Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers

When Michael and Elysia returned to their box, the play had reached the fourth act, the scene where Eden, playing the heroine Hermia, faced her demise and bid farewell to everything.

She stood atop a mountain, a vibrant flower crown upon her head, facing the rising sun.

"Ah… I know, I've always known! Birds, do you see these vibrant flowers on my head?"

"Yes, this is my life, seemingly as brilliant as blooming flowers, yet beneath the blossoms lie heavy thorns."

"Their weight forces me to bow my head as I walk this path called life. The further I go, the deeper the thorns pierce, and even if I reach the end, I will be covered in wounds…"

"But you, you are different. You are the witness, witnessing my struggles and pursuits… Birds of passage! If you truly pity my misfortune, mourn my end… please, don't linger… continue your flight! Fly over distant mountains, rivers, clouds, and cities. Carry my voice, my smile, everything I pursued, to a place beyond the distant horizon!"

"Perhaps you can't understand my pain now… Ah! Are you shedding tears? Then cry like a child… Cry until you're exhausted. This means you've stepped onto the stage, from spectator to participant…"

"Then, fly! Carry my share of the burden and fly! Let your eyes carry my soul to witness, to experience…"

"Ah… you ask if we'll ever meet again…"

"Heh… Birds… If you truly believe we'll meet again in the future, then fly without hesitation, along the path we've forged, towards the future, towards the true future where we can be reunited…"

As the last line echoed through the grand hall, all the lights focused on "Hermia." She spread her arms, as if embracing the rising sun.

Then, the lights went out, the holographic projection vanished, and in the ensuing darkness, only a single birdsong could be heard, followed by the rustling of falling stones.

When the lights came back on, a bird, carrying the flower crown, circled the hall.

It flew over mountains, clouds, and rivers, finally arriving at a distant, yet familiar ruin.

It gently landed amidst the rubble, placing the crown of thorns upon the ground.

Then, time passed, until the thorns and flowers, along with the dust, faded away.

A tender green sprout emerged from the cracked earth.

Silence filled the hall until, after half a minute, scattered applause erupted, gradually growing louder, like streams converging into a river, filling every corner.

Only Michael didn't clap.

Elysia's face was flushed with excitement. While she regretted not seeing the entire opera, the tragic, fated ending resonated deeply with her – but what exactly was it that resonated?

Michael leaned back in his chair, gazing at her profile with a mixture of tenderness and sadness.

He wondered again if there truly was some higher power at play in this world. How else could he explain these ever-present prophecies?

Michael chuckled dryly, thinking he must have read Dream of the Red Chamber1 too many times in his past life, making him overly sensitive to everything around him.

Yes, that must be it.

Elysia, feeling Michael's gaze, blushed even deeper.

She turned to him, give the appearance annoyance. "Hey! Where are you looking? Don't tell me you've been staring at me! Stop it! I'm getting shy!"

She poked his cheek playfully.

Compared to six months ago, the boy's face had lost all its baby fat, his cheekbones and jawline sharp and defined.

Elysia was slightly disappointed. His cheeks didn't feel as soft as before…

Michael closed his eyes, avoiding her intense gaze.

"What, you don't like tragedies?" Elysia asked softly.

"No… no… I'm just… still immersed in the story, can't quite snap out of it." Michael told a half-truth.

"Ah! That means you'd be a good actor! We should contact Eden. After the Honkai is resolved, you could start an acting career!"

"Elysia…" Michael chuckled wryly.

He instinctively reached out to poke her cheek, but remembering the invisible crown of thorns, his nose tingled, his vision blurring. He quickly changed his gesture, spreading his fingers and placing his hand on her head, partially covering his face.

Elysia, surprisingly, didn't dodge, letting his slightly cold hand rest on her head.

He felt the soft strands of her hair, then the warmth of her scalp. He quickly withdrew his hand.

The announcer's voice came from the stage: "Thank you for your support of Ms. Eden. Please enjoy the intermission music for the next half hour – it will also give Ms. Eden some time to rest before the concert continues. Thank you!"

The noise from outside washed over them, but they remained undisturbed.

Elysia suddenly took his hand. "Still can't snap out of it? How about we go to the rooftop? Get some fresh air, look at the beautiful night sky. What do you say?"

"Okay." Michael managed to utter the word after a long pause.

Elysia's steps were lighter than his, much lighter. She pulled him along, quietly leading him through the emergency exit to the rooftop.

"Sigh… I miss the tall buildings of Ruruye…" Elysia hurried forward, leaning against the railing and reaching out, as if trying to touch the distant sky.

Michael stood beside her.

Not too close, not too far, their arms brushing against each other, just enough to feel each other's warmth in the night breeze.

The night sky wasn't particularly beautiful. Besides the crescent moon, there were only a few scattered stars, and the deep darkness was tainted a faint purple by the city lights.

But they stood there for a long time.

Neither of them spoke.

Almost seven years. Seven years of being together, sometimes words weren't necessary, nor were gestures. Just standing together in silence, they could almost read each other's minds.

But neither of them wanted to break the spell.

But how many more seven years do we have…? Michael closed his eyes, thinking Elysia probably couldn't guess that one.

Suddenly, soft footsteps approached from behind.

Elysia didn't move, as Michael had already turned around.

A woman approached. Her age… she was wearing a mask and sunglasses, her figure giving no clues.

Seeing them on the rooftop, she seemed to hesitate, then continued walking.

She greeted Michael casually, then asked with a hint of anticipation, "Are you audience members? How did you like the opera?"

Michael pursed his lips, not answering immediately. Elysia, gazing at the night sky, replied slowly, "It was romantic."

"Romantic?" The woman seemed surprised. "Gloomy, oppressive, sorrowful, those are the words most people used. Just like this young man."

Michael touched his nose, slightly embarrassed. "It was a tragedy, after all…"

Elysia nodded, her voice slightly lower, but still retaining its cheerful lilt. "It was a bit much! Nothing happy happened from the very first act. Everything just kept getting worse. The characters were all powerless, swept along by fate, losing themselves along the way…"

Michael closed his eyes again.

"Too realistic, perhaps? Such a story… it's hard to watch until the end." Elysia said softly.

The woman's face, hidden behind the mask and sunglasses, gave no indication of her reaction. She seemed to realize something – the girl's words weren't just for her – at least, not entirely for her.

They were also for the boy beside her.

So, she decided to encourage the conversation.

"Then… why did you find it romantic?"

"Because of the ending! Though the journey was arduous, I loved the final scene. A new sprout emerging from the ruins, covered in dust… A beautiful image, isn't it?"

Michael's eyelids twitched.

Just like in his past life, Elysia's words weren't simply a response to Eden. They were for an unseen third party, a third party who was now standing right beside her, feeling her warmth, the faint fragrance of her hair carried by the night breeze.

"It might bloom for a long time, or it might wither in the next moment, but right now, in this moment, it exists, declaring its new life to the world… That moment… is what I'll remember."

"It's like it's saying: tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope. The footprints we leave in this world will one day become a guiding light for others…"

"Elysia… please, don't…" Michael's voice cracked, a hint of pleading in his tone.

"What's wrong?" Elysia finally turned to him.

She suddenly felt a distance between them, as if the boy who had always been by her side was now shrouded in shadows, his thoughts hidden from her.

"Yes… the footprints you left are already guiding countless others, and one of them is standing right before you… Elysia…"

Michael wanted to say it, wanted to tell her everything.

That the Third Eruption would soon happen here, that the Herrschers of this era were beyond redemption, that this world was destined for destruction… and that she, Elysia, was both human and Herrscher…

But he swallowed the words.

"No… it's not time yet…" he told himself.

There was no need to burden her with this weight so soon. For now, he would carry it alone…

He straightened up, forcing a lighthearted tone. "There's still some cleaning up to do. I'll go help them."

Elysia studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Wait."

Eden stopped him. "I'd like to talk to this young lady for a bit longer. Before you go, could you tell me your names?"

"She's Elysia, and I'm Michael."

Eden paused, then nodded, as if understanding something. "A lovely pair of names, as if destined by fate – the flawless paradise and its guardian."