What became of Mobius later, Ryn didn't know. After rolling out of his own house, Ryn headed to the airport, bought a ticket to the city where Elysia was, and left the Mu Continent.
It's better to rip the band-aid off quickly. Being indecisive and hesitant would only cause more harm the longer it dragged on.
Time is a merciless blade. It will sever the man or woman one loved to death, soothing all wounds with its passage until they are completely forgotten.
He was no longer that naive child who could nonchalantly stay by Kiana's side, accompanying her as she grew up...
He didn't know when Seele would arrive, nor did he know when he would leave this world.
Playing a loli-raising game, raising the little snake until she grew up? Don't be ridiculous. He and Kiana grew up together. If it were with the little snake... what would that be? He was a father of a child now, how could he still play such a perverted game.
If Elysia found out, he'd be thrown in jail again.
It wasn't that he didn't love her, it was just the wrong time, the wrong place, and he shouldn't have fallen for the wrong person.
An impossible connection only adds to the sorrow. If fate allows, we will meet again in the future.
Before the plane took off, Ryn checked his phone a few last times, watching for the friend request notification to pop up.
Ryn had once bought Mobius a phone, thinking of leaving a contact method for easier communication, but Mobius had arrogantly said, "We see each other every day, and we eat together every day. You know where I'll be, and I know where you'll be. If there's anything to say, we can just say it face-to-face. I don't want to add any contact info!"
The naive girl childishly thought that this way they could have more time together, but she never considered that one day, Ryn or she might leave the lab and go far away.
The plane was about to take off, and Ryn still hadn't received the confirmation message.
Maybe she's still angry... Ryn turned off his phone, lay back in his seat, and closed his eyes.
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The next day, when the plane landed, the first thing Ryn did was turn on his phone, but he still didn't see the confirmation message he was hoping for.
Little did he know that at this time, Mobius had already been sent to a mental hospital for getting violent and injuring someone...
Ryn patted his face. It wasn't just Mobius who had to learn to grow up and leave her past naivety behind; he had to do the same.
An adult must learn to control their emotions and understand what is and isn't permissible.
After getting off the plane, Ryn saw a pink-haired girl in the distance holding up a large sign with the words "Ryn" on it, waving it back and forth.
Elysia's eyes met Ryn's, and after knowing he had seen her, she flipped the sign over, revealing a few words on the back...
"You finally decided to come back, huh!"
Ryn let out a chuckle. The gloom from losing Mobius was instantly swept away by the quirky and mischievous Elysia.
Taking a closer look, in the few years he had been away, the chubby little dumpling had grown into a graceful young lady.
Time truly is a strange thing... it glossed over my life, tampered with my memories, and stole the time of my child's growth...
In the blink of an eye, things were no longer the same, and the child had grown up.
After picking Ryn up, Elysia took his hand, happily swinging it as she strode forward, the joy on her face impossible to hide.
The little Volibear bear he had left for Elysia was now even smaller, a palm-sized doll with a small bell, hanging from Elysia's waist and jingling pleasantly as she skipped along.
Leaving the airport, they took a taxi back to the hotel where Elysia was temporarily staying in the city.
Ryn checked inside and out several times, and then the joy of seeing Elysia completely vanished. His face instantly darkened, and the surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees.
Elysia sensed that Ryn seemed angry. Breaking out in a cold sweat, she took step after sneaky step backward, preparing to make a run for it.
Ryn grabbed the fleeing Elysia, looking at her with an unfriendly expression.
"My dear daughter, how is it that I don't feel a trace of Maheśvara's presence? And if I recall correctly, every message you sent said you were with Maheśvara, didn't it?"
"Ahaha..." Elysia awkwardly scratched her head, trying to think of an excuse to fob him off.
But seeing Ryn's face growing darker and darker, Elysia finally tapped her own head, stuck out her tongue, and tried to act cute.
"Ehe~"
"Elysia!"
Following Ryn's angry roar, Elysia obediently ran to a corner, hugged her head, and squatted down.
Ryn looked at Elysia, completely bewildered. What was this? Did she still think he was going to spank her like before?
Elysia squatted for three seconds, then suddenly remembered that she was no longer the little tyke who couldn't even walk straight. *Swoosh*—she stood up again, ran to Ryn's side, took his arm, and started shaking it, cooing in a low voice.
"Oh, come on~ Don't be angry, okay?"
"I'm not angry."
"As if you're not. Alright~ Mother Maheśvara doesn't like being too far from the sea. The dry inland air makes her uncomfortable. So after giving me lots and lots of treasures and blessings, she parted ways with me."
"? She's that confident in you? Letting you travel alone?"
Ryn's eyes narrowed, staring straight at Elysia. Based on his later encounters with Maheśvara, that being absolutely doted on little Elysia. How could she possibly let little Elysia travel alone after the Honkai had started to erupt?
"She wasn't confident, of course~"
Elysia winked playfully, then quickly took a few steps back, hiding behind her back as she said to Ryn:
"I told Mother Maheśvara that Daddy is very, very strong. I don't know if Mother Maheśvara believed me or not.
Anyway, I told Mother Maheśvara that Daddy was coming back tonight, and only then did she feel at ease enough to leave..."
*Shing—*
Ryn pulled out his belt and walked towards Elysia step by step.
"Hey, hey, hey~ Daddy, this is domestic violence! I'm going to cry, you know?"
"Your Mother Maheśvara will cry too when she finds out the daughter she trusted so much lied to her."
"But this can't really be considered a lie. Didn't you come back, Daddy~"
Elysia pinched her fingers together, leaving a small gap. "Although you were just a year or two late..."
"Indeed. Speaking of which, that suddenly reminds me of the time little Elysia reported her old man and got him sent to jail, doesn't it?"
"Ehe!"
"'Ehe' my foot!"
Ryn pinched little Elysia's cheeks with both hands and kneaded them fiercely, letting out some of his frustration.
As for the spanking he mentioned earlier, forget it. Ryn couldn't bear to do it. When he had time, he'd go beat up Maheśvara instead. She was tough and thick-skinned, so Ryn wouldn't feel bad hitting her.