"Immer, what's the situation?"
Hua asked Immer, who was staring intently at the computer screen, after entering the conference room.
"It's terrible." Immer's face was ashen. "The Honkai energy contained in a single hailstone isn't high, and even human contact would quickly expel the Honkai energy. But the problem is that this is a 'Honkai Rain' that has spread throughout the entire city. Whatever the hail itself is like, it has turned Turin into a suitable place for the birth of Honkai organisms."
This hailstorm raised the overall Honkai energy concentration in Turin, making the environment similar to areas where a small-scale Honkai Eruption had occurred. People with slightly lower Honkai energy resistance might show symptoms of Honkai energy erosion within a few hours in this environment.
"Immediate evacuation and relocation are necessary. I've already reported to the headquarters, but the decision hasn't come down yet."
"I see..."
"..."
"..."
After discussing "official business," it was time for private matters.
Neither Immer nor Hua spoke. They seemed unsure where to start.
That person's condition was bad, worse than ever before.
Every time he was injured, every time he was sent to the infirmary before, they hadn't felt this way.
Because at that time, his injuries would eventually heal, and he would stand up again.
But Lin, whom no matter how strong an enemy had failed to defeat, was now weakening little by little, like an old man with a terminal illness, until his complete death.
His life was like a candle flickering in the rain.
...
"..."
A man walked slowly through the alley, his body merely covered by a ragged black cloth. His entire face was wrapped in cloth.
His steps were steady. Although his only clothing was a tattered cloth, he didn't even shiver under the double attack of cold wind and hail. The skin showing through some gaps was even rosy and lustrous, unaffected by the cold airflow.
After another piece of hail hit his head, he stopped, crouched down, and picked up a relatively large piece of hail.
"..." After his gaze swept over the seemingly normal hail, he let go, allowing it to fall to the ground.
Incredibly, the hail around him melted faster, as if near a heat source, quickly turning into ice water and flowing into the sewer.
He wandered through the city like a phantom, as if unaware of the current situation.
...
"Tap."
Lin walked on the pitch-black path. He had walked this path many times. Although the structure was vastly different from his memory, the dark scenery and the atmosphere of something about to leap out from the depths remained unchanged.
It wasn't particularly nostalgic; after all, the deepest part wasn't a good place.
But just as Twilight Street connected a few of the Flame-Chasers, the deepest part was also a turning point for a few of them. So, every time Lin came here, he would review this familiar yet unfamiliar sight again and again.
Not too fast, not too slow, Lin arrived at the dark depths. Perhaps to the owner of this place, the identity of the visitor determined the length of this dark corridor, and Lin's habit of observing the deep end clearly prompted that person to set up enough distance for him to look.
"Lin... long time no see..." A deep voice with a certain magic quality came from behind the iron bars.
Only after looking at the last spot did Lin place his gaze on the other side of the bars with hesitation: "..."
Long time no see... This phrase was not particularly appropriate for their opening. Even Lin didn't believe they had a friendly relationship where they could greet each other.
And Lin never corrected her perception of him.
"Aponia, what do you want from me?" Lin asked directly.
"Lin... I beg you..."
"Aponia."
Lin's heavier, direct address made the person hidden on the other side stiffen.
He wasn't wearing his helmet. Aponia determined his attire upon entering this place. She essentially had the authority to govern this space, but when Lin's dispassionate gaze fell upon her, she genuinely stopped using her ability according to his will.
After a long silence, Aponia finally spoke again in a faint voice: "Lin... the new visitor to the Elysian Realm... why did you hand over the 'key' to her..."
"I did not hand it over to her. She must exchange the 'key' from me after finding the answer." Lin said calmly, "If you only wanted to ask about this, I will leave immediately. Whatever you want to do to Raiden Mei, I will not stop you."
There was another long silence.
"...Lin." The clanking of shackles sounded from the front, and a pair of slender, pale hands reached out from the bars. "Could you please, come closer to me?"
Lin paused. After confirming Aponia was not using her ability, he nodded.
Lin could accept Aponia's request, but he would not allow Aponia to forcibly make him obey.
He knelt on one knee, moving closer to the cell. Those hands gently cupped his head and softly stroked his hair.
"Lin... your destiny... is still so clear..." Her comfortable, whisper-like voice gently sounded in Lin's ear.
"...Do you still believe in the so-called guidance of destiny?"
"...Lin... do you remember... the first time we met..." Aponia lightly brushed Lin's cheek. "The threads of your destiny... were so despair-inducing... Yet you... told me that destiny... can be changed..."
"You clearly... didn't believe it yourself... yet you said it anyway..."
"Has someone... changed you..."
"Slap."
Lin reached out and grabbed Aponia's hand.
He stood up, his face devoid of any expression.
"Aponia, do you think the birth of our civilization was destiny or chance?" Lin said slowly, "Was the birth of Raiden Mei's civilization destiny or chance?"
"Lin... our meeting... our parting... is all determined by destiny..."
"Destiny determines the outcome." Lin breathed out a white mist, looking down at the kneeling Aponia, half of her face still hidden in the shadows. "But the way we reach that outcome is decided by us."
"..."
"Aponia, I know that no matter who tells you not to worry, you won't change. After you locked yourself in this cage, you accepted your identity as a sinner. Therefore, whatever I say, you will take as comfort given by a benefactor to a sinner."
"But you are one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, the Discipline recognized by Elysia."
"So, no matter when the next 'visit' is, I will come, until you break free from this cage that 'protects' you."
Lin turned and walked away.