"There are still so many flowers... Sister, this purple one is for you—" The child's tender voice seemed to travel through time, drifting over from afar. Aventurine was following that faint, ethereal sound, groping his way through the labyrinthine passages.
After an unknown amount of time, a wall suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path. "A dead end... Did I take the wrong direction...?" Aventurine murmured to himself, a hint of dejection on his face. Just as he turned to look for another way out, his peripheral vision caught sight of something on the ground.
He focused his gaze and couldn't help but be startled: "This is... shackles?" He saw the pair of shackles lying quietly on the ground, already dilapidated and covered in rust, clearly a product of erosion by time.
As Aventurine was about to bend down to pick up the shackles on the ground, his movements suddenly became unusually slow and cautious, as if this simple action required immense effort. Finally, he gently picked up the shackles, held them in his palm, and brought them closer to his eyes to examine them carefully.
"Remember something?" The familiar yet strange Phantom voice rang in his ears again, carrying a hint of mockery and sarcasm. Aventurine gritted his teeth, suppressing the fear in his heart, and replied, "It has nothing to do with you."
"Really nothing to do with me?" The Phantom sneered and continued, "Need a hint? These are shackles, the ones that were on you. The first job that man gave you, your first pot of gold... I remember it clearly."
Upon hearing this, Aventurine's face grew even darker, but he still gripped the shackles tightly, silent. Seeing this, the Phantom's lips curled slightly upward, and he continued, "You wrapped these iron chains around your fists, that was the only tool you could find. Then, in that maze, you..."
"Shut up," Aventurine said weakly.
"Oh... you don't want to face that past?" The Phantom showed no sign of backing down, instead provoking him further: "Don't want to admit that your life was only worth sixty Ta'anba?"
"In my opinion, neither is the correct answer... You refuse to face it simply because it proves your weakness."
"How can a weak person take such risks?" Aventurine retorted.
"True, you like to take risks... but you just can't let go of certain unnecessary things. Even in this beautiful dream, you only dare to try death on yourself."
"Those accompanying personnel could have been wild cards in your hand, serving a greater purpose. The Family has countless stains; just a small sacrifice... If it were Opal, it would have been easily resolved."
"Company Employee A: Thank you, Mr. Aventurine!"
"Company Employee B: I also want to transfer to Mr. Aventurine's staff!"
The Phantom shrugged, seemingly disappointed: "Too bad, you're not as good as him. If you had done it, you wouldn't have fallen to this point... Why didn't you do it? It couldn't be due to professional ethics, could it?"
"Those techniques you mentioned are very efficient, but it's not that I can't use them, it's that I disdain to, understand?" Aventurine responded, "If the game isn't fair, what's the fun in it?"
"Fairness... ha, as if your opponent is so fair to you. The situation is clearly against you, so why are you still so at ease? What exactly did The Fool's words enlighten you about?" The Phantom scoffed.
"Asta: Just as he said, he has never changed; at his core, he is still a kind person."
"Pam: He is only harsh on himself but cares for others; he is a good Pam!"
"Kafka: Fate is never fair."
Aventurine simply replied, "She gave me an answer capable of overturning everything."
"Heh, overturning everything, you mean—" The Phantom laughed, "Making everything on the card table disappear?"
Aventurine sighed, "That's cheating."
The Phantom disappeared again, and Aventurine walked in other directions of the maze.
"If I take these leaves back—will new little flowers bloom—" As the child's innocent voice came from afar, the familiar haunting sound also rang out again.
"Your... future... will never exist..."
"Your... will always... not exist..."
"Your... future... will..... exist..."
"...."
The brainwashing-like haunting sound once again filled Aventurine's ears, causing him to stagger as he walked, and the words appearing before his eyes gradually increased.
(If there was water, we would stop and drink)
(How can one stop and think among rocks)
Aventurine was trudging step by step through the intricate, maze-like paths when suddenly, his gaze was once again drawn to something on the ground—a golden amulet shimmering with dazzling light. This amulet was meticulously carved with exquisite petal patterns, its craftsmanship so superb it was breathtaking.
However, when Aventurine saw this amulet, his expression suddenly changed, revealing an indescribably complex look.
"Your expression right now is truly hard to describe. Why have you never considered selling this pure gold amulet your Old Woman left you?" The Phantom reappeared, his voice like a devil's, ringing in Aventurine's ear:
"That way, you and your sister could have lived a normal life for a while. Looking back, that would have been the better choice."
Aventurine's lips twitched, and he said in a low voice:
"Old Woman only left us two pieces of jewelry: a necklace and an amulet. There won't be a third."
The Phantom's lips curled slightly upward, letting out a scornful chuckle, then said in a soft tone, "You've always said that—but you actually regret it, don't you? Not selling them?"
"Tingyun: It was said before that the Phantom represents Aventurine himself, which means he also regrets not selling them?"
"Firefly: While an ornament imbued with sentiment is precious, one always needs to face reality. At least with that money, he could have lived a more normal life for a while."
"Himeko: I think it's more like he's contemplating, but there's no answer to such a thing; as long as he has a clear conscience, that's enough."
"Ha... I see. You must remember what your sister said at the time: You are a child blessed by the Mother Goddess; you can lead the clan to happiness. So always remember to protect yourself, and never resent suffering and poverty."
"Her words are still ringing in your ears, right? You're a good child; you would never forget."
"So you definitely wouldn't forget how miserable her last moments of life were, and how piercing the sharp laughter behind you was... You just ran away without looking back, doing as she said."
Each word he uttered was like an incredibly sharp dagger piercing directly into his heart, making Aventurine's already paper-white complexion grow even paler.