"Right, Theresia, here's something for you!" March 7th held something behind her back.
"Uh... is it a photo you took?" Tian An couldn't think of anything else besides photos.
"Wrong answer! Actually, it's... Ta-da!" March 7th revealed the item in her hand – an exquisite plush doll.
Taking a closer look... isn't this a Theresia doll? Only when March 7th brought the doll closer did Tian An clearly see what kind of doll it was.
Theresia?
The object before her was indeed a doll themed after a Q-version (chibi-style) image of Theresia. This chibi version had a winking expression, looking incredibly cute.
"This is the limited edition Q-version Theresia doll that I personally custom-ordered for you! Isn't it nice?" March 7th smiled and stuffed the doll into Tian An's arms.
"More like you personally dug it up," Before March 7th could bask in her glory for long, our Teacher Dan Heng pushed the door open and entered.
"Dug up?" Tian An looked questioningly at March 7th, who was awkwardly scratching her head.
"Yes. March didn't make this. We found it on the platform where we encountered the Doomsday Beast earlier," Dan Heng stated calmly.
"Hey, Dan Heng! Couldn't you let me show off a little longer?" March 7th looked disappointed.
"That just means you spoke too late," Dan Heng replied.
"But judging by Theresia's reaction, this doll isn't yours," Joking aside, the facts still needed clarification. March 7th also confirmed it wasn't Tian An's.
"That's strange then. It's clearly a doll in Theresia's image, but it doesn't belong to Theresia. Could it be... an admirer came to see Theresia?!" Star's thinking remained as erratic as ever.
"What admirer would I have? I'm just an 'ordinary person'."
"Ah well, whatever. You should hold onto the doll for now. Dan Heng and I asked around there earlier, and no one seemed to have dropped it," March 7th said with a smile.
"Can you pick one up for me too? I want the wink version," Star interjected.
"How could you just randomly pick up something like this, hey!"
March 7th chased Star out of the room. Dan Heng also prepared to leave, holding the door as he went.
"Right, Himeko asked me to tell you, there's a crew meeting soon, in the observation car."
"Mm, okay, I understand," Tian An nodded in acknowledgement.
Receiving the confirmation, Dan Heng gently closed the door and left.
Left alone, Tian An stared dazedly at the doll in her hands, rubbing it repeatedly.
Such an exquisite doll, it would probably be very expensive as merchandise, right?
Tian An let out a long sigh, placed the doll on the makeshift desk, and muttered to herself:
"Theresia..."
"Were you calling me?" Just as Tian An's voice faded, a gentle voice emanated from within the doll.
"Who? Who's speaking?" Tian An was startled, quickly standing up and looking around.
"Far in the horizon, yet right before your eyes," the voice sounded again, and Tian An finally pinpointed its origin.
The voice from inside her own body.
"The... Theresia?" Tian An repeated the name again, somewhat disbelievingly.
"Mm-hmm," Theresia replied quickly, her voice sounding cheerful.
"I am here."
"I-I-I-I-I-I... The-The-The-The..." Tian An was so excited she couldn't speak clearly, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly like a typewriter, unable to form a single coherent word.
"Don't be nervous, speak slowly. At least, what you've experienced... is real," The voice suddenly shifted to the doll. If one looked closely, they could actually see the doll in her hands emitting a faint pink glow.
Unable to speak for a long while, Tian An gave up trying and simply hugged the doll close to her head.
Her Highness! It's Her Highness! Her Highness alive!
Tian An screamed internally. She had never imagined something like this happening, nor dared to think it. The emotions she felt now were even more intense than when she first arrived on this Express.
Could it be... the times I heard voices before, that was Theresia?
"You're just as cute as Little Amiya," Theresia teased, seeing Tian An hugging the doll. As a master practitioner of Originium Arts and a forerunner in utilizing Originium, Theresia possessed not only formidable material abilities but was also exceptionally powerful in the mental domain.
Therefore, she could easily perceive the grey mist in people's hearts, understand their emotions, control them, and even harness mental energy for her own use.
The Doctor's memories were erased by her back then.
Theresia praised me! I have no regrets in this life!
Tian An felt her life was complete now. This kind of thing was something she previously only dared to imagine in dreams.
"Calm your emotions first. We still have a long road ahead of us."
"O... Okay," Tian An shook her head vigorously, trying to cast the emotions out of her mind, but her conscious awareness still kept her heart pounding relentlessly.
"May I call you Little Tian An?" Seeing Tian An had finally calmed down a bit, Theresia spoke again.
"Of course... But, how did Your Highness know..."
"Just call me Theresia. As for your name, I knew it the first time you entered that... universe thing."
"Ah?" So Theresia had been watching her the whole time she was experimenting in the Simulated Universe?
Bakana!
Then does that mean... Theresia helped me after I lost consciousness from the attack?
"Then can I..."
"Does Little Tian An want to return the body to me?" Theresia seemed to know in advance.
Tian An was surprised her thoughts were guessed, but then remembered Theresia's abilities and felt resigned.
"Yes," she said firmly.
"Then if I take over the body, what will happen to Little Tian An?" Theresia asked in return.
"Uh... I..."
Become a doll? Actually, becoming Theresia's doll wouldn't be so bad (not really).
"This is the story Little Tian An created. You've formed bonds with them. Of course, you must walk this path yourself."
"You..."
"I have wandered in your world for a very long time. I won't fade away due to prolonged loneliness. So, don't worry about me."
Tian An seemed to visualize that beautiful figure before her, gently stroking her head. To this day, Tian An had never doubted Teacher Xiao Te's magnanimity.
"Theresia..."
"What is it? Are there any other questions?"
Tian An didn't speak, but gestured up and down with her hands, then materialized a cross out of nowhere, held it to her chest, closed her eyes, and muttered something.
"Mama... Te-men!"
"..."