As sunlight filtered through the blinds and the crisp morning air settled on Shinji, he jolted awake, his back stiff and his neck sore from sleeping slumped over the desk all night.
It wasn't a dream.
Beneath him sat a creaky chair; on the desk before him lay an open notebook. Dense handwriting and chaotic lines covered nearly every blank page. The computer screen was still on, now in sleep mode. Its black background reflected his own image, the dark circles under his eyes stark and heavy.
Shinji rubbed his eyelids, which felt almost glued together, his mind still somewhat hazy.
Last night… no, more precisely, in the early hours of this morning, his last clear memory…
was drawing a twisted circle next to the paragraph about "Major Himeko's First Appearance and the Hyperion's Intervention," before the world sank into darkness.
Is it… done?
He stared at the document, barely able to believe it. The plot outline for the prologue—from daily life at Chiba Academy to the Honkai outbreak, Kiana rescuing Mei, encountering Bronya (Project Bunny's debut)… up to Himeko piloting the Hyperion to descend upon Changkong City and evacuate survivors—key plot points, dialogue highlights, scene transitions, emotional buildup, were all crammed together in a jumble.
On another notebook beside it were the initial settings for the main characters:
Kiana Kaslana: naively passionate, carrying the Kaslana legacy and the shadow of the Herrscher of the Void.
Raiden Mei: gentle but strong-willed; within her lies the power and pain of the 3rd Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder.
Bronya Zaychik: calm and rational, an assassin bearing the sins of her past, seeking redemption and "family."
Murata Himeko: key personality traits detailed.
There were relationship diagrams, fragmented visual descriptions, and even a few sketches—hideously crude, yet the structures were vaguely discernible: the silhouette of the Hyperion, the outline of a twisted Honkai Beast…
Though crude, though still a hundred thousand miles away from actual "game content," this was indeed the "most primitive skeleton and soul" of the prologue for Honkai Impact 3rd.
He actually… alone, in a single night, had managed to build the core framework? Relying on memory, driven by desperation and a frenzied edge…
Shinji instinctively touched the inner pocket of his jacket. Three cards pressed hard against it. And with that initial, weighty trust, an indescribable emotion welled up, clogging his chest—warm, heavy.
Creak—
The office door opened gently, interrupting Shinji's thoughts.
Dan Heng walked in, still dressed neatly in casual clothes, carrying a laptop bag. Seeing Shinji already seated, he paused briefly. His gaze swept over Shinji's exhaustion from a sleepless night, then he nodded expressionlessly.
"Morning."
"Morning, Dan Heng," Shinji croaked, his voice terribly hoarse.
Dan Heng didn't ask further. He went straight to his spot, set down his bag, and booted up his computer. Soon, the steady tapping of his keyboard filled the office—rhythmic, calm, as if last night's arguments and frantic decisions had never happened. It was simply the start of a new day, slightly ahead of schedule.
Only a few minutes later, the door opened again. It was Bronya. She carried a convenience store plastic bag containing a few sandwiches and cartons of milk.
She glanced at Shinji for a moment. Seeing his bloodshot eyes, her lake-blue eyes blinked once. Then, without a word, she placed a sandwich and a carton of milk on the corner of his cluttered desk.
"Breakfast," she said succinctly.
"Thanks." Shinji took it. The sandwich was still warm.
Bronya said nothing more. Taking her own portion, she returned to her corner. Soon, the faint sounds of wrapper tearing and soft chewing came from her side, followed by the click of her turning on her computer.
Everything was quiet, ordinary. The silence in the office was filled with the subtle sounds of breakfast and Dan Heng's typing, making it feel alive yet peaceful.
A little while later, the door was gently pushed open a crack. Mei's figure slipped inside. Today she wore a light-colored knit top and a long skirt, her hair smooth and draped over her shoulders. She carried a delicate two-tiered insulated lunchbox.
Her eyes quickly scanned the room: Dan Heng coding, Bronya eating a sandwich, Shinji seated amidst the chaos with his convenience store breakfast. Mei's steps paused almost imperceptibly, then she smiled faintly and walked to Shinji's desk.
She gently placed the insulated lunchbox next to his laptop.
"Morning," her voice soft. "I brought some homemade breakfast. Eat it while it's hot."
She opened the lid slightly. The rich aroma of congee and the savory smell of fried eggs wafted out, overpowering the stale overnight air in the office.
Shinji looked at the sandwich and the exquisite meal side by side on his desk, momentarily at a loss for words. Mei didn't seem to require a response. She simply nodded slightly and returned to her seat.
Her steps were graceful, as if she had done nothing more than the most natural thing. She opened her sketchbook.
Shinji looked down: sandwich in his left hand, lunchbox in his right. Then he glanced at Bronya quietly eating in the corner, at Mei and Dan Heng immersed in work. Kiana's seat was still empty—given her habits, she probably wouldn't appear until the sun was high. Stelle and March 7th, arriving by lunchtime, would be considered diligent.
But right now, these three—Dan Heng's focus, Bronya's quiet support, Mei's attentive care—already formed a solid triangle. That was enough.
Shinji finished the sandwich in a few bites, then quickly opened Mei's lunchbox. Inside was soft, well-cooked white congee, a golden fried egg, and a few refreshing side dishes. Warmth spread from his stomach to his limbs, dispelling the chill and stiffness from staying up all night.
After eating, he carefully closed the lunchbox and set it aside. Then, Shinji took a deep breath, picked up the core notebook filled with writing, and stood up.
"Dan Heng, Bronya, Mei," Shinji's voice was still hoarse, but clearer now. "Pause what you're doing for a moment."
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