Chapter 55 Tragedy Is Not the End

When Michael and Ellie returned to the box, the play had entered the fourth act, which happened to be the scene where the heroine Hermia, played by Eden, faced the end and said goodbye to everything.

She wore a gorgeous flower crown, stood on the top of the mountain facing the wind, facing the morning sun that had already leaked a ray of light.

"Ah... I know, in fact, I have always known it! Bird, do you see these gorgeous flowers above my head?"

"Yes, this is my life. On the surface, it looks as gorgeous as flying flowers, but under the flowers are heavy thorns."

"Its weight forces me to bow my head and walk on this road called life. The deeper I walk, the more pain the thorns bring. Even if I get lucky enough to reach the end, I will only be covered with wounds..."

"But you, you are different. You are a witness, witnessing my efforts and pursuits along the way...Flying bird! If you really pity my misfortune and feel sad about my end... Please don't stop for me... Please continue to fly high! Fly over the distant mountains, fly over the distant rivers, fly over the distant clouds and cities, and bring my voice, my smile, and everything I pursue to a place farther than the distance!"

"Maybe you can't do it now. You can't understand my pain...ah! Did you shed tears? Then cry like a child... Cry until you are exhausted, which means you have walked from the stage to the stage, from a spectator to a witness..."

"Then, fly! You take my share with you! Use your eyes and my soul to witness and experience it together..."

"Ah... You asked me if I can meet you again..."

"Hehe... Bird... If you always believe that you can see me again in the future, you should fly without hesitation, fly to the future along the road we have opened up, fly to the real future where we can meet..."

As the last line was sung, the lingering sound surrounded the magnificent hall, and all the lights were focused on "Hermia". She opened her arms, as if to embrace the rising sun in the distance.

However, the next second, the lights went out, and the holographic projection on the stage disappeared completely. In the endless darkness, only a bird's cry could be heard, and then the sound of stones rolling down.

When the lights came on again, people could only see a bird with a wreath in its mouth flying around the venue.

It flew over mountains, clouds, and rivers, and finally came to a distant yet familiar ruin.

It slowly landed between the ruins and put down the wreath of thorns.

Then, it was unknown how long it had been, so long that the thorns and flowers disappeared with the smoke and dust.

On the broken ruins, a tender green bud broke out of the ground.

The whole hall was silent until half a minute later, when there was sparse applause, but these scattered applause soon gathered into one, like a stream flowing into a river, and the applause resounded in every corner.

Only Mikael did not applaud.

Alicia's face flushed with excitement. Although she felt a little regretful that she could not watch the entire opera, she was deeply attracted by the fateful tragic ending - but what attracted her?

Mikael put all his weight on the back of the chair and looked at her profile tenderly and sadly.

He repeatedly doubted whether there really was a higher dimension in this world. Otherwise, how could he explain the prophecy that was everywhere?

Mikael sneered twice, thinking that he must have read too much "Dream of Red Mansions" in his previous life, so that he was too sensitive to everything that happened around him.

Yeah, that must be the case.

Ellie was a little embarrassed by Mikael's gaze, which made her already blushing face instantly turn blood red.

She turned her head shyly, but she said unyieldingly: "Hey! Where are you looking? Oh! You are not looking at me all the time! Don't do that! I will be shy!"

She stretched out her finger and gently poked Mikael's cheek.

Compared with half a year ago, there is no trace of baby fat on the boy's face now. From cheekbones to chin, it is like a knife-cut all the way, straight and revealing perseverance.

This made Ellie a little unhappy, because the touch of such a cheek was not the same as before...

Mikael gently closed his eyes and avoided Ellie's fiery gaze.

"Why, don't you like tragedy?" Ai Li asked softly.

"No... no... I'm just... I'm still intoxicated by it and can't get out of it for a while." Mikael told a half-truthful lie.

"Ah! That means you are also suitable to be an actor! Otherwise, let's contact Eden. When the collapse is resolved, you can also enter the entertainment industry!"

"Aili..." Mikael smiled bitterly.

He habitually stretched out his hand and wanted to poke Ai Li's cheek, but when he thought of the invisible crown of thorns, his nose was sour and his vision was blurred. In order to cover up the abnormality, he quickly changed his gesture, stretched out his five fingers, pretended to touch Ai Li's head, and covered half of his face.

Ai Li unexpectedly did not dodge, but let Mikael's somewhat cold palm cover her head.

The palm first touched the fluffy hair, and then felt a warm touch. Mikael did not dare to stay any longer and separated at the touch.

The host's announcement came from the stage: "Thank you very much for your support for Ms. Eden. In the next half hour, please enjoy the transition song - and give Ms. Eden some time to rest so that she can continue the next performance, okay!"

The noise from the outside world passed by the two of them without causing any ripples.

Ai Li suddenly took the initiative to hold his sleeve: "Can't you get over it? How about we go to the rooftop! Breathe the fresh air and take a look at the beautiful night sky, how about it!"

"Okay." Mikael held it in for a long time before he struggled to pronounce this syllable.

Ellie's steps couldn't be said to be brisk, at least not as heavy as Mikael's. She took Mikael's hand and quietly walked through the safe passage to the rooftop on the top floor.

"Hey... I miss the tall building in Luluye so much..." Ai Li quickly stepped forward, leaned on the railing and stretched out her hand, as if she wanted to touch the unreachable sky.

Mikael stood beside her.

The distance is not too close, not too far, and the arms touch slightly, just enough to feel each other's body temperature in the night wind.

In fact, there is nothing interesting to see in the night sky. Except for the crescent moon, there are only a few stars, not to mention the deep darkness that has been polluted into lavender by the neon lights in the city.

But the two of them still stood under the night sky for a long time.

Neither of them spoke.

It has been almost seven years. After seven years of getting along day and night, sometimes there is no need to speak at all, and there is no need to observe any of the other person's movements. Just being relatively silent, you can guess the other person's thoughts.

It’s just that no one would say it shamelessly.

But there are still a few more seven years...Mikael closed his eyes. He felt that Ellie should not be able to guess this sentence.

Suddenly, soft footsteps came from behind.

Ellie made no move because Mikael had already turned around immediately.

The person who came was a woman, her age... She was wearing a mask and sunglasses, and her age could not be seen at all just from her good figure.

Seeing someone on the rooftop, she seemed a little hesitant, her steps full, but she soon felt relieved.

She also greeted Mikael in a familiar manner, and then asked with some expectation: "Are you also an audience? How did you feel after watching the opera just now?"

Mikael pursed his lips and did not answer immediately. Ellie looked at the night sky and commented slowly but firmly: "It's very romantic."

"Very romantic?" The woman did not expect Ellie to give such an answer. "Gloomy, depressing, and sad. Obviously this is how most people feel, well, just like this boy."

Mikael touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed, "It's a tragedy after all..."

Ai Li nodded. Her voice seemed to be deeper, but she still did not lose the light feeling: "It is indeed a bit too much! There has been nothing happy since the first act, and all the developments are taking the plot to the next level. A worse direction. The characters are all powerless little people, being dragged forward by fate, and they no longer know where they are in the blink of an eye..."

Mikael closed his eyes again.

"Isn't it too real? It's really hard for people to watch the whole story like this." Ai Li said softly.

The woman's facial features were covered, making it difficult to see the changes in her expression. She seemed to realize something - the girl's words were not meant for her - at least not simply for her.

But, this boy with her.

So she didn't mind helping to promote the conversation.

"Then...why do you think it's romantic?"

"It's because of the ending! Although the process was very difficult, I really liked the last scene of this play. On top of the ruins shrouded in smoke, a new sprout is breaking out of the ground... It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?"

Mikael's closed eyelids were shaking.

Just like in her previous life, Ellie's words were not a simple response to Eden. It was more like she was speaking to a third party somewhere in the world, and now, that third party is actually standing beside her. Next to him, he could feel her body temperature and the fragrance blowing into his nose with the night wind.

"It may bloom for a long time, or it may wither in the next second, but at this moment, it is there, announcing its new life to the whole world... It is such a moment that I will never forget for a long time."

"It said to me: Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope. The footprints we leave in the world will eventually become the light for another person to move forward one day in the future..."

"Alicia... don't say any more..." Mikael's voice was choked with sobs, and he rarely used a pleading tone.

"What's wrong!" Ai Li finally turned around and looked at the young man who accompanied her all the way.

She suddenly felt that the figure trying to completely submerge herself in the darkness was a bit strange. At least at this moment, she could not completely read his thoughts.

"Yes... the footprints you have left have illuminated the path of countless people, and one of them is standing in front of you... Alicia..."

Mikael wanted to say this, he wanted to tell Alicia everything.

Why is the Third Collapse about to happen here? Why is it that the Herrschers of this era have no possibility of regaining their humanity? Why is this world doomed to be destroyed... And you, Alicia, you are a human being, and so are you. Lawyer...

But he swallowed all of this.

"No...it's not yet time..." he warned himself.

There is no need for Ellie to bear these heavy burdens prematurely. For the time being, just bear them on me...

He suddenly stood up and said in as relaxed a tone as possible: "Someone still needs to deal with the aftermath of what happened before. I'm going to help them."

Ellie stared at him for a while, then nodded slowly.

"Wait a moment."

Eden suddenly stopped him, "I want to chat with this girl for a while. Before you leave, can you tell me your two names?"

"Her name is Alicia, and my name is Mikael."

Eden was stunned, then nodded, as if he understood something, "What a good pair of names, as if there is God's will in the dark - the flawless paradise and the guardian of the paradise."