Crash!
Inside Mobius's laboratory, the sharp sound of shattering glass captured everyone's attention.
For individuals deep in a state of experimental focus, a disruption of this magnitude was enough to make them frown, perhaps even demand the culprit leave. But the person responsible for today's disturbance was someone they dared not reproach.
It was the master of this laboratory herself, Mobius.
She stood near the hazardous materials storage cabinet in the corner of the lab. Her gaze was not on the shattered test tube on the floor, but fixed blankly at the cabinet's contents.
Abruptly, she whipped her head around to face Klein, her ever-present assistant, her voice uncharacteristically tinged with urgency.
"Klein! Did you move anything from in here? Why are two tubes missing from this set?"
Within the glass cabinet rested a set of what should have been four mysterious reagents. At this moment, however, two of them were gone.
Mobius distinctly remembered using only one vial from this specially formulated anesthetic set—to incapacitate Pardofelis during her Herrscher transformation. The only people aware of its existence were herself, Fu Li, Klein, and Eden.
Fu Li had no reason to steal the reagents, and it was highly improbable Klein would. That left only one suspect...
"Damn it. Klein, you're in charge of today's experiment. I have a personal matter to attend to."
Mobius's brilliant mind worked at lightning speed. She pieced together the implications almost instantly, then unceremoniously handed off all her current work to Klein.
Klein, naturally, perceived that her Doctor's mood was amiss and immediately accepted the responsibility.
"Understood, Doctor. I will take over the experiment. Please contact me at any time if you require my assistance."
"Mm, I'm counting on you, Klein."
With that, Mobius, not even taking a moment to change out of her blood-spattered lab coat, turned and sprinted towards the exit.
Her destination was unmistakable: the Golden Courtyard.
But tragically, her realization came too late. By now, Eden had already done everything she had planned to do.
Within the Golden Courtyard, Eden had moved the unconscious Fu Li to a hidden basement.
Beneath the Golden Courtyard was a prison woven from flowers and thorns. A massive waterbed, strewn with petals, dominated the space. Atmospheric lights blinked softly, and as if cued by movement, a teasing, amorous melody began to play.
Cradling a partially undressed Fu Li, Eden casually kicked off her boots, and together they fell back onto the waterbed, a sea of flowers.
The wine-red fabric of her gown spread out across the bed, sending a ripple through the crimson blossoms.
In this moment, in this space, they were the only two people.
Gazing at Fu Li's sleeping profile, Eden pillowed her head on one arm. Her other hand came to rest on his firm, powerful abdomen.
Her fingers danced lightly up from his stomach, a feather-light touch across his chest, before finally settling on his throat. She gently hooked his chin, turning his face to meet hers.
Eden licked her lips, her eyes devouring the perfection of Fu Li's form with a covetous stare.
It was a look wholly different from Mobius's, which was that of a researcher beholding her life's magnum opus. What Eden saw was only the fluid lines, the flawless proportions.
The only shame was that, right now, she could not lock gazes with those beautiful eyes.
Her red hair cascaded around them. The usual gentle warmth on Eden's face was gone, replaced by a glint of madness in her eyes and an unrestrained smile curving her lips.
Though she couldn't play with little Fu Li, the feeling of being able to play with Fu Li as she pleased ignited an indescribable pleasure deep within her.
She felt as though she had just pushed open the door to a new world.
It was a sensation more novel, more fulfilling, more utterly captivating than watching others stand in awe of her wealth.
If only time could freeze in this moment forever.
But, since her time was limited, she had to make the most of it and observe just what changes her dear manager had undergone compared to the one from that other lifetime.
Eden discovered that this Fu Li was more youthful than the one she remembered, having only recently reached adulthood, much like when they were at the Vienna Academy of Art.
Back then, in his eagerness to chase her, he had donated an entire building to the school, using it as his ticket for admission.
Thinking back, she had been rather foolish not to fall in love with Li then.
After all, Mobius had yet to invent her memory-preserving tools at that time. It had been the perfect opportunity to make a move.
Perhaps it was the thought of Mobius, for just as Eden was lost in her paradise, a tremendous crash shattered her beautiful dream.
"E-DEN-!! Get your ass out here!!"
"Sigh... I knew she'd come. Such an unromantic little snake."
Hearing the voice, thick with fury, Eden sighed. She felt no tension, but simply tucked Fu Li's head deeper into the crook of her neck, amidst her hair and collarbone.
Their chests were now pressed together, feeling the thrum of each other's heartbeats through a soft, yielding barrier.
Eden ignored the increasingly violent noises from above. She knew from the start that with Mobius's sharpness, it would not take long for her to discover the truth.
It was just a shame. There were still so many games she wanted to play with Fu Li that she wouldn't have the chance to try.
For instance, the Soul Steel rope and Soul Steel handcuffs she had secretly asked Vill-V to forge for her, now hidden beneath the waterbed, would likely see no use in this lifetime.
A soft sigh escaped her lips. Perhaps because she knew her time alone was about to end, she began to treasure every remaining second.
She leaned close to Fu Li's ear, her voice a crazed whisper.
"Do you know, Li?"
"Back then, on the moon, I wanted to hold you just like this. It's a pity that by then, you had already turned to ash, left behind forever on that desolate land."
"I thought about ending it all, to let my life be a funeral offering for you and that era. But perhaps it was the grace of heaven that left me a sliver of hope—a hope that I could one day hold you again."
"But now, having fulfilled that hope, I find myself greedily wanting more from you. I want to put you in chains, to imprison you by my side, to make it so that from this day forward, you can only, only ever look at me."
"Tell me, am I not a rather greedy woman?"
The question was fated to have no answer now.
Just as the last whisper left her lips, the sound of demolition reached the basement door. With a final, explosive crash, a green-haired woman strode in.
She was draped in a bloodstained lab coat, her face a blank mask, her smile so placid it was unnerving.
She seemed... remarkably calm.
If one chose to ignore the Golden Courtyard behind her, which now lay in near-complete ruin.
In response, Eden only smiled faintly. She rested her head on Fu Li's chest and offered a provocative grin.
She looked for all the world like a beautiful mermaid, proudly flaunting the treat she'd just stolen.