After Irene quietly took the others away, she looked at the Captain and took a deep breath.
She waited for him to respond, but heard no reply. When she looked up, she saw the hesitant expression on his face—
and those deep, gentle eyes filled with silent worry.
—— They had come so far together, and he had always remained calm and unhurried.
He had never shown this kind of expression before.
Was there something troubling her enough to worry him like this?
But the Captain didn't express doubt or sarcasm. Instead, he straightened up and looked at her seriously.
"Captain... do you trust me?"
Her voice was quiet as she slowly stood, a touch of unreadable sorrow on her face.
Though she knew she couldn't shake the Captain's decision, the warm orange glow of the campfire cast a bittersweet light on her reluctant smile.
Right at the moment they were nearing the castle exit—the final rescue point—
She brought up the idea of leaving.
Could he trust her…?
Those words came out so naturally.
How could he not trust her?
Seeing the Captain's slight confusion, she continued speaking:
"Captain, do you have any thoughts about the current situation?"
"In fact, when it comes to resolving certain problems," the Captain said slowly,
"we're like people tossing a coin with disaster on both sides.
No matter which face it lands on, the outcome never aligns with what we hope for."
"But... if that coin is flipped enough times,
maybe a third possibility will appear."
He had thrown that cursed coin—both sides equally disastrous—countless times.
Failed countless times.
Refused to give up countless times.
He searched for the tiniest shred of luck in an impossible situation.
On those drifting nights, he stubbornly ran toward her hand without letting go.
After a long, agonizing trial, they had finally found a sliver of what they longed for.
And now, that girl who once smiled faintly at him beneath the lanterns...
was there, waiting.
He didn't know Irene's true intentions.
But he certainly wouldn't give up the tiny flame of hope because of that.
No matter what kind of future he ran toward—
At the very least, he wouldn't let himself remain stuck in a past that refused to fade.
----
Meanwhile, in Theresa's mansion
"Captain, your trust is honestly quite flattering," Irene smiled sweetly,
"Even at such a dangerous moment, you still think that way..."
Her tone was full of respectful admiration, just as it had always been.
As she spoke, her hands naturally rested on Luo Mo's shoulders, giving them a gentle squeeze.
Those soft words of praise made Luo Mo visibly enjoy the moment.
Even though he knew Irene was intentionally saying such things,
he couldn't help but feel happy inside.
After all, who could resist that kind of gentle charm?
He figured Irene was probably interested in the power struggles happening to Luna and among the cast—
maybe she wanted to take part in it, or perhaps she simply wanted to soothe her own anxiety by being involved behind the scenes.
"So, what's the actual plot here? Another cryptic storyline?"
The Herrscher of Sentiencelooked around, arms crossed, and spoke in a tone full of forced surprise.
'Acting like she doesn't know anything, huh…'
Kiana cursed internally but didn't dare say anything aloud.
She knew exactly what kind of person Senti was.
If she embarrassed her in front of everyone now, the next few days would definitely be... unpleasant.
Looking at it now, it seemed like only Class Monitor or maybe someone in that villa could actually deal with her.
Too bad the Herrscher of Sentience hadn't yet realized someone fitting that role might exist—
otherwise, they might see who could truly keep her in check.
After all, Little Senti, who possessed Fu Hua's memories, had probably inherited some of her "weaknesses" too.
"It's just one of those situations where no matter what you do, it's wrong,"
Luo Mo shrugged casually.
"That kind of thing exists?"
The Herrscher of Sentience tilted her head in dissatisfaction.
"At specific times, in specific conditions,
sometimes there really is no third choice.
But maybe... that's just because we're still stuck with Luna."
Her words were soft, almost like talking to herself—
but the intent behind them was sharp as ever.
---
"Luna...?"
Luna slowly raised her eyebrows at that.
Her delicate face turned to the speaker, but she said nothing.
She knew she wouldn't win in a verbal match against that fast-talking brat.
That sharp tongue always ended up whining in the end anyway.
Besides, clearly—this wasn't even her scene yet.
She hadn't officially appeared in the plot,
and yet the Herrscher of Sentience was already talking about her like this?
Was she really that impactful...?
"..."
The Herrscher of Sentience blinked thoughtfully, then took a step back.
Her gaze flicked between Luna and the one beside her—then she let out a sly chuckle.
Even if she didn't know exactly what was going on,
she could tell—this looked like something fun.
A love triangle?
But judging by Luna's calm and composed demeanor, it didn't look like she was too bothered at all.
Still... it was definitely interesting.
"Looks like this time the plot isn't really connected to Honkai. But it is very much connected to someone here."
She nodded smugly, then turned and grinned playfully at Luo Mo.
"So, what do you think, ringleader?"
"...Senti 'ringleader' is usually used to refer to a villain or criminal,"
Luo Mo replied, a little speechless.
"Exactly! And we haven't found proof yet,
otherwise I would've called you the mastermind already."
She lifted her chin proudly, then narrowed her eyes:
"And how many times have I told you—stop calling me Senti!"
"Got it. You've clearly been learning from Kiana—makes perfect sense now."
Luo Mo nodded solemnly.
"Himeko, I think it's necessary to add a new elective course on idiom usage. We have to make sure these 'core talents' among the Herrschers don't lose their way."
He was clearly joking, making a suggestion to the class teacher.
All he got in return was a helpless look.
"Honestly," Himeko sighed, "I think just the fact that they're attending school already means they've lost their way."
She didn't think using the term "lost" was entirely appropriate for some of these students...
"Core talents among the Herrschers, huh?"
Theresa gave Luo Mo a faintly resentful look.
His words sounded like a compliment,
but they hit harder than insults.
Might've been better if he just said she used to be an elite Valkyrie...
------
Before long, three people returned:
Sirin, Brownie, and Himeko came back from scouting the forest.
They had uncovered some intel about the Foggy Forest ahead,
but they were clearly more puzzled about Irene's departure.
No one believed Irene had run off out of fear.
They were just surprised—
especially at this timing—what exactly did she have to do?
And why insist on dragging them away first with some absurd excuse?
After a few minor complaints, the team refocused.
Their goal hadn't changed: the ancient castle looming in the distance.
Interestingly, the clue they found had come from a bat—and the only reason they made it back smoothly was because that bat led the way.
As the Captain stood up, the bat flapped its wings and flew in front of him again,
guiding them deeper through the fog.
Only he noticed a sudden rustling in the grass behind them.
The road ahead was riddled with traps and layers of thick mist, many of which they had to detour around.
In some places, they even found small scraps of paper with clues—
as if someone had left them on purpose.
But the mystery just grew deeper and more complex as they advanced, and the Captain's body was clearly showing signs of strain.
This whole journey was laced with a strange, eerie feeling.
It was as if...
something invisible was quietly following them the whole way.
Yet the bat did its job diligently.
Every time they stumbled on a clue, it was able to guide them exactly where they needed to go—
almost as if someone were monitoring everything in real-time.
Finally, they reached the outer walls of the fortress.
They began searching the area for the three keys needed to open the main gate.
Surely, it wouldn't be long before they could enter the castle.
-----
In the Golden Courtyard.
"That bat… the more I look at it, the weirder it seems,"
Elysia stared at it for a long time before stating firmly.
"I was expecting you to say something more profound,"
Mobius mocked her, glancing over with a look full of disdain.
Her eyes practically said, Really? That's all you've got?
"Then… if it's not a bat, what else would it be, Mobius onee-chan…?"
Griseo nibbled her finger, asking curiously.
Her eyes were filled with innocent curiosity,
her long lashes fluttering—a little too adorably.
"Aah... if you think about it, there's only one character who hasn't appeared at all since the beginning,
someone who knows the entire area around that castle…
Someone who could show up to help—
It can only be that elder sister, Kallen."
"That is interesting," Mobius added.
"Luna was originally created as a vessel to preserve Kallen's life. Comparing her with the person currently imprisoned there,
you'd think Kallen—with all her experience—would have the upper hand, but it's the opposite—she's completely caught in Luna's grasp…"
Mobius narrowed her eyes, her tone remaining calm and analytical.
The current plot was becoming more and more intriguing.
The so-called 'demon king' didn't feel like one at all.
Instead, it was the usually low-profile but crucial sorceress from the captain's squad who had now left the team.
Their journey had been smooth, and even someone who should've been an enemy appeared to assist them...
If this were a stereotypical "overpowered main character" story, everything would make perfect sense.
But it's not.
This was a story of someone who could only save others by constantly facing death—
someone who never gives up, who always chooses the harder road, because they can't bear to abandon others.
And so, all of it… still made sense.
"Because of love," Eden quietly responded beside her.
"Because Kallen cares deeply about her little sister, Luna. One mistake after another… and here we are."
At this point in the story, the awkwardness and hesitation between the two was becoming more and more obvious—
to outsiders, it was perfectly clear.
"Exactly. Emotions can make someone who already doubts themselves sink even deeper into uncertainty.
But it can also give a girl—who's backed into a corner—something to hold onto, some hope."
Mobius sighed, then smirked.
She shifted her posture slightly, as if settling in for a show.
"Right now, she has no other choice.
If everything Luna did was to keep the captain alive, then she has no choice but to continue down this path."
"..."
Eden was silent for a moment.
She didn't refute Mobius's analysis—
she didn't fully understand the logic behind everything, but she knew that every performance had its structure: introduction, development, climax, and resolution.
Even a tiny line of dialogue
could become the key melody of a whole story.
"It's actually a pretty good title for a play,"
she mused.
"A story infused with tragedy can stir the deepest emotions.
And maybe... he really is the type who can create miracles."
"I believe in him. He can save Luna."
Someone once said the greatest tragedy was to rip apart the happiest moment—
to take pure joy and shatter it into despair in an instant.
But the opposite might also be true:
It's only when tragedy is flipped on its head
that a story truly becomes spectacular.
"Is someone going to die…?"
Mobius murmured.
"That would actually fit Luo Mo's style. He always loves calculating things during these kinds of dramatic moments… clever, cunning."
She gave a soft laugh.
"Otherwise, why would Luna do so many terrible things?"
"Still, we're just observers. If we're being honest… doesn't it feel kind of uncomfortable?"
"He's right here with us, after all. Isn't he?"
Elysia smiled softly.
Her expression was carefree, her brows untroubled.
But deep down, Luo Mo only hoped that Luna truly cared about her life—
that she wasn't doing all of this just for revenge.
To him, most of the time, Elysia's so-called revenge was playful.
More like her showing annoyance—soft punches that didn't hurt.
But the other one…
That guy—
He didn't even say a word and could scare someone to death.
Even though it happened only once, that one time was enough for Luo Mo to remember it for a lifetime.
-----
It was another quiet night.
The evening wind carried the scent of roses through the air.
Now, just by smell alone, she could tell what was happening both inside and outside the castle—because she'd long become accustomed to this place.
It wasn't like a prison stuffed with books,
nor like an empty alley at midnight.
Luna poured onto the terrace...
This was her own castle.
Filled with the things she loved—
and the things she hated.
She was its absolute ruler.
And a ruler should feel satisfied.
But...
she had been standing there all day.
The white-haired girl gently placed her hand on the stone railing, standing at the castle's highest point bathed in eternal blood-red moonlight.
She looked down at the place she called her own.
This had to be a dream—
a fantasy only found in fairy tales.
The gothic architecture, the eerie gray mist clinging to the tall spires,
the deep crimson roses that whispered of melancholy, the ancient stones soaked in medieval atmosphere—
this Silent Sanctuary was the place she had chosen for herself.
But there was no joy in her eyes.
Not even a spark of focus.
Her mind was completely preoccupied…
with the person she was trying so hard to reach.
Even the pain in her body told her—
he was serious.
"You really… still haven't realized it, have you?
How could you be this careless…
Can't you pay a little more attention to yourself…
Human…"
"Why... why did you still come here? Didn't I already warn you long ago?"
She muttered to herself with the pride and resentment of a young girl, yet her eyes betrayed a mix of anticipated joy and helplessness.
Yes... she had long known what kind of person the other was.
But still, she had hoped that this time, they would choose to give up—even if what they gave up was her.
She had used cruel methods to drive away her just and righteous older sister, exhausting love that had already shown its limits. Yet she had never once resented her sister, because this was a lonely and dark path.
'But you... you should stop too...'
"If this continues... if this keeps going... everything I've done, won't it all be in vain...?"
"Kindness given without permission only brings self-satisfaction. Even after all these years, you still haven't learned that."
The girl's low, beautiful voice carried a trace of sobbing as she spoke softly.
Even after such a long time, her desire to see that person had never changed. Yet deep down, there wasn't a trace of joy—only pain toward that stubborn and strong-willed person, the one she loved and who was so gentle...
Why can't you change just a little?
Even if... it's for my sake.
She absentmindedly plucked a rose. The fragrance disturbed the air, and mixed within the scent of roses was something else—an unfamiliar bitterness not belonging to the flower.
She caught that unfamiliar scent, as if someone had barged into a place where no one was allowed without an invitation from its master.
"...It's you, big sister. You really are... not the one I've been waiting for, are you?"
The white-haired girl turned and gave a faint smile. Her expression was calm and unhurried, the moonlight forming a silvery halo behind her. A faint crimson glint in her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
She saw Irene approaching and greeted her with a hostile gaze.
She didn't like the other's presence—hated her self-righteousness.
And yet... she also somewhat envied her.
She had listened carefully when the other told the story of the rose and the osmanthus. In truth, she cared deeply about it.
If only one of the two plants could survive, then... was that also a metaphor for herself and humanity's fate?
Sure enough, she was the aberrant variable.
So then, why couldn't the two tiny plants in the garden coexist under the same destiny?