Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
The crisp ticking of the clock echoed in the empty room. By the second-floor window, a figure leaned obliquely against the wall, gazing absentmindedly at the distant sunset.
The evening's afterglow was always intense, dyeing vast swathes of clouds a brilliant crimson, as if wanting to present all its final light and warmth to the world.
But the night was always relentless. It swept in with heavy twilight clouds, forcibly drawing the setting sun into a deep haze, leaving only a sliver of faint light, as if pitying Ren, who waited by the window.
Gray eyes reflected the lingering daylight, which then faded along with the setting sun. Only when the world was reduced to a hazy gray did Ren, gazing out the window, finally lower his gaze and look at the grandfather clock in the living room.
7:31
"Is it that late already?"
Slightly startled, Ren subconsciously glanced towards his front door.
Faintly, he seemed to hear the sound of a girl's laughter. He could almost see someone outside inserting a key into the lock.
Ren quickly walked to the door, gently resting his hand on the doorknob, intending to greet the person with a big smile when they opened it.
But he stood there for a long time, and the door showed no sign of being pushed open. The house remained just as silent; it had all been an illusion.
No one would open the door, and no one would come home.
"..."
Standing there lost in thought for a long while, Ren finally rose silently and walked away.
The table laden with food had long since gone cold. The two sets of bowls and chopsticks remained untouched. Ren sighed heavily, retrieved a food cover from the kitchen to place over the dishes, and then returned to the window.
He didn't turn on the lights. As night fell, the room grew dim.
Sitting alone by the window, Ren gazed at the city, its lights just beginning to twinkle.
Tonight's sky was far brighter than usual. Amidst the scattered, myriad lights of homes, one could vaguely make out the silhouettes of people joyfully gathering. The warm evening breeze seemed to celebrate with them, carrying the laughter from thousands of households through every street and alley.
For the people of Shenzhou, tonight was a special festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival.
The day of the year when the moon is at its fullest, it also embodies people's heartfelt wishes for reunion and completeness. They gather spontaneously, admiring the beautiful moonlight together.
But for Ren, he rather wished the moonlight wasn't so bright. At least, not so bright that it felt desolate.
"Good evening, Mr. Ren."
Just as Ren was staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky, a girl's greeting came from the street below. He looked down and saw three young teenagers.
A petite girl with oversized boxing gloves on her hands was waving at him rapidly. Behind her, a delicate-looking boy was running, out of breath, looking so frail one might worry he'd collapse at any moment.
"Carole, can't... can't you run a bit slower?" The boy, having finally caught his breath, complained a little, then also raised his hand to greet Ren.
"You're the one who needs to exercise more, Lyle!" Carole Peppers paid no mind to the boy's complaints.
Following last was a quiet, pink-haired girl. Compared to the energetic Carole, she seemed much more reserved. She wore ice skates, her movements small but surprisingly fast. Compared to the other two, she appeared much more graceful, effortlessly keeping up.
"G-good evening, Mr. Ren," the pink-haired girl's voice was very soft. If Ren's hearing wasn't exceptionally good, no one would have known she was greeting him.
"Good evening, Carole, Lyle, and Timido," Ren replied. The vibrant energy of the three youngsters dispelled some of the moonlight's pallor, lifting Ren's spirits considerably. He raised his hand, and space seemed to fold. Three small gifts landed sequentially in the hands of Carole and the others.
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Where are you all headed?"
"Captain Mei said tonight is Mid-Autumn Festival and invited us to join. I heard the Captain is planning to cook herself. Mr. Ren, would you like to come along?"
An image of a purple-haired girl flashed through Ren's mind, but he quickly shook it away. The current Raiden Mei was no longer the lost girl she once was.
"I think I'll pass. Your Captain Mei probably wouldn't welcome me," Ren waved his hand dismissively.
"Huh? Why? Is it because you... Mmph."
Carole was about to continue when the quick-witted Lyle Collodi clapped a hand over her mouth. The boy smiled apologetically at Ren and quickly dragged Carole away.
"Thank you for the gifts, Mr. Ren. We won't disturb you any longer. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival."
Watching the three children depart, the smile on Ren's face gradually faded. He looked up at the bright moon in the sky, his vision blurring.
"Kiana..."
...
The distance to the moon was nearly 400,000 kilometers. Even on the fastest current vessel, the Hyperion, it would take at least 12 hours. Yet, there were only four hours left until the midnight bells.
Besides, how could she possibly leave?
Ren, his heart heavy, sat alone on the balcony, watching the iridescent lights flicker, watching the bright moon hang high.
Only when the ten o'clock bells chimed did the sounds of revelry finally begin to subside. People gathered in small groups, admiring the perfect moon together.
At this moment, Ren, keeping a solitary vigil by the window, seemed out of place.
Sighing softly, he finally let go of his lingering thoughts.
He returned to the living room. It was pitch black.
Ren didn't turn on the lights, nor did he have any appetite. He sat alone on the sofa, leaning back quietly.
After a while, he took out his phone from his pocket and began flipping through the photo album, page by page.
The album contained only pictures of Kiana. Looking at the white-haired girl on the screen, a smile involuntarily touched Ren's lips.
He just looked, from the first photo to the last, then from the last back to the first, cycling through them endlessly, until he drifted off to sleep.
In his dreams, he seemed to be back with Kiana. Her embrace was so warm, just like... now.
"Kiana..."
"Mmm, I'm here."
"I miss you so much," Ren murmured unconsciously in his sleep.
"...Silly, haven't I always been by your side?"
The bright moonlight streamed through the window, casting its silver glow into the dim living room, illuminating the silver-white hair of the girl on the sofa.
Kiana gently held the sleeping Ren, feeling both amused and a little heartbroken.
They had been married for so many years, seeing each other every day, yet he was still like a child, always clinging to her.
Today, she had just gone for a routine inspection of their "ARC City Lunar Base Branch," returning a little later than usual. How did it...
Looking up, Kiana finally saw the table laden with food. She paused, then, as if remembering something, flipped open her calendar.
"Oh, so today is Mid-Autumn Festival."
Come to think of it, a full eight years had passed since the battle against the Herrscher of Finality. During this time, Kiana had been constantly busy with the restoration and construction of the moon.
After all, that prolonged, world-altering battle had nearly shattered more than half of the moon. It was impossible to repair it by human effort alone. The only one capable of controlling the gravitational pull between Earth and the moon was Kiana, who wielded 80% of Earth's Honkai Energy.
In the initial period after the war, Kiana was almost permanently stationed on the moon. If Ren hadn't been there with her, she probably would have developed depression.
Fortunately, the Obsidian Concord Group's scope expanded, gradually taking over tasks like "applying putty" to the moon, repairing meteor craters, and lunar polishing. This significantly lightened her burden.
However, as the CEO of the Obsidian Concord Group, Kiana still had to spend a vast amount of energy on overall coordination, causing her already limited time at home to dwindle further.
"Spending too much time on the moon, I even forgot today was Mid-Autumn Festival," Kiana sighed softly, her gaze drifting towards the flawless full moon outside the window, like a jade disc.
"You waited a long time, didn't you?" She gently rested Ren's head on her lap, tenderly wiping away the soot smudges left on his cheek from cooking.
Looking at his peaceful, childlike sleeping face, a flicker of guilt crossed Kiana's eyes.
After so many years of marriage, Ren had always been the one taking care of their home. Whether it was the Obsidian Concord's business or ARC City's planning, she, the City Lord, hadn't actually participated much. In contrast, Ren, after finishing his own work, still had to prepare dinner for her every day.
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," Kiana murmured softly, finally making up her mind. The world had its own rules of operation; there was no need for her to be involved in everything. She thought of the young ones under Raiden Mei's command; they were all exceptionally talented individuals. It was time for her, the "Savior," to retire.
"..."
"Kiana, you're back?" Perhaps sensing her presence, Ren slowly woke up. The moment he saw Kiana, an undeniable flash of joyful surprise lit up his eyes.
"Mhm, thank you for preparing such a big spread."
"Because today is Mid-Autumn Festival..." The earlier feeling of impatient waiting vanished completely. Ren sat up, ready to go heat the dishes on the table. But after glancing at the wall clock, his eyes dimmed again.
"It's my fault. I slept too long." Ren's tone was regretful. He knew Kiana might have been back for a while, but he hadn't woken up in time.
Only a pitiful minute remained for their reunion.
Just as Ren was frantically trying to set things up, Kiana took his hand, smiling. "Forgot about my powers?"
Snap.
A crisp snap of her fingers echoed. Everything around them suddenly slowed to an extreme crawl until it finally stopped. The second hand of the clock froze in place; the curtains, billowed by the wind, became like sculptures.
Time had stopped.
"Don't worry, we have enough time."
In the stilled world, it was a "spacetime" belonging only to the two of them.
...
Ren didn't turn on the lights. Instead, he lit candles, holding a candlelight dinner according to Kiana's Western customs.
"How long has it been since we've spent time together so leisurely?" Kiana asked, gazing at the bright moon outside the window.
"1,572 days."
"That's right. Time perception on the moon is different from Earth. During my time there, I could barely keep track of how many days and nights had passed. After that, I was busy with lunar construction, leaving even less time for us."
Looking into Kiana's eyes, Ren seemed to want to say something but hesitated.
However, as if guessing his thoughts, Kiana suddenly laughed. "But don't worry anymore. I'm planning to resign as CEO of the Obsidian Concord Group and let it develop freely."
"But aren't you afraid those people in the company will cause trouble? Just like Schicksal back then. The Obsidian Concord now practically controls the operations of the entire world. If someone defects..."
Before Ren could finish, Kiana pressed a finger to his lips. "Then we'll just beat them up again."
"Ren, do you remember why we founded the Obsidian Concord Group in the first place?"
"Of course. It was for you."
"And now?"
"Naturally, it's still for you."
"Since that's the case, why worry about its development?"
With that, Kiana got up and fetched two bottles of red wine from the kitchen, pouring a glass for herself and Ren.
The Mid-Autumn moonlight was clear and bright, like a gracefully dancing maiden.
"The moonlight is beautiful tonight," Kiana said softly, gazing at the moon in the sky.
Ren, however, was gazing intently at Kiana, bathed in the moonlight.
Thank you, my Moon Princess.
Draining their wine glasses, neither Ren nor Kiana spoke further, quietly appreciating each other's "moonlight."
...
Perhaps it was because he couldn't hold his liquor well, but after a short while, Ren started feeling a little dizzy.
"Ren, doesn't the Mid-Autumn Festival in Shenzhou signify family reunion?"
Ren, his head spinning, heard Kiana ask this.
"Mhm. Usually at this time, whether it's parents far from home or couples separated in different places, they all try their best to get together."
"I secretly went to see Mei's team a while ago. Those kids are full of vitality."
"Indeed..." Ren felt the dizziness in his head intensifying.
"When I was little, I really envied other children who had their parents with them. If only I could be like everyone else, how happy that would be..."
"It's okay. You have me with you now." Ren was a little confused about what Kiana was trying to express.
"Ren, since we've been married for so many years, why don't we... have a child?"
A full eight years had passed. Kiana, now 27, was long past being just a mature woman; every frown and smile exuded the unique charm of a sophisticated lady. She leaned close to Ren, whispering softly.
"Okay... wait, what did you say?" That jolted Ren completely sober. He had never expected Kiana to say such a thing.
"Mhm-hmm. After I quit my job, we'll just live our lives peacefully, without worrying about the Honkai or anyone else. I know I've been neglecting you all this time. From now on, I'll be a proper wife."
As she spoke, Kiana moved closer and closer to Ren.
"Isn't this a bit too sudden... Wait, what did you give me to drink?"
By this point, no matter how muddled Ren was, he realized Kiana had spiked the wine she poured for him. Although he had a low alcohol tolerance, he definitely wasn't a one-glass-and-out kind of person.
"Guess," Kiana said, a mischievous, triumphant smile playing on her lips. Having also drunk the wine, her face was flushed red. She directly pushed Ren down onto the floor.
In the stilled time, it was a world belonging solely to them.