"Elias, my friend, can you tell me more about yourself? I really want to understand you better."
Eden felt like a bee drawn to some unknown nectar, instinctively wanting to know more about Elias, to understand what kind of life experiences could allow him to play such a special melody.
Elias raised his brow, glancing at Eden holding his hand, then at her dazzling golden eyes, and immediately understood.
Here was yet another woman swayed by curiosity.
Another woman wanting to explore his secrets.
His first reaction was helplessness, but the next second he welcomed Eden's request.
"I can tell you about myself, but Eden, you'd better be prepared. Maybe we should first sign a liability waiver or something—if anything happens, I won't take responsibility."
"Oh? Just knowing more about you, Elias, comes at such a great cost?"
"In a way, yes. So far, every woman who wanted to know me better ended up falling for me. Eden~ if you also get poisoned by me, it'll be very dangerous."
Elias reversed his grip, lifting Eden's delicate hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on its back. Mischief and wickedness gleamed in his eyes as he posed like some incorrigible bad man.
So far, many had tried to explore the ocean named Elias. Among them were the Herrscher of Thunder who could command storms, the genius mathematician Bronya who proved 8>50,000, the ultimate, absurdly cute Kiana, the flawless Miss Pink Elf, and many others.
But in the end, every one of them had sunk, drowned forever in the depths of that sea, never to resurface.
That was fine enough when it came to them—but if even Eden sank in those waters, the consequences would be far more serious.
After all, in the Previous Era there were only two kinds of people: those who had never heard Eden's songs, and Eden's fans.
This entire era were her fans. Billions of listeners online was no exaggeration. If even Eden were to accidentally fall in love with Elias…
The suicide rate in the Previous Era would skyrocket.
Elias even worried that when Herrschers appeared, they might not kill as many people as Eden confessing her love for him would. If that happened, they truly would be a dangerous pair.
One side indeed had the charm to make others fall for him.
The other side indeed had the influence to sway the whole world.
If Eden went to America and announced she wanted to be president, her approval rating would crush both Old Joe and our dear Donald.
"That makes me even more interested. Please, let me try. Elias, I'll state it clearly: despite how I may seem, I've never even been in love once."
Eden chuckled lightly, showing not the slightest sign of retreat.
In fact, Elias' words only made her more curious.
Though Eden didn't know what love truly was, she didn't believe it could surpass the feeling of spiritual communion and soul's ascension she had experienced while performing with Elias.
And if—just if—she truly did fall for Elias, then at worst she could simply keep it secret, dating him behind the world's back.
The thought itself was rather thrilling. Given her status as a symbol of her era, Eden hiding her romance from her fans would essentially mean hiding it from the entire world.
"Well, I did warn you."
Elias handed his terminal to Eden, then shook the golden bell on the table. Immediately, a waiter came over, and upon hearing Elias' request, hurried off to fetch an instrument.
High-end restaurants like this often kept various props on hand for their patrons' needs. Elias casually asked for one, and soon enough the waiter returned with a violin.
"You and I are both singers. Surely you understand—for people like us, music expresses far more than words ever could."
"Yes, my friend. I'm truly happy to hear your performance again tonight. I'm very fortunate."
Eden opened the recording function on her terminal as she spoke, swirling the wine in her glass while gazing at Elias with eager anticipation.
Fine food, fine wine, and then a supreme performance—even for Eden, this was a rare and precious pleasure.
But very soon, she found herself unable to drink another sip of wine.
Zheng zheng—!
The sound, as if tearing through the air, shot straight into Eden's ears.
Eden's face showed disbelief. This tone was different from the kingly sound she had heard at the concert, but she could tell—it was another facet of Elias' true self.
(Unbelievable. Elias, you're even more complex than the finest layered wine… but why does this tone feel so sorrowful?)
It wasn't just sorrow.
It was loneliness. Persistence. Tenacity. Defiance!
Eden unconsciously closed her eyes.
She seemed to see a prisoner resisting the shackles of fate. Though covered in wounds and with only a sliver of hope, he still refused to kneel, refused to submit.
Like a white bird trapped in a beautiful cage, hurling itself against the bars with all its might—bloodied and battered, yet still unyielding in its struggle to fly to the sky of freedom.
But there was more. Through the music, Eden gained a direct bridge to the depths of Elias' heart. At this moment, she was closer to his essence than anyone else in the world.
And suddenly, she realized—
The prisoner wasn't struggling against his own fate.
The white bird wasn't breaking free of its own cage.
It was someone else's fate. Someone else's cage!
This white-haired boy wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting to protect others!
Elias had taken the fate of others upon his own shoulders.
Heavy—far too heavy. It was the weight of many people's destinies.
No… wrong!
It was the weight of an entire era's fate!
(How can this be… is this the real him?)
Tears slipped from Eden's eyes. She opened them again to see the white-haired boy before her, pouring his heart into the violin, and she felt her chest ache so much it was hard to breathe.
At the same time, this noble will—to defy fate, to protect those he loved, to endlessly sacrifice himself—moved Eden beyond words. This was the boy's true self that language could never capture.
"Mm. Not bad, this violin."
After finishing the piece, which he titled True Self, Elias gave a short praise, then handed the violin back.
With his usual smile, he sat before Eden again, as if the truth he had just shown through the violin wasn't his own.
Elias gestured toward the terminal he had handed her earlier.
Only then did Eden realize—he wanted her to see something. But when she opened the files and saw the information inside, her face instantly turned pale.
"How could this be…"
"Although the Honkai has already entered the public eye, neither the United Nations nor Fire Moth has formally announced anything, so the general public doesn't know the details. But now, Eden, you know… how does it feel?"
"Honkai… Elias, this is the enemy you fight against? The world is truly facing such a catastrophe?" Eden was utterly shaken.
From a certain perspective, she also stood at the top of human society. Though merely a singer, she was aware the world was suffering from mysterious threats.
But she had never known the details, never realized how terrifying the disaster truly was. Thus she had never paid much heed.
Until now—when Elias placed the truth of the Honkai before her eyes. Only then did she realize the end of the world was already at hand, and the flame of civilization was but a candle flickering in the wind.
For a moment, Eden was so frightened she didn't know what to do.
Elias patted her gently to comfort her.
"It's fine. Don't worry—because I'm here."
"..."
Eden stared at him with a complicated expression. He looked as though nothing were wrong, casually enjoying dessert.
And then it struck her. The reason Elias was called a hero was likely because he had already defeated the apostles of the Honkai multiple times, protecting this world.
How laughable that she had invited him to become an idol star, while never realizing the heavy burden this boy already carried.
Eden's cheeks flushed with shame. The reason she could live so leisurely, singing concerts, savoring fine wine, and immersing herself in art... was perhaps because of people like Elias, silently shielding them from disaster on unseen battlefields.
Eden: "So it's true… there is no such thing as peace and quiet—only because someone is carrying the weight for us…"
Her gaze toward Elias grew softer, tinged with pain. The boy before her looked far younger than she, yet he had already stepped onto a battlefield of dangers beyond her imagination.
"Elias, is there anything I can do?"
"What's this all of a sudden?"
"I don't want to stand aside. Since this is humanity's crisis, everyone has the duty to contribute. It's just that, as a singer, what I can do may not be much."
Eden thought hard, but it seemed the only thing she could really do was give money. After all, she couldn't fight Honkai with her singing. But money—perhaps that could help in other ways.
She pulled out her black card and phone, considering whether to transfer a few tens of billions right away.
But unease gripped her heart.
The data Elias had shown her described horrors too terrifying. Honkai Beasts appearing at random, the incurable Honkai disease, Herrschers whose mere arrival caused massive human casualties.
If the Honkai continued unchecked, humanity truly would one day face its own extinction.
At that time, the art Eden loved so deeply might be reduced to ash in the flames of Herrschers. For someone who lived for art, the thought was terrifying.
"Something you can do? Eden, you don't need to worry about that. I'll drive the Honkai out of this era. Besides, your existence itself is already a great help to us."
Elias spoke earnestly.
Eden's songs could soothe hearts.
Many warriors of Fire Moth had drawn courage to fight from her voice. Countless people scarred by the Honkai had found salvation in her music.
"Then… is there something I can do for you?"
"Hm? For me?" Elias pointed at himself in surprise.
"Yes!" Eden nodded firmly.
She longed to do something for this boy who bore too much, or else the ache in her chest would never be eased.
"That's quite an honor. Let me think…"
Elias touched his chin in thought.
It was a difficult question—because Elias lacked nothing. He had a girl he loved, no worries about money, authority over Fire Moth, and unmatched strength.
Though he truly loved Eden's singing, he couldn't exactly ask her to lock herself away in a cage and sing to him all day like a canary, could he?
After a long silence, something came to him. He relaxed slightly, then looked at the songstress calmly.
"Eden, in the past I once told someone—I'm a person without dreams."
"Elias?"
"Because there are too many people I must save, too many tragedies I must prevent, too many enemies I must defeat. Dreams… I've never had the time or clarity to think about them seriously."
He swirled the wine in his glass. Many times he wished he could simply drink himself unconscious—but unfortunately, he was someone who could never get drunk.
"But now, thinking about it… if I were an ordinary person, perhaps I'd want to be a musician. Just like you, Eden. Singing every day, savoring life and art."
"Elias, you can. As long as…"
As long as he gave up fighting.
Eden clenched her hands unconsciously. If this boy abandoned battle, she would unhesitatingly help him live such a life. There were so many people in the world—surely it wasn't necessary to send a single youth to the battlefield.
"Sorry, but without me, it really won't work." Elias had seen through her thoughts.
The world could go on without anyone else.
But the Previous Era truly couldn't go on without Elias.
For everyone else, fate was already sealed. No matter who took the stage, nothing would change the doom of civilization. Only Elias, the one who had crossed time, had the power to alter destiny.
"So, Eden—let my wish be fulfilled by you." Elias said, and before her eyes, he conjured a thick stack of music scores.
"This is…!"
"Eden, let's make a promise."
He placed the scores in front of her.
"I will protect civilization, protect your stage and your world, so that your art and your songs will not be erased by the Honkai. And you, in turn, will sing for me the songs that I cannot."
Elias had no dreams of his own, but he could guard the dreams of others.
"!!!"
Eden stared blankly at the stack of sheet music pushed toward her, then stood up in shock, knocking over her chair in the process.
The ever-graceful, ever-composed songstress had lost her composure.
But what Elias had given her was simply too astonishing!
Wedding March, Moonlight Sonata, Waltz of the Flowers, Orpheus in the Underworld Overture, 5th Symphony, Canon, Zero Eclipse, Lonely Warrior, Cage (Lost in the Stars), TruE, Diva of Disruptive World, Nightlow, Millennium Feather…
The collection was as thick as a dictionary. Every single piece was a masterpiece enough to leave Eden breathless. And the most shocking thing—she had never even heard of these songs!
As one of the top singers of the era, Eden's knowledge of music was beyond doubt. She was like a living archive of songs. Popular music aside, when it came to classical compositions, no one knew more than she did.
Yet she was certain these works had never existed before. Which meant…
"Elias, did you… write all of these yourself?"
Her voice trembled, her eyes shining with unrestrained shock and admiration.
"How could that be? Of course not. Do I really look like I'm that capable?"
Elias shook his head. Though he was tempted to brag and claim them, he didn't have the shamelessness for that. Precisely because of his love for music, he couldn't disrespect it that way.
A few songs, maybe, but so many masterpieces—no one would believe it anyway.
"You do look like it!"
Eden believed without hesitation.
Elias' lips twitched, left speechless.
"They're really not mine, Eden. These were all… uh, written by musicians from a place called Earth."
"Earth?"
Eden raised her brows, pulling out her terminal to search. After a moment, she looked back with certainty.
"I couldn't find any record of musicians from this so-called Earth. Oh, I see now. That's the stage name you came up with, isn't it? Sounds a little odd."
With the conviction in her eyes, no one short of the Herrscher of Sentience could convince her otherwise.
"Eh~ fine, believe what you want. Anyway, Eden, these are among my most precious treasures. I'll entrust them to you—sing them in my place, someday."
"No, how could I be worthy of this?!"
Eden panicked, even felt terrified.
With her eye for music, she could see the value of these compositions. Without exaggeration, they were works that could be passed down for centuries!
More importantly—they must be Elias' heart's blood. How could she possibly accept them?
Elias only smiled, patting her shoulder gently.
"If you're not worthy, then no one in this world is. Please, Eden, don't let music down. This is your mission as a songstress."
"..."
In the end, Elias pressed the score collection into her hands.
Eden stared dazedly at the sheets, feeling as though something even more precious had been entrusted to her along with them—something more valuable than any gem she had ever held.
It was… the dream of the white-haired boy.
Immediately, Eden hugged the scores tightly against her chest, as though holding Elias himself close.