Tristan, or now Isabelle, cried loudly while burying her face in my chest.
The dam in her emotion exploded, and the sadness, fear, and every kind of mixed emotion she buried deep inside came out at once.
I let her hug me, squeezing me tight. Her 70 STR wasn't something to be looked down upon. And added to the bonus status she got from her weapon, her hug managed to inflict pain on me.
However, I stayed still and caressed her soft onyx hair while whispering softly.
"I am here. I will always be here."
"Aaaahh… sob… Arthur…!"
"You don't need to be scared. I will stay here with you."
I was the worst. Why didn't I realize it sooner? Why did I hesitate to confront her? Did I get scared to confront my past unconsciously? Did I want to forget and leave those things behind just like I initially planned?
Yes. I just wanted to run away. I wanted to die in that last dungeon and never thought I would be able to defeat Ghost Marionette.
But I was here. And now, Tristan was also here, although she looked way different from before. Maybe this was fate? Or was it how that person behind the system gave me a bonus?
Anyway, I was happy to be reunited with her once again. And this time, I would make sure she wouldn't get lost from my sight.
It took a few minutes before she stopped crying.
"Are you okay now?"
"… Yes." She nodded weakly, erasing her tears with her sleeve. After she was done, the cold expression on her face returned. "Get away from me now. I won't cry again."
"Hahaha, alright."
I released her from my hug and stood up, using <Purification> in the meantime to wipe her remaining tears and the trace of tears on my face. She turned her head away and tightly held the pendant hanging on her chest.
Truly, how could I not see it? She was really the spitting image of Tristan, even in her habit of holding her pendant when she was happy or nervous.
Probably because her personality was the total opposite of hers and she looked different. Even her chest area became more bountiful…
'Let's not talk about that. She's really mad every time I tease her about her size.'
I gave her time alone to calm herself down while pulling [Caliburn] from the wall. The blade still looked pristine and didn't have any chips, even though it embedded deeply into a hard rock. Truly an exceptional blade.
"Arthur…"
Isabelle called out to me weakly, and I turned around, giving her a warm smile.
"What's up?"
"You're really Arthur, right?" She asked, standing up groggily. She almost lost balance, and I stepped forward to help her, but she raised her hand to stop me. "I can stand alone."
"Alright then." I sighed after looking at how headstrong she was.
The girls around me were all a handful. Most of them had their own personalities and needs. And Tristan, back in the past, didn't want to show her weakness to me. It seemed like that part of her personality still remained.
"So… You're really Arthur? The same crybaby Arthur back in Horizon Online?" She repeated her question. This time, with an extra insult as if she wanted to get back to me from seeing her crying earlier.
Crybaby Arthur. That was such a nostalgic nickname I had when I was a newbie.
"Please, don't call me that. It's a bit embarrassing." I scratched my cheek and smiled wryly. "Besides, I haven't been called that for a few years now."
That memory was truly embarrassing. A crybaby… I would die out of shame if anyone found out about that nickname in this world. Anyone except her, that was.
"So you're real…" Isabelle muttered, looking up at me. "Somehow, I can't believe it."
"How can you not? I am here, standing in front of you. What do you need me to prove again? This?"
I took out my silver pendant from my inventory and opened the case, revealing my name carved roughly by a knife.
"This should prove it, no?" I said. "Are you truly Tristan?"
"Yes." Isabelle nodded in confirmation. Her face was filled with relief. "I was Tristan." She continued.
Was… I guess that was how she wanted to say that she was Isabelle now and had thrown Tristan's name away. It was a bit sad thinking about how she stopped being Tristan. But, well… it was her choice, and she knew what was best for her.
Then, her expression suddenly turned into horror as she clutched her pendant. "But… Why are you here? How could you be here, Arthur?"
"What do you mean?"
I was confused by her question. I meant it was clear that she was curious about why I was here, but her expression certainly said something else, like it was bad if I was here.
"That's also my question, Tri– Isabelle. How are you here?"
"That's… quite a long story." She replied, looking down at the ground and holding her arm. Then she raised her head again, looking straight into my eyes. "Tell me how you got here first, then I will tell you about my story."
"Alright."
There was nothing to hide in my story.
If she wanted to hear it, then I would tell her. It was a cheap price to know how she got here. The biggest mystery I wanted to know and bug me that night.
Then I took out a cloth, lay it on the floor, and sat on it. I patted the space in front of me, gesturing Isabelle to sit, and so she did.
We faced each other, and I began with my fight with Ghost Marionette. At that point, it had been 2 years since she went missing, so she didn't know what I did. But my history wasn't that important. At least, I thought so.
"You…"
Isabelle's eyes widened when I finished my story about how I was granted a bonus stage by that almighty someone and my theory about how that someone could create a world as he pleased.
It was natural for her to be surprised by that truth. Not even I would believe such an unbelievable thing unless I saw it directly.
However…
"You fought the last boss yourself? Are you crazy?"
Isabelle was truly Tristan. The focus she took from my story wasn't on the mysterious person behind the system but on my safety.
"Hahahaha."
"You are crazy… Why are you laughing? Did you want to die so badly? I can kill you right now if you want to."
I just laughed at that because it was so nostalgic. Her cold demeanor was… nowhere to be seen. What was left was just that old, nostalgic Tristan I knew.
"My bad… It's just… It had been 2 years since we met. I thought… I thought I couldn't meet you again."
My voice died down in my last sentence as I cast my gaze down. No normal people would've thought they could meet a person they thought was dead after 2 years.
"2 years… so that's how long for you." Isabelle's weak voice entered my ears as a sad smile washed over her face. "I've heard your story and understand your side. It's my turn."
That was right. I had told her, and it was her turn. I was worried and curious. What had she been through to the point she had that (Severe Trauma) written beside her name?
"I'll try to talk, but don't be surprised if I suddenly look pained and almost faint. I'll do my best so that won't happen. And I can't promise that I will be able to tell you everything now."
That was worrying. I narrowed my eyes at her, but she just gave me that sad smile without explaining anything.
No, she was about to explain it, so I should listen to her, just like what she did to me.
This cave was silent. The only thing I could hear was our breath. And then, the silence was replaced by Isabelle's soft voice.
"Let's start after we parted ways, Arthur. Let's see… I think it was 12 years ago for me."
