When they reached the shelter's door, Null had won the race again. Her mastery of using Edgium, combined with her logical processing power, often left Epsilon's raw strength behind.
"Do you know why you lost?" Null asked without even pausing to balance her cooling systems.
Epsilon was still dazed. His hand was on the cheek Null had just kissed. "Yes," he said with a distracted expression. "Because today you shocked me so much. You practically proclaimed your love for me."
The calm victorious expression on Null's face gave way to momentary panic and anger. She hurled a small metal piece she grabbed from the ground at Epsilon. "I did NOT proclaim that I love you or anything!"
"Okay, okay!" said Epsilon, dodging the metal piece. "Come on, let's try opening that capsule."
They both looked at the smooth, mysterious machine standing in the center of the shelter.
"I have an idea," Epsilon said suddenly.
Null looked at him suspiciously. "It's not another stupid idea you learned from those romantic books you read, is it?"
This time it was Epsilon who was embarrassed. "Not exactly," he murmured. Seeing Null like this made him smile. Without waiting for her next move, he suddenly reached out and took Null's hand. Null's synthetic fingers tensed momentarily in Epsilon's warm palm.
"Let's try it this way," Epsilon said, his voice determined.
"This... is so meaningless," Null said, but didn't pull her hand away. On the contrary, she felt that she enjoyed that familiar, warm data flow this contact created in her systems.
"Just imagine the energy," Epsilon whispered. "Let's synchronize like a single body."
They closed their eyes. Epsilon felt the blue Edgium flame within himself. Then, through the nanorobots, he felt that more orderly, more controlled but equally powerful energy within Null. The two energies were like two rivers drawn toward each other. They merged slowly, created whirlpools, and finally became a single, powerful current.
At that moment, the dim red emergency lights on the shelter's ceiling trembled momentarily and took on a brighter, more vivid red than ever before. The humming filling the room rose. The combined energy of the two flowed out from their clasped hands and directed straight to the capsule's surface.
CRACK!
One of the lamps on the ceiling exploded, unable to withstand this sudden energy surge.
Epsilon and Null opened their eyes. From the seam on the capsule's surface, a thin, bright light was seeping. With a hissing sound from deep within, the machine's lid began to slowly open upward.
POP!
Another lamp exploded, leaving the shelter in semi-darkness. But this didn't matter. Because the soft, white light emanating from inside the capsule was now illuminating the entire room.
"Finally..." Epsilon whispered. "We did it!"
For a moment, Null forgot all her logical protocols. With pure joy, she turned to Epsilon and hugged him tightly. Epsilon froze for a moment at this unexpected and sincere hug, then he too wrapped his arms around her.
A few seconds later, Null pulled back, as if realizing what she'd done. But there was a huge smile on Epsilon's face. "My life," he said. "I found a name for what we just did."
Seeing his mischievous look, Null rolled her eyes. "Let me guess. You're going to say something like 'the power of our love,' right?"
Epsilon's mouth dropped open in shock. "Wow, how did you know?"
"After being exposed to your nonsense for months, it would be abnormal if I didn't get used to it," Null said. "Now stop stalling and let's examine what's in this machine."
Both holding their breath, they slowly approached the capsule. Inside, on a velvet cushion, were two objects: an old, leather-bound small notebook and a smooth, obsidian-black stone small enough to fit in a palm.
Epsilon hesitantly reached out and touched the stone.
The moment he touched it, his mind shook. Before his eyes, the shelter's dim light disappeared and was replaced by another memory. He was seeing through the masked entity's eyes.
"Since you've opened this capsule," the masked entity's voice said, echoing directly in Epsilon's mind. "It means you've sufficiently increased your energy and bond. However, this will be a turning point triggering a change in your life. Don't forget, Null and Epsilon."
The memory vanished as suddenly as it had come. Epsilon staggered and held onto Null.
"It was him," Epsilon said, still in shock. "He left us a message. Someone who can see this far ahead... what does he want from us?"
Null's body tensed. "This is a plan. And we're just pawns. Every step we take has been calculated."
Epsilon felt that old, cold logic returning to her voice. He clasped his hand with hers. "My life," he said in a soft voice. "We'll overcome this too. Together."
Null looked at Epsilon's warm hand, then at his determined face. The chaos in her systems calmed momentarily with this simple touch. She nodded slightly. This wasn't an end, it was a new beginning.
"What should we do?" Epsilon asked as they entered the base's familiar corridors.
Null was examining the small notebook and black stone in her hand. "This notebook... responds to a special energy field like the 'Edgium' book in the shelter. Its pages are blank. I think it can only be read there."
Epsilon's face fell. "So before reading the answers... is there another purification process?"
Null looked at him. "I don't see another way."
When they reached the shelter, there was silence. Epsilon put the notebook on the table. "We did well, didn't we Null?"
Null had gotten used to his sudden emotional shifts. She nodded. "Yes. We passed another level." Even this simple acknowledgment was enough for Epsilon. But Null continued. She didn't just know his past and his search for approval anymore, she felt it. "You were amazing," Null said, her voice soft and sincere. "You accomplished great things, Epsilon."
This was something Epsilon hadn't expected. Pure, unadulterated appreciation. He felt his eyes welling up. "For the first time in my life, someone believed in me," he whispered. "I'm so glad you exist, Null."
"You too, Epsilon," Null whispered. She slowly approached him, her eyes locked directly on Epsilon's eyes. Epsilon held his breath. Null's face was approaching his own face. He thought she was going to kiss him.
But at that exact moment, Null's finger quickly tapped his temple. "Click."
Null laughed, looking at his shocked and disappointed expression. "I guess being stupid like you is fun sometimes."
"You were so mean, my life," Epsilon whined, embarrassed. "For a moment... for a moment I thought you were finally going to kiss me."
"I already did that," Null said, turning her face away.
"Not like that!"
"Keep dreaming," Null said, changing the subject. Her gaze shifted to the new notebook on the table. "Now, let's return to the real issue."
Setting aside his disappointment, Epsilon picked up the notebook. They both leaned in at the same time and read the glowing letters.
"THE PATH OF EDGIUM 2," Epsilon murmured. "Sounds exciting."
When he turned the page, the excited expression on his face froze. His eyes were locked on a single sentence on the page.
"What's wrong?" Null asked, noticing his sudden change.
Epsilon slowly raised his head. His voice came out like a whisper. "The next purification... will last a hundred twenty days."
The shelter's silence was broken by Epsilon's scream. "A hundred twenty days?! That means four months! I... I won't be able to eat those beautiful meals my girlfriend makes for me for four months!"
Null paused for a moment at his dramatic collapse. Then a sarcastic smile appeared on her face. "I guess you got what you deserved by constantly making me angry."
"But... but the first time you were worried something would happen to me from hunger!" Epsilon whined.
"Now that I know you didn't die, it would be illogical for me to worry, my life," Null jabbed.
These words broke all of Epsilon's resistance. His shoulders dropped. But this was just the next step in a long and difficult journey. A hundred twenty days... This was like a lifetime.