[The Real World, B-station]
[The premiere of Episode 5 of Season 2, Starry Sky: Glimmer]
'First comment!'
'You're not the first, hey!'
'Front row seats, the show's starting—!'
With the premiere of Episode 5 of Starry Sky: Glimmer, the long-awaited fans of the series flooded in instantly. The comments section was immediately drowned in a riot of colorful text.
In the previous episode, the audience saw the protagonists, Chen Kong and Liu Ma, complete the trial assigned to them by Yu Qianxia. While the show's producers didn't reveal if Chen Kong learned the 'Feathered Spear-Fighting Style' or what martial art Yu Qianxia taught Liu Ma, veteran B-station fans knew the drill.
Without a doubt, the protagonists, having undergone special training, were about to embark on a quest for revenge. They would get back at those who humiliated them before and rescue Vivian, the heroine of the second season, who had been captured.
As expected, the episode began with a view of a confined prison cell.
[Steam City Cog Building, Steam Association, Fifth Squad Prison]
Drip, drop...
A faucet inside the cell dripped continuously, its sound echoing crisply in the quiet room.
Vivian sat alone in the corner of the cell, hugging her knees. Unlike her first appearance as a Silver Knight with boots and icy eyes, after nearly a month in captivity, Vivian had visibly thinned and her complexion had become much paler. She was clearly undernourished. This wasn't because the Fifth Squad was abusing her, but because a rule had been established by the association long ago to deliberately not give these special Starmaker prisoners enough to eat.
"Sister Vivian, today's nutrient paste is orange-flavored~"
Just as Vivian was lost in thought, a cheerful child's voice broke the silence.
Vivian looked up to see the young Danica holding a tray, standing on her tiptoes to push the meal plate through the visitation window. Seeing her, a smile appeared on Vivian's face.
"Is that so? Then it's a bonus meal today."
Vivian got up and walked to the window to take her dinner.
After delivering the food, little Danica strangely didn't leave. She struggled to climb onto the windowsill and said to Vivian inside, "Sister Vivian, Vice-Captain Yuchen asked me to pass on a message. He said he's found a lead and will prove you're innocent very soon!"
Hearing this, Vivian stirred the orange-yellow paste with a plastic spoon and said calmly, "Is that so? That's certainly good news for me."
Despite her words, her tone held no hint of joy. She knew better than anyone that her innocence was never important to the Church, or rather, to Bishop Clevie. Someone had to be held responsible for the theft of the Church's holy artifact, and someone must take the blame. She was simply the one who had been chosen.
It was just like that inexplicable mission from six years ago. Her father, William, was just a Knight Captain in charge of patrolling the Rust Iron Hell, but he was suddenly sent by the Church to the Starmaker Association and never returned.
As Vivian fell into her memories, the episode's colors suddenly shifted to a sepia tone, like an old film. A simple flashback of Vivian's past appeared. At William's funeral, Vivian cried incessantly while listening to the prayers from the priest, which she couldn't understand. Afterwards, a man in a judge's robe appeared and returned her father's last possession, a pink toy watch. It was a birthday gift she had given her father when she was ten.
Vivian tried to ask the man why her father never came back, but the man told her that knowing too much would not do her any good. Later, the man offered to take her to the Seven Floating Cities and help her start a new life there. But, looking at the watch in her hand, Vivian refused.
Seeing her father's empty coffin and the pink toy watch in her hand, a firm idea took root in young Vivian's mind. She would continue the path her father couldn't finish. She would stay in Steam City, put on the same knight uniform as her father, and make the name 'Clockwork Knight' famous again.
Normally, when a Starmaker dies, their Star Source would fall to a random location in the world like a shooting star. However, there are exceptions. If an item that matches the Star Source's characteristics is nearby when the Starmaker dies, there's a chance that the item can carry the Star Source. The child's watch that the man in the judge's robe brought to Vivian was exactly that.
After inheriting the title of 'Clockwork Knight,' Vivian vowed that she would never let those four words be disgraced in her hands. Therefore, even though she knew that Yuchen's investigation would do little to change the outcome of the trial, she still chose to face the trial without running away. She had her own plan.
On the day of the trial, she would use her actions to prove her 'innocence.' If those corrupt people wanted to take her life and tarnish her name, she would use her life to change their 'hearts.' With that, Vivian's flashback ended.
Seeing this, the audience felt that something was wrong.
'Something's wrong, I feel like Vivian's choice is a bit strange.'
'Prove her innocence with her actions? How is she going to do that, don't tell me...'
'Whoa, is she that hardcore?'
'Where are Chen Kong and Liu Ma? If you don't come soon, the heroine of Season 2 is going to be gone!'
As the episode's scene returned to the present, little Danica was gone from outside the prison window, replaced by Tendo, who was wearing a moon-white captain's robe. He stood outside the cell door, his voice calm but filled with an undeniable authority.
"Vivian, it's time. We should go."
"Okay."
Vivian slowly stood up. The moment the cell door opened, she walked out, her thin body looking weak. In the escort team, besides Tendo, there were also Yuchen, little Danica, and other members of the Fifth Squad.
"Let's go."
Tendo turned and walked away.
Vivian followed silently, her head bowed.
Yuchen looked at her frail back, his eyes full of guilt. He had tried everything to save Vivian, but in the end, he couldn't. As she passed him, Vivian whispered softly, "Thank you."
With that, she walked past him and, with her weak body, followed Tendo's retreating figure step by step...
'Wuwuwu, Vivian is so heartbreaking!'
'Yuchen's eyes are too sad QAQ'
'Something big is definitely going to happen at the trial! I'm betting a pack of spicy strips!'
'By the way, is Vivian really Chen Kong's couple? I feel like she and Vice-Captain Yu are a better match.'
'To the person above, isn't Vice-Captain Yu obviously the warm-hearted second male lead?'