In the end... it was Phainon who moved first.
He walked forward in silence, ignoring Phainon-1's body tensing further with nerves and his slight retreating step. He bent down and carefully picked up the 「Deliverer」 card stained with mud.
He gently wiped the dirt from the card's surface with his thumb, then offered it back to a stunned and bewildered Phainon-1.
"Keep this safe," Phainon's voice was low and hoarse, yet carried an undeniable weight. "Never, ever lose it."
Just then, the figure who had been standing behind Phainon-1 stepped forward gracefully.
She tilted her head, looking with a smile at Phaethon, whose expression was complex and who seemed almost frozen in place. Her tone was as cheerful as if greeting a friend:
"I thought for such a long, long time about the scene of us meeting again. And now, we've finally met again~. Wait, why did I say 'again'? Though, this really should be our first official meeting, right? It's been a long time, Asterion ♪"
That form of address, that intonation, instantly shattered all of Phaethon's emotional defenses.
His throat felt choked, too dry to utter a single clear syllable.
"You... you..." he managed to force out two words, his eyes filled with immense shock, confusion, and a trace of pain hard to detect, "You're not her... You're just... just someone who obtained some fragmented memories left by Cyrene... You're not..."
Cyrene—or rather, this being possessing Cyrene's appearance and part of her memories—was not angered by his words.
She gently reached out, her warm fingers wanting to take Phaethon's hand, which was somewhat cold from gripping his sword hilt.
But Phaethon brushed her hand away.
Her smile remained gentle, but her tone couldn't hide her disappointment and sorrow. "Phaethon, so this is how you see me? Just a stranger who merely obtained Cyrene's memories?"
"But actually... is there another possibility... that *my* memories were largely stolen by a little thief like you?"
"After all... our little Phaethon's ability can be quite unreasonable at times, able to quietly 'take away' and hide even things like memories. ♪"
Phaethon was completely stunned, his pupils trembling slightly as he stared at the smiling woman before him, unable to utter a word.
The sheer volume of information and the possibilities it contained left his mind in chaos.
"I..."
Seeing him like this, a flicker of heartache passed through Cyrene's eyes. Her tone became incredibly earnest and tender:
"Phaethon. No matter how complete my memories are, no matter how many fragments are missing... My 「True Self」—that heart which wants to stay by your side—has always remained the same, and never changed! ♪"
Phaethon did not respond immediately. He didn't know how to answer, so... he chose to avoid it for now.
***
"Child, you, what are you two..." Hieronymus watched Phainon silently helping him gather his scattered ancient texts, his voice full of confusion and a trace of unease he couldn't quite hide.
In the room, the once-warm air seemed to warp slightly from the invisible, intense heat radiating from Phainon.
Phainon's movements paused for a moment. He didn't look up, explaining softly as if afraid to disturb the final peace of this house:
"Aedes Elysia has been marked by the Black Tide. The divine power of 「Time」... cannot hold them back forever. The erosion is happening slowly but surely. We are here... to take you away."
Hieronymus instinctively wanted to step forward, to pat his shoulder like he would a tired child returning home. But the wave of heat hitting him felt like an invisible wall, forcefully pushing back his gentle concern.
He could only watch Phainon—this familiar yet strange "son"—and open his mouth uselessly.
***
On the other side, Audata's gaze was as gentle as early summer moonlight, firmly enveloping Phaethon, who was trying to hide himself in the shadows.
That gaze was too clear, too accepting, almost melting all the defenses he had built around his heart.
"Child," her voice was soft, yet carried a warmth that was impossible to evade, "Can you tell me your name?"
Phaethon's lips moved slightly, his throat tight.
The truth felt like a massive rock blocking his chest, while a lie seemed too pale.
Finally, Phaethon took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and uttered a name: "Asterion..."
Then, he explained the reason to Audata—Phainon's mother in this world—as simply as he could.
Concealment was futile; once they reached Okhema, everything would become clear.
He admitted they came from another Amphoreus.
But he ultimately carefully wrapped the most brutal parts, weaving a nearly fairytale-like comfort:
"Many Amphoreus exist in this world... We are travelers from the previous one. Our mission is to find a warmer ending for this story, as much as we can."
Audata listened quietly, saying nothing for a long time.
Her gaze never left Phaethon's face, as if it could pierce through the fog of words and reach the trembling core deep within his soul.
When she finally spoke, she shattered all of Phaethon's feigned composure with a single sentence.
"Then, child," her voice was still so gentle, yet like the most precise needle, "where has your mother gone to now?"
Phaethon's gaze, like a kite with a severed string, suddenly plummeted to the ground.
"She..." he heard his own voice, dry and trembling, "...is... always in my heart."
He didn't dare look up, didn't dare confirm Audata's expression at that moment—was it pity, sorrow, or the understanding of one who had already seen through everything?
Phaethon was afraid to see any of it.
However, what reached him wasn't any further questioning, but an extremely soft sigh, carrying boundless love and compassion.
"Oh, I see..." Audata's voice seemed to smile, yet also seemed soaked with tears. "Then she must be very happy. After all, what mother in this world doesn't dream of forever residing in her child's heart?"
"..." Phaethon felt a suffocating silence grip his throat.
Then, he heard an even softer, yet searingly profound statement, directly imprinting itself onto his cold heart:
"Child, Mother will always love you."
In that instant, Phaethon felt his heart seized by an invisible hand, clenching so tightly it almost spasmed in pain.
A surge of overwhelming sorrow rushed into his nose and eyes, threatening to overflow.
But the next moment, the authority of Ocean stirred within him, forcibly sealing those about-to-fall tears in the invisible depths of the sea, leaving behind only a cold, hollow void.