Fatigue, drowsiness, pain.
These were all Kiana could feel right now.
Ever since the Honkai outbreaks began, Kiana had been constantly rescuing survivors affected by the disasters.
By now, she had lost track of how many days she had gone without rest.
But Kiana also knew that she could not rest.
She did not dare to rest.
These days, whenever she fell asleep, she would feel deeply unsettled.
It was as if countless restless spirits were roaring in her ears.
The spirits poured out their resentment, blaming her, the one who had triggered the Honkai, for their suffering.
And then there was that voice.
“Live on, Kiana.”
“This is…
the final lesson.”
“…”
Kiana had always been an optimistic, cheerful child.
She had always acted carefree, as if nothing in the world could ever sadden her.
But everything changed the day she learned the truth behind the name K-423.
Her class monitor Fu Hua had betrayed her.
Her teacher Himeko had sacrificed herself to save her.
Countless others had died because of her.
After wandering into Arc City, despair, pain, and resentment all rushed at her at once, mercilessly tearing apart her already shattered heart.
She did not know how long she had been trapped under that crushing emotional weight.
Then one day, she woke up and found that the entire world had changed.
She seemed to have arrived in an unfamiliar city.
The people there called it Nagazora.
But how could that be?
In Kiana’s memory, Nagazora had long been reduced to ruins by Honkai.
Everything around her was completely different from what she remembered.
And even the voice of Fu Hua in her mind, her class monitor, had vanished.
For a moment, Kiana felt a surge of panic.
She still had a mission to complete.
She still had sins to atone for.
How could she fall here?
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she searched, she could not find a single piece of the information she was looking for.
It was as if this was an entirely different world.
No Schicksal.
No Honkai.
No Valkyries.
But was that really possible?
Driven by her sense of duty, Kiana knew she had to find answers.
However, because of the Herrscher of the Void inside her, she also did not dare to get too close to others.
She was afraid that one day she would lose control again and destroy everything.
And so Kiana wandered for three days.
Finally, caught in a heavy downpour today, her exhausted body gave out and she collapsed.
…
She did not know how much time had passed before Kiana finally woke up.
It had been a long time since she had rested so well, and she had accidentally slept for so long.
But the moment her consciousness returned, she sensed something was wrong.
“…Where is this?”
Her eyes had not even focused yet, but her body had already instinctively gone on alert.
She sat up abruptly, the blanket sliding off her waist, and quickly scanned her surroundings.
An unfamiliar room.
An unfamiliar smell.
Everything told Kiana that this was not the stairwell entrance where she had collapsed on that rainy night.
“You’re awake?” A calm voice came from the side.
Kiana whipped her head around, locking her gaze on the figure standing by the kitchen doorway.
He was a white-haired male, around her age, dressed in loose loungewear, holding a steaming bowl in his hands.
“Relax.
My name is Liang Wu.
I’m not a bad person.” Liang Wu raised his free hand, as if signaling that he meant no harm.
Though, to be fair, real bad people rarely admitted they were bad people.
“You had a fever and collapsed at my doorstep.
I couldn’t just leave you there in the rain, could I?”
“…Your doorstep?” Kiana frowned slightly, quickly piecing together her fragmented memories.
Rain.
Muddy streets.
Her body so exhausted it could barely stand.
Then warmth.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted down to herself.
Her mud-soaked clothes were gone, replaced by a white T-shirt that was clearly a few sizes too large.
“…”
Even though Kiana was no longer as oblivious as she used to be, she was still a young woman.
A faint blush instantly spread across her face.
Liang Wu saw through her thoughts immediately: “I rummaged through my closet for a long time.
This was the only thing you could wear.
As for the changing process, you were running such a high fever at the time that I didn’t have much choice.
I really couldn’t let you sleep soaking wet, could I?”
Given the urgency, he did not consider himself to have crossed any lines.
He paused, then added, “I washed your clothes.
They’re drying on the balcony.
You can change back into them once they’re dry.”
Liang Wu spoke plainly and naturally, as if this were nothing more than an ordinary everyday occurrence.
Kiana was silent for a moment, her gaze lingering on his mostly expressionless face for a few seconds.
“…Thank you.
You’re a good person.” She finally managed to say.
“Noted.
You’re welcome.” Liang Wu replied without changing his expression, then walked over with the bowl.
“Have some ginger soup.
It might not taste great, but it’ll ward off the chill.”
Kiana took the bowl, looked down at the pale yellow liquid, fell silent for a moment, and then took small sips.
The spicy warmth slid down her throat into her stomach, making her whole body feel much warmer.
“Sorry, I don’t have any money on me right now.
I can’t repay you.”
“No need for repayment.” Liang Wu sat down on a chair nearby.
“A bowl of ginger soup doesn’t cost much anyway.”
Kiana held the bowl, her gaze lowered, and said nothing more.
She was not the type to readily accept kindness from strangers, but right now she simply did not have the energy to refuse.
She figured she had just run into an ordinary kind-hearted boy.
She would clean up a bit, change back into her clothes, and leave.
At least, that was what Kiana thought at the moment.
However, when she looked up at Liang Wu again, she froze.
The reason was simple.
Because the young man named Liang Wu was looking at her with a gaze she knew all too well.
That kind of look.
Kiana knew it better than anyone.
It was the same look she had seen in the mirror on countless nights in Arc City.
What was this?
“You…” The words caught in her throat.
Liang Wu met her gaze and spoke calmly.
“First time meeting you, Kiana Kaslana.
Welcome to the Previous Era.”
Kiana: ?
Previous Era?