I am a former Flame Chasers

The villa had three floors and dozens of rooms. Though spacious, the decor was simple, much of it crafted by Elysia and her team.

Ryan still felt a little disoriented. The events had unfolded so quickly. Even though Elysia hadn't interrupted, he still couldn't quite make sense of it. Was that... Akivilli?

He had some unproven theories swirling in his mind, but one thing was certain:

If the orbit changes drastically, fate will send feedback—just like when he first gained authority.

But what was the power of authority? It wasn't about pure power—it was about reaching the right node and suddenly opening a path that had never been imagined. Was that the key? What would happen if he truly crossed the end? What would he see?

Ryan rubbed his head, feeling the weight of his own assumptions. Trying to make sense of the unknown was overwhelming, and the pain in his head grew sharper.

Just then, a warm hand touched his.

Elysia's eyes were filled with concern, but she didn't ask anything inappropriate. She simply kept his secret. After half a minute, Ryan finally regained his composure.

"It's okay. It was just a little strange. Some things shouldn't be overthought," he muttered.

"So being a little clueless isn't such a bad thing," Elysia said with a smile, turning away and leaping several meters ahead. "Come, come! I'll show you the room I arranged."

"Aren't you curious?" she asked teasingly.

Ryan blinked, still processing. "Everyone has their own secrets," Elysia added with a wink as she turned to face him.

Ryan was stunned, but then he smiled helplessly. This was Elysia, after all. She was free-spirited and unburdened, yet she always made sure her freedom didn't affect others.

The villa was large—too large for just Elysia, Mobius, and a few others. Many of the rooms had their doors left open, empty and unused.

"This is Sakura's room. She made a tatami mat herself—it's really comfortable to lie on. This is Aponia's room. It looks so empty. Doesn't she get bored? And this is Pardo's. I have no idea where she got all these boxes from..." Elysia continued, pointing out the rooms one by one.

Women stayed on the second floor, and men on the third, not far from each other. The first floor had a vast living room and a few storage rooms.

"I even dug out a hot spring underground. I asked Vil-V to build a bathhouse. But only the girls are allowed to bathe at night. No peeking!" Elysia teased.

"Who wants to peek?" Ryan rolled his eyes. "With the power of wind, I can even tell how many hairs you have."

"Should I just pick a room on the third floor? I'd prefer to stay far from Kalpas." Ryan wondered aloud.

Elysia shook her finger playfully and gave him a sly look. "Everyone should live in harmony. You don't need to choose. Even if you stay on the second floor, I don't think anyone would object."

Ryan cleared his throat. "Don't joke like that." He turned his head just in time to see a white-haired young man returning with a laptop.

"This is not my harem," Ryan muttered to himself. "If I did that, I'd definitely be hated. Aren't you worried about Kevin's reaction?"

Elysia noticed the look in his eyes and laughed, covering her mouth. "Oh, you don't want to share a room with Kevin, huh? Bold move."

Ryan didn't react at first, but his blood pressure shot up when he saw Elysia's mischievous expression.

"You're bold!" he exclaimed.

Kevin, who had just returned and was holding a laptop, saw Elysia running down the corridor with a flustered Ryan chasing after her. He glanced at Pardo, who was lazily munching on potato chips.

"What are they doing?"

"Master's probably just been teased by Sister Ellie. Don't worry, it'll pass. Kalpas was also teased last night, but he endured it."

Bang!

"Ouch."

A crumpled ball of paper shot out from the storage room and hit Pardo square on the forehead. She covered her head and crouched down slowly.

"Serves you right for provoking Kalpas, and you used the wrong idiom again."

Kevin fought back laughter. He had been afraid of Kalpas a few days ago, but soon realized that although the man was irritable, he wasn't a madman—just someone with a bad attitude. Kevin had learned not to provoke him, though, so he always kept his face straight around him.

"You're back, Kevin?" Sakura came out, dressed in a white apron, holding a fruit basket. "Dinner is still an hour away. You can rest for now."

"Uh, I've got to help Mei with overtime. Can you cook me a bowl of noodles?"

"Sure, beef noodles, right? I'll call you when they're ready."

"Thanks," Kevin hurriedly replied, putting down his laptop and reaching for the beer Himeko had tossed him.

He cracked open the can and took a few gulps. The remaining fatigue seemed to vanish instantly.

"Kevin, try the chair I just made," Hua said with a pout. "I wanted my senior to try it, but it seems he's too busy."

"Sure," Kevin sat down, testing the chair. "It's solid, but it could be a little softer. It's quite cold on the ground."

"Right, Aponia, can you make a cushion for it?" Hua asked, glancing toward the nun who was packing up her drawing board.

"No problem. Vil-V can grab some fabric later," Aponia replied with a gentle smile, but her gaze lingered on Kevin, making him feel uneasy.

"Aponia, is there a problem?"

The nun lowered her eyes slowly, almost as if in contemplation. "No, nothing at all. It's just... you're full of sunshine now. Any remaining darkness or despair seems almost undetectable."

"Darkness and despair? That's not me, right?" Kevin frowned, confused. He didn't understand. He had always been a cheerful person, except for the time when he had just joined the Fire Moth, weighed down by the war.

But Aponia was always so mystical, so he didn't take her words too seriously. Instead, he inhaled the rich scent of braised beef noodles wafting from the kitchen.

The Honkai was still there, but at this moment, everyone seemed to be getting along too well. It made Kevin feel oddly unmotivated. He yawned, realizing he had forgotten that he was supposed to be chasing the Fire Moth.

If he had graduated and worked hard in Changkong City, living in a regular apartment, he might have lived this kind of life.

He took a bite of an apple, then drank more beer, slouching in the chair while absently watching the romantic drama on TV.

Kevin was turning into a "salted fish," someone who had given up trying. He definitely wasn't the savior.

Ryan, leaning against the railing, happened to glance at Kevin, looking utterly uninspired. A grin spread across his face.

No one understood better than Ryan what kind of pain Kevin should have faced. The kind of pain that made death feel like a relief. The kind of agony that made even the soul reluctant to hold on.

Compared to a wild, frantic savior, Kevin's "salted fish" attitude was far more pleasant.

Ryan could even imagine showing people Kevin now, and they would never believe it was the same person.

He threw a ball of paper down the stairs, hitting Kevin squarely in the head. Then, quickly retracting his head, he glanced down the hall at Elysia.

"Fairy, you have no escape now."

"Ryan, what are you planning to do by chasing me?" Elysia's voice trembled playfully.

"Hmph, you'll find out soon enough." Ryan slowly walked toward her, but his steps faltered as he noticed her sly grin.

There was definitely a trap here.

"I forgot to tell you something. Mobius called earlier. She said she's coming back for dinner."

Ryan's footsteps faltered as he realized something—Elysia's intentions weren't as innocent as they seemed. He hadn't thought much of it before, but now he felt like he'd fallen into a trap.

Should I just head back to the office and sleep? The lounges in the administrative area were more comfortable anyway.

Seeing Ryan's expression change, Elysia quickly jumped over and grabbed his hand. "Actually, I called you here for something serious."

"What else could it be?" Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Hmph, I'll be really upset if you keep insulting me like that!" Elysia pouted, and without another word, dragged Ryan into the room.

As soon as Ryan stepped inside, he knew whose room this was. The walls were painted lavender, and a pink gauze-covered double bed sat in the center. One side of the room had a large wardrobe with clothes and hats hanging inside.

It felt cozy, like a girl's dream bedroom. There was even a sewing machine beside the dressing table, with a half-finished dress lying nearby.

"How is it? Not bad, right?" Elysia asked, her eyes sparkling.

"It's great. I can see you put a lot of thought into it," Ryan said, walking around the room. His eyes fell on the bed. "But what's with this Eden pillow?"

Elysia smirked. "It's boring sleeping alone. Are you jealous?"

"No, can you clean up a bit?" Ryan scanned the room with keen eyes, his gaze sharp like a computer analyzing data.

Two pairs of white stockings and one pair of black stockings were scattered around. Based on the smell, they had clearly just been worn. There was also some underwear peeking out from beneath the quilt, and a bra was carelessly left on the sofa. Ryan noted the size—Elysia's.

"I didn't know you were coming today, so it's fine," said Elysia indifferently. She wasn't shy at all as she took a notebook out from the drawer of the dressing table.

"Come take a look. This is my latest plan."

Ryan hesitated—it didn't feel very gentlemanly to keep looking, so he turned away, but as soon as Elysia turned the page, he reached out and stopped her.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked, noticing a form titled "Housewarming Celebration," followed by "Birthday Party," "Beach Trip," "Hot Spring Snow Viewing," and other similar things.

Before he could read more, Elysia flipped the page.

"Oh, this is my little wish list," she said casually.

"Why are they all about having fun?" Ryan asked, eyebrow raised.

"You and Mei can worry about the battle, and I'll take care of the team-building. It's called a clear division of labor." Elysia patted her chest proudly. She finally had the conditions and time to fulfill her wishes.

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Let's see your idea first. Do you think there's any problem?"

She flipped to the last page, and Ryan leaned forward to see. The notebook was filled with dense writing, but the title was simple: "The Fire Chasing Thirteen Heroes?"

Ryan stared, feeling dazed. How had he come full circle, back to where he started?