[Herta's furious!]
[If Herta finds out Screwllum's pausing the Simulated Universe, will she just blow up Penacony?]
[Herta's like, 'What can I even say? Herta out!']
— —
Welt Yang vaguely sensed something odd. "Indeed, it's hard to imagine Genius Society members taking interest in mundane research…"
But he brushed the thought aside. "Oh well, the outcome's good regardless."
With everything settled, Jing Yuan announced his mission was complete and bid farewell to the group.
From this moment, the plot turned surreal.
Inexplicably, they left the hotel. Inexplicably, they boarded the Express. Inexplicably, they began choosing their next destination.
Everything happened so fast, as if the writers were rushing to wrap up the story.
[What the hell? They're leaving already?]
[What about the Stellaron? What about Mikhail? All those loose ends unaddressed?]
[This is so half-baked! It doesn't live up to the epic buildup. And one more thing—where's Firefly?]
[Didn't Firefly say she had something to do? And her three deaths weren't explained either. Sigh.]
[Come on, Firefly's popularity is through the roof, and they're just sidelining her like this?]
[Firefly and Acheron are both fan-favorites, and they're just moving to the next planet without any closure?]
[Where's our Sparkle? Without her, where'd all these nicknames come from?]
[Oh, right, right!]
— —
After some discussion, the group democratically voted on their next destination—Edo Star.
While awaiting the warp, Caelus shared some reflections with the others.
Boothill indirectly praised Himeko's coffee, admitting it was addictively good!
Welt Yang acknowledged Caelus's strength, noting he'd be at least S-rank in his hometown.
At that moment, Black Swan approached Caelus. "Care to chat with me? Over here."
Caelus nodded, and the two moved to a secluded corner.
Black Swan gazed at the starry expanse outside the window. "Your reflection glimmers among the stars in the porthole… Heh, it's a bit hard to see clearly. So, how was this sweet dream journey… Did it satisfy you?"
Caelus sighed unconsciously. "Feels like a lot's still unclear."
"The scent of curiosity is thick… That kind of memory is addictive." Black Swan's voice grew sultry.
"Then… how about returning that 'little parting gift' to me? I can't wait any longer."
Caelus thought for a moment. It must be the small gift Black Swan gave him when they first met in the dream—a card called The Oracle of Fate.
Black Swan happily took the card, but her expression soon turned serious. "Hmm…"
After a moment's pause, her brow relaxed. "Oh?"
Caelus noticed her reaction. For a Memokeeper to be so unfazed, what could it be?
"What's wrong?"
Black Swan rested her chin on one hand. "Oh, nothing… I just… found something very interesting in your memory."
She paused deliberately, seeing Caelus's puzzled look, and explained, "Before I reveal why… I owe you an apology, Trailblazer. The 'parting gift' I gave you wasn't a compass of the memory domain… just a mere empty Light Cone.
Remember when we first entered the dream hotel, and I asked your companions for a few trinkets? They served a similar purpose.
This way, I could sense you at any time and step in if you were in danger.
But… that's not its true function."
Black Swan continued,
"A Light Cone is a slice of light that encapsulates frozen phenomena, and this empty one is no different.
It can record your memories in their most vivid form, for me to savor and cherish as a unique recollection.
All things in the world stem from the power of spirit and soul—that power is memory. To avoid being left behind by the world, we must make it remember us… or reshape the world with our memories.
A lifetime seems long, yet only a few potent memories can be extracted: joyous or sorrowful, light or heavy… But you're different.
Memory is a reflection of the future. In that reflection, I see your unique value. You can create memories that captivate the world… Your memories can illuminate the universe's future course.
And those memories… will shine as brilliantly as the stars visible through this porthole."
Caelus felt Black Swan was still skirting the point. "Check for me—am I about to ascend or something?"
"I have too few of your memories to divine such a distant future."
But then her tone shifted. "However, I can tell you one thing: there's a deeper reason for my interest in you. It's simple—you're the only one who experienced the Family's grand, ostentatious dream from start to finish."
Caelus mulled over her words. "I don't quite get it."
"No rush. I'll reveal the answer… just not now." Black Swan pointed to the Express crew in the carriage. "Look back at your friends. They're all excited for the next destination, full of anticipation for their present and future. If I spilled everything now, wouldn't that ruin the mood?"
"I'll pick a good moment, when you're completely relaxed… Perhaps each time the night blurs, when you're about to drift off, is the perfect time.
How about a night, then? I'll prepare candlelight, fragrance, and a soft couch to craft a cozy dreamscape. Then, I'll tell you the answer as a little bedtime story to lull you to sleep…"
[???]
[Oh, come on, don't cut it off like that at the last second! I'm suffering!]
[Riddlemaster, get out of Star Rail!]
[No more miHoYo cliffhangers!]
Yet, things took an even more unexpected turn.
Black Swan seemed to conclude with a final remark: "'Life is a winding maze, and aside from memory, we have nothing.' Keep that in mind, okay?"
The screen went black, and subtitles slowly scrolled.
In Amber Era 2158, the first year of the epoch, the universe returned to its rightful course. The spark of conspiracy smoldered in Penacony, the Land of Dreams, but before it could ignite a wildfire, it became a fleeting spark on Qlipoth's anvil, extinguished in an instant.
The dead and departed continued their Dormancy, while the living slumbered soundly. All spoke loudly through silence, each following their own path.
The galaxy radiated the vitality befitting the dawn of a new epoch, at the cost of merely a pair of siblings' faint sorrow.
Infants were born, stars faded. Silver rails extended. The Astral Express's story reached a pause, yet began anew.
Time rolled forward, and the journey of The Trailblaze turned to a new chapter.
Season 4, Part 2: Complete!
"May this journey lead us starward!"
[Season finale confetti!]
[It's finally over!]
[666, not even a pinch of salt!]
[What the hell did I just watch?]
[Damn it! This is painful! High start, low finish. I'm done.]
[There's still one episode left.]
[The credits rolled—what's left?]
[The Express logo hasn't shown up yet. What's the last episode about?]
[What else could it be? Bloopers!]
[A two-hour-plus final episode, all bloopers?]
— —
At that moment, Black Swan's voice rang out again.
"Countless meteors streak across tonight's sky… If you choose the right one, it will carry your wish to a thousand worlds.
You're feeling very relaxed now, aren't you? Well then…
It's time for me to tell you a little bedtime story."