"Lilith… Miss, you said your name is Lilith, right?" Merka stared at Lilith leaning against the window frame and spoke.
"Yes, that's right. How about it, isn't my name nice to hear?" Lilith replied with a smile.
"So, why suddenly ask me about my name?" Lilith wrapped a strand of emerald hair around her temple, turned to face Merka, and smiled gently, like a maiden emanating a subtle fragrance in a dream.
"I'm just a bit, um, curious." Merka stood by the window and locked eyes with Lilith.
Merka's intense and resolute gaze, like a gazelle facing imminent danger, stared deeply at the hungry wolf before him. After scrutinizing closely, he finally recalled why Lilith's face seemed so familiar to him. Lilith's face, in fact, bore a striking resemblance to the Eve in his memories, as if they were carved from the same mold. The only differences were that Eve did not have snake scales, green hair, and definitely not Lilith's enchanting smile.
"…Merka?"
As soon as Merka finished speaking, the previously lively atmosphere between the two plummeted into a deep silence, as if warning of impending danger. Lilith glared at him with her bewitching snake eyes, her demeanor shifting from warm to icy, resembling a venomous snake coiled and ready to strike in a thicket. But not long after, Lilith suddenly put on a lively smile again, the abrupt change catching Merka off guard.
"Oh, come on, things are moving too fast, Darling!"
"Even if you're handsome, bombarding me with questions right off the bat will scare off any girl!"
Upon hearing this, Merka remained composed but furrowed his brow. He noticed a strange love view in Lilith's playful words, which contradicted the traditional ethics of Acadia. Unsure of its implications, he decided to keep it in mind for now.
"Sorry for overstepping, Miss Lilith." Merka placed a hand on the colorful window frame, facing Lilith.
"Let's get down to business. What do you mean by asking me to eat the forbidden fruit? And you mentioned that I'm already dead, which I don't quite understand."
"I'm choosing not to see you as my illusion but as a real being, assuming everything you say is true."
"But you claimed I'm dead and asked me to find my cause of death within ten minutes, which I find hard to comprehend…"
"Unfortunately, the ten minutes are almost up now, and I haven't noticed any signs of impending death in me."
"Can you please enlighten me?"
Although speaking confidently, Merka felt a sense of panic creeping in. With each word he uttered, he sensed his body growing weaker - legs refusing to support him, the hand on the window frame gradually losing strength. Strangely, his heart raced as if some unimaginable horror lurked within him, eager to burst out.
Unable to stand up, Merka clutched his chest, struggling against the impending collapse.
"Well, well, well, look at Mr. Merka. Feeling a bit inadequate?" Lilith bent down, looking at the powerless figure on the floor, teasingly extending a hand towards him. However, just as Merka reached out to grab Lilith's delicate hand, she slyly withdrew it.
"Let's forget it. Just lie on the floor and listen to me. You look cuter this way," Lilith smiled sweetly, placing one hand gently on her tailbone and the other in a playful gesture near her mouth, seemingly ready to engage in a long discussion.
"The forbidden fruit is the forbidden fruit. When the time comes, you'll naturally understand."
"When the time arrives, you just need to agree to let me witness you consuming the forbidden fruit. As for the specifics… we can discuss that later when we have time."
"Let's talk about who I am and why you died."
"I am Experiment 1000 of the No-Smoke Zone, the only angel implanted with entirely virtual memories."
"Because of my ability to reverse causality, they dubbed me the Serpent of Reversed Cause and Effect."
"After all the researchers in the No-Smoke Zone perished, I, as the strongest of the remaining angels, became the ruler here, hehe."
"I don't like those deceitful humans outside. The aesthetic I believe in values true beauty, purity, both internally and externally immaculate humans."
"That's why I didn't leave with Lucifer when she departed. Ordinary humans outside are just too repulsive for me!"
While speaking, Lilith absentmindedly rested her hand on the colorful window frame, simulating a running posture with two fingers along it, playing around.
"Recently, she sent the Angel Corps containing the consciousness of the Backdrop deity to me."
"She said her daughter would come chasing after them, instructing me to entertain you properly."
"But staying inside this desolate tower does get quite boring. If I suddenly killed you all, it would be too dull."
"And I'm not obligated to necessarily help Lucifer, don't you think?"
"So, I thought we could have a little fun together."
"The stake? Your life."
Lilith widened her eyes, her serpent-like gaze shimmering, smiling at Merka.
"Merka, I've altered your fate."
"Your original destiny was death, but I've reversed the cause and effect of your demise."
"Now, if you do nothing, the death result will consume you, and you'll die."
"But if you can find your original cause of death, you can transition from death result back to death cause and survive."
"For instance, if your impending fate is to be stabbed to death, once you're stabbed, you'll revert to the state before being stabbed."
"However, if you die in a different way or fail to find your real cause of death, you'll perish anyway."
Pausing for a moment, Lilith seemed to gather strength and momentum in her words.
"So, now, your life is nearing its end."
"Tell me, have you found the answer?"
