Standing on the drawbridge before the castle gates, the girl's mind raced.
Objectively speaking... this should be my family's house.
Ignoring reality, this should be the residence of the Apocalypse Family, the Schicksal Overseers.
So... in 500 years, the me and Dad living here...? The golden-haired girl pondered a unique possibility.
An ominous premonition... Snow scrutinized her attire: a predominantly white women's coat accented with red and black patterns and badges, a cape embroidered with the Apocalypse Family crest draped over her right shoulder, and a black-and-red scarf-like ribbon cascading from her left shoulder.
"Such magnificent attire... the Schicksal Overseer's ceremonial robes—" A strong wind swept across the girl standing on the suspension bridge, billowing the robes' long train. As her gaze swept across the courtyard, the Schicksal Knights guarding the main gate met her eyes with awe and reverence.
"Let's go in and see... what kind of saint my dear foster father truly is—" Already suspecting the truth, the girl strode toward her foster father's usual chambers.
Since entering the majestic castle, she hadn't seen a single guard or servant. Only the crisp sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors echoed through the halls.
The footsteps abruptly ceased. The golden-haired girl had reached her destination, standing before a wooden door.
This was the room her foster father had used daily in her memories. The door wasn't locked; a gentle push would open it.
The room's layout resembled a library more than a bedroom. Apart from a single bed, every surface was lined with bookshelves overflowing with countless volumes.
The vast collection of books failed to capture Snow's attention. On a desk by the window, a diary lay open, drawing her entire focus.
It was a black diary identical to the one she had retrieved from the database. She flipped open the pages, and elegant cursive script leapt off the paper:
Father has arranged my marriage. My childhood sweetheart, Kallen, is to be my bride. This is the most wonderful news I have ever heard. Kallen... she is so kind and gentle...
-
If our first child with Kallen is a girl, we'll name her Theresa. She'll be just as kind and virtuous as Kallen, with white hair and green eyes...
-
Schicksal's Council has sentenced Kallen to death. No, I can't accept this! Kallen, I swear I'll save you! Then we'll flee far away, hiding in the distant East...
-
She left me... forever... because of the mistakes I made...
This entry was remarkably brief, the handwriting extremely erratic, as if the diarist's emotions were wildly unstable while writing.
-
The masses have spontaneously gathered to resist the tyranny of my puppet nephew... They invoke your name, Kallen... The people fight in the name of Saintess Kallen. I will join them, Kallen. I will not allow your name—to be tarnished by even a hint of disgrace...!
-
We succeeded, Kallen... We succeeded. The corrupt Schicksal Church you once hated and refused to compromise with has finally fallen. I will rebuild it...
It's winter in Vienna now... How long has it been, Kallen? If you were still here... our second child would have been born by now. What should we name her...?
It's snowing... Let's call her Snow, then. She'll probably be a lot like me... But if that's the case, this child will be such a handful...
-
You will find your answers on your journey, my child.
Memories, deliberately obscured in the past, gradually resurfaced, becoming clear. She saw a man with golden hair and azure eyes—the man depicted on the first page of the Schicksal Valkyrie Textbook:
Schicksal Overseer: Otto Apocalypse
"What a truly remarkable figure... My Father," the girl murmured, flipping to the final page of the notebook before closing it.
The golden-haired girl gazed into the full-length mirror in her room. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, its pale golden hue mirroring her father's.
"So... this entire world exists merely to show me this...?" she wondered aloud, confusion coloring her voice.
Apocalypse Family member detected. Activating hidden node. Connecting to node...
A void materialized beneath her feet.
"...Next time, remember to open it in front of me, not under my feet—" Before she could finish, gravity pulled her into the abyss.
She plummeted through the air, until strong arms caught her.
It was a young man with golden hair and azure eyes.
"Otto Apocalypse... My Father," the girl said, identifying the man who had caught her.
"It's been a long time, my child."
"...It's been a long time, Father."
After this simple greeting, a brief silence fell between the father and daughter.
"Come and witness a different kind of drama with me... my child." Setting the princess down from his arms, Otto led his daughter to a rooftop.
Below, Honkai Beasts rampaged through the city. A white-haired girl in Valkyrie Battlesuit armor fought fiercely in the medieval town, her presence jarringly out of place.
"Is that... Kiana Kaslana...?"
"Strictly speaking, she has no name, only a designation—Test Subject K-423," Otto explained, standing beside the girl.
"She is the linchpin of my plan. Through her, I can rewrite the fate of your mother, Kallen Kaslana, who died over 500 years ago."
"At what cost?"
"I will vanish... my existence erased from memory, no longer etched in history—"
"Before that happens... I want to see you, my daughter—the child I owe the most. Unlike Theresa, I truly only spent twelve years with you."
"During that pivotal time when you were transitioning from childhood to adolescence, when life felt most confusing, I wasn't there for you..."
"And what about her? What price will she pay?" The golden-haired girl interrupted her father, glancing at the White-haired Clump still fighting fiercely on the ground below.
"...She will grow up, become more mature... stronger, more like a true Kaslana..."
"...She will also fall and shatter, be scarred and battered, lose her loved ones... right?"
"...I'm sorry, Snow."
"...Save your apologies for her, Father."
"..."