The portal sealed itself behind Scar and Phrolova like the closing of an eye, leaving only a faint ripple in the air. Silence stretched heavy across the abandoned village, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the uneven rhythm of Jeff's breathing.
Yangyang shifted, her hand brushing dust from her sleeve as her dark eyes lingered on the spot where the two figures had disappeared. Her chest rose with a quiet sigh. "They're gone. Should we… go after them?"
Her voice carried a sharp edge, but there was hesitation buried beneath.
Rover glanced at her, her lips parting, then pressing into a thin line. She shook her head slowly. "...Let's not do that for now." Her tone was calm, but Jeff noticed the way her gaze flicked toward him, as though she'd sensed the unease he was failing to hide.
Yangyang's lips pressed together. She said nothing at first, but the silence carried her unspoken questions.
Jeff forced his shoulders to relax, rubbing at his temple before managing a faint smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Never mind that. Are you alright?"
Yangyang blinked, caught off guard by the shift. "Oh…" She glanced down, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face before looking back at him with a small, reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm okay." Her tone softened.
She straightened, her expression firming as she continued, "Scar's Resonance Abilities… they involve teleportation and manipulation of space. He trapped me in confinement, and though it wasn't far from here, I couldn't break free immediately." She lowered her gaze, her voice tinged with guilt. "It took me longer than I'd hoped. Sorry, Rover, Jeff… if only I could have reached you sooner."
Jeff shook his head, stepping closer. "You're safe now," he said, voice steadier than he felt. His eyes softened, holding hers. "That's all I care about."
Rover nodded, her expression firm but warm. "We broke free thanks to you."
Yangyang's lips quivered into the faintest smile, but before she could reply, a faint trembling voice drifted toward them.
"B-brother… Brother…"
The sound was high, wavering, almost childlike. The three of them turned at once.
A Strange Tacet Discord lingered just beyond the shadows, its trembling form half-hidden, eyes wide as though it had witnessed too much.
Yangyang's breath hitched. "Eh? Why are you here, little one?"
Jeff crossed his arms, watching the creature's wary movements. "It probably hid out of fear," he murmured.
Yangyang tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly as she studied it. "I've never seen any Tacet Discord display emotions this vivid…" Her brow furrowed as she whispered to herself, "The 'brother' it mentioned… Could it be…?"
Rover's gaze darkened. "Scar…?"
Yangyang inhaled slowly, then exhaled with a quiet nod. "Yes. That is a possibility. He had been here before…" She shook her head, forcing her focus back. "But let's set this aside for now. Rover, Jeff—tell me. What happened while I was trapped?"
They told her everything—the way Scar had toyed with them, the pieces of truth buried inside his lies, Phrolova's piercing gaze, and the leads that pointed toward Qichi Village's cursed "ritual."
Yangyang listened in silence, her expression tight. When Jeff's voice trailed off, she lowered her lashes. "So… all the tragedies in Qichi Village tie back to that ritual…"
Jeff's jaw clenched. "And Scar… he was feeding us bits of information. Like he wanted us to connect the dots ourselves."
Yangyang frowned, arms crossing tightly over her chest. "Making up stories from fragments of truth to twist them into his own beliefs… Yes, that sounds exactly like him."
Her gaze sharpened. "We can't take his words at face value. If we want the truth, we must find the site of this ritual ourselves. Then—and only then—will we know."
Jeff nodded. "We should give it a check."
But as Yangyang turned, her eyes caught on Rover. "Hmm? What's the matter?"
Rover hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "…Nothing."
Yangyang didn't press. Instead, she closed her eyes briefly, focusing. "Two distinct frequencies of Tacet Discords… I can feel them in the Streams." Her eyes opened, brighter, certain. She pointed to the south. "Over there. Follow me."
Far away, at the crest of a shadowed hill, another figure watched.
Sanhua stood quietly, her posture calm, her arms folded within her flowing sleeves. Her gaze followed the trio as they departed, then lowered.
"They are unharmed," she murmured softly, her voice meant for ears far away. "Please rest assured. As you anticipated, Scar did not try to kill them." Her lashes lowered in silence before she added gently, "Yes, I stayed out of it, as you asked."
A pause. The faintest flicker of worry softened her features. "…Is everything alright on your end? Please… stay safe, My Lady."
Later, at the cavern's entrance, the half-plaque pulsed faintly with resonance. Yangyang pressed the pieces together, and the ground trembled as water drained into unseen depths. The cavern opened before them, impossibly vast, a secret hidden beneath the earth.
The air grew heavier the deeper they went. Vegetation thrived where water should have drowned it. At the heart of the cavern stood a tree so strange and breathtaking it almost hurt to look at.
Yangyang's voice wavered as she whispered, "That tree… it's stunning. Almost eerily enchanting."
Then came the voice again—weak, desperate.
"Please… save us…"
The Tacet Discord's plea lingered in the air like a haunting.
They followed, chasing fragments of whispers, until their eyes landed on a weathered diary tucked within the roots.
Pages spilled open under their fingers. The words within painted a story too heavy to bear.
Yangyang's shoulders trembled as she read, her lips parting soundlessly before she managed: "That girl… she only wanted to save her village. But the sacrifices… they didn't lead to redemption." She pressed a hand against her chest, eyes glistening. "The Tacet Discord… it stayed here to convey her last wishes…"
Her breath shook. She closed the book gently, as though afraid it might shatter. "Please… excuse me. It's too cold here. Can we go back?"
Rover exchanged a glance with Jeff but only nodded.
As they stepped away, Yangyang spoke again, softer, her voice trembling. "The villagers… their emotions linger. Hope, resentment, despair. And in the diary, I could feel her sorrow—her longing. Did she yearn for peace? Or did she only miss her family… the one who pushed her into that tragic end?"
She shook her head, cheeks flushed with frustration. "Forgive me. I lost myself again."
Rover touched her arm lightly. "It's okay."
Jeff nodded. "I understand."
Yangyang inhaled deeply, steadying herself. "It was tragedies like this that made me want to become an Outrider. To stop them before they ever happen again. I can't halt the Lament… but I can at least ease the suffering it leaves behind."
Her eyes lifted, fierce with resolve.
Rover's voice was quiet but strong. "I trust you."
Jeff's chest tightened with admiration. "I'm with you."
A flicker of surprise softened Yangyang's expression before a faint smile broke through, genuine and warm. "Really? Thank you… both of you."
She drew a steadying breath, straightened her posture, and nodded firmly. "Let's go. I'll compile a report and send it along with what we've gathered."
Jeff glanced at Rover, then back at Yangyang. The three of them fell into step together, the cavern fading into darkness behind them.
But in Jeff's mind, one thought lingered like a vow: She's admirable. Preventing tragedies… It's the reason I joined too.
And with that, the three pressed on, side by side.
By the time we made it back to Jinzhou, the city was wrapped in the soft hues of dusk. Lanterns flickered to life one by one, painting the streets in warm orange glows. People moved around us like nothing had changed—traders calling out, children laughing, couples hurrying home. To them, life was normal. To me, the world I knew was crumbling. No fucking way still in denial despite more evidence to the contrary that I was involved and have a past here in Solaris-3 that I didn't know about so I wasn't just transmigrated here days ago but years or maybe more wtf.
"Hey!"
Chixia's voice cut through the crowd. She was rushing toward us, braid bouncing, eyes sharp with worry. The second she reached me, her hands were everywhere—grabbing my shoulders, tugging my sleeve, pressing against my chest like she expected me to fall apart.
"How did it go? Anyone hurt? Let me check!"
I couldn't help it—I laughed. Not because it was funny, but because the tension in her face looked really silly and adorable. "Relax. Still in one piece, aren't I?"
She blinked, froze for a heartbeat, then exhaled so hard I thought her knees might give out. "Don't scare me like that." She swatted my arm with a glare that didn't hide the relief in her eyes.
I rubbed the back of my neck, grinning sheepishly. "You're overreacting."
"Overreacting?" Chixia huffed, folding her arms. "Please. You practically didn't even know you were a resonator not long ago ."
Rover stayed quiet through the exchange, but I could feel her eyes on me. When I finally glanced her way, she was standing just behind Yangyang, her expression unreadable—except for the way her brows pinched slightly, and how her hands fidgeted at her sides. Worry. She wasn't saying it, but my expression earlier affected her a lot damn I'm pathetic that even Rover is worried about me.
We told Chixia what happened—the fragments of truth, the lies, the terror in Qichi Village. By the end of it, Chixia's jaw was set tight.
"So those Fractsidus creeps are in Jinzhou now." She spat the words like venom.
I folded my arms, still feeling the echo of Scar's presence. "Yeah. And they're not just here for fun."
Yangyang's voice slipped into the conversation, quiet but clear. "They use mechanical manipulation to integrate Tacet Discords into human bodies. Seeking power with such gruesome acts… I cannot bring myself to understand them."
The way she said it, soft but firm, made me look at her differently for a moment. Tired as she was, there was steel under that voice.
But then Chixia glanced at me again. "That Scar guy… What was he like?"
I hesitated. The words didn't come easy. Images flashed behind my eyes—the portal, the fucking annoying riddles , and Phrolova's last look at me. I clenched my jaw. She knows me.
"We survived. That's enough."
Yangyang's gaze fell to the ground. "He didn't intend to kill us. I would even say he pulled his punches."
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rover. She had stepped closer, her shoulder brushing mine ever so lightly. It wasn't much—barely a touch—but I knew what it meant. Her way of saying don't scare me like that again.
When the conversation turned to the Magistrate's token, the theories piling up one after another, I caught myself zoning out. Too many secrets and questions that I don't have fucking answers to.
"… and Vice versa."
The words slipped out of Rover's mouth, almost to herself. Thinking she should've killed Scar and that woman in red. Yangyang caught it, asking her what she meant. Rover brushed it off with a "Nothing in particular," but I could see the tension in her face, the way her eyes lingered on me a moment too long.
She was worried. Not about Scar, not about Fractsidus. About me.
And I didn't know what to do with that.
Later, when the sundial puzzle clicked into place and the Grand Library's name surfaced, a chill ran down my spine.
Yangyang's eyes softened, though her voice trembled. "If that is true… then you both must be truly significant people."
Her words weighed heavier than I liked.
Fucking hell, I hate this, the canon is deteriorating faster than I've like. It's like the world already accounted that I will exist.
I exhaled, shaking my head. "I'll need to go somewhere on my own."
The moment I said it, Rover's head snapped toward me. "I'm coming with you." No hesitation, Rover wanted to ease whatever rattled Jeff and ease his burden.
I blinked at her, stunned. "Rover, it's—"
"No." Her voice was low, firm, and her hand brushed mine for the briefest second, grounding me. "You've been through enough already. If you think I'm gonna leave you alone when my friend might need me the most, then you don't know me at all."
My throat tightened. She looked right at me, eyes dark with worry but blazing with determination. The kind of look that dared me to argue—and promised she'd win. How can she say such cool lines with ease? I'm jealous, if she keeps it up I'm gonna fall for her.
Chixia groaned dramatically. "See?! Covert ops! Real confidential stuff going on! And I'm not even invited?"
Yangyang just sighed, her lips curving into something close to a smile. "Still… Please be careful. We'll be waiting for you."
As the night deepened around Jinzhou, I couldn't stop thinking about Rover's words—her voice steady, her hand brushing mine, her fear for me unspoken but louder than anything else. Despite all the shitty mystery and unfortunate circumstances I still got Rover here by my side to help, and I'm forever grateful for that.