Not the One at the End of the Path

"Seraphine, please… I'm begging you. You're the only one who can save this world."

The system's light orb trembled wildly in front of me, as if it might shatter at any second.

"Caspian has gone insane. He's going to blow up the World Core. He said if he doesn't see you, he'll drag everyone down with him."

I sat in the void, watching the data stream collapse in slow motion.

Two years ago, I failed the mission. In exchange for breaking free of the quest and returning to my original world, I gave up the ability to feel any emotion.

Now, I felt nothing—no joy, no anger, no sorrow, no love. And there was certainly no hatred, no obsession, and no desire.

It was as if my heart had become a bottomless cup. No matter what was poured into it, nothing would stay.

"I can return," I said at last, my voice calm. "But he's a madman. I don't have emotions anymore and can't respond to him."

"And that's fine!" The system reassured me quickly. "As long as you're there, it's enough! Just keep him stable for three months. Once the World Firewall is repaired, I'll send you back immediately!"

Desperate, it offered me a deal. "Not only will I restore your emotions, but I'll also give you a 50-million retirement bonus!"

I paused to calculate. 50 million dollars was more than enough to secure a carefree life. So, I accepted.

When I opened my eyes again, I was standing in front of that familiar hillside villa. The gates were wide open. Caspian Stone stumbled out in a rush.

Two years had changed him. His face was shadowed, his gaze sharp and violent. The moment he saw me, the madness in his eyes shattered, replaced by disbelief.

"Seraphine?"

His hand trembled as he reached out, but he didn't dare touch me, as if I was nothing more than a fragile mirage that would vanish at the slightest contact.

I looked at him, and a memory surfaced in my mind.

Two years ago, he had walked away from me for Thalia Lloyd without hesitation. I knew I should feel something—anger, hurt, or even bitterness—but there was nothing. All I felt was emptiness.

So, I followed the script of what love was supposed to look like and gave him a faint smile. "Caspian, I'm back."

The next second, he pulled me into a crushing embrace. His grip was suffocatingly tight, and his whole body shook as though he was on the verge of breaking. Hot tears soaked through my collar almost instantly.

Caspian buried his face against me, repeating my name over and over, like a drowning man clinging to his last piece of driftwood.

"You finally came back… I knew if I forced you, you'd come back… Seraphine, please don't leave me again…"

I let him hold me. Slowly, I raised my hands and patted his back. Every movement was delicate and perfectly measured—the kind of comfort a devoted lover should give.

But I felt nothing.

My body stayed in his arms, yet my soul felt suspended somewhere in the air, watching coldly as this emotional reunion played out.