"Xiao Xi, you have to live on!"
"It looks like this is the end. My life is about to come to a close, but Xiao Xi, you have to stay safe."
"Xiao Xi, you're the last hope of Moon Sky Planet, our final treasure."
"Xiao Xi, from now on, please carry on with our hopes as well and keep moving forward without wavering."
These words echoed endlessly in Xi's mind. Every one of them pierced her heart, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Tears blurred her vision, yet those familiar faces grew clearer before her eyes. They smiled and encouraged her, their eyes filled with blessings and hope.
But, but... "I'm sorry, everyone. I've tried so hard, but... but I don't think I can hold on much longer." Xi's voice trembled with boundless sorrow and guilt.
A crystalline tear slid down Xi's cheek and fell onto the cold ground, splashing into a tiny pool. Her voice quavered with the beginnings of a sob, as if she were apologizing to someone.
At last, a violent explosion swallowed Xi's consciousness. She felt a searing pain, as if her body were being torn apart, and then her awareness sank into a deep darkness.
In that darkness, she heard countless voices coming from different places and times. Some were familiar, others were strange, but all were filled with intense emotion.
"Don't give up..."
"We believe in you..."
"Hope..."
Those voices held longing, defiance, sorrow, and blessings. They were like the final cries of countless lives. In that moment, their wills and beliefs gathered together, forming a powerful force that held up Xi's tottering consciousness.
Xi felt her awareness gradually stabilizing, no longer as weak as before. This force not only halted the collapse of her consciousness, but also carried it to a loftier place. There, she felt a whole new power flowing into her, one that seemed to come from a new journey of life.
As this power flowed into her, Xi's consciousness began to revive, and her thoughts grew clear. She realized she was undergoing a transformation, one that was elevating her soul. It was all thanks to the will and faith of those countless lives. In their own way, they had protected Xi and given her the chance to be reborn.
In that moment, Xi felt as if her soul had been elevated, while everything in her past gradually drifted away. She could feel her emotions growing faint, and an awareness that transcended the mortal world rose within her. "I see. From now on, I am the Aeon of [Hope]."
However, just then, a faint spark of humanity struggled against its bonds and carved out a small space of its own. "No, wait, hold on." Though this voice was faint, it was filled with determination and defiance. "I can't forget. I don't want to forget. Moon Sky Planet, and everyone... I haven't avenged them yet."
A golden star suddenly coalesced in Xi's hand, shining with a warm, brilliant light. It drifted down into the void and instantly transformed into a human avatar. This avatar possessed all of Xi's memories from before she became an Aeon, including her longing for her home, her concern for her friends and family, and her hatred for her enemies.
"Becoming an Aeon and walking the Path will inevitably make my feelings grow faint, but there are things I absolutely must not forget."
"I am the Aeon of [Hope], so I also have the power to give myself hope. My little Xi, keep going. For you, I am you, and I will always be with you, until the day our Paths shatter."
With her final wish fulfilled, pure white wings unfurled behind Xi. Every feather glimmered with crystalline light, as though woven from the purest starlight. Her long white hair cascaded down her back, drifting gently and radiating a mysterious, timeless aura.
Xi cupped a brilliant stream of stars in her hands, as if holding the mysteries of the entire universe. Her pure golden eyes shone across the cosmos like two dazzling stars, radiating boundless light and power.
With the birth of the Path, countless beings across the universe felt a warm, powerful energy from it.
Those who had once been driven to despair and the brink of death suddenly felt the power of the Path descend upon them, and the fires of hope rekindled in their hearts. Their once-dim eyes grew resolute, as if they could see the dawn of the future.
What was hope? The light that blossomed in the depths of despair was hope, and so were the small wishes found in everyday life.
In a distant star system, a young warrior was fighting fiercely against a swarm of True Stings. He was covered in wounds, but still held his ground.
When the Path of Hope descended, he felt a new Path's power flow into his body, filling him with renewed strength. He brandished his weapon and roared, continuing to fight his enemies with all his might.
Many years later, as the Path of [Hope] spread throughout the universe and more and more organizations began to form, Xiao Xi—the human aspect of the Aeon of [Hope]—finally opened her eyes again.
"Where am I? Did I not die in that explosion? And what is this warm power inside me?" Faced with the unfamiliar scene before her, Xiao Xi murmured in confusion.
"Oh, you're awake." A calm male voice spoke. "I'm Arlan, head of security at Herta Space Station. I'm glad you're safe."
Hearing him, Xiao Xi couldn't help but stare blankly. "Herta Space Station? Isn't that the game I played before I crossed over? So, have I crossed over into the world of Star Rail?"
It seemed that she couldn't remember everything from her previous life. Her memories of Star Rail were especially hazy, as if seen through thick glass. She could barely recall most of it.
Realizing she'd been silent for too long, Xiao Xi quickly came back to her senses and thanked Arlan. "Were you the one who saved me? Thank you so much."
"Ah, no, no." Hearing her thanks, Arlan quickly waved his hands. "I don't think you could really say we saved you."
Arlan explained calmly, "It's like this: when we first found you, you were floating quietly through space. You didn't seem to be in any danger, but Station Master Asta was still a little worried, so she took it upon herself to bring you back."
"But you've been asleep ever since. All of our instruments showed that your vital signs were fine, yet you simply wouldn't wake up. We didn't know what to do, so we could only wait for you to wake up on your own."