After all... divinity can manifest in many people. It isn't something lofty and untouchable. While precious, it's neither unique nor rare.
Officials who dedicate themselves to the people, soldiers who risk their lives to protect others in the Hollows, even sheriffs like Seth—all of them carry a trace of "divinity."
Divinity isn't a cold, indifferent label. What is acknowledged as divine doesn't stem from power or might, but from compassion, love, and other such qualities...
During this "journey" led by the Hollows, deep into the realm of consciousness, Qingyi obtained a wealth of information.
Some of it she sought. Some of it was forced upon her.
But one thing was certain:
Divinity isn't frozen—it's radiant.
There may be other types of "divinity," but to Qingyi, the part Zane possessed was just that kind.
It was simply that his divinity came from the world itself. Its rank was too high—so rational that it lost its warmth. In the end, the idea was straightforward:
God doesn't love anyone specifically. God loves everyone.
A fair, rational love for all life.
Be it trees, flowers, humans, or insects.
That's the kind of god the world desires.
But for some reason—perhaps it was restrained or stripped away—this divinity was tiny. So small it could only influence Zane himself.
Zane's soul was powerful. Qingyi guessed this was due to the world he came from, which made that faint trace of divinity nearly meaningless in effect.
Logically, it shouldn't be like this.
But the current situation was entirely different.
Qingyi pressed her lips together and looked toward the small notebook she had placed by the window.
Zane's conscious mind might have rejected the influence, but his subconscious hadn't. It hadn't resisted at all, allowing the "divinity" to take hold completely.
As a result, even his conscious mind had subtly begun to shift.
"Why... why is this happening..."
Qingyi clenched her fists. As long as she understood the reason, there was still hope. But if she never found it...
Everything she had done would be for nothing.
Suddenly, Qingyi turned to the white flower.
It swayed gently, just like last time, as if it was trying to tell her something.
Qingyi understood.
"You're... warning me?"
The white flower swayed again, as if confirming her thought.
"I know... if I stay too long, I won't be able to leave..."
She lowered her gaze and murmured softly.
If she lingered here too long, she wouldn't just be trapped in this real-seeming "dream world" that Zane had left for her.
She would be lost in that deep, empty void.
She had offered up her consciousness in exchange for a chance—a sliver of hope that had yet to appear.
By Advanced Automaton logic, this shouldn't have been possible. But... she had made the choice.
Was it worth it?
In the past or the present, Qingyi never questioned herself. The answer was clear.
In the past, as an Advanced Automaton, assessing value was never difficult. From that standpoint, it had been worth it.
Automatons were created for times like this—to make sacrifices, to gain something in return.
And now, the answer hadn't changed. It was still worth it.
But the reason was different.
It was worth it for an Automaton.
And for Qingyi...
It was also worth it.
Even though she spoke with confidence, Qingyi didn't know if she would succeed in the end.
Maybe if she failed, the higher-ups would recreate another Advanced Automaton identical to her, based on her stored memories.
But... would that still be her?
Or rather... would that still be Qingyi?
It had been six months since her last data upload.
Consciousness data was uploaded once a year.
So the next Automaton would have no memory of Zane.
Qingyi rejected that. She felt resistance, disgust—fear. She couldn't accept such an outcome.
It couldn't be allowed to happen.
Deep inside, something in her was screaming that.
Realizing what she had, Qingyi quickly composed herself. Her expression settled, as if she had stepped away from her earlier emotions.
She slowly raised her hand and looked at the white-red hue of her skin. Her expression was unreadable as she sighed.
"So this body really does affect me..."
But as she said it, she smiled faintly.
Still, she liked the feeling.
The part of Zane within her... was amazing...
Lowering her hand, Qingyi turned back to the notebook. Her eyes fell on its yellowed cover, and her expression gradually grew resolute.
She had to see this through.
She must.
She reached out, picked up the notebook, and opened it.
"Dreams are the continuation of reality, and reality is the end of dreams—especially dreams like this, which are nearly indistinguishable from the real world."
"So real... they could be another world entirely..."
"Which means... I have to find it here..."
"The source!"
As she turned to the newest blank page, black lines began appearing once more.
Seeing them, Qingyi—who had intended to reread the earlier pages—froze for a moment, then understood.
"So it doesn't rely on a set time. As long as the white flower recovers, the book unfolds new pages too..."
That's right. This little notebook was a book.
A storybook.
A book of trajectories.
Those black lines were both "words" and "paths."
The story of Zane's life.
The trajectory of Zane's life.
This book, along with the white flower, had appeared in her hands when she first arrived here. It was the most important thing in this entire "world."
However, due to limited space, the information inside was vague and fragmented. Qingyi had to interpret and find what she could use on her own.
So far, she hadn't found what she needed.
Gradually, she immersed herself once more in the Book of Trajectories, unaware of the time slipping away outside the window.
Oblivious to everything else changing around her.
Until...
"Senior, what are you reading?"
A voice spoke by her ear, snapping Qingyi back to reality. Startled, she instinctively closed the Book of Trajectories and looked up at Zane.
"You—when did you get back?"
Zane spread his hands, sounding a bit helpless.
"Just a moment ago, Senior. You were so into it, you didn't even notice?"
As he spoke, his gaze landed on the book in Qingyi's hands, curiosity growing.
"Hey, what's written in there? Is it your diary? Or some other secret..."
Seeing her reaction only made him more intrigued. Since everything else was bound to happen eventually, surely this was something he could know?
"You read it?"
Qingyi instantly caught the implication in his words—and realized something.
...