Chapter 105: A Conversation With His Younger Self
[The foundation soon vanished—another Harmony-induced illusion. Just as Aventurine was about to delve deeper, that young child appeared once more. "Hello, we meet again, Mister with the pretty eyes," the child greeted cheerfully.
Gazing at the child, Aventurine's tone softened. "...Yeah, we meet again. Did you find your parents?"
"Of course! Big sister is here too. The four of us just finished playing hide-and-seek."
"It was so much fun! On the way here, Dad even showed me something called 'scorched-skin movies'!"
"You mean film movies, right?"
Aventurine corrected gently. "Yeah, that! It's like putting lots and lots of woodblock prints together, and they turn into moving murals."
"If you put me, Dad, Mom, and big sister together, we become a family."
The child seemed to notice Aventurine's melancholy. "You should try it too, Mister! You've been frowning this whole time—you should have fun at the amusement park!"
After a brief silence, Aventurine replied, "...Alright."
He tried his hand at Hamster Ball Knight: Speed & Nuts.]
[Sushang]: "Hehe, what an adorable, innocent child~ Such a cute little thing was born to be devoured by big sister Sushang!"
[Guinaifen]: "Calm down, Shuangshuang! Remember—no matter how cute he is, that kid is literally Aventurine!!"
[March 7th]: "Kids are more perceptive, huh? Kakavasha could see the sorrow in Aventurine's heart."
[Stelle]: "Why isn't Aventurine happy at the amusement park? Simple—because that kid has his whole family with him, while Aventurine's all alone!"
[Huohuo]: "Why… why did that child end up becoming Aventurine? Didn't the theater promise Penacony would be lighthearted, happy, and sunny?"
[Tail]: "Pfft, you still believe that? Ever since Penacony turned into a game of Mafia, I knew all that 'lighthearted, happy, sunny' crap was bullshit!"
[Sparkle]: "A knife! A knife of pure emotional devastation!"
[The phantom of Aventurine hadn't faded yet—and openly admitted there were still things he didn't fully understand. In this maze, this might've been the hardest stretch for Aventurine to endure.
Ahead: Kakavasha's carefree laughter. Between: words recounting Aventurine's past. Behind: the phantom's soul-crushing remarks. And on top of it all—the unbearable headache from Harmony's restraints. The phantom couldn't comprehend why Aventurine refused to sacrifice his subordinates. If he had, he wouldn't have fallen this far. But Aventurine refused. The hallucinations grew worse. He saw his mother's amulet again—and the illusion had the audacity to ask why he hadn't sold it. "Mom only left us two pieces of jewelry: a necklace and this amulet. There won't be a third."]
[Stelle]: "Enough! My heart aches for him!!"
[Boothill]: "Well dang, Aventurine really doesn't pull punches—even against himself!"
[Hi3rd·Himeko]: "Refusing to let others sacrifice themselves is inefficient by the IPC's standards… but it proves Aventurine never lost that core of 'kindness' in him."
[March 7th]: "When will that phantom vanish already?! Its words are toxic!"
[Hi3rd·Welt]: "It reminds me of a Herrscher from my homeland."
[Tesla]: "Which Herrscher?"
[Hi3rd·Welt]: "The Herrscher of Human Ego—a particularly vile, foul-mouthed one."
[After another round of relentless verbal abuse, silence finally fell. Aventurine mused whether he was fading—or if it was the phantom instead. Exiting the maze, he encountered the child again.
The boy greeted him brightly: "I don't know why, Mister, but you give me this… special feeling. It makes me curious—excited, even."
"Too bad we couldn't get to know each other better. It's time to say goodbye now—did you have fun?"
"You… are you going back?"
Aventurine's eyes betrayed his sorrow. "Mm-hm! I'm going home. The sky's getting dark—it might rain soon. I can't worry everyone."
"Where… is your home?"
The child tilted his head. "What a weird question. Home is where Dad, Mom, and big sister are."
He pointed across the dreamscape. "Right here in this dream."
Aventurine could only stay silent. "This amusement park—this beautiful dream—it's so peaceful. Everyone loves it."
"But Mister… why don't you like it?"
With immeasurable grief in his eyes, Aventurine whispered: "Because they aren't here."]
[Stelle]: "God, Aventurine's suffering is brutal. His younger self keeps talking about family… but behind Aventurine? There's no one."
[Otto]: "His future self hammers in reality's cruelty; his past self extols the dream's beauty—all to make Aventurine stay and become part of Harmony. Sunday plays a sharp game."
[March 7th]: "So what is Aventurine's plan now? For once… I genuinely want him to win."
[Rita]: "Well, he is the only one who's been suffering nonstop since his debut."
[March 7th]: "Huh? Wait—if Aventurine said he's close to the truth… could it be that only through [death] can one approach [the Watchmaker's Legacy]?"
[Silver Wolf]: "That'd explain why he's been acting so suicidal this whole time."
[Harmony had constructed futures and pasts where Aventurine chose to remain in the dream. Yet he still wagered himself as the first chip on the table—every single time.
This farce began with a 'death,' and so too shall it end with one. "It's been hard, hasn't it?" [Aventurine] asked. "Since when did you grow a conscience? Feeling guilty now?"
"I am born from your sense of self. So I know better than anyone how impossible it is to take back a bet once placed."
[Aventurine] shook his head with a smile. "I can't stop what you're doing—nor change where you're headed."
Aventurine stepped forward. "Spilt water can't be gathered. All we can do is seize every chance to buy ourselves one more second."
"If a lucky man's miracles are built upon the misfortune of everyone he loves—of countless others… If every rain you bring isn't a blessing from the Mother Goddess but just another meaningless death…"
"...Then just how many sins did we commit to deserve being born into this world?"
Aventurine stayed silent—just as he had when he asked his sister the same question as a child. He still had no answer. "Maybe when I reach that end… our doubts will finally be resolved."
[Aventurine] chuckled faintly. "Hah… fine. Go on ahead, friend. I'll be waiting for you up front (in the future)."
"Before time runs out… say a proper goodbye to that child."
"...And make sure you leave no regrets behind."]
[Stelle]: "Diamond, what kind of Preservation Emanator are you?! 'Profit over everything' Preservation?!"
[Theresa]: "Did Aventurine just… make peace with his future?"
[Otto]: "Born from the self yet tainted by Harmony—once the soul carries something foreign, it ceases to be 'you.'" The Overseer spoke gravely on the nature of selfhood.
[March 7th]: "The phantom vanished… Does this mean Aventurine overcame Harmony's incarnation through sheer willpower?"
[March 7th]: "[Aventurine] told him to bid farewell to his past… Oh no. Is he really going to die?!"
[Stelle]: "Shut your mouth! Don't jinx it!!"