"You... you're okay, right?"
Firefly found a tissue and handed it to Caelus, signaling that he could pass it to the Hound Family Line member. Caelus waited until the man had finished crying before handing it over.
"Thank you. I've kept this buried in my heart for so long. Being able to cry freely now has made me feel much better. Go ahead and visit the construction site if you want. Just don't mention that you saw me."
The Hound Family Line member wiped away his tears as he spoke. Caelus seemed to understand that Clockwork Trick was not merely for pranks—it could release the emotions buried within people's hearts. It did not create emotions; it merely drew out what had been hidden away. How many adults had hearts without tears in them?
With no Hound Family Line member blocking their way, Caelus and Firefly smoothly entered the construction area. Along the way, they saw Dream Weavers building bridges and roads, owls that could magically piece two sections of ground together, and passages hidden within puzzles. These were experiences one could never have in the city, and Firefly had brought all of them to Caelus.
"This is untamed land that tourists never set foot in, so it isn't as lively as the city center... but I really like this quiet atmosphere."
Firefly explained why she liked this place as they walked. Caelus also felt that compared to the noisy city, this place was better suited for dates and heart-to-heart talks. After all, when spending time with a girl, you always had to do something. What girl would be thick-skinned enough in public?
After following Firefly for around half an hour, Caelus arrived at the highest point in the dreamscape, the place closest to the sky. Before him was a rooftop platform that had only recently been completed. Looking ahead, buildings of varying heights filled the view, yet all of them lay beneath his gaze. Nothing obstructed his sight, and he could even see the golden sun in the distance.
"The background music changed."
As soon as Caelus reached the secret base, he spoke up. The music that had previously surrounded him had suddenly changed, and he could still tell.
"Have you heard this song, 'If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking'?" Firefly asked.
"No, but March seems to like it."
Caelus shook his head. He was not interested in music, and just as he was about to say so, a familiar singing voice rang out.
"That's Robin's voice. She sings really well."
Listening to the music by his ear, Caelus wore a delighted expression. Even if Robin's voice turned to ashes—no, that sounded unlucky. Rather, her singing made it difficult for him to distinguish dream from reality, though this really was a dream.
"The Grand Gala is approaching, so her music occasionally plays in the dreamscape."
"This counts as official advertising, doesn't it? After all, she's part of the Family."
Caelus quickly switched from listening mode to mockery mode. The Family's motives were impure. They played songs by their Harmony Family every day to brainwash people. After enough washing, wouldn't people want to cooperate with the Family? This was a subtle kind of influence. Luckily, Caelus's heart remained steadfast. He had said he liked Robin, so he definitely would not become interested in the Family.
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Entropy Syndrome
"This is the place closest to the sky in dreams, far from the city's clamor and without the quarrels of Dream Weavers. No one can disturb you here. You can feel the present—the scenery, the people, and the dream..."
Firefly raised her head and looked toward the distant sunlight. The rays scattered here bathed her in golden light. The sunshine was warm but not dazzling, as though one could gaze at it forever.
Caelus did not respond. He looked into the distance with Firefly. This place truly was quiet beyond belief, like a fairy-tale world. The only third party was Robin's voice, singing gentle songs by their ears and giving the scene a different kind of charm. No wonder Firefly had made this her secret base. A place like this would be difficult to find in the entire universe.
"How beautiful... Time forever stands still in this Moment of Gold, a golden dream. Fools from the tavern and memokeepers from the Garden, wandering rangers and Company envoys, Nameless of the Star Rail Express... and me."
Firefly gazed softly ahead. When she mentioned the Nameless, she gave Caelus a meaningful look. As an expert in romance, how could Caelus fail to understand Firefly's thoughts? Even if this was a misunderstanding, he still boldly reached out and took her left hand.
Firefly seemed somewhat flustered at that moment, but she only moved her fingers slightly and showed no intention of pulling away. Just like that, her hand remained in Caelus's grasp.
"...I'm sorry, Caelus. I really am a stowaway."
Firefly was actually very afraid that Caelus would leave her after learning the truth. She apologized because she had lied to him before, claiming she was a local. Caelus had trusted her so much—this practically felt like a crime.
"You don't need to apologize. Everyone has their own reasons. When you said you were a local, I didn't believe you either. What local could possibly be this pretty?"
Caelus shook his head. Firefly did not know how to respond for a moment, but after being praised for her beauty, a happy smile still appeared on her face.
"Hehe, you're awful. I'm being serious."
"My homeland was destroyed a long time ago. Maybe the Legion did it, or maybe the Swarm... I'm an interstellar refugee, just like many of Penacony's locals."
"Harmony embraces everyone, including wanderers who have traveled from afar. The Family accepts them, but they... ultimately do not belong here."
"In this glittering metropolis, some people dream of Penacony, while others' dreams... are no different from reality, even though every ordinary person who comes here initially holds the same purpose."
"I'm the same. In reality, I have a wish I cannot attain. It is simply too strong, so I turned to dreams..."
Firefly used many words to describe how she felt. Caelus felt that she must have experienced too much to have such deep feelings. Other people might come to the dreamscape merely to enjoy a vacation, but Firefly had come to fulfill a wish.
"What kind of wish?"
Caelus asked. He was considered rather capable now, so fulfilling some ordinary wishes would not be a problem. He wondered if he could help Firefly at this time.
"Entropy Syndrome. Have you heard of it?" Firefly asked.
Caelus shook his head, indicating that he had never heard of such a strange illness. Then again, he had never heard of most illnesses. He was not a doctor, and the only condition he knew anything about was being Mara-struck.
"It's a strange phenomenon. Those afflicted with it suffer irreversible, chronic dissociation of their physical structure. It means you slowly disappear, and this disappearance is difficult for others to even notice."
Firefly described her condition in a sorrowful tone. Caelus's eyes filled with pity. He had never heard of the disease, but judging from Firefly's appearance, he knew she must be suffering terribly. Like many terminally ill patients, her mind was clear, but she could only watch herself die.
"You can still run, jump, and communicate with others. Everything looks perfectly normal, except you're always just a little slower than everyone else."
"Then you become slower and slower, until the outlines of yourself and the entire world turn blurry. You can no longer distinguish reality from dreams, because both become equally fragmented."
"So how could I refuse it... Can you imagine it? In this dream, I can actually... I don't have to stay inside a cold medical pod."
"I can put the doctors' words behind me and use my own body to listen, to see, to touch, to think, and to understand as I please. Even if this world is not real, these feelings are unimaginably precious... just like this very moment."
Firefly looked at Caelus with eyes full of emotion. Yes, that was the color of being moved. She loved this dreamscape so much, because here she could be with Caelus in her own body—go shopping, run around, and even hold hands, something she had never dared dream of. Caelus tightened his grip on her hand.
"Have you asked anyone from the Genius Society to take a look?" Caelus asked.
"Are they doctors?"
Firefly shook her head and asked in confusion. She was truly unfamiliar with the people of the Genius Society. She only knew that the silver-haired girl in the group turned into an online troll every day and would immediately ask whether they were healthy whenever they disagreed.
"They aren't doctors, but they're better than doctors. They can even alter the structure of life."
Caelus thought for a moment. With all of Herta's knowledge, did anyone think reversing aging was her limit? Of course not. She had merely found that old age left her without enough energy, so she wanted a younger body and developed technology that could restore youth. It could be said that was merely a byproduct of her path as a genius. The abilities of those geniuses were not something an ordinary person could comprehend.
"How could an interstellar refugee like me ever meet beings like them?"
Firefly still shook her head. Although the organization she belonged to was also powerful, its reputation was not very good. No genius would be willing to help, and besides, they could not offer the compensation a genius would want.
"It's fine, Firefly. My grandmother is Herta from the Genius Society. I'll ask her to help. She knows plenty of other geniuses too. Maybe one of them can treat you."
Caelus knew Firefly was in trouble, but hadn't he appeared here precisely to find a way to solve her problems? It did not matter if she could not pay the price. He could let his grandmother pay it. After all, she only had one eldest grandson. Wouldn't everything she left behind after dying be his anyway?
I'll Give You My Whole Life
"Th-this isn't a good idea, Caelus. If you ask those geniuses for help because of an ordinary person like me, how big of a favor will you owe? Someone like me..."
Firefly had never expected to find hope for treatment through Caelus, but his words were indeed tempting. If Entropy Syndrome entered the scope of genius research, there might be results in days or months. There was no treatment now only because those geniuses had no interest in playing doctor.
"Of course there's a price. If you feel bad about it, then give me your whole life."
Caelus changed his grip on Firefly's hand, clasping it tightly with both hands. He lifted her hand to his chest and looked at her with utmost seriousness.
"Y-you, I... but..."
Firefly's face instantly flushed red. Words no different from a confession were far too devastating for her, and this was not even dating—it was directly taking responsibility for an entire lifetime, a promise even more important than marriage.
"You may not know what kind of person I am. As long as a pretty girl needs me, I'm willing to save the world for her. I've done that before too. You're so pretty and cute—you're exactly my type."
Caelus spoke his true feelings. Firefly's appearance was exactly the kind that could catch his eye at first glance. Don't be fooled by how he had been planning to pursue Robin before; that was because distance made the heart grow fonder, not because Firefly was not beautiful. If Firefly became his wife, Caelus would wake up laughing from his dreams. Though he really was dreaming right now.
"Cute and all... I'm not mentally prepared for this yet."
Firefly shook her head with a blush. Although she had indeed received certain hints telling her to get in touch with Caelus and see how things went, with her body in this state, how could she have the strength to stay by his side?
"If you wait until you're mentally prepared, it'll be too late. Saving you comes first."
Caelus pressed forward step by step. His words were not unreasonable. With Entropy Syndrome, Firefly might be gone any day now. If he kept thinking about it and she suddenly vanished, that would be a tragedy.
"Don't give so much for a girl you've just met. What if I'm only trying to deceive you and gain your sympathy? You know anything in the dreamscape might be fake."
Firefly raised her free hand and tapped Caelus on the shoulder. She was a little angry now, because Caelus's personality made him too easy to deceive. If the person before him had not been her but that fake Sampo, what would he have done?
"I've been deceived by women before, but you might also be someone who truly needs help. There are so many bad people in the universe. If I became timid and hesitant just because of suspicion, how could I do anything in the future?"
Caelus spoke his thoughts. His pure heart was what allowed him to win over so many wives. Sincerity was a killing move. It was indeed easy for bad women to take advantage of, but it also brought rewards. Caelus believed there were still more good women than bad women in the world, so he was willing to trust Firefly.
Caelus's actions were certainly foolish, making him look like the silly son of a rich landlord, but Firefly was deeply moved. She was not a bad person, and that was why she felt that despite hiding so many things, Caelus was still so frank in showing her everything. What was there left to criticize about someone like him? Her heartbeat suddenly accelerated. Firefly understood that this was the feeling of falling for someone.
"I'm sorry. For certain reasons, there are some things... I still can't tell you completely."
Firefly raised her hand and wiped the corner of her eye. She had truly cried from being moved just now. When she thought of how Caelus was so good to everyone, yet bad women still deceived him, she found him truly pitiful.
"I've hidden things from you, and I'm sorry for your sincere feelings toward me. So please wait a little longer. Once Penacony's affairs are over, I'll give you an answer."
Firefly did not choose to run away. Right now, the conditions between her and Caelus were unequal. She knew everything about him, while he knew nothing of her true circumstances. Therefore, she could only ask him to wait.
"Mm, then it's a promise."
Caelus held out his pinky toward Firefly. Seeing such a childish promise, Firefly accepted it happily. Their pinkies curled around each other and gently swayed up and down, restoring Firefly's usual smile. Even without Clockwork Trick, one could tell that she was delighted.
"The Clock Keeper's legacy is what I seek, but we do not necessarily have to part ways and become enemies. I don't want that to happen."
Firefly solemnly revealed her goal to Caelus. Caelus tried hard to recall it. It seemed Himeko and Uncle Yang had mentioned this matter, but what did it have to do with him? He had no interest in treasure. How could he possibly oppose Firefly over it?
"I dreamed of a scorched earth, of a fresh sprout breaking through the soil. It bloomed toward the morning sun and whispered to me."
Firefly suddenly began reciting words like poetry. Caelus knew this question. She was definitely saying that he was the fresh sprout she had seen. There was no doubt about it.
"Do you remember the question on the invitation? Why does life choose to slumber?"
Firefly asked absentmindedly. Caelus immediately broke into a cold sweat. What invitation question? He did not know! From beginning to end, he had only planned to come here for a vacation. When had he ever read any invitation? That was adult business. What did it have to do with a child like him?
But seeing Firefly's distant, contemplative expression, Caelus nodded wisely, pretending that he already knew the answer. As expected, Firefly gave him another smile of mutual understanding.
"Look, in this land of dreams, everything is allowed, and anything is possible. An unbearable past fades away like bubbles, while the tomorrow we refuse to face never arrives."
"Because we are afraid of waking from the dream."
Firefly gave the answer herself. Caelus nodded again. After receiving his approval, Firefly felt much more at ease and took the initiative to tug at his hand.
"Sorry, the mood suddenly became so heavy. What should we do to lighten it?"
Firefly still felt that the atmosphere when she and Caelus had been shopping was better. Blushing, she scratched her cheek and changed the subject.
"Let's take pictures. How about a photo together? We're already at the stage where we've filmed together."
"That sounds so weird."
Firefly said helplessly. Caelus was good in every way, except he sometimes said things that left people not knowing how to respond. Still, having flaws was normal. If Caelus were flawless, she would truly be afraid.
Caelus took out his phone, raised it high with one arm, then took advantage of Firefly's inattention to wrap his other arm around her shoulders and pull her firmly into his embrace. Firefly shyly pushed him once, but she did not have much strength.
"Look at the camera."
Caelus gave her a prompt. Firefly immediately looked at the camera with a smile and raised a hand in a V sign. Caelus pressed the shutter, taking a photo of himself and Firefly. Combined with the golden sunlight behind them, the scene looked like a golden dream.
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Making Good Use of Resources
After taking the photo, Caelus directly opened WeChat, then opened the Star Rail Express Family group chat and sent the picture.
Ice Girl: Who's this?
Galaxy Youth: My new girlfriend. Her name is Firefly.
Ice Girl: It hasn't even been that long, and you've ruined another one? You scum of humanity! Everyone, get out here and curse him.
Himeko: Young people really do know how to let loose, even in dreams. (smile)
Yang: ...(wry smile)
Dan Heng: I'm used to it.
Pom-Pom: So can dream-world specialties be brought out?
"Firefly, let's add each other as friends. We can still contact each other by phone after we leave."
Caelus waved his phone at Firefly beside him. Naturally, she had no objections. She took out her own phone and added Caelus as a friend. Now they had a way to stay in touch.
"Ah, I probably shouldn't take up all your time. You have things you want to do, right?"
After putting away her phone, Firefly spoke to Caelus. She was already very happy that he had accompanied her here. Seeing him take out his phone to talk with his companions, she remembered that he had other people to spend time with too.
"I do. What will you do after we part ways?" Caelus asked.
"Of course I'll go perform and earn some money. I came here as a stowaway, so how could I have any Credits?"
Firefly smiled. At this time, she did not have anything in particular she needed to do. She had come to the dreamscape simply to wander around and have fun, so naturally she would go wherever it was lively.
"Hehe, then I'll definitely come watch when you perform."
"Forget it. I have no talent, and I'm afraid I'll embarrass myself."
Firefly politely declined Caelus's request. He did not mind. Instead, he held Firefly's hands in both of his, lifted them slightly, then lowered his head and kissed the back of her right hand.
Firefly blushed a little, but thinking that it was merely a hand-kiss greeting, she accepted it and looked tenderly at the man before her.
"You have to live well."
Before you continue