Chapter 368: Heartbreaking, yet so beautiful...

Chapter 368: Heartbreaking, yet so beautiful...

Chapter 368: Heartbreaking, yet so beautiful...

When Vanessa woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room.

Her first reaction was pure confusion.

As she sat up in bed, she instinctively pressed her hand to her forehead, frowning. “Ugh, my head hurts. What happened?”

As that thought crossed her mind, her memories slowly started to come back.

“I remember... there was fog... and someone with red eyes?”

In that instant, a chill ran down Vanessa’s spine.

Oh no, this time she might’ve really been kidnapped!

But then, something struck her as odd.

In her mind, if someone successfully kidnapped you, wouldn’t they tie you up and throw you in a dark room for a few days?

This kidnapper didn’t even bother to restrict her movements?

Wow, that’s bold.

As she thought about it, she climbed out of bed and noticed a pair of soft slippers by the side. She slipped them on and walked out of the room.

And that’s when she realized—this kidnapper must be seriously loaded.

Once the daughter of a wealthy family herself, Vanessa could tell at a glance that this was a penthouse duplex. From the window, she could even see the Sky Tree. The price of a place in this area? Yeah, that was way beyond anything she could comprehend right now.

Then, she noticed another room nearby, its door slightly ajar with light spilling out.

Vanessa swallowed nervously, her guard up, and quietly crept toward it.

Just as she reached the doorway, she heard a familiar tune—one she knew all too well.

“Eyes full of sorrow, trembling endlessly...”

“I’m all alone in this world...”

“In the ever-fading spring...”

“Every year, I only feel the cold...”

Vanessa’s eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat.

It was Shadows of Spring.

But something was off. While she recognized the voice, the instruments weren’t right. This wasn’t Shadows of Spring by VibraMyst.

Wait a second...

Before she could fully process it, her hand had already pushed the door open.

Inside was a bedroom, and sitting at a computer desk, completely absorbed in what he was watching, was Ethan.

Wait, had she mistaken him for a kidnapper again?

Vanessa, now held by the shoulders, stared at Ethan with a complicated expression. I’ve been calm this whole time. You’re the one freaking out, okay!?

Seeing that Vanessa seemed to have cooled off a bit, Ethan finally let go of her shoulders. He scratched his head in frustration and tried to reason with her. “I really think you shouldn’t watch this. You won’t want to know what it is.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Vanessa’s gaze was unwavering, filled with determination.

Since Ethan didn’t have a memory-wiping device on hand, he eventually gave up. He sighed and looked at her. “Honestly, it’s not a big deal if I tell you. But are you really ready to know the truth?”

Seeing him relent, Vanessa’s stance softened a little. She nodded firmly.

“I’m ready.”

“If that’s the case, then go ahead. This is the truth you wanted.”

Ethan clicked the mouse, and the video resumed from where it had paused.

“Even knowing hope is futile...”

“I still keep searching for redemption...”

“Heartbreaking, yet so beautiful...”

“Maybe now, I finally understand...”

As Vanessa watched what seemed to be a recording of a performance, her eyes locked onto the stage where Elise was singing. In that moment, her heart clenched painfully.

As the song continued, the camera angle shifted, and Vanessa spotted someone familiar in the audience.

Wait, was that Kylie?

But what she saw next was what truly left her at a loss.

Vanessa saw a figure from behind, standing next to Kylie. It was her own silhouette.

In that instant, she felt like she was spiraling into confusion. A whirlwind of emotions tangled inside her, making her chest tighten with pain.

She couldn’t understand—if she had been at this performance, why didn’t she remember any of it?

But more than that, the fact that the band on stage wasn’t VibraMyst, and that they were performing Shadows of Spring without all five original members, hit her even harder. Her fingers twisted together, trembling.

She couldn’t help but think back to the time that had once been the happiest, most beautiful part of her life.

The people on stage were shining, but she could no longer stand there with them.

Just like the hand she saw herself reaching out and then pulling back on the screen, it was a past she could never return to.

The weak version of herself seemed to come alive again in that moment.

Vanessa watched as the version of herself on screen ran out of The Pulse concert hall, crying. And the emotions that her on-screen self felt were exactly what she was feeling now.

Her shoulders shook, and at some point, tears had already started streaming down her face.

When the video ended, she unconsciously pulled her legs up, curling into the chair, hugging her knees, and sinking into a long, heavy silence.