The next morning, when Chu Lian woke up, Inori was still fast asleep, her arms wrapped around Chu Lian's waist like she was hugging a life-sized plush doll. Maybe it was because of a lack of security in her heart that she clung so tightly? Girls weren't exactly feather-light, after all.
Looking at her peaceful, sleeping face, Chu Lian gave a soft smile. She gently removed Inori's arms from around her waist and slowly lifted the blanket, preparing to get out of bed and wash up.
But just as she was about to rise, Inori let out a soft "Mmm~" and opened her eyes, gazing at her with a pure look. "Good morning, Lian..."
Well, since she was already awake, Chu Lian didn't have to worry about disturbing her anymore. Stretching lazily, she responded, "Mm, good morning, Inori. I have a pretty important class today, so I might not be able to keep you company. But after today, it'll be a two-day break, so I can accompany you however you like. After these few days, we'll be heading off on a tight and lengthy journey."
Chu Lian snuggled back into the covers as she chatted with Inori. The room was air-conditioned, and every night the temperature was automatically adjusted to what's most suitable for human sleep. Of course, that "most suitable" setting was something she had configured herself—she'd set it to 20 degrees after 10 p.m., just right for staying under the covers without overheating.
Sleeping tucked under the blankets all year round, 365 days a year—for her, that was truly a wonderful life. Clearly, Inori seemed to enjoy it too.
Of course, sometimes she couldn't always be snuggled under the blanket. In those cases, she'd either pre-adjust the temperature or find something to warm herself up.
Yesterday, when she slept near the edge of the bed, she'd even covered herself with a cozy blanket. Otherwise, she would've rather huddled close to a newly acquainted Inori than freeze.
When Chu Lian had woken up, she'd already checked the time. It was a bit past six—still early enough to get a few things done. But any plans she had for organizing her stuff had completely evaporated under Inori's pure, innocent gaze.
After chatting for a few minutes, Chu Lian checked the time again and figured it was about time to get up. She gently stroked Inori's cheek, lifted the blanket, and sat up straight—only to be hit by a sudden chill that made her feel something was off.
"Ah~" Looking down, she gasped. Clutching her chest and curling forward, her face flushed a fiery red, as vivid as a burning flame.
"What's wrong?" Still lounging lazily, Inori seemed unable to understand Chu Lian's panic.
"N-nothing... it's nothing." Shifting her gaze away, how could Chu Lian admit that she was feeling both shy and slightly pleased?
"Then..." Seeing her flustered like that, a mischievous glint flickered in Inori's eyes. Before Chu Lian could react, she leaned in and gave her a quick kiss at the corner of her lips.
"My first kiss!..." The stunned girl froze, then slowly touched her lips, mumbling to herself. After a moment, as if snapping out of it, her face bloomed into a deep blush. She leapt from the bed, grabbed her clothes, and bolted out the door toward the second-floor bathroom.
The sound of the bathroom door locking echoed faintly. Only then did Mana retract her smile, a faint blush coloring her own cheeks. Turns out, she wasn't immune to embarrassment either—she just pretended to be assertive so Chu Lian wouldn't notice.
"Was that really okay? You should know her identity might not be simple. I can sense the mysterious energy hidden inside her body. It's far more enigmatic than even a planet's core," said Eve's violet shadow as it appeared in the mirror, watching her.
"Our world is already gone. We've drifted who knows how many years to get here. I just want a peaceful place—a place where the remaining ones of us can start over again."
"That girl who seems to know our identity is perhaps the most suitable person. This home is our safe haven. After drifting for so long, it's the only place we can truly anchor ourselves." "Inori" didn't look at Eve, instead gazing out the window at the bright, beautiful sunlight. It felt so warm and reassuring.
"If that's all you wanted, then why go about it this way?" Eve still couldn't understand. If Mana just wanted to live peacefully, there were countless ways to go about it. Was this method really necessary?
"Heh… Eve, you have to understand, after all this time, I'm no longer the same Mana who once fused with you. The current me is a pure, independent person. I know what people like, what they love, what they desire. If you were still the Eve of back then, maybe you'd understand that—but..." At this point, Mana's face remained expressionless, only pausing slightly before continuing.
"You're no longer the pure Eve either. You've become a fusion of the world consciousness trying to avoid extinction and the Apocalypse Virus's mother core. You may still be called Eve, but that's only out of habit. Someone like you, nearly godlike, can hardly be expected to understand human joys and sorrows."
Mana's words revealed Eve's true identity. If Chu Lian had been there listening, she might have been completely shocked.
Who would have thought that a world consciousness would actually merge with the destructive Apocalypse Virus? The irony couldn't be more profound.
"I don't understand—that's why I'm asking." Eve didn't avoid the topic but expressed her honest confusion.
"Back then, because I had merged with the virus, I was under its influence. That's why I wanted to gather an Adam and create a new world with him." Mana recalled those days, a bitter smile spreading across her lips. "When Gai appeared, I did gain another option, but I only ever accepted Shu. No one else would do."
"You must remember well what that stubbornness led to, right?" Mana looked toward Eve.
Eve nodded. She hadn't forgotten at all.
"After I became a soul and began seeing the world through Inori's perception, I realized I had been wrong. But under the control of the virus, I couldn't act freely..."
"If the world hadn't collapsed, I think my existence alone would've eventually caused tremendous harm. Not just to Inori, but also to Shu, and even to you and me."
"When you separated from my consciousness, when the three of us—you, Inori, and I—became distinct souls, distinct individuals, I realized that many things simply can't be forced. Shu and Gai are already gone. The past is not something we need to keep clinging to. I want to live in this world in a new way. But I'm not sure if she'll keep helping us forever. So, I want to add one more layer to this bond of family—the bond of lovers..."
"The feelings between girls are yuri, and they're pure, you know. Besides, Lian-chan is just too lovable." Mana flashed a cute smile. "This way, our life has security. And besides, this kind of emotion isn't exactly a betrayal to Shu..."
As Eve's shadow slowly faded from the mirror, she left with a final question—though she didn't know if Mana heard it: "Do you really still love Shu? Mana, Inori... time has worn away too much of your memory. What you think is love may just be obsession... And obsession hurts the most. I just hope Lian won't get hurt in the end..."
When Mana later told Chu Lian about this conversation far in the future, Chu Lian had responded with a helpless laugh, "You all overthought it. Inori was my favorite anime character back then. Since I liked her, I naturally liked all of you too. Even if she became real, I'd do everything I could to help her."
But… was it really just Mana overthinking?
Perhaps that was the lie told to cover the deepest, most secret truth of all.