"Wait, what's going on with them?" March 7th asked, scratching her head in confusion after being inexplicably dumped back in the Exalting Sanctum.
"They most likely just wanted to have some fun and help me out while they were at it. Of course, the way they helped was entirely up to them." Xiao Xi rarely looked this exasperated. "Elation would be one thing, but why was Remembrance fooling around too?!"
"Help you out? Xiao Xi, when did you get acquainted with the Aeon of Elation?" March 7th asked, looking bewildered.
"Uh, actually, I only just found out myself. What merged into my forehead was the memory contained in a Light Cone, a memory personally recorded by Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance..."
"That's a huge deal! What does it record? Some earth-shattering secret?" March 7th perked up at the thought.
"Well, it's a long story. Come on, let's get some tea at the Evernight Tea House. I'll tell you all about it then..."
Exalting Sanctum—Evernight Tea House
"Miss, could we trouble you for a pot of tea? Just ordinary green tea is fine."
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
As soon as Xiao Xi and March 7th sat down, March couldn't hold back her question. "So, what kind of memory is it exactly?"
"Ah, it's a story about how I ascended to become an Aeon, and how I couldn't bear to have my emotions diluted by the power of the Path, so I split off the me you see now—the story of how I became the Xiao Xi I am today." Xiao Xi took a sip of warm tea and smiled.
"Oh, so that's what it—!!! What?"
"The Aeon of Hope... split off you... So, so what are you now?" March was clearly starting to lose her composure. Her voice faltered as she sought confirmation from me.
"That's right. I'm the human incarnation of the Aeon of Hope, Xi. I'm the continuation of who she was when she was mortal, her most intense emotions."
"I thought all Aeons were... above everyone else, you know? Ah, I can't explain the feeling." March 7th struggled for a while before managing to get that much out.
"Heh, perhaps in the eyes of the world, Aeons are all-powerful and omnipotent. But who can truly do everything? Even Aeons have things they can't do."
"Is that so... Oh, right! Xiao Xi, if you're the human incarnation of the Aeon of Hope, does that mean you can introduce us to your divine counterpart? I want to experience meeting an Aeon, too!" After being serious for a moment, March 7th couldn't help letting her imagination run wild again.
Xiao Xi hadn't expected the topic to change so quickly. But then, that was March 7th for you: an eternally cheerful and lively girl who could bounce back in no time. In the space of a moment, she'd already moved on to meeting an Aeon.
"Well, I can't be sure, but I believe there'll be a chance someday. After all, I'm already aboard your train. Are you really worried you won't get to meet an Aeon? You just met Aha, the Aeon of Elation."
"True! Maybe it's because they didn't feel like an Aeon at all."
"Aha... that's just how they are. I suppose each Aeon has a different personality. Take Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze, for example. Didn't they like mingling with mortals, too? My divine counterpart, Xi, isn't hard to approach either." Xiao Xi fell into quiet thought.
"That's true, now that you mention it." March 7th also seemed thoughtful.