Dust had gathered on the corner of the table. Lin pinched the dust with his fingers and rubbed it gently. When he opened his hand again, the dust had vanished.
The digital clock on the desk showed the time was approaching evening. The festive atmosphere was fermenting within Headquarters; Lin could hear the light sounds of people coming and going outside, the ringing of bells vibrating through the air, and the wind rushing through the corridors and howling in the depths.
Lin stood up and turned on the lights. After losing the ability to distinguish colors, he was unable to see in dark spaces, so ample lighting was crucial. The bright room felt like a January chill—lonely and empty.
Only half an hour remained until the ball began, and Lin planned... not to go. Even if he spent all afternoon thinking about it, he couldn't find the meaning in going. Both he and Mobius knew exactly how much of her nonsense was true, and Eden's invitation failed to move him.
What part of him was actually missing after the Project Soldier surgery? Senses? Emotions? Or...
So... should he go and find that missing piece? No, Lin thought he was fine as he was. There was no need to consider anything, no need to care about anyone. Returning to his most primitive state, he could begin executing missions once he fully adapted to his body. Then, everything could return to the time when he first joined Fire Moth. He had nothing then, and he had nothing now.
Lin wanted to continue writing. His handwriting was starting to look somewhat decent; it should only take a few more days to fully control his hand, and the time to go from controlling a part to the whole shouldn't take long...
"..."
At that moment, as he raised his pen, the corner of Lin eye caught the bottom drawer of his desk. His meticulous observation allowed him to see at a glance that someone had moved that drawer. Lin frowned and knelt, trying to pull it; the drawer, which was supposed to be locked, opened with ease.
The faces of several people flashed through his mind, but it all scattered when he saw the item on top inside the drawer. It was a familiar marriage-seeking form. Lin remembered Vil-V had ordered a bunch of praise to be written on it; he found it hard to associate the person described with himself.
Why was it here? Lin reached for the thin sheet of paper, and with just one glance, his attention was captured by the marks made on it.
He found that in his section, many of the requirements had been checked off—such as cooking, looks, patience... It was as if someone had been observing him and then marked the conditions they deemed a match with a positive symbol. And there was only one person who would do this...
However, regarding the description of Lin, not everything was affirmed. Only the very last line sat alone, marked with an 'X'. Did this mean... he failed to meet the standard?
"A sincere person."
That was the only description marked with a denial. At the end, there was a postscript in elegant handwriting:
"A sincere person does not force themselves to become someone; they shouldn't even force themselves to become 'themselves.'"
Aside from that, even though Lin looked over the form several times, he found no other messages. Just like that person (Elysia)—arriving without explanation, leaving without explanation. She seemed to have left something behind, yet it was only a few trivial things.
But at this moment, just as he had asked Eden, Lin asked himself: Looking at the relics he had collected piled beneath this paper... did he truly feel that things were fine as they were?
That wasn't right.
"Dr. Mobius... I still have work unfinished." Klein spoke helplessly to Mobius, who was pulling her arm to use her as a shield.
"Work can be done tomorrow just the same. No one is allowed to stay in the lab today." Mobius struck a stern pose, but soon shrank back. "You're young people; you should participate in the ball."
"..." Klein really didn't expect Mobius to say something like that. She rested her forehead in her hand, sighing.
Mobius had chased all three lab assistants out to attend the gala. Nuwa and Fuxi were, of course, in full support; in fact, Mobius gave the lab a day off every time the headquarters held a ball. Her formerly favorite assistant, Blanca, had been lured away by Ato at a ball, after all.
But this time, she didn't just give them time off; she mandated their attendance, which forced even Klein—who intended to work overtime—to be dragged along. Mobius hadn't changed into a gown; she didn't want to look eccentric, or at least she didn't want too many people to notice that theMobius had come to the ball.
However, the reality was that when everyone else was in elegant gowns, the group of them in everyday wear became the unique ones.
"Doctor... are you waiting for someone?" Klein noticed Mobius had no intention of eating or dancing. Instead, her eyes were darting around, scanning the faces in the crowd over and over, cycle after cycle.
After scanning the room once more, Mobius shook her head with a dark expression. "No."
"...Mr. Lin?"
"Why would I wait for him? I'd sooner wait for a pig."
"..." Klein realized why Mobius had dragged her here—nine times out of ten, she was being used as a shield. "Doctor, if you really wanted Mr. Lin to come, you could go find him now," Klein sighed. "While Mr. Lin is cold, he rarely refuses requests. If someone invites him to do something, he might not agree, but if it's a request, he probably will."
"...How do you know him so well?"
"Huh? There's a book series at Headquarters called 'The 100 Questions' series. One of them is called '100 Questions for the Silent Helmet.' It deeply analyzes Mr. Lin personality and behavior. Based on my observations, 90% of what's written in that book is correct."
There's actually something like that? But who would be bored enough to analyze a guy like Lin?
"Forget it, I'm going back. If you want to go back to work overtime, you can." Mobius didn't sound exactly angry. She let go of Klein's hand with an indifferent face and turned to walk toward the exit, ignoring the gazes of others.
This probably wasn't anger; she had actually guessed that given Lin current state, he might not care about anything—naturally including the ball... and Mobius. She felt she must have lost her mind. In the past, she would never have done something so foolish and laughable. Why pity that guy... No, it wasn't pity. How could it be pity for him? It was just... when you see a lab rat lose its vitality, you always wonder where the problem lies.
Unable to tell if she was making excuses for herself or for Lin, Mobius kept her head down all the way to the exit. Then, she bumped head-on into someone walking in.