At this moment, Kevin and Mei, who were strolling along, were also discussing something in hushed tones.
Elf Kevin followed behind them, unable to articulate what he should be doing at the moment, so he silently trailed the two.
He was used to it anyway; it was highly unlikely anyone would specifically notice him.
They were in a place similar to a rooftop somewhere in dream.
There were few people around, only the soft rustle of wind through the railings, making it exceptionally quiet.
The distant starry sky was equally serene, merely scattering some fragmented light...
Mei gently rested one hand on the cold railing, while her other hand casually smoothed her wind-blown hair. She turned her head to look at Kevin beside her.
"Hmm, this is a nice spot. It seems quite secluded, suitable for a chat."
The two had walked hand-in-hand, side by side, for a long time before this.
Along the way, the long-sealed memories surged like pages blown by the wind, surfacing in their minds from time to time. Even though neither of them intentionally brought them up, the recollections emerged on their own.
Mei withdrew her hand from the railing and gazed at the distant sky.
The stars were like diamonds scattered on velvet... She slowly began,
"Kevin, do you remember when we used to talk about the stars?"
Kevin responded,
"Yes, I remember. Back then, you said the stars were all enemies."
"That's right..."
Mei sighed softly,
"But in this vast galaxy, things seem even more complicated. It doesn't appear as harmonious as one might imagine, and war seems to have always existed, never ceasing."
Kevin followed her gaze to the sky and analyzed in a calm tone,
"First is survival; that's the most important thing."
"And also because of the power of the Paths."
"Different Paths represent different ideals, which naturally tends to lead to conflict."
Mei nodded in agreement,
"Exactly. When people's will and determination are strong enough, they can embark on a Path and become what are known as Pathstrider"
"A Path is more like a manifestation of a rule. To walk on a Path means to uphold the ideals it represents. This is even more true for Emissaries."
Kevin replied,
"Yes, it seems that the development of this world is now inseparable from the Paths. From individual choices to the rise and fall of factions, the shadow of the Paths can always be seen behind it."
A hint of inquiry entered Mei's eyes:
"And haven't you noticed that the existence of Aeons is actually the embodiment of philosophical concepts within people's cognition?"
"Some of them were even mere mortals before ascending to become Aeons..."
She paused, then gestured to the dream-constructed world before them:
"Look at the world before us. What happens here—conflicts, cooperation, the realization of ideals, and the regrettable ends. Perhaps in countless other worlds, similar stories have also unfolded."
"Too many things are involved behind these events, too many to count. But in the end, it all comes back to rules, to Paths. Often, the struggle between various factions is, in fact, a struggle between Paths."
Kevin naturally understood what Mei wanted to convey.
This universe was more complex than they imagined, and in the future, they were bound to encounter more unpredictable things here.
Although at this stage, it didn't have much to do with them.
Mei continued,
"Think about the Honkai we are familiar with; in fact, Honkai is also like a standardized product, with its own operating laws, its reasons for appearing, and its meaning of existence."
"This world also has theories similar to the Imaginary Tree, explaining the origin and development of the world."
She suddenly changed the subject,
"Let's boldly speculate: perhaps among the myriad worlds, those countless branches on the Imaginary Tree are also engaging in some kind of unknown struggle among themselves?"
Kevin pondered for a moment, then said,
"Sometimes, from simple theories, one can glimpse some truths about how the world operates, like observing a single leaf to generally guess the appearance of the entire tree."
"Exactly..."
Mei smiled, a hint of emotion in her voice,
"This world is vast, so vast that we might not be able to traverse it in a lifetime."
"But this world is also small. You see, no matter how much we jump around, or go in circles, it seems we can never truly escape the confines of that tree."
Kevin looked at the glimmer in her eyes, nodded, and said with certainty,
"Yes, so... I know you now have new goals and directions, and you will continue to explore, won't you?"
Upon hearing this, Mei deliberately put on a serious face and retorted,
"Can't I just want to live a quiet life with you? Can't I have such a thought?"
Kevin was amused by her.
Then he paused,
"...Actually, for a long time after you left, I gradually came to understand your thoughts."
"The more one knows, the more questions one has, and naturally, the more one wants to know..."
Mei also smiled, admitting frankly,
"Yes, that's humanity. We want a lot. To put it nicely, it's a thirst for knowledge; to put it bluntly, it's greed."
"No matter when, I'm a very greedy person! Always wanting to know more, to explore more."
Kevin continued to smile, his eyes gentle:
"No matter what, I'll be with you."
Now, their communication was unhindered; they could say whatever they wanted directly and understood each other... It was precisely because of this that their initial memories, hidden deep in their hearts, seemed even more precious.
Mei turned around, facing Kevin, a hint of mischief in her eyes:
"How should I put it? Kevin, speaking of which, I still want to see how you used to be—you know, that more relaxed, more smiling version of you. Do you remember?"
"Uh..."
At her words, Kevin immediately felt a bit embarrassed, only managing an awkward laugh.
Aside from the beloved person before him, perhaps no one else could elicit such an expression from him.
It had been like this for a very long time...
Elf Kevin, following behind, watched the two smiling at each other and thought to himself:
I always feel like they've forgotten me again...