Ryn gently stroked Seele's head. This time, Black Seele didn't emerge to stop him. He indulged in the moment, enjoying the soft touch. If Kiana was sunshine and vitality incarnate, Seele was delicate and pure cuteness. When young, he hadn't understood the appeal of cuteness, mistaking sexiness for the ultimate treasure.
But before he could savor the moment, Seele woke up.
Her sea-like eyes fluttered open, wide and filled with the confusion of just waking up. Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to be doing?
"Awake now?"
"M... mm?!!!"
Seele rubbed her eyes, her adorable response to Ryn quickly turning into flustered panic as she scrambled to sit up.
"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to..."
She didn't know why she'd been lying on Brother Ryn, but she knew it must have caused him trouble. Tears welled in her eyes as she apologized profusely.
"You don't need to apologize, Seele. You didn't do anything wrong!"
"But I was lying on Brother Ryn the whole time. It must have made you uncomfortable, right?"
Ryn chuckled. He'd thought it was something serious.
"Not at all! You're so soft, Seele. Being close to you feels really comfortable."
"Huh?!" Seele's face flushed crimson. Could Ryn really be the pervert Sister Bronya had warned her about? But he had saved her life... She was so conflicted.
"Alright, how do you feel now? This sea has reshaped your body. You're not just like the sea in your eyes anymore, Seele. You're truly a Daughter of the Sea now!"
After skipping and twirling around a few times, Seele squinted happily at Ryn and said, "Hmm... I don't feel any discomfort. It feels exactly the same as before. During the reshaping, I felt like a tadpole. I saw the sea and the tree. Thank you, Brother Ryn."
"I'm glad you're feeling well. I didn't do much, really. It was mostly the sea. If you want to thank someone, thank It."
"Mm." Seele nodded and gazed into the distance, where nothing was visible. Yet she knew the tree and the sea were there. "Thank you both. Seele will never forget your help!"
After chatting a while longer to confirm some details, Ryn and Seele prepared to return to the real world. But just as Ryn took Seele's hand to leave, the Sea blocked their path.
"You can leave, but Seele can't. She still needs some time to return to the Intrinsic World."
"Why? Is there something wrong with Seele's body?" Ryn turned to Seele, but she shook her head. She didn't feel anything amiss.
"Ryn, you're an anomaly. Without you, I would have arranged for the fragmented Seele to drift endlessly through the World Bubbles, gradually bestowing my blessings upon her until she was fully restored and her body reshaped. But that process is no longer necessary.
However, there's still the matter of time. Seele has a mission yet to complete. She carries the Stigma Terminal, a device developed by the people of your world's previous civilization based on the Stigma Terminal they found on the Seele who traveled through World Bubbles and across timelines to their era.
This involves complex concepts of time that are pointless to explain in detail. You only need to understand this: I need to send Seele to a specific point in the Pre-Civilization era to present the Stigma Terminal to them, providing a blueprint for them to complete the Stigma System and ensure the smooth progression of the timeline."
Sea spoke at length to Ryn and Seele, but they both understood and yet didn't.
"Did you understand?" Ryn was a bit confused. Where did the Stigma Terminal even come from? Did future generations give it to their predecessors, or did the predecessors create it for their descendants?
Seele shook her head, her expression equally puzzled. "Seele doesn't quite understand... but it seems like I'm supposed to go to the Pre-Civilization and be used as a test subject... for them to study?"
Ryn felt Seele's hand tighten in his, a slight tremor running through her. She was terrified. The word "study" would make anyone uncomfortable.
"Don't be afraid, Seele. I'll be with you," Ryn said, stroking her head to comfort her. Then he turned to Sea. "Will Seele be in danger? I'm going with her!"
"Not now. Your appearance has already disrupted the process, but the timeline is fixed. After experiencing the Pre-Civilization event, Seele can return to the Intrinsic World.
But before that, she must travel through several World Bubbles. She needs to witness the destruction and rebirth of countless World Bubbles to truly understand the meaning of the Authority she carries."
"Authority... Does that mean Seele will become a Herrscher?" Ryn looked at Seele, who met his gaze.
"A Herrscher... will I become one too? Will Seele turn into a villain who destroys the world?" White Seele murmured. The only impression Seele had of Herrschers came from Mother Cocolia, who had always portrayed them as ruthless, world-destroying monsters.
Seeing Seele's distress, Ryn took her hand and placed it against his chest. "It's okay, Seele. I'm a Herrscher too. There's nothing to fear about becoming one. See? I still have a normal body temperature, a heartbeat, and I've gained immense power. You want to protect Bronya, don't you? A Herrscher's power can definitely make that happen."
Don't try to deceive my child. Her destiny is different from yours. Seele will become my emissary, responsible for the destruction and rebirth of countless worlds in the future.
"The destruction and rebirth of worlds?! Sea... am I really worthy of such a role? I... I'm just a coward who always hides behind Sister Bronya..." Seele showed no joy, only self-doubt and fear. If she were truly entrusted with the fate of worlds, could she bear such a burden?
"You can do this, Seele. Don't underestimate yourself. You possess enough kindness and inner strength. No one is more suited for this than you."
"Hmm, Seele is indeed very kind..."
Before Ryn could finish speaking, Sea had already sent him out of the Sea of Quanta. It was time for Sea and Seele to have a heart-to-heart talk.
"Brother Ryn?!"
Ryn's sudden disappearance startled Seele. The Sea of Quanta was vast, its space boundless. With Ryn gone, only Seele remained in the vast expanse of heaven and earth.
"Don't worry, I just sent him back to the Intrinsic World. The experiences that follow require you to face them alone... Oh, wait, you still have the other 'seele' within you. You'll need to experience this together. Rest assured, if you ever want to see your Brother Ryn again, I'll bring him back."
"Mm... Thank you. Let's begin then..."
With that, Seele transformed into a beam of light and began flowing through various World Bubbles.
"Ah~ Daughters are still better. So pleasing to the eye. What a pity... She'll just end up giving herself to that Ryn guy. I'll find a chance to cause some trouble for the Tree later."