"Sister Cyrene, there's nothing here either." Phaethon straightened up after tidying the last corner, brushed his hands off, and spoke to Cyrene, who was sitting on the wooden swing.
Hearing Phaethon's voice, Cyrene turned her head, a playful smile appearing on her face. "Ah, thank you for your hard work, my two little whitey. Come here, come here. Sister has some pretzels~" Cyrene broke a biscuit into two halves and offered them to Phainon and Phaethon.
Phaethon took the two halved pretzel pieces, turned, and handed one to Phainon, laughing as he did so. "I say, Sister Cyrene, was it necessary to break it so symmetrically? You really are..." After distributing the biscuit, Phaethon turned back to see Cyrene holding a whole pretzel, stuffing it into her mouth without a second thought. The biscuit was chewed in small bites in her mouth, making a "crunch crunch" sound.
Phaethon was instantly stunned, watching Cyrene, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "...So fair."
Having finished her biscuit, Cyrene seemed to be in an even better mood. She hopped off the swing. "Alright then, since the 'Oracle Cards' album isn't here, it can only be in my little priestess courtyard. Let's go~"
...
The three of them stood before the gate of the familiar yet unfamiliar small courtyard.
"This place... now that I think about it, it's been a long time since we've been here. When we were kids, besides the village plaza, this seemed to be our other meeting spot," Phainon remarked with some emotion.
"Yeah, when you used to drag me out to play, Phainon, you clearly had the front gate but insisted on climbing the wall. You even called it: 'Heroes always take the unconventional path'," Cyrene said with a feigned pout, casually using her pale, delicate foot to kick the fallen leaves at the doorstep into a hidden corner as if by accident.
"Compared to that, even your little brother who's always thinking about being the older one seems much more mature. Don't you think so, Phaethon?" Cyrene turned her head, looking playfully at Phaethon, a hint of teasing in her eyes.
"What do you mean, 'the little brother who wants to be the older one'? Cyrene, I just don't want to be unjustly considered beneath Phainon," Phaethon's voice carried a trace of resentment, but he still looked towards the messy yet memory-filled courtyard.
"My, Phaethon, you're still so stubborn~" Cyrene giggled, her laughter clear and melodious like silver bells. She lightly skipped forward a few steps into the courtyard, blocking Phaethon's line of sight. "But, letting someone see this courtyard that hasn't been properly tidied up in so long... even if that person is Phaethon, I'd still be a little shy, you know? ♪" A faint blush spread across Cyrene's cheeks.
"Hmm... Phaethon, there are a lot of things upstairs. How about you come upstairs with me to put them away... *cough*... I mean, to look for that 'Oracle Cards' album, okay? As for Phainon, I'll leave it to you to search the courtyard and downstairs, alright? ♪" Cyrene batted her large, dewy eyes, entrusting them with the task with an expectant look on her face.
Phainon and Phaethon exchanged a glance. Phaethon's eyes were filled with resignation, while Phainon's held a trace of sympathy; he could probably understand how Phaethon was feeling right now. After all, most of the downstairs was the courtyard. Although there were some rooms, there wasn't really that much clutter. In contrast, the upstairs likely had more miscellaneous items and would be more troublesome to sort out.
"Sister Cyrene, did you really call us here just to draw the 'Oracle Cards'? I get the feeling you have something else you want our help with... Like, for instance, helping you tidy your..." Phaethon's foot had already landed on the second-floor floorboards.
But when he truly stepped onto the second floor, his words cut off abruptly. Because what unfolded before his eyes wasn't the disarray he had imagined, but a clean, tidy, and meticulously organized room. Everything was placed perfectly, without a trace of mess. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting bright patches of light on the floor. The entire room was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere, just like a real girl's room.
"Hehe, of course not~" Cyrene stood at the top of the stairs, a mischievous smile gracing her lips. "The real reason I asked you to come upstairs... is because I want to know what kind of secret is hidden deep in your heart, little Phaethon~"
As soon as the words left her mouth, she swiftly reached out and gave a sharp tug, pulling Phaethon completely onto the second floor like a sly little fox.
"Cy... Cyrene, what are you talking about..." Phaethon's eyelids trembled uncontrollably, as if trying to conceal the unease in his heart.
"You can't fool me~, little Phaethon. Ever since I mentioned at your house last night that I wanted you two to draw the 'Oracle Cards,' your heartbeat has been more than just a little faster than usual. Especially right now~, it's thumping so hard it makes me think you've finally fallen for me♪." A curve played on Cyrene's lips as she stared into Phaethon's pupils, so similar to Phainon's, trying to understand why her childhood playmate was so... off. "Can you tell me? Little Phaethon, what has made you so panicked?"
Seeing Cyrene looking at him with such heartfelt concern, Phaethon almost blurted everything out. But what could he tell her?
Should he tell Cyrene that he knows the script—that he knows Phainon's hometown, as the destined savior, is inevitably destined to be eroded by the Black Tide?
That he knows that after Phainon draws his card, what awaits Aedes Elysiae, what awaits this little village nestled among the wheat fields that raised him for 18 years, is complete destruction? That even Cyrene herself will be stabbed to death by the 'Flame Reaver Phainon' who arrives later?
I have truly lived here for 18 years! I'm not some poor soul who was just suddenly dropped in! I, too, tried desperately to save something, even deceiving myself, practicing swordsmanship with Phainon!
But what can I do? My blood isn't even golden! I'm not one of the Chrysos Heir! If not for knowing the plot in advance, even I would perish in this calamity—along with... my parents in this world...
Phaethon fell silent for a long time. "Sister Cyrene... I've been having a bad feeling lately..." Phaethon's voice was very low, seemingly hesitant.
"Little Phaethon, you can tell me~ Anything..." Cyrene immediately leaned forward, her voice filled with unconcealed concern. She couldn't even wait for Phaethon to finish his sentence before wanting to comfort him. However, just as her response had only barely begun—
"Cyrene! Phaethon! I found the Oracle Cards album! It's here—" Downstairs, Phainon's clear, bright voice, tinged with excitement, abruptly pierced through the floorboards.
This sudden call "snapped" off all the comforting words Cyrene had yet to speak. Her mouth slightly agape, the phrase "you can tell me anything" stuck in her throat. The gentle urgency on her face instantly froze, then transformed into a hint of interrupted annoyance and slight vexation, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
"Sister Cyrene, I just... I'm just feeling a bit lost about our future, about going out to study, that's all." Phaethon, snapping back to reality, seized the chance to escape downstairs.
Upstairs, Cyrene watched Phaethon descend, a sense of frustration showing in her eyes for the first time. "*Sigh*, still won't tell me, little Phaethon? I sensed it long ago, that pain etched deep in your eyes..."
"Never mind, never mind. Somehow, I feel just being able to meet Phaethon is a very fortunate situation." Cyrene comforted herself and also walked down the stairs.
…
(Cyrene: Folks, my luck is too good! A single pull and I got a gold!
Flame Reaver: Man! What can I say? When did they change the gacha mechanics? Cyrene gets a gold with a random single pull, and I can't get one in over 30 million pulls?)