『 Stelle and Hotaru moved with swift, determined strides, and before long, they had returned to the main urban district of the Golden Hour.
[ Come to think of it, do we need to head to the hotel to return to reality…? ]
[ …Strange. Where did everyone go? ]
Stelle strolled through the streets, only to suddenly realize that the surroundings were eerily devoid of a single soul. A ghostly silence reigned.
This anomaly immediately triggered her instincts; her expression sharpened into one of vigilance.
[ Hm? Sampo? Is that guy up to no good again? ]
As Stelle and Hotaru investigated the road ahead, they suddenly caught sight of Sampo's silhouette.
[ We meet again, my dear… ]
[ Sigh. It seems you didn't take my advice to heart at all… ]
[ What a pity. Does that girl truly fascinate you so much? ]
[ Heh, you really are… too blind! ]
Upon seeing their arrival, Sampo's expression turned cold and indifferent, a stark departure from his previous warmth.
[ Careful! ]
[ I can say with certainty now—there is something wrong with this friend of yours! ]
Stelle intended to step forward and demand answers, but Hotaru grabbed her arm, pulling her back and shielding her with her own body.
[ Oho? It seems this brave young lady wants to protect you. Why is that? ]
[ Are you two really that intimate? ]
Seeing this, a playful, mocking smile curled upon Sampo's face.
[ Cut the crap! ]
Hotaru shouted with a fierce, feminine grace.
[ I just love your personality, my dear. ]
[ I admit, you're different from that little Gray Hair; your nose is quite sharp. ]
[ But even so, you've fallen behind the main group. ]
[ Haven't you realized it by now? What The Family is hiding… the secret behind this sweet dream. ]
[ And as for you — the Trailblazer who saved the Ice World... ]
[ Sigh, just how much water did that guy Sampo mix into his stories about Jarilo-VI? ]
[ Oh well forget it. it was my problem for trusting him... ]
[ ...I'm really, really disappointed in you. ]
The moment Sampo finished these words, the scenery around Hotaru and Stelle underwent a cataclysmic shift.
Spectral red goldfish, ghost-like and ethereal, began to dance elegantly around the pair. Dreamlike specks of pink light swam through the void, leaving Stelle and Hotaru dazzled and disoriented.
And in this moment, Sampo's eyes emitted an eerie crimson glow, his posture twisting into something entirely different.
[ Umm, excuse me... ]
[ Please, go ahead and… ]
The uncanny Sampo began to walk toward Stelle and Hotaru, step by deliberate step.
[ —take a little nap... Inside the trueDreamscape. ]
Sampo walked up to Stelle and flicked a finger against her forehead. Instantly, Stelle's thoughts began to congeal, her consciousness scattering like smoke.
In the final moments before her awareness faded, she saw Sampo transform into a strange young girl.
That girl… was Hanabi! 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Heh, the big bad wolf finally dropped the act and revealed its tail!"
March 7th: "Hanabi's laugh at the end was so creepy! What exactly are you plotting?!"
Hanabi: "Didn't the 'me' in the video already say it?~"
Hanabi: "I'm just letting them take a little nap in the true Dreamscape, that's all~"
Welt: "The… true Dreamscape?"
Furina: "But aren't they already in a dream?"
Ganyu: "Could it be… a dream within a dream?"
Paimon: "Aiya, I don't get it, I don't get it at all! This is way too complicated!"
Lumine: "I feel like if Paimon and I were there, we'd be tricked until we didn't know which way was north."
Amber: "I don't know if you guys noticed."
Amber: "At the very end, Miss Hanabi called out Mr. Sampo's name."
Collei: "Does that mean… do they know each other?"
Stelle: "Know each other? Listening to Hanabi's tone, they're clearly from the same faction!"
Dan Heng: "Mr. Sampo, you really are a member of the Masked Fools!"
Seele: "Sampo is a Masked Fool?!"
Seele: "That bastard, he hid it so deep!"
Gepard: "To think he is one of the Masked Fools, masters of disguise. No wonder we could never catch him."
Sampo: "Brothers and sisters, I admit it! I am a Masked Fool, true enough!"
Sampo: "But I'm different from that Hanabi character! I have a conscience!"
Sampo: "I usually just look for a little fun, a few laughs. I would never plot anything outrageous."
Hanabi: "Sampo, do you even believe that yourself?"
Hanabi: "A Masked Fool claiming to have a conscience… Hahahahaha… The Elation above, I'm laughing so hard my stomach hurts."
Sampo: "Why wouldn't you believe it? I, Sampo, am a man of conscience!"
Sampo: "Also, I was kind enough to tell you a story, and you turn around and use my identity to swindle people!"
Sampo: "This is a BETRAYAL!!"
Hanabi: "Please, I'm a Fool, and you're a Fool. Among Fools, is there really such a thing as betrayal?"
Stelle: "Alright, alright, stop putting on this double act."
Stelle: "Neither of you is up to any good."
Hanabi: "Of course I'm not 'up to any good,' I'm a person, silly Heehee~"
Sampo: "Hey sister, say what you will, but I did help you back in Belobog. You can't just paint me with the same brush just because I'm a Fool, right?"
March 7th: "Uhh… you have a point. The Astral Express crew isn't that unreasonable."
Stelle: "Fine. We'll see how you behave from here on out."
Aventurine: "Ladies and gentlemen… you seem to be missing the point."
Aventurine: "Shouldn't we be focusing on what exactly The Family is hiding within this so-called sweet dream?"
Dr. Ratio: "The gambler is correct. It appears the time for revealing the truth is approaching; we should watch with due diligence."
Robin: "This… what exactly is happening…"
Sunday: "…Trust in The Family!"
....
『 [ Ugh... This... What is this place? ]
[ Did I return to the hotel? ]
[ No, this feeling... The surroundings look a little like I just entered a dream... ]
Stelle awoke in an unfamiliar hotel room. Upon waking, there was no one else by her side.
Stelle pondered for a moment, then prepared to take out her phone to notify the others. However, she sent two messages in succession, only to find they failed to transmit.
[ Can't connect… ]
Stelle shook her head helplessly. She had no choice but to investigate this bizarre room.
[ This is too eerie… ]
The room was filled with bizarre sights that sent a chill through Stelle's heart.
[ …Hotaru? ]
Stelle stepped out of the room, only to discover Hotaru's figure at the door.
[ Ah… Stelle! ]
[ So you're really here too...]
Hotaru was visibly agitated upon seeing Stelle.
[ Don't tell me we're dead... ]
Stelle asked.
[ I… I don't know. ]
[ Regardless, we must still be in a dream, not anywhere else, and certainly not reality… There is the tactile sensation of Memoria in the air, I wouldn't mistake it. ]
[ But this place is so different from the sweet dream I know. suffocating... silent... uneasy... and you can see these floating words too, right? ]
[ It's impossible for such a place to exist in the Penacony governed by The Family. So, is this a Dream Bubble…? ]
[ No, that's not right—do you remember? Before we lost consciousness, your friend said this… ]
[ The true Dreamscape… ]
Hotaru shook her head, offering her analysis.
[ He isn't my friend. ]
Stelle retorted.
[ I should have suspected him sooner… I'm sorry. ]
[ In any case, The Family is definitely hiding something, the truth about the dream… ]
[ And, you noticed it when you woke up, right? The clocks and ticking sounds everywhere… ]
[ My intuition tells me the secret hidden here is likely related to that mysterious Watchmaker. ]
[ If it points to the Watchmaker's Legacy—then it concerns everyone currently in Penacony… ]
[ Let's go, Stelle… whether to find the truth or to leave this place, we have to move. ]
Hotaru's expression grew graver as she spoke, and she immediately pulled Stelle into action.
They observed their surroundings and finally selected a direction to proceed.
[ We can't get through here. Let's detour through the corridor on the side. ]
At a dead end, Hotaru scanned the area and spoke to Stelle.
Stelle nodded, then walked to the large door on her left and opened it, revealing stairs leading downward.
The two exchanged a glance and began to descend the stairs.
Along the way, eerie text would pop up intermittently.
[ Eh? This is a dead end too… ]
[ Look at the room's structure; surely they don't expect us to walk around on the walls? ]
After descending the stairs, they found the path blocked once again.
But at this moment, Hotaru discovered some golden, bubble-like liquid on the surrounding walls.
Stelle was familiar with this liquid. Previously, in that strange dream, she had used this very substance to walk on walls—the Bubble Charge.
So, with practiced ease, she approached the wall and began to walk up it, guided by the bubble-like fluid.
Hotaru followed close by her side, ascending the wall together.
[ It actually works? ]
[ Arbitrarily changing the gravity of the dreamscape is strictly prohibited… ]
Hotaru was somewhat astonished after climbing the wall.
[ CAREFUL!! ]
[ There are strange things on the wall… And they don't look like they're from the Dreamjolt Troupe... ]
Suddenly, Hotaru spotted a monster. It was burly and radiated danger. She couldn't help but shout a warning.
Stelle nodded cautiously, then bypassed the dream monster, continuing forward.
[ Huh? Mikhail…? ]
As they walked, the name "Mikhail" floated eerily before their eyes in large characters, confusing Hotaru.
But they did not stop; they continued to press forward.
Moments later, they passed through a succession of doors, arriving in a grand hall.
[ This is just… spectacular… ]
Inside the hall, a massive fountain hung inverted from the ceiling, its water flowing like pillars. Hotaru was stunned.
[ Um… is the exit… on the opposite side? ]
[ How do we get over there… ]
Hotaru looked at the exit across the chasm and couldn't help but mutter.
[ There should be a path leading to the other side. ]
[ Let's look carefully. ]
Stelle glanced around, then spoke to Hotaru.
Subsequently, the two began to search for a path to the opposite side. However, there was no direct route. They had to rely on the bubble-like Dream Charge liquid again to traverse the walls.
[ Ah… incredible… ]
[ It really is scenery you could only see in a dream… ]
In the process of navigating the walls, they arrived at a platform.
Ahead of the platform, scattered yet dense rectangular objects floated within a void radiating a mysterious blue light. Around them, spectral blue fish swam incessantly into the hollow.
Seeing this, Hotaru covered her small mouth in surprise.
[ These words have been appearing and then vanishing persistently for awhile now. Whose thoughts are they? ]
[ And who is Mikhail… ]
Watching another line of text fade beside her, Hotaru turned around, ready to discuss it with Stelle.
[ Mikhail… I feel like I've heard that somewhere… ]
Stelle rubbed her chin, feeling a sense of familiarity with the name.
[ I seem to be able to sense the… emotions contained within. ]
[ Confusion… fear… sorrow… and a resolve so faint it's almost imperceptible… ]
[ A resolve to face death… ]
Hotaru's perception was sharp; she detected the emotions embedded within the text.
[ Let's keep going. Perhaps the truth lies ahead. ]
Stelle felt the current clues were insufficient, so she led Hotaru onward.
[ Mikhail… you look like you have something on your mind… ]
Stelle and Hotaru arrived at a new wall, where more eerie text emerged.
But neither could decipher the meaning behind the words, so they had to ignore them.
As they continued, text would pop out every few steps.
[ Tell me… Mikhail. ]
[ So dark… it's so dark… here… ]
[ You're going? Don't go, please? ]
[ Take me with you at least ]
[ Okay? I beg you... ]
[ … ]
Following the guidance of these eerie words, they arrived in front of a large gate.
[ That was a close one... but we made it. ]
[ But The Family clearly promised the public that the dreamscape was absolutely safe… ]
Upon arriving, Hotaru let out a sigh of relief. But simultaneously, suspicion regarding The Family's claims began to take root.
Stelle also sensed that something was wrong. But this was not the time for analysis.
They exchanged a glance and entered through the gate.
After entering, they passed through two more doors before reaching a room.
[ There's only… a jigsaw puzzle here? ]
[ The pieces seem to have flown into the rooms on either side! ]
In the center of the room lay a Dream Jigsaw. The moment Hotaru and Stelle approached, two pieces of the puzzle flew off as if they had grown wings.
Seeing this, they had no choice but to follow the trajectory of the vanished shards to retrieve them.
First, they entered the room on the left. The decor here was very warm, resembling a child's playground.
[ This is an origami bird I made for you... ]
Eerie text floated in the room, drawing their gaze.
Subsequently, they discovered an origami bird.
[ Tweet! Tweet tweet! ]
[ Tweet...? ]
Stelle yanked the origami bird out.
But Stelle and Hotaru were not the people the origami bird was waiting for. After sizing them up, it flew away in disappointment.
After it flew off, a puzzle piece appeared in its original spot.
Stelle took the shard and headed toward the location of the final piece.
Moments later, the second shard was successfully collected, and they returned to the puzzle.
[ This should fill the gaps in the puzzle. ]
In front of the jigsaw, Hotaru placed the pieces and spoke to Stelle.
[ Ah! ]
[ The wall disappeared… ]
[ I feel like we're almost at the end… right? ]
Once the puzzle was completed, the wall in front of them vanished into thin air, replaced by a new gateway.
Watching this, Hotaru felt they were close to the truth!
But for some reason, as Stelle looked at this gateway, a sudden sensation of creeping horror made her skin crawl.
It was as if inside this door… lay a place of profound gloom and terror. 』
『 ....』