"Hmph, hmph, hmph! Let the radiance of Eternity pierce the twilight of this false Paradise! Let the lost sheep hear the voice of Lord Yite!"
As if in response to Fulisina's declaration, which was imbued with both divinity and adolescent angst, Blake slowly raised his right hand.
Above his palm, space silently distorted and solidified, and a cup of milk tea was born out of thin air.
Blake flicked his fingertip lightly on the rim of the glass.
Buzz--
A streak of light, almost invisible to the naked eye, pierced straight through the Penacony and precisely reached the depths of the soul of the still-sighing old man.
Fulisina smiled a holy smile, stepped forward, and took the cup of milk tea from Blake's hand, just as she always did (though she didn't) when bestowing divine grace upon the Church residents.
"Re-employment, huh? When was the last time you served as Church priest? A hundred Amber Era ago?"
Fulisina ignored Blake; her movements were elegant and dignified, each step seemingly treading on invisible holy steps, her long silver hair moving without wind.
The old man looked surprised when Fulisina suddenly appeared in front of him.
He looked around, but the once bustling street was deserted, leaving only him and the silver-haired elf.
Fulisina cleared her throat. "Lost traveler, your suffering, your humble supplications to [ Eternity ], have all flowed into His ear, which hears all things!"
"My Lord Yite —that being who reigns above all things, who has compassion for the suffering of all beings, who generously bestows upon the other shore! This drink before you carries the supreme grace of my Lord!"
"Now... drink it, break free from the shackles of your decaying body, and embrace new life!"
Without hesitation, the old man was prompted by a voice deep within his soul to reach out his trembling hands and, as if grasping at a lifeline, reverently accept the cup of milk tea that shimmered with starlight.
"Ah, praise [ Eternity ]! By divine grace... Alas, behold, the broken have been forged anew! Even the rotten wood has been reborn! Your body and your soul, from this day forth, belong to [ Eternity ]!"
"That old man's story... is so sad, but thankfully this beautiful dream did leave him with a happy memory for the rest of his life."
"This is the meaning behind Penacony's dream."
"But dreams are ultimately limited. They are merely a haven for the disheartened, and cannot eradicate pain from the root of reality." The Robin clearly recognized the problem.
"There's always a way— Penacony is on the right track."
The Robin seemed to want to argue, turning its head to look back, but the old man's figure had already disappeared into the flowing light and shadow.
"Huh?" Her gaze suddenly froze on a spot not far away—another " Robin " was standing there in the exact same posture as her.
"That was... myself?"
"Brother! What a coincidence, we meet again," the Robin said in a high-pitched voice.
Sunday's bright golden pupils suddenly froze, and a chill permeated the surroundings.
"Show your true form; your Trickery are useless against us."
"I heard that a skilled charlatan, the Masked Fools, also received an invitation... Looks like it's you. Having fun?"
The Robin asked politely, and as the light and shadow shifted, the Sparkle had shed their meaningless disguise.
"It was alright, I guess." She spread her hands, indicating that the trip to Penacony hadn't been very enjoyable.
"The people here are too easy to fool. They'll take the bait if you offer them a little something, but they'll run away the moment danger strikes—simply put, they're stupid, rich, and afraid of dying!"
"Since you've had your fun, you'd better leave as soon as possible. Harmony movement cannot tolerate dissenting noises."
Sparkle exaggeratedly clutched her chest, but her tone was full of sarcasm:
"What? Now that I'm back, I'm useless? I've helped the Family so much, and this is truly disheartening."
"You should thank me. If I hadn't cleaned up this mess... Penacony would be a complete disaster by now!"
"That was the Iris Clan Head's private request; it has nothing to do with us," Sunday's voice was icy cold. "Step back and stop causing trouble for the Charmony Festival."
"Waaaaah~ Chicken Wing Boy, do you really dislike [ Elation ] that much..." Sparkle's tone suddenly changed, "I say, isn't this a little unfair?"
As she spoke, a gift box, meticulously decorated with a scarlet ribbon, suddenly appeared in her palm. The lid was half-open, revealing a red button inside.
Sunday immediately became alert, "Fool, what are you trying to do?"
"Nothing much~ Chicken Wing Boy, just a heads up, if I press this now, we'll all explode into the sky along with the entire Penacony."
Sparkle deftly turned the button on his fingertip, the red light deliberately flashing before Sunday's eyes, as if to press it.
"Sigh~ You can be so courteous to the [ Church of Eternity ], but why do you switch to shooing away flies the moment you see the Masked Fools? Is it because I'm not the [ Emanator ]?"
"Chicken Wing Boy, such blatant discrimination based on 'identity'—is this the Paradise you keep talking about building? Are you just kidding us?"
Undeterred by this deliberate provocation, Sunday continued:
"Fool, is this related to what we're discussing now?"
"Oh right! We were talking about the [ Charmony Festival ]! Hmph, who are you trying to scare? Do you think I don't know what you guys are up to?"
"Leaving aside your thoughts, Chicken Wing Boy, our lovely Miss Robin has probably decided not to go on stage now, right? After all, you've seen how ugly this dream has become under the operation of [ Harmony ]..."
"I'll say it again: [ Land of the Dreams ] Penacony..." Sparkle repeated, enunciating each word clearly, "... Is this what the Paradise you two siblings wanted looks like?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Sunday's expression changed visibly. He rebuked with barely suppressed anger:
"... shut up."
"Hehe~" Sparkle rarely sees Sunday like this. "Are you getting impatient, Chicken Wing Boy? Did I hit a nerve?"
"Our agreement is none of your business, fool. Leave now, or don't blame the Family for being impolite."
"Okay, okay~ I'm leaving then."
Having said everything that needed to be said, Sparkle gave one last reminder before leaving:
"However, Miss Robin, I still advise you to think about it more carefully—"
Can people who live in a dream truly escape suffering and attain true happiness?
The Robin's journey brought back memories of the scenes that unfolded at Dreamflux Reef.
"Hehe, I've done everything I needed to do. Now all I have to do is wait and watch the fireworks."
"Here, this gift is for you."
A crimson streak of light landed precisely in the Robin's instinctively raised hand—the deadly gift box containing the button of Destruction.
If the Charmony Festival still unfortunately takes place... please remember to use it at the performance, and don't lose it!
"Bang—that'll be exciting!"