CHAPTER 361: CHAPTER 140: NOISY WORLD

Aimou was lost in the darkness, unable to respond to the outside world, only the light in her eyes flickering.

The solitary soul is imprisoned in a dark cage.

Bologue had experienced all this, he knew well the feeling of being alone in the dark, it’s not pleasant, especially for the naive Aimou.

"Alright, I understand," Bologue replied.

The glass wall in front of him split open, Belli waited there, and Bologue walked alone into the room.

Bologue circled the glass container, inspecting Aimou, every inch of the mechanical structure reflected in his eyes, Ether flowed across it, weaving a pale blue light trail.

Aimou should have awakened, yet something seems to bind her, erecting a high wall between her and the perception of the outside world.

"Aimou?"

Bologue called her softly, looking somewhat foolish, but this was not a moment to care about foolishness.

He called several times consecutively, but Aimou still had no response, only a faint light continually flickering in her eyes, indicating she was still alive.

Bologue stopped, standing before the container, Aimou had lost all perception of the outside world, naturally, she wouldn’t hear his voice.

Suddenly, Bologue felt he was caught in a paradox, pondering how to make Aimou, who had lost all perception abilities, become aware of his existence and awaken from the darkness.

"Bologue?" Belli’s voice sounded from the speaker above, "Need to take a break?"

Bologue waved his hand, rejecting Belli’s suggestion, looking gravely at Aimou behind the container, muttering.

"Don’t give up so easily, Aimou, I worked hard to get you out from the Abandoned Land."

Bologue kept thinking, he wasn’t an Alchemist, clueless about how to handle all this, but he was Aimou’s only friend left, hoping for that elusive power.

He spoke a few more words to himself, though it was like conversing with the familiar Aimou, Bologue felt a strange sensation, as if they hadn’t had face-to-face communication for a long time.

Indeed, he was used to being in Shared Chord Body with Aimou, words weren’t necessary, a mere thought would convey his ideas and even emotions...

Wait, Shared Chord Body?

Bologue took a deep breath, at this moment he had a peculiar thought, slowly raised his hand, pressing it against the surface of the container, ethereal blue light trails spread across his palm.

Afraid of an accident, Bologue only released Ether, not summoning the glass, unsure what would happen if it was broken, it might harm Aimou.

"You should remember, Aimou."

Bologue muttered softly, they were, after all, bound by life and death, Bologue believed Aimou remembered all this.

She remembers his Ether reaction.

Aimou’s perception of the outside world stemmed from the power of her shell, yet there was a power that transcended all this, and that was Ether.

Bologue maintained the Ether release, doing this for several minutes, yet Aimou didn’t respond, only her pupils continued to flicker with faint light.

Perhaps... I wasn’t that special either.

It’s a noisy world, flooded everywhere with Ether, like stars, ether reactions were abundant, Aimou not remembering his ether reaction was quite normal, and whether Aimou had self-awareness now was another matter.

As Bologue prepared to withdraw his hand and leave, Aimou suddenly moved.

Aimou, even though she lost all communication abilities with the outside world, sealed in darkness, still had a certain degree of control over her body, even if she couldn’t precisely control it.

She lifted her head, as if she could see Bologue, hollow eyes flickered continuously with faint light.

...

This is a world without light, apart from endless darkness, there’s nothing else.

Aimou curled up in the darkness, after a period of panic and unease, she gradually accepted such a world, and such an end.

She still remembered the stories Bologue once told her about the world after death.

It was a void world, where mountain-like boulders collided and crashed, pulverizing into dust, dispersing into the darkness.

Aimou was now in a similar world, but this world truly had nothing, not even Aimou herself, only a wisp of consciousness, without a tangible shell.

Am I... dead?

After pondering for an uncertain duration, Aimou gradually accepted this answer.

Yes, she remembered in her final memories, the calamity she faced with Bologue.

A city in ashes, the ravenous and violent Calamity, and the cold rain of arrows descending from the sky.

Contrary to the fear and madness she once envisioned, this time Aimou remained calm, drifting silently in this void world.

Actually, this wasn’t Aimou’s first death, when she fell into the Great Rift, in the state of Shared Chord Body, she already felt similar experiences through Bologue’s death.

It was a tremendously awful experience, breaking away from the empathy of death, Aimou almost collapsed, overwhelming fear and sorrow erupted in her heart, nearly engulfing her rationality.

This is death, lightless and tearless, enough to plunge everyone into hysterical madness.

Thinking of Bologue constantly experiencing all this, growing numb to death, prompts a complex emotion in Aimou’s heart, of course, mostly guilt.

Death is so terrifying, so cold.

Before this, death was merely a fear-inducing word to Aimou, now she truly comprehended what death was.

"Have I died?"

Aimou murmured, her mood unexpectedly calm and relieved.

"It’s finally over."

Sighs echoed softly in the darkness, now Aimou doesn’t have to care about her own desires, nor the desires of others.

All social relations, all desires, all conflicts, all of everything ended with death.

Aimou also managed to escape from this painful contradiction.

In this world without light, the perception of time became blurred, even stagnant. Aimou, in the long silence, neither wanted anything nor thought about anything.

Until a certain moment when the darkness gradually began to writhe, and then a luminous figure appeared. Aimou looked at that familiar figure, somewhat surprised by her arrival.

I didn’t expect that even until death, she would still accompany me.

"You seem quite happy? Why would you feel happy in such circumstances?" Alice asked Aimou with confusion, unable to understand her feelings.

"Is it because there’s no need to think anymore?"

Alice approached Aimou, but Aimou ignored her, simply curling herself up like a cocoon.

Seeing this, Alice laughed as the darkness behind continued to writhe, as if something was there.

"Aimou, I’m your only friend. Friends should help each other; I can save you." Alice whispered in Aimou’s ear.

Aimou said, "But I’ve already died, it’s all over, don’t bother me."

"Died?"

Alice stared straight into Aimou’s eyes, as if hearing some joke.

"Death cannot bind everything. If you’re willing, I can bring you back to the world, fulfill all your wishes."

Alice smiled at Aimou, her delicate face carrying an indescribable strange aura. Aimou felt something was amiss, but couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

It seemed the mutation had started long ago, yet everything felt unchanged, merely an illusion of her own.

"Bologue Lazarus showed you all the beauty of the world and also the fearsomeness of death... Do you truly wish to end it all like this?"

Alice’s voice became clear, without any seductive power, simply straightforward and plain communication.

"Moreover, are you willing to abandon your wishes?"

Upon hearing this, Aimou’s heart was stirred, she slowly lifted her head, looking at Alice.

A halo of light surrounded Alice, making her seem like a sacred angel, ready to rescue Aimou from this pitch-black murky darkness.

"Aimou, it’s time to make a choice."

Alice extended her right hand toward Aimou, as if waiting for her to kiss the back of her hand.

Aimou’s will trembled slightly; no one had told her all of this, yet now Aimou could clearly become aware of certain things.

As long as she grasped this hand, all of Aimou’s wishes would be fulfilled, but once she held onto it, making such a choice, irreversible errors would occur, causing lifelong regret.

But...

If it were only about fulfilling that wish...

Aimou slowly raised her hand, trying to hold Alice’s hand, getting closer and closer, with an indescribable smile on Alice’s face.

Just as all of this was about to be accomplished, a strange power surged from the end of the darkness. Aimou paused, then turned toward the direction the power originated from.

Somewhat hazy, but she could clearly feel that familiar wave; something was coming, something she was very familiar with.

Alice’s expression slightly changed at the sight, yet she maintained composure, smiling as she said, "What are you waiting for, Aimou?"

Aimou didn’t respond, only stared blankly at the darkness. She thought it was her illusion, but just as she was about to turn back and hold Alice’s hand, the power surged again, and Aimou clearly discerned what the power was.

Aimou was too familiar with this power. She murmured.

"Bologue?"

In this silent, lightless world, she actually felt Bologue’s ether reaction. How was this possible?

But Aimou quickly realized something, muttering to herself.

"I’m just an alchemy puppet. I’m not human, nor do I possess a human soul. For me, there is no death, only damage."

"There is no world after death for me. There is only the scrap heap."

Thinking about these, Aimou appeared somewhat saddened, then her gaze firmed, questioning the Alice behind her.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Me? I’m Alice, your only friend."

"But Alice is already dead; dead is dead, there’s nothing left." Aimou retorted.

The atmosphere solidified, Alice still smiling, saying nothing, merely quietly gazing at Aimou, raising her hand.

After a long time, Aimou shook her head, giving no answer, then turned around, approaching the edge of darkness.

She did not possess the nature of death; for her, there was only damage.

Perhaps... perhaps she hadn’t died, merely suffered too much damage, losing all communication ability with the outside world.

In this view, she was no different from death, but Aimou clearly knew one thing: she still possessed another ability, another ability to communicate with the outside world.

Aimou identified some so-called instinct, forcibly activating her power. She couldn’t sense the existence of her body but awkwardly exerting force as long as it could have some impact.

Canyin’s light encircled Aimou, and then she vigorously extended her hand toward the darkness.

Alice quietly watched Aimou depart; she wasn’t surprised by Aimou’s resistance, and she understood one thing, Aimou would eventually return to her.

This was destined.

...

Bologue gazed at Aimou, submerged in liquid, her hollow gaze fixed on him; she then awkwardly and clumsily uncurled her body, tremblingly extending her hand.