Lucretia's observation signal vanished, and at the same instant, all data concerning Lightwind Harbor finished uploading before the reset.
Zhou Ming calmly sensed the changes unfolding within this sanctuary—he sensed the borders gradually collapsing and dissolving, the Boundless Sea breaking apart bit by bit, city-states vanishing into nothingness among the stars. He heard countless voices, and innumerable confused, terrified, despairing, or hopeful thoughts. Tens of thousands of minds spoke to him at the same moment, then fell silent at the same moment, only for the process to repeat again and again...
His own mind, meanwhile, seemed to transcend the process—the Reverse Singularity was slowly awakening. He devoted nearly all his attention to keeping the process stable and controllable, and only after an unknown length of time did he finally have the spare capacity to notice what was around him.
His eyes remained closed, yet he "saw" Alice. Miss Doll was still sitting nearby, watching him intently, seemingly unconcerned with everything happening beyond the Lost Homeland.
He also "saw" the Lost Homeland. He saw the ship floating atop a sea of clouds, like a fiercely burning, pure phantom. Most of the vessel had vanished amid that blazing fire. All that remained at its core was the helm beneath his feet and part of the stern deck's structure—and beyond those structures drifted "luminous mist," like stellar ejecta, trailing magnificent flames.
Goat Head's humming still drifted over in intermittent fragments. That astonishing spine of an ancient god floated deep within the luminous mist, still undergoing its final burning.
Zhou Ming heard footsteps.
The Gate of the Lost standing on the stern deck suddenly opened, and Lei Nuola stepped through. The Frost Queen quietly gazed over the distant sea of clouds, watching the world gradually disappear into starlight. Only after a long while did