On the other side, Eden noticed a strange new memory suddenly appear in her mind. Instinctively, she turned her head to look at Elysia beside her, only to find the girl in the same stunned state.
She was about to speak and ask, but then she saw Elysia's expression shift, from initial confusion, to surprise, and then finally to a look of quiet acceptance.
When she came back to her senses, Elysia noticed the concerned gaze of her friend. She blinked, "What's wrong~ my dear Eden, is there something on my face~"
Eden paused for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Elys... you..."
"Mhm~" Elysia smiled playfully, letting silence say everything that words didn't need to.
That playful smile told Eden everything she needed to know.
Eden slowly turned her head to look around.
Everyone's expressions were the same as hers, a mix of shock, sudden realization, and a heavy sense of awareness.
Her gaze finally landed across the screening room, on that man surrounded by a group of beautiful girls, wearing a wry smile, Van.
"You did it..." Eden mouthed soundlessly.
A world without Honkai, a life of laughter and banter, these were the dreams they had once desperately yearned for during endless nights.
And now, that fool had actually turned that dream into reality.
But the moment she sensed the faint, fragile aura from the depths of Van's soul, a sharp pain suddenly stabbed through her chest.
Restarting the world, how could a miracle like that only come at the simple cost of 'a small price'?
Was it worth it?
The question, heavy with emotion, almost slipped from her lips, but before she could say it, she was interrupted by Elysia's sudden hug.
"Eden~ The best feeling in life is losing something and then getting it back again. To regain our shared memories, to find our most important friend again, we should be happy, shouldn't we~"
Eden turned her head toward the girl burying her face into her shoulder.
Though Elysia still wore that eternally radiant smile, Eden could feel a faint trembling behind her eyes.
And suddenly, Eden understood.
The one who bore the cost suffered deeply, yes. But for those who could only watch helplessly as someone dear to them shouldered that burden alone... the pain was no less.
She raised her arms and hugged Elysia back, quietly wiping away the crystal tears at the corner of her friend's eyes where no one else could see.
———
At the same time, Van had naturally noticed the change in everyone's gaze toward him, and he also realized that his companions had regained their memories.
Taking a deep breath, he decided to stop running and prepared to step forward to greet everyone.
But just then, a sharp crack, the sound of an armrest breaking, froze him in his tracks.
Because he saw a certain hot-blooded big guy radiating waves of violent fury.
Kalpas slowly stood up, the gaze beneath his mask locked firmly onto Van, "You... you bastard!"
"Kalpas," Aponia's ethereal voice rang out in time, "please wait a moment."
"Shut up!" Kalpas roared, violently cutting her off. "This one thing... I will never forgive!"
Looking at Kalpas, burning with rage, Van silently withdrew his half-step forward.
If it were someone else, maybe there'd still be room for reason. But with an enraged Kalpas...
Yeah, maybe greetings could wait for another time. Right now, the priority was leaving this place first.
And at that moment, the doors of the screening room opened right on cue.
A staff attendant in uniform stood respectfully in the doorway, bowing politely, "Honored guests, please proceed to the dining hall. A dinner has been prepared for you. The chef has specially prepared dishes tailored to each of your preferences."
Van let out a deep sigh of relief. What perfect timing, this attendant was a lifesaver.
Now he had the perfect excuse to leave this "high-risk zone."
Meanwhile, upon hearing that food was ready, Kiana's eyes immediately lit up.
"Yay! I'm starving!"
"No cheering! And seriously, were you a starving ghost in your past life?" Sirin muttered with disdain.
"Who are you calling a starving ghost?!"
"Whoever reacts first~"
Seizing the moment, Van slipped between the two of them, speaking in a calm voice, "Alright, alright, stop fighting. Let's head to the dining hall first..."
But as he spoke, his hands subtly guided Kiana and Sirin toward the door, his mind smugly calculating, "Perfect! Time to make my quiet getaway!"
But then, out of nowhere, Ivana suddenly pointed at him and yelled, "Oh, I see how it is, old man! Why are you moving so fast, trying to sneak off ahead of us for a bite, huh?"
Van couldn't help but notice, was it his imagination, or did Ivana put extra weight on the words "sneak off," as though deliberately hinting to the others about his attempted escape?
'This brat...'
'Looks like it's time to order a chicken feather duster online.'
'When kids misbehave, it's usually due to excess "fire in the lungs"...'
'What's the solution, you ask? A good spanking, of course.'
And sure enough, thanks to this brat's little stunt, Elysia was now walking over with that sweet, smiling face, her arm looped around Eden's, while their master griller Kalpas and their overworked "corporate-slave savior" were already positioned like twin gatekeepers by the doorway.
Looking at this lineup, Van could practically see a giant, flashing [DANGER] sign above his head.
So, without hesitation, he spun around and started frantically winking at Hua and Mobius, hoping the two companions who had regained their memories earlier would at least help share some of the heat tonight.
Faced with his silent plea, Hua's expression was filled with hesitation.
But in the end, she took a step forward and stood by his side.
Mobius, on the other hand, was far more direct, tossing him a knowing, meaningful look, as if to say, "Little mouse, you owe me one... again."
'Oh, perfect. Classic Mobius, always ready to take advantage of a crisis.'
Van ranted internally, but at this point, he had no choice but to accept his fate.
After all, surviving tonight was more important than worrying about what tomorrow would bring.
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