“…Summer Lindsey.”

Russell’s low voice called out her name.

He was curious about Summer’s name. If only there was no interference from the world, he wanted to listen all night long about what Summer’s original world was like.

In the end, she didn’t reveal her original name until the very end. Russell let out a dejected sigh.

“Cough!”

“…!”

The water surface, which had been clearly empty, suddenly began to bubble, and soon a white, dry hand shot out.

Russell quickly grabbed that hand and pulled it up, revealing the face of the woman he had longed to see, yet hoped would return.

Summer Lindsey. A woman with golden hair like woven sunlight, and eyes bluer than a lake.

The strange Summer from a strange land.

“Cough, cough!”

“Summer Lindsey.”

“Cough..! Huu, save…”

Russell immediately embraced Summer tightly. Summer was shaking violently as if she had completely lost her mind.

All Russell could do was hold her and comfort her until she calmed down.

“Save me, please save…”

Summer kept saying “save me” while flailing her arms.

The more she did so, the tighter Russell held her body and comforted her. He wasn’t sure if he was comforting her or himself.

The disappointment he had felt just moments ago about her not revealing her original name and the dejection of thinking “I knew it” had long since vanished.

“Aughh, please save me, save…”

“You’re here. Summer. Summer, you’re alive now. Here. You’re alive.”

A sigh of relief and self-loathing escaped him. Why do I feel relieved at your failure? Russell’s expression was contorted with pain, yet strangely, it was a joyful face.

“Russell, Russell…?”

“Yes. Summer.”

“Ru, Russell, Russell… I, hic!”

Summer belatedly recognized Russell and called his name.

“Yes. Summer. I’m here. I’m here.”

“I’m, so, hic, so scared…”

Summer clung to Russell’s neck and buried her face.

Summer was completely terrified. Did she see something horrific when she disappeared under the water? Russell’s hands holding Summer tightened.

“It’s alright. Summer. You’re alive, that’s enough. It’s okay.”

Russell kissed Summer’s forehead as if in reverence. The soft lips that touched her forehead trembled strangely.

Summer slowly raised her head at that small tremor and faced Russell.

“…Ah.”

Summer let out a small, meaningless sound, then slowly closed her eyes.

Russell’s beautiful face was completely wet with tears.

His reddened eyes and trembling body showed how desperately he had searched for Summer.

The trembling soaked in fear gradually subsided. Is it too selfish to be happy that he searched for me?

“Summer, you are alive now.”

“…It seems so.”

“I… I thought I had completely lost you…”

Russell tightly embraced Summer and buried his face in her shoulder.

So he too was in pain from the separation. In this world, or that world. There were only people hurting because of her everywhere.

It seems like I’ve lived my life being considerate of others and the world, but at this rate, I’m just becoming a bad person leaving wounds everywhere.

“Ru, Russell… What should I do?”

“I will definitely find a way for you to return. If there isn’t one, I will make it happen even if I have to sacrifice myself. So it’s alright. For now, it’s enough that you’ve returned.”

Russell spoke quickly and immediately lifted Summer up. As they came out of the fountain, red water dripped onto the white marble floor.

Summer, who had been staring at the falling droplets, opened her mouth.

“Russell.”

The corners of Summer’s eyes drooped with sadness. More accurately, it was an emotion more hollow than sadness.

It was resignation. The eyes of someone who had given up everything.

Summer looked at Russell with a face that had let go of everything. Russell felt a sudden fear. Because he had seen that expression before.

That face was the expression of someone who had already prepared for the end.

He had to admit it. Russell was most afraid and terrified of Summer. Because she was so precious. He was scared.

“Russell, I always wanted to live.”

“…”

“But could it be… that I didn’t want to live?”

It was a puzzling question. Instead of answering, Russell tightly embraced Summer and slowly walked towards the prayer room door.

“Summer Lindsey. Is that your name?”

Russell’s voice was terribly low. Russell opened the prayer room door and took one step at a time down the long corridor.

Red droplets bloomed like flowers wherever his feet touched.

“…I lost my name.”

“Last night, didn’t you regain your original name?”

“…I thought I found it. No, I did find it.”

She lost the name Kim Dan. It was a name she had held onto for over twenty years. Now she could never live under the name Kim Dan again, even if she died and came back to life.

Summer had already read that name and the year of death when she first discovered the box before returning. She had just ignored it.

That’s why when Russell asked her to write her original name, she engraved the name Summer Lindsey.

Because Kim Dan was no longer there. Because she would never live under that name again.

In that world too, she did her best to live under the name Kim Dan. In this world too, she risked death to find that temporarily lost name.

But that name is gone now. If she didn’t try, there would be nothing to be frustrated about. But Summer had poured too much effort into that name to accept it calmly.

“I have nowhere to go back to now.”

She lost her name and had nowhere to return to.

Then what could Summer do? Summer’s smiling lips twisted, then soon changed into a strange expression.

“I’ve lost both my name and my existence. That’s all I’ve lived for. What should I live for now?”

“Summer. For now, for now…”

Russell readjusted his hold on Summer as he descended the stairs.

Russell’s mind was filled only with thoughts of returning. First, he had to move Summer to his mansion and calm her down. He needed to calm down too.

But Russell’s mind went blank at Summer’s next words.

“I want to end it all. I, I want to stop now.”

“What…”

Russell’s eyes widened in shock. But Summer was in no state to consider others’ emotions.

Summer really wanted to give up now.

“Please let me end it.”

Her wish to please let her return had now changed to a plea to please let her end it.

Summer had collapsed. Completely.

A chilly wind brushed between the two.

“Black hair! You’re back!”

The silence between them was broken by Fei’s voice, which somehow sounded very happy.

“…Fei.”

“I was surprised when your body got sucked in too. Are you okay? Any side effects or anything?”

Fei quickly approached and examined Summer’s complexion. Fortunately, looking at her energy, it seemed no poison remained in her body.

At first, she disliked how the god who abandoned her was interested in this stranger. While she, the most devout servant, was left to fall into ruin.

But now, Fei wanted to interfere with Summer to this extent. Why was she tormenting that stranger so much?

Nothing had gone as that stranger wished since falling into this world.

“I didn’t die.”

“Right. We can return today, so just rest for now, Black hair. I’m here, you know.”

Fei gently stroked Summer’s head and comforted her. At Fei’s warm consolation, tears quickly welled up in Summer’s eyes.

“…I can’t go back.”

“What do you mean you can’t go back? What are you saying?”

At Fei’s reaction, Summer finally burst into tears and sobbed out with slurred speech:

“Hic, my body, my body is gone…”

“…”

Fei’s expression darkened as she immediately understood what had happened.

“What do you mean your body is gone?”

Summer gasped in surprise at Russell’s voice.

She had blurted it out to Fei as soon as she saw her, forgetting Russell was there. It was because she thought Fei would surely know a way.

“Summer. I’m sorry. Don’t be startled.”

“…It’s exactly as I said. When I tried to go back, the body I was supposed to enter had already had a funeral.”

“…No way.”

“They said I died two years ago. Haha, I’m stupid, aren’t I? I died and came here, but I begged to go back, like that…”

“…”

Tears fell from Summer’s eyes as she laughed emptily.

“Hic, when there was never anywhere to return to in the first place, why did I make such a fuss about going back?”

Summer’s voice gradually grew louder. As her sense of reality slowly returned, emotions washed over Summer like a tidal wave.

Seeing Summer’s unstable state, Russell quickly finished descending the stairs and left the temple.

Perhaps because the shower had just passed, the day was exceptionally clear and the sunlight was warm.

Broken statues, some fallen worshippers, light reflecting and sparkling in muddy puddles.

It was beautiful, but strangely, Russell thought it looked like the final brilliance of a world on the brink of the apocalypse.