Guidance

Eden took the sheet music, opened it, and lowered her eyes to read.

Her other hand kept time, slender fingers tracing the air and stirring a few wisps of gentle breeze.

In Lemnian Hollow, her voice wound around everyone like an aria. Even the drifting motes of Ether light seemed to slow, as though they dared not disturb the moment.

Sunna, Nangong, and Aria held their breath, afraid to interrupt Eden.

Only Griseo kept moving her brush, painting something—or perhaps gathering something.

Colors spread across the canvas in layers. Some came from the faint Ether glow at the Hollow's edge, others from the lingering notes of Eden's melody.

After all, who knew True Self better than Gold?

As the saying went: Love 1? Don't make your big sister Eden laugh.

Meanwhile, in the HDD room of the video store on Sixth Street...

"Wise, Griseo's readings are fluctuating! That means she's in a Hollow!"

Belle stared at the data on the screen, frowning. "Wasn't she going to Weifei Land with Ms. Cecilia? How did she end up in a Hollow?"

"Where? Let me see."

Wise paused the commission he was working on and leaned toward the screen.

Griseo's status line was indeed fluctuating, but not by much—less than ten percent.

At the same time, Fairy's voice rang out. "Master, the route to Ballet Tower has been mapped..."

"It's all right, Belle," Wise reassured her.

"Griseo's condition is still good. She probably just entered the edge of a Hollow for a moment. Let's finish this commission first."

During Griseo's trip to Weifei Land, the siblings had been busy carrying out Koleda's commission.

First, Phaethon set out to rescue the hacker Rain. Then, by "coincidence," the siblings encountered Victoria Housekeeping and joined a rescue operation.

But that was a story for another time...

Back in Lemnian Hollow...

About three minutes later, Eden looked up, a hint of approval in her smile.

"The overall structure is already quite good." Eden reassured Sunna first, then began her guidance.

"But there are a few places I think you could polish further."

Eden turned to the first page and pointed to the intro.

"The pop chord progression, I–V–VI–IV, is solid. You could replace the second chord with a III and add a little of the muted quality of the yu mode. It would give the emotion more atmosphere."

Sunna's eyes lit up. She repeated the advice under her breath as she wrote it down.

Eden turned a few more pages and stopped at the second phrase of the verse.

She hummed Sunna's melody softly, then shook her head. "This phrase leaps across too wide a range. This song should be a soothing ballad."

Eden drew a small circle at one point on the staff.

"Try lowering this note and climbing gradually by step, like this..."

"Music shouldn't rush to express emotion. A beautiful melody needs restraint. Leave the listeners room to feel."

"Add eighth rests here, here, and here..."

Happy moments always passed too quickly.

When Eden finished, she handed the score back to Sunna and gently rubbed the top of her head.

The gesture made her seem less like an untouchable singer and more like a kind older sister from next door.

"Keep it up, little Sunna. You've improved so much." Sunna could hardly have been happier.

"Thank you, Ms. Eden." Sunna took the score and thanked her sincerely. "Next time I get the chance, I'll sing it for you."

"I look forward to it..."

As the Signets began to glimmer, the Ether Energy slowly receded. Eden's figure grew transparent, but her smile remained clear.

"Ah, time goes by so fast every time..."

Sunna felt a little down as she watched Eden disappear.

But she knew Griseo couldn't maintain that state for too long, or the two managers at the video store would notice.

They might have noticed already.

Nangong and Aria leaned in too. Looking at the revisions on the score, they both spoke up.

"As expected of Ms. Eden! Her changes are amazing!"

"We still have all afternoon to practice. Tonight, we'll surprise Ms. Cecilia!"

Sunna hugged the score to her chest, took a deep breath, and declared, "Of course!!"

"Sunna, Aria, Nangong, let's head back!"

Griseo put away her brush. She had gently gathered the last touch of color: a strand of pale golden light, like a violin string washed in sunlight.

The sun sank below the horizon, and night swallowed its last lingering rays.

A bonfire was already burning on the resort beach. Orange-red flames danced, casting a warm circle of light across the sand and lighting up everyone's faces.

The sea breeze carried a salty dampness, along with the mouthwatering scent of food sizzling on the grill.

Resort staff, tourists, and nearby residents all turned toward the bonfire. Beside it was an open patch of sand serving as a makeshift stage.

Cecilia and the store manager, Theresa, sat in beach chairs in the front row, watching the well-prepared Angels of Delusion.

"Think tonight's performance will be something special?"

Theresa spoke quietly to Cecilia. "They've been so mysterious all day. Nowhere to be seen this morning, then shut up in their room all afternoon."

Cecilia smiled. "All I know is that the sweethearts are preparing a surprise."

"What surprise?"

"Just listen."

Yuzuha and Mato sat among the crowd too. Cauldron lay across Yuzuha's knees, looking up expectantly, just like his owner.

Onstage, Aria stood in the center as lead singer. Sunna and Aria each held a guitar and gently plucked the strings, testing a few notes.

Griseo wasn't taking the stage this time. She had a more important task.

The stage had no special effects, and Aria, who could project images, was the lead singer. That meant Griseo needed to use her painting to create something like a three-dimensional projection.

The sea breeze lifted their skirts, and firelight danced across their faces. They looked like spirits born from the flames.

Sunna raised the microphone and said clearly, "Everyone... Angels of Delusion have a new song tonight, and we want you to be the first to hear it."

Cheers rose from the crowd. Yuzuha was leading the charge, of course, and she even dragged Mato into cheering along...

But the people of Chenghui Plateau were welcoming by nature. They needed no prompting from Yuzuha; the onlookers clapped and shouted encouragement.

Sunna and Nangong exchanged a glance. Then they took a deep breath, and their fingers came down on the strings.

The first note rang out.

Author's note—

The book was taken down just now because Tomato's backend crashed. A lot of authors were affected, not just me. It's fixed now, so I can update again. Also, thank you all for your gifts and support.