Fear

The unexpected incident before the Honkai, Huang Hao, busy all day, finally returned. As soon as he got back, he saw Angela playing her own game.

"What is Angela playing?" Huang Hao leaned his head over, intending to get a good look.

Angela replied without turning her head, "I'm playing my prototype."

"Oh, don't dwell on the past anymore. You're not her. By the way, how's the game going?" Huang Hao thought Angela was still upset about something from before and apologized without thinking.

But Angela looked at him with only sympathy, which was why she said that. She wasn't dwelling on the past. After explaining her thoughts to Huang Hao in detail, he finally understood.

After listening to Angela's thoughts, Huang Hao knew he had misunderstood. However, he just smiled it off. After a busy day, he went straight to bed, planning to sleep.

As soon as he lay down, Angela suddenly ran over, holding a USB drive in her hand, and said, "Oh right, there are a few more games later. One is called the Library. Father, your memory doesn't have the plot, but you know some of the code, so I..."

Before Angela could finish speaking, Huang Hao sat up abruptly and knocked the USB drive out of her hand.

Angela was startled, then looked at Huang Hao in confusion, not understanding why he did that.

Huang Hao realized he had overreacted and quickly apologized to Angela, "I'm sorry, An'er. Actually, I've heard some rumors. It's fine to just play the first one, but let's forget about the rest."

Hearing what Huang Hao said, Angela, drawing from her memories, already understood his thoughts. She slowly said, "Father, actually, you're scared, aren't you?"

"...I don't know."

Angela continued, "You know my future isn't very good. You said so before, so you don't dare to face it."

Huang Hao was exposed by Angela's words and didn't know what to say. Every time he tried to speak, he just closed his mouth.

However, Angela eventually changed her tone, "But if Father says so, then I won't play it."

Angela returned to her room and quietly burned the USB drive on the ground.

Huang Hao heard what Angela said, his heart struggling as he thought about why he was like this. What was he afraid of?

After thinking for a long time with no results, he simply got back into bed and went to sleep, no longer thinking about it. Huang Hao lay on the bed, tossing and turning for a long time before falling asleep.

When Huang Hao opened his eyes again, he found himself in some space. However, unlike before, this space was not black.

Black lines appeared on Huang Hao's face, and he said speechlessly, "Okay, it's another consciousness space. But it's quite kind to come specifically while I'm sleeping."

As Huang Hao spoke, someone walked out and said abruptly, "That's what I thought too."

"Holy crap, a ghost!" Huang Hao was so startled that he instinctively dodged backward, assuming a fighting stance.

However, the person had a very innocent expression and said, "Is it that serious? Do you know how much effort I put in to contact you?"

Huang Hao calmed down and looked closely at the other person. The voice, the ability.

"Su."

That's right, the person who came was Su, and only he had such an ability (at least, that's all Huang Hao knew).

Su: "You finally remember me. Do you still remember..."

Huang Hao interrupted him directly: "Let's skip the pleasantries. What do you want?"

Su first smiled and shook his head, saying, "After all these years, your habit of interrupting people hasn't changed."

Huang Hao: "Do you want some lemonade?"

Su: "I just came to remind you of one thing."

Huang Hao: "Scram, I don't want riddles."

With that, he began to gather his strength, intending to forcefully break out.

Seeing this, Su quickly said, "No, no. Do you know how difficult it is to find your space?"

Huang Hao said impatiently, "Just say what you have to say quickly. I'm getting numb from coming here all the time."

"What are you worried about?"

Su's opening words immediately put Huang Hao on alert. The power he had gathered slowly dispersed.

"You're not the first person to say that to me, and I don't have an answer."

"Are you afraid of not matching your own prophecy?"

Su's words were again astonishing, each sentence striking at the deepest part of Huang Hao's thoughts.

"You're afraid of the unknown, afraid that your actions will no longer be under your control," Su continued.

Huang Hao: "This is for the future I want."

"But you are destroying the future."

Su: "You're always in such a hurry. Because you've seen it. You act lazy on the surface, but you're extremely anxious inside. I don't have predictions like you and Aponia, but I can see."

Huang Hao: "But your eyes haven't even opened."

Su: "...It's a metaphor."

Huang Hao nodded, confirming Su's deduction, but his tone shifted, "But what can I do? This is the first time, and it will be the last."

Su: "But everyone is like you the first time."

"But I'm not seeing it for the first time."

Huang Hao retorted: "I'm afraid of sacrifice. I'm afraid I can't solve everything. I used to think I could save everyone, and deliberately killed one person (Himiko). The Honkai told me I was wrong, but I can't undo it anymore."

Su: "Then what are you afraid of?"

Huang Hao replied with a wry smile, "I don't know either."

Su: "You don't know why you're still afraid."

Huang Hao: "It's precisely because I don't know that I'm afraid."

Seeing how engrossed Huang Hao was, Su shook his head and turned to leave. Before he did, he said, "Actually, everyone is afraid, but the meaning of fear is different. As for you, you just need to let it go."

As Su finished speaking, the space dissipated. Huang Hao's eyes snapped open; it was already morning.

Huang Hao lay on his bed in a daze, voicing his greatest confusion this time.

"I didn't hide my address either? Why didn't he look for me in reality first? I've been to Kevin's place too. Why didn't he discuss it with me?"