The scene shifted once more. He saw Phrolova, after enduring blow after heavy blow—ultimately sinking into an abyss of profound despair.
"I once bowed to the gods... but the indifferent divine dust remained dead silent..."
"I once turned to science for answers... but foolish as I was, I placed my trust in the wrong people..."
"I once asked the masses... but the people there only met me with vicious words..."
"I stopped running around pleading for help. I tried time and time again on my own, but without exception, all I reaped was failure, failure, and more failure..."
It was at this exact moment that the President of the Fractsidus, taking the form of a man in a sharp suit, appeared.
President of the Fractsidus: "Tris's appearance was so brief, but this is not the entirety of what we can achieve. I know you are seeking to start over. Then utilize your superior abilities and just live on. You must be cruel, brave, and resolute. Entrust humanity's power to me."
"I can make her live longer before your eyes than she did today. Tomorrow, tomorrow, and yet another tomorrow... advancing day by day, until eternity. Until she becomes even more real, even more joyous. Until Lia can once again drive you to the concert venue, until that old rascal Eskles can continue rehearsing with you, and until you can finally say the apology you never got the chance to say to your mother."
"This pitiful civilization still possesses the right to continue growing. You will ultimately bring back the hope of new life for everyone. This path will be long, and it will be difficult, but doing the right thing is always like this. Do not worry, we will accompany you as you continue down this path, providing you with all the materials and resources you could possibly need. You have already met your other companions; even if our circumstances differ, the paths to realizing our ideals can merge into one."
As if clutching at the final straw to save her life, Phrolova answered: "I will walk the path ahead with you all. I will spend endless time, pay infinite prices, eliminate all interference, and use everything that can be utilized to recreate that light."
President of the Fractsidus: "Welcome to the Fractsidus."
...
...
All the illusions receded like the ebbing tide.
Rover found himself still standing at the edge of the chaotic Proving Ground, as if everything that had just transpired was nothing more than a fleeting dream.
But the complex emotions churning within his chest—the guilt born from "his" broken promise, and the profound understanding of the agonizing pain Phrolova had endured—burned him with an unparalleled, vivid realism.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to break free from the chaotic reverberations of those memories.
Now was not the time to drown in the past. He had to find Phrolova first.
Following the increasingly distinct fragrance of spider lilies lingering in the air, and the energy fluctuations emanating from ahead, Rover moved rapidly through the twisted corridors.
Finally, at the entrance to a sprawling, circular grand hall, he stopped in his tracks.
Phrolova was standing right there.
But the 'her' before his eyes seemed like an entirely different person.
All traces of her previous pale, sickly complexion had vanished entirely; her cheeks even carried a faint, healthy blush.
She stood tall and straight, no longer needing to lean against anything for support. Her entire body radiated a harmonious, overwhelmingly powerful Resonance energy fluctuation that perfectly resonated with the frequency of the entire Shores of the Lost. It was as if she were the very heart and absolute master of this space.
She had completely recovered... no, she was even stronger than before.
Her fusion with the Shores was complete.
Seeing Rover, she slowly turned around.
Within that unbandaged eye, there was no longer any weakness, probing, or complex internal struggle. Replacing it was a near-compassionate tranquility and an unshakable, absolute resolve.
The two stared at each other from a distance. The air was thick with a silent, heavy tension.
A moment later, she moved her feet, walking toward him.
The scene from his memory—crossing blades and fighting a life-and-death struggle—seemed as though it was still destined to play out.
Rover's hand twitched slightly, but ultimately, he didn't instantly raise Blood Pact to her throat like he had in the memory.
She also stopped her footsteps just a few paces away from him.
He looked at her quietly and was the first to break the silence. His voice was low yet incredibly clear, carrying a trace of absolute understanding:
"That song... I heard it."
It was a simple sentence, yet it acted like a master key, instantly unlocking the floodgates to all those memories.
Their first meeting at the concert, the mutual resonance of soulmates, that heavy promise, the endless waiting during countless tours, and the final, crushing despair... Everything Rover had experienced in that illusion was encapsulated within those few words.
Phrolova's body swayed almost imperceptibly.
Within that exposed eye, the tranquil surface of the lake was abruptly shattered, flashing with violent ripples of someone who had been profoundly moved.
It seemed to take an immense amount of effort for her to maintain her outward composure.
"...It seems the Shores showed you quite a bit." Her voice remained ethereal, but now carried a faint trace of hoarseness. "Then, do you finally understand now? Do you understand why I must keep walking, and why I must finish it?"
"I understand your pain, Phrolova," Rover admitted openly. He slowly took a few steps forward, closing the distance between them, his gaze never leaving hers. "I understand the weight of that obsession, and I understand... the role I played within it."
His tone shifted, becoming incomparably firm. Yet it wasn't hostile; it was a crystal-clear declaration of his stance: "But I still believe you are wrong. Creating an eternal phantom to imprison the dead is absolutely not salvation. Grandpa Eskles, Grandma Lia, Tris... they would never wish to exist in this manner."
Phrolova listened quietly, not immediately refuting him.
If it had been before, she would have already fiercely defended herself or retorted mockingly.
But at this moment, facing a "soulmate" who seemed to have truly understood her entire story and the root of all her pain, her reaction was subtly different.
She gently raised her hand. A spider lily quietly bloomed at her fingertips, radiating a denser, more solid halo of light than ever before. The energy of the entire grand hall pulsed in tandem with it.
"Right and wrong... have long ceased to matter, Rover," she said softly, her gaze sweeping across his face. "The Shores are already complete, and I have recovered all of my strength."
"The Gemstone. I must obtain it. It is the only path."
She didn't display any aggression, nor did she attempt to confuse him with illusions again. She was simply stating what she perceived to be a set fact.
This very calmness highlighted the absolute firmness of her resolve; she had already surpassed the stage where she needed fierce emotions to prop herself up.
"It seems that, once again, the right to choose is not in my hands," Rover said slowly, his tone carrying a complex trace of emotion.
He finally gripped the hilt of Blood Pact, but he didn't draw it immediately. Instead, he assumed a defensive starting stance.
"Our paths, ultimately, are different."
Watching his actions, the final ripple of emotion in Phrolova's eye faded into dead silence, completely replaced by an icy, absolute resoluteness.
"But for the sake of you finally hearing that song... I will ensure that the process of keeping you here in the Shores is as painless as possible, so that you may fulfill that promise with me."
"However, right now, we have more important things to do... The Gemstone is not in the Shores. It has already been taken by Finlay. You should know what that means..."
Rover silently released his grip on Blood Pact and asked, "Where to next?"
Phrolova's answer was extremely brief:
"To the top floor."
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