A/N: This is the first time I've written so many time skips in a single chapter. Originally, this arc was supposed to last around five chapters and then end.
But I kind of underestimated Mio's state from 30 years ago when she was still a blank slate. It felt strange to make her suddenly develop emotions too quickly.
So I ended up writing around 3,000 words of slice-of-life moments to build her growth more naturally — which resulted in a lot of time skips.
I'm not sure if it turned out well, but I hope you enjoyed it. See you later~
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A week had passed since Reina appeared in this world.
She still hadn't left her cabin and instead kept expanding it, creating a greenhouse and planting all kinds of things.
She also made a backyard and a small river to decorate the area around the cabin, adding more flowers and trees.
There wasn't any real reason for her to do all that, other than the fact that she was simply bored with nothing else to do.
She had planned to go to the city, but it was better to wait until the girl woke up.
So if something happened, she could handle it.
She also planned to visit the two people living in the mountain like her.
"Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~" Reina could now be seen humming softly while reading a book.
"Hmm?" In the middle of her humming, she sensed movement from the bedroom where the girl was sleeping.
"She's awake?"
Closing the book, she stood up and immediately walked to the second floor toward the girl's room.
At first she wanted to knock, but maybe the girl couldn't talk or had some other condition since she had been asleep for a week.
So she knocked a few times. "Excuse me," she said before opening the door.
Reina stepped inside the room.
She could see the girl was already sitting up on the bed, her long pale blue hair falling loosely over her shoulders as she looked around the unfamiliar space.
When her eyes landed on Reina, her body stiffened.
There was no confusion in her gaze-only fear.
Her eyes were filled with terror and wariness, like a cornered animal ready to flee at any moment.
Her fingers slowly tightened around the bedsheet as if preparing herself to move.
Reina could clearly see the guard in her posture, the instinctive fear directed at her.
"Good afternoon. How do you feel?" Reina asked calmly.
The girl didn't respond, and her gaze didn't leave Reina for even a second.
Seeing no response, Reina slowly walked closer, but with every step she could see the girl growing even more frightened.
'This is going to be complicated,' Reina thought to herself and stopped for a moment.
Psychology wasn't really her specialty. Usually that would be Mei.
But she was the only one here, so she had to do something to lower the girl's guard.
Reina decided to subtly change the natural aroma around her, making it calming and comforting to whoever smelled it, similar to Yuna's ability.
And it worked.
After a few moments, she could see the girl's hands slowly relaxing from the bedsheets.
Her tense muscles began to ease, and the fear in her eyes gradually lessened, though it didn't disappear completely.
"Here, I brought you something to eat and drink."
Sitting down on the bed beside her, Reina snapped her fingers and a tray of food and water appeared in her hand.
The aroma of the warm food filled the room, and suddenly the girl's stomach growled softly in hunger.
Even though the girl's stomach growled, she still didn't touch the food and only continued looking at Reina.
Seeing her gaze, Reina immediately understood why she didn't eat.
"I need to take care of the plants in the back, so if you're done, just call me, okay~?"
With that, she left the room, leaving the girl behind. The girl kept staring at her until Reina disappeared from her sight.
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Now alone in the room, the girl continued looking at the door.
After making sure Reina had truly left, she slowly turned her attention back to the tray.
As a Spirit, she normally wouldn't feel hunger.
But after coming to this world from a neighboring world-or perhaps a parallel dimension-her body had begun to change.
She felt hunger.
She felt anger toward the people who attacked her.
She felt fear of being captured.
Just like when Reina appeared-she had been afraid, afraid of being hunted like before.
Unfortunately, she didn't have enough energy to run away. Most of it had been used by the crystal inside her body to heal her during the past week.
Growl.
Her stomach growled again as she stared at the food.
She felt uncomfortable with her body demanding that she eat, but in the end she decided to follow that instinct.
Slowly picking up the tray, she placed it on her thighs, greeted by several dishes-warm soup and other light food that seemed suitable for someone who had been unconscious for a week.
The aroma grew even stronger as she pulled the tray closer in front of her.
Gulp.
Unconsciously swallowing, the scent alone was enough to make her mouth water.
Instinctively, she picked up a spoonful of soup and held it there for a moment before bringing it to her lips, moving slowly, as if still unsure whether this was truly safe.
But in the end, her caution lost to her body's demand.
Her mouth opened.
"-Hm!?"
The rich taste and warmth attacked her senses.
After that first spoonful, she immediately continued eating, as if she had already forgotten her earlier tension and wariness.
Not even five minutes later, the entire tray was empty.
"...Delicious," she murmured softly, staring at the empty plate before slowly turning her head toward the door.
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More days had passed since the girl woke up.
So far, Reina kept failing to start a proper conversation with her. The girl would only remain silent and stare.
But at least she still ate the food Reina brought, slowly regaining her energy.
Reina had assumed that once the girl recovered, she would leave on her own.
After she left, Reina planned to roam this world and search for an alternative energy source so she could eventually return to Honkai Impact 3.
But even after the girl had fully recovered from her injuries and regained her strength, she still didn't leave.
Reina had no idea what she wanted now. Her injuries were gone, and she should have been able to leave anytime with her power.
"She's here again..." Reina murmured as she watered the plants in the morning.
For the past three days, she had constantly felt someone staring at her whenever she was doing something.
Like right now.
Behind her, in the distance, partially hidden behind a wall, the girl was peeking at her.
At first, Reina ignored it. The girl was probably just curious.
But it kept happening.
When she was meditating, she felt the stare.
When she was organizing the shelves inside the cabin, she felt it again.
When she was cooking, she felt it once more.
It just kept repeating.
And every time Reina asked what she was doing, the girl would immediately run away and hide from her.
With no other choice, Reina let the girl watch her while she went about her daily activities. Only when Reina left the cabin did the girl stop following her.
One night, after finishing her usual tasks while still being silently followed the entire time, Reina sat down on the couch and turned on the TV to watch a cartoon.
As usual, the girl peeked from behind the living room door, staring at Reina.
And as usual, Reina ignored her and continued watching the anime on TV.
From the broadcast, Reina found out that the current year was 2010. So anime was already airing on television in this world.
Reina focused on the screen while the girl continued staring at her.
At first, the girl had only been curious about Reina. She thought she would eventually be taken somewhere else.
So she decided to observe her closely. If Reina made any suspicious movement, she would leave immediately.
But so far, she hadn't seen anything strange.
Reina simply lived her daily life while pretending not to notice her.
She still took care of her-bringing food, preparing bathwater.
Even so, the girl never removed her Spirit Dress. Every time she finished bathing, the dress would immediately reappear around her body.
But this time, her attention began to waver.
The moving images on the TV caught her interest.
Slowly, her gaze shifted away from Reina... and toward the screen.
In the end, she wasn't watching Reina anymore.
She was staring at the TV.
The colorful images on the screen continued moving with loud voices filling the quiet living room.
Suddenly Reina stood up from the couch.
The girl immediately stiffened and retreated behind the door again, hiding like before. She thought Reina was finally coming toward her.
Carefully peeking out, she watched with guarded eyes.
But Reina didn't walk in her direction.
Instead, she headed toward the stairs and calmly went upstairs.
The girl kept watching until Reina disappeared from sight and the sound of her footsteps faded.
Silence returned to the cabin.
At first, she wanted to follow her like usual.
That had become her routine-observe, stay close enough to react.
However, the television continued playing.
The bright colors and exaggerated voices pulled at her attention again.
She glanced at the stairs.
Then back at the screen.
After waiting a few minutes and confirming Reina wasn't coming back down, she slowly stepped out from behind the door.
Her movements were cautious as always.
Reaching the couch, she hesitated for a second before sitting down where Reina had been earlier.
The cushion sank slightly under her weight.
Her eyes fixed on the television.
At first she kept glancing toward the stairs, still wary.
But as time passed and nothing happened, her guard slowly lowered.
Without realizing it, she stopped checking upstairs.
She simply watched.
And watched.
The night passed quietly, the light from the television reflecting in her blue eyes.
She remained there the entire night until morning.
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Sometime during the night, the loud and dramatic anime ended.
The television automatically switched to late-night movies.
She kept watching.
When the movies ended, colorful children's programs replaced them as dawn slowly approached.
Morning sunlight gradually slipped through the window, landing softly on her pale blue hair and the side of her face.
Even so, her eyes remained fixed on the screen.
The exaggerated voices were different now-slower, simpler. The show taught numbers, words, and learning through play.
She absorbed everything quickly.
As a spirit, her mind processed information far faster than an ordinary human. What the show presented once, she already understood.
Still, she continued watching.
Then-
Her attention flickered when she noticed a hand placing something on the table in front of her.
A soft clink.
The faint scent of warm milk reached her nose.
Only then did she turn her head.
Reina was standing beside the couch.
"Good morning," Reina said with a small smile. "Did you not sleep last night?"
For a brief second, the girl just stared at her.
She hadn't noticed Reina walking around.
She hadn't sensed her approaching.
But she didn't speak, nor did she try to run. She simply looked at Reina for a moment before turning back to the TV.
Hearing no response, just like usual, Reina only smiled again. She didn't feel angry or annoyed.
She returned to the kitchen and brought some snacks for the girl.
"Do you mind if I sit too?"
The girl paused, thinking for a moment.
Then she gave a small nod.
Seeing her surprisingly agree, Reina quietly sat down beside her and watched the TV together with her.
She didn't say anything and simply enjoyed the show.
In the middle of watching, the girl picked up the glass and drank the warm milk, eating the snacks as well.
Reina glanced at her from the side, a soft smile forming on her lips, feeling a quiet sense of relief seeing that the girl didn't run away or hide.
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Since that day, Reina and the girl slowly started growing closer.
After living together for a while and seeing how the girl was always curious about everything she did, Reina began to think that this girl was almost like her child.
In the morning, instead of peeking from behind the door, the girl would suddenly appear and quietly follow whatever Reina was doing.
When Reina went to the backyard, the girl followed her.
When Reina read a book, the girl sat beside her, staring at the pages with curiosity.
It felt awkward being watched in silence, so sometimes Reina would start reading the book out loud for her.
In the late afternoon, when Reina wanted to meditate outside, the girl followed again. Usually she never left the cabin before, but now she stepped outside without hesitation.
Of course, Reina couldn't properly meditate while leaving the girl alone, so instead she just walked around the mountain, enjoying the scenery.
"Come here."
During the walk, Reina turned around and extended her hand toward the girl who had been trailing behind her.
The girl stared at the offered hand, not knowing what she was supposed to do with it.
"Fufufu, this is what you should do."
With a small giggle, Reina walked closer and gently took the girl's left hand herself.
"You're going to follow me anyway, so I think it's better if we just walk together."
She pulled her gently to her side and began walking forward again.
The girl looked down at their joined hands.
She could feel the warmth coming from Reina's hand.
It felt strange.
The warmth was similar to when she wrapped herself in a blanket, but for some reason, this felt more comfortable.
Without realizing it, she slowly tightened her grip, holding Reina's hand back. Her expression remained calm, but her eyes were filled with quiet curiosity.
"Hehe... she's really acting like a child."
The thought that the girl was like her own child began to feel more real to Reina at that moment.
Both of them continued walking together in a peaceful atmosphere.
The wind blew gently around them, brushing through their hair and clothes as if quietly accompanying their steps.
The girl allowed Reina to lead her without resistance.
She didn't feel uncomfortable.
Even with her past—being chased and hunted by humans—she felt no fear right now. In her mind, Reina was just a normal human. The strange things Reina did, making objects appear out of nowhere, somehow didn't seem abnormal to her. She simply accepted it.
They walked through the forest for a while, the sound of leaves rustling beneath their feet mixing with the wind.
Eventually, the trees began to thin out.
A bright light suddenly filled her vision.
She instinctively raised her free hand to shield her eyes from the sudden sunlight.
"Hehe, this is my favorite spot."
Reina's voice sounded gentle as she slowed down and lowered their joined hands.
When the girl finally adjusted to the brightness and looked forward—
She froze.
They were standing at the edge of a cliff.
In the distance, the sun was slowly descending toward the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of orange and gold.
The endless forest stretched below them like a green ocean, its surface glowing under the warm light of sunset.
The clouds were tinted in soft crimson.
The wind felt different here—cooler, freer.
It was the first time the girl had seen something so vast.
So beautiful.
Her eyes widened slightly as the colors of the sunset reflected in her pale blue gaze.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
She simply stared at the scenery, quietly taking it in.
The silence settled between them again, but this time it wasn't awkward.
It felt calm.
Comfortable.
The wind continued to blow gently as the sunset painted everything in orange light.
After a few minutes, Reina spoke again.
"By the way, we never introduced ourselves after all this time. My name is Reina. What's yours?"
Hearing that, the girl slowly turned her head toward her.
"Name…?"
It was the first time she spoke on her own.
Reina's eyes widened slightly, excitement flashing across her face, but she quickly calmed herself so she wouldn't pressure her.
"I don't have a name."
Her answer surprised Reina.
"You don't have a name? That's… unusual."
Reina's mind immediately began running through possibilities.
From the girl's behavior, her endless curiosity, and now the fact that she didn't even have a name, everything pointed in a few directions.
Either she had grown up in some kind of laboratory, treated as an experiment instead of a person.
Or she had just been born into this world somehow or maybe she was summoned into this world just like Reina… but unlike Reina, she started as a blank page.
"Then… do you mind if I give you one?" Reina asked gently. "It's better to have a name. It'll make it easier for us to talk to each other. And I can call you properly when we're back home."
The girl tilted her head slightly, thinking.
At first, she thought a name was unnecessary.
But after hearing Reina's explanation, it didn't seem completely useless.
After a moment, she gave a small nod.
"Alright… let me think."
Reina looked at her for a while, studying her quietly.
Then something clicked in her mind.
"Mio."
The girl blinked once.
"Mio…?" she repeated quietly, testing the sound.
Reina smiled softly.
"Mio can mean a water channel."
"Your dress looks like flowing water… so it just came to mind."
The orange light of the sunset reflected in the girl's eyes as she listened.
"I thought it fits you," Reina added.
The girl looked down slightly.
Mio.
That sound was directed at her.
Not "hey." Not silence.
A name.
"My… own name?" she asked slowly, as if trying to understand the concept.
"Of course," Reina replied gently. "From now on, that's yours."
Mio felt something unfamiliar settle inside her chest.
It wasn't heavy.
It wasn't painful.
It felt… warm.
Different from the warmth of a blanket.
Different from holding hands.
This warmth felt like something that belonged to her.
She softly whispered it again.
"Mio…"
Reina extended her hand once more.
"Alright, Mio," she said naturally, as if she had always called her that. "Let's go back home."
Mio looked at the offered hand.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
She placed her hand in Reina's, holding it a little tighter than before.
And together, they began walking back as the sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
As they descended from the mountain, a small smile could be seen on Mio's face.