(A little foreshadowing for potentially going to Star Rail later)…
An ethereal voice echoed through the space.
…It seemed to come from a great distance, yet also felt like a whisper right beside Vya's ear.
"Newborn hope…"
"May you ultimately walk the path of humankind…"
"The road ahead is long and shrouded…"
"But, brilliance shall bloom…"
…
That moment then, is just like this moment now.
Far beyond the solar system, even in another galaxy.
With so many threads of karma intertwining, it's only natural such an opportunity would arise.
Though the story's ending has long been set, this little addition could be considered the icing on the cake.
By the lakeside.
A pink-haired girl sat quietly here, as if she had stepped right out of a painting. Who knew how long she'd been there.
Yet, within this tranquility, there seemed to be an unusual opportunity brewing.
"Huh? This is…"
The girl was puzzled, for right before her eyes, a pink crystal had appeared.
It materialized out of thin air, as if it had journeyed here from another world.
The girl closed her eyes, but opened them again almost immediately. It was as if she understood everything in an instant.
"Mhm~"
"If this is what they call a twist of fate, then let me take a look~"
…
Truly, just as the saying goes.
Memory can traverse time and space.
With a mere thought, the pink-haired girl instantly found herself in a world constructed entirely of crystal.
"Wow~ So pretty. It's a fascinating sight."
"Is anyone here?"
The girl tentatively called out to her surroundings.
"…"
She suddenly felt a tug on her sleeve.
"Sister…?"
Turning around, she found a little girl with white hair.
"Wow~ What an adorable little sister!"
Vya was confused too. She had been running around here when she suddenly spotted this sister ahead.
The light emanating from the girl was also pink, a color similar to Sister Elysia's, but Vya could easily tell the difference.
"How did you get here, sister?"
The girl tilted her head in thought, a mischievous glint flashing in her blue eyes. "Hmm... how to explain? You could say I found a 'path' leading here and came in out of curiosity."
"What does that mean? Vya didn't see any path…"
Vya was bewildered.
"The exact principle is hard to explain. It's not a path you see with your eyes~ Think of it as... a more special kind of... magic passageway?"
Hearing the word "magic," Vya's eyes lit up. "Magic? Like in the stories Sister Elysia tells?"
"Something like that~"
The girl crouched down in front of Vya, meeting her eye level. "My name is Cyrene. And you're Vya, right?"
"Yep, yep, I'm Vya!"
"Vya…"
Cyrene softly repeated the name. "Such a lovely name. It suits you perfectly~"
"Mhm, Sister and Mama gave me this name!"
Vya smiled happily.
All around them, the crystals slowly began to shimmer with images—memories of Vya, Elysia, and Seria.
Cyrene's gaze was drawn to these scenes, her eyes lingering on the girl in the images who looked so much like herself.
What a beautiful girl. But why does she look so similar to me?
"Is that your sister?"
"Mhm, that's Sister Elysia. She's so good to me!"
Vya's smile remained bright and cheerful.
Cyrene fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "Haven't you noticed we actually look a bit alike?"
"Uh…"
Vya stood on her tiptoes for a closer look. "Oh, maybe a little!"
After all, Vya didn't recognize people by their faces. She could tell who was who just by the light they carried.
"See? I thought so too."
"Mhm, both sisters are so pretty! Like Sister says, 'we're all adorable beauties!'"
Cyrene couldn't help but laugh. "My, hearing you say that makes me want to meet your sister too~ It sounds like it would be wonderful."
"Mhm, I'm sure Sister would be very happy!"
…
"So, sister, how do we get out of here?"
"Well, let me think…"
"This is your world of memory. If you want to leave…"
She pondered for a moment, then her eyes brightened. "How about you try imagining a door that leads out, like using magic~ Opening it might just let you leave!"
"So that's how it works? Vya will try right away!"
So Vya did as Cyrene instructed, concentrating on imagining a door that could lead her out.
Focusing her mind.
Whoosh
And just like that, a wooden door appeared.
"Wow, sister is amazing!"
Vya cheered, jumping up and down.
Cyrene gently patted her head. "Oh, it still depended on you, Vya~"
"Let's go out now! Sister Cyrene!"
Vya grabbed Cyrene's hand, but the latter didn't move.
"Sister… why aren't you coming?"
"It seems I can't leave."
"Ah… why?"
Vya's little face fell instantly.
"Because I come from very, very far away~"
"Very far?"
"A place so far... farther than you can probably imagine."
Vya nodded, not fully understanding. "...I see."
"I only came here using magic. If I were to leave, the magic would fade and I'd be sent back to where I came from."
"What should we do then?"
"I guess we'll have to meet again next time~"
Vya was reluctant. "Then... then will Vya never see Sister Cyrene again?"
Cyrene smiled mysteriously. "Don't worry, there might actually be a way~"
"What is it?"
Vya was curious.
"Here, take this."
Cyrene extended her hand, palm up. A pink quill pen materialized out of thin air, its tip shimmering with a faint light.
She handed the quill to Vya.
"If the timing is right, I might be able to use this to come to the outside world~"
Vya carefully took the quill. It was so light it felt almost weightless.
"Mhm, Vya will take good care of it!"
"I believe you."
Cyrene said gently. "Now, it's time to say goodbye~"
"Hurry and open the door to find your Sister Elysia. She must be very worried."
"Mhm, goodbye sister!"
Vya clutched the pink quill pen in her hand. She took one last look back at Cyrene, then opened the door.
A dazzling white light poured from the door's crack, engulfing her figure.
…
"Mhm, little one, let me see your story too. It must be a romantic, beautiful tale as well~"
Then, with another thought, Cyrene returned to the place where she was meant to be.
…
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