"Yes, seeing is believing. I'll go with you. The Dream Master hasn't arrived yet, so we still have time to wander around."
Before Sunday had even finished speaking, a radiant guest came into their view.
" Miss Robin! We meet again. How are the preparations for the Charmony Festival going? We're all looking forward to it."
The guests waved their arms excitedly, greeting the Robin.
"It went very smoothly, thank you, and thank you for coming all this way to participate in the Charmony Festival," the Robin replied politely.
"Haha, Miss Robin 're too kind. It's no trouble at all to party day and night with guests from all over the universe!"
"I hate being alone and can't stand a boring life, but this dream world full of fun is just right for me."
"If this continued forever... wouldn't you get tired of it?" the Robin asked softly.
The cheerful guest answered without hesitation, "Of course not! Who would complain about having too much happiness?"
"I can wear beautiful clothes every day, experience all sorts of dream bubbles as I please, eat as much as I want without gaining weight, getting sick, or aging... As long as I can afford the room rate, this is the best Paradise."
"But... you should also know that very few things can be brought back to reality from dreams."
Upon hearing the Robin's words, the guest put his hands on his hips, his smile undiminished.
"That's why I'm not taking it back! It's enough to enjoy it in my dreams. I'm not Long-Life Species; my lifespan is only sixty or seventy years, and there are too many things to consider... It's not easy to live a happy and fulfilling life."
"Only in this beautiful dream can I be my own master and truly control my own life... Having tasted this sweetness, why would I ever want to go back?"
"... I understand. I sincerely wish you happiness."
As that cheerful figure merged into the crowd, a barely audible sigh escaped from the Robin's lips.
"Well..."
"It seems that the guest's explanation earlier did not satisfy you either."
"No, she has a point. I can also sense that she is truly happy, but..." Robin felt that the woman had lost something.
"You mean... she thought she had become the master of her life, but it was nothing more than abandoning reality and escaping into a beautiful dream. Once she loses her protection, she will instantly reveal her true colors."
"Hmm." The Robin nodded gently. "After all, she did mention [the room rate]... didn't she?"
"But the Paradise in our hearts... should not have an end."
"The Paradise in our hearts... shouldn't just be a Nihility and unreal dream."
Later, on the Glaux Avenue, they met an old man who was gazing alone at the dazzling street scene in his dream.
"The scenery... is really beautiful, isn't it?" The Robin took a step closer to him.
The old man turned around at the sound of her voice, slightly surprised, and said in a hoarse voice, "Oh? It's Miss Robin... What an honor."
"You're right. Although time doesn't flow in dreams, it's always fresh and new... I always have new feelings about it."
"A thoughtful philosopher... I hope I haven't disturbed you."
"No, I don't have much time left. On the contrary, I wish someone could keep me company—especially a lady as esteemed as you. Would you like to chat if it's convenient?" The old man gave the two of them a kind smile.
"If you're so kind as to help, let's chat casually. You just mentioned that you don't have much time left... Excuse my bluntness, but is that why you came to Penacony?"
"Hehe... yes..." The old man chuckled, with a detached air of worldly Robin, "I've been to the battlefield. When I crawled out of the mothership in Sukuu, I also stuffed some radioactive iron lumps into my head."
"What else? All my comrades are gone, and my hometown was melted down in several neutron radiation bombings. Ugh, everything's gone, it's really impossible to live here... But I heard there are people here who have a way, so I came."
A Robin's eyes. "It's such a pity... I hope the Family can help you out."
" My the Family has truly helped me a great deal, and I am extremely grateful for that. They arranged a comfortable room for me, the most advanced life support equipment in the entire galaxy, and a whole platoon of nurses."
"My body is currently fixed in the Dream Pool, surviving on life support. The me you see is whole, conscious, and no different from a normal person... but the me in the hotel is not like that."
"His true appearance..." He paused, his voice low, "Ah, Miss Robin, I hope you never see it."
"So... you'll live in this dream forever, right?"
"Hahaha... It's a blessing to be alive. Whether I dream or not doesn't matter, after all, I didn't have a choice."
The old man raised his head, his cloudy eyes reflecting the neon lights of this dreamlike scene.
"My world is inherently incomplete; it might disappear in the next instant. So... no matter how unreal a dream may be, it's still Paradise to me, and I cherish every moment here."
"Ha... I really envy these things that Eternity change."
Meanwhile, on the other side of Glaux Avenue
Blake leaned against the cold iron railing with one hand, his gaze piercing through the noisy crowd and landing on the sighing old man, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes as well.
"Only through the pain of repeated falls can dull creatures learn how to stand." His voice clearly reached Fulisina's ears.
"But some creatures... are born without the ability to stand upright, and that young patriarch was merely trying to protect them. It's just that his methods... were a bit extreme."
"Like that guest who was sent to Aideen Park by the sheriff, he sold his soul, leaving behind only an empty shell indulging in Nihility meaningless dream..."
Fulisina watched the hunched figure across the bridge, listened to Blake's account of the guest who chose to escape, and finally gave her assessment:
"The dreams of those who are addicted are nothing more than leftovers spilled from someone else's table."
"Compared to real suffering, this illusory honey offers no nourishment whatsoever."
The Church of Eternity can offer 'salvation' to guests whose souls have been torn apart by reality and who have willingly chosen to decay in this beautiful dream, but it is unnecessary.
If it were Fulisina, who was unwilling to leave this sweet swamp, she naturally wouldn't force her to.
But... judging from Blake's expression, he still gave that guest a chance to look back and make a choice before the guest completely fell into the abyss.
Fulisina slowly withdrew her gaze from the old man's figure across the bridge and looked at the Robin talking to Sunday.
"The birds' songs can pierce through illusion and touch the most primal echoes deep within the soul, yet they cannot change the current state of this Paradise, nor can the guardian who embraces [ Order ]."
"So... it's time to let all those who are captivated by this Dreamscape Paradise know His—[ Eternity ]'s glorious name!"