"Time to head back~♪"
Elysia sang out with a laugh.
Vya immediately responded with excitement:
"Alright, let's go right now!"
Elysia bent down, hoisted Vya onto her back, gave a little bounce to adjust her hold, and asked with a smile:
"Shall we go tell Mobius all about it?"
"Yes!"
Vya nodded vigorously from her perch.
Before leaving, Elysia darted over to Einstein, waving at her:
"Bye bye, Einstein~"
Vya chimed in too:
"Bye bye, big sister!"
"Mhm, goodbye."
Einstein adjusted her glasses once more, watching the vibrant pair of sisters depart from the laboratory.
She let out a soft sigh. 'I have a feeling something major is about to happen. Oh well, better focus on solving the matter at hand first.'
After all, the issue of armed dolls awakening to self-awareness... she still needed to think it through...
…
In Laboratory No. 1, Mobius was speaking with Su.
"So, have you decided? Su."
Mobius gazed at Su, her eyes holding an indecipheable mix of mockery and excitement.
Despite having dealt with Mobius on several occasions, Su still found her a deeply intimidating person. Whether it was her research methods or her personality, she exuded a dangerous, unpredictable air.
Su took a deep breath and answered earnestly:
"Yes, I've decided."
"I've thought it over carefully. The Stigmata Project truly offers one possible future for humanity, and that is something I desire as well."
"But..."
Su paused, a flicker of resolve flashing in his eyes.
"I believe there should be a better method. It doesn't necessarily have to be such an extreme approach."
"Right, right. I hope you can find it."
Mobius nodded with a smile, one that carried a hint of something unreadable, as if she were watching prey slowly walk into a trap she had laid.
…
"Ta-da~♪ We're here!"
Elysia, still carrying Vya on her back, pushed the laboratory door open directly and announced cheerfully.
Vya peeked out from behind Elysia's shoulder and called out happily:
"Big sister Mobius! We're back~"
Hearing this, Su was taken aback for a moment. He looked up at the doorway, somewhat surprised:
"Oh...?"
Seeing Su there, Elysia blinked and said with a smile:
"Wow, Su's here too. Did we interrupt your conversation~"
Her face still wore its radiant smile, as if she saw nothing wrong with barging in unannounced.
Vya also waved at Su:
"Hello, big brother Su!"
"Ah, hello to you both."
Su offered an awkward smile, then stood up, addressing Mobius and Elysia.
"I'll be on my way then. I have matters to attend to today."
With that, Su made a quiet exit, as if staying another second would make him uncomfortable.
…
Now only the three of them remained in the lab. Mobius looked at Elysia, calmly releasing the pen she had unconsciously snapped in two from the pocket of her white coat.
Her expression returned to its usual cool, slightly detached state:
"Speak. What is it..."
"Well, Mobius, I'm actually here to demand an explanation this time~"
Elysia purposefully put on a stern face.
"How could you leave our adorable Vya all alone over there? What if she had encountered some danger?"
Mobius clicked her tongue. Listening to Elysia, she sounded like some villain who bullied children...
So she raised an eyebrow and said:
"You went, didn't you? Since you went, what are you coming here to say? Besides, this little one is plenty clever. It's not like she'd actually suffer any grievance."
"Even if something did happen, you could have just gone to find Einstein, couldn't you? It's hardly my responsibility."
Mobius spread her hands, adopting an air of nonchalance, indicating she didn't particularly care.
"Haha, Mobius, I feel your ability to make excuses still needs some work~"
Elysia laughed even more merrily.
Vya giggled along, slipping down from Elysia's back and running over to Mobius. She held up the earring in her hand like a prized treasure.
"Mhm mhm! Look, big sister Mobius!"
"Huh...?"
Seeing that earring, Mobius was indeed taken aback for a moment. She instinctively glanced at her desk, confirming her own earring was still lying there quietly, not missing.
"So? Aren't you curious?"
Elysia leaned in, her smile full of mystery.
"So what exactly are you trying to say?"
Mobius crossed her arms, looking at them with a scrutinizing gaze.
"My, my, let Vya tell you the story!"
Elysia passed the narrative baton to Vya.
Vya nodded earnestly:
"Mhm mhm, big sister Mobius, let me tell you..."
She then proceeded to recount her experiences in that other bubble universe in detail—meeting the other Mobius, their chat and stories, and finally receiving this earring—sparing no detail for the Mobius before her.
After listening, Mobius fell silent for a while, lost in thought.
Two pairs of eyes, belonging to Elysia and Vya, stared unblinkingly at her, their gaze making Mobius feel thoroughly unsettled.
She walked over to Vya and held out her hand:
"Let me see the earring."
Vya suddenly remembered something and quickly said:
"That other Mobius sister said I shouldn't give it to you."
Mobius smiled, her tone softening slightly:
"It's fine. I'll just look. I'll give it back after."
"Okay."
Vya hesitated for a moment, then handed the earring over.
Mobius took it, turning it over in her hand for a close inspection. The style was indeed very similar to her own, yet the details showed clear differences...
She looked at it for a short while before returning it to Vya.
"Tch... keep it."
Mobius didn't say anything more. She understood clearly in her heart.
The other "Mobius" wanted to convey something through this earring—a malicious intent laced with mockery and provocation.
Of course, she also had no desire whatsoever to meet that so-called other self.
She wasn't like Vill-V or Elysia. If they saw other versions of themselves, they'd probably be overjoyed, thinking they'd gained a new playmate.
But Mobius was different. She knew deeply that the path of "Infinity" was necessarily a lonely one. Every "self" was an independent individual. An encounter would only bring unnecessary trouble.
"Doesn't Mobius have anything she wants to say?"
Elysia looked at her expectantly, wanting to know her reaction.
"No."
Mobius answered bluntly, then issued her dismissal.
"Go on, get out of here. Don't clutter up my view. I still have experiments to do."
"Mmm... alright then."
Elysia shrugged.
"I was actually going to ask you for advice about armed doll creation, but since that's the case, we'll just go find Vill-V directly~"
With that, she took Vya's hand, turned, and left the laboratory.
Mobius returned to her desk, reached out, and picked up her own earring, gently rubbing it between her fingers, her gaze profound.
'"Infinity" and "Infinity" also have their differences. And they are all different paths, unique paths...'
She murmured to herself, and that was all.
…
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