"As compensation for what you did to my dinner last night." March 7th declared, arms crossed and brow furrowed. "You're coming with me to see Fu Xuan."
Aleph tilted his head, feigning confusion.
"What are you talking about? I don't remember adding anything spicy."
[Master, I have finally reestablished the connection with the outside. You currently have 1,167 unread messages.]
Aleph couldn't help but click his tongue. On one hand, he'd have to read and reply to all of them. On the other, he had to deal with March 7th.
"I had frost on my lashes from the fright!" She shrieked, pointing at him like he'd committed a crime. "Also, I forgot to see Fu Xuan yesterday about my memories... and you're coming with me as part of your punishment. End of story."
Aleph sighed and nodded silently.
...…
Divination Commission
Fu Xuan was waiting for them, arms crossed, forehead wrinkled as always.
"You're late." She murmured without even turning around.
"Good morning to you too." March 7th replied with a somewhat stiff smile.
"You want to use the Divination Matrix to see your past?" Fu Xuan asked as she turned to face them. "I can try. But... only if Aleph makes me snacks for a week."
"That's it?" He replied. "How picky is your palate?"
"Surprisingly sophisticated." She said, raising an eyebrow. "And treacherous if underestimated. By the way, I should warn you—what you want to use the Divination Matrix for has never been attempted before."
"Huh. Even the Grand Diviner has limits." Aleph muttered.
Fu Xuan narrowed her eyes.
"Hmph. I never said it was impossible."
She led them to the heart of the pavilion, where the matrix stood.
"The Divination Matrix doesn't retrieve memories. It collects data—residual fragments—and uses them to infer likely futures." She explained as she activated a series of floating holograms.
"But... can you use it to see my past?"
"In theory. It should be possible. If your memories weren't completely erased, we could reconstruct between seventy and ninety percent of what's lost. But that depends on the kind of memory loss you have."
"What kinds are there?" March 7th asked, her expression serious.
"Two. Memories that are dormant in the subconscious, or those erased by external interference. If it's the latter, reconstruction becomes much more complex."
Fu Xuan raised her hand and summoned a new interface.
"To proceed, we'll need material anchors. Items that represent your lived journey so far—ideally tied to the specific past you want to recover."
March 7th pulled out her backpack and started rummaging through it.
"Let's see… this should work…"
One by one, they began placing objects onto a floating table connected to the Matrix.
"A ticket from the Astral Express." She said. "Pom-Pom gave me this as a keepsake."
"A researcher ID from Herta's Space Station." Fu Xuan read aloud. "Level one? I've heard the lowest level is two."
"Yeah... they wouldn't let me into even the most basic lab. Just the bathroom! So mean!"
Aleph chuckled a bit, though he looked away when March 7th shot him a death glare.
"A geomarrow from Jarilo-VI... It feels like it's been ages. That's where we found a wild Aleph!" She said, ignoring Aleph's dry look and his muttered.
"Since when am I a Pokémon species?"
"And this…" She added, pulling out a decorated glass. "It's an Immortal Delight Cup."
Fu Xuan arched an eyebrow.
"A smoothie?"
March 7th averted her eyes and cleared her throat.
"Don't judge my memories, okay?"
Finally, she placed a frayed piece of black fabric on the table.
Aleph recognized it instantly.
"Eh—Isn't that part of the outfit I wore on Jarilo-VI? What are you doing with that? And hey—that's mine!"
"It was yours." She corrected. "It tore during your fight with Cocolia. I picked it up and... well… now it's one of my memories."
Aleph stared at her for a second, then snorted and shrugged.
"Fine. But expect retaliation, Miss March." He thought as he started laughing like a cartoon villain. Several people from the Commission gave him weird looks, which he very conveniently ignored.
Fu Xuan examined all the items, then gestured. A beam of light scanned each one.
"One's missing." She said. "Something from your lost past. Something that still exists and is connected to you."
March 7th thought for a moment, then opened her palm.
Ice began to form in it.
Six-phase ice.
Aleph watched silently. March's ice was truly beautiful.
"Will this do?"
Fu Xuan nodded.
"More than enough."
With all elements ready, the Matrix began to glow more brightly.
As they walked toward the center, March 7th turned to Aleph. Her usually cheerful expression softened as she asked a quiet question.
"...Have you ever thought about using this to recover the rest of your memories?"
Aleph didn't respond. For a moment, he looked uncertain.
"No. I'd rather not." Was all he said.
But his voice was duller than usual. His eyes didn't lift from the ground.
March 7th felt uneasy. It was like she'd just…
"It's like I kicked a puppy and left it outside in a storm…"
She decided not to push further.
Finally, she stepped alone into the matrix.
The light enveloped her.
...…
March 7th blinked.
Suddenly, she was standing in the Alchemy Commission.
She recognized the place… but something was different.
She walked around, taking in the surroundings. Then, ahead of her, she saw something startling.
Two Fu Xuans.
Standing side by side.
March 7th opened her mouth, confused.
"But… you weren't here that day."
"No." Fu Xuan confirmed. "This is your memory. The Matrix is projecting it based on your perceptions and thoughts."
The other Fu Xuan began to speak.
"The interweaving of stellar destinies is reflected in the predictive margins of an interpolated existence…"
"What…?" March 7th murmured.
Fu Xuan crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Is that really what you think I sound like?"
"I—That's not fair! You do talk like that sometimes!"
"I'm not offended." Fu Xuan said with a faint smile. "I'm just impressed by how deeply you view me as a fraud spouting bad tongue-twisters."
"I didn't mean to! It's the Matrix, not me!"
"The Matrix reflects perception. It doesn't fabricate personalities." Fu Xuan said with a deadpan look.
March 7th wanted to melt into the floor on the spot.
*************
March 7th no longer knew if she was reciting a cosmic prophecy or a slow-motion tongue twister.
"The constellations converge... when the portals of truth intertwine with the threads of doubt, only then... does the lotus of fate bloom in the pond of possibility..."
March 7th blinked. Several times.
"...What?"
The real Fu Xuan, arms crossed, let out a long sigh behind her.
"Of all the perceptual errors you could make, this is how you see me? A charlatan spouting horoscopes with philosophical pretensions?"
"Wait, it's not my fault!" March waved her hands, her face bright red with embarrassment. "It's the simulation's fault, not mine!"
"Sure, sure…" Fu Xuan muttered, rolling her eyes while still glaring at her other self.
March 7th readied her bow and fired the first icy shot.
The other Fu Xuan made a goofy face as she was pelted with ice arrows.
When she collapsed, March let out a relieved sigh.
"Whew, that was a piece of cake." She muttered under her breath, stashing her bow. "I hope Mr. Yang, Stelle, and Aleph are as weak as her, or I'm toast."
"Piece of cake?! Weak?!" The real Fu Xuan yelled, outraged.
"Ahhh! Sorry, I didn't mean it like that!"
…
As she turned, March 7th found Welt Yang standing next to the large tree in the area.
"Mr. Yang?" She asked, approaching.
He gave her a gentle nod.
"Everything will be fine, March. We just need to stand firm. With the threat of Panthylia so near, we can't afford to falter."
"Panthylia…?" March blinked, confused.
That name hadn't even been mentioned when they arrived at the Commission. They didn't even know such a thing existed.
When she looked back, Mr. Yang was already starting to fade into fragments of light.
"Living in the past won't bring you peace." He said in a calm voice. "You already have a perfect life. Why chase what could've been?"
And then he was gone.
…
March continued her path, soon finding Stelle, seated on a railing.
"Stelle."
Nothing. The girl looked at her with her usual blank expression.
"Come on, you can't keep playing the mysterious silent type here. Say something!"
Stelle tilted her head.
"Something."
"…Excuse me?"
"Something." She repeated.
Fu Xuan, standing beside her, raised an eyebrow.
"Looks like you and I perceive her the same way."
March bit her lip. She felt a little guilty. It wasn't Stelle's fault she was so… unique.
Then Stelle also began to fade.
"What if the memories you're searching for aren't what you expect? What if you don't like how it ends?" She whispered before disappearing.
…
Tingyun appeared next to a market stand, flipping through magazines.
"Could you lend me a few credits?" She asked, smiling. "I saw a beauty magazine I'm interested in… It's a special edition! Don't worry, I'll let you flip through it after I've had a look."
Before March could answer, Tingyun too began to fade.
"Leave the past behind. You already have everything. Isn't that enough?"
…
Fu Xuan and March 7th moved into another section of the Commission. More memories floated around them.
"Are you sure about this?" Fu Xuan asked.
"Yes." she answered firmly. "My memories belong to me. I'm not letting anyone take them away."
Fu Xuan nodded with a satisfied expression.
"Then go on."
…
And there was Aleph.
He was dressed like a ridiculously overdecorated fairytale prince.
Shiny cape, gloves with fake gems, hair styled so perfectly it looked like he'd walked straight out of a shampoo commercial.
He bowed before her with a gallant smile.
"My lady…" He said, and with a gesture as elegant as an Anti-Matter Legion officer at a tea party, he handed her a box.
March 7th hesitantly took it and opened it.
It was a cake.
A Pom-Pom-shaped cake.
"...Seriously?" Fu Xuan muttered, crossing her arms.
March scratched her cheek, nervous—and secretly delighted.
"It's not my fault! He's got weird habits! I once saw him eat a candle!"
As if to confirm her words, the princely Aleph proceeded to bite a table like it was made of marzipan.
"...?"
"I told you it's not my fault!"
Aleph began to fade, but before vanishing, he looked her in the eyes.
"Remember, not every past brings comfort. Sometimes, there's only pain. Ask yourself if it's worth it—make sure your choice leaves no regrets, March…"
…
And then they approached the final figure.
Jing Yuan.
"He wasn't here." Said March, frowning.
Jing Yuan looked at them.
"There are things better left unremembered. You'd do well to turn back while you still can."
He raised his sword.
March 7th swallowed hard.
"We're gonna fight the General?! Even together we couldn't—!"
"Use your imagination!" Fu Xuan shouted. "Think of something you can summon that can beat him!"
March shut her eyes tightly.
And then, it appeared.
Pom-Pom-Terminator. Wielding an orange carrot-shaped shotgun.
And he wasn't alone.
Beside him, Aleph and Stelle dressed like mobsters in black suits and fedoras. Behind them, Dan Heng covered in sequins, spinning gracefully like he was in the middle of a ballet.
The four of them charged at Jing Yuan.
.....
The General dissolved into sparks.
Fu Xuan looked at her with a deadpan expression.
"I'm starting to question my choices."
March just shrugged.
That's when something shined in the distance.
A Belobog heater.
"That... that shouldn't be here."
"Go on," said Fu Xuan. "Touch it to move forward."
"Touch it?! Are you crazy? That thing'll burn my hands!"
"It's your memory. It won't hurt you."
"What if it does?"
"It won't."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"…Yes."
Finally, Fu Xuan rolled her eyes and gave March 7th a light push, making her touch it.
Light enveloped her instantly.
*******
The pain was real.
March 7th jumped back, tears welling in her eyes as she rubbed her fingers like she'd just touched the surface of the sun.
"You said it wouldn't hurt!"
Fu Xuan crossed her arms, her expression practically screaming "Not my problem."
"I said it wouldn't harm you, not that you wouldn't feel it."
March let out a choked whine. There was no way that little semantic nuance justified what she had just felt.
But the pain faded quickly—and so did the world around her.
They were in the Grand Goethe Hotel.
Everything looked just as she remembered it.
Fu Xuan spun on her heels, scanning every corner.
"If this place manifested now, it must have been meaningful to you."
"Obviously." March grumbled. "We were here for like… a few hours before Cocolia decided we were dangerous and sent half of Belobog to hunt us down."
But something felt off.
The decor was flashier.
The gold letters on the entrance sign looked different.
"Excuse me?" She asked a receptionist whose smile was a little too fixed to be trustworthy. "Isn't this the Goethe Hotel?"
"Goethe? Oh no, young lady. It's been the Grand Sampo Hotel for weeks now. Old Goethe sold everything. The new owner, Mr. Sampo, has made everything better."
March blinked.
Fu Xuan slowly turned to look at her, saying nothing.
"This is a nightmare." March muttered.
They kept walking. Soon they found Pela dressed like an office worker. Her hands were a whirlwind of papers, stamps, signatures, more papers, more stamps, and coffee.
And yet she moved with the precision and grace of a tightrope dancer.
"She's being exploited..." March whispered.
"But she's handling it with an impressive level of efficiency." Fu Xuan commented, visibly impressed.
"Erm, I think that's just my personal perception..."
They passed by a table.
Bronya sat calmly, sipping tea.
In front of her, Seele and Gepard were arm wrestling.
Gepard's arm was trembling.
Seele's hadn't moved a single millimeter.
"Tea?" Bronya offered without looking up.
"Thanks, but… no." March replied. "Bronya… don't you think this is kind of… weird?"
Bronya took a sip and looked at her with serene tranquility.
"Living in the past isn't wise, March. You have a perfect life. Why remember it?"
The room's temperature seemed to drop in an instant.
"Wait…" March whispered. "Seele. You… you weren't here. We met you with Aleph in the Underworld, didn't we?"
Seele sighed, let go of Gepard's hand—who nearly toppled from the released tension—and stepped forward.
"Why are you so persistent?"
And the world cracked.
Seele's figure distorted. A field of energy erupted around her.
March screamed, stumbling backward.
"Another fight?!"
Fu Xuan rolled her eyes, casually munching on some snacks.
"Well, do you have anything to summon this time?"
March nodded.
And with a brilliant flash…
A Seele in a maid outfit appeared before them.
"What—?!" Exclaimed Fu Xuan.
"Don't look at me like that!" March yelped, puffing up like a cat with its tail stepped on. "It's Aleph's fault! One time, he showed off one of his abilities, and his power accidentally made a Seele like that when he got distracted. Don't judge me!"
Fu Xuan put a hand to her forehead.
The maid-Seele, armed with a razor-sharp tray and a deadly glare, leapt into battle.
The scythe and tray clashed, sparks flying through the air. But in the end—
Maid-Seele triumphed.
The fake Seele disintegrated into shining particles, and the maid-Seele gave a graceful bow before vanishing elegantly.
"…I won't even ask what kind of tray that was." Fu Xuan murmured.
Then, they heard a shout.
"March! Fu Xuan! Your order has arrived!!"
It was Sampo.
Grinning behind the reception desk, he waved a box in his hands.
"A delivery? From who?" March asked.
They stepped closer and took it. Upon opening it, they found a tablet bearing the Herta Space Station logo.
March frowned.
"This one won't hurt, right?"
"I don't think so." Said Fu Xuan.
March lifted the tablet.
"It's not hot, so… here goes."
She touched it.
And once again, the world unraveled.
...
March 7th blinked, looking around.
Now she was alone.
Then she heard footsteps. She turned.
And there stood Dan Heng.
"We have to move. The Antimatter Legion is attacking."
His voice was tense, resolute.
And that's when March understood.
She was reliving the day she met Stelle.
....
March 7th heard Fu Xuan's voice.
"—March? —... it's... okay — ...respond..."
March 7th stopped, looking around. But the voice vanished as quickly as it had come.
Dan Heng, walking ahead of her, didn't seem to have heard anything. He kept moving forward without stopping, without looking back.
Until they entered an open room.
Once she crossed the threshold, there was no trace of Dan Heng—he had simply vanished into thin air.
In his place, the scene before her was... bizarre.
Asta was sitting at a small table, sipping tea with a Voidranger. Her cheerful voice was telling a story about a mysterious intergalactic princess who fell onto a jelly planet.
March 7th turned pale.
That was one of her stories. One of the many she had made up when trying to piece together her past.
As she walked forward, more voices echoed from the walls.
Conversations.
Debates.
Speculation.
"I say she was a noble who escaped a galactic war."
"Nah! She looks like some secret experiment from an extinct civilization."
"...What if she's a fallen Aeon?" Herta suggested.
March 7th froze at that. Herta was speaking with a group of researchers from the station, analyzing possibilities like she was just a science project.
"Well, that's still a possibility." She murmured, looking down timidly.
A pang of shame stabbed through her chest.
What if... Fu Xuan heard all this? What if Aleph did too?
Aleph's face flashed into her mind. Grinning like an idiot, mocking her...
AHHHHHH NOOOOO.
If Aleph saw or heard any of this...
March's eyes dimmed as a new thought struck her.
"Would Stelle lend me her bat for a moment? How many hits to the head would it take to wipe Aleph's memory? He's got a thick skull... maybe more than twenty."
Up ahead, a larger hall opened up.
And there they were—Stelle and Aleph.
But something wasn't right.
They didn't even know Stelle at this point. And Aleph... Aleph had never been at the Space Station. At this time, he should be in the Underworld. They hadn't even met him yet.
And yet, here they were. Waiting for her.
Stelle crossed her arms. Aleph did too.
"Don't you think that's enough?" Aleph said, his expression tired and sorrowful. "Why keep going when the outcome is so pitiful, empty, and meaningless? You should give up and return to reality."
"Is it really worth digging so deep?" Stelle added, her voice flat, her expression hollow. "What if you don't like what you find?"
March 7th frowned and stepped forward. She'd had enough of this.
"Enough!"
Her voice echoed through the room.
"Don't ruin the image I have of my friends. They're not like this!"
She looked at Stelle.
"Stelle might be weird, a little clueless, and yeah, kind of clumsy. But she would never stop me from chasing something this important. She'd be right beside me, cheering me on... like a real friend!"
Then she turned to Aleph, her eyes more conflicted.
"And you... you're an idiot."
She paused for a moment.
"A kind idiot. You'd never tell me to stop. You'd challenge me to a race, try to beat me to the goal, but deep down you'd only do it to clear the way for me. To make it easier for me."
Her voice trembled, but she didn't back down.
"You both act so tough, but you're really softies... The fact that you'd dare to smear your own image like this—I won't forgive you!"
The fake versions of Stelle and Aleph took battle stances.
March 7th didn't flinch.
She raised a hand. And two figures appeared—one, a young woman with gray hair wielding a bat crackling with white energy and blue sparks.
Stelle.
And a boy with gray hair tied in a ponytail, holding an ice bat. Behind him stood a towering red demon with horns and a club in hand, alongside a beautiful pink-haired girl floating in midair.
Aleph, with Oni and Nappea.
...
The fake Aleph tried to mimic the moves and powers of the real one March had summoned, but failed miserably, and was swiftly turned into minced meat in a full assault by Aleph and Oni.
On the other side, Stelle, backed by Nappea, completely crushed her impostor.
In the end, both smiled at March before vanishing.
Soon the room began to distort. The edges rippled like water under pressure. Everything started to dissolve.
As the new scenery formed, March 7th recognized it instantly.
The Herta Space Station and the Underworld.
Merged together.
Standing before her was a woman.
She wore a white hooded trench coat.
A black helmet with a smooth, opaque crystal concealed her entire face—resembling the six-phase ice crystal.
The figure stared silently at her for what felt like an eternity.
Then spoke in a soft, emotionless voice.
"I am a Messenger of the Garden of Recollection."
*************
"Don't dig into your past, March. Leave the Divination Matrix. If you insist on this, you'll only end up hurting yourself."
The Messenger's voice rang out with authority.
March 7th clenched her fists tightly. The tremble in her lips wasn't from fear—it was from determination.
She looked up; her eyes reflected a spark of stubbornness. She had already made up her mind not to back down.
"No… I won't leave." She declared. "You're the one who should go! I'm not giving up."
A violet flash ignited in the air, and then, Fu Xuan appeared.
Her gaze was as cold as jade and as sharp as a freshly unsheathed sword.
"What are you trying to do with this girl?" Fu Xuan demanded, stepping forward. "No matter what your intentions were… stealing memories, deceiving them, clouding them like you did… I can't allow this to continue!"
The Memorykeeper sighed, full of weariness. She shook her head.
"If only you had listened." She murmured. "I wouldn't have had to take such… drastic measures."
The world around them shattered like a broken mirror. Light flickered, images glitched erratically, and suddenly, both March 7th and Fu Xuan found themselves in the dormitory car of the Astral Express.
Fu Xuan raised an eyebrow as she looked around.
"We must be getting close to a key point."
March 7th gripped her skirt as a doubtful expression crossed her face.
"Why…? Why are they trying to stop me? What are they hiding from me?"
Fu Xuan glanced sideways at her.
"The Garden of Recollection isn't a unified organization. Many of its members have their own agendas. Assuming they act with a single purpose would be quite naive."
As they walked through the silver corridors, the atmosphere shifted.
Memories began to project in front of them.
They saw Himeko, speaking in hushed tones with Welt and Dan Heng. A still-frozen March 7th rested to the side, encased in six-phase ice.
"We don't know if she's still alive… Who knows how long she's been frozen." Himeko warned.
Welt nodded, looking at Dan Heng with gravity.
"If there's any sign of life… I don't think we'll get another chance to save her. Dan Heng, help me. We'll open this ice block."
Dan Heng was already moving.
"Pom-Pom, please bring the first aid kit. Quickly."
"On it! Huff… I'm on it! Huff!" Came the reply.
"Be careful not to hurt her…" Himeko added.
March 7th tried to touch the image… but it glitched violently.
The scene warped, distorted, and threw her back to the start of the car.
A new voice—soft, sweet, and chillingly cold—spoke to her.
"Don't look back. Keep moving forward."
March 7th swallowed hard and forced herself to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine.
They kept walking.
Other memories surfaced.
Welt Yang's initial mistrust, looking at her as if she were a ticking time bomb—until Pom-Pom convinced him to give her a chance, saying everyone was welcome on the Astral Express.
Dan Heng's whispered words.
"Everyone agreed to let you stay. I'm an exile, and it seems… you don't have a home to return to either. I hope you understand that here, on the Express, no one's alone. Himeko said your vital signs are stable… I hope you wake up soon."
The scene glitched again. Now they were more recent memories.
She saw Stelle talking to Aleph, who had asked what March 7th was usually like.
"She can be a bit annoying sometimes." Stelle admitted, arms crossed. "But… it wouldn't be the same without her. I don't think the Astral Express would be nearly as fun if she weren't here."
Further ahead, she found Aleph, who didn't seem to know anyone was listening. It looked like it had been recorded just hours ago.
Given that his left arm was slightly raised and his gauntlet screen was lit up, he was most likely speaking with Burroughs.
"She's always getting into trouble… I worry about her." He murmured. "If she were to disappear, the brightness of the Express would vanish too. No matter how scatterbrained she is… she's a dear friend to all of us. Even Dan Heng, who says he finds her incredibly annoying, would raise his spear in a heartbeat to protect her if anyone tried to hurt her. What would you recommend I do to help make her stronger, even just a little?"
[I'm glad you asked, Master. I have plenty of ideas. Would you like to hear about Operation 'Miss Pink Elf'?]
"…That's a very questionable name." He muttered, with an expression halfway between a laugh and a sigh.
March 7th felt a knot in her throat.
Fu Xuan had remained silent through the entire process.
March took a deep breath, turned on her heel, and walked back—toward the door they had come from.
"She said to go forward? Then I'm doing the opposite! Hmph, evil little voice! You're no match for the great March 7th!"
As she touched it, a blinding light surrounded her.
When clarity returned, she stood beside Fu Xuan in her own room.
The mess was monumental, with clothes, keepsakes, and small trinkets piled in a chaos that seemed to have no end.
March 7th scratched her neck, embarrassed; her cheeks turned a little red.
"I-It's a bit messy… I left it that way after prepping things 'just in case'… And well, I didn't think I'd have visitors." She mumbled.
Fu Xuan looked around the room with curiosity.
In the center of the room, taking up nearly the entire wall, floated a large chunk of six-phase ice.
Fu Xuan turned to March.
"We've reached the end. Everything you've been searching for is in there."
The Diviner's gaze turned serious once more.
"I'll ask you one last time, March 7th—are you sure you want to remember?"
March nodded with a determined expression.
There was no room left for doubt.
She stepped forward and placed her hand on the ice.
Light consumed her figure.
.....
The scene shifted abruptly—a vast cosmic sea stretched out before March 7th.
Vivid-colored nebulas, wandering meteors, and stardust formed a majestic spiral, all converging at the center where a larger structure, like a celestial hurricane, rose in endless loops toward infinity.
"You again?" March 7th growled, frowning. "What I do with my past is none of your business! Why do you always have to get in my way?!"
The Messenger remained unbothered. Her voice was soft, patient.
"Trust me." She said. "Everything I've done, I did for you. To protect you."
March 7th let out a dry chuckle, devoid of joy.
"Locking me up is your idea of protection? Sure, and I suppose giving candy to a demon is charity too. What a lovely idea of affection you've got!"
Without waiting for a reply, she began walking toward the core of the spiral, resolute.
A sigh echoed across the starscape.
"I'll show you the origin you seek. I just hope that, after this, you'll stop digging any further. Believe me—this is what's best for you…"
At the heart of the spiral, March 7th found herself once again trapped in radiant ice, split into six phases.
"The eagle that spreads its wings does not long for the cliffs where it once fell. The ship sailing full speed does not miss the shore where it ran aground." The voice was warm, but tinged with melancholy. "This is your true beginning. This is where your life started—filled with unique adventures and irreplaceable memories. Everything else… it doesn't matter. Your worth isn't in the past. It's in the present—and in the brilliant future waiting for you."
The scene shifted again.
March 7th was now reliving a memory from the night before.
She was chasing Aleph with a broom, eyes full of tears from all the spice he had snuck into her food. He laughed as he ran away, and in the background, Stelle casually took advantage of the chaos to steal both their plates.
Dan Heng looked on with the face of someone long used to their nonsense. Welt smiled—he seemed to find it amusing.
Himeko was happily enjoying desserts Aleph had made to go with her coffee, and Pom-Pom, without a care in the world, devoured a carrot cake.
The Messenger's voice whispered gently.
"It's time to say goodbye. I'll leave you a gift. I hope we meet again…"
"Wait! Stop!" March 7th shouted.
But the light engulfed her once more.
....
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Aleph's face—filled with worry—as he held her in his arms.
She blinked, disoriented. She was back in the Divination Commission.
She noticed something in her hands. A photograph. A young girl with pink hair smiled brightly at the camera.
Aleph's voice brought her back.
"Are you okay?" He asked, still visibly tense.
She gave a faint smile.
"Yeah… I'm okay."
Fu Xuan approached immediately.
"The Divination Matrix has stopped." She reported, arms crossed. "What happened? I lost sight of you the moment you touched the ice."
March 7th, cheeks now red from still being in Aleph's arms, awkwardly pulled away and replied.
"It's… hard to explain."
Aleph looked at both of them, baffled.
"What the hell just happened in there?"
Both March 7th and Fu Xuan began to explain in the simplest terms possible, carefully avoiding overly personal details to protect March's social standing.
After a pause, Fu Xuan said.
"It seems that Messenger truly works for the Lord of Light."
March 7th frowned.
"You mean Fuli, the Remembrance? You think this is tied to my past?"
Neither she nor Fu Xuan noticed how Aleph's expression darkened.
"Them again." He thought, as his face grew grim.
Flashes of past events crossed his mind—Zero on Jarilo-VI, the encounter with Aha in the Simulated Universe, the actions of Sanctus Medicus, the Abundance's Abominations, Panthylia, the Devastator.
Ahhhh damn it.
Fu Xuan continued, unaware of his reaction.
"It's too early to draw conclusions. But if an Aeon sealed your memories, it might not have been to harm you—but to protect you. Fuli may have done it to shield you from something you weren't ready to face. That would explain the Messenger's warnings."
Aleph, now calmer, let out a long sigh.
"Seems like… we still don't know much more than before." He said, exhaling again.
March 7th gave a soft laugh, shrugging.
"But now I know I have some connection to the Garden of Recollection! That's progress, right?"
Fu Xuan sighed, resigned.
"Recovering your memories is beyond the operational limits of the Divination Matrix, I'm afraid."
"That's okay." March 7th replied with a smile. "You've helped me more than you think. I owe you big time!"
Fu Xuan gave a half-smile.
"Then you can start by helping me inspect the Matrix for damage…"
March 7th's smile froze. A cold sweat ran down her back.
"Aleph, we have to go! Now!" She shouted, grabbing his hand and pulling him along.
"Huh? Why?" He asked, confused.
"If something's broken, we'll owe a fortune in credits!" She cried as she ran.
Hearing that, Aleph went pale. Without a second thought, he picked her up bridal-style and bolted toward the Express.
March 7th, embarrassed by how he was carrying her, tried to focus on something else.
"… Hey, what were you planning to do today?"
Still running, Aleph replied.
"I was supposed to meet Dan Heng at the Sanctum of Exaltation. I promised I'd go with him to meet the current Grand Master."
March 7th let out a nervous laugh as the Commission's landscape blurred past them.
Her gaze fell on the photo in her hands.
For now, that was enough.
There was a bright present still worth smiling for.