Before Kiana remembered her past, before she used the power of the Honkai again, the influence of Nihility on her had always been present.
It was like forgetfulness.
Every day, she would forget something, which was why she had the habit of writing memos—because she never knew what she would forget when she woke up next.
This had caused her great trouble in daily life, but fortunately, at that time, the only person she knew was Ruan, and the things she forgot were never particularly important.
"...Can you tell me what happened after you woke up two years ago?"
Acheron didn't want to talk about Nihility with Kiana. Knowing that Kiana was no longer under its influence was enough.
"I don't remember how I left Izumo either. After leaving, in my half-conscious state, Ruan found me and took me in. We lived together for a while. About a year ago, when I was heading to Euphorion in search of Izumo, I accidentally used the power of the Honkai. That planet just happened to be at war, which triggered a small Honkai disaster. Due to the influence of Honkai energy, I regained my lost memories. That's when I started searching for you."
Listening to Kiana's account, Acheron gained a rough understanding of what had happened to her over the past two years.
So Kiana had lost part of her memory—and during that time, she had been taken in by someone.
No wonder Acheron hadn't sensed or noticed Kiana's disappearance at all.
"Then I posted a bounty through the IPC, but it was too slow. So, I tried to find other ways. While I was on Kasbelina-VIII, I met a friend who's really good at singing. With her help, I managed to make my name known."
"Robin?"
"Yes! Robin!"
Kiana wasn't surprised that Acheron knew her name. After all, she and Robin had practically been inseparable for the past half-year.
"She's a wonderful singer—and a very important friend of mine."
"I know her."
Acheron paused for a moment and then explained, "I accidentally saw your concert poster—that's how I learned you were looking for me."
She had even looked into Robin these past few days, partly because of what that IPC staff member had said, and partly out of curiosity about Kiana's new companions.
During the time she wasn't by Kiana's side, Kiana had made new friends—and from the looks of it, they were quite close.
"All thanks to Robin. If it weren't for her, I never would've thought of using that kind of method to find you. I'll introduce you to her later, okay?"
"Alright."
So it was thanks to Miss Robin...
Acheron silently remembered Kiana's words. If she had the chance, she would repay that favor someday.
If she hadn't seen that poster, who knew how long it would've taken before she discovered that Kiana had already left Izumo.
"Also, about Izumo—there's something else I want to tell you."
"Izumo's fate was already decided. That wasn't your fault. You already did everything you could."
Acheron thought Kiana was still burdened by guilt over that incident.
Kiana shook her head. "What I wanted to say is... on my way to find you, I went back to Izumo once more. There, I found a Stigma Crystal—and inside it, a Stigma world."
"Those who died in the Final Eruption... they might have preserved their consciousness, becoming Stigma Consciousnesses."
"I found Sakura—Yae Sakura."
Acheron froze upon hearing this. She had always believed that everything in Izumo was already...
Preserved consciousness?
"You want to resurrect them?"
"Not for now."
Kiana turned her head away, embarrassed, unable to meet Acheron's gaze.
"Kiana, don't ever do something like that again. But if you absolutely must... I hope you'll talk to me first."
"...Alright. I admit, when I first discovered it, I did have that thought—but I'm not planning to act on it for now."
As expected.
Acheron knew exactly what kind of person Kiana was. If she had shaken her head and said she never had that thought, that would've been suspicious.
That would've meant she had an even greater plan in mind.
Just like before.
Seeing that Acheron didn't react too harshly, Kiana breathed a small sigh of relief. Her past failure had frightened her deeply.
That was why she was afraid Acheron would stop her.
After all, something similar had already happened once—and that incident had directly caused their separation.
But none of the things she had feared happened this time. Feeling both relieved and guilty, Kiana couldn't help but blame herself.
She truly believed she had been in the wrong.
Yet instead of being punished, she was comforted instead.
The gentler Acheron was, the more it made Kiana feel the weight of her guilt—and she had no idea how to make it right.
"Never again?"
Would such a promise really make anyone feel better? She didn't think so.
People who said that sort of thing almost always repeated the same mistake again. Judging from her own experience, Kiana thought it was better not to say anything at all.
As they talked about what they had each experienced during their time apart, Kiana couldn't take her eyes off Acheron's face—still calm and distant, even though she seemed more relaxed now.
She had gotten used to it, it seemed.
But the sight made Kiana's chest ache slightly. The Mei she remembered had been a girl who smiled often.
If that hotel attendant hadn't been there just now... what would've happened if she had actually blurted out that word—wife?
Would Mei's face have shown some other kind of expression?
The thought made her restless. Mischief stirred faintly within her heart. Especially with Acheron sitting there so serious and composed—it only made Kiana even more curious about how she'd react.
Maybe she should... try it?
It would help lighten the mood—make things feel less awkward after such a long time apart.
She hadn't even acted yet, merely entertained the idea, but already, a spark of playful anticipation flickered in her bright blue eyes.
Of course, that didn't escape Acheron's gaze.
What's she thinking about that's making her so happy?
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Kiana cleared her throat lightly—and before Acheron could react, she said something completely unexpected.
"Mei, can I call you wife?"
...What did she just call me?
What did Kiana just say?
Acheron's usually calm mind was thrown into chaos by the sudden and completely unprompted question.
If she hadn't misheard—and if there was no strange misunderstanding—Kiana had just asked if she could call her... wife?
It was so sudden.
She wasn't prepared for that at all.
Of course, she knew Kiana liked her—and she shared those feelings. Back in Izumo, Kiana had already expressed them to her, very openly, right before her eyes.
But that hadn't been the right time to respond.
So she had remained silent.
"...Kiana, that's a bit sudden, don't you think?"
As Kiana had expected, Acheron's expression shifted, showing a mix of emotions.
"Can I? Please?"
Kiana leaned in close, wrapping her arms around Acheron's and gently shaking it. "I just really want to call you that..."
Would Mei nod her head?
Kiana wasn't worried at all. When it came to Mei, she had one advantage—shameless persistence.
Back in Izumo, it was through that same shameless persistence that she had managed to become friends with her in the first place.
She knew it worked!
Acheron had never been able to refuse Kiana's requests before. Now that they had reunited after such a long separation—after losing and finding each other again—there was no way she could refuse her now.
And besides, Acheron already harbored similar feelings toward her. So why would she refuse?
She wouldn't.
But Kiana...
Her pupils trembled, but Acheron still managed to restrain herself, maintaining her composure.
"Do you even know what that means?"
She didn't ask "why."
Judging from Kiana's reaction just before she spoke, Acheron had reason to suspect that Kiana might just be teasing her.
The question had come so suddenly.
Acheron thought, if what Kiana had just said was a joke, then it would make sense.
Of course Kiana knew what it meant.
The affairs of Izumo had already come to an end. Though she still had things to do, she wasn't the kind of person who'd wait for everything to settle before confessing her feelings.
She had a mouth, after all.
And besides, even back in Nagazora, she had already started pining for Mei—thinking of every excuse just to be close to her.
"I like you."
Kiana spoke with confidence, her words honest and unrestrained.
Hearing those words again after so many years, Acheron's gaze wavered slightly. Looking at that familiar face—so similar to the one from the past—her mind briefly went blank.
Once upon a time... Kiana had said the very same thing.
Though the memory hadn't faded and she had forced herself never to forget, the warmth within it had inevitably cooled over time.
But Kiana's words, like a switch, reignited those old memories—restoring the warmth she thought she'd lost.
Just as Acheron was about to respond, Kiana suddenly let go of her and lifted her wrist, turning her attention to the terminal.
The words Acheron had been about to speak quietly slipped back down her throat. She watched Kiana's expression change and asked softly, "Someone's trying to contact you?"
"Yeah."
It wasn't a message, but a video call. Kiana held back her instinct to answer immediately.
Turning slightly toward Acheron, she gave a small, apologetic smile. "It's Ruan calling. She must have something important to tell me. I want to take this call."
Ruan—there it was again.
Acheron hadn't forgotten what Kiana had said earlier: that this was the person who had found her on Euphorion and taken her in.
"Go ahead. We can continue after you finish talking to her."
Acheron was curious about this person and didn't mind the interruption. She wanted to see what they would talk about.
Aside from the period Kiana had spent in slumber, she had been out there living for two years. During that time, she was bound to have made friends—like Sirin.
Kiana gave a grateful nod, then accepted Ruan Mei's call. A translucent screen projected upward, revealing a familiar figure—Ruan Mei, speaking from the space station.
"Ruan! What's up?"
Seeing Ruan Mei for the first time in a long while—and being the one she reached out to first—Kiana couldn't hide her excitement.
Her joy was written all over her face.
Out of habit, she expressed her delight so openly—but then quickly remembered that Mei was sitting right beside her. For some reason, she felt a bit guilty and glanced sideways at Acheron.
Thankfully, Acheron didn't seem to mind.
From her side of the screen, Ruan Mei, on the Herta Space Station, noticed Kiana's slightly unusual reaction.
A spark of curiosity flickered within her.
Someone's with Kiana right now?
And someone... special, perhaps?
"The first stage of the Simulated Universe discussions has been completed. I plan to head back for a while. Do you want to come with me?"
Never mind—that wasn't important.
Ruan Mei wasn't particularly interested in Kiana's relationships. Whoever was beside her didn't matter.
The only one who mattered to her—was Kiana herself.
"So soon?"
Kiana blinked in surprise. "The Simulated Universe is such a huge project, and you finished the first stage in less than a year?"
"Less than a year... well, most of it was theoretical and technical work. Herta and I finalized the framework for the Simulated Universe. But to actually complete it will take a lot longer. I don't have to stay at the Herta Space Station all the time. I've already talked to her—if anything comes up, she'll contact me online. If there's something that absolutely needs my attention, I'll return to the station then."
Ruan Mei spoke at length, which was rare for her.
For most geniuses, this was a project they wouldn't even dare to dream of—something they might spend their entire lives on without ever finishing a prototype.
But these were members of the Genius Society. And there wasn't just one involved—there were four members working on the Simulated Universe project, including Herta herself.
In that context, less than a year wasn't short at all.
Besides, this was only the first stage. They had only just discussed the conceptual framework. Herta's side still lacked a lot of materials needed to actually construct the Simulated Universe, and gathering and assembling those would take time.
Before the next phase began, Ruan didn't need to stay confined to the space station.
If not for Kiana, she wouldn't have minded staying there—after all, Herta had collected so many fascinating things.
"I see."
"Will you come back with me?"
Ruan Mei asked again. If Kiana said yes, she would remain at the station a little longer to wait for her.
It had been over half a year since they last saw each other, and Ruan was somewhat concerned about Kiana's condition.
Was the Honkai energy in her body more active now?
Or had it stabilized?
From what she knew, Kiana hadn't done anything noteworthy in recent months. Apparently, she had been learning to sing from a friend while searching for someone.
When Ruan had first heard that, she had gone silent for quite some time. At first, she couldn't even understand how those two things were connected.
Wait—a friend?
So that was it. Kiana must have finally found the person she'd been searching for all this time.
The concern that had faded after Kiana's previous promise resurfaced once again.
Surely Kiana wouldn't have...
But it seemed things really were turning out just as she feared.
"Go... go back?"
Kiana's expression froze as she glanced sideways. She had just reunited with Mei—it was too soon to leave for the space station. Besides, she had planned to verify a certain suspicion first.
Seeing her hesitation, Ruan's expression remained calm, but a flicker of displeasure stirred within her.
"Come to the space station to find me."
Ruan didn't ask again whether Kiana would return. Seeing her uncertainty, she made the decision for her—without leaving any room for negotiation.
Because Kiana had once promised her: if Ruan ever needed her, she would stay by her side and never leave.
Since she had said it, she couldn't go back on her word.
Realizing that Kiana's promise might not have been as reliable as she'd hoped, Ruan—normally so composed—couldn't help but feel a faint sense of irritation.
She had said before that she hated being deceived.
Especially by Kiana.