A boy and a girl walked across the land.
Birds sang to celebrate their journey, flowers bloomed to adorn their path, even the streams and breeze played a gentle melody, while the forest guarded their way forward.
The sun above guided them.
Though they had discarded their map and had no idea where they were heading, they felt no confusion about the path beneath their feet. Elias sang a pleasant tune, and Elysia walked beside him.
Finally, as the sun began to set and could no longer guide their way, the two reached the highest hill in sight—
And saw a city aglow with lights.
"Waaah... So many houses... such bright lights... it's beautiful!"
Elysia stared in awe at the sight.
She had once thought Vostok Town was the entire world. She had never seen a brightly lit, modern city before. Now, looking at the sea of lights beneath the night sky, it felt like the earth had transformed into the starry heavens.
Elysia couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
"Haha~ Hahahaha~! It's so beautiful, Elias! The world outside is amazing! Is this what they meant by 'the city' in books? Can we spend the night there?"
Elysia held Elias' hand with one of hers, the other pointing eagerly at the city before them. Her eyes sparkled as if she'd already found her paradise.
"Of course we're staying in the city tonight. We've been walking all day. Let's have a delicious dinner, get a good night's sleep, and head out again tomorrow."
Elias reached out to pat her head, calming the excited pink elf.
He, too, felt moved—after more than three years, he was seeing a modern city again. Looking at the vast sea of lights and towering buildings, he felt the undeniable allure of civilization.
"Mm! Then let's go quickly!"
Elysia cheered and pulled him toward the city.
If Celia were here, she would be shocked speechless.
The destination she had marked for their journey had been reached on the very first day. It was as they'd said before—that map was far too limited for Elias and Elysia.
Once inside the city, Elysia found herself overwhelmed by the dazzling night market, unsure of what to do.
Having never left town since the day she was born, the city was simply too extravagant for her. She would need some time to adjust.
Fortunately, Elias was still dependable.
"Hmm, from this angle, it's not that different from the modern civilization I remember. First, let's find a place to stay tonight, then look for a good restaurant. Tomorrow, we'll explore the city thoroughly—and then decide where to head next."
"Ah? Oh! Okay, I'll follow your lead, Elias!"
Elysia's eyes turned into cartoon dots. She didn't fully understand, but she was deeply impressed.
Compared to her own overwhelmed reaction, the boy before her seemed so calm, like he had just returned home. He was unbelievably reliable!
"There are so many people in the city... Just on this road alone, it feels like more than all the people in our town combined. It's so lively—how wonderful~"
"That's true. But because of that, Ely, you must stick close to me. If we get separated in this crowd... we might never see each other again."
"Eep! Don't scare me like that, Elias!"
Elysia turned pale at his words and quickly gripped Elias' hand even tighter.
She became like a pink little tail—clinging closely behind him while tilting her head up to marvel at the dazzling cityscape, unable to stop herself from gasping in amazement.
The two of them found a small inn to stay in. Travel funds were precious, so they opted for a single room to save money.
As for dinner…
Elias: "Let's try something different."
The Previous Era had hamburgers and fries too. When Elias saw the golden M logo, he didn't hesitate—he dragged Elysia inside and ordered a combo meal.
It was Elysia's first time trying hamburgers, fries, and cola. She felt like a whole new world had opened up to her. She ate three burgers and drank two cups of cola in one go.
Elias couldn't help but worry. Judging by her appetite—about half that of Kiana's—he feared this girl might eventually become a pink piglet.
Well, then again, a chubby pink elf might actually be pretty cute. And with her Herrscher powers, body shape was never really something to worry about.
As the day's journey came to an end…
Elias and Elysia lay on a single bed. Elias was grateful that the Previous Era didn't require ID for booking a room. Meanwhile, Elysia was still buzzing with excitement, unable to fall asleep from the thrill of the day.
"The outside world is so grand... so many things I've never seen before. It was dazzling. The burgers were delicious, the cola was tasty… I never imagined the world was this exciting."
"Ely, isn't it a bit early to get sentimental? This is only the first day of our journey. What we saw today is just a tiny fraction of the world. There's so much more waiting for us."
"That's amazing. Elias, let's explore it all together—see what this world is really like."
"Of course, Ely. I'll always be with you. We'll travel the whole world and witness every beautiful sight."
"Mm..."
At that moment, Elysia felt her heart skip a beat. She stared blankly at the boy in front of her. But the next second, her mind began to blur, and even her vision started to haze.
Elias gently pulled the blanket over her.
Though she was still brimming with energy, Elysia was ultimately just a little girl. That day, they had walked through a forest, crossed a mountain, and passed several small towns before reaching this city.
Her body was already running on empty—completely exhausted.
Hoo... hoo... hoo...
A single bed was more than enough for Elias and Elysia. Yet instinctively, she nestled into Elias' arms, as if his scent alone gave her peace.
"Good night, Ely," Elias whispered, his own eyelids growing heavy.
Even with Honkai energy aiding him, and some enhancements from the Herrscher of Rebirth's powers, Elias was still just a little boy.
After a day like that, he was understandably worn out.
Looking at the angelic girl beside him, Elias instinctively leaned down toward Elysia, inhaling the fragrance of her hair—and soon drifted off to sleep.
Beneath the blanket, their hands remained clasped.
Even with a journey full of beauty, if walked alone, it would inevitably be tinged with loneliness.
But they were inseparable companions. Even in their dreams, the other's figure was there.
If a certain lonely, ten-year-old flip-flop-wearing traveler knew about this, she'd probably be green with envy…
(Kiana: "Not fair! Why is Elysia's treatment so much better than mine?!")
...
By the time the next day arrived, Elias and Elysia didn't wake until noon. The exhaustion from day one had caught up to them more than expected, and they had accidentally missed checkout time.
Fortunately, they were cute.
The inn's proprietress, upon hearing their story, even kindly gave them a discount on their room fee.
Afterward, Elias and Elysia had another golden arch burger meal, then spent the afternoon exploring this memorable first city together.
As dusk settled, the two made their way to the train station and bought tickets for the furthest destination available—even though they had no idea where that actually was.
Elias: "Doesn't matter where we go. What matters is the scenery outside the window."
Ely: "You're right, Elias! Waaah, the view is so beautiful—I want to visit every place in the world and remember all the amazing sights forever!"
The setting sun bathed the world in a warm, golden glow. Gazing out the train window at the radiant landscape tinged in scarlet and gold, Elysia's eyes sparkled as she took in the beauty, completely enchanted.
"Ely, human memory is unreliable. The past is like drawings on the sand—time washes them away with sea wind and waves. So… this gift is for you."
Suddenly, Elias pulled out a small box from who-knows-where and held it out to Elysia.
"Whoa—when did you prepare this? We've been together the whole time and I didn't even notice!" Elysia asked in shock.
"Well, probably when you got distracted by that flower on the roadside."
"Eh? Really? Fine then. Next time, I'll prepare a gift for you when you're not looking! Hehe~ Now let's see what's inside!"
Elysia eagerly opened the box.
Inside was a sky-blue instant camera (same model as March 7th's).
Since it was constructed using the Herrscher of Reason's powers, there was no manual included. And as it was Elysia's first time seeing a camera, Elias took about thirty seconds to teach her how to use it.
And from that moment on, she was hooked.
"Oh my gosh! You just press this and it captures what you see? That's incredible—is this some kind of magic?"
"Hehe~ With this, Ely, you can preserve every scene you never want to forget. So—do you like it?"
"Yes! I love it, Elias, thank you! Okay, now let me take a proper picture of you!"
Elysia stepped back to get the right distance, adjusted her position, then found the perfect angle. She captured the silhouette of the boy illuminated by the sunset—immortalizing his image forever.
Though the fleeting scenery outside the window was rarer than Elias, who was always by her side—
This was her first time taking someone's photo. A special moment.
And she gave it to Elias without hesitation.
Then she took a few pictures of herself, a few of them together, and finally turned the camera toward the scenery outside.
"Ah... wait a second—this might be a problem..."
Elias suddenly realized something.
Sure enough, ten minutes later, Elysia came to him with a pitiful look.
"Uuuu... I ran out of film..."
"It's fine, I have more—but please try to conserve it."
"Uhh... I'll try my best..."
Elysia replied unconvincingly. She was already addicted to taking photos—her fingers wouldn't stop.
Elias felt like he'd made a mistake. He should've created a digital camera instead of a film one. He'd chosen the instant camera for the aesthetic, but with Elysia's eye for beauty, she could burn through hundreds of photos in a day.
He might have to become a soulless photo paper-producing machine.
(Hmm... better find a chance to construct a digital camera for her later.)
A few minutes later, Elysia's photography skills had already leveled up to expert status. What can he say? Women are born photographers.
"The camera Elias gave me—it's the best!"
She beamed with joy, flipping through the growing stack of printed photos.
She also found a sturdy blue ribbon and tied it to the camera, hanging it around her neck. Carefully, she wiped the outer casing with her sleeve—it was already a treasured possession.
...
A month passed.
Elias and Elysia had visited city after city. They traversed forests, climbed mountains, crossed seas, and flew across the skies to a distant continent.
"Didn't think the plane would land us here. Coincidence? Or destiny?"
"Elias, what are you talking about?"
"Nothing, just a little surprised by our next stop… Was it really like this fifty thousand years ago?"
He couldn't help but murmur the second part quietly.
Nagazora City—Nagazora from fifty thousand years ago.
Elysia had randomly picked the flight tickets, and just like that, they ended up in this city. No wonder Elias felt such a strange familiarity the moment they got off the plane.
(It feels so unfamiliar—everything seems different. But somehow, some things haven't changed at all... It's ridiculous.)
Elias twitched at the sight of a particular school in front of them.
Chiba Academy.
The Previous Era's Chiba Academy. Though the campus architecture was completely different, the name remained the same.
"Waaah, what a lovely school! I want to wear a school uniform too!"
Elysia gazed longingly at the students, imagining herself and Elias in matching uniforms.
"Are you kids interested in applying here? Hehe, you both look clever—definitely promising young ones."
The gatekeeper had noticed them peeking through the fence.
"Can I really?"
"Of course! Today's our open day—why don't you come in and have a look? Our school cafeteria is famous, you know."
"Really? Thank you, Grandpa!"
"Hahaha, you're welcome~"
Elias quietly took in the scene.
While their journey occasionally had its hiccups, most of the time, people treated them with genuine kindness.
He suspected it was largely due to Elysia's innocent, pure smile. After years of being by her side, he found it harder and harder to feel negative emotions.
(I've always been curious about Chiba Academy in the Previous Era… though at this point in time, Kevin must be around our age too.)
Elias gave the school one more look.
His impression of Chiba Academy wasn't entirely positive. After all, many students had bullied Mei there. But even so, it held precious memories.
After all, it was in Chiba Academy where Elias had first met Mei and Kiana—the origin of his story.
An hour later, Elias and Elysia had toured every open area of the campus.
When the cafeteria auntie saw two angelic visitors in the school, her years-long Parkinson's practically vanished—every scoop of food was meat-filled.
Cute kids really did get special treatment!
"Aah~ Everyone at this school is so warm and friendly. I'm so full—I don't even want to move anymore."
Elysia patted her slightly bulging tummy with a blissful expression. Food was her ultimate weakness. After a month of travel across numerous places, her cheeks had somehow become even rounder.
"There's a park over there. Let's go rest."
"Okay~~"
Once they reached the park, the pink elf instantly collapsed onto a bench, wearing a "don't wanna move" look.
Just as Elias was thinking of lounging too—maybe using this cute pink elf as a pillow for a nap—
"Hey! You over there—watch out for the basketball!"
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