With Elysia words, the temperature grim to sub-zero, as if Kevin were standing in the room constantly radiating frost.
Mobius long green hair draped over her shoulders, her golden earrings swaying slightly as she turned her neck. She narrowed her eyelids, her snake-like pupils contracting as she looked at the new object on the unconscious Lin ring finger, then at Aponia, who was looking down with her long bangs obscuring her expression.
She considered her memory to be quite good. Unlike Lin, she didn't constantly monitor every change in her surroundings, so she hadn't noticed the new additions immediately. But now, looking closely, she could see a cord around Lin neck and a ring under the glove on his left hand.
The cord obviously held a pendant. Mobius quietly took her hand out of her pocket, inconspicuously releasing some black fluid from her fingertips as she grew wary of Aponia.
Elysia reminder had made Mobius realize something she had overlooked.
Lin unconsciousness was an issue of consciousness. She had predisposed herself to think it was an outbreak of his pre-existing condition. But what if it was man-made?
Lin had frequent contact with Aponia, the only MANTIS in the MOTH capable of manipulating human consciousness. What if Lin had lowered his guard and Aponia had tampered with him? For example, attaching her power to some accessories for Lin to wear, quietly eroding his consciousness...
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Mobius watched the silent Aponia, prepared to strike.
She wasn't confident. Aponia had struck her down with ease last time. On a mental level, she didn't know if she could react in time, or even how to resist...
Dammit, I must research consciousness thoroughly in the future!
"Does Lin wear rings? He actually dresses himself up? Even though he has such a charming face, he's never willing to show it to anyone~" Elysia walked naturally to Aponia side. She squatted down and, right in front of Aponia, removed Lin glove to reveal a plain, simple ring.
Mobius heart jumped into her throat, but fortunately, Aponia showed no signs of blowing up. She simply watched Elysia movements.
This allowed her to breathe a sigh of relief. If three MANTIS started fighting here, the Deep End would be blown to smithereens from the inside out—and all over a... man?
Thinking this made Mobius expression turn strange. Regardless, she quickly convinced herself that because Aponia was a MANTIS not under the MOTH' control, her danger was self-evident, and it was better to remain on guard.
Aponia gentle voice emerged: "This is... something I made..."
"Wow~" Elysia eyes sparkled as she grabbed Aponia hands, making the latter somewhat flustered. "Aponia, you do handicrafts? It's very exquisite. Can you teach me in the future?"
"Ah? Um..." This was the first time Aponia had encountered such an enthusiastic girl. She seemed to instantly revert to the nun who hadn't yet left the sanatorium, responding blankly, "Alright, Elysia..."
"Just call me Ellie. All my friends call me Ellie ~"
"Hmph," Mobius snorted dismissively.
"Dr. Mobius can call me that too~"
"Don't act like it's some special privilege you've granted. And who would want to call you that?" Mobius glared at Elysia through gritted teeth. "Is your social butterfly passive triggering again?"
"Hee-hee..." Elysia laughed, completely unbothered. "Because I can't help myself when I see a beautiful girl. What can I do? I'm just an equally cute and charming girl myself."
Mobius couldn't help herself: "I've never seen anyone refer to themselves like that."
"Then, Dr. Mobius, don't you think you're very beautiful?"
"Of course..." The words were out before Mobius realized it. Then, with a dark face, she said, "That's just an innate advantage. Even if I don't admit it, it still exists."
"See? Everyone actually knows they are special. I'm just the one saying it out loud."
Faced with Elysia ice-melting smile, Mobius ultimately couldn't find words to retort.
However, she persisted verbally: "Well, Lin never thinks so. He even thinks he looks average."
"Him...?"
Just as Elysia was about to say more, a look of surprise flashed across her face, and she looked at the lying Lin. The other two felt it as well and turned their gazes toward him.
Lin, who had been motionless, breathing evenly in sleep, felt his fingers twitch. Then his eyelids moved, and he slowly opened his eyes.
He was awake? Just like that?
"Lin? You're awake?"
Lin was awake. Elysia should have appeared very happy to welcome her friend back, but she looked at him with some uncertainty, as if... testing something.
"Ugh..."
Lin first looked around blankly, his heterochromatic pupils quietly scanning the environment in the dark. Then he looked at the three people beside him.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
Most people's impression of Lin was his helmet, which perfectly represented his expression—the same all year round, never changing. In truth, his face rarely showed any emotion. Calling him an "iceberg" might not even be accurate—icebergs can melt.
But now, a look of surprise flashed across Lin face, which was quickly suppressed. After thinking for a moment, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
He... smiled?
"Yeah, I'm awake, Ellie."
...
At that moment, the Lin in the Bubble Universe was rushing home with Yama. Images kept flashing before his eyes. He felt this moment was so familiar, as if he had seen the same scene somewhere before...
He remembered.
It was the event that changed Ato, Blanca, and himself—the Fifth Branch attack. Back then, he had also gone out to investigate a mission, received word of the attack, and ran back.
Only back then, he was calm. Even with Blanca and the others' lives in the balance, Lin could handle it with absolute rationality.
But now, he felt panicked. At some point, his footsteps became slightly frantic.
Beside him, Yama just glanced at him and followed, rushing toward the house.