"Why be so cruel, sir?"
The Yae Sakura before him sighed, yet showed no hint of surprise or sorrow. She accepted the revelation with remarkable calm, as if she had anticipated it all along.
The cracking, shattering sounds echoed, rapidly approaching from the distance. Lin Wei had finally, personally, broken this world.
The shattered mirror reflected the peaceful Yae Village; the cracks exposed ominous black mist and raging flames.
"Why did you have to break this last bit of peace?"
Yae Sakura seemed to exist in another world entirely, oblivious to the fragmented reality around them.
She reached out, removed the teacup from before Lin Wei, and replaced it with a fresh one, this time pouring him a cup of warm water. She offered a gentle smile, her face filled with reminiscence, yet tinged with sadness.
"Whenever Rin took her medicine back then, the bitterness would make her little face scrunch up. So, I'd always prepare a cup of warm water for her to rinse her mouth afterwards. I even kept some bees, harvested the honey, so Rin could have a little sweetness after taking her medicine."
"To get the bees to produce more honey, I planted all sorts of flowers in our yard, from every season. Heh, thinking back now, those few flowers in that small space didn't really help much at all."
Yae Sakura spoke, her polite smile still fixed in place, like a dutiful shrine maiden addressing supplicating villagers. Then she took another cup, poured herself warm water, and took a gentle sip.
"Unfortunately, I've forgotten the taste of honey. Otherwise, it might have eased Mr. Lin Wei's discomfort somewhat, and perhaps made me seem less impolite than I do now."
The shattering sound drew nearer, the world's collapse accelerating, yet the two figures seated on the tatami mat remained unconcerned.
Yae Sakura raised her cup of warm water, gently meeting Lin Wei's gaze. Understanding, Lin Wei also lifted his cup. With warm water instead of tea, or perhaps water instead of wine, they both drank deeply.
It truly is wonderful water. Though plain and tasteless, it's filled with tenderness, hope, and blessings.
"I've truly embarrassed myself before you, sir. My home is humble; I intended to offer tea, but in the end, only this cup of water is presentable!"
Yae Sakura sat up straight, bowed deeply, refilled Lin Wei's cup with warm water, then composed her features and asked,
"Someone like me, whose soul has been worn away, and can only recall the bitterness of things, is it necessary to see the outside world? I've also seen some of Mr. Lin Wei's memories. Although they are not pleasant, but I had chosen to indulge myself in this false world until the very end. Isn't this exactly the kind of ending that Yae Sakura was supposed to have?"
"Since you've already obtained what you sought, sir, why insist on interfering further?"
Yae Sakura's tone held a touch of melancholy. She raised a graceful arm, pointing towards the spiderweb cracks that had reached the wooden gate of the small courtyard. The once prosperous and beautiful Yae Village outside had completely vanished. Yet her eyes remained fixed on Lin Wei's, paying no heed to the disintegrating world.
She knew all along.
Lin Wei met her gaze unflinchingly, speaking calmly, "No matter how beautiful a sweet dream, it's still just a dream. No matter how terrifying a nightmare, it's also just a dream. As long as one is willing, any dream can be awakened from, sweet or nightmarish. As long as one is alive, there is hope for the future, because being alive is hope itself!"
"In my current state, can I still be considered alive?"
Yae Sakura mocked herself gently, shook her head, and poured herself another cup of bitter tea.
"Why not?" Lin Wei suddenly reached out, pressing down on Yae Sakura's teacup. She struggled briefly but couldn't break free.
"You can walk, you can laugh, you can talk, you can communicate, you have thoughts, you have emotions. How can you not be alive?"
"Look at Yae Village. What a beautiful place! You can't find another village in the world that can compare to it! This is the symbol of your soul, the symbol that you are still alive!"
"Without a rich mind, abundant love, and fervent hope, how can the canvas of your soul be so beautiful?"
Lin Wei shouted loudly, "Yae Sakura, look me in the eye! Look, I'm alive! This is the kind of gaze that a living person would have!"
"Can you see your reflection in my eyes? This is the expression that a living creature would have!"
"Your eyes are the same, even though your body has already decayed, your soul is still shining brightly."
"How can a beautiful soul like that, a strong soul like that, not be considered to be alive?!"
"..."
Yae Sakura fell silent.
The world's fragmentation had now torn through the small flowerbed in the courtyard, a dark vortex of destruction closing in on the last pocket of purity at the center.
She hesitated, then spoke slowly, self-deprecatingly,
"Someone like me, hands stained with blood, burdened by sin, having achieved nothing... can I truly be called beautiful, strong? Mr. Lin Wei, I appreciate your kindness, but time is short. Please leave now."
"But the Yae Sakura I remember is a strong, decisive girl with a mind of her own."
Lin Wei poured out the tea he held captive, took a clean cup, poured Yae Sakura warm water, and said slowly,
"See? Wonderful warm water! Even in such a bitter life, it still brings a precious hint of sweetness. Even if faint, it's invaluable, enough to temporarily escape the nightmares and sleep peacefully in the bitter darkness!"
"Look! Beside the bitter tea, there is warm water symbolizing hope and blessing! Within the illusory Yae Village, there is this warm and real house! You've been crying for help this way all along, trying to save yourself this way all along!"
"Yae Sakura! Why keep deceiving yourself? You never gave up hope, never gave up on life, never gave up on yourself! And now, are you telling me you want to give up? Give up right when the end is in sight?"
The collapse had reached the covered walkway; time was running out. Panic surged in Lin Wei. He grabbed Yae Sakura's hand, staring intently at her somewhat stunned face.
"Yes, that's right! We are weak in the face of gods, and powerless in the face of fate, but that isn't a reason for us to accept our fate!"
"Yae Sakura, you have always been resisting, haven't you?"
"When Rin was selected to be a sacrifice, you immediately wanted to take your sister and escape, without any hesitation!"
"Even when Rin had already been placed on the altar and was about to be executed, you still grabbed her hand and wanted to run away with her, without any hesitation!"
"Even if you ultimately failed, it was only because we were weak, and we didn't have enough strength to resist!"
"We have always fought against hateful fate! Endure! Survive! Persist in surviving! Persist in surviving by any means necessary! As long as we are alive, we will eventually see hope!"
"Look, we have never given up, I will not give up, and you have never given up, so I won't allow you to give up now!"
The collapsing world was about to touch them; there was almost no time left!
Lin Wei screamed with all his might:
"Yae Sakura, are you really still hesitating? The Yae Sakura I know is not the same as that person from 50,000 years ago who merely looked similar!"
"The Yae Sakura I know is resolute, decisive! She fights to the very end as long as there's a sliver of hope! As long as there's a glimmer of hope, she never gives up!"
"If you're tired, just leave everything to me. I will be the one to cut off all these nightmares. Then, I will take you to see the world outside, a world that isn't beautiful, but is real!"
The sound of shattering glass was right beside their ears. The encroaching black cracks now surrounded the seating platform, poised to swallow them both in the next second.
Yae Sakura processed his words briefly, weighed her options, then drained the warm water in her hand. She refilled Lin Wei's cup, stood up, adjusted her attire, and bowed deeply.
"If that is the case, then I will leave everything to you, Mr. Lin Wei."
"Please, cut off all of these nightmares for me!"