"You! ... You all... How dare you deceive us..." The words of those Memokeepers were cut off abruptly before they could fully leave their lips, as if an invisible giant hand had seized their throats. Their figures grew increasingly blurred and distorted amidst their shock and disbelief.
In the next second, several red jellyfish emanating a lethal aura of oblivion silently materialized from the void, elegantly and lethally winding around the Memokeepers' bodies.
These Memokeepers from the Garden of Recollection, before they could react any further, were dragged mercilessly into the eternal tide known as "Oblivion" like bubbles sinking into the deep sea, leaving no trace behind.
"Now, the noisy onlookers are gone," Evernight—the pink-haired girl holding the parasol, turned her gaze back to Cyrene. Her deep red eyes seemed capable of piercing through souls. "Finally, we can have a proper conversation between us."
"According to the terms of our transaction," Cyrene's voice was cold as ice, as if those just eliminated were not her 'kind,' and she showed no fear facing this natural enemy of Memokeepers, "I have successfully lured those Memokeepers who once attempted to swindle and deceive your... 'March' into this place and handed them over to you for disposal. What about your part of the deal?"
"The other part of the transaction, concerning 'him'..." Evernight nodded slightly, the usual composure in her expression fading a bit, revealing a rare touch of gravity. "I did indeed attempt to exert the power of Oblivion upon him as agreed. But... alas, the result is regrettable."
"Even my power cannot make him forget those memories that do not originally belong to him. The source that collected, and even solidified those memories for him is far more complex than imagined. It is by no means a simple matter of the Path of Remembrance alone."
"Is that so..." Cyrene let out a soft sigh. Though her face remained calm, a fleeting flicker of disappointment deep in her eyes was like a stone thrown into a still lake, creating a barely perceptible ripple. Indeed, not even Oblivion itself could cleanse such a heavy burden.
"In light of your sincere fulfillment of the agreement, I shall offer you a piece of advice, Gatekeeper." Evernight's tone grew serious. "What truly traps him in the endless cycles and suffering is not the past memories themselves, but that deeply rooted obsession within his heart... the desire for everyone, for all of Amphoreus, to survive. Memory may be its vessel, but this obsession is his true shackles and cage."
"Hah... I see." Cyrene murmured, a flash of understanding and resolve crossing her eyes. "Then it seems the decision I am about to make might be the only way to pull him back from this self-constructed prison." Having said that, she prepared to turn and leave this place of trouble.
"Wait." Evernight called out to her, a probing light sparkling in her red eyes. "I am curious. What reason compels you to willingly abandon the stance of the Remembrance faction, even going so far as to oppose the entire Garden of Recollection? This is not a choice an ordinary Memokeeper would make."
Cyrene's footsteps halted. She was silent for a moment, before finally uttering a clear number from her lips:
"Thirty-seven thousand, six hundred and forty-two."
"What?" Evernight raised an eyebrow slightly.
"And that's only within the most recent three million or so cycles," Cyrene turned her head back, her azure eyes meeting Evernight's gaze directly. "The number of times he still responded to my requests—even the smallest call."
"Tell me, compared to Fuli, who sits loftily in the Eden of Blessed Insight (Note: This is the realm of Fuli), and has remained utterly indifferent to my pleas and suffering across over thirty million cycles, which side should I pursue and protect?"
"Heh... So that's it... Interesting. Truly, far too interesting." Evernight chuckled softly, her laughter carrying the delight of discovering a treasure. "If my 'March' were still by my side, she would absolutely adore the story of Amphoreus."
"The three of you... One bears the destined wrath of Destruction, one shoulders the cold calculations of Erudition, one accepts the eternal inscription of Remembrance... And yet, all three of you tacitly intend to defy the Aeons who granted you your power. Three 'renegades.'"
"Aren't you the same?" A faint, knowing smile touched the corner of Cyrene's lips. "Treading the Path of Remembrance, yet wielding the authority of Oblivion."
"True enough... The pot calling the kettle black." Evernight readily admitted, then shifted the topic, her curiosity growing. "However... I still cannot fathom the other purpose of your transaction with those Memokeepers. Was it merely to lure them before me and use my hand to eliminate them? That does not seem to be the whole story."
Cyrene let out a long sigh, as if wanting to pour out all the weariness accumulated over thirty million lifetimes. "I do not know where my final fate will lead, but I must ensure that after I am gone, there will still be people in the future willing, and capable, of protecting Amphoreus on the Path of Remembrance, preventing it from being spied upon or tampered with by external malice."
Her voice carried deep exhaustion, but also a sense of relieved resignation:
"I have protected this world on the Path of Remembrance for over thirty million lifetimes. No matter how deeply I love this land and its people, in the end... I am also just one person."
"I too can grow weary. I too have attachments I cannot sever. I too have times when I must exert every ounce of my strength... just to protect that one single person."
"Now, I have arranged future guardians for Amphoreus. This land will still have people to love and remember it in the future. So then... It's time for me... to be selfish for once."
...
"Lady Cyrene... Are you alright?" Castorice asked, looking at the young woman who walked out slowly from the depths of the temple, unable to hide the concern in her voice.
"I am fine now." Cyrene shook her head gently, her gaze regaining its firmness. "There are more important matters at hand, are there not? We must uncover the truth behind Nikador's anomaly."
Her gaze suddenly shifted towards Stelle. "Wait, what about your companion, Dan Heng?"
"Lord Dan Heng has already gone ahead to Castrum Kremnos to support the battle," Castorice quickly explained. "He said that since Lord Phainon and Mr. Welt are fighting on the front lines, he, as a combatant, should go to assist."
"I see." Cyrene nodded thoughtfully, then turned her gaze to the pink-haired creature floating beside Stelle. "Little one, are you ready to use that authority belonging to 'Time'?"
"Mimi?" Mem tilted its head, then seemed to understand her meaning. A soft glow emanated from its small form.
A Coreflame containing the mysteries of time materialized in its palm. The next moment, as if an invisible key had unlocked a hidden lock within spacetime, a simple, ancient book emanating a faint blue halo appeared in its grasp, summoned according to the conditions Cyrene had set.