"Do you remember? When we fought against Ena's dream, I held you and flew into the sky."
"At the time, I didn't know whether I would wake up again, but I was happy."
"Because we could stand shoulder to shoulder again, fighting things we believed were 'wrong,' willing to risk everything for each other."
"But I still had one little selfish wish... I believed you wouldn't forget that moment, but if you ever thought back on it, I wanted it to feel a little lighter."
"Maybe there were no enemies. Maybe it was all just a prank."
"And when I held you and flew into the sky, there wasn't a terrifying Swarm above us, but... fireworks I never got to see."
Fireworks...
Ye Qiong's eyes suddenly burned.
In her heart, what that sky had lacked was not victory.
It was a fireworks display.
Fireworks she had never seen, fireworks that belonged to an ordinary girl.
But you already saw them, idiot!
The words struck his chest, dull and aching, painfully hot.
She had clearly seen them. She had hidden that display in a story and told it to him with a smile.
But she herself had never truly stood beneath that night sky.
The darkness fell silent for an instant.
Then, he heard her laugh.
As she laughed, her voice grew softer and softer.
"...Firefly?"
No answer came.
So he opened his eyes.
And saw her.
She was very close, close enough for him to count her eyelashes.
Her silver hair hung down, brushing over his cheek.
Her eyes curved, her lips lifted, and her smile was so gentle, so beautiful.
But pale blue, cracking patterns of light crawled across her face.
Like glass.
Like ice.
Tears slid from the corners of her eyes, yet her smile did not change