"Lora, cough... cough..." The elderly man, lying on his sickbed, stared blankly into the distance, his face weathered by the passage of time, etched with the deep marks of life's hardships.
"I fear I may leave before you..." He tilted his head slightly, hoping to catch one final glimpse of the companion he had shared most of his life with, but no matter how hard he tried, she remained a blur.
The old woman clutched his hand tightly, her clouded eyes brimming with tears. Her voice trembled as she opened her mouth, yet no words escaped.
"In the next life... cough... cough..." She hurriedly patted his chest, trying to ease his breath. "In the next life... I will meet you earlier. We will marry again, do you promise?" The old man, feeling the weight of time, wished only to speak the truths of his heart before his final breath.
"Yes, whatever you say, it shall be so."
His breathing grew faint. "How wonderful..." A smile crept across his lips as his eyes slowly closed.
"Beep... Task complete, should we disconnect?"
"Yes!" The old woman pressed the button without hesitation.
Her name was Elora, the administrator of the Bureau of Time and Space. Her task was to help clients win the hearts of the men they longed for but could not have, fulfilling their desires. In return, she would extract their soul energy, for it was this energy that powered the Bureau of Time and Space. Without it, the clients would have no afterlife.
Upon entering the Bureau, all memories and emotions from the previous world were sealed within a crystal ball.
"Elora, you've worked hard!"
As Elora entered her office, a small fox spirit, Vixen, bounded toward her, leaping into her arms and nuzzling her hand.
At the Bureau, only Elora and Vixen remained, with Vixen assisting Elora in completing her tasks.
"Elora, will you rest for a while, or shall we move on to the next mission?" Vixen gazed up at her with big, sparkling eyes.
"Let's continue."
"When you leave, it's just me here. It's so boring! Why don't you take me with you?"
"Take you? I'm off to work, not for leisure!" Elora shot Vixen an unamused glance.
"It's just us here. When you're gone, I have no one to talk to! Please, let me come along. I promise I won't cause any trouble!" Vixen raised her tiny paws and looked at Elora with pitiful eyes.
"Alright... you can come, but no causing trouble!" Elora relented, finding the idea of company somewhat comforting.
"Of course! You tell me to go east, and I'll never go west!" Vixen eagerly nodded in agreement.
"Enough, no more chatter. Let's head to the reception room to meet the next client!" Elora stood and walked toward the reception room.
A young woman, about 25 years old, with a delicate, oval face and a pair of captivating peach blossom eyes, sat in the room. Her aura was cool and composed, a true beauty.
Elora poured a cup of tea and placed it before the woman. "Please, drink while we talk. How may I assist you, Miss?"
"My family and the Ridge family have been close friends for generations. I grew up with Lucas Ridge. We were even engaged after graduating from university, planning to marry in a few years. But one day, he came to my family to break off our engagement for the sake of another woman. At the time, I agreed without thinking, out of pride. But now, I regret it deeply. I have loved him since high school, but I never dared to confess. I let this chance slip away. If I could, I would want to marry Lucas for love."
"I will help you fulfill this wish, but you must contribute your mental energy. This means you will have no afterlife. Are you willing?"
"Yes!"
"Agreement accepted. Vixen, provide me with the details!"
Vixen's eyes suddenly glowed blue, projecting a hologram in front of Elora:
Name: Elora
Gender: Female
Appearance: 70 (Max: 100)
Skin Quality: 65 (Max: 100)
Aura: 60 (Max: 100)
Charm: 40 (Max: 100)
IQ: 100 (Max: 180)
Mental Energy: 70 (Max: 120)
Combat Ability: 40 (Max: 100)
Remaining Points: 5
"Add 5 points to Charm!"
The data was updated as follows:
Name: Elora
Gender: Female
Appearance: 70
Skin Quality: 65
Aura: 60
Charm: 45
IQ: 100
Mental Energy: 70
Combat Ability: 40
"Vixen, transform into a necklace and accompany me into the mission world!" Elora said, stepping into the teleportation chamber and pressing the button to initiate the transfer.