Honkai Impact 3rd: I picked up a Seele at the start of the game.

……

The cleansed night sky, now ravaged by time, was the second most magnificent sight Seele had ever seen.

The stars twinkled, the ground was scarred by battle, ferocious monsters roared in the distance, and the survivors rescued by the Fire Moths busied themselves building a camp.

Seele accepted the hot tea that a middle-aged woman had specially brewed for her. After thanking her somewhat awkwardly, the woman bowed deeply in gratitude, thanking Seele for her keen observation of the hole in the ruins, which had saved her family.

Seele smiled and said, "You're welcome," then wrapped herself in a thin blanket to keep out the cold, held a cup of hot tea, and continued to gaze at the distant starry sky.

"...Seele, are you alright?"

A male soldier happened to pass by Seele's tent and, seeing her like this, couldn't help but go up and ask her what was wrong.

Seele snapped out of her reverie, gently shook her head, and said with a smile, "It's okay, I just... um, I miss the cafeteria food."

The other person couldn't help but chuckle: "It's good enough to have food in the wild, let alone with so many survivors we've rescued today. We only have enough food for less than two days, so we need to be even more careful with it."

This was just basic training, and each person could only bring three days' worth of rations at most. But Seele was always able to keenly sense the presence of life. There were more survivors rescued than combat personnel. Even counting the reserves that were always kept on the transport ship, there wasn't enough food left to last for two days.

It was precisely because there were so many people to rescue that they did not immediately return to base by transport ship, but instead remained stationed on the spot, awaiting further instructions—most likely to send more personnel to expand the rescue area.

The male combatant said a few words and left, while Seele continued to stare blankly at the starry sky.

It feels... a bit too dazzling. Is the night sky on the Mu Continent really this clear? It's so different from what I remember.

"Xie'er!"

A female friend suddenly patted Xi'er on the shoulder; it was the one Xi'er suspected had a crush on Yun Fuyu. She probably only harbored a slight infatuation with Yun, and after noticing Xi'er getting closer to him, she quietly suppressed those feelings. Because she and Xi'er got along well, they gradually became friends.

Seele was startled and gave her a reproachful look: "Arnees, don't scare me."

Arnees, or as she'd call herself, looked utterly charmed by Seele, her eyes practically sparkling: "Because Seele is just so cute~ It makes you want to tease her a little!"

Seele silently wrapped the thin blanket tighter around herself.

Anise chuckled, sat down next to Seele, stretched comfortably, and asked, turning to the side, "What's wrong? You've been staring at the sky the whole time, what's so interesting about it?"

Seele expressed her feelings: "I feel that the starry sky today is much more dazzling than I remember, as if the stars are all twinkling with seven colors... God, can Honkai energy still be used for this?"

Anis also looked at the sky, seemingly lost in thought: "Yes, it is very beautiful... just like 'Elginis'."

Seele glanced sideways: "Hmm?"

Anis smiled somewhat awkwardly: "Ah, Elginis is a legend from our area. I was just feeling a bit sentimental. Don't mind it."

Seele smiled slightly: "It's alright. But I'm very interested in the legend you told me. Can you tell me about it?"

The name 'Ernice' sounds almost identical to the name of Annas, which piqued Seele's curiosity.

Anise simply lay half-reclined, her body limp and her voice languid.

"Elyinis is the legendary boundary between death and life, reality and dreams, illusion and truth, and soul and the human world. It is said that after the death of each of the gods' children, their souls pass through 'Elyinis' to enter the afterlife, where they dream of eternal bliss."

"It is precisely because of this that the afterlife gradually diverged into two concepts: one is a carefree and perfect paradise, and the other is a blissful dream realm used by the devil to tempt souls. The concept of Elginis was also influenced, becoming both a place where all dreams converge and a peaceful destination for souls, and a collection of all beautiful and tempting concepts, which tempts humans to collect souls for the devil."

Anise smiled brightly: "My parents named me this because they felt that I was the most beautiful and touching 'Elginis' in their eyes."

That is, the most beautiful thing in dreams, reality, soul, life... encompassing all concepts.

Anis stared blankly at the sky, just like Seele had been, lost in a daze.

Seele knew the second half of the story; it was a very mundane one.

Anise was only one year older than 'the current' Seele, a fifteen-year-old high school student. That day, while Anise's family was having dinner, a suicide bomber wielding a giant hammer broke down the door. Anise's parents chose to risk their lives to stop the bomber so that Anise could escape.

They held onto the 'El Yinis' in their hearts.

Seele silently apologized in her heart, took Anise's hand, and then they both stared blankly at the magnificent starry sky, hoping that her companionship could help Anise get through her sadness.

The stars twinkled, the ground was stained with the marks of war, and ferocious monsters roared in the distance. The makeshift camps built by the people gradually quieted down, with the occasional heavily armored soldiers hurrying by on duty.

Under the starry night sky, two girls nestled together, gazing at the stars.

El Innes.

It's like... it's like...

The clear, bright moon was instantly torn into a straight line, and the stars on the seashore flowed and spun, as if a giant maw of abyss was swallowing the colorful, wandering souls.

Seele's body slowly floated up, and everything around her turned gray and distorted. She stared blankly at the invisible giant maw, as if she herself had turned into a wandering soul and drifted between heaven and earth...

"Seele! Seele!"

Who...who is speaking?

On the ground in the distance, a blurry shadow waved its arms and legs exaggeratedly, as ridiculous as a clown dancing. But in the shadow's hand, a thin, invisible thread was wrapped around Seele's left wrist, taut as if trying to pull Seele back.

Seele touched the thin thread in a daze. The shadow on the ground grew increasingly blurry, its movements becoming indistinct. The shimmering, colorful spirits all around were so beautiful and dazzling that she couldn't help but want to chase after them, to go to the final resting place of the spirits...

A pair of hands caressed Seele's cheeks, gentle and delicate, accompanied by a soft, almost inaudible whisper—like a mother's tender admonition or a lover's affectionate murmur. The purple glow vanished in an instant, leaving behind a beautiful, lingering feeling that was utterly captivating.

Ah, then let me wallow in it.

Then let us wallow in it—

People from the "Tower" of Argon, children of the gods who suffered greatly from the "Dragons" of Rayadon, the tragedy you endured is now in the past. I, "God?", will bring you eternal joy and happiness "Ernice/******"...

This is the blessing of "love" that I, "God?", bestow upon the world.

"..."

"Seele? Seele?"

Whose voice pierced through time and space, causing the flowing colors of Erinise to suddenly cool and vanish? Seele turned around; her shadow on the ground had disappeared, leaving only a faint purple glow that gradually dimmed.

Where is that thread... that thread wrapped around her wrist?

At the other end of the line, a girl who looked remarkably similar to Seele, but a little more mature, had two lines of clear tears on her cheeks. She looked at Seele with a mixture of sadness and joy, her lips moving as if she were telling a story.

"Seele... wake up..."

"...!!"

Seele suddenly woke up.

Anis's face was almost touching his own.

The girl looked somewhat shy and embarrassed: "Xier, you're finally awake. Please let go of my hand..."

Seele let go of Annas's hand in a daze.

It seems they fell asleep holding hands last night. Anise woke up first and it took her a lot of effort to wake Seele.

...It was a dream.

Seele let out a long sigh of relief and began her work for the day.