He Exists

Sunlight streamed into the campus of the Star Torch Academy.

The college, having survived the disaster, gradually returned to order, with students everywhere expressing their relief and whispering among themselves.

A gentle breeze rustled through the green trees, carrying the fragrance of flowers, but the sky over Rinascita remained unchanged.

Aemeath walked alone on the wide, tree-lined path on campus.

The students around me were walking in twos and threes, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

But these sounds, when they reached Aemeath's ears, seemed to be separated by a thick wall, becoming distant and indistinct.

She is now like a ghost wandering among humans, yet completely out of place in this world.

Aemeath maintained that faint smile on her face, and if a classmate passed by and greeted her, she would return the greeting with a nod and a smile without hesitation.

However, only she knew that with each step she took, the emptiness in her heart grew larger.

Beneath that smiling mask lies a twisted, bleeding soul.

This perfect disguise fooled both the mentor and the friends.

I cannot give up.

If things collapse here, someone will investigate everything that happened today; if someone investigates, A-Yan's existence may be discovered by those powerful people or the higher-ups of the Deep Space Union.

That was her A-Yan.

No one but her had the right to seek traces of him.

More than ten minutes later, Aemeath finally arrived at the door of her dormitory.

This was her only safe haven in this vast academy, the place where she saw him again after more than ten years.

Aemeath extended her slightly trembling hand and swiped the keypad to unlock the dormitory door.

"Drop--"

The sound of the door lock opening was exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

She went inside.

He turned around and closed the door.

Click.

As the final click of the lock tightened, the sunlight, the noise, and the gaze of the world outside were shut out behind the door.

Just as the door closed.

The smile on Aemeath's face, which had lasted for a full half hour and was so perfect it was chilling, shattered instantly, like glass falling to the ground.

There was no transition.

The light in Aemeath's eyes went out in an instant, her pupils dilated, and her entire face lost all vitality and color, becoming paler than a dead person.

The schoolbag in my hand fell to the floor with a "thud".

Aemeath felt as if her bones had been removed; she slid against the hard door, her back against it, until she finally collapsed onto the cold floor.

Sunlight still streamed in through the round window, falling on the sofa.

But on the sofa, there will never again be that person who would gently stroke her hair and call her "Little Warrior" in a tender voice.

"Ha ha..."

Aemeath's chest heaved violently.

She opened her mouth wide, tilted her head back, and gasped for breath, but no sound came out.

Pain.

It hurts so much.

This pain is a thousand times, ten thousand times more unbearable than when Overclocking.

The pain spread from the deepest part of her heart, flowing through her blood and shattering her reason, her kindness, and all the expectations she once had for this world.

She raised her hands, trembling, and covered her face tightly.

Scalding tears finally broke free again, streaming wildly through her fingers and dripping onto the hem of her training uniform skirt.

In this enclosed space where she was all alone, she finally let down her guard.

She huddled behind the door like a wounded little pink kitten, letting out a chilling cry.

"Hahaha..."

"Saving the world... hahaha... cough cough..."

After an unknown amount of time, the lights in the dormitory gradually dimmed.

The last rays of dusk stained everything with the crimson hue of despair.

Aemeath slowly lowered her hands from her face.

Just as she was about to let herself sink into this boundless despair, she caught a glimpse of a faint light flashing in the corner of her eye.

Aemeath was slightly taken aback.

That was the amulet that had just slipped out of the side pocket of her backpack.

The silver amulet, with its blue-pink gradient, lay quietly not far from her knees.

Aemeath's breath hitched.

She reacted quickly, grabbing the amulet from the ground and clutching it tightly in her palm.

Beneath the cold metal, a faint yet familiar Frequency fluctuation was slowly transmitted from her palm into the depths of her soul.

The Frequency of A-Yan!

Aemeath stared wide-eyed at her eyes, which were red and swollen from crying.

If he has truly vanished completely, the Frequency within this amulet that seals his Frequency should also dissipate!

"He exists..."

Aemeath stared blankly at the amulet in her hand, her dry lips trembling slightly as she murmured in disbelief.

Then, Aemeath's faint voice gradually grew louder, transforming into unwavering conviction.

"He exists! A-Yan's Frequency is still there!"

"I'm not crazy, I'm more clear-headed than ever!"

"A-Yan must be in some unknown space, or perhaps he has returned to where he started!"

Aemeath slowly stood up from the ground.

She didn't shed another tear.

She carefully placed the amulet on her chest, feeling the heart-shaped Tacit Mark formed there by the resonance with the Tunneler, and sensing the Frequency within the amulet.

The dormitory lights that automatically turned on shone on her tear-streaked face, and also illuminated the obsession that was growing wildly in her golden starry eyes.

I will find you.

Aemeath whispered an oath to the empty room, her voice gentle yet carrying a chillingly heavy conviction:

"Lu Yan, wait for me. No matter where you are..."

"I will definitely... find you—even if it means turning the entire Solaris upside down."

"Wait for me A-Yan ~"