Kafka's gaze precisely locked onto Phainon's figure.
She didn't smile, but the slight curve of her eyes was more expressive than any smile.
"Of course, there's a way."
She turned, her high heels clicking crisply on the floor.
She walked to the large refrigerator behind the bar and pulled open the door.
"It's just that the process might be a little... stimulating."
Kafka retrieved a sealed glass cup from the deepest part of the cold storage.
The liquid in the cup was pure black.
The viscous liquid remained motionless in the cup, as if time itself had frozen before it.
Phainon's pupils suddenly contracted.
He recognized this aura.
On the Astral Express, he had once had the privilege of glimpsing their true form.
Himeko's creative coffee!!!
"Make him drink it, and he'll wake up."
Kafka gently placed the cup, emanating the conceptual essence of "death" coffee, on the bar.
Even Mydei's Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed, "This thing... is it for people to drink?"
"The script says it is, so it is." Kafka shrugged, her tone innocent yet matter-of-fact.
Phainon no longer hesitated.
He stepped forward and picked up the "coffee," which was so heavy it barely felt like a liquid.
"Mydei, hold him down."
"...Alright."
Mydei immediately stepped forward, and together with Phainon, they propped up the unconscious Elio.
One person restrained Elio's limbs, while the other expressionlessly pried open his mouth.
The black liquid, which seemed to devour light, was poured in without a single drop wasted.
Phainon pressed Elio's lips together, ensuring that not a trace of the coffee was wasted.
Mydei even held Elio's body and shook him up and down.
Until a muffled "gulp" was heard.
The two exchanged a look, released their hold in unison, and stepped back.
They had done all they could; now they awaited fate.
The next instant!
Elio's body suddenly tensed like a fully drawn bow, beginning to convulse silently and violently, his eyeballs rolling back until only a ghastly white remained.
Phainon and Mydei simultaneously turned their faces away, unable to watch.
A few seconds later, the convulsions abruptly ceased.
Elio's body completely went limp, his head drooping weakly, devoid of any sign of life.
Mydei immediately stepped forward, cautiously extending a finger to check Elio's breath.
Nothing.
He pressed his ear to Elio's chest.
Still nothing.
"He... he seems to have stopped breathing, and his heart has stopped!"
Mydei sharply turned his head to look at Kafka, "Didn't you say you could wake him up?!"
A trace of unconcealed worry also appeared on Cyrene's face.
Only Kafka remained, leaning against the bar, observing the scene with keen interest.
"Don't worry, the climax of the script has just begun."
The moment she finished speaking—
The "dead" Elio's eyelids suddenly twitched.
Then his fingers.
Immediately after, his chest began to show faint undulations.
He slowly opened his eyes.
What kind of eyes were they?
All the madness and confusion had receded, leaving only a clarity that saw through all things and overlooked destiny.
He was awake.
The first thing he did upon waking was to abruptly sit upright, clamping his hands tightly over his mouth.
"Ugh—"
A brilliant rainbow erupted, defying the laws of physics!
Everyone present, by unspoken agreement, averted their gaze.
The sight was indeed somewhat jarring to perception.
After a long while.
Elio clutched his chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
He felt completely drained of all strength, yet his eyes were terrifyingly clear.
He wiped his soiled mouth with his sleeve, looked up, scanned the room, and his gaze landed on Kafka,
"Kafka, I remember the script said 'a mouthful'." His voice was calm and gentle, with a unique magnetism,
"You had them pour an entire cup down me; I nearly threw up my internal organs."
Kafka merely covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling, but she said nothing.
Elio's gaze then met Phainon's, and he offered a knowing smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
There was no longer a hint of madness in his voice.
"This world has too many 'eyes' watching me. To prevent the final script from being leaked prematurely, I could only make myself appear a little 'ordinary'."
He explained casually, "However, since you've arrived, there's no need for me to keep up the act."
With that, Elio pulled out a stack of dog-eared scripts from the black backpack on his back.
He didn't even look at them.
He used both hands forcefully.
Rip—
The pages of destiny, filled with countless possibilities, were torn directly into shreds by him.
Under everyone's puzzled gazes, he extended his hand.
The fragmented pieces of paper froze in the air, then began to flow backward and reassemble.
Finally, a brand new script fell back into his hands.
He picked up the new script, casually flipping through it, "Oh, Nanook is here too? No matter, He has always been here."
Phainon's heart stirred: "Are you talking about Aeons?"
"Of course." Elio nodded in response, "I told you, the three of us are the best brothers."
Phainon frowned: "This is the setting of this world."
"Not so."
Elio closed the script, looked up, and his clear eyes met Phainon's,
"This world has no 'past' at all, so how can there be a 'future'? Everything here is just a stage built for you alone. Our story... never mind, you'll understand later."
Elio changed the subject,
"Miss Cyrene should have told you that your mission is to 'purify' the entire world. Have you ever wondered why Erudition wants you to do this?"
Phainon was silent for a moment, his voice low as ice.
"He is teaching me how to do things."
"He is using a grand simulation to teach me how to break through Amphoreus, how to kill Zandar. That's why Zandar willingly sacrificed himself, turning himself into a'source of pollution'."
"Everything is within the calculations of that massive intelligent mind."
His fists were already clenched.
"But I..." Phainon's voice suppressed a surge of anger, "hate this feeling of everything being arranged."
"Hate it, that's exactly right."
Elio nodded in great appreciation, "Then, according to your thoughts, bring a little 'unknown' to that high and mighty existence."
He lowered his head, his gaze returning to the new script in his hand, and gently tapped a certain page with his finger.
"Finally found it."
Elio looked up, gazing at Phainon,
"It turns out the core that needs purification is here!"