Elegy from Another World

I looked at Edessis, her gaze resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "Lady Lysia, we're with you." Her (or rather, their) voice carried a strange resonance. "The player representatives restored our forgotten memories, but... those memories, aside from knowing that Edes was the older sister and Cesis the younger sister, were almost entirely filled with pain and despair. Imprisoned, separated, forgotten... until we met you, until we met Utopia, we truly felt 'alive.' No matter what lies ahead, whether it's an unknown world or eternal darkness, as long as we follow you, we feel... we have direction."

A warm feeling welled up inside me, and I nodded. Their trust is a heavy responsibility for me, but also the driving force that keeps me going.

"What about Xiaobei and Sylbrecht?" I asked.

"My core logic is inextricably linked to the Drei," Xiaobei's thoughts transmitted, calm and certain. "I am the steward here, so naturally I must move with the 'home.' Moreover, I am one with Edessis in a sense; their choices also include me."

[Subsystem Selebret, obeying main body commands.] Selebret's voice was concise and clear.

"Okay." I took a deep breath. My core companions had made their choices. But there were still a few I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye. "Before I leave, I want to ask Tia, Zoimem, Noreljun, and Kavey."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Edseysis agreed.

I temporarily handed over control of the Drei to Xiaobei and left the base alone, heading towards the area that the player representatives had meticulously restored. Crossing the fields that had become lush and green again, the familiar farmhouse came into view, with wisps of smoke still rising from its chimney, filled with a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

I knocked on the door, and Tina opened it. Seeing me, she smiled with delight: "Lady Liscia! Please come in!"

Stepping inside, the warm fire crackled, and the air was filled with the aroma of food. Tia was sitting at the table with a middle-aged couple—her parents—their faces beaming with happiness. Seeing me enter, she immediately stood up, her eyes filled with gratitude and warmth.

"Lady Licia, what brings you here? Please have a seat! Mother just baked an apple pie!"

I looked at her, at this heartwarming scene, and my heart was filled with mixed emotions. How long ago was it that Tia was a young girl burdened with a deep-seated hatred, her eyes filled with pain and resilience? It was I who, together with her, found her sister step by step and destroyed her enemy. We went through so many life-or-death trials together, forging a profound bond.

"Tia," I gestured for her to sit down, and then sat opposite her, my gaze sweeping over the genuine happiness on her face, "I've come to tell you something. Edseysis, Xiaobei, and I are preparing to leave this world."

Tia's smile froze, and she stared blankly at me: "Leave...leave? Where to?"

"Go 'outside'," I explained, trying to make it understandable to her. "Using the devices the player representatives give us, we can explore a wider world beyond this one. It could be other 'worlds,' or it could be an ocean of data."

Tia fell silent, lowering her head and clutching the hem of her dress tightly in her hands. After a long while, she raised her head again, her eyes shimmering with a complex light—a mixture of attachment and reluctance, but mostly a sense of serene relief.

"Lady Liscia," her voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear, "I... I don't know how to thank you. You pulled me out of the abyss of hatred, you helped me find my sister, you made me feel warmth again, and even... it was you who allowed me to see my parents again and have this home that I once lost."

Her gaze drifted to the familiar fields outside the window, and to the figures of her parents busy in the kitchen, her eyes filled with deep longing.

"This... is my former home, the warmest place in my memory. Now, it's back, everything is back. I know that for you, this world may be fake, a prison. But for me, this is the real everything. My roots are here, my heart is here."

She took a deep breath, looked at me, her eyes firm yet gentle: "So... Lady Licia, I'm sorry... I might... not be able to go with you. I want to stay here, protect this home I've regained, be with my family, and live a peaceful life."

Listening to her words, I felt a pang of reluctance, but even more so, a sense of understanding and relief. I had long considered this possibility. Tia is different from me; she was originally a part of this world. Her emotions, her memories, her sense of belonging are all deeply rooted here. I cannot, and should not, shatter the peace she has so painstakingly achieved with my own pursuit.

"I understand, Tia." I smiled and gently patted the back of her hand. "I respect your choice. Seeing you so happy now makes me truly happy for you. Stay here and live well. That in itself is a victory."

Tears welled up in Tia's eyes, and she nodded vigorously.

Having said all I needed to say, I stood up, ready to take my leave. Just as I turned to walk towards the door, Tia suddenly hugged me tightly from behind. Her embrace was strong, filled with deep gratitude and reluctance to part.

"Lady Liscia..." She buried her face in my back, her voice choked with emotion, "Wherever you go, whatever this world may be, I will never forget your kindness to me, the hope you gave me! You will always be my most important benefactor! Thank you! Really... thank you!"

I felt her body trembling slightly, and my heart was filled with warmth and a touch of sorrow. I gently patted the hands that were wrapped around my waist.

"Take care, Tia."

After saying that, I gently broke free from her embrace, didn't look back, and strode away from the cozy farmhouse. The setting sun cast a long shadow of me, and I knew that this farewell might very well be forever.