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After Mei’s departure
Kiana woke up shaking. Her body was in great pain. The first thing she did was observe her surroundings. She was in the Hyperion’s recovery room.
She was back…
(But Mei was gone.)
“No… no… I’m sorry… please…” Kiana whimpered.
The door opened.
“Kiana!” Theresa ran inside, hugging her niece.
Aunt Theresa…
Bronya followed the former principal inside.
“Is subject Kiana okay? What happened?”
“I… I’m sorry… I tried… I tried to stop her! I’m so sorry… I tried to stop her…”
“Stop who? Doctor Tesla said you were fine when she last saw you. Who did this you?” Theresa questioned.
“…Where is Mei?” Bronya asked.
“She left! She joined them! I tried to stop her! I fought her to make her stay! I… I was to weak… I was to weak and stupid.”
“…Mei did this?” Theresa said in disbelief.
“Who did Mei join?” Bronya asked.
“Se… serp… serp… serp…” Kiana could only mutter.
“Serpents…? Wait… the World Serpent? Mei joined World Serpent?!” Theresa shouted.
Bronya could only stand there, shocked.
“Come back… I’m sorry… please… I’m sorry…”
Kiana and Bronya had just gone to Mount Taixuan, in order to find something from Fu Hua to help Kiana.
Theresa had just ended the transmission to Bronya involving the attacks.
Theresa prayed that they’d find something, anything, about Mei.
“…Why, Mei? Why would you do this to us?” Theresa said out loud.
She sat down in a private room, looking over papers.
After everything they had been through, she just goes and leaves. Sure, they did the same to Otto, but at least they did it together. At least they were fighting against corruption, not for it.
Now, Mei was going to lose herself. Mei would commit countless crimes. Perhaps she already had. And she’d justify it as “for Kiana’s sake.”
And that would break Kiana. Because Kiana want that. And neither did Theresa.
Theresa could only put down her head and cry, as her friend was falling into darkness, and no one could do anything about it.
Worse still, was that whenever Kiana was around, she couldn’t express her thoughts about Mei. Her worries. Because she was afraid Kiana would be unable to take it.
Mount Taixuan
Kiana and Bronya lied down by the campfire they had made. They needed to rest.
“…idiot…”
“Is subject Kiana okay?” Bronya asked.
“No. No, I’m not okay!” Kiana shouted. “How can I be okay when I’m such an idiot?”
“This is about Mei, isn’t it?”
“Why did I have to be so stupid? I just didn’t want her to worry, and what happens? She leaves!”
“Subject Mei just wanted what’s best for you.”
“No, she wants what she thinks is best! There’s a difference! God… you know what? Me being an idiot isn’t the only reason she left! I could’ve come back much earlier! And if I wasn’t so weak…”
“Subject Kiana is not weak.”
“Oh, really? I’m not? Then tell me, where’s Mei? Well, where is she?! If I was stronger, I would’ve made her stay! If I was a better person, she wouldn’t have left in the first place!”
“You’re wrong!” Bronya yelled. Feeling anger, feeling any emotion, made her feel human again. But she didn’t like how this felt.
“Prove it! Tell me why I’m wrong!”
“You… well…” Bronya’s wished she could prove Kiana wrong. But she couldn’t. Because Kiana was right.
“I’m sorry, Bronya… I just… I just miss her so much.”
“We all do…”
“…do you think if I kill myself, she’ll leave? She won’t work for them anymore?”
“Kiana, she‘ll probably kill herself too!”
“So yes… good night, Bronya.”
Fu Hua found herself in the simulation room. She needed to relieve stress. Kiana told her about Mei.
About how she left to deal with Herrschers before Kiana could.
It had been days since Kiana fought HoS. Days since her plan failed.
And yet, Mei still wasn’t here.
Mei was never going to come back. Not even if Kiana became so strong that nothing would kill her. Mei didn’t care about Kiana anymore.
Fu Hua was sure Mei thought she cared about Kiana, she was even sure that she wanted to care.
But her actions spoke otherwise. If she cared, she’d come back after seeing she was wrong. But she was still with the enemy.
They’d have to fight Mei someday.
Fu Hua didn’t realize how much her fists were bleeding from all the strikes.
Anti-Entropy Ball
“You and Seele have been getting along rather well.” Bronya said, trying to make small talk.
“…stop it.” Kiana said.
“Stop what?” Bronya asked.
“Stop reminding me that Seele’s your girlfriend. That you had a happy reunion!”
“…I understand. You don’t need to talk anymore.”
“It’s just.. the last time I saw her, she was like a completely different person. The way she looked at me… the way she moved… the way she talked… there was nothing friendly about it. I’ve tried to look back on that day, try to remember her as though she was being hot, being sexy… and I just can’t do it. I want to tell myself she’s still a good person. I really want to believe it. But-“
“It’s okay.”
“I’m just gonna go.”
Kiana walked away.
Bronya looked back after a few steps, just out of instinct.
And that’s when she saw Kiana sneak a bottle of champagne into her jacket. And the man across the table from her saw it as well, judging by his widened eyes. A Titan pilot, judging by purple jacket.
Kiana quickly sneaked out of the room, saying nothing.
She was drinking to cope.
…Bronya had decided enough was enough. She would track down Mei, and make her understand how much she harmed Kiana. No matter what. Kiana should not have to be like this anymore.
Kiana could fully understand that everyone was doing so much for her. She just couldn’t see it anymore. She couldn’t see anything. The world was so dark.
Kiana knew what she had to do to see the light again. To feel alive again.
She needed to be with Mei.
But Mei wasn’t coming back. Not for a long time. And not as the person Kiana needed.
Mei would either come back as someone who had gotten everything she wanted and would expect everyone to turn a blind eye to her “necessary” crimes, or Kiana and the others would have to beat Mei into submission until she learned her lesson. And both mean the same thing: Mei was nothing but a selfish brat who did what she wanted without caring about what others needed.
And Kiana hated that, because it meant she never changed Mei. Or if she did, it was for the worse.
(If she can’t change one person, how can she change this world?)
Kiana needed Mei, but Mei was gone.
So…
So, she had to join the World Serpent. She needed to fall with Mei.
She was no different from Mei, was she? She was awful too.
The hypocritical girl cried. This was the only way.
This world had so much beauty in it, and she was so sad she couldn’t see it anymore without the light.
Without Mei.
(The beauty never existed in the first place, did it?)