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Mobius didn't want immortality anymore.
She hadn't for a while, now.
It felt pointless. Everything else would fade with time, and Mobius would remain. She wouldn't have the privilege to accomplish her goals and live comfortably until her end, because she'd have erased it with her own hands.
She would become immortal, and then what? What would be left for her when everything else turned to dust? When little by little her world disappeared in front of her?
Like how Elysia did, taking with her part of Mobius' soul that not even the doctor knew was in her hands.
When that annoying woman met her end, Mobius didn't have as strong a reaction as some of the others. She wasn't happy with such an outcome, but she didn't feel any grief, either.
Then she went on to review her ongoing projects as usual, she synchronized her memories with the golden courtyard as usual, and she had a late night meal that had her Klein complaining about her schedule as usual.
When it hit her that Elysia was gone forever, she was in her bed for once rather than sprawled on a desk, and it was well past midnight.
Mobius hadn't cried that much even when her own father died.
(She hadn't realized, then, the malice of her simulated self, who had grown into her own person in the worst ways possible. A selfish snake, who had no qualms against manipulating her own creator's emotions and memories for the sake of her growing vanity.)
(Her creator would grow depressed, fail to save herself, and meet her end. And for what? Only for a fleeting rush of joy. For the simulation's knowledge that she, the last one standing, was the superior one, the true Mobius.)
When she was done, her resolve was already cracking. If Elysia, Elysia, the one annoying constant that was there from the very beginning, could disappear just like that, then it didn't feel right for Mobius not to.
These were wildly uncharacteristic thoughts; she recognized as much herself. After everything she did to seek immortality, after all the people she tortured in the name of progress, how dare she have such doubts?
And yet, that was a line of thought that plagued her mind endlessly from then on. Little by little, the flame that drove her dimmed, and her original goal began to fade.
She hadn't even glanced at the simulator ever since, not willing to entertain any more painful thoughts related to Elysia, who was still there alongside the others they lost.
Mobius hadn't shared any of that with anyone else.
Perhaps she could have told Klein, the first one, who was so kind and actually made her believe she was a good person sometimes. But Klein died, creating cracks in Mobius' already scarred soul.
Perhaps she could have told Fuxi and Nuwa, who she grew fond of far beyond what she expected when they were first assigned to her lab. But the coldness that emanated from her grief, even masked as it was, had done its job pushing them away permanently.
Perhaps she could have told Eden, the last person she felt close to due to her refusal to be anything but sociable even with the doctor. But she was the one grieving for Elysia the most, and not even Mobius had the heart to put more weight on her shoulders.
Thus, Mobius was alone. At Fire Moth, the doctor was surrounded by familiar faces even as humanity's numbers grew smaller and smaller, but she was still alone. And it was alone that she, whilst gripping the stupid snake doll that the first Klein sewed but never had a chance to gift her properly, decided that immortality wasn't worth pursuing. Not for her.
That it gave way to a pursuit of death wasn't surprising in the slightest.
Mobius didn't want to live forever. Mobius wanted to die.
But, overachiever that she was, Mobius wanted a death that was worth something.
So when Eden refused to go to the cryopods with the others, when she spoke of disappearing along with their era, when she walked into the desolate wastelands and sang a final goodbye to their era, when Mobius finally realized how beautiful Eden's voice truly was, the doctor felt herself being pulled along.
Maybe Eden had the right idea. Maybe Mobius should do the same — let herself die and revive younger again and again until she returned to nothingness alongside the world she grew up in.
All things considered, eternal rest by Eden's side didn't sound that bad.
But before she could climb down from her floating seat and put that plan into motion, before she took Eden's previous seat and drank from the wine she brought outside the base while listening to the era's parting song to its very end, the doctor accidentally did the one thing she had been avoiding for what felt like ages.
Mobius thought about Elysia.
(It was a sudden stray thought, and it developed into an entire line of thought just as quickly.)
(Just like that, the simulation's plan began to crumble.)
Needless to say, that infuriating woman would be the first to be accepting of others' choices.
But... was that truly what was happening at this moment? A simple choice?
Despair had its way to twist minds, to make people hurt themselves with an absolute confidence that they were doing the right thing. Elysia once spoke of it, even.
(And Mobius had been so completely sure she had ignored that woman's ramblings until now, when they seemed so clear in her mind as though she had paid the utmost attention.)
(Maybe she had. Perhaps a part of Mobius' mind considered Elysia her equal, even as her mouth belittled her to no avail. But it didn't matter now, and maybe it never would.)
Mobius thought about Eden for a second time. She spoke eloquently about her reasons to stay and then sang just as beautifully, so much that her enchanting masterpiece had almost become a siren's song to the doctor, seducing her to walk into the depths.
But if she were to separate Eden's words and actions, then even though she declared that her choice wasn't the same as giving up, wouldn't it amount to that, regardless?
Mobius looked into the distance. Eden continued to walk, but she seemed intent on staying near the base, perhaps so the doctor could hear her song.
The singer was tired. Even as her voice sang the melody perfectly, Mobius was certain of it.
Eden existed for the sake of her art, and the Honkai's threat had eroded the importance of anything besides survival.
Perhaps Mobius hadn't taken note of it for the longest time, but Eden?
She had been slowly dying from the moment she joined them.
it seemed so obvious in hindsight.
Maybe Elysia had been the last straw for her, just as how it had been for Mobius, and now Eden was simply far too tired to do it all over again.
"..."
The doctor remained on her floating seat as it began moving towards Eden.
Mobius wanted to find a worthwhile death at the end of her road. Unfortunately, she also had a bad habit of forcing her will upon others.
She couldn't simply watch Eden die a worthless death.
.
.
.
It was only when Mobius was close enough for Eden to pause her song and look at her that the doctor realized something important.
Mobius had, almost certainly, gone insane.
After all, what else would cause her, the coldest and most antisocial member of Fire Moth, to spend the final hours of the apocalypse trying to talk someone out of committing suicide? Her thoughts and actions were completely out of line compared to her usual demeanor, even after Elysia's death.
But she had no time to dwell on it.
Before Eden could continue, Mobius spoke, "Come to the cryopods."
The shock on Eden's face was something even the doctor herself understood, but it didn't last for long, soon replaced by an apologetic smile. "I've already made my choice. I told you."
"I don't like your choice," Mobius said simply, her face not betraying any emotion. "I want you to come with me to the cryopods."
The singer gave the doctor a wary look. "... Will you force me to?"
Mobius considered it for a moment. She'd be likely to win, yes, but something held her back, so she shook her head. "I don't want to hurt you."
Especially not if Eden could take advantage of their fight to commit assisted suicide.
By itself, that would be a valid reason to avoid fighting Eden. That is, if Mobius had thought of it before giving her answer, rather than after it.
She just didn't want to hurt Eden. It was that simple.
The puzzled gaze the singer gave her had the doctor questioning her own sanity once more.
Then Eden sighed, turning her back to Mobius. "Then I'm afraid there's nothing you can do. Please allow me to choose my own end."
She sang once again, and her feet began moving, carrying Eden away.
Mobius followed her closely.
.
.
.
Maybe Mobius wasn't insane.
The thought hit her as she continued to follow Eden, listening to her beautiful singing.
Perhaps Mobius was under some sort of mental influence. She could have been drugged, or her mind altered directly. That disaster with the Herrscher of Sentience came to mind.
She put that thought on hold as soon as Eden's next song ended. And while the singer could simply start a new one as she already had done several times, she paused both her voice and her feet instead.
Eden was allowing Mobius to speak.
"Your reasoning doesn't actually make much sense," she argued. "You spoke of allowing the next era to grow by themselves. By dying here, you won't actually accomplish anything you wouldn't by simply coming with us and not sharing this era's culture."
"... If I went with you, I would share all the beauty from this era with as many people as possible," Eden replied calmly, like a patient teacher. "To do anything else would be a betrayal to myself. To ensure they can develop their own culture, I simply must stay here. You don't have to do the same, Doctor."
Then she sang once more, putting an end to that exchange.
As Mobius allowed those words to swirl in her mind, she wasn't sure what was the bundle of emotions starting to grow in her very core.
Still, she continued to follow Eden.
.
.
.
Eden was very kind, even now.
Although she was attempting to take her own life, Mobius' presence had the singer moving closer to the base for the doctor's sake, away from the worst of the irradiated wasteland.
Their era had been sorely lacking in kindness — the fate of Sakura's sister was proof enough — and perhaps the next era would be the same.
All the more reason to ensure Eden survived.
When Eden's song came to an end, she paused once more. "How long do you plan on staying, Doctor? You'll still be of use in the next era."
"And you wouldn't?" Mobius found herself asking.
Eden turned around, a sad smile on her face. "What can a singer do against such a threat? It doesn't matter how much power I've been granted. Not when I can't bring myself to harden my heart like Kevin… or like you."
Considering the context, the singer clearly meant those words as a compliment.
In Mobius' case, they were simply the truth. Her role had been amoral on a good day, and outright sadistic on a bad one.
So why exactly did she feel a pang of hurt when Eden spoke of her like that?
Did she feel regret? Perhaps. That was a possibility.
If true, then it was a tad too late for it to count for anything, however.
Being surrounded by the silent wasteland did nothing to soothe her thoughts. It only reminded her of how many lines they crossed for the greater good, only to end up here.
Mobius' bottom lip quivered involuntarily, bringing her back to reality. Eden's wide eyes were trained on her, and that was how Mobius realized what sort of uncharacteristic expression she must've been making.
So she looked away, trying to sniff as quietly as possible as she wiped her eyes.
This wasn't her. It couldn't be.
The doctor said nothing more, but it took Eden nearly half a minute to tear her eyes away from the sight. It was only after then that she turned around and began singing once more, this time not as perfectly as before.
Perhaps that in itself, the refusal to comfort Mobius, was already a betrayal to Eden's ideals, but the doctor understood what it meant.
A tiny crack in Eden's walls. The realization that, if she stepped any closer, she might lose the resolve to disappear alongside the era.
It was a sign that Mobius was gaining ground. It was a partial victory, a positive outcome.
But a partial victory was the same as a defeat for Fire Moth, and Mobius couldn't bring herself to feel glad over it.
Not when Eden's words still unexplainably rang in her mind.
.
.
.
Mobius finally figured it out.
Her emotions were absolutely, certifiably, out of control. Her mood was far too unstable for it to be natural, even amidst the apocalypse.
She had been tampered with. And the last one who had direct access to her mind was…
… Well, regardless of that, the doctor still had enough pride to see all her procedures through.
Even though social interactions were her very worst field, even though she could feel her mental state threatening to shift in unexpected ways, Mobius would stay there until the last moment if that gave her a chance to save Eden.
If she failed, then she'd simply make do with that attempt being good enough for a worthwhile death.
Mobius wasn't sure how long it had been since Eden started singing this time, but when the brunette finally paused yet again, she didn't waste that chance.
"Would Elysia want this?"
Eden grew rigid.
It was a stupid move. There were no risks or rewards involved in the doctor's thinking.
The only thing Mobius understood was that her mind was too out of control for her to even pretend to have a strategy. Instead, she spoke her thoughts without any filters.
"For you to just let yourself die like this," Mobius continued, "would she agree with it?"
The singer took a deep breath. For a moment, Mobius wondered if she'd simply ignore her altogether.
"... It doesn't matter what Ellie would want," she said instead.
"But it does," Mobius argued. "Because you cared for her—"
"And did you?!"
Mobius actually flinched in surprise when the singer raised her voice, turning around to glare at the doctor.
She had never seen that expression on Eden's face, and it felt horribly wrong.
"You never said good things about Ellie!" She continued with a snarl. "You only spoke about how annoying she was, and I never made a fuss over it because I understood that some people simply can't get along! But just because I allowed you to say things like that doesn't give you the right to speak of her as though you cared!" Eden narrowed her eyes in accusation as she continued her tirade. "In fact, you didn't even care when she died! Knowing how cold-blooded you are, you were probably happy to be rid of her! I'm certain you enjoyed the peace and quiet afterwards, didn't you?!"
Eden's expression was still feral as she finished, her breathing ragged from the shouting. Her glare was met with wide eyes from Mobius, the shock enough to render her silent.
It took a few moments, but the singer's expression gradually lost its heat. Instead, it was horror that took its place, the realization of what she just said registering in her mind.
… No, it wasn't just that.
The tears streaming down Mobius' shocked face clearly played their part.
"D-Doctor, I—"
"I liked Elysia."
It was Eden's turn to be shocked into silence. "You… what…?"
"I liked her," Mobius repeated, almost robotically. "She was annoying and… loud and… she was always there. I wanted to dissect her. But I liked Elysia. I didn't want her to die."
Mobius wasn't even sure what she was saying by this point. Her brain was overloaded with emotions that had no business being there, much less in their current intensity.
But she sniffed and kept running her mouth anyway.
"I spent the whole night crying back then. I was late for a lot of things that month." A sparkle of realization crossed Eden's eyes as Mobius said that, her brain connecting her own memories with the doctor's confession. "I… don't want to be immortal anymore. Not if it keeps hurting like this again and again. But I don't want to just die pointlessly, either. Like you want to." Her gaze was fixed on Eden's wide eyes. "You're just… sad. I don't like you being sad. Elysia wouldn't like it, either."
Eden didn't have a retort. As she opened and closed her mouth, she offered no objections.
Instead, she turned around and ran back to the base.
And Mobius, who hadn't quite processed her emotions yet, wiped her face with her dark gloves and gave chase without hesitation.
.
.
.
It wasn't difficult to catch up to Eden.
Not because Mobius' hovering seat was faster than her — it wasn't, for the record — but because Eden wasn't actually fleeing from her.
Instead, Mobius found her in one of the base's underground levels.
Outside, it would be exceedingly rare to find even a living tree. Everything had been lost to the Honkai already.
However, Fire Moth did its part, building many underground nature preserves meant to be used by those who would wake in the next era. That way, even if they opened their eyes to a dead world, hope wouldn't be gone.
And in this base, amongst the trees and artificial lakes and the little wildlife they managed to save, was a certain clearing beyond a secret passage.
Said clearing had nothing of note, save for a specific spot where a multitude of manmade pink crystal flowers were arranged, ranging from smaller than a finger's width to as large as a palm.
It was by that spot that Mobius found Eden kneeling with a tearful gaze aimed at the ground.
As she approached, the doctor had to do her best to keep her own emotions in check this time. Tears were already threatening to spill out, and she quite missed not being affected by such things.
"Thinking about her was the last thing I wanted to do, though I'm sure you knew," Eden spoke without turning around, her words heavy yet without an edge. "Why didn't you leave me? I already gave Project Ember to little Hua. This era is where I belong. I'm not of any use against the Honkai in my state, Doctor."
"... Regardless, I don't want you to die like this," was Mobius' response. "And hailing from afar never stopped anyone from finding a new place for themselves in a new land. I suppose that could also be interpreted as a manner of evolution."
"Even now, that's the first thing that comes to your mind?" The singer let out an astonished laugh. "And you make it all sound so simple…"
"..."
Mobius carefully climbed down from her seat. After a moment of consideration, she decided to break character out of her own volition this time.
Lowering herself, Mobius hugged Eden from behind, causing a quick jolt of surprise.
"I'm not used to this, so bear with me," Mobius quickly added, getting a genuine chuckle out of the singer. "I'm sure you've noticed, but I'm just as emotionally compromised as you. I don't think I can just freeze myself and wake up ready to continue. We're both in that situation, but it seems we're still allowed to go to the next era, anyway." The doctor propped her chin on Eden's shoulder as she continued. "We can still find something there for ourselves, can't we?"
The singer actually seemed to consider it for a while, before sighing. "I wasn't lying when I spoke about the arts. Shouldn't they be allowed to develop their own culture without our era's interference? What good would bringing a prehistoric singer along be?"
"Romanticism didn't stop Impressionism, and neither of them stopped Surrealism." Mobius shrugged. "Bring this era's culture with you and let them choose what to keep. If the choice is theirs, isn't that alright?"
Eden didn't answer immediately. Her silence stretched for several seconds, and then she let out a dry chuckle. "It… can be that simple, can't it?" she spoke, as if in wonderment. "These thoughts and questions plagued me for so long, and yet you give me answers so easily…"
"I'm simply sharing my opinion," came Mobius' reply. "I'm not saying anything groundbreaking."
"Perhaps you're right… And yet I didn't consider any of it… No, I didn't want to. The only thing I wanted was to…" As she trailed, Eden smiled painfully, her shoulders sagging. "Haha… Doctor, I'm sorry for saying such horrible things to you…"
"If it looked that way to you, then you did nothing worse than speaking your thoughts."
"But I hurt you, didn't I?"
"Well…"
Mobius' hesitation was enough of an answer.
A resigned chuckle escaped the singer's lips. "I wished for my last moments in this world to be beautiful, and here I am making a mess out of things... I gave you more than enough reason to leave me behind, haven't I?"
"I still don't want you to die here," the doctor repeated, as if it was the simplest thing in the world.
"That's what it comes down to, isn't it? Doctor, you certainly are kind…" Eden actually laughed at the absurdity of this exchange. As with anyone else, the brunette spent many of their exchanges finding ways to praise Mobius, but "kind" had never crossed her mind before. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being so troublesome… I'm sorry, Ellie… Look how stupid I am without you…"
She continued to laugh for a few more moments, all the way until her laughter faded into quiet sobs.
As Eden silently broke down, Mobius had no comforting words to share. That would also have been Elysia's job.
Instead, as she continued to embrace the weeping woman, the doctor devised a plan.
No, calling it a plan would be too much. She simply felt an urge to do something.
So she opened her mouth.
"The field of golden wheat swayed~… Where can the wandering rider call home~..."
Mobius wasn't a singer. She was fully aware of that fact. For the longest time, music was nothing more than background noise for her, so why would she even bother learning how to sing properly?
It showed, as well. Though the lyrics were perfectly engraved in her mind, her voice couldn't quite hit the right pitches on command.
However, Eden's sobbing came to a stop as she realized what the doctor was doing, and Mobius would take that as a sign she did something right.
As such, she continued to sing, her amateurish voice traveling through the clearing.
"Oh, my love, may we never part ways~... Oh, my love, may time stay still for us~..."
The words flowed automatically, and if she had been half as much of a romantic as Elysia, perhaps she'd say they were coming directly from her heart.
Then again, maybe she was like that now, considering she could even think of such things.
When she reached the very end of the song, silence engulfed them once more, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Mobius could tell that Eden was far more relaxed now.
She had succeeded relying on nothing but emotions, and in retrospect, it made sense. If the intensity of her emotions had been enhanced, then her empathy likely followed suit.
Mobius never thought she'd feel glad that she was brainwashed, but perhaps she could classify it as an evolution, as well.
At the very least, it would stave off any existential dread that she may not count as the original Mobius anymore. Not a thought she'd usually have, but apparently anything was on the table, now.
She could have an emotional crisis once the woman in her embrace wasn't in any danger of having one of her own.
Speaking of her…
"That song… Ellie looked forward to listening to it in full, but I couldn't finish in time," Eden finally broke the silence with a sad smile, wiping her tears away. "I chose it as my parting song for our era for that reason… Maybe I just wanted to sing it to her, like I once promised…"
"... Then why don't we?"
"Huh?"
Mobius let go of Eden, rising to her feet. When the brunette turned around to question her, what greeted her was an outstretched hand.
"You wanted a last performance in this era, right?" Mobius spoke in a quiet voice, her serious expression far softer than usual. There was a glint in her eyes that Eden had never seen before. "Then we could do it here, where Elysia can watch."
The words were nothing more than sentimental rubbish, but Mobius couldn't shake off the sense of rightness as she spoke them.
Eden looked astonished, still not quite able to connect the words spoken with the owner of the mouth responsible for it. Even so, she slowly reached for Mobius' hand, taking hold of it as she rose to stand above the doctor's height.
It was Mobius who came closer, and before Eden knew it, the doctor was leading her through a slow dance.
Perhaps she hadn't learned how to sing properly, but dancing was another story. It had been Klein who was first interested in it, and on a whim, Mobius had played along.
She briefly wondered whether Klein was watching as well, and gently allowed that thought to drift off.
Unlike the dance, it was Eden who opened her mouth first, her surprise melting away as she let her beautiful voice sing as it pleased.
Mobius soon followed suit, fully aware of how bad her own singing must have sounded in comparison.
Even so, there was no shame or hesitation. After all, Eden needed this.
But perhaps Mobius was the same. As she sang along, her unstable emotions seemed to calm themselves.
They were still there, and perhaps they'd remain that way for the rest of her life, but they weren't threatening to burst anymore. With each line that escaped her lips, the world became a little bit clearer.
It was as if her fragmented mind was rebuilding itself anew, arranging its own pieces in ways she hadn't even known they could fit.
As that happened, Mobius closed her eyes and let herself imagine.
All of a sudden, there weren't only two voices singing. Within her mind, the line between the dead and the living began to blur.
She could hear the first Klein's nervous yet kind voice, and it wasn't the only one. Fuxi and Nuwa were there next, then Hua, and then Sakura and Rin. More and more voices joined with each passing moment, forming a requiem for a bygone era that failed to survive, but fought to the very end.
And then, Elysia was there, and all the other voices went quiet. As the song winded down, closer and closer to its end, only their three voices continued to sing, painting a what-if that would never come to pass.
It was nothing more than a waking dream, and yet it was more than enough for Mobius to lose herself in it.
When the song found its end and she opened her eyes, she was met with Eden's dazed look mere centimeters away, the woman still in her hold as their dance came to a close.
Their lips only met for a few seconds before they parted.
"Really?" Mobius found herself with a light smile. "Right in front of Elysia?"
Despite the light flush that crossed her features, Eden chuckled. "Don't be daft, Doctor. Considering your behavior right now, Ellie would be the first to kiss you if she could."
"I can imagine." The doctor's smile grew melancholic. "Then I suppose we'll have to make up for her physical absence. Do you have any songs good enough to distract her from her jealousy?"
"Have you forgotten who I am?" It was with a slight smirk that Eden leaned down, her forehead touching Mobius'. "Though I do worry about how long we have left."
"Then let me worry about it, instead," came Mobius' simple answer. "We're safe here. Worst case, we can just drag Klein out and have her bring a pair of empty cryopods back up."
Eden raised an amused eyebrow. "In other words…"
Mobius wasn't quite knowledgeable about love beyond its chemical reactions, but considering the little information she did have regarding the concept, she'd wager the warm smile on her face was full of it.
"Right now, the three of us have all the time in the world."
Saying that, Mobius pulled Eden into yet another dance, following the brunette's lead when she sang once more. The doctor was a perfectionist, after all, and this world's last performance couldn't very well end after a single piece.
Whether her mind had been tampered or not, Mobius would never allow herself a poor showing in front of Elysia.
And if, sometimes, whenever her focus wavered and Eden's voice pulled her into a minute trance, she saw a hint of pink hair and a wide smile by the very edge of her vision, well…
She could just chalk it up to the slip-ups of a weary mind, right?
.
.
.
The cryopods were large enough for multiple people.
As such, there was absolutely nothing stopping Mobius from sitting right next to Eden inside the sealed cryopod, leaning onto the taller woman's shoulder.
It was originally meant just for Eden, Klein had said.
Neither of them cared.
When they met again just two hours before the end of their era (and the worried ELF hounded them for it), Mobius made sure to ask for a few "favors" before heading off.
Klein sighed quite loudly, but of course she agreed.
While the ELF finished readjusting the cryopod's instructions to match the very last request from Mobius, Eden shifted uncomfortably on her spot, glancing at the shorter woman. "After everything we talked about, would it be bad for me to admit to being nervous?"
"I think anyone with functional emotions would feel the same." Mobius shrugged, but still pressed herself a bit closer to Eden. "Being put to sleep for millennia isn't exactly common."
"... I guess so." The singer chuckled. "It seems I may still be overthinking everything."
Mobius actually smiled at her. "Feel free to. It gives me a reason to comfort you later."
That forced a surprised laugh out of Eden. "What was that? When did you become such a flirt?"
"It's just a matter of applying what I observed from Elysia," she replied easily. "If anything, I'm surprised you didn't catch any parts of her behavior."
"And now Ellie is some sort of disease?" Despite her words, Eden's smile only widened.
Mobius shrugged. "That woman was always anything she wanted. I wouldn't put it past her."
Eden chuckled, and then allowed a comfortable silence to fall between them.
This was it. They would be frozen for thousands of years, and then arrive in a new world.
Thanks to Klein's help, their awakening would be the first to take place, and then they'd disappear, leaving the others to believe they stayed behind. Modified records would confirm that assumption, and they would be free to live as they pleased.
If they took up the fight once more, it would be out of their own free will.
And Mobius had a feeling they would. At the very least, she couldn't imagine Eden refusing to help Hua with Project Ember, even if from afar.
But they would have time until then. Plenty of time to find out just how broken they were and pick up each other's pieces.
Plenty of time to live, rather than survive.
As that thought came to Mobius, the cryopod's speaker buzzed to life. "Doctor, I'm done. Should I activate it?"
Mobius nodded. "There's not much else to do, no?"
Eden hummed. They had already given the ELF their goodbyes. There truly was nothing else for them to do in this era.
"Understood… And Doctor, Miss Eden?"
"Hm?"
"Yes, Klein?"
The speaker was silent for a moment, as though the ELF was wondering whether to continue.
It didn't take long for her to reach a decision.
"... I hope you two find some happiness in the new era."
Much like Mobius, Klein was nowhere near the emotional type, so it was no surprise that her words shocked the women into silence. After a few seconds, Mobius glanced at Eden, who simply returned a smile as she took the doctor's hand into her grasp.
Mobius chuckled. "I think we have that covered, Klein."
"Hm... I'm glad. Sleep well."
With those parting words, the speakers went dead.
There was truly no coming back, now.
…
…
…
"... Hey, Mobbie," Eden suddenly said, her voice echoing in the cryopod.
"Hm?" Mobius opened an eye, only just realizing how close she was to dozing off. "What is it?"
"I'm glad you're here." Eden nudged closer. "After Ellie, I think... I closed myself off from everyone. I aimed to be alone to grieve, and then... remained that way." She let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "To be honest, it's only clear to me now, in retrospect. Maybe I simply forgot what it feels like to be alright, after so long."
Mobius opened her mouth to reply, only for something to catch her eye in the corner of her vision the moment she moved her head, and the doctor glanced down.
She let out something between a huff and a laugh.
"I suppose you were lonely," Mobius began with a disbelieving grin, "but I don't think you were alone. Neither of us, for that matter."
Confused, Eden followed the doctor's gaze, only for her eyes to widen.
It seemed they had been careless. During their performance, a pair of the smallest crystal flowers, barely as wide as a finger, had caught onto the edges of each of their dresses. Now, the two crystals sparked brightly, reflecting the cryopod's lights.
Within Eden's mind, a stray thought passed. The crystals were both just small enough to fit a pair of rings.
The singer smiled at that. How could she not?
"... Hm. That does seem to be the case."
Then she closed her eyes, with Mobius following suit. The process would begin soon, and they would be induced to sleep easily enough.
As her consciousness began to fade, Mobius' warmth was still there by her side.
Eden wondered what they would dream about.
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.
.
Klein made sure to watch as the cryopod descended to safety.
The Doctor hadn't changed out of her own free will, but perhaps it was for the best. The weight she had been carrying by herself suddenly seemed much lighter.
Then again, what would a lab assistant ELF know?
Just like that, it was over. As many subjects as possible were frozen and hidden away, safe from the Final Herrscher and waiting for their awakening in the next world.
That meant Klein could begin her next task.
After exiting the room, it didn't take long for her to reach the underground simulated environment she was meant to manage and maintain, but it was still only twenty minutes away from the Herrscher's judgement.
She'd be lying if she said her mind hadn't simulated over fifty ways things could go wrong on her way here.
As she walked, she allowed her digital mind to interface with the realm. The real problems were bound to show up after the Final Herrscher acted, but it didn't hurt to check things out a bit ahead of time.
She was still reading automatically generated reports when she entered the golden courtyard's lobby.
"Um, Klein?"
The ELF paused, directing her eyes towards one of the cushioned benches.
Miss Elysia sat there wearing her usual smile, but it was somewhat twitchy, and even the likes of Mister Kalpas would notice how nervous she seemed.
Then again, the reason was clear as day, and it wasn't difficult to connect the dots.
The Doctor had her eyes closed as she sat beside Miss Elysia, her head leaning into the taller woman's shoulder as she pressed herself against her.
"Look, I do like our new Mobius, but, well…" The look that Miss Elysia gave Klein seemed like a cry for help. "Do you have a manual, maybe? I have no idea how to deal with this."
"You could shut up and cuddle me, you waste of space," the Doctor responded without missing a beat.
Miss Elysia was still looking at the ELF as she gestured towards the shorter woman. "See?"
Klein stared blankly at the sight. Should she actually do something? Wouldn't that just be troublesome?
"Oh, Klein, you're back." Miss Eden entered the lobby with a pleasant smile, and the ELF could already feel her stress levels descending. "Then this means we're already sleeping, I suppose."
The ELF nodded, glad for the chance to get away from a difficult situation. "Now it's just a matter of waiting a few more minutes for the end, and… dealing any damages it causes…" Klein let out a long sigh. It could be a bug, but she already felt exhausted in advance. "Did the fake Doctor do anything unseemly with the realm?"
"Why, yes, she made herself an atrocious little home," Miss Eden replied with a light chuckle. "She even kept videos of Mobbie's worst experiments nearby to rewatch as she pleased. To be honest, the implication that Mobbie would be fond of such a dreadful and disgusting place is infuriating. It makes me wish I made that ugly snake suffer far more before erasing her."
"..."
Klein's stress levels promptly spiked again.
While the Doctor was still calmly attempting to doze off (despite being a simulated consciousness), Miss Elysia's smile had frozen solid as she stared at the singer.
Understandable.
"Eden," the Doctor broke the silence, "Elysia doesn't want to cuddle me."
Miss Elysia actually gulped when Miss Eden's smile turned towards her. "Now, now, Ellie. You shouldn't be mean." She approached the cushioned bench and sat opposite to the Doctor, taking Miss Elysia's arm and placing it around her own waist as she also pressed herself against her. "There, now be a dear and bring Mobbie closer?"
"Y-Yes…"
As Klein watched the scene unfold, she came to a decision.
While those three were distracted by each other, the ELF's tiny legs silently carried her away from the lobby. After all, she had a job to do.
This was Miss Elysia's problem, not hers.
