Doomsday Wonderland

There were still so many things she didn't understand.

Rena told me far too little, Lin Sanjiu thought. It was like a movie trailer, carefully selecting only the most tantalizing moments to show her. Details, reasons, traps, and the future were all shrouded in a fog of uncertainty.

But even just that brief glimpse was enough.

She and Rena were walking side by side down the long corridor of Exodus. Although the ship was circular, if they kept walking, they should eventually return to where they started—back to the voices, shadows, and smiles of her friends. But the farther they walked, the more distant the warm, faint glow behind them became, until it felt like a ripple in a dream from another planet, fading at the slightest touch, separated from her by a thousand lifetimes.

Lin Sanjiu wished with all her heart that she could turn around and walk back to the life that should have belonged to her.

2

When she had resolved to leave, it had taken every ounce of willpower to take that first step. Now that her feet were moving, she couldn't seem to summon the strength to stop or turn around.

"We're about to leave the Brain in a Vat," Rena said softly, almost tenderly. "Can you promise me one thing?"

If not for their similar features, Lin Sanjiu would never have believed this woman was the same girl from back then. "What is it?"

"Give me a chance to explain everything. Let me finish what I have to say." Rena's voice was calm but firm. "Once we return to reality, you might act impulsively. You might be angry with me. You might want to leave... I don't know. But I hope you'll stay calm for a little while, because soon you'll understand that things aren't the way you think they are."

Even Lin Sanjiu herself wasn't sure what she thought anymore.

She recalled Xie Feng's words about the Shark Nexus. "Even if it comes with sacrifices, even if it means hurting others, I believe the path they're taking is the correct one." She wasn't naïve. She'd followed the clues leading to the Shark Nexus, tearing through everything in her path, trying to force out the mastermind behind it. In the end, she had fallen into the Brain in a Vat that Rena had prepared for her. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she couldn't ignore the connection between the two.

"What I saw the Shark Nexus do... is there an explanation for that?" Lin Sanjiu asked, holding on to a faint glimmer of hope.

Rena seemed like she wanted to say something but then shook her head and merely smiled.

The two of them seemed to be walking faster and faster, and the surroundings grew brighter and brighter. It was strange; in the past few years, Lin Sanjiu had been living in warmth and light, brighter than any moment in her life before. Yet now, she felt as though she were rapidly rising from the depths of the ocean. The light above reached out to grab her, and the water shimmered and wavered as she ascended. When she glanced back, Exodus had receded into the pitch-black depths of the universe, taking with it the friends and laughter of the past few years. It sank into a place she could never reach again.

It truly felt as though she had just risen from the sea. Lin Sanjiu suddenly gasped for air and opened her eyes.

Strangely, had her eyes been closed just now?

She remembered that before she fell into the Brain in a Vat, she had been walking in Chimeric City and had just discovered a group of people in biohazard suits staring at a row of screens. She thought she must have triggered some sort of trap or been captured, but she had never imagined that when she opened her eyes, she would still be in the exact same place, in the exact same posture.

One hand was still resting on the pristine white wall of the alley. Cold fluorescent light poured down indifferently from overhead, illuminating the section of machinery in the corridor—a mix of treads, discs, and sealed metal pipes gleaming with a chilling luster.

Even her neck was still tilted slightly, just as it had been moments—no, years—ago, peeking cautiously around the corner.

The group of people in biohazard suits hadn't noticed Lin Sanjiu at all. They seemed completely unaware that several years had passed for her. They were still focused on the screens in front of them, pointing and murmuring to each other, their recorders clicking incessantly. Lin Sanjiu even heard one of them say, "Not bad, Group A succeeded. Let's move on to the next group."

What had Group A done again... Right, where was Rena?

Only then did she snap out of her daze and confusion, hurriedly looking around.

As if she had heard Lin Sanjiu's thoughts, a shadow both familiar and unfamiliar stepped out from the depths of the alley behind her. Just as in the life created by her brain, Rena was draped in the same trench coat. With each step, her black-clad legs appeared briefly between the flaps of the coat. The alternating flashes of the coat and the dark pants made her seem as if she were walking across a set of worn piano keys. It was as though this stretch of the alley were a piece of music she had carefully composed, silent and unheard by anyone but herself. ṙÄΝꝊβƐṠ

Lin Sanjiu thought that soon, perhaps, she would hear the entirety of Rena's composition.

"I have so many questions," she murmured before the girl had even approached.

"I know." Rena smiled at her, the same natural, effortless smile that was slightly tilted at the corners but never reaching her eyes. "I'm willing to answer them. Do you know where to start?"

Lin Sanjiu nodded.

Their voices echoed through the alley, catching the attention of the group in biohazard suits. One of them called out from a distance, "Who's over there?"

Rena stepped around the corner, her tone calm and authoritative. "Carry on with what you're doing. I'm just bringing someone to have a look."

"Oh... right." The group seemed momentarily stunned, as though they hadn't expected to see her here.

It was as if Rena had become someone of great significance. As she led Lin Sanjiu further into the alley, the biohazard-suited individuals averted their gazes obediently, not daring to look directly at the pair. Even so, Lin Sanjiu could feel their focus drifting away from the screens, their senses probing and marveling at Rena's presence as she walked past.

"The Shark Nexus is an organization we created from scratch. Initially, we only wanted to secure power and protection in the apocalyptic worlds. Its current state is entirely unintentional." As the two walked farther down the alley, lined with intricate instruments and equipment that made the place resemble both a factory and a laboratory, Rena spoke at a leisurely pace. "I don't usually show up anymore, so they rarely see me."

This explanation about the Shark Nexus wasn't entirely unexpected. Rena's significant role within the organization hinted that it was likely her creation. What did catch Lin Sanjiu's attention, however, was the way she referred to it: "we."

"I have plenty of questions about the Shark Nexus, of course," Lin Sanjiu said, her thoughts a tangled mix of emotions—complicated, tender, and intense. But all those feelings condensed into a single question. "But that's not the first thing I want to ask you. What I want to know first is... all these years, have you and Reno been well? Are you both okay?"

1

For the first time, counting even their encounter within the Brain in a Vat, Rena's expression suddenly mirrored that of the young girl from so many years ago.

She seemed both surprised and on the verge of laughter, her eyes carrying a glimmer of tears. For an instant, she became vivid and alive, shedding the years and her hardened exterior. It was as if she might lean against Lin Sanjiu's arm and scold her for taking so long to arrive. But that fleeting glimpse of the carefree, lively Rena quickly vanished, leaving only the composed and coolly mature version of her.

"You're still the same as ever." Rena sighed, smiling. "I've grown into an adult, yet you still want to shield us like before."

Lin Sanjiu truly wished she could reach out and brush away the dust that might have settled on her.

"After we parted ways from you, Reno and I faced some hardships and took some risks. But there's nothing worth mentioning. Back then, we were very clear about our goal... So what if it was doomsday? So what if life was unpredictable? There's always a solution. You mold people the way you want them, put things where they're meant to be, and as long as you have power and force, even the apocalyptic worlds will bow before you.

"At least, that's what we thought at the time," Rena said with a chuckle, the sound tinged with self-mockery.

"Reno and I were lucky. We had decent abilities and some help. Gradually, we got closer and closer to what we envisioned..." She seemed to drift into a faint recollection, her voice soft. "But I later realized how naïve we were. If there's something that even power can't tame... it must be fate."

Lin Sanjiu said nothing, silently watching her.

"Who would've thought that even a sanctioned teleportation could go wrong?" This time, Rena's laugh felt like a subconscious attempt to hide her pain. "I haven't seen my brother in years. Even with all my resources, influence, and... everything I have, I still haven't been able to find a trace of him." 

3

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