Celestial Aria

You feel smothered and shrouded, as if stacks of thick velvet fabric press down upon you. You cannot see or move.

In this dream of darkness and void, a faint voice ripples through like water, then quickly dissipates.

As you utter the name, an invisible barrier instantly shatters. A warm, intimate link crosses countless timelines, transforming into a shimmering white thread that brushes your chest.

Seeing nothing, you wave your hands and take desperate steps, like a traveler wading upstream, struggling forward and searching in the viscous darkness.

You cannot see her, only hear her fragmented voice. Your partner is equally excited, expressing the joy of a long-awaited reunion.

It feels like a real rope tethers you and Ramona together, and following that rope will lead you back home.

As you advance along the guidance of that rope, a shattering sound suddenly erupts. The entire space shakes violently from a massive tremor.

All light vanishes. In the distant expanse, a colossal, unknown entity changes course and gradually fades into the chaotic void.

You jolt upright in bed. Dark red brick walls... the faint smell of disinfectant... You realize you are still in Doll: Inferno's base.

She takes a Silver Core you once stole and tosses it into the Awakening device. A wisp of hazy purple smoke rises amidst the mechanical humming.

Seeing your shocked expression, Doll: Inferno rolls her eyes.

You remember that gray sea filled with skulls.

Daffodil's eyes curve appreciatively as she flips her wrist, giving the smoking rod a slight shake.

You are stunned, slowly lowering your head.

Your head jerks up, eyes reigniting, earning a gentle chuckle from Daffodil and a scoff from Doll: Inferno.

Daffodil's expression grows uncharacteristically grave. You fall silent, recalling the battle that cost everything.

The battle feels so distant, like a story from a past life.

Yet, it also feels so near, close enough for you to recall every detail with ease.

You remember every grievous wound, every hard-won victory, every shudder of fear, every desperate cry on the brink of death...

Gazing upon the Supreme Will once cost you all your courage and life. Recalling those gazes that transcend all rules, your voice begins to tremble uncontrollably.

You clench your fists, shake your head, and look earnestly at Daffodil.

Doll: Inferno gives an unsurprised nod, and Daffodil looks at you, smiling, as if she never considered the possibility that you would flinch.

In response to Doll: Inferno's inquiry, Daffodil turns her gaze toward you.

Amidst swirling mist, a rose, seemingly produced from nowhere, is handed to you.

...

For the first time, you realize that the passage used by Doll: Inferno to leave the world is the vanished sun hanging overhead.

The sun's pitch-black void resembles an unhealable wound of the world. As your consciousness drifts into it, you feel as though you are crawling into the hollow chest of a giant.

No scorching heat here. Only endless, viscous darkness. Gradually, forward and backward recede into abstraction, and existence itself dissolves into nothingness.

Trusting that voice, you empty your mind and push forward, until a swirl of psychedelic colors plunges you into violent dizziness.

Except for being Daffodil's Sea of Primordial Essence, this is the first time you stand outside the universe, looking at the world.

It feels like entering a microscopic world under a microscope: a gelatinous spatial substance, countless writhing lines, bizarre-shaped spirits, and distant galaxies flickering at the far edge of vision...

...and the boundless frontier of worlds.

Without a firm spiritual anchor, one would easily get lost in such a chaotic and boundless space. Yet you feel no fear.

Clutching the Silver Key at your chest, you solemnly, almost tenderly, extend your spirit tendrils toward the blooming rose in your hand.

A grand wave of spiritual energy erupts in the dimensional space, and at the farthest reach of your spirit tendril, a sudden rift appears, tearing through the fabric of space.

Behind the crevice, a gigantic pupil emerges, like the eye of a giant opening abruptly.

World#Kadath Before the Keeper's funeral

With a low hum signaling the completion of the test, the instruments once again display a null result. Doll silently waves her hand, and the researchers exchange glances, tacitly beginning to dismantle the equipment.

The cruel verdict finally falls from Doll's lips. Seeing the tears streaming from Ramona's stunned eyes, the professor, accustomed to sacrifice, closes her eyes in pity.

World#Kadath 3 months after the Keeper's funeral

The mist gathers and dissipates, and a Mythag regular appears at the entrance of the Black Pool, quietly standing next to Doll, gazing together at the figure sitting motionless in front of the "Gate."

The rational professor sighs and turns her head inquisitively.

Hearing Daffodil's sudden voice behind her, Ramona stands up, nearly losing her composure, barely restraining herself from grabbing the shopkeeper's arm.

After this impassioned plea, Ramona finally notices Doll's unsmiling expression beside her.

World#Kadath 10 months after the Keeper's funeral Black Pool

Hollow footsteps echoed through the stacks of locked gates, splashing into the viscous water. The silent Black Pool welcomes its second visitor of the day.

The person she is talking to does not respond. The motionless silhouette, like a statue watching afar, remains facing the floating figure in front of the "Gate".

She stands beside Ramona, gazing together at the figure that remains in eternal slumber.

Ramona, who has been silent as a statue until now, finally speaks, her tone as flat as a machine.

Ramona jerks her head around to stare at Doll's calm eyes.

Doll smiles, handing over the freshly printed research report.

World#Kadath One year after the Keeper's funeral Black Pool

The rapidly operating spirit separation device emits an overloaded red alarm. The nearby observer immediately presses the stop button.

The hatch of the user's cabin instantly pops open. Ramona, already exhausted, manages to twitch a finger before researchers quickly support her out.

The light green pool water submerges her chest. The feverish heat radiating from Ramona's body finally subsides. Her eyes, once rational and now bordering on obsessive, slowly open.

Pollux, who has stepped out from the nearby instrument, quietly approaches the two and interrupts Doll's further admonitions.

World#Kadath Now

The blurry, half-formed tunnel collapses as a sudden, terrifying corrosion strikes. Ramona lets out a muffled groan as her consciousness is forcibly recalled by the emergency system.

On the playground at dusk, Ogier finishes his daily training as usual, not skipping a single rep.

Wiping away the flowing sweat, he supports himself with the heavy spear. Ogier turns around, but the person who would have smiled and offered encouragement is no longer there. Only his own lonely shadow stretches long across the ground.

Lotan's rapier parries and flicks away the weapons of two Investigators, ending yet another battle that lasts only a minute.

Before she can raise her sword to continue bullying, the two panting freshmen before her are already clasping their hands in pleading surrender.

Lotan sighs at the setting sun and turns away listlessly, remembering the exhilarating battles she once had with a certain someone.

Aigis cuts the final strand of yarn, carefully unfolds the newly knitted sweater, smooths it, and then tiptoes to hang it in the wardrobe filled with knitwear.

The clever gray mouse scurries through the door gap, faithfully placing a shiny ring into its partner's hand.

Jenkin yawns in boredom, casually tosses the ring into an open wooden box nearby, which overflows with a jumbled mess of "treasures."

That person used to demand Jenkin return all the stolen treasures one by one, but {Male=he,Female=she} hasn't showed up in a long time. So why is she still feeling down? Brown wonders.

Lily sits neatly at the desk and opens another storybook.

A tall stack of finished children's books has piled up on the corner of the desk, and the girl jots down story ideas in the notebook beside her.

When excited by an idea, a faint smile appears on the girl's tranquil face, and her feet begin to gently sway under the desk.

The pencil dances as it records innocent fantasies. But soon, Lily stops writing, staring blankly out the window.

Helot tips the wineskin, pouring the content onto the ground in front of the tombstone.

After downing the remaining half-flask of wine in one gulp, the warrior departs in silence, leaving only a laurel wreath hanging quietly on the gravestone.

Upon the luxurious velvet tablecloth, Murphy's afternoon tea is as sumptuous as ever.

Cutlery clinks against the plate as she sends the rich cream cake into her mouth.

She eats her cake in an unnatural silence while staring blankly at the empty chair across from her, where that person's dedicated tableware is placed.

In a specially reserved, empty dorm room, the neat and brand-new furnishings seem uninhabited, with only a freshly sprouted sapling placed by the window.

On rare occasions, someone might see a honey-skinned woman behind that window, leaning on the windowsill, gently cradling the potted sapling.

Even though the club activities have gradually revived and become lively now, this music classroom belonging to the master performer still has no one daring to disturb it easily.

The curtain is gently lifted by the night breeze as Hameln stands before the piano, gazing toward the clock tower.

The piano they once shared stands unused. Only the sound of Hameln's flute, repeated day after day, quietly drifts under the moonlight, unheard by anyone.

In the depths of the Black Pool, the eternally lonely prisoner behind the gate now has a slumbering companion.

Tawil's compassionate eyes open silently, gazing at the shell whose soul drifts far away.

In the Research Department laboratory, Ramona soaks her training suit with sweat, tirelessly conducting mental training day and night.

Doll stares at her while sipping another cup of strong coffee, flips to a new page of the experiment report, and continues to debug the instrument's data.

A notification sent to all Awakeners flashes on the communicator she had just set down.

Every Awakener on campus simultaneously glances at their suddenly ringing communicators, their eyes locking onto the name they have waited for in the screen.

To all Mythag Awakeners, Not long ago, we stood united against the all-consuming black disaster. To this day, the gravestones in the Keygrave bear witness to countless sacrifices, including the loss of the Keeper, who secured our ultimate peace. {Male=He,Female=She} was a comrade, a confidant, a student who mastered the art of skipping class, a very dear friend to many, our singular guide, and the hero who saved us all.

Mythag sustained a profound loss with {Male=his,Female=her} disappearance. While sharing this collective sorrow, the Research Department has maintained a focused effort to locate traces of the Keeper's consciousness. Originally, I intended to withhold this information until success was secured, unwilling to subject our community to the added burden of prolonged, uncertain hope. However, we have now verified a viable methodology for locating %player% and will initiate the final retrieval attempt shortly.

This operation requires the participation of every Awakener. We must transform the concentrated dedication of us all for %player% into the spiritual energy necessary to act as the navigational beacon that guides {Male=him,Female=her} home. On behalf of Mythag, I formally request your presence before the Black Pool. I invite us all to stand together, as we did during the final battle, and fight side by side once more for %player%. Your comrade, Doll

World#Kadath The Day of Reunion

Beneath the clock tower's restricted area, a quiet crowd stands before the silent Black Pool.

After Doll explains the principles of dimensional travel, the Awakeners who had been clamoring to go now stand silently by the Spirit Resonance Device.

In front of the crowd, Ramona holds a bouquet of withered roses, quietly gazing at the Black Pool. In her other hand, she clutches the Silver Key numbered 0617 tightly.

Doll presses the button, and a wave of spiritual energy ripples out, weaving everyone's spirits into threads, forming a giant, connecting net.

Ramona solemnly opens her palm, and the Silver Key slowly rises in a strange gravitational pull, floating in the center of the invisible net, flickering with a breath-like glow.

Everyone stares at the key, offering silent prayers.

All the Awakeners silently recite that familiar name. Streams of spiritual energy, flowing like fireflies, converge into the suspended Silver Key. The center of the key gradually begins to shine like a star.

Pollux and Castor exchange a glance, nodding at each other. In an instant, Castor's body transforms into a streak of light and merges into Pollux's chest.

An emerald glow swirls within the Sacred Heart. Behind Pollux, a pair of magnificent Onyx Plumes unfurls. He points his finger, and the artificial heart flashes in response to the Silver Key's brilliance.

Meeting Pollux's solemn gaze, Ramona tightly grasps the glowing rose in her hand, the signal she had agreed upon with the Keeper.

The spiritual strength, honed through countless rehearsals, gradually coalesces following the familiar guidance. She lifts her head and gazes at the Silver Key, pouring her wishes into its center along with everyone else's.

Pollux hovers high above like an angel brimming with holy light, waiting to guide the lost soul to the side of god.

After exchanging a glance, Doll and Ramona activate the massive device that covers nearly half of the Black Pool. In the violent turbulence of the pool water, the enormous vortex collapses with a roar, creating an abyss that seems ready to devour everything.

The majestic pool of water flows down into another world, and within the bottomless vortex, the existence of the world begins to blur.

Ramona nods. Just before stepping into the abyss, she suddenly pauses and looks back at the crowd.

A faint figure stands silently behind the praying crowd. A presence hidden deep within her consciousness, visible only to her.

The surrounding noise fades away. Deep within her mind, Ramona gazes at that distant self.

Sensing Ramona's inner thoughts, Ramona: Timeworn shakes her head, raising her veiled eyes to quietly observe the abyss.

Ramona's hand tightens around the rose. After a long moment, she nods solemnly, and under the gaze of her other self, seats herself within the Spirit Separation Device.

Her physical eyes close tightly, while another pair of eyes slowly opens. A solidified soul detaches from her body, coated in a hazy, veil-like white light by the radiance of Pollux's "Sacred Heart."

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, Ramona turns, meeting the gazes of her comrades one by one, shouldering the weight of those heavy hopes.

Guided by those yearnings, she turns and leaps into the massive vortex. The entrance, resembling a gate to Hell, engulfs the solitary soul in an instant.

Meanwhile Beyond the Black Sun

Descent. Destruction. Rebirth... Confrontation. Combat. Perseverance...

Under the immense pressure of that Supreme Will, everything feels so familiar.

One by one, the giant, pale eyes in the alien dimension dissipate with a roar. Your spirit gradually nears exhaustion. The only thing sustaining you now is the vibrant red rose in your hand.

In a daze, your heart suddenly starts to race, and you turn, following this instinct.

Like a meteor streaking past, or ice crystals condensing, a beam-like tunnel extends toward you, accompanied by a strange, ethereal sound.

A voice that has echoed in your memory a thousand times crosses the distant dimensional space behind you, resonating in your mind through the link of your spiritual tendrils.

Beyond the billions of worlds shimmering like stars, that familiar figure struggles to break through the tumultuous currents, running toward you step by step.

You can see her silhouette, her face, and her eyes shining with joy, no longer a false illusion, no longer just a vague voice.

The energy waves of the tunnel connection roar past, stirring your hair. Finally, your fingertips touch, and then you embrace tightly.

The longing from another world transforms into a white halo, swirling and flowing through your soul.

Your foreheads touch, her hands lovingly wrap around your back, her voice trembling with joy as she cries.

All the fatigue, loneliness, and pain dissipate at this moment. You know your soul has returned to its true home.

You repeatedly check the soul before you that has trekked so far, noting only her somewhat thinner frame. Ramona shakes her head, gently stroking your face.

A pang of emotion hits your nose, and you shake your head as well. In the gaze exchanged between you, amidst the tears welling up in your eyes, you both smile at the same time.

In immense happiness, you instinctively take her hand, eager to go home.

Suddenly, you see her pupils dilate sharply, and in an instant, she lunges at you, shoving you aside with immense force.

As you're thrown backward, you see a new dimensional rift has opened where you once stood. Another colossal eye turns and looks at Ramona, who is left behind.

In an instant, the pitch-black slime engulfs her.

When your spirit is on the brink of exhaustion, the gaze of the Supreme also begins to waver from weakness.

This is a battlefield of wills. Like a dying beast, you summon every last ounce of your strength, squeezing out the final dregs of power from your parched mental world.

With trembling hands, you raise the Silver Key high.

A dazzling silver light blooms in your hand, its silvery radiance illuminating the entire illusory dimension.

A piercing shriek, belonging to no creature or dimension, rings directly from the depths of your consciousness, nearly tearing your mind apart.

You collapse to your knees, clutching your ears tightly, feeling blood uncontrollably seep from your eyes...

The agonizing shriek has vanished without you noticing when. You lift your head. In the fragile illusory dimension, that terrifying, chilling presence is long gone.

You've won. Its subconscious is severed from this place; the last giant eye has dissipated within the dimension.

Struggling to steady your utterly exhausted mind, you almost instinctively turn back.

Crack...

A faint, crystalline shattering reaches your ears. You see the dimensional tunnel cracking like a spider web, and Ramona's spiritual form begins to flicker like an old television.

Your long-exhausted body seems to heal in an instant. No longer caring about anything else, you fly to her side, trembling as you grasp her hands.

Your partner smiles as usual. She squeezes your hand back tighter, continuing with the original plan as if nothing had happened.

She leads you, just as she always does during missions. However, a more rational voice cuts in, almost coldly.

It's the first time you've seen this always-calm person cry out so desperately. She takes a deep breath, then shows you a more natural smile.

She's pleading with you.

You can't speak.

Doll: Inferno, who had been enjoying the show immensely, also joins the communication channel, letting out a cynical laugh.

You gaze at the transparent figure that seems to be fading away, smiling gently and hiding all your longing for home.

Doll: Inferno ruthlessly shatters your illusion, while Doll on the other end remains silent.

Ramona's hands begin to tremble as well. You slowly take a breath and pat her hand, pretending to be relaxed.

Ramona nods, then shakes her head, looking at you with an almost pleading gaze. You simply close your eyes and continue speaking with deliberate cruelty.

Ramona wants to say something more, but you interrupt her. You start to ramble on like an elder lost in memories.

Ramona's silent and sorrowful expression breaks for a moment, and the corner of her mouth involuntarily curves up.

You still smile as you look at the tears streaming down Ramona's cheeks, but some scalding liquid also flows uncontrollably across your face.

Watching her becoming translucent and flickering as her spirit reaches its limit, you gently shake your head.

Ramona had known this moment would come. She shakes her head desperately, her fading hands gripping your spiritual form tightly.

We will meet again... no matter what.

You gently withdraw your hand from that familiar grasp and let go.

Doll on the other end of the comm receives the signal. A familiar sensation washes over Ramona's spirit, the instrument is pulling her away. She knows she has to leave.

On that face where tears and smile intertwine, Ramona's pupils lock onto yours, struggling to etch your face into her memory.

At the last moment when her spirit is recalled to her body, she stretches out her hand to you with all her strength once again.

Just like that moment long ago under the starry night sky, she reached out her pinky finger and gently hooked it onto your fingertip.

She does not wait for your answer. The next instant, her illusory figure dissipates along with the dimensional tunnel, turning into scattered remnants that slowly fade away, leaving no trace.

...

...

Feeling the lingering warmth on your fingertip, you slowly clench the pinky finger that was just linked with hers, pressing it firmly against your chest.

Toward that vast, solitary dimensional space, toward that vanished figure, you whisper the promise you are determined to keep.

...

Ramona weakly stands up and, with a smile, walks to the fading void of the Black Pool.

The abyss collapses in her eyes, from a massive entity devouring everything, to a gate separating dimensions, then to a void-like crevice, until it disappears completely.

Ramona's hand gently brushes over the place where the abyss once existed, over that battered body.

She smiles, as if she sees the owner of the body standing before her in the near future, just like any ordinary day back in Mythag.