"Juxi, I've never been afraid of death, but... I'm most afraid of loneliness now. Do you know how I've spent these over a hundred years?"

"How have you spent them?"

"Every day, I can only live in my own fantasies, using my spiritual world to satisfy myself. If it weren't for constantly using different worlds to keep you from forgetting me... I wouldn't forget you either."

"...I'm sorry."

"Heh, is an apology enough?"

Yuanhui laughed coldly.

"If all I've waited for these over a hundred years is just an apology from you, then am I insane?!"

Yuanhui knew very well what it felt like to be in darkness for a hundred years. During this time, he could only entertain himself, never finding a third person to talk to.

"A third person?" Juxi was confused. Was there another person he could talk to?

"Isn't it you?!"

"... Me?"

"Yes, dreams aren't something that only you can have. Even I can have them, but the difference is... you are the one who is in the dream, while I am not. I create the dreams."

"Dreams? So all this time, what I've experienced was just a dream?"

"Yes, you've already woken up... Aren't you happy?"

"... Happy? Is it because I can finally breathe fresh air?"

Juxi took a deep breath, feeling something different.

"Juxi, you're still human now, different from me. You still have a second life, but now I can only exist as a soul in this world."

Yuanhui turned into a wisp of purple light and quickly entered Juxi's forehead.

For this hundred years, I've been staying in your body like this, keeping your consciousness from leaving.

I've never left you. Day after day, year after year, everyone thought you were dead, but I secretly hid you... I want to apologize to you. I knew that eternal life was an impossible study, but I still tried, and gave you to Father.

After who knows how long, when I woke up again from the long sleep, I appeared in your world.

Being able to meet in this kind of world, no matter what, I felt the happiest at that time.

Even though I know everything I see now is created by myself, it's still better than accepting the reality of losing.

That's how the world is, it never gives us a chance to negotiate. If we make mistakes, it will punish us, and if we do things right, it will reward us. But when we try to destroy it, it will also destroy us.

"Let's part here... I... cough, cough, I can't hold on much longer!"

"Juxi... You, you will be fine!"

He looked at me with confusion at what I said, then smiled and said, "How... how is that possible? You're fine, nothing is wrong with you!"

I squinted my eyes, my face showing a mysterious smile as I confessed everything.

"Do you remember the first time we met at the coffee shop?"

"Hmm!"

Yuanhui nodded without hesitation and said, "I've never forgotten..."

"I told you..." I gently patted Yuanhui's back, motioning for him to let me down so I could catch my breath. My face, pale as ever, still held a forced smile as I continued.

"I can recognize your name even though we've only just met. Don't you find that strange?"

"Yes, it is strange, but it doesn't matter now. Your leg..."

"Oh, so you noticed... hehe, ah!" I bit my lip and forced a bitter smile, looking towards the cliff... there was a long trail of blood on the ground!

"Actually, in our past lives, we had a sincere friendship! Do you believe it?"

"Yes, I believe it," Yuanhui replied without hesitation.

"Cough cough," I could feel my consciousness gradually fading, so I waved my hand and said, "Put me down and take Yuanhui... cough cough... take me back to the cliff!"

"No, I'll go call for a medical helicopter right now..."

"Hurry!"

I suddenly felt a sweet sensation in my throat and coughed up a mouthful of dark, murky blood. "Quick... it's too late!"

In the end, we arrived at the body of Viktorche near the cliff. His hand was still tightly clenched into a fist, raised high in the air.

With Yuanhui's help, I approached Viktorche and pried his fingers open, revealing an old handkerchief inside. There seemed to be a handwritten letter on it.

"What is this..."

Yuanhui took the paper from my hand. The writing on it was already somewhat blurry, but still discernible.

"What could be written on such an old piece of paper?"

With extreme caution, we unfolded the paper and read a simple sentence: "Immortality, Edward desires immortality, we cannot let him succeed!"

"Human desires only expose their greatest weaknesses... and it is only when true gods descend that we can make up for it and attain true eternity!" I read out the words on the paper.

"Haha..."

"Hahahaha," Yuanhui laughed with me, "Do you understand now?"

"Yes, maybe I didn't before, but now..."

I closed my eyes with a smile and softly hummed, "I understand completely!"

I had a dream, a very long dream, where I saw Youxiang waiting for me in front, but I could no longer touch her.

"I want to be with my sister forever and ever!"

Youxiang probably couldn't hear my answer anymore, or maybe she would never hear it?

"Juxi?"

Yuanhui gently lifted my back with his hand, but for some reason, I couldn't respond to his voice. I felt my entire being start to rise with the flow of the air, heading towards an unknown and mysterious world.

"Farewell... everyone, all the karmic retribution should end here."

Yuanhui tremblingly held me close in his embrace, his hands shaking and his eyes lifeless. This was once a sincere friendship between two men, despite the heartbreaking story with Youxiang, it couldn't erase the truth of all this.

I learned a lot from everyone, how to face death calmly. No matter how many cycles, how many Yuanhuis, Chiyoris, Nins, Yu Nais... and Youxiang, I couldn't forget the current all of you.

Youxiang, Yu Nai, and the others finally finished clearing the enemy forces and arrived here.

"Yuanhui," Youxiang smiled slightly with a hint of pride, "I've taken care of all of Viktorche's assault troops... What's wrong, Yuanhui?"

But Yuanhui's silence froze the smile on Yu Xiangjie's face completely.

"Weren't you happy just now when you said on the radio that you found Juxi? So, Juxi..."

"... "

Looking at Yuanhui sitting silently on the ground, he just held me tightly against his chest, trying to give me as much warmth as possible, and I could no longer feel this affection.

"He... " He clenched his lips tightly, tears flowing from Yuanhui's eyes like a relentless flood. "He has returned to God's side—!!"

What we once had was nothing but illusions, and they will disappear along with us when we leave.

There had always been a child by God's side, and his presence changed everyone's future. He made a lost young man reestablish his pursuit, and he made a spoiled young lady understand what it meant to be strong.

"I have always had the company of friends along my journey, I am not alone!"

Yes, leaning against everyone's embrace, I understood that even though I fell asleep, no one had ever left me because we are... the truest of friends!

Once, and now, too!

The words that my sister could never convey were also shattered along with my destiny because I had long known that there would be such a day, and I had prepared myself for it.

"I did not intend to stay by God's side, oh!"

I whispered my final words to everyone's ears, "I made a wish to the gods at the crossroads of karma..."

"Did you hear it?"

Everyone seemed to have heard my shout, so they stopped grieving and gathered around me.

"Juxi..."

"We will have another encounter!"

At the last moment, the gods relayed my words to everyone, and that was enough!

Watching everyone finally reveal happy smiles, I can also leave in peace.

Yuanhui wiped away his tears with his dirty hands and ran to the edge of the cliff, shouting towards the sky, "Juxi, you must keep your promise—!!"

"Yes!" Yu Xiangjie put her hands around her mouth, making a trumpet gesture, and shouted loudly, "I've always liked you, since you were little!"

"..."

Liked all along! My heart skipped a beat in that moment, but quickly calmed down as I covered my chest... I couldn't feel my heartbeat anymore.

"You came too?"

"How could we not come on such an important day?" Chiyori held onto Nian's hand, just like Yu Xiangjie, wearing a white dress today, showing her delicate face.

"Come inside!"

Yuanhui's mouth curled slightly, pointing inside with his thumb.

"Thank you!"

Chiyori gave him a modest smile in return.

"You're welcome, Yu Xiangjie, Yu Nai, and... Juxi, they have been waiting for us inside for a long time."

Inside the shrine, Yu Nai, Yu Xiangjie, Yuanhui, Chiyori, and others stood in a row, each holding their own box containing letters.

Everyone placed their boxes in front of the photos in order.

Each box represented longing and waiting, and it was not until Yu Xiangjie handed her box from her chest that it said, "I have always been with you!"

For the first time, Yu Xiang smiled with relief. A glimmer of light flickered on her beautiful face, and then she disappeared into the distance along with a wisp of white silk.

"Juxi... I've come to find you."