The boy's consciousness kept sinking through the darkness.
By the time his consciousness cleared again, an unknown amount of time had passed.
A warm sensation reached his fingertips, and Gu Nian'an slowly opened his eyes.
All around him were twinkling stars, surrounding him in the sky and beneath his feet, making the entire space extraordinarily beautiful.
Was this the Star Sea Yu Meng had spoken of...?
Gu Nian'an stood up and slowly began to walk.
He felt utterly light, as though gravity did not exist.
The stars, too, seemed to possess awareness, circling endlessly around him.
They led him into a stretch of nothingness.
Until an exceptionally brilliant blue star suddenly appeared before him.
Gu Nian'an stared blankly at the familiar star before suddenly asking, "Are you the star from before?"
As though answering him, the star kept shining with a gentle blue light.
After circling him once, it affectionately nuzzled his tousled hair.
The very next second, Gu Nian'an felt the ground vanish beneath his feet.
In the blink of an eye, he was inside that familiar palace.
Looking at the stars covering the walls, Gu Nian'an suddenly felt a little lost.
He remembered this place.
The first time, Yu Meng had pulled him into this very palace.
As the boy explored his surroundings, he recalled the past.
He had broken his promise...
He had not been able to stay with Fu Xiuyuan until the end. He did not even dare imagine what expression the other man would wear when he learned that he had left.
At that thought, an ache filled his heart, and he suddenly stopped walking.
Tears slid down his face without his realizing it.
He had indeed willingly shouldered his fate, becoming a cornerstone to sustain the world.
But that was only because the people