Chapter Summaries

The Astral Express Crew prepared to investigate the sealed Dream Hotel while Stelle asked Black Swan about Firefly’s safety. In reality, Firefly woke beside Silver Wolf and Ye Yan, who explained her recovery and joked that she now counted as a legal resident of the Church of Eternity.

• Welt warned the crew about Sam and the factions gathered in Penacony, and Himeko decided they would investigate the sealed Dream Hotel.
• Himeko asked Black Swan to guide the crew through the dream while Welt stayed in reality to negotiate with the Family if needed.
• Stelle asked Black Swan whether Firefly was safe, and Black Swan said Firefly had awakened in reality and would enter the dream with them.
• Firefly woke beside Silver Wolf and Ye Yan, mistook Ye Yan for the person impersonating him, and lowered her guard after they explained the situation.
• Silver Wolf told Ye Yan that Firefly’s illness had been cured and her combat power had surged after drinking his milk tea.
• Ye Yan said Firefly’s milk tea contained power from [Eternity] and joked that she could join the Church of Eternity as a legal resident.

Stelle, Black Swan, Acheron, and Fulisina joined forces in the Dreamscape and reached the hotel lobby, where Firefly was fighting Something Unto Death. Fulisina charged into the battle after declaring she had seen through the dream, while Ye Yan watched from the real Reverie Hotel.

• Black Swan explained that Stelle's companions had awakened elsewhere in the Memory Zone, and Stelle found March 7th's remembered room empty.
• Stelle and Black Swan encountered Acheron and Fulisina facing rogue Dreamjolt Troupe machines, then defeated the machines together.
• Fulisina showed Black Swan and Stelle a drawing of missing Church member Ye Yan, and Black Swan handed her a Light Cone.
• Acheron suggested they travel together, and Fulisina opened a portal that took the group to the hotel lobby.
• The group found Firefly fighting Something Unto Death; Stelle, Black Swan, and Acheron joined the fight as Fulisina praised the Lord of Eternity and attacked with a burst of light.
• In reality, Ye Yan watched Silver Wolf gaming and looked toward the Memory Zone beneath Penacony's Dreamscape.

Black Swan led Stelle and Acheron back through the dreamscape after Himeko warned them to find safety, but they encountered Sam at the Reverie Hotel and fought him. Black Swan removed Stelle from the battle, where she found Aventurine holding her missing amber milk tea.

• Black Swan relayed Himeko’s message to Stelle and said she would take Stelle and Acheron back to reality because the Emanator of [Eternity] had restricted her travel.
• Stelle, Acheron, and Black Swan found recently burned monster remains and deduced that their killer had gone deeper into the hotel.
• Black Swan recognized that the killer’s trail led toward Fulisina’s location and hurried the group back there.
• Sam confronted Stelle, Acheron, and Black Swan, threatened them, and attacked Stelle as she tried to fight back.
• Stelle searched for her amber milk tea during the fight, but Acheron knocked Sam away and Black Swan moved Stelle to the public lounge.
• Stelle found Aventurine holding her missing amber milk tea and charged at him with her bat.

Aventurine revealed that Acheron might be an Emanator who killed Duke Inferno, then invited Stelle to help uncover a truth that could overturn Penacony. Stelle questioned Black Swan about their cooperation and learned that Aventurine needed her to reclaim Penacony.

• Aventurine used a golden shield to stop Stelle and explained that Black Swan had brought her to him to protect her from Acheron.
• Aventurine told Stelle that Acheron was likely an Emanator and suggested she and another killer had worked together to destroy Duke Inferno and the Ever-Flame Mansion.
• Aventurine offered Stelle a choice between leaving Penacony's mystery behind and following him to learn a fact that could overturn it.
• After Aventurine left, Stelle realized Ye Yan was missing from the dreamscape hotel and that Firefly and Fulisina had disappeared, while Blake had secretly cooperated with Sunday.
• Stelle confronted Black Swan, who admitted making a deal with Aventurine and said he needed Stelle to help reclaim Penacony.

Black Swan urged Stelle to trust her and Aventurine so they could pursue the truth behind Penacony, but Stelle left to recover her milk tea. Meanwhile, Fulisina intervened in the hotel lobby, exposed Sparkle's failed attempt to direct Acheron and Sam, and Firefly recognized the truth about Penacony's concealed Dreamscape.

• Black Swan told Stelle that Aventurine was worth trusting, warned her about contracts, and said Acheron was hiding everything.
• Black Swan asked Stelle to go with her to investigate Aventurine's truth, but Stelle chose to make the Strategic Investment Department director return her milk tea.
• Sparkle tried to direct Acheron and Sam's confrontation in the Reverie lobby, but Fulisina used her power to pull Sparkle away from her holographic projection.
• Acheron explained that she had recognized Firefly beneath Sam's armor because of their shared milk tea and sensed who was inside it.
• Firefly realized the Family had concealed Death and the truth of Penacony's Dreamscape, while Sparkle's prophecy had become irrelevant amid the chaos.

Stelle followed Aventurine to the Reverie hotel room, where he revealed a dead singer in the Dream Pool and forced her into his game. In Golden Hour, “Ye Yan” taunted Sunday about Robin’s death and offered to help him, but Sunday refused and vowed to judge the culprit when the time came.

• Stelle met Aventurine outside the guest room, accepted the milk tea he returned, then offered it back to him.
• Aventurine led Stelle into the room and showed her the famous Halovian singer’s body floating in the Dream Pool.
• Sunday confronted “Ye Yan,” who accused him of killing Robin and said two people had died in the dreamscape.
• Sunday condemned “Ye Yan” and rejected his offer of help, insisting he would judge the true culprit when the appointed day arrived.
• “Ye Yan” vanished, and Sunday vowed that the foreigner would fall through his own schemes and that Sunday would serve as the Clockmaker’s vanguard.

Aventurine showed Stelle a genuine Remembrance projection of Robin’s apparent death and argued that Acheron was the likely culprit, then proposed that the Astral Express help him investigate. Stelle declined to decide alone, and Aventurine sent her back to consult her companions.

• Aventurine showed Stelle a Remembrance projection of Robin’s apparent death and claimed that Acheron was the only likely culprit.
• Aventurine warned Stelle that Penacony’s factions were hiding things and urged her to keep her distance from Acheron.
• Black Swan confirmed that the projection was authentic, and Aventurine offered to cooperate with the Astral Express in a personal capacity to recover the IPC’s ownership of Frontier Prison.
• Aventurine proposed investigating Robin’s death to expose The Family’s secrets and create leverage for the IPC.
• Stelle declined to agree without consulting her companions, and Aventurine gave her his contact details and encouraged her to discuss the deal with them.

Stelle reunited with the Astral Express Crew after discussing Robin’s death, Firefly’s disappearance, and Aventurine’s suspicions with Black Swan. The crew examined The Family’s response and began gathering information, while Welt warned that they were still caught in the mystery surrounding the [legacy].

• Black Swan warned Stelle that working with Aventurine was dangerous, suggested [Death] had killed Robin, and urged her to keep her distance from Acheron.
• Black Swan considered whether the dreamscape’s collapse or a hidden plan had caused [Death] to target Firefly, then led Stelle out of the hotel.
• Stelle encountered Ye Yan, tested his identity with a question about the space station, and accepted him as the real Ye Yan.
• Ye Yan brought Stelle to the Astral Express Crew at the [Clockie] statue, where March 7th and the others discussed Robin’s death and Firefly’s disappearance.
• Welt and Himeko reasoned that The Family might have assumed Firefly was dead and could be using the incidents to control the investigation, while Stelle noted Aventurine’s wariness of Acheron.
• Welt proposed gathering information and eliminating contradictions, but warned that the crew remained caught in the vortex surrounding the [legacy].

The Astral Express agreed to cooperate with Aventurine and received eight million Credits, while Himeko considered his likely plans against The Family. March 7th voiced suspicions about Robin, Firefly, and the Church before a mysterious bottle of starry-sky-colored milk tea rolled to her feet.

• Himeko, Welt, and Ye Yan discussed Aventurine and The Family, and Welt recommended accepting Aventurine's offer cautiously.
• Stelle told Aventurine that the Astral Express Crew agreed to cooperate, and he transferred eight million Credits as a gift.
• Aventurine warned Stelle that The Family planned to conceal Robin's situation and said the other case depended on what story The Family told them.
• Himeko reasoned that Aventurine intended to undermine The Family and urged the crew to remain wary of his gambling nature.
• March 7th told Ye Yan she suspected Robin was alive, questioned the disappearances of Firefly and the priestess, and worried that the Church was hiding something.
• A bottle of starry-sky-colored milk tea rolled to March 7th's feet.

After the group split to investigate Penacony’s mysteries, Welt and Ye Yan spoke with Acheron about her identity and the deaths blamed on her. Acheron proposed that the Family concealed the source of the tragedies, and Welt agreed to investigate with her privately while Ye Yan declined to get involved.

• Himeko suggested checking the incidents Stelle witnessed, while Welt proposed splitting up to investigate other concerns with Ye Yan; Himeko and March 7th left to check on Firefly and Robin in reality.
• After Himeko and March 7th departed, Welt called for Acheron, who appeared and discussed her identity with him and Ye Yan.
• Acheron explained that Fulisina had killed Afrit of the Ever-Flame Mansion, and defended the duke’s death as a sacrifice rather than a horrible murder.
• Welt questioned Acheron’s identity and purpose, and she said she was a Galaxy Ranger who had come to fulfill a long-standing last wish; Ye Yan added that he had brought her to work for him.
• Acheron suggested that Penacony’s tragedies were connected to a secret within the Family and asked Welt for help; Ye Yan declined, while Welt agreed to investigate with her privately until they found evidence.

Ye Yan confronted Aha over the milk tea scheme while a Memokeeper entered his room, and Black Swan investigated Acheron’s past before turning her attention to Ye Yan. Her attempt to sense the cleric’s memories triggered an ominous hum in her mind.

• Ye Yan returned to the milk tea shop and challenged Aha about making humans drink milk tea imbued with [Elation] and [Eternity] and blaming the Church of Eternity.
• Aha defended the scheme and blamed Ye Yan for giving the little Stellaron the bottle, but Ye Yan interrupted to warn that a Memokeeper had entered his room.
• Black Swan searched Acheron’s memories using the music box, but found that the events surrounding it had been erased.
• Black Swan left Acheron’s room and entered Ye Yan’s guest room, where she noticed an unnatural sense of stagnation.
• Black Swan tried to sense the room’s lingering memories, and an indescribable hum erupted in her mind.

Black Swan’s attempt to investigate [Eternity] exposed her to Blake’s true nature, and she realized he was an Aeon. At Morning Dew Mansion, Sunday tried to recruit Dr. Ratio to The Family’s cause, while Blake’s presence repeatedly disrupted their negotiation.

• Black Swan was trapped in an endless loop of [Eternity] and heard Blake warn her before she recognized him as an Aeon.
• Blake told Sunday that Black Swan’s investigation was no accident and argued that The Family should bring the Dream Master in person rather than rely on surveillance statues.
• Blake recalled how Memokeepers’ bold curiosity had once led one of them to infiltrate the Church of Eternity and receive Fulisina’s memories.
• Dr. Ratio arrived at Morning Dew Mansion to meet Sunday, who offered him The Family’s research on the Stellaron in exchange for his assistance.
• Dr. Ratio asked for Mr. Aventurine’s entire plan, while Blake repeatedly coughed and claimed his throat hurt from drinking too much milk tea.

Sunday and Dr. Ratio discovered that Aventurine had submitted Topaz’s Cornerstone while hiding his own in the confiscated luggage. Later, Aventurine learned that Robin’s death was being concealed and planned how to use the murder to advance his investigation, but the Family placed him under Hound surveillance.

• Sunday questioned whether Aventurine’s submitted Cornerstone was really his, and Dr. Ratio revealed it belonged to Topaz.
• Dr. Ratio found Aventurine’s own Cornerstone hidden among the jewels in his confiscated suitcase, and Sunday chose not to confront him yet.
• Blake considered giving the Church’s residents sacred stones of Eternity to improve their strength.
• Dr. Ratio told Aventurine that Robin’s death was being concealed, with a body double appearing in the ceremony broadcast, and that a stowaway had also gone missing.
• Aventurine considered using Robin’s death as leverage against the Family and recalled the Masked Fool’s hint to make friends with a mute.
• Dr. Ratio said the Family had accepted Aventurine’s alibi for now, but the Hounds would keep him under surveillance.

Aventurine and Dr. Ratio prepared to negotiate privately with Sunday, while Black Swan recovered in Acheron’s room and learned from a mysterious caller that Acheron was an Emanator who should not exist. The chapter left Aventurine about to use Robin’s death to bargain for his freedom and power and overturn Penacony’s dream.

• Aventurine accepted Sunday’s request for a private meeting, and he and Dr. Ratio headed to Morning Dew Mansion.
• Black Swan woke in Acheron’s guest room and received a call from a stranger who threatened her and asked about Acheron.
• Black Swan asked how Acheron became a Galaxy Ranger, and the caller revealed that Acheron was an Emanator who should not exist.
• The caller asked Black Swan to bring Asdana White Oak to the Church of Eternity and told her that someone from the Church had broken bones throughout Oswaldo Schneider’s body.
• At the door to Sunday’s room, Aventurine explained that he planned to use Robin’s death as leverage and suspected a traitor within The Family.
• Aventurine declared that he would regain his freedom and power, overturn the dream, and create the grandest death.

Aventurine met Sunday and offered to help uncover who silenced Robin in exchange for his freedom and possessions, but Sunday refused to return the Cornerstone. In Dreamflux Reef, Blake gave Fulisina two Cornerstones, while Ye Yan and Aha discussed Black Swan’s attempted probe and the Aeon experimental grounds.

• Aventurine entered Sunday’s chamber with Dr. Ratio and accused The Family of concealing the person responsible for Robin’s lost voice.
• Aventurine offered the company’s help with Robin’s case in exchange for his personal freedom, his belongings, and his Cornerstone, but Sunday insisted the Cornerstone remain in The Family’s custody.
• In Dreamflux Reef, Blake showed Fulisina the Cornerstones and tossed her the Topaz Stone, telling her not to break them.
• After Blake left, Fulisina raised both Cornerstones and recited a line as they began to glow.
• In Golden Hour, Ye Yan discussed Black Swan’s failed attempt to probe his Remembrance with Aha, then raised the Aeon experimental grounds and hinted someone had reached a scepter before Nanook did.

Sunday interrogated Aventurine about the missing Cornerstone and trapped him in a test that would last seventeen system hours. Aventurine left Morning Dew Mansion with his belongings restored, secretly pleased that Sunday's Harmony had not affected him.

• Sunday used the power of Harmony to interrogate Aventurine, who admitted that he possessed a Cornerstone but lied about the Aventurine Stone being inside the box.
• Aventurine revealed that the box was empty, then produced two Cornerstones that had been taken from Fulisina in Dreamflux Reef.
• Sunday declared that Aventurine had seventeen system hours to investigate evil within The Family, warning that failure would bring the wrath of The Great Septimus.
• Sunday restored Aventurine's travel bag and told him to use its jewels to fund his investigation.
• Aventurine accused Sunday of conducting a lynching, and Sunday explained that he wanted to know what Aventurine had discovered at the scene of her murder.

Aventurine questioned Sparkle about her cryptic hints and the amber crystal, hoping to learn the truth behind Penacony’s secrets. Sparkle revealed that Robin was one of three people who fit her meaning of “mute,” while the other two remained somewhere in Penacony.

• After leaving Morning Dew Mansion, Aventurine told Dr. Ratio that a traitor within the Family held Penacony’s secret and asked him to tell the Strategic Investment Department he would take the stage in seventeen system hours.
• Dr. Ratio gave Aventurine medical advice and left, while Aventurine continued asking people in Golden Hour about Death in exchange for jewels.
• Aventurine used his apparent weakness and nearly empty gift bag to lure out Sparkle, then accused her of being the double who appeared on television after Robin died.
• Sparkle recognized the trace of Eternity in Aventurine and warned that he would soon become unable to speak, like Robin.
• Aventurine showed Sparkle the amber crystal and asked whether the Emanator of Eternity had directed her hints; he then asked whether she meant Robin when she told him to find a mute.
• Sparkle said Robin was one of three people who fit the definition of mute, and that the other two were still in Penacony; she challenged Aventurine to guess who else did not speak.

Aventurine rejected Sparkle’s destructive proposal and planned a performance to bring down the Family, while Sparkle hinted that Ye Yan was another of Penacony’s silent figures. At the Dreamjolt Bar, Stelle’s group met Gallagher and Siobhan to discuss Firefly’s case, and Gallagher offered to prepare custom alcohol-free drinks.

• Aventurine told Sparkle he had confirmed his suspicions and would uncover the truth within sixteen system hours.
• Sparkle gave Aventurine a Mutually Assured Destruction button, but he declined it and said he would expose the Family himself.
• Sparkle suggested that Ye Yan was the third mute, a silent observer who knew Penacony’s secrets.
• Stelle, March 7th, and Himeko arrived at the Dreamjolt Bar after investigating Firefly’s identity and meeting Topaz at The Reverie.
• Gallagher welcomed the group and offered to make custom alcohol-free drinks while Siobhan explained that anything in the dream could serve as an ingredient.

At the Dreamjolt Bar, Gallagher explained the art of bartending and served the group a drink that led Himeko to ask about Mikhail. He then revealed that Firefly was a stowaway who had vanished without a trace, while Stelle suspected Ye Yan had hidden her with his Veil of Eternal Night move.

• Gallagher described bartending and mixed a drink for the group using Stelle’s white grape soda.
• The group sampled Gallagher’s drink, and he called it the true taste of Dreamscape Paradise.
• Himeko connected the drink’s imagery to Mikhail, and Gallagher agreed to explain the case.
• Gallagher said Firefly had been a genuine stowaway and had vanished from both the dream and reality.
• Stelle suspected Ye Yan had used Veil of Eternal Night to conceal Firefly.
• Gallagher warned that the Family had deeper difficulties and that the group would need to understand them to investigate the case.

Gallagher revealed that Mikhail, the supposed traitor to The Family, was the Clockmaker behind Penacony’s Dreamscape anomalies. As Gallagher guided the Astral Express crew through Clock Studios, Sunday warned Welt and Acheron to distrust Aventurine, who was heading there alone.

• Gallagher told Himeko that The Family had long considered the Clockmaker an enemy and had used the Nameless to try to make him slip up.
• Gallagher revealed that Mikhail was the Clockmaker and was responsible for the Dreamscape anomalies.
• At Clock Studios, Ye Yan blamed Sparkle and the Masked Fools for the strange events involving Firefly.
• Gallagher explained that Penacony had been a Corporation prison where Memoria caused prisoners’ dreams to intertwine, before they fought for freedom.
• Welt and Acheron visited Sunday at Morning Dew Mansion, and Sunday warned them that Aventurine was dangerous and was heading alone to Clock Studios Paradise.