Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

Every moment felt like being surrounded by mountains and weighed down by endless ocean currents. No one in the world looked at her; their gazes were fixed solely on the water goddess she portrayed.

[A self-righteous friend, a self-righteous believer, a self-righteous subordinate, a self-righteous friend.]

—None of them truly belonged to her.

[Even though I live in a very lively place, surrounded by people, I feel incredibly lonely—a loneliness that comes from within, a loneliness stemming from no one understanding me, and a loneliness I dare not let others understand me.]

Loneliness isn't measured by whether or not someone is around; it's about whether someone cares about you, about the part of yourself that belongs only to you.

In a forgotten corner, the real her was already shattered, her very self almost crying out in despair, helplessly plunging into the abyss.

Ultimately, they might even feel fear because their identity is about to be revealed, fear because they cannot properly cope with the pressure weighing on their hearts, and fear because they cannot bear this painful responsibility.

For her, for the girl who had borne the responsibility for five hundred years, removing the mask, revealing everything that this painful facade represented, was already an unbearable thing.

Although that girl volunteered to play the role, it was initially because of others. Now, what's before you is your own choice.

Since you've decided to wear the mask, you inevitably have to bear the burden of the boy's gentleness and love, and only see the mask's fate.

[For someone like you who, no matter what you do, will inevitably make things worse.]

Playing someone else doesn't seem like such a bad choice.

……

At least……

—Vilvie truly brought happiness to Jiangcheng.

Alicia looked at everything before her, at the terrible ending she had created with her own hands, at the tragic and lonely end caused by her one wrong choice after another.

It's a tragic ending. He seems like a successful person, but he can only carry the shadow of others and follow the choices that others would make.

It is precisely when facing this moment that we are able to experience the same shared feelings.

The girl did not harbor much dissatisfaction, sadness, or denial.

For someone who is absolutely wrong no matter what choice they make.

Copying answers from successful people...

That seems like a viable method, doesn't it?

……

At thirty, the young woman has laid bare her entire world to you, and you've truly come to realize your current state.

【Difference.】

Terrible.

Even using the word "bad" alone to describe it seems too understated.

This negative feedback doesn't stem from physical issues, but rather from a mental and self-conscious state, as if one is tightly bound by chains, with no possibility of loosening their grip.

Everything in the past fades away with the wind. Even the seemingly indestructible mountains and the seemingly endless mountain ranges will one day be shattered, cut apart, and worn down into sand as tiny as dust by the howling wind.

At least when you have nothing, at least when you're not even allowed to be yourself, there's still a young girl waiting for you.

Since opening my eyes to the world again, the scenes of relentless pursuit in my memory seem like a dream; there is only the girl who keeps chasing after you.

【perhaps……】

Even your existing memories are somewhat inaccurate.

[That girl from your past memories who always ignored you—it must be your confused thinking piecing someone else together with Alicia.]

[It doesn't matter.]

You have found the truth.

How could such a passionate girl be the same bad person who abandoned you?

She's just like you, afraid of being the center of attention, and not good at showing herself in front of most people or performing under the spotlight.

【—You saw it.】

Seeing Alicia trembling in your sight, her demeanor even more terrified and panicked than yours, you realized you were seeing her too.

If that's the case, then what is there to worry about?

You have embarked on a completely new life, and with the help of a young man named Qianjie, you have returned to the place where your memories began, your original home.

[No more chaotic journeys, even the chaos seems to have disappeared from this town; it's peaceful, natural... like stepping back into childhood.]

Back then, there wasn't so much chaos; there were only treetops swaying in the wind, blooming flowers, and pedestrians on the streets.

The streets and alleys are filled with simple, honest villagers—a place that seems like a dream, brimming with morality and purity, and brimming with vitality among its people.

Back then, you knew nothing; you were just a child, full of youthful energy, always looking for fun with Alicia.

[At an age when you know nothing, you can most freely and unrestrainedly express your true nature, instead of being forced to be constrained by various things or forced to think about things that will always make you uncomfortable.]

Although it might be inappropriate for you to say this now, losing a large amount of memories also means losing a large amount of worries.

[Remember that famous quote from the book "Stray Birds" on the bookshelf that you saw before? It perfectly describes you right now.]

One night I burned all my memories, and from then on, my dreams became transparent.

Even if none of this was your intention.

Now, you're no exception either.

[I woke up early to wash my face and brush my teeth, ate breakfast, and then spent time with Alicia watching Qianjie work in the town, while also helping out the townspeople.]

[For example, feeding a fat cat that some heterochromatic-eyed girl came from who-knows-where, or picking a few blooming flowers on the hill behind the mountain.]

[Help the new nuns who have moved into the church with daily tasks, such as delivering food, moving things, and organizing some educational books.]

[Originally, you didn't need to do this; Qianjie had already taken care of everything. The only thing he didn't quite like was Aponia in the church.]

Even so, these tasks won't take up much of your time; for a Herrscher, calling them "just something to do" would be an understatement.

[Spend the whole day slacking off, reliving memories, reminiscing about the good old days, and then go home to spend another somewhat decadent and corrupt day.]

Compared to someone like you who's just slacking off, that young man named Qianjie is indeed very hardworking.

It seems like I haven't seen him rest at all in all this time.

Every day is spent either working or working.

He seems to have truly come to regard this town as home, even more deeply than you have.

At least you'll have more time to slack off and relive past memories with the town's theoretical owner, who is also your lover.

Alicia lives with you, and doesn't even want to have a second room. She holds your hand when she sleeps, as if afraid you'll run away.

The room that originally belonged to her has never been dusted, while yours has been expanded and expanded again, now a large room that can comfortably accommodate two people without feeling cramped.

This definitely leaves you with little personal space, since Alicia will always be by your side no matter where you go.

【Such an enviable dilemma!】

If anyone knew you would complain about something that would make others jealous, they would probably think you were incredibly shameless.

[This isn't bad either. Having your own private space is necessary for normal people. Right now, you're even missing parts of your sense of self and your memories. Living with the people you were most familiar with in the past is actually a good thing.]

At least through intimate contact and revisiting past routines, you can more quickly find fragments of past memories and piece together your complete self.

You can definitely feel that, and feel the warmth that touches your heart.

This represents the happiness and beauty that Jiangcheng once experienced.

Alicia always manages to evoke familiarity in subtle, unintentional details, reminding you of the past, even if it's just a blurry shadow, or a faint glimpse of a feeling deep within your heart.

The reason a shadow remains a shadow is because it doesn't understand the person in question. Because it's unknown, it can only be described as a dark shadow to represent someone from the past.

[You know who that shadow is, so all you need to do is assume the form of Alicia when the shadow appears.]

[Somewhat strangely, whenever you do this, you feel a vague, lingering pain, as if a thorn has been pulled out.]

It seems you are stripping something important from your heart.

Your instincts still refuse to let go, refuse to lose, and even if you use brute force to strip, tear, and harm, you can only tear apart parts of yourself along with the things you are unwilling to relinquish.

It's really strange.

Is there something else important?

Could it be that you've unknowingly forgotten someone important to you, burying them in a corner of your memory?

[You've only ever been with Alicia. You two have never been apart since you embarked on your journey, and you've lived happily together ever since.]

You and the girl were never separated throughout your lives.

Until you die.

Until the girl resurrects you once more.

Why are you experiencing this pain?

Filled with doubt, you couldn't help but ask Alicia, hoping she could offer some helpful answers.

Compared to you, a person suffering from amnesia, the young girl understands you far better than you do now, both superficially and in terms of deep-seated memories.

【so……】

"—Have I forgotten someone important?"

……

94. Alicia... I'm crying my eyes out.

Jiang Cheng's fingers gently touched the edge of the door frame, stopping Alicia, who was holding a bouquet of flowers. His dark, starry eyes were filled with undisguised doubt.

"Not a vague shadow, not a fabricated tragic experience, not a large number of impressions that were forcibly stripped away like you and me."

"They've completely forgotten it; they can't even remember the name or find the figure."

……

Alicia's fingertips stiffened slightly, and the roots she was gently holding tightened a little, causing the delicate roots of the flower to twist and bend.