"Death is the end of self-will, the termination of all meaning..." Sunday looked into Twilight's calm eyes, offering a final piece of advice. "All the traces you can leave behind are merely solace for others... But for you, it only means you lived a life of suffering."
"...My life was never painful."
Twilight paused for a moment, looking at the Express crew standing behind her. When she turned back to Sunday, a smile she herself hadn't noticed graced her face. "I was very happy. Meeting everyone, going on adventures together... I might be the happiest person in this world."
Sunday knew Twilight was sincere, but precisely because of that sincerity, her words sounded exceptionally cruel.
"You are just too young..."
So young that you haven't even experienced what true happiness is, mistaking the little you have for bliss... Perhaps that's why you can face death so calmly.
But what could Sunday do? He had failed. Forget saving the entire universe; he couldn't even save the one suffering child right before him... This so-called Emanator of Order was truly disappointing.
The only thing he could do in the end was cast a final glance at Caelus with his remaining strength. "Astral Express, I hope your wheels can bear the weight of this innocence..."
Twilight gave up the beauty of the dream precisely because she chose these people. Since that was the case, shouldering this responsibility and expectation was what they ought to do.
"Caelus, I'll head back to reality first and wait for you guys..." Twilight's gaze fell on Firefly behind Caelus, then she smiled faintly. "That's great, we found the person."
"Wait, Twilight! I want to apologize for before—"
Caelus couldn't finish his sentence. Twilight's figure shattered and disappeared from the dreamscape, leaving Caelus, who had reached out to grab her hand only to grasp empty air, frozen on the spot.
Was Twilight still angry at him? Otherwise, why leave directly without saying much...?
But even if she was angry, Twilight had every right to be. What he should think about, what he should do, was only how to earn her forgiveness. After all, everything he had done previously was still vivid in his mind...
Watching Caelus's dazed and crestfallen expression ahead, Firefly felt conflicted—What was this situation? They had just fought side-by-side to defeat a powerful enemy, only for her to realize she wasn't the heroine paired with the hero, but just supporting character C in the party.
This feeling of being NTR'd yet not quite NTR'd...
But that child didn't seem to have long left. Competing with her now felt somewhat excessive.
"Caelus, you better apologize properly to Little Twilight when you get back..." March 7th tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. "Otherwise, I'll freeze you in Six-Phased Ice and kick you into the galaxy for some river rafting!"
She just couldn't understand why Little Twilight was so fixated on Caelus, this unappreciative blockhead! Everyone else treated her so well... Ugh, except Dan Heng too. That guy actually dared to throw Cloud-Piercer at Little Twilight! From now on, he only deserves to eat at the same table as Caelus!
While the others on the Express were still figuring out how to deal with the entanglement with The Family and the IPC, Twilight's hasty return to reality wasn't without reason—the time was almost up. The lifespan she traded for power was about to collect its debt.
If she remained in the dream, Caelus and the others might see her collapse on the ground, rolling and trembling—which sounded like it could scare a large amount of wool [emotional energy] out of them.
However, wouldn't secretly hiding away in pain because she didn't want them to worry, only to be discovered by them later, yield even more?
After all, Caelus and the others would surely exit the dream and rush over to her side; no need to worry about them not finding out!
The only thing Twilight needed to consider was whether it was better to tremble and roll around, putting on a performance of extreme agony, showcasing her acting skills, or just groan in pain a couple of times after they entered and then faint directly...
After brief consideration, Twilight decisively chose the latter. Since the effect was similar, moving less was better.
Lifting a strand of her hair, Twilight saw that her once completely azure locks were now mostly pale and withered, looking lifeless just by sight.
Her current lifespan was probably less than three months. Combined with the drained life force, ending up like this was normal. It would surely give Caelus and the others a pleasant surprise.
Seeing the avatars of Caelus and the others rapidly approaching her location on the system map, Twilight smirked, no longer hesitating. She decisively clutched her chest, curled up on the bed, and even turned up the pain perception just a tiny bit for added realism—otherwise, she worried Caelus and the others wouldn't know how much pain she was in!
Finally, when Caelus burst through Twilight's door first, what he saw was Twilight, face contorted in agony yet forcing herself not to make a sound, curled into a shivering ball on the bed. The withered white hair bespoke her illness, plastered to her pale face by cold sweat. Though her breathing was rapid, it only conveyed a lack of vitality.
The next moment, she seemed to hear the door open, managed to force her eyes open towards Caelus, and upon recognizing him, weakly managed half a smile before fainting directly, leaving only Caelus's shocked cry.
And the burst of 300,000 emotional energy~
It might not sound like much, but remember, this was wool harvested without playing dead or dismemberment—completely renewable, clean wool! She could use the same reason to shear many more times later, even getting more as her condition worsened and the countdown ticked down...
No wonder everyone supports sustainable development.
Seeing the string of numbers appearing after Caelus's energy burst, Twilight contentedly played dead.
...
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye—one day passed.
In this one day, the Express crew completed their negotiations with the IPC and The Family—though there wasn't much negotiation, really. Himeko simply didn't have the energy to waste words on those people anymore. She was anxious to take Twilight to Herta for treatment.
As for the IPC, The Family, and Penacony... as long as they didn't start a galactic war, let them be!
Yes, Penacony held the legacy of those past Nameless ones, but honestly, to Himeko, her current companions were definitely more important. If forced to choose between Penacony and Twilight, her answer would only be the latter.
Therefore, once Twilight's condition temporarily stabilized, she decisively chose to leave Penacony and embark on the journey back to the Herta Space Station.
"Are you still staying here?"
"Mm. Something left by an old friend has yet to be returned to its rightful owner."
"I see..."
In the Penacony Grand Hotel, Acheron pushed Twilight, seated in a wheelchair, along the path, observing the busy surroundings.
Twilight should have been resting obediently in her sickroom, waiting for Caelus and the others to prepare before taking her directly onto the train back to the Space Station. But Twilight used this opportunity to ask Acheron, who was protecting her, to push her around Penacony for a walk.
Although Twilight had hissed at Acheron when they first met, now that everyone had revealed their truths and fought side-by-side, Twilight naturally held no hostility towards Acheron anymore. Their relationship had become reasonably good—besides, circumstances change, and right now, she had a favor to ask of Acheron.
"Could you lend me your hand for a moment?"
Though unsure why Twilight suddenly asked this, Acheron honestly extended her hand. The next instant, her expression changed drastically, and she instinctively snatched her hand back—but it was a little too late.
"Do you know what you are doing...?"
Acheron looked at her hand with complicated eyes. In that brief moment, she felt the degree of her assimilation by Nihility suddenly lessen considerably... She couldn't change this condition herself.
Even if Twilight converted to the Path of Nihility, she couldn't cure the influence of Nihility either—but by borrowing concepts from some other Paths, she could share some of the burden.
However, once touched by the influence of Nihility, it was like a poison clinging to the bone, impossible to remove until it consumed the person entirely... Twilight's action was practically suicide.
"It's okay. It won't have time to erode me much..." Twilight shook her head. The power of Nihility would need at least a few hundred years to completely obliterate her. She wouldn't even live another half-year now; worrying about such things was truly pointless.
"...What do you want?" Acheron sighed softly. She knew Twilight must want something to suddenly make such a move... But she had to admit, it was indeed significant to her.
But what did Twilight need her to do? In terms of strength, Twilight was stronger than her. If it was about curing her illness, she had no way to help either...
"Mm, I want to ask you for a favor..." Twilight lowered her head, seemingly ashamed of her shameless act of demanding repayment for a kindness, unable to meet Acheron's eyes, speaking in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Even just once... Could you please help Caelus and the others if they encounter danger and need help in the future?"
"You yourself should be able to do better than me."
"I worry that when they need me, I won't be by their side anymore."
"..."
Acheron's silence made Twilight lower her head even further. "I'm sorry, but you're the strongest person I know..."
Acheron just looked at the Twilight before her—when she first appeared not long ago, she had made childish threats against Acheron to protect Caelus and the others. Now, still for their protection, she could lower her head, using her own existence as a bargaining chip, just seeking a promise.
"...Okay."
Acheron nodded solemnly, not just for the help Twilight provided her, but also out of respect for her.
She suddenly felt quite moved... The Astral Express truly was a fortunate faction. Otherwise, how could they have encountered a child who considered them so wholeheartedly?