Chapter Summaries

Hanxing and Firefly learned that Silver Wolf had drawn the Astral Express toward a dangerous hidden dreamscape, while Caelus, Black Swan, and Acheron joined forces inside it. Hanxing watched their group from hiding and suspected Acheron was an Emanator of Nihility as he followed them.

• Silver Wolf sent Hanxing and Firefly into a dangerous dreamscape and shared coordinates for it with the Astral Express.
• Welt relayed Silver Wolf's message, and the Astral Express decided to investigate the hidden map in the locked Dream Hotel.
• Hanxing watched Caelus and Black Swan meet Acheron, and the three worked together to defeat the Dreamjolt Troupe.
• Acheron explained that a Masked Fool had sent her into the dreamscape, then asked Caelus and Black Swan to travel with her.
• Silver Wolf identified the woman as Galaxy Ranger Acheron, and Hanxing sensed her immense Nihility power before following the group.

Hanxing witnessed Firefly’s first death, then used Silver Wolf’s tracker to find her in Dreamflux Reef, where he confronted Dahlia. After Hanxing and Dahlia probed a dangerous memory, he embraced Firefly and warned her that she might one day have to kill him.

• Dormancy struck Firefly with its wing blade, and she dissolved into Memoria in Hanxing’s arms.
• Hanxing disguised himself as Yan Bai and joined Caelus and Acheron, claiming he wanted to avenge his girlfriend.
• Silver Wolf revealed that Firefly had undergone surgery to dream temporarily and had a tracker that located her in Dreamflux Reef.
• Hanxing used the tracker to reach Firefly, confronted Dahlia, and drew his blade when she claimed to be Firefly’s sister Hua.
• Hanxing and Dahlia glimpsed a memory from another world, and Dahlia warned that probing it again could bring the universe to its worst possible end.
• Hanxing embraced Firefly and whispered that he was sorry in advance in case she ever had to kill him.

Hanxing and Firefly, acting as Sam, clashed with Acheron and the others before sharing Elio’s instructions and Acheron’s message about Finality. They returned to Dreamflux Reef and brought Robin to their hidden room, where Firefly prepared to involve her in the investigation.

• Hanxing and Firefly confronted Acheron, Caelus, and Black Swan after defeating the Dreamjolt Troupe, but Black Swan whisked Caelus away and Sam fought Acheron.
• Acheron stopped fighting and questioned Firefly, while Hanxing revealed Elio’s instruction to have the Astral Express pursue the grand legacy and Firefly urged Acheron to investigate the Family.
• Acheron gave Hanxing a message for Sam about their fated reunion when Terminus ascended again, and Firefly said she still hoped to claim the right to begin.
• Firefly and Hanxing returned to Dreamflux Reef with Dahlia, and Firefly explained that death in the sweet dream led to the hidden Land of Exile, where Dormancy abducted people and Gallagher was suspected of controlling it.
• Firefly contacted Robin, persuaded her to meet privately, and Dahlia transported her into the room where Hanxing welcomed her.

Hanxing, Firefly, and Dahlia met Robin in a dream and explained their investigation into Gopher Wood’s loss of control over Penacony. Robin revealed that the Dream Master’s power had once affected her connection to the Path of Harmony, and the group set out to show her what they had found.

• Hanxing and Firefly introduced themselves to Robin in Dahlia’s new home within the sweet dream.
• Firefly and Dahlia told Robin that Gopher Wood was losing control of the dreamscape and that they had found a buried crime they believed was connected.
• Firefly said her purpose involved a reunion, a rescue, and a farewell, and Robin chose to trust her.
• Robin explained that the Dream Master’s commandment had led her to follow Harmony, but she lost her voice and power in The Reverie while remaining unaffected in Dreamflux Reef.
• Robin suspected Gopher Wood had followed the Path of Order, while Firefly said they had a different theory.
• Dahlia invited Robin and Hanxing to see the group’s discovery for themselves, and Hanxing agreed to go.

Dahlia showed Robin, Firefly, and Hanxing a memory of Gopher Wood betraying and killing a Glamoth Iron Cavalry member, then asked Robin to help uncover the past. Dahlia found evidence of a disaster in the Memory Zone, but an unknown woman interrupted them.

• Dahlia revealed a memory in which Gopher Wood killed a wounded Glamoth Iron Cavalry member who had fought the Swarm on Penacony.
• Gopher Wood claimed the Iron Cavalry were Pathstriders of Propagation and said the soldier's death would help establish the Eternal Paradise.
• Firefly said the soldier had been her friend and had chosen to fight the Swarm, while Robin promised to make sure her sacrifice was remembered.
• Dahlia asked Robin to lend her a memory so she could draw scenes of the past out of the Memory Zone, and Robin agreed.
• Dahlia used violet flames on Robin's memory, uncovered what she called a disaster, and opened a massive portal.
• A hostile female voice interrupted, calling what they had found nothing but lies.

Black Swan exposed Dahlia’s deception and helped Robin escape, while Hanxing searched the Memory Zone for Firefly. He found her unconscious but alive and carried her away.

• Black Swan revealed that Dahlia had pretended to be a Stellaron Hunter and warned Hanxing and Firefly to ask Silver Wolf about their real companion.
• Dahlia sent Firefly into the turbulent currents of memory, and Hanxing threatened Dahlia before leaving to search for her.
• Black Swan used Sunday’s message, “Melodi-Dove,” to gain Robin’s trust and offered to take her back to the Oak Family.
• Hanxing searched the Memory Zone, followed a purple will-o’-the-wisp, and found Firefly lying unconscious.
• Hanxing picked Firefly up, promised to get her out, and tore open space to carry her away.

Firefly recovered after Dahlia banished her to a Memory Zone, and she and Hanxing went shopping before hearing an IPC announcement about a performance at Clock Studios Theme Park. Meanwhile, the Astral Express Crew agreed to meet with Aventurine and Acheron to investigate Penacony, and Hanxing and Firefly headed toward the announced event expecting trouble.

• Hanxing told Firefly that Dahlia had banished her to a Memory Zone, then set her down after she recovered.
• Firefly suggested visiting the shopping street, and she pulled Hanxing through a spatial rift to explore it.
• Near the Penacony Grand Theater, two identical men discussed putting their plan first.
• Himeko, March 7th, Caelus, Yan Bai, Welt, and Acheron agreed to continue cooperating and seek an explanation from Aventurine.
• An IPC announcement invited people to a performance at Clock Studios Theme Park, and Firefly warned Hanxing that a fight might break out there.
• Hanxing opened a spatial portal, and he and Firefly set off for Clock Studios Theme Park.

Aventurine turned the gathering at Clock Studios Theme Park into a deadly game, claiming Caelus would become the cause of a third murder. The Astral Express Crew fought back, but Aventurine survived their attacks, while Hanxing waited to see when Acheron would act.

• Aventurine welcomed the Astral Express Crew and announced that a third murder was about to happen at Clock Studios Theme Park, blaming Caelus.
• Aventurine recounted his survival and declared that the game had begun, then crushed his Stoneheart stone and summoned dice and chips around the crew.
• Caelus blocked the chips as March 7th, Yan Bai, and Welt attacked Aventurine; Yan Bai knocked aside incoming chips and joined Welt in the assault.
• March 7th froze Aventurine with an exploding bear-shaped arrow, and Yan Bai struck him with a wave of golden sword energy.
• Aventurine emerged unharmed, and Hanxing noticed Acheron gripping her sword as he wondered when she would make her move.

Hanxing intervened to stop Acheron’s devastating slash from harming Penacony, and Xipe gave him new power that let him halt time and counter the attack. After falling, Hanxing woke in a spatial corridor and realized Firefly and the others were likely there too.

• Yan Bai, Caelus, and March 7th attacked Aventurine, and Yan Bai wounded him before Aventurine unleashed a golden domain and rained chips over Penacony.
• Hanxing protected Firefly from the falling chips while Acheron drew her tachi and sent a massive slash toward Aventurine.
• Hanxing used the Stellaron from Fansha Star to block Acheron’s attack, and Xipe appeared to grant him divine power and change his right eye.
• Hanxing stopped time, clashed with Acheron’s sword energy, and destroyed the attack in a blast that swept across Penacony.
• Hanxing fell as time resumed, then woke in a spatial corridor and restored his badly damaged arm with the power in his eye.

Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai revealed their identities and joined Caelus and Welt in traveling to Dreamflux Reef. There, the group connected the disappearances to the Watchmaker and learned Gallagher might offer a lead.

• Hanxing and Firefly found themselves in the dream corridor, and Hanxing proposed coming clean to Caelus and the others.
• Yan Bai agreed with Hanxing, and the group approached Caelus after he woke.
• Hanxing revealed he was an Emanator of Harmony, explained Yan Bai’s connection to his clone, and introduced Firefly as his girlfriend.
• Caelus welcomed Hanxing and Firefly to travel with the Astral Express crew, and they used the Memoria torrent to reach Dreamflux Reef.
• Firefly explained that the creature called Death brought abducted dreamers to Dreamflux Reef, while Welt linked its appearances to the Watchmaker.
• Firefly mentioned hearing Gallagher’s name, and Welt told Caelus that Himeko and March 7th had gone ahead and the group should follow.

Hanxing and Firefly explored Dreamflux Reef, and Hanxing used his powers to give Yan Bai a human body. They reunited with the Astral Express, Gallagher, Sunday, and Robin at a rooftop memorial, where a mysterious blond man greeted the group.

• Firefly led Hanxing, Caelus, and Welt through Dreamflux Reef, then split off with Hanxing to look for Gallagher while the Astral Express went to meet Himeko and the others.
• Hanxing explained that his clock eye could manipulate time and space, though he had not yet discovered what Harmony's blessing could do.
• Hanxing helped Yan Bai leave the embroidered spring saber and created a human body for him, which Yan Bai inhabited.
• Hanxing and Firefly encountered Gallagher and Sunday, who agreed to take the group to see Robin.
• The group joined the Astral Express and Robin beside three monuments, where Himeko asked about the uninscribed one and a blond man greeted them.

Gallagher revealed that Penacony was built using the Asdana Stellaron, which the Family had never truly sealed. He explained that the dream consumed people’s spirits, while his resistance used Dormancy to hide and exploit a loophole in the dream.

• Sunday led Robin aside and told her he was glad she was all right.
• March 7th confronted Hanxing about his plans, and the group turned to Gallagher for an explanation.
• Gallagher identified himself as a History Fictionologist and revealed that a Stellaron was behind Penacony’s dreamscape.
• Gallagher recounted how the Stellaron was activated while the Watchmaker was away, and the Family helped build Penacony around it.
• Gallagher explained that Penacony’s dream consumed people’s spirits and that the Family had turned it into a prison.
• Gallagher said he used the Enigmata to hide and fictionalized a meme called Dormancy to help the resistance.

Gallagher revealed that the Watchmaker’s invitations were meant to expose traitors in The Family, and Sunday identified the Penacony Grand Theater as the Stellaron’s location and Gopher Wood as the likely culprit. Sunday and Robin joined forces with the Astral Express to stop the Harmony Festival, while Hanxing sensed an unfamiliar Path within Sunday.

• Gallagher explained that the Watchmaker’s invitations were designed to draw factions to Penacony and expose traitors in The Family.
• Sunday revealed that the Stellaron was the Penacony Grand Theater and named Gopher Wood as the likely person behind its use.
• Robin explained that Gopher Wood had helped raise her and Sunday, but vowed not to support his plans or let the Harmony Festival become a ritual against Harmony.
• Sunday and Robin prepared to confront Gopher Wood, and Himeko, March 7th, Caelus, and Welt agreed to help them.
• Firefly warned Hanxing that Sunday seemed suspicious, and Hanxing detected Harmony, Order, and an unfamiliar Path he called Domination within him.

Gallagher brought the Nameless to the Watchmaker, Lagwork Char Mikhail, and revealed the dream bubble he had left as a legacy. Caelus could not uncover anything inside, so Himeko planned to investigate a dreamscape sales store for clues.

• Gallagher told Himeko that the last Nameless they sought was Lagwork and explained that the Watchmaker had left a legacy for Trailblaze's successors.
• Gallagher led Himeko, Yan Bai, Caelus, March 7th, and Hanxing to the monument, where a hidden staircase rose into view.
• The group climbed to a garden beneath the Memory Zone and found the Watchmaker's body and a dream bubble.
• Caelus tried to access the bubble but found no apparent result, while Gallagher described Mikhail's faith in the Nameless and Trailblaze.
• Himeko said she believed the bubble held something important and asked to borrow Gallagher's pet so she could investigate a dreamscape sales store in Golden Hour.

Hanxing and Firefly learned about AR-214 and Firefly’s powers, then reunited with the Astral Express Crew as they pursued Mikhail’s legacy. With the Family guarding the Grand Theater, Hanxing proposed using forged tickets, illusions, and Silver Wolf’s hacking to get the group inside.

• Firefly told Hanxing that AR-214 had been her close friend in the Iron Cavalry before deserting and going to Penacony, and explained how she had awakened the Path of Destruction.
• Hanxing asked Firefly whether she would want to bring AR-214 back, but Firefly doubted there was any hope of finding her alive.
• The Astral Express Crew entered a dream bubble to witness Mikhail’s legacy, while Yan Bai was barred from entering.
• Sparkle revealed that the Dream Master’s schemes would unfold in a nightmare and gave Firefly a cryptic clue about flying toward the sky after the happiest time of her life.
• After the Astral Express Crew returned, Himeko proposed threatening the Stellaron to gain leverage against the Family, and Hanxing suggested sneaking into the Grand Theater using forged tickets, an illusion, and Silver Wolf’s hacking.

The Astral Express crew agreed to enter the SoulGlad Scorchsand Audition, while Hanxing gave Gallagher a new body and restored him to life. They arrived at the Scorchsand venue with Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai, where reporters and crowds surrounded them before the arrival of Mr. Aetherium.

• March 7th explained that she had invitation tickets for the SoulGlad Scorchsand Audition, and the group decided to compete for a chance to meet Robin.
• Gallagher told the crew that he had completed his final task, and Hanxing offered to help him become a real person.
• Hanxing stabbed Gallagher, created an identical body, and transferred Gallagher's soul into it, restoring him to life.
• Himeko apologized for distrusting Hanxing and proposed that the Astral Express and Stellaron Hunters work together, while Firefly agreed to continue the journey alongside them.
• Hanxing opened a red portal, and he, Firefly, Yan Bai, and the Astral Express crew traveled to the Scorchsand venue to enter the audition.
• The crowd and reporters swarmed the six contestants before the announcer introduced the wealthy businessman Mr. Aetherium.

Aetherium Leda welcomed the Astral Express crew and their companions to the Scorchsand Festival, then explained the competition’s stages and opened the event. The group split into two teams, and Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai entered the first stage by choosing the Acting challenge.

• Aetherium Leda invited Himeko, March 7th, Caelus, Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai to introduce themselves to the galaxy.
• Aetherium Leda reminisced about founding SoulGlad and the Scorchsand venue, then described the festival’s three stages and declared the competition open.
• Himeko divided the contestants into two teams of three so they could progress efficiently and safely.
• Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai reached the first stage, Dreamplay Fantasia, and learned they could choose between Acting and Action challenges.
• Firefly suggested the Acting challenge, and Hanxing and Yan Bai joined her on the Acting stage.

Hanxing, Yan Bai, and Firefly performed scenes about Penacony’s pioneering era, first delivering lines and then acting out the story through body language. They passed both stages and headed toward the final round, where the show’s harshest judge awaited them.

• A guide explained the three-stage performance round and mentioned a red-haired contestant who had earned the highest score.
• Hanxing, Yan Bai, and Firefly improvised dialogue about arriving in barren Penacony, surviving desert hardship, and facing setbacks in the umbrella business.
• At the second stage, Yan Bai rolled in the sand to make Firefly laugh, and Firefly acted out setting out with him again.
• Yan Bai proposed business and regulatory measures to fight a rival, while Hanxing delivered a defiant speech and Firefly improvised a decision to leave Penacony.
• The judge praised their performances, and the trio climbed toward the final round to face the harshest judge.

Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai passed the final acting test and entered the second round of the Scorchsand Festival, choosing Clockie’s trial. Inside a Dream Ticker statue’s heart, they met Clockie, who vowed to help the dejected Dream Ticker accept that he was a discarded design.

• Hanxing used a strange ability during the reunion scene, and the judge praised the trio’s performance and opened the way forward.
• Firefly led Hanxing and Yan Bai to the next stage, where a guide introduced the second round and offered Gunfire or Time trials.
• Hanxing chose the Time trial, and the trio arrived in the world of the Watchmaker, where a giant clock statue spoke of being a failure.
• Yan Bai touched the statue, linking the trio so they could see inside its heart, where they found Dream Ticker and Clockie.
• Dream Ticker explained that he had learned he was a scrapped Clockie design, and Clockie promised to help him find the missing parts of his heart.

Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai recovered Dream Ticker’s missing parts, restored its mind, and continued to the Superstar Showdown. There, they met Argenti, who challenged them to a contest of chivalric codes.

• Clockie gave Hanxing, Firefly, and Yan Bai coordinates to find Dream Ticker’s missing parts, and the three split up to collect them.
• Hanxing killed Seventeen Times Cooked with a slash, and Yan Bai rescued an Origami Bird trapped in its tail and recovered a missing part.
• The three returned the parts to Dream Ticker, and Yan Bai restored its mind after Hanxing calmed its turmoil.
• Firefly, Hanxing, and Yan Bai entered the final arena, where Argenti introduced himself as a Knight of Beauty.
• Argenti explained that he had rescued thirty-two people on his way to Penacony and challenged the group to a contest of chivalric codes.