I am a former Flame Chasers

The room was very quiet, with only the sound of the wall clock ticking. Ryan massaged his temples, unable to come up with an answer.

As a traveler of fate, can I ever stop and enjoy eternal peace? After defeating the end, where do I go from here?

The shadow of the end has always been so overwhelming that he'd never really considered this question. It's like standing in front of a mountain, too focused on the climb to care about the view behind it.

But now, when asked about life after crossing the mountain, Ryan was filled with hesitation. He had been in this world too long and met too many people. He couldn't bear the thought of walking alone anymore.

The thrill of crossing had long faded, and Ryan found himself tied to this world.

He had lost friends, colleagues, confidants, junior sisters, students, and people he cared about. Now, he understood, at least a little, why the strong are often lonely and why too much emotion dulls the sword.

Just like now. As long as he was still human, he would hesitate when it came to important decisions. If it were ten years ago, he would have instantly said, "I want to go home." If it were two years ago, he would have quickly chosen to retreat to a safer world and live out his days quietly.

Logically, Mobius wouldn't have asked such a question. But perhaps it was the relaxation of her body and mind that led her to ask it. Even just now, Ryan had sensed a trace of hesitation and unease from the woman in his arms.

Just as Ryan rose unexpectedly, he could just as suddenly disappear. This question was deeply personal, unlike Mei, who could guess but simply didn't care.

"I don't know yet, but the journey will never stop. It's just moving from one place to another. But if possible, I don't want to be alone."

Ryan hesitated for a long time before answering. People work together on trains or push maps as a group, so why couldn't he do the same?

But his words of resolve went unanswered for a long time. He lowered his head, smiling helplessly.

Mobius opened her mouth and tilted her head back against the chair, falling asleep.

"What kind of sleepy oil is this? Can it be used to make black tea?" Ryan looked at the small bottle and then at the gently undulating "mountains" of Mobius's body. He sighed and decided to stuff the bottle back into his pocket, irritated.

After thinking for so long, making up his mind, and then she falls asleep right in front of him.

Ryan couldn't remember how many times Mobius had fallen asleep in front of him. This snake-like woman was always suspicious and cautious, but at times like this, she looked strangely cute.

He moved around to the front, brushed away the loose strands of hair, and gazed at her peaceful face.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, her nose was straight, and her soft pink lips weren't as hard as steel as they usually were. An idea flashed in his mind.

If I were to leave this world, and the number of people I could take was limited, I would definitely take Mobius. She would be happy.

At this moment, he didn't need excuses because this dangerous woman was only someone he could watch over, and he had to watch over her.

Ryan leaned over and gently picked up Mobius. She felt soft, as though she had no bones, just like a snake. Once she wrapped around someone, she would never let go.

He laid her on the bed, then gently combed through her slightly curly green hair. Seeing she was sleeping soundly, he turned his head and glanced at the door.

Gold medal wingman, huh? Why did your wingman fire so aggressively?

"Sister Ellie, we're in the middle of something critical. Why are we running?"

Pardofeliss lowered her voice, walking barefoot across the floor, her feet silent. In front of her stood Elysia, wearing a red gauze nightgown.

Mobius had sneaked up to the second floor in the middle of the night, only to be caught by Elysia. The pink fairy, who didn't like to sleep in her bed, lying on a block. As Elysia pondered, she had noticed Mobius sneaking around and decided to follow.

Elysia jumped down suddenly, scaring the fairy half to death, and covered her mouth before dragging her to Ryan's door to eavesdrop.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, we've been discovered by your Master. This is so embarrassing." Elysia ran up to the third floor in one breath, stopping once they were out of sight. There was no moon, and no expression could be seen.

Hah!?

This time, Pardofeliss was also frightened, her voice trembling as she said, "Master won't come to settle accounts with us, will he?"

"No, Ryan is a gentleman. He won't make things difficult for us."

Gentleness is fine, but who traveled all the way from the suburbs to this underground?

"Speaking of Sister Ellie, why did you go to eavesdrop?"

"I just saw Mobius sneaking around, and I got a little curious." The girl scratched her nose and held her face, "Oh, don't ask. I regret it now. If I hadn't been curious, Ryan might not have been able to help it. I feel so sorry for Mobius."

You were quite interested when you eavesdropped just now. Why didn't I hear you say you regretted it?

Pardofeliss gave Elysia a suspicious look, her arms folded. "It's nothing. When we were at Sundown Alley, Master even slept with me in his arms."

"Pfft, you don't get it. Ryan treats you and Mobius completely differently. Hey, I've been letting myself go lately. I really feel like a bad person." When Elysia thought about it, she felt guilty, but somehow, it also felt pretty good to act that way.

Why does she have the urge to ruin Mobius's good intentions? Why does she not want to see her win?

Elysia was a bit distressed, caught in a logical paradox between altruism and selfishness. She wanted everyone to be happy, but some forms of happiness and love are selfish and can never be equally shared.

If Mobius is happy, then Hua and Sakura can't be happy. Why didn't I think about this before? Why can't love be equal? Why do I hesitate so much? Shouldn't I wish the best for everyone equally?

"I hope that one day, I can transcend the concept of 'human'."

At that moment, Ryan's words came to mind, making Elysia puff out her cheeks, as if she had found the reason.

It's all his fault. He instilled strange ideas in me and made me fall into this distress. But I can't stay with him until the end. Oh, I can't be this curious again in the future. It's harmful to others and not beneficial to myself.

Lost in thought, Pardofeliss's hand shook in front of her, and the sound of a girl yawning came.

"Sister Ellie, what are you daydreaming about? I'm so sleepy. Can I go to bed?"

Who cares? Whatever you want to do, just be happy.

Elysia didn't give it much thought. She clapped her hands and hugged Pardofeliss.

"You're the one who made me think these things. Tonight, I'm holding you to sleep ♪"

"Hey, what does this have to do with me?"

"No matter what, I'm going to hold you to sleep anyway."

Pardofeliss protested, but her body obediently followed. She liked when Sister Ellie told her adventure stories.

With the sound of a door closing, the villa returned to silence. Right in front of Elysia's door, two figures emerged from the shadows, stepping out from behind two columns simultaneously.

Hua and Sakura stood in the darkness, staring at each other in silence. The tension in the air was thick, making it hard to breathe. After more than ten seconds, Hua, unable to keep still, raised her hand and awkwardly waved.

"What a coincidence, you're going to the bathroom too?"

"Uh, yes. I drank too much soup for supper. Are you going too?"

"Yes, I drank a lot of water after boxing practice."

...

The two of them still stood there, the silence so thick it was almost suffocating. After another ten seconds, they both looked away at the same time, turning their heads.

"Thanks to Elysia, otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."

"Knock on the door directly?"

"I wouldn't want to embarrass my senior brother." Hua shook her head immediately, biting her lip. "But I didn't expect Mobius would dare sneak away. She's so thick-skinned."

"Dr. Mobius doesn't care what the world thinks. She's tough. Victory or defeat is a matter of seconds; hesitation means defeat." Sakura eyes were sharp and deep.

Why do I feel like you're about to fight with my senior brother for your life?

"So what do you think, Sakura?"

"I'm different from you. In this chaotic world, Rin and I just want someone we can trust, and Ryan is worthy of that trust. I would give everything for his sword and for him. It's that simple."

Her tone was firm and full of resolve, but Hua's eyes still carried doubt. Based on what she said, there shouldn't be any "chance encounters" tonight.

Fortunately, Hua's emotional intelligence was on point tonight. She just shook her head gently. "This only proves that you haven't thought it through, Sister Sakura."

"What haven't I thought about?"

"As a sword, you shouldn't have any feelings. You wouldn't have run out when you heard the noise. Based on my intuition, you're a bit like Elysia. I don't think she's just curious." Hua said lightly, without further explanation, just brushing past her.

"But no matter what you think, I won't admit defeat, and I don't believe that the green plum can lose to the sky."

Her footsteps faded, and Sakura stood still for a long time. She didn't like to be stubborn. What she said earlier was the truth, but after Hua's words, it didn't seem so true anymore.

Indeed, she couldn't explain why she had run out without thinking when she heard the noise tonight.

So what does Ryan mean to me? A support in troubled times? A hero I admire? Or...

She didn't dwell on it any longer. She turned her head slightly and looked at the two blurry figures opposite. They held onto the railing, standing like statues in the dark.

"It's really lively tonight. It looks calm, but there are undercurrents," Sakura said with a helpless nod before heading back to her room. Click. The door lock sounded again.

Vil-V, who had remained unusually calm tonight, turned her head. Her gradient pupils shone with joy, a supreme joy for someone who enjoyed fun.

"Aponia, come out and enjoy the fun."

"'Joy' Vil-V, you really are calm at times like this," Aponia smiled gently, dignified and composed.

"The best fun isn't participating, but watching others enjoy it," Vil-V said, supporting her head, a strange concentration in her gaze. "By the way, what do you think? Can you let me enjoy it?"

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Ryan is very special to me."

"How special is he?" Aponia held the railing slightly, and in the darkness, her smile seemed to become fanatical.

"He's like a god."