He paused, gazing seriously at Cecilia. Only after a long while did he continue, his voice low and earnest:
"The current Otto Apocalypse promises that he will never abandon you. So you must protect yourself too. Don't casually sacrifice yourself for anything."
"It would hurt me."
It would hurt him.
Cecilia's nose stung, and for some reason, her eyes reddened.
It was like the joyous relief of bitterness finally giving way to sweetness, born of bloodline.
It was like the joy of escaping certain death, born of death itself.
But she did not let her tears fall. Instead, she stepped forward and embraced Otto, savoring the sense of security he gave her.
The surroundings were so quiet at that moment. Only the man's soft voice echoed down the street:
"You must grow up well, my dear girl. Don't lose to the wind, don't lose to the rain, don't lose to Herrschers, don't lose to Honkai."
"I will be your strongest support, but please, do not depend on me. Do not treat me as the master who decides whether you live or die."
"Because first and foremost, you are yourself. Only then are you someone else's something."
"I am willing to take you across mountains and seas, along the roads I once walked. Just like how that girl named Kallen once led the ignorant me, joyfully embracing the world."
"But I believe that Cecilia Schariac is far stronger than she imagines herself to be. Her existence does not rely on anyone. Otto is merely an embrace for when she collapses from exhaustion, not a tree trunk she must cling to."
"Perhaps living for me sounds romantic, but girl, I would rather you cherish your own life than become anyone's dependent."
"Otherwise, you will live in confusion, like a puppet whose strings are controlled by others. In truth, those who want to stop you from growing are not worth caring about, while those who truly love you will not wish to seize your entire life."
"Girl, I wish for you to happily begin new dreams, with everything going smoothly. And of course, I wish for you to stand firmly in this world as an independent, strong, confident person."
"I, Otto Apocalypse, hope that you can live freely, follow your own will, and love yourself and your life at all times."
"Whether it is sorrow or joy, love or hatred."
"Your life and death are yours. Your future is yours."
"Because, girl, you belong to yourself. You need no one, and the world has nothing to do with it."
It was Cecilia's birthday!
By the time they returned to the hotel, it was nearly midnight. Otto went up to greet one of the staff members, asked a few questions, then returned to Cecilia's side.
"Come to my room first," he said. "I have something for you."
Naturally, Cecilia had no objections and followed the man to his room.
"Turn off the lights," Otto said after Cecilia had changed into slippers.
"Turn off the lights... But it's already dark outside." The woman tilted her head, her face full of confusion.
"Just turn them off first," Otto insisted. "It's called a sense of ceremony."
"??? Okay."
Cecilia turned off the lights and was led by Otto to sit beside the table.
"Wait here first. Just a few more seconds."
"???"
The woman grew even more puzzled, but she obediently remained still, listening to Otto's footsteps.
"Dong, dong, dong..."
The bells rang out from the city center. With nothing else to do, Cecilia silently counted in her heart.
One, two, three...
There were twelve chimes in total.
When the bells finally stopped, a blurry figure sat down across from Cecilia, and the footsteps ceased.
By the glow of the decorative lights outside the window, she saw the man cross his thumb and middle finger.
Snap.
A faint light suddenly appeared on the table. The flickering candles cast shifting light across Otto's face.
An exquisite, beautiful cake sat before the woman.
"Cecilia, happy birthday."
December 25th, Cecilia Schariac's birthday.
He had found out about it while idly browsing some forum in his previous life.
It was just right to use here.
As for the technique of lighting candles with a snap of his fingers? Don't ask. Honkai could do anything.
(Void Archives: So you're using me to pick up girls?)
"Come, Cecilia, close your eyes and make a wish," Otto continued. "You don't have to say it aloud. Once you're done, open your eyes and blow out all the candles in one breath—surely you can manage that?"
"Mm."
Cecilia's gaze never left the cake. The large words "Cecilia Schariac" on it somehow seeped into her heart.
It was difficult to say what she was thinking right now, but it felt as though something within her was melting away, like a jubilant river flowing into a tranquil sea.
Warm and gentle, like soaking one's skin in warm water after being terribly tense. It was an incredibly comfortable feeling.
"Alright, make your wish. This is your first birthday since returning... and also your first birthday in the twenty-first century. I think that on such a special day, your wish will definitely come true."
"Okay."
Cecilia reverently clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and murmured under her breath.
What was she wishing for? What did she yearn for?
Perhaps... even she herself did not know.
Yet after closing her eyes, Cecilia could still see Otto's figure reflected in her mind, swaying into a bright, beautiful time.
"Mm, it seems you've finished making your wish."
When the woman opened her eyes, Otto stood and walked to the door.
"Then... blow out the candles."
Once Cecilia blew them out, he immediately turned on the lights. The room became bright again, and wisps of blue smoke rose from the candles.
"After blowing out the candles, it should be time to... Forget it, let's just eat the cake."
Otto hesitated, gave up on the singing part, then returned to the table. He placed a plastic knife in the woman's hand and removed the candles.
Following her fragmented memories and Otto's instruction from the side, Cecilia clumsily cut the cake and handed the first slice to Otto.
"Here, Brother."
"Thank you."
Otto raised his brows. This slice had a great deal of cream, and nearly all of the lettering for "Cecilia" was on it.
He grinned and casually scraped the letters off with his fork before putting them into his mouth.
Delicious.
Cecilia also scooped out a piece for herself, staring blankly at "Schariac." It seemed as if she had grasped something in her mind, yet grasped nothing at all.
This was Schariac, her surname.
I am Schariac.
All of a sudden, she was somewhat reluctant to eat it. A trace of confusion flashed through her eyes, but in the end, that confusion turned into determination.
The woman solemnly picked up that surname and ate it bite by bite, her expression so serious that it seemed she was making some kind of oath.
The four-inch cake was soon finished. Otto had Cecilia leave the table first, then pushed out the dining cart from the corner—the cake had been placed on it earlier. He cleaned up the leftovers and pushed it into the corridor.
When he returned to the room, Cecilia was sitting cross-legged on his bed, quietly looking out the window.
Otto sat down as well. Cecilia shifted closer to him, then leaned against his shoulder.
"Want to be more comfortable?"
When he saw the woman nod, Otto changed positions, sitting behind her and pressing lightly on Cecilia's shoulders.
Cecilia lay down with the motion, falling into Otto's arms.
She did not speak. Instead, she closed her eyes and listened to the breathing of the person behind her.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."
The man's voice began to ring out. At first, he sang haltingly, seemingly embarrassed, but gradually he became smoother. His deep, magnetic voice sang softly, carrying the mystery and vicissitudes of passing years, reminding one of the deep blue sea.
It was just "Happy Birthday To You" over and over again. So monotonous that it seemed to be missing a line.
But Cecilia did not ask. She immersed herself in that ocean, imagining air currents surging and wandering through a slightly moist cavity before spreading into a patch of moonlight upon the sea.
She wanted so badly to fall asleep like this, deep in the man's embrace, thinking of nothing and needing to do nothing.
Yet the surname "Schariac" would not leave her. It hid in some corner of her heart, making faint rustling sounds, like an alarm that woke one in the morning.
Schariac... I am Schariac...
So noisy.
But... deep in her soul, she knew that she would eventually have to face it.
When the blessing ended, the woman rubbed against Otto's chest as though acting spoiled. Her smile was sweet, carrying a hint of relief.
Thank you, Brother.
She said it in her heart.
The two fell silent again in the darkness. After a long while, Cecilia suddenly asked, "My past was very tiring, wasn't it, Brother?"
Otto stroked the woman's hair and nodded. "Yes, Cecilia."
"So, Brother, now... do you perhaps not want me to recover my memories?"
Otto's hand paused as it stroked her hair, though he was not particularly surprised.
He had never been in the habit of treating others like fools.
"Yes," he admitted frankly. "I don't want it at all."
"If it was only very tiring," Cecilia said, opening her sacred azure eyes, "then I think I can accept it."
Otto chuckled. "I once read a very interesting book. It said that many things are like a besieged city: those outside want to get in, while those inside want to get out. Love is like that, games are like that, and you now... are like that too."
Cecilia did not understand. She tilted her head.
"A long time ago, you were lying in my arms just like this, and then you asked me a question."
The man lowered himself and whispered softly into her ear:
"You asked me whether your life... existed solely to become a Valkyrie."
Don't Let Me Down
Cecilia was first shy because of Otto's closeness, but after hearing those words, her fiercely pounding heart suddenly slowed.
She had doubted herself before.
Fragments of memory flashed through her mind like glimmering light upon rippling water, reflecting scattered pieces of the past.
Was that... how it was?
"Your past life," Otto continued, "was not very free."
"How unfree was it?"
"Like a bird inside a gilded cage, living within one confined space from beginning to end."
Before you continue