Dream's Edge, the Secret Stronghold of Firefly
After a difficult climb over the manhole cover, Xing finally arrived here, and the scenery was indeed quite nice.
"Have you heard this song, ' If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,' by the Robin? With the Charmony Festival approaching, her music occasionally plays in my dreams."
"This is the closest place to the sky of my dreams, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, and free from the arguments of Dreamweaver. I can be undisturbed by anyone, experiencing the present moment... the scenery, the people, and the dream itself..."
A hint of longing flickered in Firefly's eyes, "How beautiful... time could stand still in this Golden Hour, a golden dream. The fool in the Tavern and the Memokeeper in the Garden of Recollection, the wandering knight and the company's envoy, the priest and the Chair of the Church..."
" The Nameless on the Astral Express... and me."
In this situation, a sentence suddenly popped into Xing's mind:
May time stand still in this moment, and may this world shine as brightly as gold.
"Everyone sleeps here equally, regardless of the reason, though we may all have our own purposes."
Firefly took a deep breath and said to Xing again:
"I'm sorry, Xing. I am indeed an illegal immigrant, for some reasons... There are some things I can't tell you all right now, but there are also some things I should be honest with you about."
"I know," Xing nodded.
"I feel I should tell you that my homeland was Destruction a long time ago, perhaps by the Antimatter Legion, or perhaps by the Swarm... I am an interstellar refugee, just like many [natives] of Penacony."
"[ Harmony ] Embracing all people, in this magnificent metropolis, some people's dreams are called Penacony."
"But some people's dreams... are no different from reality, even though every ordinary person who comes here harbors the same purpose."
The Firefly gazed at the shooting star streaking across the sky. "Me too. The dolls in reality hold unfulfilled desires, so intense that I turn to dreams..."
"...[ Entropy Loss Syndrome ]. Have you heard of this term?"
Firefly told Xing about her past illness, deliberately concealing the milk tea that Silver Wolf had given her. Just as mentioned earlier, in order to ensure that the original " Script " did not get out of control, she could not tell Xing everything yet.
"While the Clockmaker's Legacy is certainly something I desire, we don't necessarily have to part ways and become adversaries; at least... I don't want that to happen."
I hope so too.
"... Thank you."
"[I dreamt of a scorched earth, and a new bud breaking through the soil, blooming in the morning sun, whispering to me.]"
Firefly placed her hands in front of her chest and looked back at the stars.
Do you remember the question on the invitation—Why does life fall asleep?
"Look, in this Land of the Dreams, everything is allowed, everything is possible. The unbearable past dissipates like bubbles, and the tomorrow we don't want to face will never come."
Why do people choose to sleep? I think... it's because they're afraid of waking up from a dream.
Xing spent an unforgettable time with Firefly at the secret hideout. Holding a photo of herself and Firefly, she prepared to part ways with her at the [ Golden Hour ] and reunite with the Astral Express Crew.
With no crowds on the street, the atmosphere suddenly became slightly eerie.
[ The Reverie ] At the hotel entrance, Xing and Firefly saw Ye Yan with his back to them.
" Ye Yan... what on earth are you up to?"
"Oh, it's you, Xing."
Ye Yan slowly turned around, a deliberately feigned expression of regret on his face, to meet Xing and Firefly's wary and suspicious gazes.
"Sigh, it seems you didn't take my advice to heart at all... Tsk~ What a pity, that girl really fascinates you?"
"You're really... too blind."
Without hesitation, Firefly stepped aside, shielding her. "... Be careful. Now I'm certain he's not the companion you know."
"Oh my~" Ye Yan raised an eyebrow dramatically, his tone flippant, "It seems this brave little girl wants to protect you. Why? Are you two that close?"
Even in this tense atmosphere, Xing still remarked, "It's still more normal than you and Milk Tea."
"Shh~"
Ye Yan's figure moved with ghostly speed, closing in instantly, his icy fingers covering Xing's lips with an irresistible force.
"I don't like hearing that..." Her voice carried a hint of affected grievance, "I don't know when it started, but that guy has become obsessed with milk tea... He's even distanced himself from us, boohoo~"
Xing couldn't hold back any longer. Even though she didn't know who this guy was, she should at least pretend to be convincing! She stopped acting before even revealing his identity and just let loose.
Enough with the nonsense.
Firefly shouted sharply. She had already realized that the fake Ye Yan in front of her was the variable in the [ Script ].
"Oh, I love your personality so much."
Ye Yan clapped his hands, laughing so hard he almost fell over, "Sure enough, the little firefly's nose is more sensitive than the Stellaron's!"
"Even so, you've fallen behind the main group. Haven't you realized yet—the secret hidden behind this 'beautiful dream' within the Family?"
He looked at the stars again, his tone suddenly turning cold:
"And as for you— the Trailblazer of the Astral Express... sigh, [ Ye Yan ] trusts you so much, he even lent you that toy that can control me."
"... I'm really, really disappointed in you."
"You mean this?" Xing decisively pulled out the bottle of strange milk tea that reflected stardust.
"Hmm, looks like you're not too stupid."
Seemingly unwilling to waste any more words with them, ' Ye Yan ' casually snapped his fingers.
Almost simultaneously, a bottle of milk tea exuding an enticingly sweet aroma appeared out of thin air at Xing's lips. That familiar taste and texture—it was the same one she had gotten countless times from Ye Yan!
Long-established habits turned into a deadly trap at this moment. Before Xing's brain could even issue a warning, she subconsciously took a sip.
Just as she was about to mobilize her power to launch an attack, she felt a powerful paralysis sweep over her entire body. Her legs went weak, and her consciousness plummeted into darkness like a kite with a broken string.
Ye Yan let out a feigned sigh, "Sigh~ Milk tea made him, milk tea ruined him... Blame Ye Yan for spoiling Little Stellaron."
"As for you... little firefly, stay with her for a nap in the real [dream]."
Ye Yan turned his gaze to Firefly, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy. With another crisp snap of his fingers, a victorious smile appeared on his face the instant Firefly lost consciousness and collapsed.
"Sigh~ If only you had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place? You didn't really think you could hurt Aha with a cup of milk tea like this, did you?"
He bent down, picked up the bottle of Stardust Milk Tea that Xing had dropped on the ground, and even carefully wiped the dust off the bottle with his sleeve, as if it were a work of art.
"What a waste of Aha's intelligence, that piece of scrap metal knows nothing of [ Erudition ]..." He brought the bottle to his nose and sniffed, raising an eyebrow slightly, "Hmm~ this milk tea is not bad, I'll keep it at the Tavern as a souvenir."
However, just as Ye Yan straightened up, preparing to leave with his spoils—
"Milk tea... it's just a front."
A voice suddenly rang out behind ' Ye Yan ': "To deal with a scoundrel like you, I have to personally greet you to show my sincerity."
Ye Yan was standing less than an arm's length behind Him, tightly gripping a theatrical clown hammer with an exaggerated shape and bright colors, which He had borrowed from Sparkle Huo.
The next second, Ye Yan's lips curled into a powerful, unsettling smile:
"I'll treat you to a free one-way ride on the drop tower as a gift for our first meeting! No need to thank me!"
Before he finished speaking, Ye Yan took a step back without hesitation, swung the clown hammer in his hand in a wide arc, and smashed it into Aha's butt with a terrifying whooshing sound that tore through the air!
boom!!!
Listen! It's like the Preservation sound of Qlipoth Amber Hammer falling.
"Aww!!!"
With an extremely tragic, even somewhat comical, scream, Ye Yan's figure shot into the air at a speed far exceeding common sense, like a cannonball being fired at full force.
His body expanded, deformed, and shattered violently during his ascent... Finally, at the [ Golden Hour ], the false yet magnificent zenith burst forth with a deafening roar!
The light from the fireworks pierced through Penacony's dream and swept across the entire Asdana Galaxy.
Sparkle stood on tiptoe, gazing with great interest at the breathtaking fireworks display on the horizon. She took a sip of her milk tea, her eyes curving into crescents.
Wow~ What beautiful fireworks! God of Elation is so dedicated!
Astral Express, Parlor Car
Dan Heng and Pom-Pom were simultaneously drawn to the strange, colorful flash that suddenly appeared outside the window, piercing through the galaxy.
They exchanged a silent glance, and an unspoken silence filled the air.
"Passengers Dan Heng," Pom-Pom's voice trembled slightly as she repeatedly asked, "Did we really come out of the stomach of that giant True Sting...?"
"..." Dan Heng closed his eyes tightly, his brows furrowed, as if analyzing the essence of that light.
After a moment, with a hint of helplessness, he slowly uttered a few words: "I can't guarantee it."
He only hoped that the view outside the window was not as his ominous premonition suggested.
The A Child's Dream, the Black Swan waiting for its Memokeeper, suddenly sensed something and gracefully raised its hand.
A brand new Light Cone, shimmering with faint colors, is slowly taking shape at her fingertips.
The Black Swan tilted its head slightly, looking at the newly formed Light Cone that had suddenly materialized in its hand. A hint of pure surprise first appeared in its eyes, followed by intense interest.
"Huh? A... [ Light Cone ]?" The appearance of this unexpected object seems to suggest that a dramatic moment has just been permanently etched into history.