An ending and another ending

In reality, at a Museum in Unknown Province and City.

Zhen Xin woke up, but didn't move.

She stared blankly at the mirror on the table, looking at herself in the mirror, feeling as if she were in a daze, as if she had forgotten something.

Not long after, a figure in a black gauze dress appeared in the Museum. Zhen Xin heard the sound, looked up, and was surprised to find that the figure was running towards her, lifting the hem of her dress.

Zhen Xin was a little dazed. She stood up:

"Mingyu, what's wrong... sigh?"

Before she could finish speaking, the figure rushed over and hugged her, causing her to stumble and be slammed against the wall.

Sensing her best friend's nervousness and unease, Zhen Xin's gaze softened, but her brows furrowed even more. She gently stroked An Mingyu's long hair and asked softly:

"Mingyu, you..."

An Mingyu straightened up, gripped Zhen Xin's shoulders tightly, and said with a serious expression:

"Xin Xin, I can't lose you again!"

I can't bear to lose you again!

Zhen Xin's smile froze, and she instantly became serious, asking, "What happened?"

An Mingyu shook his head, his face turning blank.

"The moment the Trials ended, I seemed to have a very strange dream. I can't remember the details, but I do remember that I couldn't find you in that dream, I couldn't find you anywhere."

I resisted and struggled, but to no avail. Fear consumed me, and then everything turned to darkness.

When I woke up, all I felt was a pounding heart. I was afraid it was some bad omen, so I ran over to check on you...

Zhen Xin blinked at her best friend, who seemed hesitant to speak, pursed her lips, and didn't point out that the other person was "lying."

Yes, An Mingyu lied, but not a deceptive one; he deliberately omitted certain details.

Before coming to find Zhen Xin, she was so terrified of the dark future in her dream that she couldn't help but "break her vow" and make a prophecy about the future.

She once made this prediction, asking whether the [Destiny] world would collapse.

At that time, [Destiny] gave her a full 17 points, and the Fated Gathering had just begun. Cheng Shi told her that those were the full points that [Annihilation] had set for its attempt to destroy the world, and that everything was over.

But today's inexplicable dream reminded her of that prophecy, so she had it repeated, and this time, [Destiny] gave her the result...

17 one-point numbers!

The world won't collapse!

This should have been a good thing, something to be happy about, but this completely opposite guidance left An Mingyu somewhat at a loss.

The world is not black and white, and so is Destiny; it's not just about good fortune and misfortune. So how can the same prophecy yield two completely opposite and such extreme answers?

An Mingyu was confused. She found herself increasingly unable to understand [Destiny]. She desperately wanted to ask the only person who understood [Destiny] about the meaning of the prophecy, but that person had not yet returned...

So she came here first.

These two best friends were both perceptive and intelligent enough that when they noticed something strange about each other, they simultaneously realized that something must have happened, and they must have missed something of Cosmos significance.

Zhen Xin frowned and immediately read out a name:

Cheng Shi.

No matter what major events have occurred in the Cosmos, this Fate Weaver, who is being watched by [Nothingness], must know something. So instead of letting your imagination run wild, you might as well ask Cheng Shi.

An Mingyu was taken aback. "He's back?"

Zhen Xin nodded and told her best friend about what they had experienced during the Special Trial.

It was a Trials that wasn't particularly exciting, but it was full of Deception. With the help of the players, the story of the Trials finally came to an end.

This ending may not satisfy everyone, but at least everyone did justice to their Finale Performance.

After listening, An Mingyu felt that the story of the Trials had a deeper meaning, but he couldn't grasp the key point for a moment, so he stopped thinking about it and nodded:

"Now that he's back, we'll probably meet our the Fated one again. I wonder how he fared in the True Universe, and how he is doing?"

Zhen Xin smiled and said:

"He's in good shape, but I think he's probably already there waiting for us before you meet up."

Mingyu, do you want to come with me? It'll save time.

An Mingyu paused, then shook his head. "Forget it, I'm not Clown, and I don't understand [Deception]. You should go quickly and ask him what he saw in the True Universe. If [Nothingness] really is our enemy, is there still any hope for this world...?"

Zhen Xin glanced at An Mingyu's hand and noticed that she was holding several Dice in her palm. She quickly looked away without saying anything, but smiled and said:

"Wait for me to come back."

As she spoke, Zhen Xin tossed out a Playing Card covered in Ritual Symbols, opened a door beside her leading to the Clown Gathering place, waved to her best friend, and stepped inside.

Seeing Zhen Xin leave, An Mingyu opened his palm, looking at the few 1s on his hand, his mind racing.

Clown Gathering.

Just as Zhen Xin had expected, when she returned to the Graveyard, Cheng Shi was already there.

The Fate Weaver stood silently before the [Death] tombstone, head bowed, face shrouded in shadow, muttering something unintelligible.

When Cheng Shi discovered that the False Finale was just a Trials, he thought of Squinty Old Zhang and his other self from Another World. He wanted to know if the exchange between the two was real.

He rushed to the Cemetery immediately, but couldn't find Old Zhang Cemetery. There was no response when he tried to contact him, and at that moment he knew that Old Zhang had really left this world.

In the end, a flaw appeared in the False Finale of the God of Merriment. No matter how arbitrarily He rewrote the script, the Trials was, after all, a story under this Starry Sky. Once the individual left this Starry Sky, he would naturally no longer be affected.

And that's how Old Zhang was truly transported to another world.

This also proves two things:

First, the False Finale actually happened. Although the timeline skips the tragedy, it is not truly "fake."

Second, Cheng Shi from the Another World might not be dead. Since everything is a script, then God of Merriment shouldn't be so ruthless as to harm another Clown.

But all of this is speculation. Cheng Shi doesn't even know how the Trials, which he has no Memory of, ended. So he came to the Jester Gathering Place.

He knew someone would come looking for him.

Sure enough, he met that person not long after.

When Cheng Shi noticed someone behind him, he said without turning his head:

"Thanks."

Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Zhen Xin rolled her eyes and tried to break the silence by mimicking Cheng Shi's tone, saying, "Verbal thanks aren't very sincere, how about something more practical?"

Cheng Shi chuckled lightly, and when he turned around, the seriousness on his face had vanished, replaced by a slightly teasing smile.

"That 'thank you' was for Squinty Old Zhang, what does it have to do with you?"

Zhen Xin stood with her arms crossed, seeing through Cheng Shi's lie, and shook her head, saying:

"Some people may have the name Cheng Shi, but they are never honest."

"It's okay, I asked for it for Squinty Old Zhang too."

"..."

Cheng Shi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

This is wonderful! This is what it feels like to be alive! This is the Clown of life!

However, since Zhen Xin's first reaction was to joke rather than to be surprised or suspicious, it means that the other party has forgotten about the various events that led to the end of the era during the Trials.

Indeed, not everyone retains their true Memory.

Cheng Shi frowned slightly, and once again earnestly said "thank you" to Zhen Xin, then solemnly said:

"Miss Magician, the next question may seem a bit absurd, but I have to ask it:"

What exactly happened during the Trials?

Please retell all the stories you know.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Xin's pupils constricted sharply. Her first thought was, "Who Cheng Shi is Cheng Shi?"

But then she realized that Cheng Shi was Cheng Shi, and the problem might very well be with her!

The bewildered emptiness and Mingyu's palpitations seemed to indicate that something significant had happened during the recently concluded Trials, yet she couldn't remember anything about it, and Cheng Shi had forgotten Memory?

No, judging from his reaction, he doesn't seem to have forgotten anything; rather, he seems to have remembered something. Could it be that he himself has lost his Memory?

But I was fully conscious throughout that Trials, so how could I have lost my memory?

Zhen Xin's expression gradually turned serious. After a moment of contemplation, she asked uncertainly:

"[Time]" or "Memory"?

Cheng Shi said in a deep voice, "Probably all of them."

"Both!?" Zhen Xin's eyes widened instantly, and she asked in disbelief, "Is that [Existence], or... [the Origin]?"

Perhaps they all are.

"Let's talk about the Trials first, Miss Magician. What I'm about to tell you is probably completely different from what you're thinking."