"Uh..."
Just as Yun You and the others were enjoying their cold drinks and barbecue, Aurora suddenly woke up beside them.
She must have been awoken by the sll, after all, her dirty mouth still had a strand of saliva hanging... she seed quite hungry.
However, her current state was indeed strange. Her usually rosy skin turned paler under the cold wind, resembling a piece of marble plastic.
If Yun You hadn't casually squeezed her a few tis, confirming that Aurora was still as soft as before, she might have truly believed that the girl in front of her wasn't human, but a statue.
Aurora's eyes had also lost their color, the usual golden light replaced by a bluish glow, emitting an extrely rational... almost "chanical" aura.
She no longer cried or babbled, but she also hadn't fully regained her senses, becoming as vivacious as the notes she used to leave. Instead, she sat quietly with her head bowed.
"..."
Seeing this, Yun You frowned slightly, feeling a bit worried.
Ever since she'd seen Aurora again, she'd felt that the girl's mind must have been severely affected by the blue double-headed bird.
Otherwise, Aurora Miles's key traits were logic, kindness, and sociability.
And now, it was hard to say if kindness and sociability still existed.
As for logic... that was also uncertain.
"What's wrong with her? Has her mory been altered like the villagers, or has she lost certain emotions?"
Yun You couldn't figure it out, and she couldn't forget the nursery rhy Aurora sang before.
[Four little soldiers went fishing together...]
Though Aurora wasn't currently showing significant danger and probably wouldn't cause trouble for the group, Yun You still felt uneasy.
"You..."
She rubbed Aurora's head, wanting to ask sothing, but the latter still kept her head down, remaining silent.
"Forget it, it's pointless to ask if there are no answers."
Jack shook his head beside her, signaling to Yun You not to press further.
"Big Miles is probably dood, this girl's spirit might have issues."
He lowered his voice, explaining out of Aurora's earshot, "There are many strange occurrences in the Death Domain, ntal issues are quite normal."
"The girl has just lost her father. Her mood is probably at its worst. Let her calm down on her own."
Saying this, he turned and picked up a freshly grilled at skewer, handing it to Aurora.
"Have sothing to eat, girl. You shouldn't starve yourself."
"..."
Aurora still didn't respond verbally, but her hands obediently took the skewer and began eating it in large bites.
"It truly seems to be due to Big Miles."
Yun You sighed, agreeing with Jack's conjecture.
Although Aurora was exceptionally intelligent, at heart, she was just a girl in her teens, braving dangers here solely to save her father.
In reality, before Aurora arrived in Yangshan Town, her father was most likely already deceased, with a fate leaving no remains.
The girl was bound to futilely expend her efforts, and Yun You believed that with Aurora's intelligence, she should have realized this.
She simply didn't want to face it, clinging to hope against hope.
But the incident at Yangshan Town completely shattered her few remaining hopes, plunging her into utter despair.
Considering she didn't break down on the spot was already quite comndable.
Yun You felt it was inappropriate to ask anything more now.
"Better let her process it on her own."
Yun You shook her head and decided not to worry about it further.
"Speaking of which, we haven't really seen what Jack's sister looks like."
The little girl mumbled while munching on a hot corn cob, "Do you have a photo? I'd like to see Soya's sister."
"Yes!"
Jack nodded without hesitation upon hearing this request. He then carefully wiped his hands with a wet tissue to ensure they were completely oil-free before taking out a photo from his pocket.
"Have a look, this is our girl!"
Jack handed over the photo proudly, his smug expression making Frost Moon nearby involuntarily turn away and mutter...
"That silly Jack, forever showing off his sister."
"Of course!"
Jack replied unabashedly, "Our girl is so good, so pretty, shouldn't everybody know?"
Yun You smiled but didn't chi in.
To show respect, she also put down her food, cleaned her hands thoroughly, and then took the photo to look at it.
In the photo was a girl wearing a hospital gown, sitting on a white hospital bed, her face turned toward Jack, back facing the vibrant sunlight outside the window, with a sweet smile.
She was beautiful, with long red hair cascading over her shoulders, eyes a soft gold... though not much older than Yun You, she was smaller in stature due to long-term illness, and her body looked frail...
Yet her doll-like delicate features and pale skin masked her sickly condition, giving her an ethereal, wilting flower-like beauty that invoked pity.
Moreover, Jack's photography skills were impressive; he captured the mont the setting sun bathed her in light, cloaking her in a golden, gem-like veil.
The only downside was the bluish "Antibacterial Field" always surrounding the red-haired girl in the sterile room.
It was like a worn-out plastic sheet covering the bed, marring the overall aesthetic of the photo.
Despite this, Yun You still found the girl, "Soya Carlos," very pretty and possessing the potential to beco a big star.
Um... actually, one shouldn't compare tech-enhanced, chemically-altered figures to Soya, who was without such modifications.
Neither in ideals nor appearance were they a match.
Now, Yun You understood why Jack was so proud when introducing his sister.
If she had such an adorable and sensible sister, no matter how hard or tiring life was, just thinking of her sister's smiling face would make her happy.
"She's indeed a good girl."
Yun You returned the photo with a smile.
"If you don't mind, please let et her next ti. I might get along well with her."
"Perhaps I'll even adopt a foster sister, that way I can also claim to have a sister, hehe."
"..."
For so reason, after hearing this seemingly jocular request, Jack suddenly went silent.
After a while, he nodded and put the photo away.
"Hmm..."
Jack said no more on the topic afterward.
"Speaking of which, so far we haven't seen what you really look like, Chica."
The rcenary resud eating their skewer, smiling, "Who is hiding under that mask?"
"Both Frost Moon and I are quite curious."
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