cheek. "Maybe it's because of… Anyway, let's try again tomorrow. Synchronization rates don't plummet for no reason. Maybe it'll go back to normal tomorrow."
"Hmm… alright…" Michael gave her a searching look, then, instead of using his spatial powers, walked out of the lab.
Once he was gone, Klein peeked out from behind the testing equipment. "Doctor… is it okay to lie to him like this?"
Mobius snatched the folder from Klein. The synchronization rate wasn't 43%. It was 4.3%! His Honkai energy output was barely above that of a low-level Emperor-class Honkai beast.
"Doctor, should we report this to Dr. MEI?"
"Not yet. Let's see the results of tomorrow's test." Mobius clung to a sliver of hope.
But after a moment of thought, she sighed. "Tell her. I don't want her to be caught off guard if things get worse. I'll be the one getting chewed out." She grimaced.
Once Klein was gone, and she was alone in the lab, Mobius loosened her tie, leaning against the wall, sliding slowly to the floor.
After defeating a Herrscher, there was usually a long period of leave. "Leave" being a relative term. They still had to be on standby. But for Anti-Entropy, with all lower-level tasks delegated, today was indeed a day off.
But Michael hadn't returned to his dorm, nor had he gone to the Anti-Entropy offices. He was afraid. Afraid to face his teammates, afraid to face anyone who knew Seele, and most of all, afraid to face Elysia.
Besides, his work wasn't finished. His self-assigned work – revenge.
He wanted revenge on everyone who had directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, caused Seele's death.
He'd taken his revenge on Mobius with violence and lust. He'd punished himself with grief and betrayal. As for Aponia… Seele's death, conforming to her preordained fate, was punishment enough for her.
But there was one more person, still at large, unpunished. Someone Michael wouldn't have even considered if not for Seele's memories.
"Lezren…" He took "Vill-V's Chains" to the surface.
"Identity verified, Captain Michael. Have a pleasant outing." The artificial voice was sickeningly sweet.
A figure stood waiting for him. Unexpected, yet… inevitable.
The moment he saw her, Michael clutched the necklace, blood dripping from his hand onto the ground.
She stood before him, head bowed, hands clasped in prayer, her dull eyes glancing at the blood on his hand.
"Aponia! Are you here to stop me?"
"Ah… have my actions caused you such misunderstanding…?" Aponia smiled sadly, stepping aside to let him pass.
Michael didn't move. Aponia's connection to Seele's fate, her melancholy demeanor… his vision turned red.
How… how could she still smile?
But he restrained himself, waiting for her to speak.
"Michael, are you going to see Lezren?"
"You know the answer."
Seeing his hostility, she simply gestured towards the empty street, inviting him to continue on his path.
Her passivity made him even more suspicious.
"Heh, Michael, if you truly believed you were doing the right thing, you wouldn't hesitate. But since you've stopped, you must be willing to hear me out." She stepped closer. "Michael, [please], let me straighten your collar."
"Aponia, you…" He couldn't deny it. That single word, [please] eased the tension in his chest. Not the fleeting comfort of last night, but a gentle warmth spreading through him.
"You wouldn't accept any other comfort from me. This is all I can offer. Michael, please, let go."
Michael loosened his grip on the blood-soaked necklace. Aponia took his hand, gently wiping the blood with her pristine white sleeve. She tore off a strip of cloth, wrapping it around his hand, tying it into a neat little bow.
Michael watched her, then held out his other hand, the one with the necklace.
"Not this…" He tried to pull it away.
But Aponia simply uttered, "Please." He yielded. Not because he couldn't resist, but because he didn't understand why he should. He found himself… enjoying it.
Just as Aponia had said, "It's not about being meticulous, but in these times, such small acts of care become precious."
His eyes stung. He looked up, fighting back tears. He didn't notice that the necklace, still clutched in his bloodied hand, was completely clean.
Aponia untied the necklace, gently stroking it before fastening it around his neck. "With this, it's like Seele is always with you, Michael," she said meaningfully.
"Aponia, am I… a disappointment? So… can you please… not be so kind to me?"
Aponia took a deep breath. "Don't say that, Michael. What have we done wrong? Even Mobius, she didn't harm Seele. We were all trying to avert a tragedy… but our efforts backfired, creating an even greater one… But if we could go back, would we choose differently?"
"Aponia, do you find comfort in those words?"
"…No."
"It's alright, Aponia. I don't need comfort. I know what you're saying is mostly true, but… I blame myself. If I hadn't forgotten her medicine… If I'd spent more time with her… maybe… Even if this still happened, I wouldn't feel so much regret, so much guilt, so much self-loathing…"
Aponia started to speak, but Michael cut her off. "But as you said, if our actions were unintentional, if we can blame fate, then the person I'm going to kill now… is pure evil. Unforgivable."
This time, Aponia didn't try to stop him. She gestured for him to leave.
And this time, he didn't hesitate, walking towards his perceived justice.
As he reached the edge of her vision, Aponia's voice, soft yet firm, stopped him. "Michael, you've already lost Seele. Do you want to lose her too?"
"Her? Who?" Michael spun around, walking back towards her, his heart pounding.
"The next one, of course…"
Michael's fists clenched, his eyes widening. Lost in his grief, he'd almost forgotten…
The next Herrscher, the 7th, the Herrscher of Flame, was…
"Aponia, explain yourself. What does this have to do with Lezren?"
Aponia shook her head, her body dissolving into shimmering particles, vanishing before his eyes. He tried to stop her with his powers, but nothing happened. He could only watch her disappear, her words unfinished.
He raised his hand. His core, dimmed, almost gray, pulsed weakly. "Even I… reject myself…?"
He clenched his jaw, the words a familiar, bitter echo: "I still… I still can't do anything…"
...
Screech… screech…
Two gulls took flight from the reeds. Michael walked along the shimmering lake, hands in his pockets, the artificial sunset painting the sky in vibrant hues.
The artificial light reflected off the water, the swaying reeds, the white lampposts, even the obsidian pavement. It was beautiful, but cold. Unlike a real sunset, it offered no warmth.
He glanced at the sunflower field across the path. The sunflowers, too, felt cold, their faces turned away from the artificial light.
"Sunflowers in the underground world… you're something else, Captain." Himeko hummed a tune, carefully watering the flowerbed. "I heard about Seele, Michael…"
"It's okay, Captain." Michael forced a smile, turning his back to the cold light.
"Everyone's trying to comfort me… I don't need it."
Himeko looked up, then, without a word, pointed to the tallest sunflower. "Want to take one back? Elysia would like it."
"Uh… no… it's okay."
"Hey, what do you mean, 'it's okay'?" Himeko stepped out of the flowerbed, annoyed, but Michael was already walking away.
For the next week, Mobius dragged Michael to the lab every day to test his synchronization rate. The results confirmed her fears.
Single digits, then double digits, then… well, multiple digits after the decimal point.
"At this rate, it'll be zero soon!" Mobius stated the obvious, tossing the report aside.
Mobius, sitting across from Mei, yawned, looking exhausted.
"Dr. Mobius, haven't you been sleeping well?"
"Heh… yawn… Mei, mind your own business. Snakes only hibernate when necessary."
Mei frowned, confused. "So, Mobius, does Michael have any idea about his synchronization rate… wait, don't tell me you haven't told him?"
"Of course I haven't! Mei, has his idiocy rubbed off on you? So many pointless questions today… Fine, I haven't told him the exact numbers, but as the core's owner, he must know something's wrong. As for why…" Mobius twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
"Whatever. It's quitting time. We'll talk tomorrow."
As darkness fell, Michael returned to the residential area after wandering by the lake. He rounded the corner, then stopped, turning around.
"Stop right there!" A hand grabbed his sleeve, pulling him towards his door.
He turned to see Elysia, tears streaming down her face.
He instinctively reached out to wipe them away, but his hand recoiled as if burned. He had so much to say, but he didn't deserve to.
Elysia stared at him. He knew she had questions, accusations.
Like, "Why are you avoiding me?"
He spoke before she could. He held out his hand. A bright blue light pulsed in his palm. His core, dimmed and faded, floated there.
"Michael! What are you doing?!" Elysia grabbed his wrist, not the core.
But Michael was resolute. He gently pried her fingers open, placing the gem-like core in her hand.
"Elysia, I'm not giving you my core. It's rejecting me. I can no longer be… the Herrscher of Reason."
"Michael!" The formality of his address didn't escape her. She stepped towards him, but he'd anticipated it, stepping back, creating distance.
"The core… is a part of me. It holds my subconscious, my memories… or it did. It's rejecting me, which means I'm rejecting myself. Elysia, do you understand?"
"No, I don't! Explain yourself! What do you mean, you're rejecting yourself?"
"Maybe I can't accept my actions. Or maybe… it's something else. Don't worry about it, Elysia."
The formal address again. Elysia's face crumpled. "Is that why you won't call me 'Ellie' anymore?"
Michael lowered his eyes, hiding the tears welling up. "Listen, Elysia… this core… my core, is different. You can use it yourself, or give it to Mei… It'll be more useful in your hands than mine."
"But… what about you?"
Michael opened his door.
"Me…?"
A loud bang shook the entire building. That was his answer. The door slammed shut. This time, it wouldn't be opened again. Even without his spatial powers, Elysia couldn't break it down. It wasn't just a door that had closed. It was his heart.
As he'd said, the core rejected him. He rejected himself. He couldn't accept his actions. What good would it do to drag him out?
Elysia stepped back, looking up at the artificial moon. The night, once a source of comfort, now felt oppressive.
She clutched the still-warm core, then, in a sudden frenzy, ran back to his door, pounding on it.
"Michael! Michael! I know… I know about you and Mobius… but… can you please come out and talk?! Michael!"
A sigh from behind the door offered a flicker of hope. He was there, close by.
But his next words extinguished that hope.
"I'm sorry, Elysia."