-----

"Big sister... is it really you?"

FLASH!

As Amelia hugged Veronica, something almost miraculous happened. For a moment, her form shimmered with light and color. Her voice, no longer fully distorted, nearly regained its original tone.

Amidst a dazzling illusion of white light surging from her translucent body, Maria, Nyx, and Amelia briefly glimpsed the real Veronica.

"Yes... it's me," Amelia said softly, smiling. "How... did you end up here? What happened? Do you remember what happened after you disappeared from our home? When your powers... could no longer hold back?"

"...?" Veronica tilted her head, confused.

"She doesn't remember most of it," Maria explained. "And she's... regressed to her younger self. I believe it's because she lost nearly all her memories—about ninety-nine percent. And with them, her personality and sense of self. After all, despite what some may say, who we are is built upon every experience we've lived. Even if we forget them, they're still the foundation of our identity."

"So that's... why..." Amelia murmured. "Veronica... why did you end up here? Won't you come back home?"

"This is home..." Veronica replied.

"She can't really leave," Maria said. "She's deeply tied to this world. It wouldn't be wrong to say she is this world. Without it... I don't know what would happen, but I'm certain she'd cease to be herself. She'd disappear."

"Oh..." Amelia's eyes filled with worry.

"I'm sorry," Maria sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have—"

"No, no... it's fine," Amelia said with a smile. "This is more than I ever imagined, Maria. For a moment, she almost looked like her true self. I just have to help her remember, right?"

"Maybe," Maria nodded. "For now, let's talk about what we should do next. I'd like you to visit Veronica whenever you can. You obviously can't stay here forever, and you can't bring her with you, but... I'll set up a permanent portal between this world and Azure Star. It'll be in the attic of your house. My Living Shadows will monitor it, and they'll remain even if I die, so don't worry. I'll also set restrictions—only we can see or use the portal, alright?"

"S-Sure..." Amelia gasped, watching as Maria conjured the portal instantly.

It appeared as a small black door beside the wall. Veronica ran toward it and tried to enter, but couldn't.

"I can't?"

"Sorry, it's not that I'm stopping you. You simply can't leave," Maria said gently. "I'm sorry."

"...It's fine," Veronica said, walking back to her sister. "Sister..."

"Y-Yes?" Amelia asked, still crying, barely able to believe this was real.

"Can you bring me toys and snacks every time you visit?" Veronica asked.

"Of course... just ask for anything you want! Your big sis... will spoil you," Amelia smiled, hugging her and kissing her little forehead. "This really feels like a dream... I didn't fall asleep on my couch, right? I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"Certainly not!" Maria giggled. "This is all real, Amelia. Here."

She touched Amelia's hand, leaving a small tattoo shaped like a black key, which slowly faded from view.

"That's the key. It's in your soul now, and no one can steal it. If they try, I'll know," Maria said. "I'm also leaving a Soul Fragment here to watch over her and the manor. I'll have several of my Phantoms handle a few things as well..."

Maria explained her plans for the manor: to use it as a base for creating Undead, building a massive army to challenge the upper floors. It was a lot for Amelia, who had been living a mostly normal life.

"I see... No, don't worry. I'm not against the plan," Amelia said. "As long as Veronica agreed and she's comfortable... I think it's alright."

"Army..." Veronica repeated. "We fight... bad guys. Then we win... happily ever after?"

"Haha, perhaps," Amelia smiled. "If you really want to help us, then thank you, sister."

"Hm... sleepy..." Veronica mumbled, walking toward her bed. "Let's sleep?"

"I... I guess I could," Amelia nodded. "Is time the same here as in Azure Star?"

"I believe so," Maria replied. "Just be careful—this place is full of ghosts, hahaha. You'll have to get used to that."

"Don't worry. I used to live in a haunted castle full of nightmare demons," Amelia said with a small smile. "This isn't even that scary."

"Well, if you say so," Maria nodded. "We'll get going then. We want to reach Floor 40 as soon as possible. I'll visit again in a couple of days. If you have questions, just ask my Soul Fragment."

"Sure," Amelia nodded. "Thank you for everything. This is... amazing. I still can't believe it."

"I couldn't believe it either," Maria said with a gentle smile. "But this Tower... its worlds are all so unique and wonderful. Take care, little Veronica."

"Bye!" Nyx waved. "I'll come play later!"

"Waiting... will be waiting..." Veronica whispered, already drifting to sleep.

Maria reinforced the barrier around Amelia using the soul key, ensuring it wouldn't deteriorate, then departed.

Once back with her family, Amelia explained everything they had seen and how it all turned out. Meanwhile, Maria's tamed Undead continued to grow in number.

Deep down, Maria had considered taking control of another world like she had with Necroterra. But after learning that little Veronica was the one controlling the haunted manor, that idea vanished as quickly as it came.

This was the girl's dream—her memory of home. And now, she had made her big sister come visit her almost every day.

Even if she was only a small living fragment of that girl's memory—a lost soul merged with dreams and anchored to a concept—Maria knew this place belonged to her.

"Well, that was certainly more than I expected," Lucifer said. "But I'm glad the kid's happy now."

"It's really her?" Alma asked. "Ah... I wish I could see her too! Maybe I'd remember something as well!"

"Yeah, I thought about bringing you in," Maria said. "But I didn't want to overwhelm her with too many people. I'm really sorry."

"Ah, it's fine. Don't worry," Alma said, kissing Maria's cheek. "I'm just happy you went so far for her and her sister. You're really a good person, Maria... thank you."

"Yes, thank you," Emeraldine added.

"Well done," Jonathan said.

"Yeah," Arthur smiled softly.

"Alright everyone, let's go! We can talk more on the way to an inn or something. I've heard great things about Floor 40!" Maria said, stepping into the portal to the next floor. "Let's see what Murim has in store for us."

-----