"So that's how it is. But you've still helped me a great deal. If I'd woken up all alone, I really wouldn't have known what to do."
"We're friends by now, aren't we? So please, let me thank you." After hearing Arlan's explanation, Xiao Xi blinked. To lighten the mood, she deliberately let a playful note creep into her voice.
"I suppose you're right. I was being a bit formal." At that, some of the stiffness left Arlan's voice. "By the way, I should take you to meet Asta, the station master. If you're thinking of staying on the Space Station, Asta will need to make arrangements for you."
"Sure. Thanks for helping me, Arlan."
Herta Space Station, Master Control Zone
There, Xiao Xi met the station master Arlan had mentioned. To be honest, she was surprised. She'd assumed the person in charge of such a huge Space Station would be quite mature, and she'd been a little nervous before arriving.
Only after meeting her did Xiao Xi realize that Asta was a pink-haired girl about her age, warm, generous, and kind.
"You're Xiao Xi, right? Arlan's told me about you. I'm so glad to see you've woken up. Do you have any plans? If you're not sure where to go yet, you can stay here for a while and work as a staff member."
After hearing about Xiao Xi's situation, Asta nodded and asked her.
As soon as she'd woken up, Xiao Xi had asked Arlan about the current situation. A long time had passed since the explosion all those years ago. The universe was vast, and for now, she needed to find somewhere to settle down.
"Thank you, Asta. I was just worrying about what to do next. I'd be happy to stay on the Space Station." Xiao Xi nodded gratefully.
"Great. Spend the next few days getting used to the place, and then I'll find you some work. Don't worry, everyone here is very friendly," Asta replied cheerfully.
After spending a few days on Herta Space Station, Xiao Xi gradually became familiar with its surroundings and its people. She began exploring this mysterious, high-tech place.
Everything here felt new and exciting to Xiao Xi. But her good fortune didn't last. One day, while she was wandering around the Space Station, a piercing alarm suddenly blared. It sounded as if there were explosions in the distance.
"What's going on?" Xiao Xi frowned, a sense of unease rising in her chest. She stopped and listened to the sounds around her.
The alarm kept ringing, filling her with tension and fear. Xiao Xi took a deep breath and silently gathered the power of her Path, preparing for whatever danger might come.
Ever since waking up, she'd felt a powerful energy of the Path within her. After spending the past few days experimenting, she'd gained a basic understanding of how to use it.
"I hope nothing bad happens..." Xiao Xi murmured, watching her surroundings warily.
Two system hours earlier, guided by the Stellaron Hunters, the Antimatter Legion had flooded into Herta Space Station like a tidal wave. They were so numerous and ferocious that the Space Station's defenses had been breached. By now, many Voidrangers had made it inside.
Herta Space Station was enormous, full of corridors and rooms. If she wandered around without a plan, she could easily get lost.
So Xiao Xi knew that her most important task was to find the main group as quickly as possible and join up with them. Only then would she be able to better withstand the enemy's assault.
On her way to the Master Control Zone, Xiao Xi suddenly felt the energy of the Path within her stir slightly. It was as if countless purple spiderwebs were flickering before her eyes. The strange sight filled her with confusion.
"Hmm? What's this?" Xiao Xi murmured, baffled by the sudden phenomenon. She stopped and looked around carefully, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
She hesitated for a moment, but in the end decided to investigate.
Just as Xiao Xi reached her destination, a beautiful woman with purple hair and a black-and-white vest walked toward her.
The woman's eyes were deep and captivating, as if they held an indescribable charm. The moment she saw her, Xiao Xi instinctively grew wary. She was startled to see this stranger here, and it was hard not to question her motives at a time like this.
"Hehe, don't worry. My name's Kafka, and I'm one of the Stellaron Hunters. I mean you no harm. I'm just here to meet the 'variable' in Elio's prophecies." Kafka's lips curled into a mysterious smile, and amusement colored her voice.
Xiao Xi didn't lower her guard. "You're the outsider who broke into the Space Station, aren't you? Did you bring the Antimatter Legion here?"
Kafka answered with the same mysterious smile. "You could say that. But I can promise you that, according to the script Fate has written, Herta Space Station won't suffer many casualties."
"Ah, we've been chatting for a while, haven't we?" Kafka said with a laugh, as if she'd suddenly remembered something. "It's time to say goodbye, 'variable' of Fate. I look forward to seeing you again."
After Kafka disappeared, Xiao Xi noticed a gray-haired girl lying unconscious on the floor of the compartment.
"Miss, are you all right?" Xiao Xi quickly helped her up and felt for her pulse. It was steady enough. From the looks of it, she was probably just asleep.
As Xiao Xi was still trying to wake the gray-haired girl, footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
"Hey, are there still people who haven't been evacuated from Herta Space Station? What's..."
A puzzled voice rang out, and then the footsteps drew closer.
"Is the girl in your arms all right?"
This time, the speaker was a pink-haired girl. Her voice was full of concern.
At the sound, Xiao Xi turned around and saw two young people walking toward her. One was a girl with short pink hair and lively eyes; the other was a young man with short black hair and a calm, composed expression.
"Who are you?" Xiao Xi didn't immediately answer their question, instead asking warily.
"I'm Dan Heng, and this is March 7th. We're Nameless from the Astral Express. We'd planned to stop at Herta Space Station to rest, but we happened to run into the Antimatter Legion's attack, so we came over to help," Dan Heng answered calmly.
"Nameless from the Astral Express..." Xiao Xi murmured, as if remembering something.
She looked at the two of them and finally relaxed. "I see. I'm Xiao Xi, a staff member at Herta Space Station. When the attack happened, I was a bit far from the main group, so I couldn't evacuate with everyone else."
"As for her, she was already unconscious when I found her. Fortunately, her vital signs seem stable. I think she'll wake up soon."
"Hey!" As they spoke, I felt the girl in my arms stir slightly.
A pair of beautiful golden eyes slowly opened. In that moment, it was as if Fate's threads had converged. The companions who would one day walk the path of Trailblaze had finally met.