The final departure time for this trip back to Europe falls right in the midst of his childhood. Lübeck wishes to revisit his childhood memories and the one who has always been by his side, Ruth. The journey they have traveled together has been arduous, from the scarcity following World War I in Germany to the subsequent World War II. The hardships they endured are still vivid in his mind, yet Ruth has always been steadfastly by his side. Such loyal companionship always makes Lübeck feel indebted to her, and he wants to help Ruth in any way he can to make up for his inner unease.
Despite being warned against it, Lübeck still wanted to visit his past self, because he could not forget the difficult times they had gone through together.
He just didn't know what kind of spatiotemporal or causal consequences there would be for disobeying orders. He was also thinking, if this world were a sandbox with a cube and a sphere inside, and the sphere came back from the future, bumped into the cube, and then left again to return to the future, then in this sandbox would be a cube with marks of being bumped and a sphere. Perhaps it was as simple as that.
Lübeck hired a carriage and returned to the suburbs of his birthplace. The felled trees, dilapidated houses, and barren land all told of the devastation wrought by war. And it was in such barrenness that he was born and raised. For a living, he left and returned to his hometown many times, traveling far and wide.
Now, having lived half a lifetime, he returned to the place where he grew up in his childhood, filled with a myriad of emotions. Lübeck didn't let the carriage drive to his doorstep; he didn't want to make it too ostentatious. Instead, he parked the carriage on the main road and got off himself, following the narrow path to search for his former home.
Across the earthen slope, I saw low-lying houses and dilapidated warehouses in the distance. After climbing over the slope, I saw what seemed to be myself, myself as a child, and Ruth. As I approached, I realized they were digging through the ground to find potatoes.
Noticing someone approaching, the two straightened up and faced each other. Little Erich didn't recognize his future self and clenched his fists warily, trying to protect Ruth. On the other hand, Ruth, who was a bit older at that time, seemed to recognize her future self and was slightly startled, with a stunned expression.
Lübeck took out a stack of Reichsmarks tied up with string that he had prepared and handed it to Ruth, saying,
"Take it with you and use it when needed,"
Ruth looked at Lübeck, as if searching for something on his face, and then reached out to take it,
Lübeck finally felt relieved in his heart, having fulfilled his wish,
At this moment, in the courtyard behind Ruth, a woman in a blue dress came out of the warehouse, carrying a farm tool to repair in the courtyard,
Lübeck immediately recognized the figure as his mother in her youth, even though he couldn't remember her face when she was young. For a moment, he wanted to run over and call her "mom" and offer her help, but he held back. He wasn't sure what unforeseen situation might arise that he couldn't handle,
After only a moment of distant gaze, two uncontrollable tears had already trickled down Lübeck's cheeks and onto the ground beneath his feet. With his blurred eyes still fixed on Ruth, Lübeck turned around, raised his hand to brush away the tears, and strode away.
When I once again arrived at the shore ready to set off, it was Holger and Paul's lifeboat waiting for me. Looking back at the distant coastline in the night, the lights gradually faded away, turning into wisps of dim yellow that snaked and disappeared into the still, dark sea surface with ripples, as if the distant past could not be retained.
Gathering the lingering thoughts of his childhood hometown, Lübeck returned to his submarine, continuing his life path as an adult who had experienced many years. Following the routine, he received the coordinates and embarked on the return journey of interstellar navigation.
This time, it was late at night when he returned home to the Sanctuary. Every time he came back, Lübeck would open his own door with a nervous feeling, because he was not sure that he would always return to the family members who were eagerly waiting for him. Although he could not detect any changes in the location, the time since his last departure varied greatly.
Gently entering one's own home and then relocking the door, the night sky's azure clouds illuminate the earth, and also shine through the small window, illuminating the interior furnishings such as tables and chairs,
Lübeck walked along the window wall to Emma's room. With the dim blue light shining through the opened door, he saw his son in the cradle and Emma on the bed, both sleeping soundly, just as they were when he left. Lübeck gently exited the room and pushed open the door to Ruth's room. A ray of light fell right on her waist, revealing her slender figure.
Lübeck lay down beside her, fully clothed, and reminisced about everything that had happened. She wondered how long this voyage had kept them waiting for her. It wasn't until she once again felt the familiar scent of Ruth, just like when she left, that Lübeck finally found inner peace. Without knowing when, she fell into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, the sky had already turned slightly light. Lübeck felt someone sitting in front of his face, blocking his view. But just based on the blurry silhouette, he realized it was Emma's hips and thighs.
He wrapped his left arm around her hips, leaned forward, and pressed his face against her thigh. Only then did he fully open his eyes and look up, catching Emma's gaze. He looked down at himself, over her chest.
"Are you in a hurry?" Lübeck asked softly,
"Fortunately,"
"How many days have I been away this time?"
"Twenty-three days,"
"Hmm," Lübeck agreed, taking Emma's hand and stroking it, feeling a sense of regret over how much time he had spent away from them.
After getting up and sending Emma back to her room to watch the child, Lübeck came to the kitchen to accompany Ruth,
"I came back to find you," he told her the news eagerly as soon as they met,
"Really? That's great," said Rose, who was also delighted. Then she asked,
"How did you find it?" After saying this, Rose looked into Lübeck's eyes and waited for his answer earnestly,
"I returned to my past home and met you, as well as my past self,"
"How old was I at that time?"
"In your teens, around thirteen or fourteen," Lübeck asked seriously,
"I left the money for you. Do you remember this?"
"No," said Rose, with a subtle smile,
Upon hearing her words, Lübeck gently embraced her and whispered in her ear,
"Even if you were given another timeline, it would be fine," he said while stroking her waist and back to soothe her emotions.
But Lübeck was pondering in his heart, did my actions create another timeline? In that timeline, did he and Ruth not take this path? Where were they then? Was he still with her?
ns216.73.217.22da2
and then Add to home screen.