After her mind submerged into darkness, Mei became "vaguely conscious" once again. Having had the experience once before, she was now familiar with returning here and remained calm.
"Mei..."
A distant, profound call drifted from the depths. Mei took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness that seemed to stretch infinitely—her prison.
The spaces belonging to the Flame-Chasers were unique scenes shaped according to their memories and consciousness. Was this darkness, which wrapped around everything like a great web, Aponia mental landscape? In her memory, was the most vivid impression the darkness that forever tortured her?
Mei didn't know Aponia past, so she could only speculate. After all, the religious elements about Aponia always brought to mind asceticism.
This time, it took less time to reach Aponia than before. Whether it was because she had grown familiar with the place or because Aponia was accepting her, she didn't know.
"Hello, Mei... we meet again."
Aponia greeted her with her usual tone—half-languid, half-casual. A pair of breathtaking blue eyes emitted an eerie blue light in the darkness. Mei stood before her with a grave expression, wary of any mysterious abilities this spiritual-type Fusion Warrior might use on her.
"Aponia... what exactly is your goal?"
"...Before humans possessed wisdom, they had already learned to 'doubt.' But I have no further thoughts regarding you. 『Please』 believe..."
"Don't use your ability to interfere with my brain!"
The moment Aponia said "Please," Mei recoiled a step, warning her not to use her power for mischief.
When one considered that a person with the ability to control hearts was confined in a place like a prison, the two facts combined were very telling. This Aponia was likely the most dangerous Flame-Chaser she had met—perhaps even more dangerous than Kalpas or Mobius.
The third seat of the Flame-Chasers...
"..."
Aponia gazed at Mei. Her blue eyes turned a seductive blood-red for a moment. After a while, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, they had returned to their gem-like blue.
"Please trust me, Mei."
Even Mei herself didn't know if the other had used her ability. The powers of these Flame-Chasers even surpassed those of Herrschers—especially Kevin, whose strength was on a different dimension compared to ordinary Herrschers. Even a fully-fledged Herrscher like Mei might not fare well against Kevin using Power of Annihilation..
However, her mind was clear this time. She tentatively believed that Aponia hadn't used her ability just now.
"Hmph, fine. Lin told me to find you. Right now, he..."
"Lin is fine." Aponia shook her head, her solemn gaze moving through the darkness. "He hopes I can help you."
"How do you know that?"
"I have already met with him. You need not worry."
"...Fine. Then I'll head back first." Aponia was a person shrouded in mystery. She might know some of the truth, but Mei felt only a sense of crisis. She had no advantage in this unfamiliar environment; it was better to test the other's attitude first.
However, this was Aponia domain. Whether Mei stayed or left was not for her to decide.
"I have already seen it—your fate, Mei."
"...Is that the common phrase for people dressed like charlatans?" Mei looked at her coldly. "Fortunately, the Overseer doesn't talk like that."
Faced with the sarcasm, Aponia curled her lips and said to Mei with a light smile, "You are like Lin; you do not believe in fate, even though he has seen and experienced his own. Is that why he intended for me to help you...?"
Seeing the light in her eyes, Mei couldn't help but ask, "What is your relationship with Lin?"
"Friend... comrade... soulmate... you may interpret our relationship in any way you choose..."
"...It seems you are more willing to talk about your past with Lin than the others." Mei abandoned the idea of leaving; perhaps this was a good point of entry. She shifted her question: "Did you meet at Fire-Moth?"
"..."
"..."
"...No."
Mei exhaled. "Is it difficult to talk about?"
"No." Aponia shook her head again. In the sparse light, the cross on her chest shimmered with a golden glow. She gripped the cross, smiling calmly. "The time I spent with him was perhaps the happiest time of 'my' life."
...
"Are you sure there's no problem?"
Actually, the moment Kalpas brought out the card and the letter, the nun had already guessed who it was. After all, only she, the sponsor, and the man knew about the support from seven years ago.
"The sanitarium's resources aren't enough to support so many people. What do you plan to do?"
The man had provided the answer for her—or rather, solved the problem.
"Aponia, there are children in the sanitarium." Kalpas spoke with rare calmness. His ferocious gaze stared at the nun from behind his mask. "You know better than I do what 'money of unknown origin' means."
"...Perhaps it is just a kind person donating to us," the nun replied plainly.
"Heh... so that makes me the suspicious bad guy?"
Mocking himself, Kalpas frowned and waved his hand. "Whatever. I hope you know what you're doing."
Though Kalpas and Aponia didn't get along, he knew her character well. At the very least, she was not an evil person.
The money's origin was unknown, but it would solve their urgent crisis. Even if someone came looking for trouble later, hmph...
Kalpas returned to his post. The nun closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and read the letter carefully.
"To the Nun:
My apologies for not writing for seven years. Last time, I mentioned wanting to renovate the sanitarium and you refused. I didn't want to force you, as I am merely a donor and all decisions rest in your hands.
I recently returned to Sundown Alley on business. After cleaning my estate, I found the letters you sent me and had someone look into the sanitarium's current state. Your kindness is praiseworthy, making me feel ashamed by comparison.
This card allows a certain amount of money to be withdrawn each month. I gift it to the sanitarium. Please use it as you wish. Please allow me to contribute a meager amount to the material support of your good intentions.
— A Nameless Person."
The handwriting in this letter was an imitation of the previous donor's. Her distant memories overlapped with the letter before her, yet she could still see some differences from the past.
Unconsciously, the nun smiled while reading. After finishing, she turned on her desk lamp, picked up a pen and paper, thought for a moment, and wrote...
"To Mr. Ultraman..."