Who is it?!
[ The Dream Master ] and Sunday turned around and saw a Intellitron figure wearing Fool's Mask standing silently behind them.
Who goes there?
"I will not change my name or surname." The Intellitron bowed gracefully, its electronic voice beneath the Fool's Mask carrying a strange rhythm:
" The Masked Fools [ Lycurgus ] -- See you now."
As if afraid they wouldn't remember his appearance on Sunday, He even considerately removed his mask, revealing a standard Intellitron face.
At this moment, the sharp edge in Sunday's eyes had long been replaced by a deeper sense of bewilderment.
He sensed the sudden surge of power within his sister more keenly than the Dream Master —it was neither Penacony's harmonies nor the Elation echoes of the Tavern...
Sunday realized, based on his previous contact with that Chair, that what was resisting him was a far more ancient and vast force—[ Eternity ].
"Are you... fooling us, sir?"
The Dream Master spoke slowly, but he did not sense any powerful pressure from this person belonging to the Emanator; the calmness itself was rather eerie.
"Sigh... family members turn against each other, people these days... they don't know anything about innovation."
The ' Intellitron ' that called itself Lycurgus sighed dramatically and spread its hands.
He turned his gaze to the Night Thrush perched on the shoulder of the Oak Family employee, its feathers slightly ruffled.
"And... Little Hermit Thrush, I don't like your guarded look at all. I'm going to punish you a little."
As soon as he finished speaking, he started complaining to himself again, as if confiding in an invisible audience. "Ugh~ They won't let me play freely, and they want me to pretend to be that piece of scrap metal's father. I don't understand what they were thinking."
Then, as if just remembering his business, he snapped his fingers toward the position of the Robin and Sunday.
"It doesn't matter... Oh, I almost forgot, what's coming next is not suitable for children, little birds, please step aside."
The crisp snap of fingers echoed, rippling the space like water. The figures of the Robin and Sunday, along with the surrounding air, were instantly erased by an irresistible and incomprehensible force, leaving only emptiness in their place.
Seeing the two siblings disappear before his eyes, a fleeting, almost imperceptible panic flashed in the [ Dream Master's ] eyes, but it quickly subsided into calm.
"Your Excellency... no, sir, could you perhaps be the Emanator of [ Eternity ]?"
The Dream Master's voice was more cautious than ever before, lowering its stance, and one could even detect a hint of humility.
The current situation is unfavorable to him, and the idea of summoning [ The Great Septimus ] is nothing short of a pipe dream.
Moreover, the [ Dream Master ] vaguely sensed that even if the [ The Great Septimus ] were truly summoned, it would still be unable to defeat the bizarrely behaving Intellitron before him.
But... it specifically sent away the Robin and Sunday, so it seems it doesn't intend to kill itself and there's still room for negotiation.
"What? To beg for mercy, they're even using such a respectful title as 'Sir'?"
The ' Intellitron ' seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, and picked its ear with its little finger in an extremely inelegant manner, looking down at the [ Dream Master ] with undisguised contempt.
He shook his head, his tone full of contempt. " Little Hermit Thrush, you have no backbone at all, I despise you."
[ The Clockmaker ] Deep within the dream bubble left by Mikhail, Misha leads the Astral Express Crew into a house steeped in the atmosphere of time.
"This is it. This... is my [clock room]."
Misha stopped, turned around, and her voice, which had lost some of its childishness, became calm and composed, unlike her appearance—clearly, that long-buried Remembrance had been awakened.
"While waiting for Mikhail's return from his voyage, Uncle Wald gave me this workshop, this toy room, my [secret hideout]..."
"I'm here learning to repair clockwork and gears. I love precision mechanics. I'm the captain of the [ Compass ], and together with my companions, Clockie and Miss Mirror, we search for new continents in our dreams."
"I... was born and raised here," Misha said.
"So, this building in the dream bubble is your childhood home," Welt said.
"Yes, but no," Misha shook her head slightly. "Perhaps it's more accurate to say..."
"This [dream bubble] is my home."
Himeko smiled. "It seems you've remembered everything."
March 7th's gaze swept across everyone's faces, catching the unspoken understanding between them, and finally, belatedly, he noticed something amiss.
"Wait, wait, wait, what's with this feeling that everyone except me is on the same wavelength?"
" March 7th, you're stupid."
Xing put her hands on her hips; at least she wasn't the last to know.
Himeko looked at March 7th and coaxed, " Little March, do you remember what Hoshi mentioned before, about the Clockie that only she can see?"
March 7th nodded, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the lifelike 3D cartoon clock figure beside him, hands on hips.
"I remember, isn't that the one over there? We saw it at Dreamflux Reef, and Uncle Yang even greeted it."
" Clockie ~ It seems everyone on the Astral Express has a very childlike heart!" Clockie said cheerfully, turning the clock face.
Himeko picked up on that statement and explained to March 7th, "The answer is indeed [ the Astral Express ]. Hoshi's experience proves that at least Miss Firefly and Miss Acheron cannot see this Clockie."
"And at Dreamflux Reef, I wonder if anyone has noticed that, subtly, no one outside the Astral Express Crew... has had any conversation with it."
"Meme life forms that can only be seen by a select group of people are almost like... a secret letter left by someone for Nameless."
"But does that mean Little Misha can also see Clockie?" March 7th's confusion hadn't completely dissipated. "They've even been childhood friends, but Misha hasn't even embarked on the [ Trailblaze ] path yet..."
"That's the key to the mystery, Little March. Now, try to recall... Just like the Clockie, have you ever seen anyone outside the Astral Express Crew interact with Misha?"
After thinking about it March 7th, it seems that there really isn't one.
"No way..." An incredulous thought arose in her mind.
"That's the answer, Miss March 7th."
Misha met her gaze, his eyes calm after a long wait.
"This dream bubble is the cradle of my birth. I... am the first dreamer to be no different from the Memory Zone Meme."
"I should have stayed in the dream bubble waiting for your arrival, but reality and Remembrance overlapped, causing me to unconsciously push open the door and leave with Clockie."
March 7th looked at Misha, "So the dream bubble left behind by the [ Clockmaker ] is empty, not because it has no content, but because... its content left on its own?"
"The whistle you heard was the sound of the train arriving in Penacony?"
"That's certainly one interpretation, but there's likely a much longer story behind it. I think it's best if he himself explains the whole story, all the lingering questions and unresolved issues..."
"How about we start with your name? Now, what should we call you, [ Misha ], or..."
Before Himeko could even utter the name, Misha had already stepped forward:
"Thank you all for helping me find my way back from this long journey. Let me reintroduce myself."
"I was born on the planet Lushaka in the Przesmirl Galaxy, the adopted son of the navigator Mikhail and Mrs. Char."
"The two elderly people gave me a treasure, a name that carries their hopes and wishes--"
" Lagwork Shar Mikhail."
He pronounced each syllable clearly, and then revealed a gentle smile as always.
"Or more simply... Misha."