『 "It stands there, eternally radiating a brilliant luster, much like this iridescent dream itself," Hotaru remarked to Stelle, her gaze fixed upon the distant Grand Theater shimmering in the sky.
"I believe that anyone bathed in such light must be drawn to its warmth…"
"…Like the countless fireflies that chase the flame."
Having spoken, Hotaru turned back toward Stelle with a soft smile. "Come on. We still have half the journey left."
The remainder of their trek was punctuated by two obstacles: a fragmented Dreamscape puzzle that refused to align, and a contingent of sentries barring their path.
The puzzle was resolved when Stelle employed a Clockwork trick left behind by a Dreamweaver, while the guards were swiftly dispatched by the weight of a restless galactic baseball bat. At last, the two arrived at Hotaru's secret base.
To call it a "base" was perhaps an overstatement—it was merely a rooftop. Yet, peering over the railing, the stars were scattered across the heavens like diamonds, weaving together with the surrounding architecture to form a breathtaking tapestry.
Streaks of starlight occasionally cut through the dark, and the cacophony of the metropolis below faded into a tranquil hum, serving as nothing more than a backdrop to the scene. 』
『 ....』
〘Elysia〙: How truly beautiful♪.
〘Eden〙: Indeed. Such a sight can likely only be found within the confines of a dream.
〘Qingque〙: That settles it. My next vacation is at Penacony. Though, is there a way to get there without crawling through the sewers?
〘Gallagher〙: Not anymore. Ever since that method leaked on the light-screen, the Bloodhounds have been rounding up scores of young couples trying to sneak into the Dreamflux Border through the pipes.
〘Qingque〙: RIP.
....
『 Stelle followed Hotaru to the edge of the railing, momentarily lost in the vista. In that silence, a hauntingly beautiful melody began to drift through the air.
"Have you heard this song? 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,' by Robin. With the Charmony Festival approaching, her music echoes through the dreamscape from time to time."
Hotaru watched a falling star, its brilliance reflected in her eyes. Stelle stood captivated by the sight, only snapping back to reality when she spoke again.
"This is the place closest to the sky in this dream. It's far from the city's clamor and the bickering of the Dreamweavers. Here, one can exist undisturbed, simply feeling the present—the scenery, the people, the dream…"
"How beautiful it is… time frozen forever in this Golden Hour. A gilded dream. The Fools of the Tavern and the Memokeepers of the Garden; the wandering Rangers and the IPC envoys; the Nameless of the Astral Express… and me."
"Everyone sleeps here as equals, regardless of their origins, even if we all harbor our own hidden agendas…"
Hotaru took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for what came next.
Summoning her courage, she turned to face Stelle, her brow furrowed with the weight of her confession. She spoke slowly: "I'm sorry. I really am… a 'stowaway'."
Stelle nodded, voice soft. "I know."
Hearing this, the tension in Hotaru's expression thawed into a smile. "I suppose I really couldn't hide it from you."
"My homeland was destroyed a long time ago. Perhaps it was the Legion, or maybe the Swarm… I am an interstellar refugee, just like many of the 'locals' here in Penacony."
Hotaru looked up at the stars. "The Harmony embraces everyone, even those wanderers from far away. The Family takes them in, but they… they don't truly belong here."
"In this glittering metropolis, some people's dream is Penacony itself. But for others… the dream is indistinguishable from reality, even though every ordinary person who comes here starts with the same goal."
"I am the same. In reality, I harbor a wish I cannot attain—it is so powerful that I have sought refuge in the dream…"
Hotaru's voice grew faint, as if it might be carried away by the wind. Watching her resolute silhouette, Stelle felt a sudden pang in their chest.
"What is that wish?"
Hotaru turned her head slightly. "Entropy Loss Syndrome. Have you ever heard that term?" 』
『 ....』
〘Dan Heng〙: I wasn't certain before, but I am now. Miss Hotaru is the Stellaron Hunter, Sam.
〘March 7th〙: Wait, why?
〘·HSR· Welt Yang〙: Entropy Loss Syndrome is a genetic disease specific to the Iron Cavalry of Glamoth. This implies Miss Hotaru is a remnant of Glamoth. Combined with her ties to the Stellaron Hunters, it's a straightforward deduction.
〘Silver Wolf〙: Hotaru, you're giving away too much for free.
....
『 "It is a strange phenomenon. Those afflicted find their physical structure slipping into an irreversible, chronic dissociation. It means you are slowly vanishing, a 'disappearance' that others can barely perceive at first—"
"You can still run, jump, and talk to others. Everything appears normal, except you're always just a little bit slower than everyone else…"
Hotaru's voice sank lower. The perspective shifted to a close-up of her eyes, followed by a shot of the skyscrapers blurring in and out of focus—a glimpse through her own eyes.
"…And then you get slower, and slower, until the outlines of the entire world become hazy. You can no longer distinguish reality from the dream, because they have both become equally fragmented." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: You're killing me here, you know that?
〘Stelle〙: Where's Yaoshi? Someone call an Abundance pathstrider, please!
〘Elysia〙: It was such a sweet, 'cute girls doing cute things' moment just a second ago. Why did it turn into this? Elysia_Sad.jpg
〘Eden〙: Do not grieve, Elysia. Such is the nature of life, is it not? I believe Miss Hotaru will overcome this affliction, for she possesses a heart as radiant as gold.
〘Yunli〙: Sister Lingsha, can our Xianzhou medical tech cure this?
〘Lingsha〙: I'm sorry, little Yunli. There are far too few cases of Entropy Loss Syndrome to reference. Furthermore, the Xianzhou people do not suffer from such ailments, so the Alliance has never conducted research on it.
〘Herta〙: I actually have a candidate in mind. @Ruan_Mei, any interest in Entropy Loss Syndrome?
〘Ruan Mei〙: Hmm. A little. I'll put it on the list after my current project.
〘Herta〙: A genius is looking into your illness, little girl. You'd better thank me. But for the record, I'm not doing this for you; I just don't want the little trailblazer making a long face every time they come to test my Simulated Universe.
〘Yae Rin〙: That is a total tsundere move.
....
『 "So, how could I refuse? Can you imagine? In this dream, I can actually… I don't have to stay inside a cold 'medical cabin'…"
Hotaru turned fully to Stelle. "I can cast the doctor's words aside. I can use my own body to hear, see, touch, think, and understand as I please. Even if this world isn't real, these sensations are incredibly precious…"
"…Just like this very moment."
Hotaru gave Stelle a profoundly tender smile.
She took a few steps closer and inhaled deeply. "I'm sorry. For certain reasons, there are things… I cannot tell you in full just yet. But there are things I should be honest about."
"The 'Watchmaker's Legacy' is indeed what I seek, but we don't necessarily have to part ways or become enemies. At least… I don't want that to happen."
Stelle smiled back. "I hope for the same."
"Thank you."
Hotaru turned back toward the horizon. The camera lingered on a flowerbed on the rooftop, where a single purple flower bloomed. The distant, eternal light shone upon it like a sun. Hotaru's melodic voice drifted over:
"'I dreamed of a scorched land, and a new sprout breaking through the soil. It bloomed toward the morning sun and whispered to me.'"
Hotaru looked back at Stelle. "Do you remember the question on the invitation? 'Why does life slumber?'"
She gestured toward the scenery before them. "Look. In this land of dreams, everything is permitted, and everything is possible. A past you can't bear to remember vanishes like bubbles, and a tomorrow you don't want to face never arrives."
"Why do people choose to sleep? I think…"
"It's because they are afraid of waking up from the dream."
Hotaru gave her own answer to the riddle. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: I feel like that's probably not the 'correct' answer.
〘Dr. Ratio〙: There is no 'correct' answer to such philosophical inquiries. Everyone provides their own response, and in the end, the minority yields to the majority, and the weak yield to the strong. Such is the way of the mediocre.
〘Anaxagoras〙: Well said, but I shall prove I am no ordinary man! I shall find the Truth! As for the question above, my answer is: Go find a Great Earth Beast and have it walk on your back. After that, you'll know exactly why life slumbers.
〘Phainon〙: Teacher Anaxa… isn't that just being knocked unconscious by a beast?
〘Anaxagoras〙: Call me Anaxagoras!
〘Stelle〙: Okay, Teacher Anaxa. Got it, Teacher Anaxa. Understood, Teacher Anaxa.
〘Anaxagoras〙: …
....