As Shun's footsteps firmly moved forward, his vision underwent earth-shaking changes. The original snowfield covered in ice and snow seemed to gradually melt away with Kiana's departure, replaced by a vibrant forest that looked especially lush and lively under the sunlight.
In front of Shun, it was no longer a monotonous white, but a green world dotted with colorful leaves and flowers. In the forest, the chirping of birds rose and fell one after another, as if welcoming his arrival. The air was filled with the fresh scent of soil and new leaves, making one feel refreshed and happy.
In this forest, a winding forest path appeared in front of Shun, sandwiched between dense trees on both sides, as if it was a passage specially paved for him. On both sides of the path, wildflowers swayed in the breeze, and occasionally butterflies danced gracefully among the flowers, adding a touch of agility and vitality. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, casting dappled light and shadows on the path. Shun stepped on these light and shadows, each step seeming so firm and powerful.
Shun stood at the end of the path. Before him was a delicate building, standing quietly at the edge of the forest, as if it was a warm haven in this lush greenery. He confirmed his surroundings again, confirming that this house was the end of the path, and if Sirin was still here, then she must be in this house.
Taking a deep breath, Shun gathered his courage and gently knocked on the door. His heartbeat echoed in his chest with the knocking sound, waiting for a response from the person behind the door.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment, until a light "click" sound came from the door. The door slowly opened, revealing a face familiar to Shun — Aunt Dalia. Her appearance made Shun slightly dazed. In his memory, she seemed to have already been gone the moment Sirin underwent Herrscher transformation. Although Sirin didn't say it explicitly, the reason for the Herrscher transformation could roughly be guessed.
"Oh, it's little Shun. What's wrong? Did you forget your keys when you went out?" Dalia's voice was warm and familiar. After seeing Shun, she immediately stepped aside and motioned for him to come in quickly.
Shun stepped into the house. Only then did he notice the changes in his own body. His clothes had been changed at some point, and below his knees, they had been replaced by simulated prosthetic limbs. All these changes made him realize that he seemed to have returned to the past, and everything had started over again. He guessed that this might be Sirin's cognition influencing reality, causing such changes in his body.
"Mm, right. I accidentally forgot to bring my keys when I went out today." Shun followed Dalia's words, trying to make his voice sound natural. He didn't want Dalia to notice anything unusual.
Dalia smiled, seeming not to suspect anything. She led Shun into the house. The warmth inside formed a stark contrast with the forest outside. Shun's heart was filled with doubt and surprise, but he knew that the most important thing now was to figure out what exactly was going on and where Sirin was. He followed behind Dalia and came to the living room with her.
Shun and Dalia sat together on the sofa in the living room. The atmosphere was a bit awkward for a moment. The first sentence Dalia said made Shun realize that he seemed to have made a mistake.
"Sit down. Actually… little Shun, you're here to pick up Sirin, right?" There was a hint of insight in Dalia's words.
Shun was silent for a moment. Facing this question, he didn't know how to respond.
Dalia seemed to see Shun's difficulty and said softly: "Forget it, I won't make things difficult for you. Go find Sirin. She's on the second floor."
Shun stood up and walked toward the stairs, his heart full of guilt. He turned back to Dalia and said: "I'm sorry, Aunt Dalia." His voice revealed deep apology for failing to save Dalia.
Dalia gently stepped forward. Although Shun was already much taller than her, she still pulled him into her embrace and comforted him softly: "Silly child, why say sorry?"
"You and Sirin are both my children. As long as you can be safe, that's the greatest happiness for me. Although I'm not the real Dalia, I'm sure she and I share the same thoughts." Dalia's words revealed a sense of relief, as if telling Shun that she had already accepted all of this.
Shun's voice was full of self-reproach. He was immersed in reflection on the past: "But I ultimately couldn't save you… If I had been more cautious back then…" He recalled that back then, he should have been more vigilant when he heard the news about the church school, instead of letting Sirin stay there for so long, until later he belatedly noticed the problem.
Dalia gently shook her head. Her eyes were full of tolerance, as if she didn't want Shun to bear this guilt: "It's okay, child. It's not your fault." Her voice was gentle, trying to lighten the burden in Shun's heart.
"Compared to me, you should go find Sirin quickly… She's been waiting for you for a long time. Come on, you two must be good to each other from now on." Dalia gently pushed Shun, urging him to go see Sirin. After she completed these actions, as if her wish had been fulfilled, her figure began to blur and eventually turned into a wisp of light smoke, disappearing from this world.
After bidding farewell to Dalia, Shun slowly went upstairs and finally stopped in front of a door with "Sirin☆" hanging on it.
Just as he was about to knock on the door, he noticed the light coming from the crack of the door. The door wasn't closed, as if it was deliberately left with a gap for Shun.
Without hesitation, Shun pushed open the door and saw the purple-haired figure with her back to him, looking at the scenery outside the window.
Shun tried to open his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
In the end, it was only when Sirin noticed that someone else had entered the room that she turned her head. She looked as if she hadn't changed at all from more than ten years ago.
"Little Shun… you're here." Sirin said in a calm tone, as if she had already expected it, but there was a faint hint of anticipation.
"Mm, I'm sorry. I'm late."
"Not late. Actually, I only woke up a few years ago. It wasn't until a few months ago that I saw you again through the Core." Sirin spoke, revealing the truth.
Shun's heart stirred. He guessed that it might have been when he met Kiana in Nagazora City that Sirin had sensed his existence through the Core.
His voice carried a trace of self-reproach: "Actually, I knew your consciousness was in the Core about a month ago, but I still delayed for a long time until Kiana fell into a coma before coming to find you. I'm sorry." Shun's words were full of guilt. He felt sorry for his hesitation and delay.
No matter what considerations he had at the time, forgetting about Sirin for so long was his fault.
"Hmph, then you have to compensate me properly!" Sirin said with her hands on her hips, as if she didn't take this matter to heart.
"After all, I'm the older sister, so I'll forgive you." Sirin heavily emphasized the word "older sister."
"Alright." Shun knew that Sirin was giving him a way out, so he quickly accepted it.
"Then… Sister, leave this place with me?" Shun extended his hand toward Sirin.
"Of course." Sirin naturally took the hand Shun extended, then added: "We're family. We have to be together for a lifetime! ☆"
At the moment their palms tightly clasped, the surrounding world began to collapse. Those green mountains and clear waters, those beautiful scenes Shun had once depicted for Sirin, were all gradually disappearing, like morning mist dispelled by sunlight.
Shun in the real world slowly opened his eyes. His vision quickly adapted to the surrounding environment. Kiana had already woken up, and that Herrscher of the Void's Core was being tightly held in his hand, emitting a dazzling light.
"Old friend, am I late?" A familiar voice with a hint of teasing came from outside the ward. Otto, carrying a large coffin on his back, appeared at the door. Inside was, without a doubt, Sirin's cloned body. But it looked like Otto had already prepared it. It seemed he had known this day would come long ago.
"You came at just the right time." Shun held the Core and walked forward with steady steps. He opened Otto's large coffin and gently yet firmly inserted the Herrscher of the Void's Core into Sirin's chest.
"Revive! ～My——Sirin——!"