Rupert III.
One after another, stars collapsed toward ruin. Even Nous, high above the heavens, stepped toward self-destruction and dissolution. Qlipoth no longer preserved, for all beings had only annihilation. Aha no longer delighted, for all beings had only suffering. Yaoshi no longer bestowed abundance, for all beings had only death.
When Aeons fall, when everything returns to zero, even the Finality that raises the scepter will destroy Destruction itself. In the name of Rupert III, this crusade shall ■■.
This time, Ruan Mei saw the profile of Rupert III, and the loose strands of hair behind Their ear. Even she, whose emotional fluctuations approached zero, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
"Herta?"
Rupert III's lips curled into a smile of contempt and sorrow—the former from Irontomb, the latter from the last vestige of Herta's consciousness, which vanished like a bubble in an instant.
Ruan Mei tried to step forward, to chase after Rupert III in the void, but the distance between them only grew. Until Their figure completely disappeared into nothingness.
---
"Ruan Mei, are you alright?"
Ruan Mei jolted awake. She looked around. Still the space station. Still its familiar furnishings.
Herta stood before her, holding a research report, her peerless face etched with worry.
"Ruan Mei, did you have a nightmare? Your forehead is covered in cold sweat. Sigh, even geniuses have nightmares—that's an undeniable fact."
Herta offered clumsy, unsympathetic words of comfort as she gently wiped Ruan Mei's forehead with a handkerchief.
Ruan Mei took a deep breath, then stepped forward and embraced Herta.
Herta froze, flustered and bewildered. "Ah?! This... Ruan Mei, what are you doing?!"
Ruan Mei said nothing. Herta grew even more panicked. In all her Amber Eras, this was the first time someone had held her.
She looked back. She had been an orphan, raised in an orphanage. Because of her personality, because she had always buried herself in research, she had grown up solitary and proud, without friends. But step by step, through her research, she achieved results, gained an audience with Nous, became a member of the Genius Society, and met Ruan Mei and Yu Qingtu. Most geniuses had strange personalities. Birds of a feather flock together. Like attracts like. But back then, she never imagined they would come this far.
She closed her eyes and said nothing more. The cold plum fragrance was familiar and comforting. Perhaps letting time stand still like this... wouldn't be so bad.
One system hour. Two system hours...
Herta's memories drifted like a lantern show—how she and Ruan Mei had met, how they had come to know each other. The person she was most grateful for was Yu Qingtu. The person she hated most was Yu Qingtu-Sparkle.
Wait. What was her purpose in coming to see Ruan Mei today? Sharing some research data?
Never mind. She would wait. Let Ruan Mei let go on her own.
Five system hours later, Ruan Mei finally spoke.
"Herta, I had a dream. A dream of the universe's annihilation, of Aeons falling, of Rupert III—of you."
Herta blinked, staring at her in confusion. "A dream? Universal annihilation, falling Aeons, and some Rupert III? Then tell me—in your dream, who became Rupert III?"