[Nothingness]'s curtain call

Zhen Xin stood there in the Void, stunned.

"You mean... the Hope's Flame is Mingyu's true Lord of Grace!?"

Cheng Shi nodded, filled with emotion, and said:

"After learning that the Hope's Flame would become a Vessel for [Destiny] after its death, I began to re-examine its identity. When I also learned that [Destiny] had already perished at the Dawn of the Era, and that the [Destiny] of this era was nothing more than a performance of [Deception], I finally connected all my speculations."

Actually, I didn't find any direct evidence to prove that the Hope's Flame was the fallen [Destiny]. I just... reviewed the whole thing from the perspective of [Deception].

The Nothingness bound them together, and even though their time together was short, a bond that transcended time remained between them.

[Deception] Seeing the fall of His Twin Gods, He would never just give up. Given His nature, even if [the Origin] was involved, He would still give it a try, since that's what He was doing all along.

Moreover, at that time He also had a wisp of Origin power from the prophecy of [Destiny] at His side.

So if you were [Deception], what would you do?

Without hesitation, Zhen Xin said, "Resurrect Him!"

"That's right! It's about resurrecting Him."

I think [Deception] must have tried to revive [Destiny], but variables eliminated by [Origin] are not so easy to revive. So He could only use the power of [Origin] to gather everything related to [Destiny] and create what we see before us now... the Hope's Flame.

Therefore, the Hope's Flame, though clearly Deception creation, is considered Emissary Destiny.

[Deception] has entrusted a part of the Change [Destiny] to the Hope's Flame, perhaps also embodying His expectations for the Change of [Destiny].

Therefore, I think it's not that [Destiny] abandoned the unacceptable Change, but rather that [Deception] deliberately left behind the Change of [Destiny]. It hoped that its Twin Gods would no longer uphold the so-called Predestination. However, its Twin Gods could not be reborn, and the world, as [Destiny] 'wished,' gradually moved towards the Predestination.

Predestination is ultimately irreversible.

Ah, sometimes I even wonder if the prophecy of [Destiny] foresaw the future of the world, or even the only path to that future. That's why He chose to 'embrace' [the Origin] at the Dawn of the Era, allowing His own Twin Gods to push the world towards its 'end,' otherwise..."

Seeing Zhen Xin's eyes widen and her pupils shrink, Cheng Shi shook his head and said, "Forget it, there's no point in thinking about this."

These kinds of jumbled thoughts have been flooding my mind lately, keeping me An Ning.

No one knows when this era will end, but a sense of urgency propels me forward, which can also make me overlook some issues.

Thank you, Zhen Xin, and thank you all. I know you're all working hard to share my burden, but...

"No buts."

Zhen Xin suppressed her shock and smiled, "Even gods are not free from their own power, let alone you, Mortals."

Cheng Shi, everyone is doing these things not just for you, but also for the world and for themselves. We're not asking for any reward, but please don't easily dismiss us...

Cheng Shi shook his head with a wry smile, "I'm not denying it, I'm very grateful..."

I know, but your formality feels like a denial.

The Cosmos is one; you have already held up the entire sky, so let us help out with the remaining cracks.

In Zhen Yi's words, "When you're alive, you have to do something that everyone knows about, right?"

"...?"

The conversation was initially quite serious and normal, but as soon as Zhen Yi was mentioned, Cheng Shi instantly snapped out of it.

So that's why Zhen Yi became the unluckiest person in the Cosmos?

She both made the world aware of her sister's existence and did some unpleasant things that will be remembered by the world?

"..."

Cheng Shi shook his head and chuckled, then said with a cryptic tone, "But what if the world doesn't know?"

Zhen Xin was taken aback, then a resolute glint flashed in her eyes. "Then I'll disregard what the world thinks, and just be true to my friends and myself."

"What if you no longer exist?" Cheng Shi looked up and asked.

A bright smile suddenly bloomed on Zhen Xin's face, and she said with great longing:

"Then... you're free, aren't you?"

"Relief."

Cheng Shi savored those two words, a smile gradually spreading across his face. "Yes, I'm free. I will be free."

An Mingyu was indeed a reliable girl; she returned on her own before Cheng Shi could even go looking for her.

The moment Cheng Shi the Blind Man in a black dress holding the [Destiny] Vessel appear before her, the unforgettable scene of the False Curtain Call flashed through her mind again:

The Hope's Flame roared in the Void, its cold flames obscuring the Cosmos. He stood in the fire, gradually fading away.

You are not firewood, you are the flame, the light that illuminates this world.

And I, though named the Hope's Flame, am in reality merely kindling for hope.

Ignite me, take this light, and with the final Change in the world, fight for hope for yourself and for the world!

Cheng Shi no longer had the chance to rekindle the Hope's Flame, because An Mingyu had already brought back the Fire Seed of hope.

Cheng Shi was somewhat numb; he began to lose his expression.

His gaze swept past the Vessel, then looked into the distance and said:

"He..."

An Mingyu held the [Destiny] Vessel to his chest, his eyes tightly closed as he stared intently at Vessel, looking just like Prophet about Destiny.

He left.

He spoke many things to me and asked me to relay some of them to you.

He said that one day, someone Deception him asked, "Will I be forgiven for what I did?"

The Hope's Flame of Hope's Flame did not respond then, but now, after a long silence, it has given me this answer:

Whatever He did, at least He protected the Passing the Flame and the Hope's Flame.

The best answer is that the Hope's Flame has been ignited in this era.

I don't understand the deeper meaning, but I understand the word "hope," so I want to ask, Fate Weaver, is there still hope for our world?

Cheng Shi's expression remained Change. He nodded and said:

Yes, there definitely is.

There's something you might not know: no matter how bumpy the road ahead, no matter how dire the current situation, the Hope's Flame will never be extinguished, because it represents the will to survive of the fewest, and is the only remaining hope in this world.

There is only one reason why He could be extinguished: the hope of our world is already great enough that it no longer needs His protection...

A silence fell over the room. No one knew if Cheng Shi was lying, nor was anyone sure if he was telling the Cheng Shi, since even his own voice wasn't that firm.

Cheng Shi wasn't concerned about whether he had conveyed the intended meaning; at that moment, he was thinking about something else:

[Nothingness]... has finally come to an end.

The era was clearly not yet over, yet the two [Nothingness] Dominion prematurely withdrew from the stage, their story completely over.

Strangely, faced with the departure of [Nothingness], Cheng Shi was not so sad. He remained silent for a moment, looked at the Blind Man, and said without joy or sorrow:

Have you seen Sun Miao?

An Mingyu shook his head:

No, but I saw someone else.

Come with me, I'll take you to see him.

Where to go? Who to see?

"Go to the depths of Memory, the place where all Memory originate."