Elysia and [True Self]

"Recognition?" Lin Wei left Hua's domain, lost in thought.

Perhaps it was because of RIN that Elysia had developed some kind of expectation or misunderstanding.

It wasn't a big deal, they just needed to talk it out.

After all, he wasn't Mei or a Herrscher. He was just an ordinary person.

He wasn't worth her effort.

Lin Wei was about to head back to the hall when his feet carried him to Eden's domain.

The perpetual twilight, a remnant of a bygone era.

A beautiful woman, a relic of the past, perched on a golden throne, swirling a golden glass, quietly observing everything.

"Hello, my friend. You seem quite pensive. Do you need something?" Eden asked, seeing the unexpected visitor, her greeting warm and gentle.

"To be honest, I'm not sure why I came here. I was thinking about Elysia, and somehow I ended up here," Lin Wei admitted, shaking his head.

"Perhaps it's because we recently had a small gathering here with Elysia? I hope I haven't disturbed you." For some reason, he had felt drawn to Eden.

"Don't worry, my friend. As you know, Elysia can be a bit… enthusiastic. It's understandable that you might find it overwhelming."

Eden chuckled, offering Lin Wei a seat. "Would you like another glass of that drink from last time?"

Lin Wei nodded, accepting her offer. "Eden, do you think there's anything special about me other than my connection to RIN?"

"Ah, for each of the Flame-Chasers, that answer might be different. Personally, I prefer listening to the subtle melodies within a song that most wouldn't notice. They are often the soul of the piece," Eden said, pushing him a glass. She continued with her usual elegant grace. "As for Elysia's thoughts… only she knows what they truly are."

Lin Wei smiled, sipping the drink. "I guess I need to ask her myself."

"Ah, that's exactly what you should do. Your Elysian Realm journey is nearing its end, and as your friend, I would want to see you leave with no regrets or confusion," she said, her tone light, but her words carried weight.

They were a reminder that his time in the Elysian Realm was limited.

Like a child starting school, like a student graduating.

His comfort zone was closing, and his vacation was ending.

He would soon return to the outside world, to the Honkai, the struggles, the future.

Lin Wei's throat felt dry. He didn't want to leave this comfortable paradise,

To return to a reality that he did not like.

"Has someone notified you?" Just like he had been informed before he arrived.

"Ah, you misunderstand, my friend. It's not a change in the real world that's brought you here. It's Aponia, she has foreseen your departure," Eden said, offering an unexpected answer. "Aponia knows you don't wish to see her, so she asked me to pass on her blessing."

Lin Wei was speechless.

If someone from World Serpent told him to leave, he might try to argue and find a way to stay.

But if Aponia said "You must leave," it was better to just accept it.

Otherwise, she might force him to go, and that would be much worse.

"...What's her 'blessing'?" Lin Wei emphasized the word sarcastically, already knowing what she was going to say. He clenched his fist.

"Aponia asked me to tell you: 'Destiny is inevitable'," Eden said calmly, relaying Aponia's message. Lin Wei felt his blood pressure spike.

Destiny? What a ridiculous word.

He clenched his fist, forcing down his rising anger. Eden was simply relaying a message, nothing more.

He finally managed to calm himself down, looking at Eden. "If the priestess of Delphi hadn't spoken that prophecy, would the story of Oedipus Rex still unfold the same way?"

"Our lives are at the mercy of fate, yet our future is shrouded. Then why should we be afraid?" Eden, as if inspired by his words, raised her goblet, channeling Oedipus Rex, singing the heavy words.

It was as if she was singing her own elegy.

Lin Wei sighed. Such was the power of classic literature. It was timeless, transcending boundaries and even eras.

Oedipus Rex, a classical Greek tragedy.

It was a tale of how a prophecy by a priestess declared a family's fate, and despite all attempts to avoid it, it was fulfilled by an unfortunate twist of fate.

Lin Wei disliked the story, his tone sharp with sarcasm. "So, Aponia is playing 'the priestess,' telling me about my 'fate'?"

"Ah, my friend, Aponia doesn't mean it that way, and I assure you, she holds no ill will," Eden said, her voice soft. She was never surprised by his rage. "She didn't make any predictions about your future, nor did she intend to bind you to her 'decrees.' Just look, Aponia has not shown herself to you, isn't that the proof?"

Eden raised her glass in a toast, her manner poised and gracious. "She only asked me to pass along the message of 'do not evade fate.' And personally, I believe that fate, by its nature, should never be evaded."

"Fate might bring tragedy, but evading it brings more."

"..." Lin Wei was silent for a moment, his anger dissipating.

He understood Eden's intentions. This was indeed a blessing, an attempt to confront the part of his soul that he had been trying to suppress.

After a brief pause, he chuckled, then drained his glass, deciding to be honest. "My situation is a bit unique, Oedipus was trying to avoid his predetermined fate, and I'm doing my best to not change anything."

Eden drank her wine with similar elegance, her cheeks flushed, her voice slightly slurred. "I'm just a singer on stage, my only purpose is to send you off with my blessings. As for the deeper matters… perhaps it would be better to tell Elysia? That's my humble advice, as your friend."

With that, she raised her glass in a silent toast, her actions gentle and heartfelt.

This is farewell, Lin Wei knew.

He thanked her and rose to leave.

At the end of the corridor, he paused, looking back. Eden was still singing a beautiful song, a melody he had never heard before, from that lost era.

The warm breeze, the haunting music - was it a blessing, or a sendoff?

A ripple ran through Lin Wei's heart. Perhaps fifty thousand years wasn't such an insurmountable chasm, after all.

She was there, and he was here.

He smiled slightly, lifting an invisible glass in a toast. "May I join you in a drink?" he whispered.

Eden, though her back was turned, seemed to sense his unspoken request, and raised her glass in response.

Lin Wei laughed, turned, and walked away.

The world swirled around him, and he found himself back in the golden hall.

He took a deep breath, then walked straight into the lounge.

"You're back. Do you finally have an answer to my question?" Elysia, elegant on the sofa, looked at him with a knowing smile.

Lin Wei looked at her, shook his head, and sat down beside her.

"Oh, you're finally being bold. That's quite surprising!" Elysia said, her smile widening.

Lin Wei shook his head, deciding to be honest. "Elysia, I'm not who you've been waiting for."

"Oh? What makes you think that?" Elysia tilted her head, feigning ignorance.

Lin Wei met her clear eyes, took a breath, and said, "I may be friends with RIN, but I'm still human. I'm not the person you're hoping to meet."

"You're waiting for another Herrscher!"

He said the words that he knew would end the charade, and lowered his eyes, ready to brace himself for the barrage of questions.

But there was nothing, just silence.

He was waiting for Elysia, but she remained silent too.

Lin Wei's anxiety increased.

After a moment, he looked up, wondering what her reaction might be.

But she was still smiling gently, almost tenderly, reaching out to caress his cheek. "You finally decided to tell me your true feelings," she said, her voice soft and happy.

Wait, what?

Lin Wei couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that? Maybe I should do this?" Elysia said, looking thoughtful before putting a hand over her mouth in mock surprise. "Oh my goodness, you know all this? It's amazing! How do you know?"

"…That's enough, you're overdoing it." Lin Wei said, rolling his eyes.

Her exaggerated act shattered the solemn atmosphere.

Elysia smiled, pleased with the results. "Okay, okay. But I guessed right, didn't I? I've been observing you for a long time. You seem disinterested in all the secrets of the Elysian Realm but fascinated by the Flame-Chasers. Like when you talked to Su, or with Kalpas. You also ran from me! You ran from me?!"

Her face turned angry and puffy, then she smiled again. "But that's not strange! You know RIN, even though she doesn't know the truth; you also know the real Hua and Kevin. Although I suppose Hua may have forgotten about us, while Kevin, that boring guy, probably won't say anything."

She suddenly changed the topic, grabbing Lin Wei's arm, her eyes filled with hope. "Promise me, you won't become like Kevin, okay?"

Lin Wei pulled his arm away, Don't set that flag, it's bad luck!

"But the 'Thirteenth Herrscher' is just a lie, you'd eventually realize that, I know. It's why you ran from me at first. After all…" Elysia's voice grew softer, her smile turning wistful. Then her expression changed back to her usual bright self. "Well, I'm glad you're finally being honest with me!"

"Actually, you've got it all wrong," Lin Wei said, his head throbbing. He couldn't tell how much of Elysia's act was sincere.

Since he had decided to be honest, he might as well go all in. "The lie about the 'Thirteenth Herrscher' is believed by everyone in the outside world. It's not going to be exposed that easily, you know,"

Lin Wei paused, choosing his words carefully. "Let's just say I've read a storybook called The Flame-Chasers."

Elysia, with her knowledge of "Project ARK," easily understood his explanation.

"Oh? Then why were you avoiding me?" she asked intently.

"Because you, as the heroine, are too much trouble," Lin Wei replied honestly.

"And?" Elysia asked eagerly.

"You really are."

Lin Wei gave it to her straight. He had never felt so passive before.

"Wow, you really do understand me! I'm so happy!" Elysia gushed, then leaned in and whispered, "Then… what do you think about me now?"

Lin Wei sighed inwardly, that was not where he thought this conversation was going. He'd been had again.

He had given up all pretense of control at this point.

"Well, before I give you an answer, can you just tell me, how does it feel to be so good at this sort of thing?" he said, a hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Hmm… that's a great question!" Elysia said, her eyes sparkling. "Well, when you think about it, that's why we, as individuals, need to learn how to listen to others and learn from them, and that includes from your worst enemy."

Elysia suddenly grabbed his hands, smiled brightly, and squeezed his fingers,

"If you are ever lost, then remember to trust in yourself and the people around you, because you are never truly alone, okay? Because you have us and… you have me too!"

"You have me too?" Lin Wei's mind caught on that last phrase and kept replaying it over and over.

It wasn't a particularly special phrase, but for some reason it made his heart feel full and warm.

"Of course! You are a wonderful person!" Elysia giggled, seeing that he was flustered.

"You also know that there are times when the only person you can rely on is yourself, because not everyone will understand you, and not everyone can help you."

Elysia stretched her body, her movements filled with lazy elegance, like a cat basking in the sun, completely unafraid of any possible dangers.

"And that is also completely okay!"

"You know, Lin Wei? In the end, it is your story and your decision to decide how it will go. So don't try to run away from it, okay? Don't try to escape, just embrace yourself and be yourself!"

She smiled again. "And to celebrate your self-acceptance, I'll give you a special gift! It's something very precious to me!"

Then, she held her hands together and a brilliant crystal flower appeared between them, and handed it over to Lin Wei. "Make sure you keep it safe, ok?"

Lin Wei accepted the flower, and it immediately merged into his palm, without a trace.

"This is…"

"That's my [True Self], proof that I existed," Elysia said with a smile. "It is also… your [True Self]."

She smiled, watching the black box that materialized in his hand. "Because I can already see it! You are already doing it! You are a wonderful person and you shouldn't let anyone convince you otherwise! I'm just putting those thoughts into words, so don't be mad at me, ok?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Lin Wei brushed his fingers on the crystal flower that had now melded into his palm.

"Good! So, now that we have got that settled, are you ready to answer my question?" Elysia's gaze turned sharp again.

"You have a question?" Lin Wei said as he put on his sunglasses. It was too difficult to deal with her without them.

Elysia scooted closer, her breath warm on his ear.

"Listen carefully—in your heart, what kind of person is Elysia?"

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(End of Volume II: Elysian Realm Arc: The People Here Speak So Beautifully)

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