Mei arrived in a new space. If this were a game, she'd consider it a new map.
In a game, she would be happy to explore, but this was reality—especially in the Elysian Realm, a place filled with traps, lies, and danger. A new space meant unknown dangers. Moreover, this trip was "extraneous," running counter to her original goal.
Based on Mobius meaningful sneer and Kevin "riddle-filled nonsense" style of avoiding questions—where he'd basically say, "a thing is a thing, you asked a question and I can answer, but I have to check if you asked before I answer, so figure it out yourself"—this venture was likely not going to be simple.
After crossing the anchor point, everything before her eyes went black. It wasn't the darkness of the Deep End where there's no light; it was a genuine state where black was the only thing that existed.
No sight, no sound, no touch. In that moment, had Mei not been able to feel her own heartbeat, she might have doubted her own existence. The space felt like an infinite void where even the flow of time was imperceptible.
She tried to make a low sound with her throat. Fortunately, she could still hear herself; otherwise, she wouldn't have lasted a minute there.
Thankfully, this state of sensory deprivation didn't last long. After a few dozen seconds, her vision returned, and the scenery before her had changed completely.
She looked down and touched the school uniform she was wearing, feeling slightly dazed.
Chiba Academy... uniform?
She remembered clearly. Before the Third Honkai Eruption happened, before she was forced to become the Third Herrscher, she had been a student at Chiba Academy. And it was during the outbreak of the Third Honkai Eruption at Chiba Academy that she met... Kiana.
Whoosh.
The academy was completely empty. A second later, her vision flickered to black, and then her ears were filled with noise.
She stood in the middle of a stream of people, looking helplessly at the students walking and talking around her.
Had she returned to Chiba Academy?
No, this must be like before—a space constructed from specific memories. It's just that this space changed according to the host's memories. This time, it had read her memories and simulated a fake Chiba Academy.
Yes, that had to be it...
To verify, she checked and found that, just like the last time, her Herrscher powers were unusable.
This caused her a slight hesitation. Because the familiar scenery and her lack of Herrscher powers momentarily gave her the illusion that she had returned to her former, ordinary self.
"Lin... what exactly are you trying to do... what do you want me to see..."
Mei whispered the name of the man who remained consistently unfathomable to her.
Suddenly, her shoulder stung. Someone had bumped into her, nearly knocking her to the ground.
However, Mei was long accustomed to the pain of injury; this degree didn't even register. But after the person walked away, Mei suddenly realized she was holding a paper bag.
"What...?"
She turned around, but the person's figure had already disappeared. She tried to recall, but in that fraction of a second, there was no time to see the other person's face.
Mei frowned and walked to a corner, then quietly opened the paper bag and looked inside...
Snap.
She slammed the bag shut, her pupils constricting in discomfort.
A hand.
Inside the bag was a black hand that looked like a monkey's paw. The withered shape and sparse fuzz were unmistakable. More importantly, the moment she saw it, she had an extremely ominous premonition.
Under no circumstances should I touch this hand.
"Do you have regrets? Have you lost someone important? Is there someone you wish to bring back? Someone you want to save?"
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in her ear. Mei immediately recognized it as Lin voice—that low, cold, emotionless tone was unmistakable.
"Lin?"
But the voice simply continued on its own: "When you have the chance to go back to the past and change everything, how will you act?"
"Will you stand by and watch the tragedy repeat itself, or will you change it all... or perhaps, use a tiny 'privilege'?"
Privilege?
Mei looked at the paper bag. Neither the bag nor its contents felt heavy; she couldn't even feel their weight. Yet she felt as though her hand might slip at any moment, dropping this thing that made her want to scream into some place where she couldn't see it.
"If you thirst for something—hope to bring it back, hope to save it, hope to change it—then try making a wish."
"The first time is for 'Raiden Mei'."
"The second time is for the 'Herrscher of Thunder'."
"The third time is for 'You'."
"Only wishes are 'free of charge.' You can fulfill your heart's desire without paying any price. But likewise... not every wish can be granted."
Mei gritted her teeth and hissed in reply, "I don't need to fulfill my wishes through prayer."
Did Mei not wish for an omnipotent wish-granting machine? Impossible. Every person likely wishes for such a thing to get what they want.
She wished Himeko could come back. She wished her father could come back. She wished Kiana could come back. She wished the friends from St. Freya could all go back to the past, with everyone making up for their regrets.
But that was impossible. One can achieve nothing through mere wishing. She would use her own strength to save Kiana. The past cannot be changed, so she would look toward tomorrow.
If one casts a prayer toward a falsehood, then everything they have done becomes a pathetic joke.
"If this is your test, then you've underestimated me, Lin."
"..."
Lin voice did not respond. Mei glared at a certain spot; she didn't know if Lin was there or if this was just some pre-recorded program he had set up, but her anger was real.
She didn't want others to trample on her convictions—not even these pioneers from the previous civilization who shared the same beliefs.
"When you believe your will is strong enough, you should first examine yourself to see if you are truly as steadfast as the 'you' you imagined."
This time, the tone changed.
Lin was here!
"Lin!"
"Raiden Mei, the next time we meet, I will tell you everything you want to know. But before that, you must have the resolve to leave this place."
Lin spoke slowly.
"Remember what I said, and remember the hint Kevin gave you."