The Stars, and You

"Then, let's change the question."

Why recruit Dania, Threnodian Resonator?

The Shorekeeper's expression finally turned serious. "The existence of Threnodian Resonator... is not unprecedented in the records of Black Shores."

"But Threnodian Resonator like Miss Dania, who can control her own consciousness and is unaffected by the Threnodian, is a first for me."

Seeing that Lu Guan's expression was a bit off, the Shorekeeper quickly added, "But don't worry, the Black Shores is dedicated to helping civilization overcome the Lament, and will not do anything detrimental to Miss Dania..."

"I don't question your attitude and determination in combating the Lament," Lu Guan explained, "But currently, Solaris's biggest problem isn't the Lament, but the ' Desolation '."

"Although there is no connection between ' Desolation ' and 'Lament' now, what about in the future? If ' Lament ' is strengthened by ' Desolation ' or even infected and mutated by it, Solaris may face annihilation!"

"Right now, only I can fight against the ' Desolation.' Anyone else who directly touches it will either be corrupted or turned into its puppet..."

"There are limits to a person's strength. Even if I worked day and night, I could not fight against all the ' Desolation ' alone."

The Shorekeeper seemed to understand something. "You mean...?"

"I hope that Black Shores can Deep Space Union and, before it's too late... find a way for others to combat the ' Desolation ' from the ' Desolation ' artifacts I've acquired."

"..." The Shorekeeper lowered his head and pondered for a while. Countless virtual data streams began to surge in his purple pupils. He was obviously using computing power to calculate the feasibility of Lu Guan's proposal.

"Stop wasting computing power." Lu Guan grabbed the Shorekeeper's hand, interrupting her calculations. "Isn't the problem on Tethys's side serious enough? If you continue to squeeze computing power, how long can you hold on?"

A flicker of surprise crossed the Shorekeeper's eyes. It seemed he was astonished by Lu Guan's actions, or perhaps puzzled as to why Lu Guan knew about Tethys's current situation...

"Sometimes, is it okay to try trusting other people instead of making judgments based on data analysis?"

"..." The Shorekeeper suddenly looked up, his eyes darting around.

That person had said something similar to himself!

"Uh... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have interfered with your thinking." Lu Guan felt uneasy under the sudden gaze of the Shorekeeper, and with an embarrassed smile, he released her fair arm.

The Shorekeeper, however, did not blame Lu Guan. He said calmly, "You and she... are quite alike."

"Uh...? With whom?"

The Shorekeeper did not answer. Instead, she waved her hand, and the surrounding scenery suddenly changed. Soon, the two found themselves in a meadow.

"This... is the Journey's End." The Shorekeeper stepped forward, stroking the piano in the center of the meadow, his eyes filled with longing and reminiscence. "... In the distant past and the distant future, this is both the end and the beginning..."

"She established the Black Shores here, connecting Solaris. Before the activation of Tethys, she touched the gift from the Hé Civilization, and I was born from it..."

At first, I saw myself as just a tool, but she didn't agree with my perspective. At the time, I couldn't understand it, but later I gradually developed feelings for her... and came to understand what she wanted me to become...

"But it's all too late. She already has too much on her shoulders. I can't let her bear any more because of me."

"In Tethys's calculations, predetermined points shouldn't be interfered with or changed, yet she's willing to risk her life to try and reverse everything for complete strangers..."

[Beep! Notification: The Shorekeeper's favorability has reached its maximum.]

What's going on? When did it reach 40 points? Lu Guan was a bit confused; he hadn't even thought about trying to win over the Shorekeeper!

"You're a lot like her... She once said: The freedom to choose is far more important than the answer."

"Perhaps I should try to trust my own judgment more... trust the judgments of the Shorekeeper more... rather than the deductions and suggestions given by Tethys..."

"... Are you treating me like a substitute for her?"

Lu Guan's lips twitched.

"Ahem... Don't misunderstand." The Shorekeeper was taken aback by Lu Guan's thunderous statement and shook his head. "After all, you are not her, and she is not you. Your paths may intersect, but ultimately they are not the same."

She smiled slightly, then slowly sat down on the piano bench, turned around and asked Lu Guan.

"Would you like to hear me play a piece? It's something I've always wanted to play for her... Perhaps you'll hear a different meaning in it..."

"... Hmm." Lu Guan nodded and leaned against the piano.

The Shorekeeper stared blankly at the spot where Lu Guan was leaning, then shook his head and began to play a tune.

"Stars, New Life and You" is the background music for the scene "The Journey's End" in the game, and it is also the piece played by the Shorekeeper at this time.

The first four notes of this piece are crisp and catchy, but they carry a faint sense of coldness and loneliness, like the bewilderment of life just after its birth.

Then a deep, intermittent note appeared, as if searching for a shadow in memory, but unable to grasp it no matter what...

But the Shorekeeper did not continue playing; the music stopped abruptly, as if the story had abruptly ended.

"That's all?" Lu Guan at the Shorekeeper, and then he had a sudden realization.

The music doesn't end here; rather, the story of the Shorekeeper has only reached this point. Until the hidden dangers of the Tethys System are resolved, she doesn't yet understand her future fate...

That's the end of my story.

The Shorekeeper's smile remained gentle, but Lu Guan could detect a hint of sorrow in it.

The essence of the Tethys System is to observe Lament through Lament. After countless years of cycles, this Möbius strip is endless, while its container cannot bear the ever-increasing burden.

The Shorekeeper... this girl who exists because of tools is, besides the Rover herself as the "Tuner," the most suitable choice to become the core of Tethys...

Perhaps the Shorekeeper already knew that the Tethys System would eventually suffer a fatal problem, and were already prepared to sacrifice themselves to become the core of Tethys...

But the Rover never considered solving the problem this way; she left the coast and went alone to find new answers.

Her words to Lu Guan now seemed like a veiled entrustment, a hope that Lu Guan, who would one day cross paths with Tuner "Tuner," could take her place and journey alongside them after she was formatted by Tethys...

"... Is Tethys's problem really that serious?" Lu Guan at the Shorekeeper. "Are you really sure you've made up your mind?"

Gazing into Lu Guan's golden eyes, which were remarkably similar to that of the other man, the Shorekeeper's pupils trembled violently, and his slender, fair hands, resting on the piano keys, began to tremble uncontrollably.

She lowered her head, not daring to look into Lu Guan's eyes again, afraid that if she looked again, she would recall every little thing she had spent with that person.

She understood what Lu Guan meant by that decision... but didn't she also long to stand under the same sky as him? To look together at the places he had walked, and to pursue that kind of happiness?

The problem with Tethys had to be solved, and the Shorekeeper, unwilling to let the man's story end there, could only... resort to deception...

"If you love her, then you shouldn't just stay here, hoping to see her one last time before choosing to disappear... This is not only a painful choice for you, but for her, knowing the truth would be an endless torment."

"... Think about it carefully yourself." Lu Guan turned and left. "Things aren't without hope, but if you give up on yourself, then no one can save you."

At this point, he stopped and turned back to add.

"The next time we meet here, I hope you can play the second half of this piece for me."

"No..."

"It's for me and her to play."

Then, Lu Guan waved to the Shorekeeper, silently chanting, "As long as I want to leave, the path... is right beneath my feet." He activated his resonance ability and left Sonoro.

Long after he left, the Shorekeeper dared to raise his head and look at the spot where Lu Guan had stood before leaving, muttering to himself.

"A turning point... You and her... really resemble each other..."

"But... it's not quite the same..."

A faint smile played on her lips, but a tear, formed from echoing energy, fell from her eye.

Anyway... thank you for listening to me...