What do you want?

Air. The brightest sky and the longest song. Escape from it.

Where are you?

Miles and miles away. It always looks the same. The blood sea makes me scream.

What are you doing?

I'm alone.

Where is the other?

I left her. She's dead.

How do you know this?

I kept the creatures back. They wanted her. If I'm not there, they'll eat her.

You feel no regret?

I want air.

Can I release you?

Only if I let you.

How long the span?

I am not yet twenty and I will die. I desire the circle.

Is there an end to it?

No. I desire repetition, the endless actions and the endless results that will bring me joy.

How do you know this?

A circle surrounds one and blocks the outside. Everything that matters is within.

What is to be in it?

The past. Everyone.

You will change it?

I won't control it. Let it go its own way. No memories.

You will be hurt?

Yes. Forever and ever.

I love you.

I love you too.


The last sight he sees is the same as always: scarlet across the stars. No more of that. There is sunlight, warm and soft on bruise-covered skin. There is a breeze, filling his chest so gladly he would have wept had there still been tears. There is sound, cicadas and tanks and voices and all the things that were no more. There is a photo.

Encirclement complete.

Shinji searched anxiously for a phone. If this Misato woman wasn't coming to pick him up, he might as well call his teacher to come get him. Honestly, why had he even come to Tokyo-3?

Everything as it was.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. Looked like today would be even hotter than yesterday. What the hell was that noise?

Will you still love me just the same?

As the Angel's foot crashed down beside him, all memory of the pale girl fled, and was replaced by broken screams.