Dan Heng stepped back without a word.
Under the watchful gaze of Welt and Himeko, Ena let out a quiet sigh and switched her Path again.
This time, the change was obvious.
Not just her presence. Her appearance shifted as well.
A dense aura of Abundance spread through the Express.
The air grew heavier, no one spoke for a moment.
"…So it's real," Himeko said softly.
"…You can switch Paths."
Himeko studied her quietly.
"March isn't entirely off. Cases like this exist."
"Those who walk more than one Path."
"They're all the same in one way."
"They've been seen by an Aeon."
"…and they've lost something in return."
Himeko took a slow sip of coffee.
"…Miss Ena."
"Think carefully. No one appears in the universe out of nothing."
"After leaving your hometown… what else did you experience?"
"…what does it feel like?"
"…It's hard to describe," Ena said slowly.
"Normally, I'm curious about everything. I want to explore, to see what's out there."
"...But when I switch Paths… that changes."
"I feel this urge to save people. To heal them."
"It's not overwhelming… but it's always there."
"…and there's something else."
"…there's always this loneliness."
Himeko eyes narrowed slightly.
"Loneliness?"
Ena nodded.
"It feels heavy. Like something is pressing down on me."
"It fades when I heal someone."
"Like that's what I'm supposed to do."
Himeko fell into thought.
"…Miss Ena" she said at last.
"Let me propose something."
"Before you joined the Express… did you live a life like this?"
"You became a healer."
"Your skills were exceptional. People relied on you."
"But one by one… the people around you disappeared."
Her gaze remained steady.
"…until you were the only one left."
Ena said nothing.
Her eyes wavered. Her breathing faltered.
Something stirred in her mind.
Shapes. Voices.
People she should have remembered.
A father.
Uncle Xia.
A child without a name.
And then…
They were gone.
"I… seem to have some impression of that."
"I think... I was a healer. My father was also highly skilled in medicine… and there was an elder… Uncle Xia, who never kept his word."
"And… an adopted daughter."
Her voice grew quieter.
"My father and Uncle Xia… they're probably gone."
"…but my adopted daughter… she might still be alive."
"Do you remember her name?"
"I don't… remember."
"Wait!"
March 7th suddenly leaned forward.
"Doesn't that mean you're actually really old?!"
"…March," Ena said weakly, "this might not be the best time to discuss that."
Beside them, Welt covered his forehead with one hand, looking completely unsurprised.
Welt adjusted his glasses, his gaze thoughtful.
"Regarding Miss Ena situation… I have to admit, I'm curious as well."
He glanced at Himeko.
"Miss Himeko, these experiences span a long period, yet she still appears young. Does that mean she belongs to a long-life species?"
"No," Himeko replied calmly. "That's not the case. Miss Ena is an ordinary human. There's no doubt about that."
She took a slow sip of coffee before continuing.
"However… research on Multi Path Striders is still ongoing. There are a few theories that might explain her situation."
"Normally, when a Path Strider steps onto another Path, they don't simply 'add' it. They become a strider of that Path entirely."
"They may retain fragments of their previous Path… but their core belief changes."
"Because of that, some scholars have proposed a hypothesis."
"They believe the universe follows a kind of reincarnation cycle. Death isn't an end, but a beginning."
"When a person is reborn, they lose all memories of their previous life."
She set her cup down softly.
"In simpler terms… what people call past and present lives."
Welt fell silent for a moment.
"You're saying…" he murmured,
"…Miss Ena might be experiencing something like that?"
His gaze deepened.
"On my world, there were… anomalies."
"People from a previous era appearing again in another form."
"…perhaps that, too, was a kind of reincarnation."
"Of course," Himeko said calmly, "this is only a likely hypothesis for now. As for the truth… we'll have to wait until Ena recalls her past."
"So… Ena might have been an Emanator of Abundance in her past life?"
March 7th's voice chimed in right on cue.
"That possibility can't be ruled out," Himeko replied. "However, Emanators of Abundance are extremely difficult to kill. Even if they are 'killed' in name, their flesh and blood often persist in other forms."
"So the likelihood… isn't very high."
She turned her gaze toward Ena.
"Even so, while Ena past may hold secrets, after spending time with her, I believe she is someone worthy of trust."
"Everyone has their own secrets. That's only natural."
Her eyes shifted to Dan Heng.
"Dan Heng, I understand your concerns. But I hope there won't be any more misunderstandings between you and Miss Ena."
"After all… you can feel it too, can't you?"
"Miss Ena is not someone who would trample on life."
Dan Heng remained silent for a moment.
"…Indeed."
He stepped forward.
"My earlier actions were abrupt."
"I apologize."
Ena hesitated for a moment… then nodded.
The lingering aura of Abundance still made him uneasy.
Noticing this, Ena quickly switched her Path back.
"…No, there's no need to apologize," she said softly.
"You were just worried about me."
"…Then I'd say this matter is settled." Welt said.
Ena let out a quiet breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
The room finally fell quiet.
"But there's one more thing I'd like to ask," Himeko said, offering Ena a gentle smile.
"Miss Ena, can you recall any knowledge related to medicine?"
"Yes," Ena nodded. "Those memories are actually very clear. I just need some time to sort through them."
"In that case," Himeko continued, "would you be willing to serve as the Express doctor?"
"Of course, no problem!" Ena replied without hesitation.
"But if I take that role… who's going to help the Conductor with all the chores?"
Himeko smiled faintly.
"Don't worry about that."
"…You haven't been here long enough to understand the Conductor true personality yet…"
"…you'll find out soon enough."
She took a slow sip of her coffee.