"In my view, all of that is just foolishness. A story's meaning goes far beyond such things."
She wasn't usually the type to say things like this. But she was the last one left who knew her own story, so she wanted to share it with Vya, even if the kid might not fully understand.
Vya nodded, a look of partial comprehension on her face, her little brow furrowing and then smoothing out.
"So, whether a story's ending is happy or sad, what matters is its meaning, not just whether it makes people happy, right?"
Emotions were important, but if you were ruled by them, only seeing the surface-level joy or sadness, you might miss what the story truly wanted to express. That would be a real loss.
Mobius nodded, about to say something else, when a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. The scene before her began to blur.
It seemed she was about to fall asleep again. How long would it be this time? A few thousand years? Tens of thousands?
Or perhaps… she'd never wake up again…?
In a sense, she had achieved this lonely version of "infinity."
But there didn't seem to be much point to this infinity.
"Alright, time's up. You should go."
Mobius steadied herself and spoke to Vya.
Vya blinked, a look of disappointment spreading across her face.
"Huh? Why? We just started talking."
"I need to sleep."
Mobius's voice began to grow faint and distant.
"Oh… okay. Vya understands."
Though reluctant, Vya knew she shouldn't disturb her sleep. Still, she looked up hopefully.
"Then… can Vya come visit you later?"
"Don't come. I don't like being disturbed."
Mobius waved a hand, her tone carrying its usual aloofness.
"Ah, Vya won't disturb you, Vya promises! Just… just coming by sometimes to see if you're awake. I won't make any noise!"
Vya hurriedly assured her, her big eyes full of pleading.
Mobius looked into Vya's sparkling eyes and felt an inexplicable twinge in her heart. Strange. There was no light around here, so why were this child's eyes so bright?
She was silent for a few seconds, finally relenting.
"Do as you please."
"Yes! Vya will come back!"
Vya immediately broke into a smile, happily waving her hand.
"Goodbye, sis!"
With that, she hugged Dudu tight and prepared to tear open a space to leave.
"Wait."
Mobius suddenly called out to stop her.
Vya quickly turned around, her eyes shining as she looked at her.
"Is there something else, sis?"
Mobius didn't speak. She reached out a hand, directly towards her own chest, as if groping for something within her very flesh and blood.
A moment later, she pulled out an earring. Its design was unique, shimmering with a faint green light, very similar to the ones Vya had seen Mobius wear before.
With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the earring towards Vya.
Vya hurriedly caught it, holding it in her palm to examine it closely before looking up.
"Sis… you don't want it anymore?"
"Take it. Keep it for yourself. Don't give it to the other Mobius."
As soon as she finished speaking, Mobius's body began to dissolve into a mass of indistinct, viscous matter, slowly seeping into the ground beneath her feet.
The spot where she had been quickly became smooth and clean, as if no one had ever been there.
"Huh…?"
Vya stood frozen in place, staring at the empty ground. It took her a good while to react, finally murmuring in a small voice.
"Okay…"
She carefully stored the earring away, then lifted Dudu up, tearing a gash in the air. Clutching Dudu, she jumped inside…
…
2 Chapters Per Day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.