Disclaimer: 'Honkai impact 3rd' is the property of Hoyoverse, Singapore. I do not own any characters in this story except the minor OCs here and there.

Deeper in the dark

TWILIGHT NURSING HOME (SUNDOWN ALLEY) (BUCHAREST- ROMANIAN EMPIRE) – 2021(Previous era) (An hour later)

Elysia groaned on the pillow she was laying her head on and twisted on the bed, unable to sleep. She had been having a bad feeling in her chest from the moment she stepped out of the bath and ate the late-night dinner made by Aponia. She was talented in cooking despite her insisting that she was not good at these things. Elysia could see that this girl was also subjected to the sadness and unfairness of the world just like so many of her friends and…. him. She just couldn't understand why people kind and gentle like Aponia would get treated cruelly, just because she was born with a special power. It seemed that humans were still not able to accept someone different from what they are usually used to.

It was the same for Aponia, for her friends at the Moths; and her siblings and Sister Olga back at Vladivostok. And of course, for him. It made her more afraid of the day when he will come to know her true nature, that she is not exactly a normal human.

"No, no, no. stop thinking such negative thoughts, Elysia." She admonished herself, getting up and sitting on the bed in the process. She then looked at the clock hanging on the wall; '2:00' it read. Still late into the night, she thought. It had been more than two hours since Kevin had stormed out of the nursing home after snapping at her and Aponia. And even though she said to Aponia that she wasn't worried about him, her heart was twisting in excessive worry. She had been having a very bad feeling from earlier, and just thinking about the last words said to her from him made it worse.

Flashback

"Do as you wish. However, remember to not get in my way. And don't even think about stopping me from doing what is necessary."

Current time

She knew for a fact that he had gone to do something excessively stupid and reckless. Just thinking about the various 'what ifs' scenarios made her already anxious mind even more chaotic. She decided to take a walk to clear her mind and get the uneasy feeling more bearable and wait for some time near the main gate for him to return. She wrapped a warm coat over the light pink nightdress she was wearing, as it was a usual cold November night. She then stepped into the nightwear sandals given to her by Aponia and stepped outside her guest room. The room was decently sized, with all the basic furniture and a warm cosy bed. It even had a full-sized mirror with a small table in front which made it very easy for Elysia to check her appearance, as after all a beautiful girl such as herself should always be conscious of how they look in front of others. It simply wouldn't do if she had strands of hair poking out haphazardly.

She had to really thank Aponia for the generous hospitality she had shown to a stranger. Things like these made her love other people so much. Contrary to what he said, she wholeheartedly believed that humans had the potential to be better than before and create miracles. She had seen the kind people back in Vladivostok where she was adopted in her childhood. The kindness and love that mother Celia had shown to a strange girl like her until she passed away. Even after that, Sister Olga continued to look after her as her own baby sister. The townsfolk who always worked hard despite the various setbacks in their life to create beautiful memories that lay close to her heart.

She once considered getting away from the town, so that the people who had come earlier stop targeting them again and again. However, the faces of her siblings, Dystopia-chan and Sister Olga made her think of how selfish she was going to be. Thus, she decided to stay at the orphanage at least until they were able to live without her, and perhaps it was one of the best decisions she had made.

She had since then seen so many facets of humans; the kind ones, the cruel ones, the ones who offered bread to a shivering child, the ones who beat others for money. But still, people's ability to stand up after a tragedy and convert it into a happy memory amazed her to no end. That was the reason, she wanted him to be free of his self-imposed duty and an oath which brought nothing but pain to himself and those who cared for him.

To her, he burned like the brightest flame, a hope in the darkness of despair that they faced now. To her understanding, he may claim to be a moth who chases the flame like the others, but what he didn't realise is that he was the flame that everyone at the Moths desperately chased after now. Everyone, whether it be General Alexei or Dr. Welt, even Mobius and herself; only followed the trail of light that he left behind leading others. He was the true leader of humanity and them, whether he knew it or not.

This was the main reason for her to blindly follow and trust him. In all this time she had known him, he had only shown his competence and ability to lead them to a better future. His extreme loyalty and devotion to the ones he cared about along with the fact that he treated other women like queens, made him irresistible. Elysia could only giggle as she thought about how she had fallen head over heels for such a man despite him never giving conscious effort to these things. She could only dream of how he will treat that special woman in his heart. However, it seemed that the only thing that he was in love with currently was to fight the Honkai and make the women who love him worry for him to death constantly, which made her huff at the thought.

"Brr." she shivered as she felt cold, and then was when she realized that she was already in the courtyard. She pulled the warm coat closer to her body to keep herself warmer, as there was a cold wind blowing through this place currently. She then made her way to the big fountain in the middle of the front courtyard, to sit on the edge of the fountain and wait for him. She then looked at herself reflected in the clear water of the fountain. Clear blue eyes with pink pupils greeted her back. The face was beautiful and would have been prettier if not for the frown etched on it. She sighed as she realised that she was still worrying for Kevin despite coming out to clear her mind of such things.

She then looked at the front gate while waiting for him, as her hands idly played with the water in the fountain. Her mind wandered to different things as she waited for him, such as what Dystopia-chan would be doing now, had Griseo-chan finished the painting that she was working on. She was so engrossed that she didn't notice a figure making its way slowly to the gate.

A sharp banging sound made Elysia come out of her musings. She looked up to see the source of the sound, and what she saw made her heart leap to her mouth. She started to move instinctively even before her brain could fully process the situation, her feet carrying her hurriedly to the figure which had started to fall to the ground. As she reached near to the figure Elysia could only scream in horror the name of the said person.

"KEEEVINNN!"

Kevin made his way slowly to the TWILIGHT NURSING HOME, carrying an unconscious Pardofelis on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Each step was proving more difficult than the last, threatening him to lose his consciousness at any moment. His breathing had become difficult, with each breath more laborious than the last. He was bleeding badly from the deep wounds on his waist where he was stabbed brutally earlier; and even though his regeneration had closed the small wounds up completely, it seemed that it couldn't regenerate the blood that he had lost.

He tried to think nothing, focusing his remaining consciousness on putting one foot in front of the other so as to not stumble and fall down. He knew that if he did, then he will never get up again. He couldn't now, not with another in his custody. If he could make it to the nursing home, then at the very least the girl he was carrying could be safe. Thinking such things, he dragged himself to the nursing home, his consciousness fading away with each step.

He didn't know for how long he had walked. It seemed almost a century had passed when he started walking. He was thankful to not meet any new enemies on his way back, as he knew that he was in no shape to fight them now. As he wondered whether he had lost his way, he was greeted with a familiar arc and gate. He stood still and squinted his eyes to get a better reading of the name written on the arc:

"TWILIGHT NURSING HOME"

He sighed a little in relief at the fact that he somehow had made his way back. At the very least the girl on his shoulder could be safe, he thought not even considering his well-being as usual. Kevin then with the remaining of his strength tried to move but that was when he was rooted to the spot by what he saw.

Beautiful light pink hair billowed in the wind, like soft silk curtains. The hand that played with water was so delicate as if the person was afraid to disturb whatever was present in it. Her coat had come loose and her light pink nightwear swayed in the wind, making her look ethereal. Her face even though being in a frown was so beautiful that even the greatest sculptor devoting his entire life would not be able to grasp it fully.

Her eyes shined in the night with an untold amount of love and warmth for everything around her. The moon shone down upon her, extenuating her already beauty to another level. At this moment, she almost looked like a Goddess.

'Beautiful.' was the only thing Kevin could think at that moment. He suddenly felt very small, as if no matter how much he tried he could never be as bright as the woman in front of him. At that moment he was totally mesmerised by her and for some unknown reason wanted to be close to her. A deep part in his frozen and dead heart wanted this beautiful goddess to save him. He couldn't understand why was he having these thoughts now, perhaps too much blood loss had made him loose his reason but he didn't care. He only wanted to be close to her now, the goddess who can save him and give him the thing that he searched desperately for his entire life. As to what it was, even he didn't know, but he was sure that she had the answer.

Thinking such things, with the remaining of his strength he pushed open the gate harshly. This caused the goddess to look at him finally. As gentle blue met tired and sad sky-blue, he saw the goddess making her way to him hurriedly. That was when he felt the last embers of strength fade away from his body. With whatever he had left, he put the still unconscious Pardofelis down as gently as he could and started to fall.

He heard someone screaming and then something broke his fall. He then saw hands gently wrap around him as if trying to protect him all the while the owner of the said hands called out some name he couldn't understand. He smelt the familiar scent of lilies that soothed him and made him relax into those arms. As his eyes slowly fluttered close, he heard the voice say:

"You are safe, my l…..."

Two days later

Kevin gently opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. It didn't look like a hospital as it had a much more homey feel to it, similar to aniki's home back in the Netherlands. He then turned his head to the left and saw two little birds on the windowsill chirping away happily. By looking at the sunlight filtering through the curtain, he concluded that it was late afternoon. He tried to remember how he was here in the first place, but his half-addled mind was not cooperating with him for the moment.

As his mind became clearer, he started to remember what happened the last night he remembered. From being ambushed by that Sakura girl, to finding the nursing home and a nun who could use some kind of psychic powers. Elysia ticking him off and him snapping at her. And finally meeting that catlike girl and being ambushed again by that member of Cocoon calling himself 'Coscoe' if he remembered correctly.

He then suddenly sat up remembering what happened during that fight. He stood up to search for Pardofelis and to check up on her if she was okay, but a wave of dizziness hit him suddenly. The world was spinning around so wildly that it was impossible to make sense of direction. He then suddenly felt extremely exhausted and had to stand while holding the railings of the bed to steady himself. Black dots started to appear in the corner of his vision as it blurred. Kevin just stood there for some time until he could feel strength returning in his body and slowly started to make his way out of the room.

As he kept walking, he heard sounds coming from outside, so he decided to follow them. Soon he made it outside the building and met with the scene of children playing with each other in the courtyard.

"Giggle… Look, look; I got this pretty toy from Nia nee-chan."

"Giggle… Me too. Me too."

He then looked over to the woman he met that night sitting under the large tree in the courtyard talking to a boy. Their conversation went like this:

"Nia nee-san. Look at what I've found." the boy said while he showed a butterfly he found.

"Yes." the woman replied "it's a beautiful butterfly. Just like it, you will be able to recover very soon and spread your wings."

"Really?!" the child asked excitedly.

"Yeah." the woman said smiling gently and patting his head.

"Hehe. You are the best Nia nee-chan."

The boy then turned and left for the group of other children playing. Seeing him off, the woman finally looked up to see him standing just a few feet away and looking at her.

She stood up quickly and urgently made her way to him, worry and concern etched on her face. As she reached him, she pulled him in an embrace and said in a voice full of concern:

"You shouldn't be moving with your body in such a condition, Kevin-san."

"…"

"Here, come sit and rest under the tree."

"No need." Kevin said trying to pull himself away from her, but was unable to do so with his limited strength.

"See, your body doesn't even have the strength to pull yourself up. Please don't be so stubborn Kevin-san." she said chiding him with a hint of exasperation and anger in her voice.

"…" Kevin was led to the tree with the woman supporting him by putting his hand over her shoulder despite his feeble protests. Then she helped him sit down gently with his back being supported by the tree. Once he sat down, she sat down beside him while supporting his body with her side so as to not let him fall to the side.

Both of them were silent for a while before he saw the woman pulling his shirt up and gently running her hands over his bandaged sides. He looked at her questioningly, to which she replied:

"I'm just trying to see if the wounds had worsened due to excessive movements made by you."

"…" Kevin just gazed at her with cold indifference.

"I know you don't trust me, Kevin-san" the woman said "but believe me when I say that we all were worried when you were found in such a state, with two gaping wounds on your sides. Ellie-san and I were extremely worried when you lost consciousness."

"…"

"Thankfully, the girl Pardofelis was able to get a good doctor due to her connections. They came at the opportune time and sewed up the wounds, but you would still not wake up. The doctor said that you had lost a decent amount of blood and would be sleeping for the next couple of days."

"I see." Kevin spoke for the first time. At this, he heard a light huffing from his side. When he turned his head, he saw the woman looking at him with a strange expression.

"Do you have any idea how much you had worried us all? Ellie-san wouldn't stop crying no matter how much we reassured her. Even that girl Pardofelis was crying while kneeling on the floor apologizing for you to get that much hurt. As for me…." she trailed off, not wanting to continue that trail of thought.

"It wasn't necessary." Kevin said bluntly.

"It doesn't work like that Kevin-san. When you treat someone with kindness like you do, of course, they are going to worry about your well-being. Kindness isn't a one-way street, Kevin-san."

"I'm not ki-"

"Yes, I know what you want to say. However, remember this: kindness isn't something that you can decide whether you have it or not. Only the people with whom you have interacted can answer that question. And as for your logic that monsters don't have kindness, it itself is flawed as you are not a monster. You are as much as a human as me or those children."

Kevin could be only silent as this woman seemingly shut him up with her arguments. He wondered how she could deduce what he was thinking. Was she using that power of hers to peer into his mind now?

"I'm not using my power, Kevin-san. Any person who had seen you up close could tell."

"!" Kevin was shocked. Just how-

"No need to be alarmed. I can say these things because of the things that Ellie-san had told me about you these past two days that you were unconscious."

Hearing this made Kevin relax a little but his guard was still up. Another thing to notice was that it had been two days since that night. They both went silent for some time when the woman opened her mouth again.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you fight alone?" the woman asked gently with sincerity and honesty.

Kevin was silent again for some time before giving the answer that he gave everybody else who asked him the same question:

"It is my Duty and Oath."

"Does your oath dictate you to keep on fighting even if nothing may remain of you in the end?"

"Yes."

"But why?"

"Because it is the only way I can atone for my sins."

"What sins?"

"…"

The woman then held his face with both of her hands and pushed it to her bosom again. Kevin then heard her say in a gentle motherly voice:

"Kevin-san, I don't know what sins are you talking about. But I can assure you that they are not worth the self-punishment that you give yourself. Don't throw your life away. It hurts the ones who care about you to see yourself get hurt again and again, while they can do nothing about it."

"…" Kevin remained silent. Even if what this woman said was true, it was not as if could pretend that he was a normal person. He knew that he was broken beyond help, and there was nothing left of him to save anymore. Thus, he held on to his duty and oath firmly, because if he let even them go out of his hands, then he would be nothing. It was the only thing left for him, and it was something he will follow until he turned to dust and scattered on the same lands where they lay.

Sensing that he was not about to change his mind soon made Aponia sad. He had such a bright future and people who cherished him, yet he chose a path of pain, sacrifice, despair and blood. A lonely path that nobody who cared for him would be able to bear see him walking. Even she, who had known him for less than a week desperately prayed for him to be free of his pain. Thinking such, she finally said:

"I just wish for you to find your happiness and be at peace, Kevin-san."

"That's impossible." Kevin said with a straight voice. Hearing this just made Aponia's heart ache for him more, and she just embraced him tighter. They remained like this for a while until Kevin separated himself from her, seemingly having gained some of his strength back. He then got up slowly despite Aponia's protest. As she got up to support him, he held out his hand to indicate he didn't need it anymore. Then he looked at her and said:

"I'm sorry by the way. I snapped at you unnecessarily that night."

Hearing this made Aponia giggle. To think he was still brooding over this matter and feeling guilty for supposedly hurting her feelings. He was really so kind and considerate that it hurt. She then held his hand and said:

"It's alright Kevin-san. If someone had to apologize, it should be me. I unknowingly made you remember some terrible memories. Please forgive me Kevin-san."

"It's alright. Let it be water under the bridge." at this Aponia giggled again.

"Is something funny?"

"No. it's just that, you replied exactly how Ellie-san said you would."

"…" Kevin just groaned. What more had that woman told her? Sensing his discomfort, Aponia said:

"Do not worry. Whatever she had said about you were only positive impressions. She really cherishes you, Kevin-san."

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked puzzled.

At this Aponia only sighed. She remembered his extreme blockhead nature in these types of things. She was sure that loving this guy was a feat in itself and mentally cheered for Ellie-san to be able to make it past his denseness. She then said shifting the conversation:

"Would you like to meet the children, Kevin-san? All of them are curious about you, and Alan would like to talk with you more."

Kevin just nodded and Aponia led him to the children who were present there to introduce him.

Elysia along with Pardofelis was making her way back to the nursing home after shopping for the groceries and medicines for Kevin from the pharmacy. It had been two days since that night, and her worries just grew more with each passing day. Her mind couldn't help but overthink and conjure up the worst scenarios. She had a nightmare about one such scenario last night, where he never woke up. She woke up in a cold sweat and made her way to his room to see his face and calm herself down. When she reached his bedside, he was still sleeping silently. Elysia just held his hand and cried herself to sleep at his bedside. This was very similar to post third eruption, when she didn't know when he was going to wake up and coupled with the fact that he had two extremely deep wounds on his sides and had supposedly lost a lot of blood just made her more despondent.

Seeing Ellie nee-chan's face morph into sadness made Pardofelis feel guiltier than usual. If she had not stupidly tried to snatch the envelope from that man's pocket, then nothing like this would've happened. She had apologized profusely that night, expecting the woman with pink hair to lash out at her. Instead, she just hugged her and said that it was not her fault. Being hugged warmly like that caused something to bloom in Pardofelis' heart and she cried on that woman's shoulder like the little girl she was. After that night, she had come to see the older girl as something akin to an elder sister figure, shown by the fact that she calls her 'nee-chan' now.

"Wahhh!" Pardofelis exclaimed suddenly as she saw someone very familiar. At this Elysia's head turned to see the source of Pardofelis' excitement. A brown cat with fur the same colour as the girl's hair was slowly making its way to them. The cat almost seemed relaxed, with its eyes closed and when they reached them, it started rubbing itself on Pardofelis' leg and meowing happily.

"meow~."

"Oh! Where have you been Can-chan? I missed you soooo much." Pardofelis exclaimed happily as she picked the cat up and started to spoil it. Elysia seeing the cat's antics as it acted spoiled and purred happily, smiled and giggled a little. Seeing her smile a little brought immense happiness and satisfaction to Pardofelis, as lately all that Ellie nee-chan had on her face was a sad frown which made her feel sad as well. She mentally thanked Can-chan for his timing to disrupt the mood to a little happy one.

"Ne, ne Felis-chan. Can you introduce me to this good-looking young cat~?"

"Of course, of course, Ellie nee-chan." Pardofelis said as she brought one of Can-chan's hands front in the gesture of a handshake.

"This here is my best cat friend Can-chan. And Can-chan this here is my older sister Ellie nee-chan."

"meow~" Can meowed happily.

"Waaa. So cute~." Elysia happily exclaimed as she took the cat's paw and shook it. The cat purred happily and jumped from Pardofelis' hands to Elysia, who cradled it and combed her hand through its hair while saying:

"Wow! Your fur is so silky and soft. Who's a good cat? Yes, you are Can-chan."

"meow~."

"That's so unfair, Can-chan. How can you change your side so fast?"

"Maybe he likes me better than you, Felis-chan."

"Mmmmmmm. Ellie nee-chan, you bully." Pardofelis pouted.

"Teehee~ please forgive me Felis-chan. Here, Can-chan wants to return to you." Elysia said while returning Can to Pardofelis. She then asked:

"By the way, where do you first meet Can-chan, Felis-chan?"

"Hmm." Pardofelis said while scratching her head "it's hard to tell. He sort of appeared in front of me one day and we have been inseparable since then."

"Is that so?" Elysia smiled at her gently. She was touched by the naivety and kindness of the girl in front of her. That night when Kevin fainted after putting her down, this girl could've denied anything to do with him and Elysia still wouldn't blame her. Instead, she bowed down and apologized again and again as if it was solely her fault that he ended up like her. She had then found and persuaded a doctor that she knew to come at such a time and treat him, all the while running here and there to get the necessary medicines and equipment needed for the treatment.

The next morning, she had willingly helped around the nursing home and then ran out to get the necessary supplies. When being asked if she had enough money, she just waved her hands and told them that 'Kevin-boss' as she called him had given her more money than she knew what to do with. And true to her word, she brought an enormous amount of food and other necessities; not to mention she brought back the doctor who then checked up on Kevin and changed his bandages. The doctor then told them that he had gone into a kind of pseudo coma due to extreme blood loss along with exhaustion. When Elysia heard this, she was almost on the verge of breaking but thankfully with Aponia and Felis-chan helping her, she was able to control herself. The doctor also encouraged her by saying that it was not a true coma and that he would wake up sooner. This made her relieve a little but also anxious as to when that sooner would be. These two days as he slept had felt like centuries for her, where she just sat by his side the entire day. Today by the insistence of Aponia she had accompanied Felis-chan to her errands and to get medicines for him; however, worry still lingered in her mind. She just couldn't get the sight of him covered in so much blood and passing out in her arms out of her mind. It scared her to no end and made her realize just how dangerous this mission was.

Furthermore, when she heard from Pardofelis about what actually happened, it broke her heart into a million pieces. To think he was forced to make such a painful choice. She knew that he would be blaming himself forever for the deaths of so many people, believing that he is a monster. She was frustrated at how it was always him who had to make these types of choices and live with their consequences. She wanted to help him so badly, to help him carry his burdens and pain but he wouldn't let her by putting up the wall between them.

It made her heart ache so badly just to see the man she loved suffer in silence, but she was helpless. This caused her to feel sadness and despair, feelings which she disliked the most. She didn't know that loving something can cause this much pain, and sometimes she wondered if it would be better if she stopped loving him. However, she realized that it was too late now and her love for him was far too strong to even consider giving up on him as something repulsive. To her it felt like a betrayal to him, and most importantly to herself, hence it was simply not possible. Thus, the only remaining choice was to live with this constant bittersweet heartache.

As she was thinking these things, she didn't even notice when she reached the nursing home. There seemed to be a commotion going on inside the nursing home if the excited sounds of children were anything to go about.

"Giggle… really, then what happened onii-chan?"

"Shush now, Alice. Let nii-chan finish his story first."

"Bleegh."

"Now, now children, it's not nice to fight amongst each other."

"Yeeees. Nia onee-chan." "Yees. Nia nee-chan."

"Ne, ne nii-chan will you let me swing on your arm."

"What? No, me first."

"No, me."

"No, no. Me first."

"Don't put too much stress on him, children."

"Whaaaaaat? Bummer."

Then Elysia heard a voice that made her rooted to her spot.

"It's okay Aponia."

"It's not Kevin-san. You are hurt and as such should not put undue strain on your body."

"…"

Elysia dropped the bag she was carrying on the pavement as she nearly sprinted into the nursing home, and what she saw there made her breath hitch. Standing there and interacting with the children was him; moving and talking. He was awake… he was awake.

She ran and bumped into him from behind, hugging him firmly and nuzzling her face into his warm back.

Kevin noticed something running and bumping into his back. Then he saw a familiar pair of hands embracing him from behind. Pink strands flew in the air and he smelt a familiar scent of lilies, making him realize who was the one hugging him from behind.

"Elysia." he said in a gentle voice which made the said woman hug him tighter. He could then hear muffled sounds of crying coming from his back.

"I….I-I thought….." she wasn't able to complete her sentence as she started crying. Kevin just turned around in her hug and brought her face to his chest, to which she nuzzled deeper into it. He put his hand on top of her head and he patted it. While doing so he said:

"Sorry for making you worry."

To this, she just shook her head sideways while her face was still buried in his chest. Kevin then heard her saying in a teary voice:

"It's alright. You are now back, and that's all that matters."

"Yeah."

"Please don't make me worry like that again." she sniffled.

"Yeah."

"Idiot."

"Yeah."

They stood there for some time until she calmed and her sobs started to quieten down. Then she looked at him through teary eyes and smiled a smile that he found beautiful and said:

"Welcome back." to which he just nodded.

Sometime later

Kevin, Elysia and Pardofelis were sitting around the dinner table as they were discussing how to proceed next. Aponia had graciously lent them the meeting place and said that she would join them after she had ensured that all the children were asleep. So currently they were discussing what they knew already.

"So let's get our facts on straight." Kevin said beginning the conversation "this organization is named: COCOON and it has multiple combat squads like the Moths."

"But how did an organization like this exist unknown to us this long?" Elysia asked.

"I can think of only two possible scenarios: either they are a newly formed organization or-"

"- they have outside help." Elysia finished the sentence to which Kevin nodded in approval.

"But but who will help such… such…. Crazy people." Pardofelis asked.

"The help should come from a very influential place to keep their activities under wraps and looking at the way the law authorities are handling their killings, it can only mean one thing."

"The help is coming from various governments." Elysia said in an even tone.

"Most likely General and Welt-san knew about the hand of various governments in their activities, so they asked us to investigate it quietly as possible."

"Do you think it is a cult type of organization, Kevin?"

"No. Even though that man behaved like a cult member, the girl was rational and spoke about some kind of plan. So, it's most likely they are a rational organization with a specific goal."

"T-th-those people…. Rational? How can you say that, Kevin-boss? After what they have done?" Pardofelis said while a chill ran down her spine just thinking about what happened two days before.

"Because of this." Kevin said as he threw the envelope that he picked up from the ground that night after the fight.

"What's this?" Pardofelis said while she snatched the envelope and opened it to reveal three papers. Two were written letters of some kind, while the third looked like an invitation to a party of some kind. And by looking at the quality of the paper on which the invitation was written, it was a high-class one too.

"Hmm. I don't understand at all what this means. Ellie nee-chan, can you explain it to me." She tossed the letters towards Elysia who read them one by one.

The first letter read:

'Good work, agent Sakura. If you are reading this letter, then that means that you have successfully neutralized the Godslayer. Your next assignment is to take care of a man named Stefano at the party that the invitation attached to this letter invites. Your alibi is made for the party. Your name for this assignment will be Anna Hakune. You are the representative of one of the leading pharmaceutical companies: Proxo and you have come to attend the banquet on the behalf of the company. Once inside, look for the waiter wearing a black ringed glove and say this to him: "I would like some fine wine." He will then lead you to a secluded place where after he had made sure of your identity, he will provide you with a foldable spike.

After getting the weapon, approach the target and engage him in talks about your company being interested in considering his idea for medicine-making machinery. Engage him in talking and lead him to the secluded balcony on the left side of the building and do the necessary. After that, throw the spike in the second dustbin to the right and make your way out of the party discretely. As before, one personal belonging of the target should be submitted to the man who had handed you the letter. He will be waiting for you at the café on Strada Paris street, from where you will get the details of your next assignment.

Should this mission be completed perfectly, we will be one step closer to treating the illness that your sister is afflicted with. Do not disappoint agent Sakura.

May the Cocoon of blessing be with us all.

- R.A'

Then she read over the second one:

'Agent Coscoe, after giving agent Sakura her next assignment, make your way to the warehouse in the western part of the city. Once you reach it, a watchman would ask for your I.D. Tell to him: "The I.D is in the white closet.", this is your passphrase. To which he will reply: "You should be more careful in handling it, don't forget it the next time." and will let you inside. The usual shipment of fireworks is awaiting there as usual. After checking and doing the inventory check, lead the convoy to the usual place at the harbour from where Agent Ralph will take care of the rest.

After dropping off the fireworks, return to the warehouse and pick up the envelope in the drawer of the third desk on the right as you enter. Read your assignment and burn it. Then pick up the envelope below it which contains the assignment details for agent Sakura. Meet her at the café in Paris Strada Street. The table had been booked in advance. Give her the envelope and make your way out of the café. After that make your way to the safe house and lay low for a while. Your next assignment will come in due time.

May the Cocoon of blessing be with us all.

- R.A'

Elysia read the letters containing the details of the assignment with a neutral face. After she had finished reading it, she put down the papers and looked at Kevin with a serious face:

"Kevin, this is-"

"Yes. The assignments for Sakura and that man. It is safe to assume that they are obsolete now as what happened to the man may have reached the ears of the organization. However, this is our best chance to gain an inside view of the organization."

"So, what do you propose we should do?"

"…" Kevin was silent for a while, pondering over the possible choices. It was true that this was possibly the best chance they had to gain an inside footing in the organization. But it was an unknown gamble if they have laid a trap for them or not. If he was alone, then it wouldn't be a problem but with Elysia and the others present, it was a different scenario altogether.

Maybe he should just wait for another one of the agents to attack him and capture them. He could always get the required information from them by other means, even if Elysia would not approve of them.

As he was thinking this, Elysia spoke up suddenly:

"No."

Kevin just looked at her with a questioning face. Elysia just looked at him straight in the eyes and said with a tone of confidence:

"Kevin, I know the face you are making now. And before you think of doing any more stupid things, let me say this: No."

"Wha-"

"As I said, No. You are not going to do whatever you are thinking of doing now."

"…"

"Let me help you this time. I… I don't want a repeat of what happened two days ago."

"Elysia."

"Please." she looked up at him with earnest eyes. Kevin could always deny her request like before, but the genuine look in her eyes made him stop. He then realized that she was as much a member of the Moths as he was, maybe she deserved a chance. Thinking such he sighed and said:

"You do know, this is going to be dangerous right?"

"Yes."

"And you still want to do it?"

"Mmm-Hmm." she nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Don't disappoint me."

"As I said I'm going to do-….. Wait what did you just say?"

"I'm not going to repeat myself."

"Thank you soooo soooo much, Kevin" Elysia leapt from her chair and embraced Kevin, pushing his face into her chest.

"Can't... breathe." Kevin said trying to peel her off from himself but to no avail. Pardofelis seeing their exchange teased from the side:

"Oooooooooo~. What's this I see Kevin-boss? I didn't know you were such a lady killer."

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked in confusion causing both her and Elysia to calm down instantly.

"Wait? Are you serious? Are you one of those types of men?"

"What type?"

"You have my full support Ellie nee-chan. Go for it."

"Thank you, Felis-chan."

"!?"

After that, they talked some more to prepare contingency plans that they were sure that they had to use once they were found out by other Cocoon members. Pardofelis volunteered herself to get Elysia's weapon inside the party. When asked how she just winked and said she had her ways. Kevin then decided to scout the supposed warehouse and the Harbour where he had to meet the third agent of Cocoon. Pardofelis said that she will accompany him to which he declined by saying that he didn't want to have a repeat of what happened that night. This alarmed Elysia a little as she thought that he was definitely going to fight but then out of nowhere, Aponia arrived in the room after seemingly making her night rounds. When she heard about his decision to scout the warehouse and harbour, she volunteered to accompany him so as to not let him do his usual reckless things. When Kevin tried to object, Aponia just said:

"Don't worry about me, Kevin-san. I'm sure you know that I have the least chance of being attacked by normal people."

At this Kevin could only look at her with skepticism. He still fully didn't trust her with the unexplainable power that she had; however, she had been nothing but helpful for the last few days. Thus, with some reluctance and a vote of confidence from both Elysia and Pardofelis, he decided to allow her to tag with him.

Four days later (Night of the Party)

"Have you memorized the whole plan of what to do?"

"Yes~. Get in, find the person, talk to him about the organization, protect him from the inevitable assassination attempt and try to catch the member who is sure to be in the party, right~?"

"…"

"Oh, Kevin. Don't worry, this is all going to be over without any problem. Just trust me okay~."

"…" Kevin just looked at her deadpanned. He then released a small sigh and said:

"If you are so sure then I will leave things here to you and her. After dropping you off, I will make my way to the warehouse."

Then both of them went silent, the only sounds being of the passing cars. Elysia had been dressed for the occasion: a black backless dress with a long train, there was a pink rose attached to her right waist, and a golden-coloured rose-shaped tie held her dress at the neck. A golden thread twirled around her gently, being stitched at various places. She was wearing small white gloves and had a black bow tied in her hair below her hairclip. A long, thin black veil completed her look with black heels that magically seemed to fit her toes. All in all, she was looking such that will have men drool like dogs and women burn with jealousy.

Kevin was amazed that Pardofelis had found this set of clothes from seemingly nowhere. She was nothing if resourceful, Kevin deduced. Currently, she was making her way separately to the building, carrying Elysia's weapon with her which she was supposed to give to her when Elysia would step on the roof. From there onwards, it will be depending upon Elysia and her judgement which he was having no concern of. This woman was very sensible and competent if nothing else. As he was thinking this, he saw through the rearview mirror of the car he was driving, the woman in question looking at him expectantly.

"…"

"Mou~. Shouldn't you say something at a moment like this?" she pouted.

"That being?"

"Geez, Kevin. You should learn how to treat a woman properly."

"!?" he was puzzled. It seemed like she was expecting something from him, but he had no idea what. Suddenly he remembered that night when he was teetering on the edge of consciousness, and what he had thought of her. He averted his eyes a little as he felt that tingling feeling again. This however, did not go unnoticed by her:

"You are thinking of something right?" she asked excitedly.

"…"

"Tell me. Or maybe you were thinking about me~."

"…"

"Waa~, I'm so happy that you are finally thinking about me. So, what were you thinking about? Tell me, tell me."

"…"

"Hmph. Meanie."

At this Kevin opened his mouth and said without thinking:

"You look beautiful tonight."

At this, both of them went silent at once. Kevin just became dumbstruck at what he had said. What could possibly have led him to say such a thing? He couldn't understand. Elysia's face on the other hand exploded in red. Why did he say such things with a straight face? It wasn't fair if only she was the one getting embarrassed here. However, a small part of her was happy that he called her such. Kevin wasn't the type to say things which he didn't mean, it made her happier to know that he called her beautiful sincerely.

Elysia calmed herself down a little and said in a small voice:

"Thank you."

Kevin just nodded, not opting to speak lest he says something incredulous again. The building at which the supposed part was to be held came into view, signalling the end of their little alone time together. As he was pulling the car into the driveway of the building, Kevin heard Elysia say:

"I know it might mean nothing to you. However, please promise me that you will do nothing reckless. If only for my sake"

"I said that I will do everything necessary."

"I know that. I just… don't want to see you like that. So please, just to indulge in my selfishness once."

"Fine. I won't get into unnecessary fights."

"Thank you." Elysia said as he stopped the car in front of the main entrance. He then got out first and opened the door of the backseat. He offered his hand like a chauffeur and helped Elysia get off the car and escorted her to the main door of the building where the main welcoming person was present. He then turned to her and said:

"This is it then. Good luck for tonight." And started to walk away. As he took a step, he heard her calling out to him:

"Kevin, wait!"

"!?" he turned to ask if she wanted something. But what she did left him rooted to his spot. She hugged him and brought her face closer to his while giving him a kiss on his cheek. She then said:

"For good luck to you. Please be safe." and made her way inside the building. Kevin stood there for a few minutes trying to process what had just happened. Elysia's voice had been very different now, her usual voice was that of a cheerful, bubbly person. However, her voice now sounded more mature and steadier, and there was a hint of something in it that he couldn't place.

HONK.

The honking of a car horn made him conscious of the fact that he was basically blocking the path of other guests with his car. Thus, he got into the car, started the ignition and drove it away to the supposed warehouse to start his part of the mission. However, if he would've stayed there for five more minutes, he would've seen a very familiar figure. A figure that he met on a full moon's night like this last year in the back alleys of Nagazora.

"Please be careful, Lady Eden."

"I'm not a fragile glass statue, Mr. Browning."

"Still, you are an extremely important persona of this age and one of the guests of honour here. So please excuse my excessive worrying."

"Sigh." the woman sighed as she got down the car.

"Please let me escort you inside, my lady."

"No need, Mr. Browning. Please park the car and come to the party." she said.

"As you wish my lady." the chauffeur bowed and went to park the car. As the woman made her way through the crowd of people who were standing there, waiting for her. The moment she stepped on the carpet, she was bombarded with flashes of tens of cameras trying to get a picture of her and reporters trying to surround her, asking mundane questions. Thankfully, the security staff pushed them aside allowing her to enter the party venue. As she made her way inside, she was welcomed personally by the host of this party and escorted inside.

'What a boring evening.' thought Eden as she stepped through the main doors, unaware of the fact that this evening was going to turn out anything but that.

To be continued….

Hello everyone, welcome back to 'A Warriors Destiny'.

So, it seems that some of you are not happy with how Kevin is portrayed in this story as a man seeking revenge against Honkai. That is fine with me, as not everyone agrees with everyone. I know that the story of Honkai is based on the concept of love, hope and kindness. However, this is exactly why I have characterized Kevin like this in the story. This is not just a story of him fighting against the Honkai, but also of his growth from a person who started to fight just for the sake of revenge to a person who fights for something bigger than himself.

On the other note, many of the things in this story such as people in the previous era having last names are done deliberately to show the point that this is not the original universe of Hi3, but an AU. Also, I'm going to address people having the same name and face in the previous and current era and some other plot holes left unexplained by Hoyoverse in the game.

As for the romance, as you can see that Kevin currently is focused on the Honkai to consider the fact that people even care for him. However, with this chapter, you can see that Elysia has started to make dents in his heart in that aspect, and she would've been successful if not for the tragedies starting from the sixth eruption. So, a proper romance can only happen in the current era after all the major plot points conclude.

As for his harem, it's still under construction as I'm not sure how many of the women he can share meaningful relationships with. So, let us go ahead with the story and see how many of them he ends up with.

So I apologize for this long rant of an A/N. However, I felt like it is necessary to answer some of the questions that had been bugging some of you for quite a while now. And as for what Kevin's Honkai beast is for his MANTIS surgery, I'm sure some of you can imagine it. Now for his weapons, let's just say the 7th divine key is going to be a lot more special in this story.

Anyway with these things out of the way, we are nearing the end of the Cocoon arc within the next two or three chapters. I know that there are still many unanswered questions, but I will try to the best of my ability to answer them all. So I hope you guys will be looking forward to the end of this arc like I am.

As always if you like the story please leave a follow, favourite, and/or review.

Thank you for reading, until next time.