It was winter once again. The biting chill from the edge of the operating table seeped into her fingers at the slightest touch. Beneath the surgical lights, a green-haired woman exhaled a puff of white mist. She lifted her weary face toward the light, glanced at the switched-off air conditioner for two seconds, and then lowered her head back into the surgery.
For the sake of data accuracy, environmental factors were indispensable—especially temperature.
"Tch..."
She set down the scalpel and sighed. "Stop the bleeding."
The woman with blue-and-white hair skillfully stanched the subject's bleeding before placing it back into a containment device.
They removed their gloves and masks, tossing them into a Honkai energy isolation box to await cleaning. After another round of disinfection, they returned to the lab. Mobius let down her tied-up ponytail, shaking her head to let her long hair fall loose as she tucked a stray strand behind her ear.
She picked up a printed data report, scanned the line graph, and set it back down, dissatisfied.
"A synchronization rate of 33.41%..." Clearly, this was not a very favorable value.
"Doctor, shall we proceed with the next session?" Blanca, having also finished disinfecting, walked over to Mobius and asked gently.
Mobius crumpled the report into a ball and threw it into the trash. "No, that's enough for today. Thanks, Blanca. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to find anyone to help."
Blanca looked slightly confused. "Oh? What about Nuwa and the others?"
At the mention of Nuwa, Mobius irritation flared. Her face darkened. "Yesterday, Nuwa and Fuxi used the drafted proposal to weight down their instant noodles. Then they accidentally knocked it over and ruined everything. Klein is currently helping them redo it."
"Haha... the lab is as lively as ever."
"Hmph, those two have never given me a moment's peace."
"What about that boy?"
"He—" The mere thought of Lin made Mobius teeth itch. Her voice instinctively rose, but then she noticed Blanca's half-smiling expression. She pulled a long face and asked sullenly, "Who?"
"Hehe. Doctor, when I left the laboratory, you hated Ato quite a bit, saying he lured me away and ruined my academic ambitions. But now you..."
"I still hate him," Mobius interrupted flatly, crossing her arms and snorting with an air of arrogant disdain. "Alright, Blanca, go back and get some rest. Come back to the lab when you have time."
"Hey, hey, Doctor, we haven't seen each other in so long. Let's chat a bit more." Blanca, her face full of a meaningful smile, blocked Mobius path.
"..."
Mobius gritted her teeth and tried to sidestep her, but Blanca knew the Doctor too well after years of working together. With a simple step, she blocked her again.
Unable to bypass her, Mobius let out a cold huff. "Did that brat Ato talk to you?"
"Hehe." Seeing that Blanca didn't deny it, Mobius inwardly cursed the loose-lipped Ato.
"...If you have something to say, say it quickly."
Helpless, Mobius dejectedly compromised, though she was already prepared to deny whatever Blanca was about to say.
Upon hearing this, Blanca's eyes lit up. She didn't look like a mother with a child several years old at all as she asked excitedly—
"When are you getting married?"
The expression Mobius had just composed froze instantly.
What... what marriage?
"Doctor, when I left, I was actually very worried about what would happen to you. That's why I introduced that girl Klein to the lab to keep you company. I never expected that cold boy from back then would actually end up with the Doctor... Could it be that the Doctor actually likes that type? A few years younger, but reliable..."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait... What marriage? What 'ending up together'?" Mobius heart skipped a beat. She nearly screamed. "What are you talking about?"
"Huh? Is the progress not that fast?" Blanca scratched her head in confusion.
Mobius shook her head decisively. "There is no progress at all."
"Then isn't this just the Doctor's secret cru—"
"Shut up."
Mobius clamped her hand over Blanca's mouth. She stared into Blanca's eyes with a mix of anger and exasperation. "Listen closely. There is absolutely nothing between us. It's just that husband of yours likes to let his imagination run wild. That guy who failed the MANTIS surgery isn't even worth my notice. It's just that he once said he'd trade everything he had, so I'm just using him as a lab rat."
"His stupidity breaks through the floor of my understanding. Even the test subjects in my room have a higher IQ than him. Moreover, he can't squeeze out a single word during a conversation, and when he does, it's all hypocritical Tai Chi. He thinks he's some 'central air conditioner' blowing warmth in all directions, but he's only made rapid progress in the art of deception. He looks harmless on the surface, but in reality, he's black-hearted, despicable, and occasionally incredibly stubborn. I want absolutely nothing to do with a guy like that."
"Got it?"
"Mmph, mmph..."
"Blink twice if you understand."
Blanca paused, then blinked twice. Mobius finally breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her hand.
Once free, Blanca said shyly, "But Ato saw you two dancing at the ball?"
"..."
Mobius had never hated Ato as much as she did now—not even on the day he took Blanca away.
Blanca was helpless against Mobius reaction. Having spent many years with her, she knew Mobius temperament well. If Mobius didn't want to admit something, you couldn't pry her mouth open with two locomotives.
"Fine. Then... that stupid, hypocritical, lying, black-hearted, despicable, stubborn... boy. Where did he go?" Blanca tried her best not to laugh at Mobius glaring eyes. "Ato said he should have come to the lab by now."
"..."
Mobius suddenly slumped.
She collapsed onto the sofa, covering her forehead with her hand. Glancing at the instant noodles on the desk, she said listlessly—
"Out on a solo mission."
...
The nun finished her prayers for the day. She stood up and brushed the dust from her habit. The blurred light from the stained-glass windows fell upon her shoulders. She closed her eyes, listening to the joyful cheers of children outside and the voice of a somewhat impatient man, offering a rare smile.
But soon, that smile turned into a cloud of worry.
Ever since that great cold wave, more and more people had fallen ill with that bizarre disease. Among the patients she took in, there was no shortage of those who succumbed to it...
The Sundown Alley was losing its spark of life. The rapidly increasing number of patients filled the gutters, and she lacked the power to heal everyone...
She closed her eyes and prayed fervently once more, praying that the Merciful Lord would save these innocent lives.
Even if she did not know where that Lord resided.
Shh.
In a place unknown to all, a man walked to the entrance of the sanitarium. He looked up, observing the ordinary-looking building, and then checked the data on his communicator once more.
Then, he turned and walked away toward a certain part of Sundown Alley.