"Originium brings us harm, but it also brings us power. It's called Originium Arts... Although this power almost demands an equivalent price, there are still countless dedicated individuals who sacrifice themselves for the future of that continent."
The trio was heading towards the elevator, with Tian An walking at the forefront, explaining.
"The price... refers to..." March 7th had mostly guessed, but she still wanted confirmation.
"You guessed right. Every time Originium Arts are used, the Oripathy within the body worsens."
"This illness cannot be cured; some cases can only be delayed. That's why I'm so wary of Star touching these things, even though they might not be able to harm you all."
If her defenses were truly breached, Tian An feared she would break down.
"Just getting a small wound from Originium carries the risk of infection."
So, Tian An absolutely dared not gamble. Who knew if the humans here were the same species as the pure humans of Terra?
"I see... Then Theresia, you have to be careful too! It's probably best not to use your abilities. This girl is perfectly capable of protecting you both!" March 7th puffed out her chest confidently.
Tian An continued walking in silence. She didn't know how to define the boundary between herself and her abilities, so she could only take things one step at a time.
"Hey, don't ignore me, okay!" Seeing Tian An didn't respond, March 7th huffed and hurried to catch up.
Star: The world forgets me...
Passing through the main doorway, the elevator was already visible. If she remembered correctly, this was where they should meet up with Dan Heng. They just needed to watch March 7th's little performance first.
Thus, Tian An deliberately stepped aside, moving off to the side.
"Hehe, it's this girl's turn! You two step back, let me handle this." Seeing her chance to shine, March 7th immediately walked up to the elevator control panel and started trying to unlock it.
"Hmm..." March 7th's expression shifted from confidence to puzzlement, then to helplessness, as if she had experienced a lifetime of setbacks.
"How about I give it a try?" A thought sparked in Tian An's mind. If I step up, it'll work, right? No need for Dan Heng to tell March where the key is.
I'll personally find... no, personally guide her.
"Agh, this elevator must be broken! If only Dan Heng were here, he knows how to fix all sorts of weird things."
"This..."
"He won't know how to fix this," Tian An successfully cut in.
Dan Heng arrived right on cue. Clearly, he was also a little surprised by Tian An's anticipation of what he was about to say.
"Right. I don't know how to fix this."
"Eh? Dan Heng, how did you get here so quickly?" March 7th turned around.
"As I was heading over, I happened to see you all in the monitoring room, so I came to find you," Dan Heng explained.
"By the way, Arlan has also been found. He's in the monitoring room too. He sustained some injuries, but they're not life-threatening."
Arlan... Arlan.
Tian An searched her memory for his face and background. She hadn't had a strong impression of the character before, but he was indeed a very responsible person.
White hair, short stature, a very cute boy!
"Just now, Theresia used her ability! Let me tell you, it was super strong!" March 7th eagerly shared what had happened earlier.
"Mm, I understand. But the crucial thing right now is to deal with the elevator," Dan Heng showed little interest in Tian An's abilities; his focus remained on the immediate problem.
"Arlan from the Security Department should know about the elevator, right? Let's go ask him," March 7th pondered, suggesting a plan.
While Tian An was still listening quietly off to the side, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in her hand again.
It carried a faint, burning sensation.
She retreated a few steps. Raising her hand, she discovered that her once fair hands were gradually becoming transparent, as if this body was about to disappear.
She no longer had the mind to listen to their conversation, only feeling her body grow lighter and lighter.
"We... two..." A faint voice echoed from the depths of her heart, giving Tian An a fright. Beside her, Dan Heng noticed the anomaly, his gaze shifting to Tian An's turned back.
"Miss Theresia, is something wrong?"
"Alone... by yourself... do not... draw attention..." The voice in her heart spoke again, seemingly wanting to conceal its own existence.
"You all go on ahead. I'll wait for you here," Tian An deliberately kept her hands behind her back as she turned around, preventing them from seeing anything amiss.
"Theresia? Is something the matter?" March 7th asked worriedly, walking towards her.
Star, meanwhile, was staring intently at the space behind Tian An, her thoughts unreadable...
"It's nothing. I just want to look around here a bit more. I'll leave it to you," Tian An took another step back, seemingly intentionally keeping her distance from March 7th. Dan Heng's eyes, subtly shifting, remained fixed on hers, but he didn't say anything further.
"Alright, wait for us here then. Remember, definitely don't wander off," Dan Heng simply instructed.
"March, let's go."
"Okay... Theresia, if anything happens, you absolutely have to tell us!" Left with no choice, March 7th could only pull Star away.
Once they were some distance away, the voice sounded again.
"You... are very... obedient..."
"Who are you?" Tian An's voice was somewhat weak. When faced with completely unfamiliar situations, she couldn't help but defer to others.
"She is coming... please... leave..."
"She is... she won't come... please..."
The voice grew increasingly chaotic, its pitch rising higher and higher. Tian An felt a chill crawl up her spine; she felt the urge to go find Dan Heng and the others again.
A flash of light flared, forcing Tian An to shut her eyes. But when she opened them again, the space station's appearance had transformed.
Ruins and broken walls were everywhere. She could see copious amounts of bright red blood flowing out from the elevator ahead. The entire cabin was engulfed in roaring flames, the floor fractured like a spiderweb. Soaring fire consumed everything around her, and faint cries for help could be vaguely heard...
"You are a sinner." The voice in her heart was no longer intermittent; it became sharp and clear. Light drained from her body, rushing towards the ceiling, and burrowed into a distant, burning cabin.
Tian An could feel her body going weak. She was too cowardly; seeing this scene, she could only freeze in place, staring wide-eyed.
But in that moment of stunned silence, she felt a prickle of unease and subconsciously reached out her hand...
Pshh...
When she came back to her senses, there was a pillar in her hand – that Originium crystal pillar that had appeared before – piercing the body of someone she never would have dared to imagine harming...
March 7th...
Afterwards, the scene dissolved like smoke, as if someone was manipulating her, forcing her into a hallucination.
A deathly voice sounded from nearby. Tian An had just started to back away when something unknown seized her by the throat.
"I caught you..."