"Gifts, huh?"
Kiana rubbed her chin. That wasn't a bad idea—but would an ordinary gift really stop Mei from bringing up the past?
...What if she made herself the gift?
Ahem. Just thinking about Mei made all sorts of restless thoughts stir inside her again.
When it came to teasing Mei, embarrassment was not something she knew.
She wanted to be close to her again!
A few improper ideas popped into her mind, only for Kiana to quickly swat them away.
Now was not the time for that.
"Right, that should work," Robin said. "Between friends, showing sincerity is what matters most. Once she sees that, time will do the rest."
Mending a broken bond was never easy.
For now, that was the best she could do. To truly heal the wound caused by deceit would take time—and company.
"Just make sure your apology is sincere. As long as she can see that, you've already succeeded halfway."
Sincerity... sincerity, huh?
Kiana tapped her chin thoughtfully, then suddenly blurted out, "So... if I run up to her, slide on my knees, and hug her while crying, would that count as sincere?"
Robin: "???"
Robin's expression of utter disbelief made Kiana flush with embarrassment. "I-I'm kidding! Just kidding..."
"...Probably... don't do that?" Robin replied uncertainly.
She didn't really understand how Kiana and this friend of hers usually interacted, but something told her that if she agreed, Kiana might actually do it.
Crying and clinging to someone's legs after a reunion...
That was just too absurd. For a moment, Robin didn't even know what to say. Was this just... so very Kiana of her?
"A sincere apology should be enough," Robin finally said.
What Kiana had done wasn't unforgivable—probably not serious enough to require such theatrics.
She should at least try to keep her dignity, right?
Kiana propped her chin on her hand, thinking that sounded too proper. If it were just a friend, maybe that would be fine.
But she and Mei weren't just friends.
Something that stiff wouldn't suit them.
"How about this, then?"
"Go on," Robin said.
Kiana sat up straighter—but the words that followed were anything but serious. "Step one, apologize sincerely."
Robin nodded. "That's fine."
If Kiana was that concerned about it, starting with an apology made sense.
"Step two, tell her how much I've missed her."
"That's good too," Robin agreed.
After all, Kiana had gone to great lengths to find this friend. The fact that they'd traveled together for so long was all thanks to that search.
Robin sighed softly, a hint of melancholy touching her heart.
Then Kiana adjusted her posture again, holding up a third finger, her tone turning playful. "Step three—confess to her!"
Robin froze mid-nod.
She blinked, wondering if she'd misheard. Confess? Did Kiana really just say "confess"? As in... to someone she liked?
"C-confess?!"
"Mm-hmm!" Kiana nodded eagerly.
She had it all figured out now—a full combo move! Apologize, confess, and call her wife. If she played it right, Mei wouldn't even have the chance to bring up old grudges.
As long as she made Mei blush...
There'd be no room left for anger.
"It's decided! When I see her, I won't call her 'Mei' anymore—I'll call her wife!"
Kiana was so excited that she started spouting shameless nonsense right in front of Robin.
"Mei will definitely get flustered, and then I'll press the attack—and she won't have time to be mad!"
Robin, still reeling from the words 'won't have time to be mad,' stared at her in shock, trying to process what she'd just heard.
"Just to avoid being scolded, you'd say something like that? Wouldn't that cause... a huge misunderstanding?" Robin asked cautiously. "What if your friend gets even angrier?"
"She won't, she won't, don't worry!"
Kiana said with absolute confidence, "Mei would never get angry at me!"
Mei already knew how Kiana felt about her—there just hadn't been time for either of them to think about such things back then.
"But saying something like that..."
Robin pursed her lips, speaking gently, "Maybe you don't have to go that far. She might forgive you even without all that."
Kiana shook her head. "I don't just want to do it to dodge the blame—I want to do it."
Robin understood immediately.
The person Kiana had been searching for all this time wasn't just a friend—it was someone she loved.
If that was the case, then everything suddenly made sense.
Why Kiana was so desperate to find her. Why she'd say things like that.
Love...
So Kiana really did have someone she liked.
"I see."
"Robin, what do you think of my plan?" Kiana asked eagerly.
"Does she like you back?"
"Of course!" Kiana replied without hesitation—she was completely confident in that.
It was mutual, she believed that firmly.
"Then... maybe it could work," Robin said softly.
Her tone didn't waver, but there was a faint ache in her chest. She had never thought about it that way before.
She had always felt comfortable and happy around Kiana. Even the idea of parting hadn't made her too sad—after all, they could always meet again.
It was just a matter of time.
But hearing that Kiana already had someone special—it caught her completely off guard. Robin froze for a long moment, unable to recover.
"So it's decided, then!"
Kiana beamed, her excitement practically glowing from her. With this plan, she was certain Mei wouldn't have time to think about the past.
Robin opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped herself. She could only force a small smile as she watched Kiana's joy overflow.
The news had come too suddenly.
Even Miss Sirin had never mentioned that the friend Kiana was searching for was actually the one she loved.
...
In the blink of an eye, two days passed—each second dragging like an eternity.
In her hotel room, Kiana sat restlessly, eyes darting to the door every few moments.
The appointed time—
Was today.
Pressing a hand over her chest, she took a deep breath. These final minutes were excruciating.
Her heart was beating faster than usual, her emotions surging and crashing like waves. She had imagined this meeting countless times in her head.
But she was still nervous.
Even when she had seen Sirin again—or met Yae Sakura, whom she'd once thought dead—she hadn't been this tense.
What was she supposed to say when she saw Mei again?
"Long time no see"?
No, no, no—she should hug her and apologize, show sincere remorse before anything else.
Yes, that was it.
Then, when Mei recalled the past, she'd explain, express how much she'd missed her—that was the plan.
And then...
Ding-dong—
The chime of the doorbell snapped her out of her spiraling thoughts. She shot to her feet, rushing to the door in three hurried strides.
"Wif—"
The last syllable caught in her throat. When she opened the door, the first thing she saw wasn't Mei, but a hotel attendant—a mechanical lifeform.
Thank goodness she'd stopped herself.
"Good afternoon. This lady said she's your friend. She got lost in the hotel, so I've brought her here."
The attendant stepped aside, and Kiana finally saw who stood beside them. The word she'd swallowed came rushing back, her pupils trembling.
"Mei..."
"...Haha, yes. She's here for me. Thank you for your help—I'll leave you a good review."
Kiana stepped forward, quickly taking Mei's hand and pulling her into the room. With a brief word of thanks, she closed the door behind them.
The moment the door shut, sealing away the outside world, she felt the soft touch of Mei's fingers against her cheek.
"Kiana... it really is you."
That same familiar voice.
It should have been a joyful reunion—but the moment Kiana heard that voice, every emotion she had tried to hold back surged all at once.
She couldn't restrain it anymore. Didn't want to.
Throwing her arms around her, she choked out the name that had lived in her heart for so long.
"Mei!"
All the mental preparation she'd made vanished in an instant—because the moment she saw her, every wall she had built up inside collapsed.
"I thought you were still in Izumo."
Resting her head against the other's shoulder, Kiana shook her head. Her voice, thick with emotion, carried a faint tremble.
"I left two years ago."
"Two years ago..."
The words made Acheron pause slightly. Two years—that time was still vivid in her memory. She still remembered what had happened then.
At that time, she hadn't yet left.
But her attention had been focused entirely on Nihility...
So it had been then—she had missed her by just that moment?
Lowering her gaze, she gently ran her fingers through Kiana's white hair. "I'm sorry... for keeping you waiting so long."
If she hadn't left, perhaps they could have reunited long ago.
"I'm the one who should apologize!"
Hearing her words, Kiana couldn't hold back the tears that had been welling up. Her voice choked as she said, "I'm sorry... I lied to you back then and made you worry for so long."
The hand stroking her back hesitated for a brief moment. Remembering that event, Acheron fell silent.
That day was burned into her memory—the day she had lost Kiana, her home, and everything she had known.
"I accept your apology."
She wasn't angry—not anymore. The memory brought only a complicated look to her eyes.
Angry?
Yes, when it had first happened, she had been angry—angry about the deception, but not because Kiana had lied to her.
She had been angry at herself.
Because it had all happened due to her own weakness.
If she had possessed the strength she had now, then maybe Izumo wouldn't have fallen—and Kiana wouldn't have been lost.
Kiana had expected to hear reproach, but the absence of it only made her heart ache more. All the longing she had buried came flooding out at once.
"Mei... I'm so glad I could see you again."
"It must've been hard, right? I'm sorry... I haven't paid much attention to the world around me, so I didn't realize you were looking for me."
"It wasn't hard at all! I didn't really do much... I just... missed you so much."
"...I've missed you too."
Every single day, she had thought of Kiana—searching for a way back to Izumo, longing to return, to make sure she was safe.
Those days had gone on endlessly.
After holding Mei for a long while, Kiana finally forced herself to calm down. The familiar scent of Mei's presence soothed her heart, but she knew she couldn't just keep holding on forever. She rubbed her eyes and pulled back slightly.
"I met Sirin about half a year ago," Kiana said, guiding her further into the room. "I learned a lot from her."
"Sirin?"
At the name, Mei fell silent again. She hadn't wanted to trouble Sirin to help her find anyone—that was why she had never reached out.
Their relationship wasn't exactly good, but it wasn't terrible either. They were the type who could help each other when needed—but otherwise, they preferred to stay out of each other's way.
She never would have expected that Sirin would find Kiana first—and that, without a way to contact her, she couldn't even deliver the news.
"Yes," Kiana said softly. "At first, I thought I could learn something about you from her."
She couldn't take her eyes off Mei.
The person standing before her now looked completely different from the Mei she had known in Izumo—not just in clothing, but in aura.
Kiana had no idea what Mei had gone through after the Final Eruption, what kind of inner trials or experiences had shaped her.
Or perhaps it was simply fate.
The Mei before her now... was indistinguishable from Acheron herself.
"She stayed on the Ark to protect the ember," Mei said quietly. "And I... I don't walk the same path she does. So we've had almost no contact since."
Her gaze moved to Kiana, taking in the small, ornate accessories on her. They were delicate, beautiful—details that Kiana would never have chosen for herself.
Someone must have given them to her.
"I heard from Sirin," Kiana said softly.
"It wasn't because of that."
Seeing Kiana's expression, Acheron seemed to realize she had misunderstood something. She opened her mouth and said calmly, "She and I were never meant to walk the same path. Keeping things as they are—that's enough for me."
"...But isn't that too lonely for you?"
Kiana's chest ached with sorrow. She couldn't imagine what these past years must have been like for her—alone.
"Being without you was what was lonely," Acheron replied softly. "As long as I could see you again, no matter the cost, I would accept it."
Her gaze met Kiana's tear-brimmed eyes. She pressed her lips together and added, "Only when you're by my side does life have meaning."
"...So that's why you followed the Path of Nihility—kept walking deeper and deeper into it?"
Hearing how much Mei cared about her should have made Kiana happy, but instead, it filled her with a dull ache.
"I didn't want to be the same as before—helpless, unable to do anything."
Acheron didn't regret her choice. She offered a quiet reassurance: "It's not as terrible as you imagine. Do you remember the Stigma you entrusted to me? It helped me, more than a little."
Kiana wasn't a child anymore.
Something like that couldn't have been as simple as Acheron made it sound. She knew there had to be a story hidden in that calm tone.
She rubbed at her eyes again and muttered, "Don't lie to me. A Stigma couldn't possibly have that kind of effect. I've been touched by Nihility too."
"You've been tainted by Nihility?"
The casual composure on Acheron's face vanished. Hearing that, her expression hardened instantly.
This was no longer the past.
Once, she had only heard of things like Honkai and Nihility through others—through Kiana herself.
But now, things were different.
In terms of understanding Nihility, there were few in the universe who could surpass her.
"After that failure, I fell into a long sleep," Kiana explained, taking a slow breath. "During that time, Nihility's influence crept in without me realizing it."
"That feeling... it's horrible. I even lost all my memories because of it."
"Lost... your memories?"
Acheron's eyes widened sharply. She instinctively grabbed Kiana's wrist, disbelief flooding her voice. "You forgot?"
"Mei, calm down," Kiana said gently. "That was before. I've remembered everything now—and I've temporarily freed myself from Nihility's influence."
Slowly, Acheron released her, searching Kiana's face with a trembling intensity. When she finally confirmed that Kiana was telling the truth, she let out a faint breath and relaxed her grip.
Everything connected to Kiana—all of it—was her most precious memory, the only memory she refused to let fade.
She couldn't bear to forget.
When she'd heard Kiana say she'd lost her memories, her heart had nearly stopped. The thought alone—that Kiana might have forgotten her—had nearly undone her entirely.
It felt as if an invisible hand had squeezed her heart. The very idea made it hard to breathe.
"I just wanted to tell you," Kiana said softly, "that I understand what it's like to be a Self-Annihilator. I understand the feeling of waking up... only to realize something important is gone again."