An Empty Heart Remains Unfilled

Wait, what did he just hear?!

Shu's eyes widened. He saw Natasha remove her hood and lift her gray hair, revealing a faint, circular mark.

It was very faint, so faint that Shu wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been looking closely.

Such a faint scar was insignificant compared to those he had seen on [Vakh]. Next to those ferocious and gruesome scars, the mark on Natasha's head looked like a watermark…

But it was on her temple… right on the temple.

Shu looked at Natasha with a strange expression.

If it had hit anywhere else, it wouldn't be so surprising, but it was precisely this location… and Natasha had survived?

"How did you…" Shu stared at the faint scar for a long time, then realized his behavior was a bit rude. He averted his gaze awkwardly and asked.

Natasha let her hair fall, covering the scar. "I don't know. I have no memory of that time."

"It was like I just went to sleep. The first thing I saw when I woke up was my brother. He looked even more exhausted, but he still smiled at me and said, 'Don't worry, it's alright now…'"

A faint smile played on Natasha's lips, a smile that gave Shu a sense of comfort.

"Later, I heard from others that my brother was like a madman, carrying me around and seeking help. He said he needed medical equipment, that he would do anything for me… he only wanted equipment, bandages…"

"Then, some Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical employees helped us. My brother joined them because of that, and I followed him…"

So that's how it was… The information Shu had received was that Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical had sheltered them, protecting them from pursuit and persecution. He hadn't expected such a heartbreaking reason behind it…

Shu's heart pounded in his chest. He felt a strong urge to inflict pain on those in the manor.

Hmm… maybe I'll try grave robbing in the future, whipping each corpse until I find the culprit.

But listening to this, Shu realized Vakh was truly extraordinary… Using his own blood as an antidote, what did that even mean?

Shu didn't know the specifics, but he knew what normal human blood contained.

Were his red blood cells the antidote, or was it some unique gene segment that could neutralize a virus capable of killing someone in a minute?

The substance Vakh used to poison the manor was on par with developing an antidote for a deadly pesticide. Both were feats that altered the fundamental logic of life.

…So the Herrscher really doesn't have this kind of poison?

Shu felt a headache coming on. He sighed, looking at the dazed Natasha, unsure what to say.

Vakh's departure must have been a devastating blow to Natasha. Someone so important in her life had suddenly become a stranger… She hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye.

"After joining Heliopolis Life Sciences Pharmaceutical, our lives suddenly slowed down. We could sleep at the same time without worrying about weapons suddenly appearing, without having to eat week-old food… Everything seemed to have returned to how it was before I turned four…

"We waited for twenty years, struggling for twenty years, and finally, our lives seemed to be looking up…

"My brother and I even made plans to buy a small island, a remote island where no one could find us, and build a small villa there. The style would be what my brother liked, and the interior would be what I liked…

"Everything… everything was planned out…" Natasha's voice trembled.

When she spoke of her parents leaving, she didn't cry.

When she spoke of the girl's disappearance, Natasha didn't cry.

When she spoke of her brother taking her away, Natasha remained strong…

Death, fear, separation… nothing had made Natasha's voice tremble. She was only confused about her past, even recounting her experiences with a bitter smile…

But when she spoke of the "future," of happiness…

"Everything… as long as we continued on… we had finally seen hope. We just had to keep working hard, keep living…"

"We could have had that life… but… why… did the Honkai come?"

She finally broke down.

Her shoulders trembled slightly, a movement easily concealed if someone were to put an arm around her.

Her sobs were soft, easily covered by a gentle word of comfort.

Shu could even sense that Natasha's sadness wasn't that profound. A pat on the shoulder, a whispered "Don't worry, I'm here, it's alright now" in her ear would be enough to stop her tears.

But there was no one there.

Even though Natasha had left that space open.

Shu slowed his breathing. The night wind blew from the boundless darkness, strong enough to extinguish any candle lit here, to snuff out any nascent warmth.

It carried silent sobs, but all around was a profound, all-encompassing darkness.

The Honkai had come to this world, seizing the happiness she had finally found, tearing it apart into loneliness, separation, death, and sorrow, then mixing it all together, twisting her happiness into something unrecognizable, and forcing her to swallow it.

Shu closed his eyes, letting the wind buffet his face, the sadness swirling around him, settling in his heart.

A boundless field of roses was swept up by the sudden wind. Amidst the colorful petals, Shu saw a four-year-old girl sitting at the foot of a cradle, crying.

Tears streamed down her face. The little girl used every part of her hands to wipe them away—her fingers, the back of her hands, her palms, her arms…

But the tears wouldn't stop. Soon, the little girl gave up on wiping them away, curling up her legs and hiding her face.

Shu instinctively wanted to step forward and comfort the little girl, but a small figure beat him to it, rushing anxiously to her side, sitting down, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

["It's okay, brother is here. You can tell brother anything that's bothering you, and brother will chase away any bad guys!! It's okay now…"]

The boy's voice was gentle, yet filled with a helpless urgency.

Shu felt a presence and looked back.

Behind him stood a couple, their hands clasped tightly, their eyes filled with pity as they watched the boy and girl. They seemed to want to take a step forward, to reach their children, but were held back, unable to move.

Shu opened his eyes and looked again.

This time… there was no one beside Natasha.