The Empty Seat Remains Unfilled

Sitting atop the Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical sign was Natasha. She wore a black robe, hugging her knees, alone at the peak of the "医" (Medicine) character.

She seemed so lost in thought that she hadn't even noticed Shu's arrival, jumping in surprise when he spoke.

"It's you…" After realizing it was Shu, Natasha relaxed and settled back down.

"It's getting late." Shu looked up at the dark sky. "There's nothing much to see tonight…"

"Mm…" Natasha nodded, but made no move to come down.

Shu didn't insist. He found a spot, took a short run-up, and climbed to the top of the "药" (Pharmaceutical) character, sitting down beside her.

"It's quite windy up here…" As soon as he sat down, Shu shivered in the cold wind, pulling his jacket tighter.

"Oh? So even a powerful warrior like you feels the cold?" Natasha watched Shu climb up with what seemed like considerable effort, a mixture of amusement and curiosity in her eyes.

Shu waved his hand dismissively. "I'm still human, you know. I can freeze to death too."

Natasha didn't reply, instead turning to look at the seemingly endless canyon beside Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical.

"I think you should consider the feelings of us truly ordinary people first." Natasha said, looking at Shu.

There were no other people around, just the two of them, so neither felt the need to maintain their public personas.

Though both were meant to uphold the same image.

Natasha had talked with Shu for a long time and knew what kind of person he was.

He had a somewhat erratic train of thought, was powerful but not overly arrogant… and ultimately, he was a kind person…

Moreover, she hadn't been immediately confined but allowed into the kitchen, which was why she had chosen that method to gauge Shu's attitude…

Shu tightened his jacket again.

It's really cold up here… as cold as being friend-zoned…

Looking out from this height, even squinting, Shu couldn't see anything clearly in the distance. Night blindness and slight nearsightedness made everything blend into the darkness.

So he sat there, only looking out for a moment before losing interest in the all-consuming darkness.

"Do you often come here?" Shu turned to Natasha and asked with a smile.

Natasha shook her head. "Only a few times… My brother and I only joined Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical about two months ago."

Shu glanced at the empty space beside Natasha, then sighed. "Sorry, about Vakh…"

"He's not coming back… is he?" Natasha placed a hand on her knee for support, leaning back to look at the night sky. "I know… that guy is no longer my brother…"

"You know?" Shu was taken aback. "Then why did you still…"

"Those children… they deserve a normal reputation in everyone's eyes, not to be seen as 'related to the Herrscher,' right?" Natasha turned and smiled at Shu.

So that's why…

In this environment where everyone feared the Honkai, even the most discerning individuals might harbor prejudice against these children who had been associated with a Herrscher.

Only with Shu, the pillar of hope in everyone's hearts, openly accepting these children would people feel comfortable interacting with them.

"So I was used by you?" Understanding dawned on Shu, and he smiled, teasing Natasha.

"What, are you going to arrest me for this?" Natasha wasn't intimidated, retorting, "Speaking of which, what are Fire Moth's prisons like? I thought I might get to experience one."

"Hopefully, no one will ever have to use that kind of thing…" Unable to get a rise out of Natasha, Shu could only offer a helpless retort.

Maintaining Fire Moth's public image was already taxing enough. He'd rather postpone dealing with the darker aspects.

Things like the cocoons, the deepest levels… it was best to establish those after Fire Moth had truly grown stronger.

If all else failed, he could let Otto handle it.

Isn't that just the dark side?

Shu sighed as a cold wind blew from the darkness, ruffling his hair.

This was ARC City, supposedly a city that never sleeps.

During the day, Shu had seen countless neon signs, lights that should have illuminated the dim sky at night.

Yet, reality was shrouded in darkness.

"You… couldn't see the stars here before either…" Seemingly chilled by the wind, Natasha pulled back her dangling leg, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Huh?" Shu looked at her in surprise, then up at the sky. "It must be light pollution. With so many lights, you definitely couldn't see the stars at night…"

Natasha nodded, then looked down, her gaze fixed on the empty space beside her.

"I… don't think I've ever really looked at the stars…"

Shu raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Natasha intently. He knew it was time to become a good listener.

"Your childhood… must have been very difficult." Shu recalled what the Herrscher had told him about Vakh's past. It was truly a tragic story.

To control Vakh, those people had burdened a twelve-year-old child with a pile of serious, fabricated charges, forcing him to rely on them for survival…

And Natasha was also a tool for them to control Vakh…

"You know about our past?" Natasha asked in surprise. Shu nodded.

"I know a little." Shu pinched his fingers together, as if holding a miniature universe.

Natasha looked away, and after a moment of silence, she spoke with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"After I turned four, until I was nine… I lived in a very large manor.

"That manor was really, really big. I once ran for an hour inside without reaching the edge…

"I lived there with other children. We had dedicated teachers for lessons, and servants took care of our daily needs… Logically, I should have been very happy…

"But… I wasn't…

"We had to fight hard for every meal. After every lesson, we would return to our quarters covered in fresh wounds…

"Even being able to open our eyes every morning… was the result of our own efforts…"