The soul fusion was complete, but Nuo Ai’er’s consciousness didn’t immediately return to reality. Instead, it sank into the deepest part of her own heart. These were private memories she had never revealed to anyone.
A dim, outdated computer room. The lighting was weak, and the air was stiflingly stuffy. Little Nuo Ai’er curled up alone in the corner, her whole body balled into a tiny mass as she hid there.
This was the secret little space she’d hidden in for countless days and nights after being abandoned by her family. She didn’t know what was happening in the outside world, and she didn’t care anymore.
During those days after her family had cast her aside, she was still Ailuo back then. She spent every day in this old house, numbing her hollow hours through the internet.
Having been lonely for too long, she could only hide behind the screen and vent as a vicious online troll.
This hollow sense of online existence barely convinced her that she was still alive.
“Haha…”
Nuo Ai’er laughed at herself in self-mockery.
Looking back now, she supposed she’d really brought all of this on herself, step by step.
If she hadn’t gone to Wei Ran’s live-stream room as a troll back then, if she hadn’t provoked Wei Ran, she wouldn’t have been turned into a loli, and she wouldn’t have stepped into that unfamiliar Inner World.
If that were the case, would she not have had to die over and over again?
Countless layers of exhaustion piled up at the bottom of her heart, crushing her until she no longer wanted to struggle at all. Really… she was so tired.
What she wanted was never much. To have family by her side.
From beginning to end, she had only one tiny, insignificant wish. She wanted someone to be with her, so she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.
But even such a small wish, someone always desperately tried to block. Ka Fei coveted her talent, Camilla hunted her life, the world rules forced her into reincarnation cycles.
She had died too many times. She had carried this burden alone for far, far too long.
Nuo Ai’er lowered her eyelashes, giving up resistance, letting the darkness in her heart slowly drown her. That was fine. Nothing mattered anymore.
Just as this Inner Darkroom grew more lifeless and silent, patches of pink light slowly emerged from all around. It was Flo’s pink tentacles.
The tentacles slowly coiled around Nuo Ai’er and wrapped her up. They tightened bit by bit, trying to drag away the Nuo Ai’er who had given up on living. The room grew darker, the light dimmer, the despair heavier.
Just as Nuo Ai’er was about to be completely dragged into the darkness—
“Big Sister Nuo Ai’er!!”
An urgent loli voice thick with tears burst into the sealed computer room. It was Hui Mei’s voice.
The next second, the door to the old room was kicked open fiercely from the outside. It was Leinata, Hui Mei, and Emilia. Three familiar figures charged in without hesitation.
The three of them had crossed the soul barrier and broken into the loneliest memory buried in Nuo Ai’er’s heart.
Leinata shouted:
“Nuo Ai’er! Reach out your hand and grab mine!”
The three of them stretched out their hands with all their might, desperately reaching toward Nuo Ai’er in the corner.
They wanted to pull her out of the darkness. But the pink tentacles behind her refused to let go, desperately dragging Nuo Ai’er deeper.
Nuo Ai’er looked up at the three who were reaching out to her, her eyes full of numbness and helplessness.
“Don’t bother with me…”
“Forget it… none of it matters anymore.”
At this moment, Nuo Ai’er had completely lost the will to live. She really couldn’t hold on any longer. She’d kept dying horrible deaths; even if she went back out, there would be no peace.
Seeing her give up on herself, the three showed not a hint of retreat.
Emilia shouted:
“We already know everything! About your talent!”
Nuo Ai’er froze.
“…Huh?”
‘What did she mean, they already knew?’
Those words made Nuo Ai’er lift her head in confusion.
“We won’t let you carry all of this alone anymore!” Emilia shouted.
“We’ll all stand by your side!”
As the tentacles kept dragging, the three of them could barely reach her anymore. Leinata pulled off her red hooded cloak and extended it toward Nuo Ai’er. It was proof of the bond between her and Nuo Ai’er.
Leinata, who rarely lost composure, broke down and shouted with tears in her voice:
“You idiot!”
“Nuo Ai’er! If you died, do you think I could go on living?!”
“Nuo Ai’er!!”
Nuo Ai’er was stunned. Back then, it was Nuo Ai’er who had given Leinata the will to live. She had promised she would take responsibility for Leinata. But…
Hui Mei sobbed as she reached forward with her mysterious red string.
“Big Sister, come back…”
“Hui Mei will never let you be alone again…”
One by one, the words of the three gradually shattered the ice that had hardened around Nuo Ai’er’s heart for so many years. Only one last step remained.
The three shouted in unison:
“Because you’re our family—”
“Family…”
Nuo Ai’er murmured, repeating the word. That word was the one she had yearned for the most in her life, and also the one farthest out of reach.
“Why… would you all go this far…”
So… she really did have family waiting for her to come back.
Hot tears instantly streamed down her cheeks. She wanted to live. She really wanted to live… But she was so scared, because living would be painful.
But… for them, who cared about her this much, none of it was meaningless!
“AAAAAH—!!”
The moment she touched Hui Mei’s mysterious red string, the pink tentacles’ pulling abruptly stopped. Nuo Ai’er let out a great shout and, using every last ounce of strength, thrust her hand forward with all her might.
In that moment, she finally grasped the hands of the three.
The darkness receded. Nuo Ai’er’s Inner Darkroom collapsed with a tremendous crash at that moment.
“Where… am I?”
When Nuo Ai’er opened her eyes, she had already returned to the Inner World. Before her was the Milk Tea Shop District, scarred all over from the battle that had just ended.
But the tentacles were gone. Everything had come to a close.
The moment Nuo Ai’er opened her eyes, two figures immediately pounced on her, pulling her tightly into their arms.
“Big Sister Nuo Ai’er… I’m sorry… I’m sorry… uwahh…”
Hui Mei hugged her softly, her eyes red. Leinata tightly wrapped her arms around Nuo Ai’er’s back, saying nothing, just sobbing continuously, terrified that she would disappear again.
“You’ve been through so much, Nuo Ai’er.”
Emilia also wiped away her tears and came to Nuo Ai’er’s side.
“Thank you for everything you did for us…”
“We know everything you’ve been through.”
Emilia explained that they already knew about Nuo Ai’er’s reincarnation cycles. Then she continued:
“But this family won’t be complete without any one of us.”
“Don’t think about sacrificing yourself.”
“Without you, the Glaze Guild would be meaningless.”
“From now on, we’ll shoulder all of this together. We’ll never let you die so easily again.”
As she spoke, Emilia also crouched down and wrapped her arms around Nuo Ai’er.
“No matter what happens, we’ll be together.”
Listening to those gentle words and feeling the real, warm family in her arms, Nuo Ai’er’s tears could no longer be held back, streaming down from the corners of her eyes.
“I’m sorry…”
She reached out with all her might, tightly hugging the three of them back, apologizing in a small voice.
Actually, she had long since stopped being alone. She had long since had a family that cherished her and would never abandon her. As long as she was with them, no matter what happened, Nuo Ai’er believed she could overcome it all.
With tears streaming down her face, Nuo Ai’er slowly broke into a smile.
“I’m home.”
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