It was a ritual developed by the "Man in the Mirror".

It's called "Reflecting the Mirror of Friends".

The purpose is to use the mirror as a medium to reflect everything that is reflected in the mirror at the other end; and to pass the words to the bearer of the mirror at the other end...... In this way, you can communicate with friends from afar.

At the same time, it can also be used to obscure one-way vision according to the wishes of the person who holds the ceremony.

And what is needed for this ritual is a sufficiently clean "glorious mirror" composed of inorganic matter.

The left eye that Elle had gifted to Annan was a gem of pure purity—it was also a mirror.

By the time of the nightmare, Elle had returned to her most perfect state, even before her left eye left her...... In other words, Elle's left eye exists in both her own eye and Annan's eye.

This is undoubtedly a pair of mirrors that are "fateful".

If Elle opened her eyes, everything that was reflected in the jewel eye of her left eye would be reflected in Annan's eyes.

Just as the Skeleton Man once whispered "I'm listening" to every Purifier who entered the gallery...... Annan is also indeed extremely "I'm watching".

If only Annan could use this as a medium to communicate with Elle.

Then in this infinite nightmare of eternal reincarnation, there is an additional force that intervenes from the outside.

It's tiny, but it's enough to change the world.

“…… However, Elle was reluctant to open her eyes. ”

Because she perceived.

If she had opened her eyes, this dreamlike "nightmare" might have come to an end. She's going to come to her senses...... Return to a world full of betrayers.

But......

"I really...... Do you have the right to say no? ”

Elle looked at the coffee with some apprehension.

She lowered her eyes and stared at her own right eye, full of sadness in the light brown reflection.

She already understood.

Conversation about Longjing tea and Celicia...... This is always the same day, and only one person will remember everything.

Living here is indeed extremely happy.

- A stable, thought-free, stress-free life.

It's not magnificent, but it's smooth and tranquil enough.

That's what Elle had hoped for in her old life...... but never had a life.

Just give up all hope, give up all resistance. You can blend in and enjoy a life that is infinitely repetitive, yet novel – even the person who has to remember everything can ignore it.

If that person is the one who will give up this mission as well.

Then this [authority of memory] will not stay with him for too long - if more than one person lives to the end at the same time, then only one person will have the right to keep the memory.

That's right, from the bottom of her heart, Elle longed for such a life.

You can live a full and happy whole day.

The fear that you don't want to see and experience will eventually become an unattainable "future".

There is no need to repent of the past, no need to worry about the future, empty your brain and enjoy the stable "present".

But at the moment when I understood this nightmare.

In Elle's heart, a trace of pity suddenly rose......

Even she herself would have been amazed.

- because it was her compassion for the skeleton.

The land of giants of yesteryear...... Actually, that's right.

All giants can live carefree, relaxed and at ease. Because there is no fear of death, then the lifestyle of "sacrificing the present for the sake of the future" is meaningless.

If you don't expect to live as long as you can, you don't have to worry about health and retirement - naturally you don't have to worry about lifestyle choices and family maintenance, followed by the freedom to work, followed by the sloppiness of study, and the waste of a lot of time.

Other words.

- All the giants have chosen to give up thinking.

But if everyone does this, then the state will not be sustainable. The nightmare will only last for the same day, but it can't be that way – someone will have to pay for the safety of others.

Like in an experimental group, there will always be a large number of lazy people and a working person. This "slowest and most hesitant escaper" often pays the price for the laziness of others.

When all the giants gave up thinking.

The skeleton is the only "brain".

Others can choose to die peacefully when they can't survive. There is no need to take care of other people's emotions, no need to raise the elderly or children, because everything will be taken care of by the "eternal life".

…… How similar is what happened in the Principality of Eternal Existence to the nightmare of today?

The difference is that the person who is now "carrying everyone's memory" still has the right to choose to forget - he can choose to do nothing and get through the day in peace.

When the countdown is over, he can forget all his worries and go back to where he started.

If this whole otherworld is regarded as the "kingdom of heaven after death", then this is indeed a sweet anomaly.

But here's the problem...... It seems that he is the only one who really wants to continue it.

Elle looked worriedly at Longjing Tea and Selicia on the side.

Their adaptation to the way they live now is anything but fake.

…… But they don't seem to be greedy.

Elle admired them.

Even such a beautiful, carefree life can be denied as "false" by one's own will, and it can be detached from it without any nostalgia.

But Elle couldn't do that.

She coveted the warmth of the sun, the expensive drink with its fragrant aroma, the fluffy sweet cake...... I also crave the joy of being able to solve puzzles with my friends, and the relaxed and happy smiles on everyone's faces on the street.

"God......"

Elle let out a very soft sigh - she feared that her sigh would make her companions worry about herself.

…… Can anyone tell me.

Is this nightmare really because of me?

Is this a dream in which everyone else is imprisoned just for me?

This nightmare will only repeat itself on this day...... Is it just because I don't want to go into the next day and see my mother?

I'm enjoying it all......

Isn't it no different from the giants of the Principality of Eternal Life?

[Elle, open your eyes]

A low, soft voice rang out in Elle's heart.

She knew whose voice it was...... It was Annan's voice.

Where she died, where she was born again—she had seen that man.

Even among the many people who successfully purified the gallery, he was the one who broke Elle's heart the most. She admired the light in the other person...... It is the confidence that no matter what path you walk, you can move forward without hesitation.

But at this moment, it was also the voice that terrified Elle.

If the person who caused this nightmare was born, it was himself who imprisoned so many innocent people in the nightmare.

So...... Will he be blamed and scolded by Annan?

But she would rather be scolded twice. In that case, she can come to her senses and run forward bravely in the face of the other party's scolding.

Elle knew very well that she was a very weak person. She was so weak that someone had to drive her to act.

Because from the bottom of her heart, she doesn't want to hurt anyone...... Not even willing to go to the left with anyone's opinion. Breaking the wishes of others or something by your own will...... That's hard to accept.

But if you think of yourself as a tool, it would be nice.

If you can give up thinking and worrying, and follow the will of others......

[Elle, I can indeed help you open your eyes directly, and I can also control your body to move]

Annan seemed to hear her voice, and turned to whisper in her heart.

[But you must open your eyes of your own will]

Elle was stunned.

And Annan's voice still sounded in her heart:

[I know what you're worried about]

[But if you never dare to face up to the fear of the future and your choices, and just go with the flow...... What is the difference between this nightmare and reality? 】

"You can not worry about the future, not for life, not for reality and ideals, and enjoy the present wholeheartedly and live today...... That's a privilege that only children have. ”

Annan whispered in her ear, "You should grow up, Elle. Shoulder the consequences of your every action and every choice.

"Not as the inheritor of someone's dreams, nor as the agent of someone else's will. You'll eventually pay the price for your choice—it may make you afraid to face it, or it may make you too painful to look at it.

"But that's the way it has to go."

It was cruel and unusual language.

It rings not from the heart, but from the ears.

It was like an invisible giant hand, snatching Elle out of the innocent and innocent world—

“…… No, I already knew that. ”

Elle muttered, "It's just...... I always want to pretend I don't know all this. ”

She always wished that she was still a child, and that her life could stay forever at the age of thirteen.

But that's not possible.

- Elle, as a "girl", is already dead.

She stared at the coffee in silence.

She stared into her own eyes in the light brown reflection.

As early as Annan's second sentence, she had already opened her eyes.

"I'm ready."

She whispered.

So she was full of determination.