Back then, Ei could not understand, no matter how hard she tried, why constant change and ceaseless progress could also be a form of eternity.
But now, she understood.
"Human wishes arise one after another, and old wishes are gradually replaced by new ones."
"But dreams always remain."
"Dreams are the driving force that keeps humanity forming new wishes."
"Human wishes may change, but the dream of pursuing something better never does."
"In other words, this, too, is a form of eternity."
Seated within the space of consciousness, Ei continued sharing her insights with Ellin and the Shogun.
Before this, she had never understood the eternity Makoto pursued. Even right up until her visits to Mondstadt and Liyue, her understanding had remained incomplete.
But after visiting Liyue and Mondstadt, she gradually came to understand.
Mondstadt and Liyue had once endured many hardships as well.
Countless people had fallen on the road to realizing their wishes, but their sacrifices had not been meaningless.
They had sacrificed themselves in pursuit of their wishes, and in doing so, had moved their nations one step forward.
After listening, Ellin smiled and nodded.
She understood what Ei meant.
The pursuit of a better life was a human instinct.
Makoto and Ei called [the pursuit of a better life] a [dream]. To realize that [dream], humans formed one wish after another and worked hard to fulfill them.
People in every era had different wishes.
For those living through war, their wish was for the fighting to end, so their descendants would not have to live amid the flames of war and could find happiness.
For that wish, the people of that time had shed their blood on the battlefield, giving their lives to defend their country.
Once the war ended and people finally settled into peaceful