On the "Iron Dragonfly," in "Stargazer's Nook," Celeste is playing a strange game. Dozens of sparkling Prism Crystals in various colors are arranged in a circle before her. Each crystal contains a piece of emotion, a miniature memory collected by the Black Storm group.
She closes her eyes, gliding her hands over the prisms. Her fingers lightly brush against them, like a pianist searching for a melody. "This one tastes sweet like a beautiful dream... That one has the bitter taste of disappointment..." she whispers to herself.
Suddenly, her hand stops on a prism she has never seen before. It is not part of the circle. It appears mysteriously, rolling out from a dark corner. This prism is a dull gray, cold, but at its center, a small orange flame is struggling to ignite.
Celeste jolts awake. Not because of noise, but because of a wave of intense sadness and loneliness emanating from her Essence Prism box. It is the dull gray Essence with the faint orange flame—containing the emotional essence of a boy named Kai from Earth.
"Oh!" Celeste exclaims, picking up the Essence. The moment she touches it, a surge of intense, conflicting emotions floods her mind.
The sharp pain after a fall.
The bitterness of betrayal when the lighter was stolen.
The longing for a lost home and laughter, painfully heart-wrenching.
And... a flicker of hope, fragile and small but persistent, directed towards a place called "Trash Dragon."
Celeste's mouth drops open. This is not the emotion of a cosmic entity or a machine. This is the emotion of a human being. A person enduring extreme suffering, yet still clinging to life.
"He's calling..." she whispers, her eyes wide like galaxies, the stars within spinning faster. "He's scared and lonely... just like I used to be."
She hugs the Essence tightly, as if trying to warm it. She feels a fragile connection, transcending space-time, stretching from this Essence to a distant place, a dying blue planet. The Essence prism vibrates gently and emits a flickering light, like a heartbeat. Celeste carefully lifts it.
The whole room seems to sink into a separate space. Ember is sleeping soundly in the next room, Teron is silent in maintenance mode, and Echo is just a faint shadow quietly listening.
"Are you scared again?" Celeste whispers, gently pressing the Essence prism to her chest, where her core is glowing. "Don't be afraid; I'm here. No one will harm you."
On the other side of the universe, in a makeshift shelter on Earth, Kai also cannot sleep. The fear of the bully Lom, the longing for his parents, and the ultimate loneliness make his heart ache. Suddenly, a voice echoes in his mind, not a sound, but like a warm wave of thoughts spreading.
"You... is that you, the voice from before?" Kai thinks, as if pleading for confirmation.
"Yes! It's me, Celeste!" A feeling of joy and excitement immediately responds, transmitting directly into his mind. "I see you're very sad. Do you want to tell me about it?"
And then, in the silence of two universes, a conversation begins. Celeste sits hugging her knees, holding the prism tightly, like a connecting bridge. She doesn't hear any words, but still feels the images, memories, and emotions of Kai:
The gentle face of a woman (Kai's mother) appears, along with the smell of freshly cooked rice, then disappears in a blinding explosion.
The pain of falling into the rubble and the anger, helplessness when the cherished lighter is snatched away.
The terror every time he hears Lom and his gang's footsteps.
Celeste shudders slightly. She has never experienced such complex and painful emotions. Tears roll down her cheeks, not from fear, but from deep empathy.
"Now I understand..." Celeste sends a wave of comfort. "You're just like me. Lonely. Scared. But you are very strong. I know you are very strong."
To comfort Kai, Celeste begins to "tell" him about her world. She sends images:
The Iron Dragonfly flying through a brilliant nebula.
Ember with fiery hair, but carrying the feeling of a strong sister, always protective.
Star dust dancing like bright specks flying around.
And Gulp, the devouring home, with a strange sense of warmth and safety.
For the first time in months, Kai feels a glimmer of hope. The world he is heading towards is not just a shelter; it could also be a home.
"Will we be friends?" Celeste asks, her voice full of anticipation. "Me, sister Ember, and Teron too, we will find a way to come get you. Will you wait for us?"
"Yes..." Kai feels grateful and determined. "I... I will try to live. I promise."
The prism in Celeste's hand bursts into bright flames for a moment, the orange fire burning more fiercely than ever, like a promise sealed.
Celeste smiles, placing the Essence prism in the safest spot. She knows this is a secret only she and her new friend share. As she drifts into sleep, the smile lingers on her lips. In the ship's cabin, only Echo witnesses it, appearing like a flickering light before fading away, with a strange sense