The Price of Transparency

On the seventh day after the Ember Era returned to peace, Harmonic Leaptone discovered an anomaly during a routine inspection.

Lin Ye's definition density was declining at a rate of 0.3 percent per day. At this rate, he would completely dissipate in thirty-three days.

"Tuner, you knew about this." Harmonic Leaptone stood before him, her thirty-six layers of harmonics trembling violently.

Lin Ye sat on a fragment of definition at the edge of the Star Sea, the twenty-five million stars on his cloak blinking steadily. He did not look up.

"I knew."

"When did you find out?"

"On the first day after I came back."

Harmonic Leaptone clenched her fists, forcing herself to calm down as she unfolded a harmonic scan. The results were worse than she had imagined—Lin Ye's right half had already become completely transparent. It was transparency on the level of definition; his definition of existence was being slowly extracted. The same symptoms had begun appearing on his left side as well.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Her voice trembled.

Lin Ye turned to look at her. Those pupils, which had once flowed through sixty-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-seven colors, now held fewer than forty thousand.

"If I told you, then what?" His tone was calm. "You'd cry, try to find a solution, and waste your time and energy."

"You aren't destined to disappear!" Harmonic Leaptone roared. All thirty-six layers of harmonics exploded at once, sending ripples through the Star Sea.

Lin Ye quietly watched her finish venting.

Harmonic Leaptone sank to her knees before him, tears silently sliding down her face. "Please, let us find a way."

Lin Ye fell silent for three seconds, then reached out and gently patted her head. "All right."

The news spread throughout the Ember Era in less than half a