"My journey ends here. From here on, Kiana, it's your path."
"Kiana... don't worry too much, just treat the present as a dream. When the dream ends, everyone still has to move forward. Don't be afraid of saying goodbye."
"Saying goodbye to the past is for the sake of moving toward the future."
"Kiana, as long as you believe... I will turn into a star, guarding you in the night sky. Even if the torch goes out and the moon loses its light, this unchanging glimmer will light the way forward for you. So, don't be afraid."
"I haven't left you. Becoming the strength for a student to move forward is a teacher's most romantic end."
"Everything will pass, everything will change, even if this change takes away your whole world."
"But it doesn't matter; it is also the most powerful force in the world, a force sufficient to open up hope and a path for anyone."
"When you are lost, look up at the starry sky. I am willing to be there, lighting up the entire night for you."
"Mm, go on. Take a step forward, Kiana, just move forward boldly. I will always bless you and watch over you."
"After all—you are my, Murata Himeko's, student."
Himeko watched tenderly and spoke no more.
"Kiana, you are my pride."
...In the darkness, someone seemed to be calling her.
Calling that familiar name.
"Sister Yunduo, Sister Yunduo..."
A gentle murmur sounded by her ear. Unknowingly, the corners of her eyes were already wet with tears.
Yunduo opened her eyes. Reminded by the bumpy shaking and the cold wind outside the window, she realized that she had actually fallen asleep in her anxiety.
She was about to reach out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes when she suddenly felt a fragrant breeze swirling around her. The seat beside her creaked slightly, as if someone had sat down next to her.
Then a small, fair hand and soft fingertips gently wiped away the tears overflowing from Yunduo's eyes.
"Sister Yunduo, did you have a nightmare?"
Yunduo's emotions were a bit complex; in her vision, she saw blue and white cuffs.
It was Bronya, who had moved from opposite to sit beside her.
The space was small, and sitting together made it very crowded.
She could feel the temperature beside her, like a warm marshmallow. Just being close, she could experience its warmth.
Wanting to be close, wanting to huddle tightly together.
From the bottom of her heart, a hidden voice seemed to be stimulating Yunduo from her anxious emotions.
She had always lacked a sense of security.
She appeared to be someone reliable, but only she knew how fragile she was deep down.
She wanted to burrow into Bronya's embrace, longing for her hug.
She wanted to hold her tightly, bodies pressed together, warmth flowing between them.
No schemes or betrayals, no endless darkness.
Even if a storm or tsunami struck, even if the sky fell and the earth crumbled, they would never be separated.
This unspoken, fervent emotion spurred Yunduo into action.
"Did you dream of past events?"
"Or did you... dream of Teacher Jizi again?"
Bronya's voice was very close, sounding in Yunduo's dazed ear.
She turned her head and suddenly saw this little girl, who usually had no expression on her face, now smiling faintly.
Such a pure smile, like a smile of ice and snow, a radiance that transcended dimensions.
Even if she had to guard this smile and fall into endless darkness, it would be worth it. How many feelings remain unspoken until death, and how many regrets are only understood after loss?
"...Mm." Yunduo let out a small sound from her nose.
"Then—take a rest."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yunduo felt her right hand being pulled, then gently tugged, and her dizzy head was tilted.
She fell into Bronya's warm embrace, resting on her lap.
Her blue and white skirt was pulled up to avoid discomfort, revealing her pure white, flawless legs.
Yunduo's vision was skewed ninety degrees. Her cheek could feel the warmth of her legs, and her hands, unsure where to rest, were placed on her white stockings, fingertips pinching, so soft.
Even though she couldn't walk, her legs still had the tenderness and elasticity of a teenage girl.
A sweet, milky fragrance permeated her nostrils, and the momentary sweet body scent erased the anxiety in her heart.
Yunduo didn't understand, she just felt her eyes sting.
After so many repetitions, she still couldn't save Himeko. Was she truly worthy?
"Sister Yunduo, you've worked very hard, Bronya knows."
"From the first Honkai Beast tide to that last strike just now, every time you transform into someone else, your emotions become very unstable and you feel a great sense of loss."
"You always advise others to be more open-minded, you always redeem others, even if you are bruised and battered."
"You don't have to try so hard anymore. People need rest. It's not Sister Yunduo's fault that we couldn't enter the Sea of Quanta this time."
Bronya's whispers flowed softly, her low, gentle voice accompanied by a burning warmth against her ear.
The girl raised her head, her soft hair brushing against Yunduo's neck. Her heart pounded like a small furnace, and a warm, milky scent gently wafted past her nose as she gazed silently at Yunduo with eyes that were almost innocent yet seemed to see through the human world.
The sudden warmth, the companionship she never dared to hope for.
This pure land was the only light in the abyss, a source of concern, comfort, and hope.
Tears finally spilled from the corners of her eyes. Yunduo's breathing almost stopped as she stared blankly at Bronya's always steady light.
She usually liked to say strange things to disrupt tender moments and felt no inconvenience, but at this juncture, she suddenly felt a severe lack of suitable words.
"No more fear, no more fear..."
Soft arms wrapped around the girl's neck, gently patting her rising and falling shoulders. Her voice was so low, yet it seemed to traverse the river of time, reflecting unwavering conviction.
No more fear, no more anxiety, because there was someone who would always be by her side.
"Besides fighting, you are not without everything."
"You have Bronya."
"I will always... always be with you."
The sweet tone slid along the curve of her ear, as if stirring up a surging wave, and vows flowed from her ear into her heart, one after another.
It was as if Yunduo had originally sealed off all spaces, placing her true self deep within her heart, not allowing anyone in, but Bronya had forcefully squeezed in, even building a small nest inside, turning on all the lights, driving out the darkness, not allowing loneliness and solitude to exist, and smiling at her.
Yunduo tightly hugged Bronya's waist, burying her head in her chest.
She didn't know how long it had been, but when their lips met, she suddenly saw an angel's eyes shimmering with starlight.
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