After Ryn finished reading the experimental log displayed on the instrument, he felt that something about it was strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it…
Why didn't the log contain any details about the experiment's progress? It was all just Otto's diary! It even recorded things about Siegfried and Cecilia!
But more than these things, Ryn was concerned about Kiana's feelings.
When Kiana saw Otto's records about Siegfried and Cecilia, the corners of her mouth turned up, and her eyes were overflowing with a smile.
"I can't believe Dad and Mom had a past like that! Although their experience was a bit bizarre, and there were traces of others' arrangements here and there, in the end, two people in love found their way to each other…"
Ryn nodded. "Yeah, Mr. Siegfried and Ms. Cecilia are both people who would fight their entire clans for each other. They're brave people who chased after love."
"That's not it at all…" Theresa pouted and retorted in a small voice. It was the evil dragon Siegfried who coerced her little princess Cecilia and stole her away.
Even though Cecilia was very happy and blissful, Theresa would never admit in her heart that the two were in love and worked hard to be together. She was no loser! If it weren't for Siegfried, Cecilia would have definitely ended up with her!
"Give it up. Ms. Cecilia practically radiates motherly love; her sexual orientation is definitely straight. Even without Siegfried, she wouldn't have been interested in you~"
The couple has been together for over a decade now, and Theresa still refuses to give up. Ryn kicked Theresa aside in disgust.
"Impossible! I'm so cute, there's no way I could lose!" Theresa retorted stubbornly, then looked at Ryn in surprise. "How did you know what I was thinking?"
"Because… take a guess?" Ryn chuckled, then put a finger to his lips, signaling Theresa to be quiet and not disturb Kiana's reading.
Parents are role models for their children. Though they can be good or bad, every parent is initially someone their children look up to and aspire to become.
Kiana was the same. Her goal had always been to become a great hero like Siegfried, one who would give their all to save the world.
[(A quick note from me: As Kevin said, the only thing his Stigmata gives to his descendants is the will to stand firm against the Honkai and never surrender to it.
The Kaslanas' sense of justice and empathy were cultivated through generations of elders leading by example, teaching and guiding them. It is something worthy of admiration and respect.
Please don't attribute the efforts of dozens of generations of the Kaslana family solely to the influence of their Stigmata!
The idea that the Kaslanas' strong sense of justice comes from their Stigmata is just a meme. Please enjoy memes in moderation. I don't want readers to actually believe this is a fact and form a stereotype.)]
Kiana read the story of Siegfried and Cecilia that Otto had written over and over again. These were things Siegfried had never told her. Reading these stories, it was as if she could recreate their past happiness in her mind…
"Ryn, can you clip this part for me? I want to treasure their story as a unique gem, something I can savor from time to time."
"Sure." Ryn nodded, then framed his hands like a camera, clipping the experimental log and storing it in his Stigmata Space. He would save it for later, when he could get more authentic memories from Siegfried and the others and then directly recreate the scenes from the past.
"Mhm."
After getting Ryn's reply, Kiana continued reading the rest of the content. Further down… was the story of her own birth.
Kiana didn't rush to read it. Instead, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and submerged her mind, searching for Sirin.
In her Heart Lake, besides Kiana herself, there was another presence.
———————————————
Sirin's form flickered between Kiana's and her own; she was currently very weak.
Sirin looked up at Kiana, who had come before her, and stared at her without expression. "Coming to me on your own? That's not like you."
"Maybe… I saw something about our origins outside. I think you should see it too." Kiana extended a hand to Sirin.
"Hah, if you can't accept it, the memories will just be sent to me anyway. What's the point?" Sirin remained where she was, showing no intention of looking at the story of their origin with Kiana.
"It's very necessary because I will accept this truth. This is my reality…"
Seeing that Sirin wasn't responding, Kiana walked forward and took her hand.
"Are you deaf? I said no!" Sirin pouted and shouted angrily. But she made no move to pull her hand away from Kiana's grasp.
"I can hear you just fine, but you have to, even if you don't want to."
Sensing that Sirin wasn't resisting, Kiana smiled faintly and pulled Sirin upward.
Sirin: "Coward, let me make this clear. If you're just going to block the memories and throw them at me like you always do, I won't let you off easy."
Kiana: "Alright, alright, don't you trust my character? I'm very strong and brave!"
Sirin: "If that were true, I never would have awakened, never would have been born…"
Kiana: "Hehe… Well then, from now on, try to start believing in me again!"
Sirin: "Hmph."
———————————————
When Kiana opened her eyes again, they had become heterochromatic, one gold and one blue.
Unlike the suppression of the past, this time Kiana had a slight smile on her lips, and her mood was relatively good.
The two of them looked at the following experimental logs together, from Otto's cloning experiments starting from Kiana's birth, to the fusion of Kiana's and Sirin's genes after the Second Honkai War, and then to K-423…
Surprisingly, Kiana didn't break down and cry in sorrow or sink into despair as Ryn and Theresa had expected.
She just watched quietly, without tears or outbursts, without joy or sorrow. Her heterochromatic eyes were shining brightly at this moment, her will exceptionally firm.
Maybe there was some surprise, some confusion, but was it really worth being sad about? Kiana didn't know, and Sirin didn't know either, but they could both clearly feel a hint of secret joy in each other's hearts.
Because this was her origin, and her origin, and it was the most important beginning of their lives. Just like Siegfried and Cecilia, although their love had been intentionally pushed along by Otto, the final result was a happy one for the whole family.
Kiana was born because of it, and Sirin was given a chance to break free from her past life and start anew.
Only children who are dissatisfied with their lives would complain about why they weren't born rich, why their parents gave birth to them.
If she were to become a murderer who killed her own family, harmed her dearest friends, and destroyed the world, then Kiana would absolutely be unable to accept her own birth.
But Kiana was very satisfied, very happy with her current life. Why should she resent her birth? Why couldn't she accept her birth?
She now had a lover who loved her deeply, one who didn't care how terrible her past was or how sinful her future might become, even if he was a bit of a womanizer.
She now had a father and mother who doted on her and would sacrifice their lives for her, even if they weren't by her side right now.
She now had a cousin, Durandal, who liked her and wanted to give her all the good things in the world, and she had her good friends, Mei, Bronya, and Kika, whom she liked and who liked her back.
She now had…
Finally, just as she had at the beginning, Kiana turned to look at Ryn and Theresa, her heterochromatic eyes filled with happiness and gratitude.
She gave a smile, pointed at K-423's incubation chamber, and said to Ryn and Theresa with a grin:
"Look, this is where I was born."