Birthday Surprise in Progress (Part Three)

Despite the numerous unexpected incidents that occurred at the party, Dania felt she had a pretty good day.

However, she couldn't stay awake any longer and unknowingly fell asleep leaning against Xiao Ling's shoulder.

"Asleep?" the Shorekeeper asked softly, pointing to the sleeping Dania.

"Yes, she's asleep," Xiao Ling said gently. "I'll take her upstairs to rest first. You two sit here for a while; I have something important to tell you."

Upon hearing that Xiao Ling had something to say, the girls perked up, ready to listen to what it was that would make Xiao Ling take it so seriously.

"Don't go..."

Just as Xiao Ling had placed the sleeping Honey Peach on the bed and tucked it in, and was about to turn around and go downstairs, Dania grabbed her sleeve.

"I'll be good... don't abandon me..."

Dania rarely showed her vulnerability to others, but she was a fragile gem, and lies were the glue that held that gem together.

Her hand, which was holding Xiao Ling's clothes, trembled slightly, and even her brows, which were usually exceptionally beautiful when she smiled, were now furrowed.

Looks like you had a nightmare...

Xiao Ling took out the bear doll that Dania always carried with her, which she called the "Trickster," and gently placed it in her hand.

This method was very effective. Dania, who was fast asleep, immediately hugged the doll with both hands, and her furrowed brows relaxed a lot in an instant.

"Good night."

After pecking Dania on the forehead, Xiao Ling quietly closed the door and went downstairs.

Dania, who was fast asleep, had long since lost her unease. Now, her brows were relaxed, and even the corners of her mouth were curved into a smile.

"I'm back."

"Welcome back!" Aemeath said with a smile, pulling Xiao Ling back to the center of the sofa. "So A-Yu, is there something important you want to tell us now?"

"No rush. Before that, I'd like to share a story with you," Xiao Ling said gently, "A story about Dania."

"Xiao Ya's story... is indeed quite intriguing, after all, she sang 'Ten no Yoru' with such emotion, it was like a cry from her heart."

As a singer-songwriter, Aemeath is adept at capturing fleeting emotions from the mundane details of daily life and recording them. So when she heard Dania's voice, she immediately felt that the girl was using this song to express her true feelings.

What do you all think?

Whether they knew nothing about him or only had a general understanding, all the women smiled and nodded at Xiao Ling at that moment.

"Well... I'm about to begin."

Xiao Ling composed himself and prepared to lead the girls beside him back to that melting night sky to witness Dania grow into adulthood.

Solaris's joys and sorrows are always conserved.

While some greet the new Dawn with joy and laughter, others force a smile as they face a silent end.

As the plot unfolds, everyone watches as Dania accompanies, comforts, and encourages her best friend Sigrika. They also witness how Dania is moved by Nastassia, who is about to retire, and how she comes to understand her own heart with the help of the Rover, ultimately overcoming the nightmare that has always haunted her.

Finally, after listening to Dania's inner monologue, the group of girls watched her sing a requiem called "Happy Birthday" as she was sent off to her death.

They listened to Dania's message word for word, and quietly waited until the story ended. Then, an achievement name popped up at the very end of the story—

The weakness of Heaven.

The heavy atmosphere hung like a persistent dark cloud over everyone's heads, making them feel extremely oppressed.

"I... I'm sorry, senior... I need to... calm down!" Sigrika was sobbing and had trouble breathing. After saying a few words to Xiao Ling, she ran to the backyard as if fleeing, her tears streaking like shooting stars in the dim light.

"I'm going to get some fresh air and also see Senior Sigrika." Lynae's voice had lost its usual liveliness as she followed Sigrika to the backyard.

Chisa didn't say anything, but simply accompanied Lynae to the backyard.

"Encore, go see Sister Sigrika too!" Encore jumped off the sofa in a hurry and followed her to the backyard.

The four girls temporarily left their seats, but this did not prevent Xiao Ling from continuing to explain what he had to say.

Aemeath's eyes reddened. As someone who had sacrificed herself, she knew better than anyone the price to pay for making such a decision. The only difference was that Dania could have chosen to run away, but she still made the same choice as she had back then.

Little Ai remained silent, but quietly added the Fractsidus Society to her kill list.

"Although I learned the general outline of Dania's situation from the relevant reports, seeing her make such a choice firsthand is still..." Roccia sighed regretfully, "This is something she, as a student, shouldn't have had to do."

In Roccia's personal opinion, Dania was first a student of the Star Torch Academy, and then a so-called Fractsidus infiltrator and Threnodian Resonator.

However, Star Torch Academy was not her personal fiefdom, and even if she wanted to protect Dania, she was powerless to do so.

"I don't understand..." Cartethyia said, her voice filled with sadness and confusion. "The Tacet Discord of Lahai-Roi were guarding the tunnel entrance. Even if Aleph-1 returned to Solaris, he couldn't possibly pose a threat to Lahai-Roi immediately. Everyone in the academy had plenty of time to prepare other contingency plans, so why..."

"The idea is good, Cartethyia, but that's the most insidious part of the Fractsidus." Iuno spat in dissatisfaction. "If Blank accepts Dania, then when Aleph-1 again poses a threat to Lahai-Roi, he will become an accomplice to the enemy. But if Blank sacrifices Dania, it will contradict his ideal of saving everyone."

"I've read about this in the books here; it's called the 'trolley problem,' Fractsidus force him to choose between the two."

"But they also overlooked Dania's initiative," Augusta added. "The rescued individual didn't simply sit idly by; instead, she helped Laureate make a choice in her own way."

"Senior, you didn't just tell us about Dania's story without reason, did you?" Morning, as earnest and reliable as ever, clenched his fist and placed it on his chest, his expression serious. "Please tell me your thoughts, Senior. I will do my best to assist you!"

"Haha, no need to be so serious, Morning," Xiao Ling chuckled twice before reassuring her. "I'm just planning to throw her a birthday party, that's all."

"But doesn't Xiao Ya not have her own birthday?" Lupa asked, puzzled.

"She doesn't have her own birthday, which means every day in the future can be her birthday," Xiao Ling said with a light laugh.

"A good explanation," Roccia agreed.

"Hey, I was originally thinking of secretly preparing a little surprise for Dania with Augusta, and giving you a little scare too," Iuno pouted with a hint of regret. "Now it seems we'll have to just say it out loud."

"If I don't tell you, are you planning to keep this a secret until Dania's birthday?"

"Uh-huh!"

"In that case, shouldn't we prepare some gifts?" Chun said, nodding her lips.

"Gifts aren't necessary; I just want to make this birthday celebration more lively," Xiao Ling said to Chun with a smile.

"Oh~ Simply put, A-Yu wants everyone here to celebrate Dania's birthday together, just like today's party!" Aemeath exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, so I'd like to ask everyone to make time to participate on that day. As for when... how about the weekend after the sports meet?"

"There's still about a month until the sports meet, so we should have enough time to prepare a suitable gift..." Iuno for a moment and then nodded. "Yes, I'm fine!"

"I have no objection." Augusta nodded with a faint smile.

"No problem, no problem! But what about the cake? Should we order one?" Lupa indicated that she would accept the arrangement, and then brought up the issue of the cake.

"Don't worry about the cake, Righteous One and I will prepare it in advance," Cartethyia said with a smile.

"Ah~ I see, that cake is your achievement." Tsubaki immediately thought of the strawberry cake that the Shorekeeper brought back last weekend.

"Ah! No wonder you two were acting so mysteriously last weekend, A-Yu and Little Cart, and didn't go out with us!" Aemeath exclaimed in realization.

"This needs to be kept a secret from you all. If any of you little darlings can't keep your mouths shut and tell the protagonist, then this whole plan will be ruined." Xiao Ling turned to Sigrika, who had finished composing herself and returned to the living room, and smiled. "You agree, right, Sigrika?"

"I don't have such a big mouth! Senior, you're wronging me again!" Sigrika said coquettishly, her cheeks slightly flushed. Her eyes were still red and swollen, but she didn't cry anymore.

The three Lynae following behind her all had bright smiles on their faces, looking quite excited about the surprise they were preparing.

"I'm just afraid you won't be able to keep things to yourself and Yaya Ya will find out." Xiao Ling gave a helpless smile.

"In short, we're all in the same boat now. Remember, prepare secretly, and absolutely don't let Dania know!" Xiao Ling said with a serious, threatening tone. "If anyone accidentally slips up... hmph!"

"Just wait and see, I'll treat her to a creamy feast on her birthday!"