In the rift between worlds.
A white road seemed to stretch endlessly.
This was a road of time leading toward the past—a miraculous path that turned fifty thousand years of history into something tangible, allowing one to walk upon it.
"How long have I been walking on this? Ten years? A hundred? Maybe a thousand? Surely not ten thousand, right?"
A white-haired boy, hands clasped behind his back, walked alone along this road.
It looked as though he was talking to himself, but in truth, he was speaking to his system.
Ever since he stepped onto this road, Elias' sense of time had grown increasingly blurred. By now, he could hardly distinguish a minute from a year.
"Host, you have walked for fourty thousand two hundred and thirty-one years. You will reach the end soon," the system replied.
"'Soon,' huh? How soon? A hundred years? A thousand? Ah, whatever~ it all feels the same anyway."
Elias shook his head indifferently. To him, the difference between centuries and millennia no longer held meaning.
This fifty-thousand-year-long road of time was undoubtedly a path of immense solitude. Yet, thanks to the influence of the Eternal Heart, Elias' spirit remained intact.
Otherwise, after such an immeasurable span, his emotions might have already been eroded away.
Still, Elias had his own ways of passing the time—by using the Herrscher of the Void's power to observe the true world and the events unfolding within it.
Now, he could be called a witness of history.
But there was a problem.
Since Elias was walking against the flow of time, watching the true world was like watching a video being played backward—from the final second to the first.
It had taken him quite a long while to adapt to this.
And during this journey, Elias had witnessed many things.
For instance, a saint who perished at the hands of a Honkai Beast five hundred years ago. Or two Flame-Chasers who fought furiously over custody of a child. And so on, and so forth.
More than once, Elias felt the urge to jump off this road to intervene—but unfortunately, if he did, he would never be able to return.
And Elias had no intention of rushing into the Imaginary Tree again just to walk this road all over.
"Thank you for keeping me company all these years, System."
"Host, compared to me, you could have spent more time with the Stigma Lady in your mind."
"That won't do. Misteln doesn't have an Eternal Heart like me. I can't bear to keep her awake."
Elias shook his head in refusal. Throughout these millennia, he had kept Misteln in slumber. Even with his attributes, there were times when the endless flow of time felt unbearable.
Endless, unchanging solitude truly could drive one mad.
Yet now, Elias had learned to enjoy solitude.
Still, deep down, he longed for the touch of another person. He wanted to talk, to embrace, to kiss, to... simply fall asleep beside someone again.
"Host, you are tired."
"Yeah, I guess I am. But I can't stop here. If I want time to move forward again, I have to first return to where it stopped."
Elias yawned. His legs had long since become like machines, walking automatically. Though he sometimes sprinted along the time road, unfortunately, he couldn't fly.
While he could accelerate by running, this path had to be completed with his own feet. The moment he left the surface, the road would begin to collapse.
So Elias could only keep walking—running, resting, walking again. Occasionally, he used Fenghuang Down to clear his overflowing memories, though in doing so, he forgot many things, such as…
"System, this flower—is it one of my abilities?"
Elias held a white flower of creation in his hand.
Once, after clearing too much, he even forgot his own abilities—but fortunately, he managed to retrieve them later from the 'trash bin' of Fenghuang Down.
"Yes. This is the white flower that always blooms whenever you use the Herrscher of Rebirth's power. By the way, it has already become the symbolic flower of the Previous Era's civilization."
"Oh, I see... but still..."
Elias lifted the white flower of creation to his nose and gently inhaled its fragrance. Then, he smiled softly.
"Even though I've forgotten so much... I still remember that she loved this flower too."
"...Host, do you have regrets?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Do you regret coming to the Previous Era? Do you regret meeting Elysia? This journey turned out to be far longer than expected. You've endured too much along the way. It hasn't been a perfect journey—for you, the balance between pain and happiness is hard to measure."
The system's tone carried a hint of melancholy. It believed that the pain outweighed the joy—for no matter how many happy memories one gathered, they all seemed fleeting in the face of ten thousand years of solitude.
"Regret? What are you talking about, System?"
Elias blinked in surprise, then reached up and tapped the system's interface lightly.
"Regret? I've never once regretted coming to this era, nor have I ever regretted meeting her. If I had to choose again, I'd make the same decision—every single time."
"Just as you said, this wasn't a perfect journey. There were many sad moments—but it's precisely because of those hardships that the happy memories shine like diamonds!"
"This journey gave me the strength to carve out a future. It allowed me to meet so many people I love—and who love me. It granted me adventures that I'll never forget, even if eternity passes."
"So tell me, how could I possibly regret this journey? It's the brightest, most beautiful, and proudest chapter of my life!"
Elias spread his arms wide, a dazzling smile lighting up his face.
It wasn't only the beautiful moments that gave life meaning—the struggles, the fights, and the suffering were all a part of him. The white-haired youth would never deny any part of his life.
"...You're as wonderful as ever."
"Haha~ Of course. Those who are willing to fight to protect beauty are, themselves, beautiful."
With a snap of his fingers, Elias caused white flowers of creation to bloom along the road of time. The sight was ethereal and sacred, as though a path to heaven itself had formed before him.
But as soon as he finished, he froze.
He stopped in his tracks, staring ahead in disbelief.
When he activated his power, he intended to let the flowers bloom for thousands of years' worth of distance. Yet, he couldn't. After a hundred seconds, they stopped—and beyond that... there was no more road.
"Did I... reach the end?"
Elias asked blankly.
This road spanned fifty thousand years in length, and its end marked the final day of the Previous Era. Now, the end lay before him. The youth's eyes grew moist.
System: "I told you, Host, you'd reach the end soon. Surprised?"
Elias: "System, I love you! Finally! I've made it! Everyone... I'm coming back to you!!"
Excitement and joy surged through him.
The white-haired boy cried out, running forward with all his strength. In just a moment, he crossed the remaining hundred seconds—and with one mighty leap, he jumped from the world's seam back into the true world of the Previous Era.
Like a white meteor, he streaked through the sky at incredible speed. Elias spread his arms wide, as if to embrace the entire world before him.
Soon, he broke through the atmosphere. After orienting himself, he set his course—toward the Elysian Realm.
"Ely, I'm coming to save you."
...
Elysian Realm — The girl's dressing room.
Elysia was preparing herself. She wished to face the end in her most beautiful form. At that moment, Eden was gently applying her lipstick, while Aponia placed a pure white veil upon her head.
"Eden, Aponia, do I look pretty? Do you think Eli will like how I look right now?"
"Ely, right now, you're the most beautiful girl in the world. As for whether Elias will like you—what a silly question."
"There's no way that man wouldn't like you. Even if heaven and earth reversed, that would never happen."
Eden and Aponia spoke gently.
Yet, their eyes shimmered with tears.
As her friends—as her companions—they wanted nothing more than for Elysia to move forward into the future. She deserved more radiant, beautiful days ahead—not to meet her end today.
"The banquet hall is already decorated."
"Wow~ thank you, Vill-V!"
"Everyone's here... except for Elias."
"Mm, thank you for letting me know, Sakura."
Everyone looked at Elysia and unconsciously clenched their hands. Though today marked her farewell, not a trace of sadness showed on her face—she still smiled warmly at everyone.
"Are you really going through with this, Elysia?"
"Hm? Mobius, are you saying you'll miss me?"
"Don't joke around! I just... I just..."
Mobius turned away sharply, her words sharp and defensive even now. But her trembling voice and the tension in her expression revealed the truth that anyone could feel—her unwillingness and pain at this parting.
"And what about Elias? If you die, Elysia, have you ever thought about how much pain he'll be in?!"
"..."
At the mention of the one she loved, Elysia's smile faltered. Of course she had thought about it—and just imagining it made her heart ache unbearably.
She could easily picture how deeply that white-haired boy would grieve if he lost her.
And because of that—she felt the same.
Perhaps it was selfish of her, but Elysia had long made her decision. No matter what the cost, she would save Elias' future—she would change his fate.
Even if it meant sacrificing her own life.
Even if her death would cause Elias unimaginable sorrow.
"Yes... Eli will definitely be heartbroken. But today, Elysia will do the most selfish thing in her life."
Guilt welled within her heart. She was about to disregard Elias' feelings in order to save him—even knowing that a world without her would tear him apart.
"I won't ask for forgiveness, nor will I make excuses. I just want Eli to have the most beautiful future possible. That is my willfulness—my selfishness."
"So, when I'm gone, please... take care of him for me. Love him for my sake too. Don't let him get hurt again. Don't let him be sad. Make sure he lives every day in happiness. That... will be my final wish."
Elysia looked to Mobius, Eden, Sakura, Hua, Aponia, and Pardofelis, smiling softly. In her heart, she thought—this might be the most generous thing she'd ever done.
Giving up the one she loved most... to other girls.
But what else could she do, when she could no longer stay by his side?
"Everyone should cheer up, okay? After all, without me around, you'll all have one less rival to worry about."
"Elysia, you...! What am I supposed to even say to that?! That kind of wish—you should tell Elias yourself!"
"Alright, alright, don't be mad, Mobius. Even though something sad will happen today... that's exactly why we need to smile—to make it a happy day instead."
Elysia looked at herself in the mirror. Though it might sound vain, her reflection was so beautiful that it even made her own heart flutter.
She could hardly wait to show Elias her current self—to hear his praise, to feel his embrace, his kiss.
Absentmindedly, she touched the ring finger of her left hand, a bit regretful she hadn't gotten the ring in advance. Yet, she was also happy—because it meant Elias himself would be the one to put it on her.
That mix of emotions made her smile bitterly. She truly wanted to walk into the future hand in hand with Elias.
Aside from her final wish—to free the Herrschers of the Current Era from the control of Honkai—Elysia had already done everything within her power. Every wish she could make... she had made.
Elysia: "I hope he grows stronger in the future. I hope he becomes incredibly lucky. I hope he can live happily every day. I hope he experiences more romantic encounters. I hope his future shines bright. I hope he never gets hurt again. I hope there will be more people in this world who love him."
Elysia used the Authority of Origin to make every wish she could think of—every blessing that could possibly benefit Elias. By now, she had made thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of wishes.
But there was one wish she hesitated over for a long, long time—one she ultimately could not make.
It was the wish for Elias to forget her.
(Just this one... I can't do it. Even if forgetting me might make things easier for Eli... I don't want to be forgotten. I want to stay in his heart forever.)
Elysia looked at the photo of the two of them together and resisted the urge to cry. They had promised yesterday that no matter what happened today, they would face it with a smile—she couldn't break that promise.
The Herrscher of Origin's power was one of making wishes to Honkai itself. But the greater the wish, the greater the price she would have to pay. And that price wasn't simply death—it was returning to the Honkai.
Yet, Elysia had no confidence.
She didn't know whether, after her body turned into pure Origin energy and returned to the Honkai, she would still retain her consciousness. The possibility was slim, but if she could...
(If I can still think, even a little... then I'll become a pink star in the sky, watching over Eli forever. Even if I can't be by his side, just being able to see him would be enough.)
That was her one and only wish now. Elysia felt she was ready—ready to watch Elias, from the heavens, fall in love and live happily with other girls.
Elysia: "Uu... As long as Eli doesn't forget me, as long as there's a place for me in his heart, that's enough. It's a pity I don't have a Core... otherwise, I could've stayed behind as a Divine Key for him."
She briefly considered wishing for a Herrscher Core—but the next second, she abandoned the idea.
Because she knew Elias possessed the ability to seize Herrscher Cores and use their powers.
"If I had a Core, Eli would definitely take it and use my power in my place. That won't do at all."
Elysia shook her head lightly.
She felt a bit relieved that she was a Herrscher whose very existence was the power itself. That way, she wouldn't have to worry about Elias stealing her Authority and sacrificing himself instead.
With that thought, Elysia took one last look at her reflection in the mirror, then drew in a deep breath and pushed open the door.
"Eli, I'm going to save you. So... let today become Elysia's final—and happiest—day!"
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