"Theresa, we have returned," Bronya called out when they reached the door.
"Thank you, girls. We really needed your help!" Theresa replied, taking the bundles from their arms. She easily carried all the firewood that Bronya and Seele had struggled to drag back, and placed them neatly by the fireplace, sorting the branches by size.
"Life is hard," Theresa said, settling down, "but we can manage it—because Father and everyone are here."
"When did you arrive, Theresa?" Bronya asked, her voice gentle.
Theresa smiled faintly. "I don't know who my parents were. Riding on Father's back was the first thing I remember. Snow falling, but warm under his coat. As I grew, I learned he built this orphanage. I'm not the first child here, but I've stayed the longest. I like it here. I'll never leave."
Bronya hesitated. "What about Joachim?"
"Why are you asking about him?"
"Theresa and Joachim seemed to be arguing at lunch," Bronya said quietly, lowering her voice. "And Joachim… he's leaving tomorrow. The Bronya wants to understand more."
Theresa's expression darkened slightly, and she nodded. "I shouldn't keep this from you… Joachim bears no ill will toward me… but Father…"
"What happened between him and Father?" Seele asked, her tone careful.
Theresa paused, her eyes distant. "Father Otto… he killed Joachim's dad."
Bronya was shocked. "Why? How?"
"Joachim's father was a doctor," Theresa explained slowly. "He tried to bring Joachim's deceased mother back to life. He dabbled in forbidden arts, first experimenting on mice… then cats, dogs… and finally on homeless children. By the time Father found him, the experiments were beyond comprehension."
"That's… evil," Seele whispered.
"Father Otto had to stop it," Theresa continued, "but it left Joachim an orphan."
Seele nodded slowly. "Understood. So Joachim hates the priest?"
Theresa shook her head. "If that were the case, I think they would work it out eventually. Joachim knew his Dad's crimes. He tried to stop him but failed. No. Joachim doesn't hate Father Otto. He came to the orphanage and took care of us like a good elder brother. He protected us. For a while, I thought he had put his past behind…"
"Please continue." Bronya urged.
"Joachim's really smart and handy with the tools. He did everything wonderfully. Father decided to hand the orphanage to him. But that decision changed Joachim. He became… sullen… That's when I knew he had never forgotten about what happened."
"Perhaps he didn't want the orphanage. He probably wants a life of his own." Seele suggested.
"If that were the case, Joachim would have said it out loud. But he didn't." Theresa said softly, "…He's afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that he must make Father's decision when the time comes. Afraid that he might have to make another child an orphan. He could never forget about that." Theresa sighed, "Soon, Madam Lieserl from the neighboring town offered to adopt Joachim… and he agreed."
"Joachim is trying to run away," Bronya muttered under her breath.
"Leaving allows him to start life anew," Theresa said.
"But Joachim will never get over it," Bronya said, her jaw tight.
"We all can tell what's right and what's wrong," Theresa said gently, "but it's always easier said than done."
"I don't think any one of us knows how to leave it all behind. " Theresa whispered.
Bronya just clenched her fist.
"I just don't want to see Joachim so dark and gloomy. He wasn't like that." Theresa spoke up, louder than before, "I want to help him. He's family to all of us."
She glanced toward the wall inside the orphanage, eyes catching the clock. "…Oh dear, it's late. Father should be back already. That's odd. I'll look outside."
Bronya and Seele followed her out into the crisp, biting air, their footsteps muffled by the thick snow.
"Unable to locate the priest," Bronya said after a while, scanning the empty slope. Snowflakes swirled around them, carried by the restless wind.
"We should split up," Theresa suggested, squinting against the glare of the snow. "I'll look on the other side of the hill. Please help search this side!"
Bronya continued to walk through the snow, following the road, eventually glancing back toward the orphanage. "This is the end of the road. The priest clearly isn't here. We should return."
Bronya's mind wandered as her boots sank into the snow. Thoughts of Sin Mal, Liliya, Rozaliya, Isabella, and everyone else from the orphanage weighed on her. She hadn't been the first to leave, but she was one of the few who had left by choice.
Perhaps every child at Cocolia's Orphanage had felt the same ache as Theresa did now, trying to hold together something that had already begun to fracture.
"..."
The Bronya also has things that she can't simply put behind her…
Seele spoke up as they trudged through the snow, "Bronya, are you alright? You seem to be troubled…"
"Seele… the Bronya…"
Bronya could not find an answer to her question. Seele's voice pulled her back. She reached out and gently took Bronya's hand. The touch was warm against the icy air.
"Would this make you feel better?" Seele asked softly, her gaze steady on Bronya's face while the snow swirled around them. "You used to hold my hand like this when I was scared. The warmth of your hands… it comforted me."
"Seele…" Bronya whispered, her chest tightening.
"Stop thinking about the past if it only brings pain," Seele continued, a quiet firmness underlining her words. "I will be here for you, just as you were there for me back then."
"…" Bronya was silent for a long moment, staring at the snowy ground. "…I don't think I was there for others who needed me. Everyone else at the Ophanage."
"Then you have to make up for it," Seele said at last, a gentle but unwavering note in her voice.
Bronya thought about it, and decided it was correct.
"Spasibo," she murmured. "The Bronya is fine. The Bronya has decided to face the problem directly." She began heading back in the direction of the orphanage. "We shall meet Theresa."
Seele waited a long moment at the end of the road before following.
"We split up at that location. Theresa should be on the other side of this hill," Bronya said, her eyes scanning the snowy slope ahead.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the wind: shouting, urgent, full of fear.
"Father! Father!"
"It's Theresa. What's happening?" Seele cried, grabbing Bronya's sleeve.
"We must head over there quickly," Bronya said, her boots crunching fiercely in the snow as she broke into a run. The cold air stung her face, but her mind was fixed on the urgency ahead.
When they arrived, they saw Theresa attempting to shake Father Otto awake, his head resting in her lap, marked by the familiar purple lines that spread across his skin.
"The priest has fallen! What happened?!" Seele exclaimed, eyes wide with alarm.
Bronya's heart tightened. She recognized the signs. There was nothing she could do here. "The priest has passed out. We must carry him back to the orphanage. Seele, stay and help Theresa. The Bronya shall ask the older children to assist."
Bronya ran back towards the Orphanage, sliding to a halt as the snow beneath her feet rippled as several Honkai beasts erupted from the frozen ground.
Honkai beasts… they appeared without warning. Hostiles are too close to the orphanage.
Bronya activated Project Bunny, blasting the nearest creatures to shards of frozen flesh, but even as they fell, more emerged, forming from the rocky ground under the snow.
More Honkai beasts appeared. Something is happening… Seele and Theresa will be in danger…
Suddenly, all the beasts froze in unison, heads turning as though listening to some invisible command. Then, with mechanical precision, they turned and marched into the snow-covered depths, leaving Bronya and the others in stunned silence.
What happened?
Bronya held her breath. Something strange was happening.
And then she saw it.
A figure, strikingly familiar yet with slight differences, hovered above the snowy plain. White hair whipped around a face framed by a serene expression. In her hands, she held a golden feather that glinted in the pale light.
"The Bronya… knows you… Fenghuang Down, the 8th Divine Key…"
"Bronya."
"You know the Bronya's name?"
"You were touched by a feather. I can see you… and know you. I'm surprised. You don't belong here. You're present in everyone's memories, but you're not from here."
Bronya stared, unsure how to respond.
"I am one of the three thousand feathers of Fenghuang Down," the figure continued, "awakened by the priest's will to protect this place."
Bronya spoke up, "You were the one who kept the Honkai beasts away from the orphanage? Why would the priest own a feather of Fenghuang Down?"
"The owner of Fenghuang Down was indebted to him. This feather was left in his heart. He brought this feather to this place. I agreed to protect these snowy plains. His life is ending… and my powers shall fade when he gives up his soul."
Bronya's stomach clenched. "The priest is dying…"
"There is unfinished business." the figure said softly. "A deep, yawning gap in his heart that shackles him. He wants someone… someone he approves of… to inherit my power. But there is an insurmountable barrier between the two."
"It's Joachim… the priest didn't want him to leave. The rift between them will never be resolved if Joachim walks away."
The figure's gaze turned toward Bronya. "…It's not just the rift between them. Your heart bears a similar gap."
"What does that mean?" Bronya was confused.
"Bronya… you came looking for answers. You're not doing it for others. You're doing it for yourself. That is why you dove into the Sea of Quanta."
Bronya was silent again.
"Press forward to reveal the answers you seek. You will walk out of your past and find your way."
The figure dissipated into a shaft of golden light, leaving only a faint echo. The feathers scattered silently into the snow, glimmering briefly before vanishing.
"Just what the real Joachim said…"
…
"Father? You're awake!" Theresa's voice was a mixture of relief and worry as Father Otto stirred in the bed.
"Theresa… I… what happened?" He groaned softly. "I'm sorry you had to see this. Here… your favorite bitter melon biscuit. It's cold now, but…" He handed it from the pocket of his inner shirt.
"It doesn't matter, Father. Why did you collapse in the snow?" Theresa's voice trembled with panic. "What are those wounds?"
"A minor discomfort… this ailment shall pass with a night's sleep."
Bronya's gaze lingered on the priest, concern knotting her chest.
"What is it, Bronya? You seem… worried…" Seele asked softly.
"The Bronya is alright…" However, she was interrupted by the door slamming open, Joachim burst in, looking extremely anxious.
"Father…" He returned to his usual expression once he saw that Father Otto was fine, "I'm glad you're alright."
"Have you packed your things, Joachim?"
"Yes, I did."
Joachim stood by the bed with his head bowed. Otto tried to pat him, but he flinched away.
The priest withdrew his hand and clutched the crucifix on his chest. "You leave tomorrow morning, so rest well. Please… help me protect this cross."
He attempted to give the cross to Joachim, but Joachim did not accept it.
"I went to the market to look for a gift," Otto continued, "but this cross is most fitting. It averted calamities for me. I hope it brings God's blessings to you."
"I don't need it," Joachim replied firmly.
"Please take it, Joachim," Theresa insisted.
"I'm sorry… I can't. God's blessings… will God bless those who kill in the name of goodness?" Joachim's voice cracked as the question left him.
"I can answer that one…"
Bronya quickly spun around. Seeing a familiar face, a girl dressed in the uniform of a priest, not a nun.
"Lee." Bronya said.