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Verso: The 46 are nearby.
Lune: Here?
Verso: Yeah. But getting to them might be tricky.
Lune: When is it not?
The gate does not budge. According to Verso, past this door lies the trail of Expedition 46—Lune’s parents’ expedition. There is nothing around that could help open the door. Lune studies the door. Maybe she should try playing music. Lune summons her guitar. Her fingers hesitate. She closes her eyes and plays a song of longing. The door resonates to the music. With a sad smile, Lune loses herself fully in the melody. The valley dances to the sound of the strings. As the last haunting notes fade into silence, the gate opens.
Verso: Are they-
Lune: My parents? No. It’s Amélie and Christophe. They used to come by our house for dinner.
Verso: I’m sorry.
Lune: They were good people. (clears throat) Their journal must be around here.
Lune: …
Verso: You ok?
Lune: Let’s head back to camp.
As they arrive at camp, Verso sees that Lune has a lot on her mind. He invites her to talk, away from the others.
Lune: …
Verso: …
Lune: All my life, everything we did was about the Paintress. It was a constant hum in the background. This worry, this responsibility, just… always there. Always… Always. Always. There was no relief. Never. Even when I sleep—It’s still there. Like a breath I can never release.
Verso: That’s a lot of pressure.
Lune: Even her last words were still—“Finish our work.”
Verso: It also shows how much faith she had in you.
Lune: That’s one way to look at it.
Verso: And the other way?
Lune: My only value to them. Not as a daughter, but as a backup plan. For their legacy.
Verso: You really believe that?
Lune: They always said, at the end of the game, there are no points for effort. Only results.
Verso: If you hate it so much, why continue their work at all?
Lune: I don’t know. Maybe because I still hear their voices in my head? And running away won’t silence them.
Verso: They’re dead. The voices aren’t theirs. They’re yours. Even if they were alive, the voices in your head, the voices you listen to, have to be your own.
Lune: … Is that how it works for you?
Verso: Getting there. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell.
Lune: Yeah.
They share a commiserating smile. They understand each other. Lune impulsively kisses Verso on the cheek. Caught off-guard, Verso smiles at her, a question in his eyes. Laughing, they return to the others.