Once we returned to the first uninhabited island, Eden-san began to recount stories of her past. Normally, a tale spanning such an unfathomable amount of time might have triggered another one of her rampages, but her expression remained serene as she spoke of the person she called her best friend. I could tell just how deeply she truly cherished them.
The narrative she shared was about a girl born with mysterious powers—Eden-san herself—who met her hero, was saved by them, and ultimately resolved to become a god.
She glossed over certain details, but the story felt incredibly raw. Based on her tone, I got the sense that the best friend she called her hero was a truly magnificent, formidable individual.
Eventually, Eden-san had departed to achieve godhood, parting ways with her friend. Yet even now, more than twenty billion years later, that person remained in her heart as a memory that had never lost its luster.
By the time Eden-san finished her story, the sun had long since dipped below the horizon, and the stars were out in full force.
"I feel a strange sense of fate," she murmured. "Though eons have passed and the world has been remade, I find myself looking up at the stars with someone once again. Some things change, yet others... clearly never do."
"I can’t even begin to imagine the scale of the time you’ve lived through, Eden-san," I replied. "But the feeling of being moved by a memory that never fades, or by things that stay constant despite the years... that’s something I can certainly understand."
"Is that so..."
She smiled gently at my words, then looked back up at the night sky.
"This is the first time I’ve ever told this story to anyone. But I’ve always felt that I wanted to tell this to my child one day."
"And why is that?"
"Who knows? I wonder why myself."
The reason she had chosen to share her origin story with me—a story she had kept hidden from everyone else—remained a mystery. I had a vague feeling it went beyond her usual doting affection, but she clearly wasn't ready to elaborate.
I decided it was best not to pry too deeply.
"Thank you for keeping me company today," she said. "Thanks to you, I’ve gained another wonderful memory that will never fade."
"No, thank you as well. I'm glad you invited me. If the opportunity comes up again, I'd love to go out with you."
Perhaps "all’s well that ends well" was the best way to put it. It had been an exhausting day, but looking back, I felt okay. I’d learned so much about Eden-san that I hadn't known before.
Initially, I had been filled with anxiety, and the tension of traveling with what felt like a ticking bomb had made the day feel interminable. But in the end, Eden-san had kept her composure, and it turned out to be an enlightening experience for me.
Still, the fatigue was heavy. After a quick bath, I crawled into bed as if drawn by a magnet and fell fast asleep... or so I thought.
When I came to, I was in a strange space. It felt like I was high above the world, surrounded by a blue sky that stretched endlessly in every direction.
I was standing atop a massive gear lying flat against the atmosphere. Was this a dream? My mind felt remarkably clear, but standing on a gear in the middle of the sky was definitely a bizarre concept.
As I pondered the scene, another gear identical to mine plummeted from even higher up, stacking atop the first like a step in a staircase. Feeling as though I was expected to climb, I ascended the makeshift stairs until I reached a gargantuan gear. At its center stood a door easily several dozen meters tall.
I stood before the massive entrance, and it slowly swung open of its own accord. The space beyond was a blinding white radiance, making it impossible to see what lay inside.
I tilted my head in confusion and stepped into the light. The scenery shifted instantly.
I was on the rooftop of a skyscraper, overlooking a massive metropolis beneath a heavy, overcast sky. Standing near the edge, with her back to me, was a woman.
She wore a simple white dress and a reddish-brown cardigan. She was petite, about a hundred and fifty centimeters tall, with long, rust-colored hair. The most striking thing about her, however, was the mechanical wing sprouting from her right shoulder.
As my eyes were drawn to the wing, the woman slowly turned around. She was undeniably beautiful, but what caught my attention even more were her vivid, rainbow-colored eyes.
I felt like I had seen eyes like those somewhere before, but the memory wouldn't surface.
"Welcome," she said, her voice clear and gentle. "I suppose I should say 'nice to meet you' for now?"
She wore a soft smile as she looked at me.
"My name is Machina. And I'm your... Mother!"
"Wait, what? No... no, you're not."
She declared this nonsensical line with a look of immense smugness. What in the world was this dream...?