Mana Ouma

The next morning, when Chu Lian woke up, Inori was still asleep, her arms wrapped around Chu Lian's waist as if she were hugging a large stuffed doll. Maybe it was because she didn't feel secure, so she clung on like this? The girl wasn't very light or bulky either.

Looking at Inori's serene sleeping face, Chu Lian smiled softly. She gently pried Inori's hands off her waist, slowly lifted the quilt, and prepared to get out of bed to wash up.

Just as she was about to get up, Inori let out a soft "mm~" and opened her eyes, looking at her with a pure gaze and said, "Good morning, Lian..."

Alright, since Inori was already awake, Chu Lian didn't have to worry about disturbing her. Hearing Inori's greeting, she stretched and replied, "Good morning, Inori. Today I have an important class, so I won't be able to spend time with you. But after today, we have two days off, and I'll be able to do whatever you want with you. However, after these few days, we'll be embarking on a tight and long journey."

Chu Lian, still snuggled in the quilt, chatted with Inori. The room had air conditioning, which automatically adjusted to the most comfortable sleeping temperature every night. Of course, this so-called "most comfortable" was manually set before. Chu Lian had set the air conditioning to 20 degrees after 10 PM, which was just right for her to snuggle under the quilt without feeling hot.

All year round, 365 days, every night she slept under the quilt, which was a wonderful life for her. Apparently, Inori also seemed to like this feeling.

Of course, sometimes she couldn't always snuggle under the quilt. In such cases, she either adjusted the settings before going to sleep or found something to warm herself up.

Last night, when she slept by the bed, she had covered herself with a warm blanket. Otherwise, she would rather squeeze in with the newly acquainted Inori than let herself get cold.

When Chu Lian woke up, she checked the time and saw it was only a little past six, so she still had some time to do her own things. Originally planning to tidy up, all those thoughts vanished under Inori's pure gaze.

After chatting for a few minutes, Chu Lian checked the time again and decided it was time to get up. She patted Inori's cheek, lifted the quilt, and straightened up. A burst of cold air hit her, making her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Ah~" she exclaimed as she looked down. Chu Lian hugged herself and bent over, her face turning a bright red as if it were on fire.

"What's wrong?" Inori asked, still lying there lazily, seemingly not understanding Chu Lian's panic.

"Nothing... nothing." Chu Lian averted her gaze, unable to admit she felt both shy and a bit happy.

"Then..." Seeing Chu Lian like this, a mischievous gleam flashed in Inori 's eyes. Before Chu Lian could react, Inori leaned in and kissed her on the corner of her lips.

"My first kiss!..." The shocked Chu Lian stood there, stunned, then touched her lips, muttering to herself. After a while, she seemed to snap back to reality, her face flushed as she jumped out of bed, grabbed her clothes, and ran to the bathroom on the second floor.

Hearing the bathroom door lock, Mana's smile faded, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. It turned out she wasn't immune to shyness either; she just pretended to be strong in front of Chu Lian.

"Is this really okay? You should know her identity might not be simple. I can sense the mysterious energy hidden within her, energy far more enigmatic than the core of a planet." Eve's purple shadow appeared in the mirror, looking at Mana.

"Our world has already been destroyed. After wandering for countless years, we finally arrived here. I want a stable place, a place where the remaining people can start over."

"This girl who seems to know our identities is the most suitable person, and this family is our haven. It's the only place we can stay after wandering for so long." Mana didn't look at Eve but gazed out the window at the bright sunshine.

"If that's the case, why use this method?" Eve still didn't understand why Mana had to act this way if she wanted a peaceful life.

"... Eve, you need to understand, after all this time, I am no longer the Mana who merged with you. Now, I am a pure and independent person. I know what people like, love, and want. If you were the original Eve, you might understand this, but..." Mana's face was expressionless as she spoke, pausing slightly.

"You are no longer the pure Eve. You are the consciousness of the world that fused with the Apocalypse Virus. Though you are named human, you are not a human in the true sense."

"Though you are still called Eve, it is merely a habit. As someone almost god-like, it is normal for you not to understand human emotions." Mana's words revealed Eve's true identity. If Chu Lian were listening, she might be extremely shocked.

Who would have thought that the consciousness of a world and the destructive Apocalypse Virus could merge? It was an immense irony.

"I don't understand, so I need to ask." Eve didn't avoid the question, expressing her thoughts.

"In the past, because I was influenced by the Apocalypse Virus, I wanted Shu to be Adam and create a new world with him." Mana recalled those days with a bitter smile. "Later, Gai's appearance gave me another choice, but I only recognized Shu. No one else could take his place."

"I think you remember the consequences of that obsession the most, right?" Mana asked Eve.

Eve nodded, indicating she could never forget.

"After becoming a spirit and perceiving this world through Inori, I realized I was wrong. But being controlled by the virus, I couldn't move freely..."

"If the world hadn't collapsed, my existence would have caused significant harm in the end, whether to Inori, Shu, or you and me."

"When you separated from my consciousness and when I, you, and Inori became individual souls and persons, I understood that many things couldn't be forced. Shu and Gai are already dead, and the past shouldn't be dwelled upon. I want to live in this world in a new way, but I'm not sure if she will always help us. So, I want to add a layer of a romantic relationship to the familial bond..."

"Feelings between girls are pure, like lilies. Besides, Lian-chan is very likable." Mana smiled sweetly, "This way, our life will be guaranteed. Moreover, this kind of affection doesn't betray Shu..."

Seeing Mana's smiling face, Eve's figure gradually faded from the mirror. Her last words, spoken softly, might not have reached Mana: "Do you still love Shu? Mana, Inori... time has eroded too many of your memories. What you think is love might just be an obsession... This kind of obsession hurts the most. I hope Lian won't be hurt..."

When Mana later shared her conversation with Eve with Chu Lian, Chu Lian could only laugh and cry, "You overthink things. Inori was my favorite character in the second dimension. Since I like her, I naturally like both of you. Even if she becomes real, I'll do my best to help her..."

Was Mana really overthinking? Perhaps this was a lie concealing the deepest secret.