Mysteries: Arcana Wars

Backlund time, 18:00 on Winter Rite

"Outpost launch, now beginning two-hour countdown."

A cold voice came through everyone's headphones, and the timer's words echoed throughout the Abraham Launch Center.

Wearing a spacesuit, Luna sat in a specially designed lounge, her eyes vacant, like a doll, letting the staff do as they pleased.

This is the final check before launch; hopefully, the launch will go smoothly.

Dr. Helgi, the head of the outpost operation, entered the preparation room like a ghost, and stood before Luna like a tall, thin, withered tree.

"One last question."

"But this is not my question; it is a question left behind by Vardas."

Hailji's voice was hoarse and gloomy.

"If you had a choice, would you be willing to give up all of Abraham's honors and wealth to escape the responsibilities of an astronaut?"

Luna looked up, staring blankly at Helgi, meeting his deep, sharp eyes.

"Mr. Vardas has asked me this question once before."

"Dr. Helge, you know, I am a complete coward."

"I dare not take on the responsibility of being an astronaut, nor do I dare to lose the riches and honors of Abraham. Most importantly, I dare not face the cowardly, weak, powerless, arrogant, and incapable self deep inside me."

"Even if I wanted to, or rather, for various reasons, I had to sit here, wearing this bulky spacesuit, I haven't undergone any transformative change, nor have I gained real courage and conviction. I am still that cowardly timid person."

Luna closed her eyes.

Therefore, my answer remains the same—

"I can not do it."

"Ok, I see."

Helgi made no comment on the answer. He wasn't interested in the question; the only one who would be truly disappointed was Valdas, the one who asked it.

The rebellious genius Valdas, driven by his love of exploring the stars, escaped the conservative Abraham family. Upon learning of Luna's escape, he excitedly assumed that Abraham had found another like-minded rebel. Little did he know, Luna was merely a cowardly escapist.

Vardas was initially very disappointed by this.

When Vardas finally gets the answer, he will surely be even more disappointed.

With that thought in mind, Helgi nodded goodbye to Luna, then left the preparation room and returned to his command post.

Luna watched Helgi's figure disappear from sight, then turned her head and stared blankly at the floor.

So, you coward, why are you sitting here now?

Was it simply because they were coerced by force?

The staff who had completed the inspection gradually dispersed, leaving Luna alone to rest in the preparation room.

She didn't know what she should be thinking.

The expected fear, panic, resistance, and even violent outbursts of crying—none of these intense emotions appeared.

She just sat there blankly, her mind a complete void.

Why are you sitting here?

A simple yet pointed question echoed in Luna's empty mind.

"Yes, so why are you here?"

A familiar, childlike voice suddenly rang out in her empty world, startling her so much that she looked up.

In the pale preparation room, there was only that one glaring splash of red.

"La...Lad?"

"No, that's not right! You're dead! Who are you? How did you get in here?"

Luna instinctively tried to open the door and leave, only to find that all her extraordinary abilities had failed.

"Does it matter why I'm here?"

Rad's face was expressionless as he slowly walked towards Luna.

"The important thing is, why didn't you save me when you were in the well?"

"damn it!"

This was the first time Luna had ever shown such a horrified expression in the preparation room. She frantically pounded on the emergency button and shouted loudly to the staff on the other end of the intercom.

"Help! Help! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!!"

No one answered.

The preparation room was as quiet as if the whole world had died.

Even the frantic cries for help were drowned out by the surrounding sound-absorbing walls.

"So, why didn't you save me back then?"

Rad's pace quickened as he approached, anger gradually burning across his face.

"Now you know how I felt back then!"

"I felt isolated and helpless, heartbroken, and even my only lifeline abandoned me, even trying to kill me."

"How dare you, Luna Abraham! Is this how you nobles treat your saviors with such ingratitude?!"

Rad's footsteps drew closer and closer until he cornered Luna against the wall and viciously grabbed her spacesuit.

"You arrogant, conceited, and cowardly brat!"

"You are the root of the disaster!"

"If you weren't so cowardly and incompetent, how could your parents have died? How could your sister have abandoned her free life and returned to Abraham? How could so many residents of the underground city have died so tragically?"

"It's all because of you, because of you!!"

Rad roared and grabbed Luna, slamming her to the ground.

In a corner unnoticed by Luna, an evil force was growing rapidly, devouring her sanity and corrupting her soul.

The reason I was so close to the exile Rad was because I was close to the exile leader, Alan Friedman.

Now that Allen has become part of the guiding angel, Luna's memories of being with Rad and Allen are so vivid that they are practically engraved on her soul, so deeply ingrained that they have become a hidden source of pollution.

With the death and destruction of the guiding angel, the last will climbed into Luna's spiritual world along this rope, attempting to once again conquer Abraham's astronomical technology by eroding Luna's soul.

The guiding angel's plan has failed; as long as there is a breath left, they must fight desperately for it.

Unable to guide the way, they seized Abraham's satellites and ships, and took control of the ready-made paths that others had taken.

Even if they fail, they must bite off Abraham's entire body, severely damaging their satellite defense system, in order to prepare for the next Advent ceremony!

Under the influence of the contamination, Luna's rationality crumbled. Her emotional defenses, which were already weak, were now completely shattered by Rad's illusions.

Wearing a bulky spacesuit, Luna curled up on the ground, clutching her helmet tightly, crying and screaming, her voice trembling as she called out:

"I'm sorry... I was wrong..."

“I shouldn’t have thrown a tantrum, I shouldn’t have been so arrogant to you just because I’m a young lady, I shouldn’t have stood by and watched you die, I shouldn’t have thrown you into the well with my own hands…”

Luna had already gone insane from the powerful pollution, lying on the ground trembling and babbling incoherently.

Regardless of whether it was a genuine mistake she had made before, or a false memory imposed on her by corruption, Luna, whose rationality had collapsed, did not refute the accusations, but only apologized for her sins.

"……sorry……"