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These words were like a key, violently thrusting into the deepest lock of Phrolova's heart.
She shuddered violently, subconsciously taking a half-step back. Her lips parted, but she temporarily lost her voice.
Rover did not press her further. He simply watched her calmly, waiting for her to digest his words.
After a long while, Phrolova finally spoke with extreme difficulty, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible: "A promise? Heh... You... understand nothing..."
"What if I told you that no matter how irredeemable a situation is, there is still a chance to start over?"
Rover frowned. Knowing everything, he naturally understood what she was referring to, but he didn't expose it directly. Instead, he phrased it differently: "Start over? By fusing humans and Tacet Discords? Or by making them live inside an illusory Sonora?"
"...You?!" Phrolova pursed her lips. Holding the spider lily over her chest, the exposed eye flickered with an incredibly spectacular light of absolute disbelief.
"You... you know everything?" Her voice trembled slightly, seemingly carrying a trace of fear, yet also a hint of anticipation.
"It is just a guess based on our previous conversations," Rover shook his head and replied calmly.
Phrolova remained silent for a long time before she continued softly, "This place is about to witness the arrival of the Shores of the Lost."
"The Shores born here will be stable, harmonious, and perfect... It will be a time and space that never withers, a... new world forever free of disasters."
"I have composed it note by note, tune by tune, allowing it to open its embrace for the very first time within the high tower. It will give me the chance to make up for my regrets and fulfill all the wishes I desire... And the Gemstone—that crucial 'Weave'—is waiting for me within the Shores to compose the final song of this movement..."
"I may not understand your persistence," Rover spoke up, interrupting the 'beautiful' blueprint she was painting. He admitted, "But I have seen enough madness and tragedy. Human obsession is not wrong in itself, but if you let it swallow everything, all you will ultimately see is a greater void."
He walked forward, his voice as calm as ever. "Let's go once you've rested enough. The Gemstone is still out there waiting for us."
Phrolova stood rooted to the spot, watching his retreating back as a stormy sea of emotions surged within her heart.
For the first time, she felt so clearly that this former 'soulmate' of hers had, in some ways, changed yet remained the same. He wasn't merely a powerful entity to be used or fought against.
He stood too high and saw too clearly. His words were like a precise scalpel, cutting open the layers of madness she had wrapped herself in, touching her deepest, most agonizing weakness.
She gripped the spider lily in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white. Ultimately, she moved her feet and silently followed him.
The silence between the two was no longer merely filled with calculation and wariness; it now carried a heavy, complex tension.
Leaving the cabin area filled with failed fusions, the oppressive atmosphere did not dissipate.
The two continued deeper along the Proving Ground's cold metal corridors. The chaotic whispers of Threnodian energy in the air seemed to echo endlessly.
"Let's keep moving," Phrolova's voice carried a trace of exhaustion, but her pace did not slow.
On one side of the corridor ahead, an intermittently functioning image recording device caught their attention.
A beam of energy projected a blurry hologram, accompanied by a fragmented audio recording:
Reporting Priest: "Prelate, Phrolova has reached the final step."
Finlay: "The prototype of heaven is complete. It is time to purge the deviating individuals."
Finlay: "The souls trapped in darkness require a temporary sanctuary to house them. For this, we need her results."
Reporting Priest: "Prelate?"
Finlay: "Why the question?"
Reporting Priest: "This... what you just said is different from what you told us before."
Reporting Priest: "Last time, you said our goal was to return the Gemstone's divine power to the sanctuary. You never mentioned what you just said."
Reporting Priest: "Has there been a change of plans?"
Finlay: "..."
Reporting Priest: "Prelate? Should I continue recording this segment?"
Finlay: "Record... when did I... no, record it down."
The hologram dissipated, leaving behind a brief silence.
"Finlay's objective seems to be more than just the Gemstone," Rover said in a deep voice, his brow furrowed.
This recording confirmed his previous suspicions. Finlay's actions had long surpassed simple fanatical faith.
Phrolova let out an incredibly soft, cold chuckle, carrying mockery and a trace of sorrow: "Or perhaps, this figure of authority has already sunk into the swamp known as being lost. The whispers of the Threnodian are enough to make even the firmest will deviate from its course."
Rover remained silent. He remembered Cantarella mentioning a situation very similar to the one unfolding before his eyes.
This was undoubtedly the Threnodian's power bewitching him to do its bidding.
He turned his head, his gaze falling upon Phrolova. He suddenly asked, "What about you? What exactly did you create the Shores of the Lost for?"
He already had the answer to this question in his heart, but he wanted to hear her say it herself, to see if the 'her' of this moment would be any different.
Phrolova's footsteps paused, seemingly not expecting him to ask this so suddenly.
She remained silent for a moment before answering softly, "Because... I want to fulfill a long-standing promise."
She tilted her head slightly, as if recalling something, and then looked at Rover, speaking slowly, "A long-lost friend once told me that every single promise is very important, and once a promise is made, it must absolutely be fulfilled."
"Resonance abilities are intrinsically linked to emotions," Rover looked at her, his tone calm yet observant. "If your promise and stubbornness allowed you to create a Sonora for it, I believe it has already twisted into a dark obsession."
Hearing this, Phrolova merely let out a low chuckle of ambiguous meaning: "Heh... perhaps."
She didn't deny it, nor did she fiercely defend herself. This reaction actually felt even more profound.
As they spoke, they entered the next area.
The scene here was even more chaotic than before. Thick energy mist practically obscured their vision. Unstable streams of glowing energy surged sporadically across the floor, and the air was filled with the distinct hum of high-voltage energy.
"It doesn't look very peaceful in here," Rover commented, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
Phrolova frowned: "It seems this chaos has swept through the entire Proving Ground... The core frequency is completely out of tune." She pointed to a high platform faintly visible through the mist. "The Tuning Platform is behind that pillar. We must return the melody here to its proper track, or we won't be able to take a single step forward."
"The water doesn't seem deep. Perhaps we can just walk across," Rover said, looking at the faintly glowing liquid washing over his ankles.
"Water?" Phrolova shook her head. "That is high-concentration liquid energy sustaining the Proving Ground's operations. Do not rush. Let me conduct the tuning first to see if I can disperse this thick mist and clear the nearest path."
She raised her baton, and the phantom of the spider lily surfaced once more.
An ethereal melody rang out, attempting to communicate with and guide the rampaging ambient energy.
Rover noticed that after Phrolova proactively used her ability, her face, though still pale, seemed more stable than before, and her breathing was slightly smoother.
Her injuries and Resonance ability appear to be slowly recovering. Once she is fully recovered, this temporary alliance will likely end immediately. A note of vigilance rang in his heart.
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