Chapter 37 : Happiness/Despair

Mei woke up an hour after Urien walked out of the room. The first thing she noticed after waking up was an unfamiliar ceiling. Her mind got overdrive and started thinking that she got kidnapped. Her body is trembling and she thought back to the time when she got kidnapped at the age of 7.

Why would anyone want to kidnap her? It took her a few minutes to calm down and look around the room.

"This is just a normal bedroom," she thought after seeing a gaming console and some other ordinary home appliances.

She stands up and walks around the room. "Ouch," she touches her neck a little. It hurts.

She thought back to the time before she passed out. She was on her way back after buying groceries. But she took the wrong way and was robbed by a stranger. Then… "Urien," she muttered. "Urien Gregorios was there," she added.

Urien Gregorios… the only person who didn't outcast her even after all her supposed friends gave her cold shoulders. The one who avoids talking with her but is willing to share his lunch when she doesn't have anything to eat. Her heart turned cold after experiencing the betrayal of her 'friends' and the indifferent attitude of the teachers. Even then, a little act of kindness from Urien still managed to warm her heart.

She found a cabinet that contained a pair of pistols, two long katanas, and a short one. She marveled at the craftsmanship of the katana. Although they are inside the scabbard, they look beautiful in her eyes. And her eyes landed on a photo at the upper layer.

"Is this?" She saw two girls sitting together with a boy. And a man stalking behind those three. Just by looking at the boy, she can tell that he is Urien in that photo.

"He looks very different from the Urien I saw today," she muttered. If Urien inside this photo looks childish and cute, the one she talked with this afternoon is full of confidence and wore a fake smile on his face. And his long hair also gave him some adult charms.

She put the photo back at its original place as looking at it longer might be considered rude. Well, looking at the photo without permission is already rude enough.

She silently walked out of the room and noticed that there was a light in the room at the end of the corridor. She walked there as she might be able to thank someone for not leaving her alone at the side of the road.

She saw a silver-haired maid doing dishes when she got there. It was as if the maid noticed her, she dropped everything she was doing and turned toward Mei.

"Oh, are you awake, dear guest?" The maid asked her with a smile on her face.

"Ah! Ye-Yes!" She was caught off guard by the question.

"Then please have a seat over here. I will prepare something for you to eat," the maid gave her a curt bow and proceeded to prepare some turkey sandwiches for her.

Mei sits at the dining table as directed by the maid. Not too far away from the table, she saw a stack of paper. She was not going to look at the papers at first as it can be considered rude. But she did after seeing M.E Corp as a heading.

"Here you go, dear guest. Turkey sandwiches and apple juice," the maid placed the foods in front of her without minding she was looking at the papers she wasn't supposed to look at.

"Ah! I-I am sorry," she blushed and put the papers back to their place.

"It's okay, dear guest. Master was reading those before going to sleep," the maid answered and she looked at the place where the maid was looking. She saw Urien sleeping on the couch. "And he told me to explain if you have anything you don't understand while reading those," the maid added while patting the stack of papers.

"Thank you," she meekly replied. She didn't know that Urien was researching about the company her father was in.

"This is good," her eyes twinkle. As an heiress of the M.E Corp, she had tasted many delicacies. But this simple sandwich tops among the top 10 of the tastiest foods she had eaten before.

While Mei was eating her supper, Urien was dreaming about his past life.

Year xxx, Date xx, Previous Era

Inside a huge, young woman at the age around 17-19 is working on her computer. She has dark purple hair and eyes. She has all of her hair up and wears glasses while also wearing a white lab coat.

"Ah!" she screamed. She was so focused on her work that she didn't realize someone was standing beside her. She was shocked because she suddenly felt a cold can on her cheek.

"Beer?" the young man asked her with a cheeky smile. He has white hair and purple eyes, wearing a white lab coat. He looks the same age as the girl.

Oh, how much she hated that cheeky smile. "I am currently busy working on the abilities of the 5th Herrscher," she glared at one of her close friends.

"Come on, MEI. At least take a little break. You have been working nonstop since morning. It is already 9 P.M. And I can fill in her abilities while you take a break," her friend said.

"Fine," she sighed and closed her computer. "So tell me, URIEN. How was that battle?" she asked.

"Hmm… very hard. Bullets and swords won't work on her. So, we used 100% of our brain and pushed her into the active volcano near the area," he replied.

"Is that so?" MEI pondered a little. "Is it possible to recover her body?" she inquired.

"I guess so? I think HIMEKO and her team are doing that," her friend answered. "Also, have you chosen a name for the Herrscher?" he added.

"Yes, I had. As I had read from the report, she has a body that is harder than steel and the ability to manipulate metal. So, I am naming her as Herrscher of Metal," MEI replied while sipping a beer.

"So, another question," her friend took a glance at her.

"Hmm?" She is still sipping a beer.

"When are you going to admit that you love KEVIN?" her friend asked her with a teasing grin.

"Pff!" she spits out the beer from her mouth. It was a good thing that she was facing her back to the computer.

"Wh… wha… what are you asking, you idiot?!" MEI screamed while her face was as red as a tomato.

"MEI, MEI, MEI. Both me and KEVIN won't know when we will die on the battlefield. So, I think you shouldn't drag it longer and just tell him your feelings," her friend answered with a nonchalant attitude.

"I…," she fell silent. She thought about it but she didn't know how to respond to KEVIN's feelings. She likes him, that's for sure. If it is another timeline where URIEN doesn't present to push her, she will drag these feelings until the end without answering the other whitehead's feelings.

"I… I love him," she finally admitted.

URIEN's smile almost split his face. Oh, how much she feared that smile. That is a smile when he did something she doesn't like.

"You heard her, dude!" he shouted while tilting his head to the back. There, she finally saw the other whitehead hiding under the desk. A blush crept onto her face and the tip of her ears became red.

"Hehe, it was URIEN's idea," the other young man crawled out from the desk and stood up. He has white hair and blue eyes, wearing a combat uniform issued by Fire Moth.

It was right there, MEI finally realized that she got tricked by her friend. "You!" she yelled.

"Well, calm down a little. I want to share some joyous news with you two," he said while holding out a palm in front of her face.

"What is it?" KEVIN asked one of his best friends.

"Hehe, get jealous, guys! I am now engaged to HIMEKO!" The young man took off the glove on his left hand and proudly showed them the engagement ring on his ring finger.

"Wow… that is joyous news, URIEN! You finally got engaged with her, huh?" KEVIN walked beside his friend and hugged him.

"That… first you tricked me and then you told me this news. You really like to play with people's emotions, aren't you?" she glared at him.

"After knowing each other for over 15 years and dating for 2 years, I finally got engaged to the love of my life," URIEN smiled like an idiot.

"So, when is the wedding?" KEVIN asked his friend.

"Next year," he answered. "And, I want to ask you two a favor," he added.

"Yes?" Both KEVIN and MEI said at the same time.

"I want you two to be groomsman and bridesmaid respectively for our wedding," he requested his two friends.

"Of course! Leave it to me," KEVIN agreed immediately.

"I… will help out if I have an open schedule that day," MEI also agreed.

"Thank you, guys!" URIEN hugged both of his friends happily. "I will be the happiest man alive on that day," he added.

But alas, that day didn't come. The 6th Herrscher appeared 5 months after the defeat of the 5th and the 7th Herrscher appeared 6 months after the defeat of the 6th Herrscher.

"HIMEKO, why?" URIEN looks heartbroken while viewing what his fiance did to Australia. Only one month until their wedding. Only one month until he can finally create a family together with his beloved.

"Are you okay, sir?" asked the purplish blue-haired girl standing beside him.

"I am fine, little bird," he patted her head and walked away.

He needs to atone for what his fiance did. He needs to fix what his fiance did. He needs to end whatever his fiance is doing. So, he killed her with his own hand on that day.

They were greeted with a celebration when they came back from the battle with the 7th Herrscher. But URIEN did not have any mood to celebrate.

The young girl on the team of his late fiance is marching toward him furiously. He didn't know what she was screaming or yelling. He didn't hear anything other than the sound of fire burning in the background and the sound of his fiance's parting words.

"HUA," this was the first time he called her real name other than the nicknames he usually called her.

"Sacrifices are inevitable in the Honkai War. I hope you will do the same to me if I become a Herrscher," he put his hand on her shoulder and walked past her.

After passing through the people who congratulated him, he retreated back into his little room. He no longer has the energy to go to the house he bought to live together with his wife.

He just crawled up in the corner and just stared at nothing in front of him. He doesn't know how long he has been in that state.

A door to his room opened and a small figure walked in. She has pale skin, pink hair and red highlights, and blue eyes. She is about the age of ten.

That was also the first time he met someone who will make him smile genuinely again.