Felicity's eyes snapped open.
She inhaled sharply, breath ragged, her gaze swimming with shock and disorientation.
"...What just happened to me?"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Moments ago, she'd felt something indescribable—an overwhelming sense of purpose, like she had become someone else entirely. Someone who strode upon a path woven from fate itself, guided only by the duty to fulfill it.
And then came the arrow—without reason, without warning.
Its pain was brutal, sharp enough to make her feel as if she would be erased from existence.
But it had only happened inside the simulated universe. Felicity hadn't died. She'd simply been given a vivid taste of what death might feel like.
"You believed you were the Aeon of Abundance."
The voice behind her belonged to Herta, who stood with hands on her hips and an unreadable expression. She didn't scold Felicity. Instead, she offered a rare, sincere apology.
"My fault. I underestimated your compatibility with the Aeon. Your presence essentially replaced THEM within the simulation."
"I wouldn't say replaced. If anything, it felt like possession."
Felicity shrugged lightly.
"Anyone standing atop a fate that vast... it's only natural they'd become a little unhinged. Just my theory, of course. No human can truly guess the thoughts of Aeons—not yet."
Herta flipped through a floating panel, scanning the data from the simulation.
"It's... unsettling."
Felicity sighed, then turned to glance at Stelle, who remained dazed and unresponsive. She reached out and gave the girl's cheek a poke.
"Why hasn't she come to yet?"
"She has. Just stunned, I think," Herta replied.
"Ah, I see."
Felicity nodded thoughtfully. Her poke turned into a playful pinch as she muttered:
"All these wide-eyed, flat-nosed kids... they really do look the same."
"...I'm not staying."
Stelle blinked back into awareness.
The moment her eyes landed on Felicity, relief flooded her face. Still, she raised her baseball bat and gave Felicity a look full of suspicion and mischief.
"I might still be in the simulation. Let me give your head a tap—see if pain kicks in."
"Tap your own head, idiot."
Felicity smacked her across the face without hesitation.
"Hngh..."
Stelle rubbed her forehead and stumbled back a step. But a small, sly smile crept onto her lips.
It hurt.
So she was alive. That was good.
Felicity watched Stelle's reaction shift and leaned in toward Herta with a deadpan whisper. "Do you think she has weird tastes?"
"Who doesn't have a weird taste?"
Herta rolled her eyes. "An Emanator of the Abundance path keeps telling me she wants to die."
"..."
Felicity had no words for that. She awkwardly changed the subject. "So. How's the data from the simulation?"
"Excellent results. The Hunt's interest lies solely in The Abundance. I'll need time to refine the system's data. If you're ever free from the Express, come help me run tests again."
"You sound like a lonely housekeeper."
"Hah?"
Herta scoffed and waved them off like shooing pigeons.
"If you're done chatting, get out of here. I'm busy."
Then she turned to Stelle, adding, "And you—come test my simulation sometime. I'll sweeten the reward pool."
"Oh!"
That lit a fire in Stelle's eyes.
"Sis Fili! What are we doing now?"
She followed close behind Felicity, bright-eyed and ready. When she tagged along, there was always something to learn—and something fun to do.
"Let's go find a treasure chest."
Felicity welcomed the company. Wandering the station with Stelle brought back memories of her old kindergarten ringleader days.
She led them through the corridors and soon spotted a treasure chest tucked in a corner.
She'd hidden this one herself, intending to play treasure hunt with Asta. But daily detective games about Asta's hypothetical death had started to feel...weird.
Asta had been too busy back then, and Felicity forgot about it. Until now—when Stelle's curious stare brought it all back.
"What's a treasure chest?"
Stelle tilted her head as Felicity dragged a large blue box into the open, confused.
"Treasure chests pop up in random corners of the world. When you open one, you get sparkly trash."
Felicity spoke solemnly as she unlatched it. "But beware—some treasure chests are actually monsters in disguise, waiting to pounce."
"A monster!?"
"Yup. Like this."
Felicity nodded and reached into the chest, grabbing hold of a monstrous flower that lunged out, jaws snapping.
Yeah, she'd seen this type before.
With a sigh, she absorbed the vitality from its roots, causing the thing to wilt instantly. Even if it bit someone, the worst it did was cause temporary diarrhea.
Beneath it, a stack of credits lay waiting. Felicity pulled it out and held it up.
"See? Treasure hunting pays off. You get credits and other neat junk. It's fun, right?"
"Ooh! Got it!"
Stelle nodded with excitement. She didn't really understand what credits were for, but the game looked awesome!
"So just look inside square boxes and get credits!"
Stelle dashed off, scanning every corner.
"Yeah, square boxes are good..."
Felicity smiled—until it froze.
Stelle had run up to a trash can.
Without hesitation, she reached in.
"Wait—Stelle, that's not a treasure chest, it's—"
"Found it!"
Stelle beamed, holding up a fistful of credits—an even thicker stack than Felicity's.
Felicity: ?