Swoosh…
The heavy cell door slid open with a quiet hiss.
Bronya stepped inside.
For the first time since returning from the Sea of Quanta, she found herself standing face to face with the woman who had raised her.
Cocolia sat quietly on the other side of the cell. There was no anger in her expression now. No excuses. No attempt to defend herself.
Only a strange calmness.
Bronya stopped several steps away.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Bronya: "Matushka Cocolia…"
Cocolia slowly lifted her head.
Cocolia: "Bronya? I'm glad that you're fine."
Bronya looked at the restraints, then back at Cocolia.
Bronya: "What will they do to you?"
Cocolia gave a small, tired smile.
Cocolia: "Einstein has told you everything, I guess."
She leaned back against the wall.
Cocolia: "I don't know what will happen, and I don't care. No one cares for the defeated."
Bronya's expression softened.
Bronya: "The Bronya cares."
Cocolia fell silent.
Cocolia: "…"
For a few seconds, the cell was completely quiet.
Then Cocolia looked away.
Cocolia: "Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Her voice remained calm.
Cocolia: "In times like these, even a traitor is too much of a hassle."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Cocolia: "Hmph, who knows. Perhaps they'll give me a chance to redeem myself."
Bronya remained silent.
Bronya: "…"
Cocolia looked at her carefully.
Cocolia: "But you girls will have to take care of the orphanage from now on."
Bronya immediately answered.
Bronya: "The Bronya shall care for everyone there."
Cocolia shook her head.
Cocolia: "No, Bronya, not just you."
She looked directly into Bronya's eyes.
Cocolia: "I meant all four of you."
Her expression became gentler.
Cocolia: "Roza and Lili are kind, always trying to make people smile. But they're young. They have a lot to learn."
Bronya listened quietly.
Cocolia: "Seele is caring and capable, but she can be weak and indecisive at times."
Cocolia paused.
Cocolia: "And you… you're always trying to do everything."
Bronya tilted her head slightly.
Bronya: "…?"
Cocolia's eyes softened.
Cocolia: "You walk alone with your eyes set on the horizon, but you forget about your friends walking by your side."
Bronya lowered her gaze.
Cocolia: "They love you and look up to you."
Cocolia: "You have what it takes to band them together. Remember to wait and help them."
Cocolia gave a faint smile.
Cocolia: "Home is where everyone is around."
Bronya stared at her.
Those words seemed to linger in the air.
The orphanage.
Roza.
Lili.
Seele.
The four of them had been separated by countless events, yet somehow they had found their way back to one another.
Bronya finally spoke.
Bronya: "You never said anything like this to us before, Matushka…"
Her voice became quieter.
Bronya: "Why…"
Cocolia looked down.
Cocolia: "Indeed. I should have said this earlier…"
She paused.
Cocolia: "Why didn't I?"
Her smile disappeared.
Cocolia: "I don't know… I really don't…"
She looked at Bronya again.
Cocolia: "I've done many things, even things I'm not proud of, and things that I regret."
The silence between them grew heavier.
Cocolia: "But I'll never regret one thing I did."
Bronya's eyes widened slightly.
Cocolia: "And that's bringing you back from the Siberian tundra in the spring of 2012."
Cocolia smiled.
Not the smile of a commander.
The smile of a mother looking at the child she had chosen to bring home.
Cocolia: "I'm proud of you, Bronya."
Far East Border — A Few Days Later
The storm had finally passed.
Several days had gone by since the events in the Deep.
The Far East sea stretched endlessly beneath the pale morning sky, its surface calm after the chaos that had nearly swallowed them all.
Near the shore, Bronya stood beside Welt.
In front of them, a black Core floated above Welt's open palm.
Its gentle light illuminated Bronya's face.
She stared at it in silence.
Bronya: "Mr. Welt, the Bronya doesn't understand what you said."
Welt looked at the Core.
Welt: "I'm saying you should keep it. It will be more powerful in your hands."
The Core slowly rotated above his palm.
Welt: "Being the Sovereign doesn't require the Core."
Welt: "Power must be handed to someone with better potential."
Bronya remained silent.
Earlier, she had seen Dr. Einstein speaking with Welt at the medical bay.
She hadn't heard what they had discussed.
Now she finally understood that their conversation had something to do with the Core.
Bronya looked toward Welt.
Bronya: "Why the Bronya? There might be someone better."
Welt answered without hesitation.
Welt: "Because Joachim chose you."
Welt: "You proved yourself in the Sea of Quanta."
Bronya lowered her eyes.
Bronya: "But the Bronya was defeated…"
Welt smiled faintly.
Welt: "That depends on how you define the meaning of being "defeated"."
He looked toward the horizon.
Welt: "You'll never lose if you stay true to who you truly are."
Bronya remained quiet.
Bronya: "…"
Welt extended his hand slightly.
The Core continued to hover between them.
Welt: "You don't have to give me an answer now. Just keep it in mind. Ask yourself what you really want."
He looked directly at her.
Welt: "If you accept, I shall personally teach you how to utilise the Core."
Bronya gave a small nod.
Bronya: "Understood. Spasibo, Mr. Welt."
A familiar voice suddenly called from behind them.
Seele: "Bronya!"
Welt smiled.
Welt: "Your friends are looking for you. We will talk about this later."
Bronya turned toward him.
Welt: "Goodbye, Bronya. Your journey has just begun."
Bronya gave Welt one final nod before walking toward the others.
Rozaliya immediately rushed over.
Rozaliya: "Bronya, what were you talking about with Mr. Welt?"
She leaned closer, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Rozaliya: "Is he making you the next Sovereign?"
Liliya tilted her head.
Liliya: "Will you become the next Welt?"
Rozaliya suddenly gasped.
Rozaliya: "Welt Zaychik?! That's a man's name!"
Bronya immediately looked at her.
Bronya: "That will be enough."
The others quieted down.
Bronya folded her arms.
Bronya: "The Bronya shall not get a new name. The Bronya shall be the Bronya."
Rozaliya puffed out her cheeks.
Rozaliya: "Pfft. Such a downer! I thought I could sponge off Sovereign Zaychik in the future."
She quickly changed the subject.
Rozaliya: "Anyways, Lili and I are going to be Theresa's sidekicks!"
Liliya nodded.
Liliya: "Da. Theresa will teach us how to control the Honkai beasts inside us."
Liliya: "She said we have good potential but lack professional training."
Rozaliya's expression suddenly brightened.
Rozaliya: "We wanted to say no, but the desserts aboard the Hyperion are just… too yummy!"
She practically sparkled.
Rozaliya: "I've never had cakes with sugar and cream before. It's awesome!"
Seele smiled softly.
Seele: "Bronya, I… will join the Hyperion's crew too."
Bronya turned toward her.
Seele: "Dr. Einstein seems interested in my… Stigmata. She wants to take a closer look at it."
Seele smiled.
Seele: "I can finally join you on missions."
Bronya nodded.
Bronya: "Yes, the Bronya shall introduce you to everyone."
Liliya looked toward the distant horizon.
Liliya: "Dr. Einstein will be moving the kids at the orphanage to the Salt Lake base. I heard it's pretty safe there."
Liliya: "Roza and I will be there to help out eventually."
Her expression dimmed.
Liliya: "But… Sin Mal…"
Rozaliya's smile faded.
Rozaliya: "It feels kinda lonely without her."
For a moment, nobody said anything.
They had lost people.
They had been separated.
They had endured things no child should have experienced.
Yet somehow, the four of them were together again.
A New Day
The rising sun coated the peaceful sea with a splendid sheen, painting the horizon in warm light.
The waves rolled gently against the shore.
Nothing about the scene suggested that this place had recently been the stage for battles, betrayals.
But they would never forget that eventful night in the enraged sea.
A night of reunion.
Farewell.
Departure.
And return.
Everything had happened in the blink of an eye.
Yet the memories would remain with them.
Some things had been lost.
Some things had changed.
But they had found one another again.
And for now, that was enough.
Seele looked toward the horizon.
Seele: "Many things have happened. Both Anti-Entropy and St. Freya will be busy for a while."
She looked at the others.
Seele: "We can't simply rely on the grown-ups. We need to work hard too."
Liliya quietly watched the waves.
Liliya: "I wonder… what the future will be like…"
She looked toward the distant horizon.
Liliya: "It seems far away, but feels… pretty close as well."
Bronya remembered Theresa's words.
Bronya: "Theresa said that the future is for the children."
Bronya: "A better future will never come if the children don't even believe in it."
She looked toward the other three.
Bronya: "That's why she started St. Freya."
Rozaliya scratched her head.
Rozaliya: "Why does Theresa always talk like a grown-up. Is she really our age?"
Bronya paused.
Bronya: "Erm… nyet."
Rozaliya laughed.
Rozaliya: "But I think I know what she's talking about."
She spread her arms toward the sea.
Rozaliya: "The future depends on us, right?"
Bronya, Seele, and Liliya exchanged glances.
Then they answered together.
Bronya, Seele, and Liliya: "Da…"
Rozaliya grinned.
Rozaliya: "Well, I guess we can play today and start working tomorrow, right?"
Seele sighed.
Seele: "Roza…"
Liliya crossed her arms.
Liliya: "I knew it."
Bronya couldn't help herself.
She laughed.
Bronya: "Haha!"
The four girls ran across the beach together, their footsteps scattering the sand as their laughter carried across the shoreline.
For all the hardships they had endured, this was the moment they had been waiting for.
The promise made all those years ago could finally be fulfilled.
Rozaliya: "Let's play, let's play!"
Rozaliya: "But… what do we play?"
Rozaliya: "You decide, Bronya."
Bronya: "Hmm… we finally have four today."
Bronya looked at the three girls standing beside her.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Bronya: "Let's play hide & seek."
The four girls ran across the beach.
Their laughter echoed over the waves.