Amphoreus has, up to now, shown an extremely strong sense of destiny.
But the audience also knows… In Honkai: Star Rail, there are Aeons, and Aeons are not the same as gods.
Since Amphoreus exists within the Star Rail universe, it's impossible for it to bypass the Aeons.
Even the Finality, Terminus has to walk backward from the future.
So how can the "gods" here declare the future, and even predict it so accurately?
Are they somehow more powerful than the Aeons?
That doesn't make sense. This has always been the biggest point of doubt about Amphoreus in the audience's eyes.
Many of the world's underlying logics run contrary to the Star Rail universe.
The sense of destiny surrounding Mydei is far too strong, as if everything in his life since birth was arranged by fate.
If it were just an isolated case, it would be one thing. But now, through this memory, the story tells the audience that Tribbie is the same.
Tribbie's mother is the same as well.
The saintess of Janusopolis, as far back as a thousand years ago, or even earlier, had already predicted the current situation of Amphoreus.
Without error, she even foresaw the Titan's death, using it as part of some growth trajectory.
Janus really did die, and Tribbie indeed met many different companions.
Why? Isn't Amphoreus' divine authority supposed to be the Titans? Yet now it seems something else is even more overwhelming.
...
: What kind of Death Note is this, damn.
: I think… the third Path isn't Finality, right?
: Only the Finality could have such powerful prophetic ability. Otherwise, with how outrageous this prophecy is, no explanation can hold up.
: I'm just afraid they'll retcon it later.
: Where did the prophecy even come from? I'm wondering.
: Was it Janus? Or Oronyx? Or the last Titan of Fate?
: But if they could foresee their own destinies, why didn't they resist?
: Right now, the most reasonable explanation I can think of for this prophetic power is still the Finality.
: But what's the motive?
: So far, aside from the Chrysos Heirs and the Titans, we haven't seen any description of path striders or Emanators.
: I don't believe a place tangled in three Paths has no purpose or motive of its own, we just can't see it at all.
: Either it's hidden very deeply and Amphoreus is far more complicated than we think, or this place itself is extremely special.
...
After all, Amphoreus carries the prefix of Honkai: Star Rail.
So no matter how the story unfolds now, the audience can't help but think back, what connection does it have with the Star Rail universe?
The already revealed three intertwined Paths are like a hook. Everyone knows each has its own different purpose.
But Amphoreus feels as though it's covered by a layer of mirrors; at least for now, no one can clearly see what's inside.
Mysterious, profound… So whenever the audience senses something off in the story, they linger on it for a long time.
On screen, the dreamlike imagery has already faded.
Tribbie woke up from the bed.
"Mom…" Holding her head, Tribbie was still groggy and disoriented.
But she suddenly realized that what just happened should have only been a dream.
However, just as that thought formed in her mind, that gentle, familiar voice sounds again.
"Don't be silly, dear. Of course you're not dreaming. I've always been by your side."
"Now be a good girl and call your friends over too..."
"Let's play hide-and-seek just like we used to, okay? My Tribios is the smartest girl. I'm sure you remember where everyone is hiding."
As the words fell, Tribbie shook her head and said instinctively, "I don't... remember... Who am I looking for?"
The woman's voice sounds again: "Your friends who will chase the black tide away alongside you, of course."
Along with the voice, the background music remained soft.
But the audience gradually felt that something was wrong.
It's clearly a peaceful scene, yet appearing at this moment, at this time, and Tribbie sowing no reaction, it felt extremely eerie!
Obviously, something is wrong with Tribbie! But just like someone dreaming, no matter how strange the scene is, the dreamer cannot realize they're dreaming!
At that moment, a clear music box melody suddenly rand out.
It's gentle, drifting, full of childlike innocence. Tribbie opened her eyes and looked around the room.
This wasn't a room in the Marmoreal Palace, but rather a warm, cozy room.
Carpets are laid everywhere, and there's a large bookshelf.
Although Tribbie can't clearly remember where this is, seeing the scene fills her with a sense of reassurance.
Everything… seems to suggest that this place is very safe. That this is simply poor little Tribbie missing her mother.
However, a strong urge rose in the audience's hearts. They want to rush into the screen and shout to wake Tribbie up.
Of course, that's only a fantasy. Tribbie noticed nothing. Still drowsy, she followed the voice in her mind and began to move.
That gentle mother whispered in her thoughts, guiding her with a loving voice.
"Friends? Go find… friends." Tribbie wandered around the room in confusion.
Soon she noticed a doll. The doll looks exactly like her, red hair, big eyes, a cute face.
In its hand, it held a spindle.
"My good child, you did very well."
"You've found a companion."
"There will be an amazing captain on that big ship. She's cheerful, optimistic, bold, and cautious. She'll be able to get everyone together."
"I think that person lives in a beautiful temple that sits atop a hillside covered in golden fig trees."
"There's a noble girl there who's very smart but also very delicate."
The woman gently described a future friend to Tribbie.
Tribbie doesn't really understand, she felt as if she's seen her before, yet also not.
But the audience knows clearly. Who else could the woman be referring to besides Aglaea?
And it didn't end there. Afterward, Tribbie found many more dolls that looked like her.
Some held swords, others held staffs.
"Many years later, many brave warriors will board this ship. They are skilled combatants who fear no danger."
"I believe one warrior hails from a lovely village where bulrushes flourish, while another comes from a magnificent royal city. Though each has their own troubles, both are ready to lend their strength for the ship's long voyage."
"They each have their own troubles, but are willing to set out on a distant journey."
"When navigating at sea, you need to know both astronomy and geography."
The woman continued introducing things to Tribbie. But at this moment, many different names suddenly surfaced in Tribbie's mind.
"If its a warrior, let "Trianne" fight by their side!"
"For learning... "Trinnon" can do it! She's well-behaved and would make a great student."
Each time Tribbie subconsciously said these words, she would immediately fall into confusion.
She didn't even know who Trianne or Trinnon were, yet she still spoke those names.
This state was shown on screen. To the audience, it felt as if Tribbie was sometimes clear-headed, sometimes lost.
In this strange atmosphere, Tribbie hugged three dolls and came before a strange creation.
"Now, Tribios, set them on this music box and let them compose a melody for our song."
A female voice sounded in Tribbie's mind.
"M-Music box? What's that?"
Holding the dolls, Tribbie's big eyes were full of confusion.
"Sweetheart, are you still groggy from your nap? You invented it!"
The female voice chuckled softly and explained, "Put your good friends on it and see the wonders it can do. If you place the dolls in the right spots, it will start rotating and play beautiful music..."
Put the dolls on it? Tribbie froze for a moment, then carefully placed the three dolls onto the three seats of the device.
Then, the music box really began to slowly rotate. Crisp music even came from within.
Tribbie's eyes lit up. "It's rotating! And I can hear something..."
She was completely captivated by what was in front of her; all her previous doubts and struggles were instantly thrown aside.
"Mhm!" The woman was also very happy and said gently, "...Out of all your inventions, this one is my favorite."
Tribbie stared unblinkingly at the rotating dolls, but said a little dejectedly, "But Mom, I don't... remember..."
"It's alright, my child. I'll sing along to the tune, and it will help jog your memories."
After speaking, the woman began to hum softly. The gentle melody blended with the crisp sound of the music box.
It made the audience unconsciously quiet down. Tribbie was the same; she quietly hugged her short legs and squatted on the rug, gently swaying with the music.
The woman's humming became clearer and clearer. The vague melody gradually turned into sentences.
[Happiness abounded in this lush land by gods chosen. Giants raised their glasses in a toast beheld by the twelve constellations.]
[Three carved the heavens and the earth, three wove the threads of fate. Three molded life with their hands, and three guided calamity's gate.]
[…]
This was the content of the prophecy. The audience was already familiar with it.
A ballad about Titans, about prophecy. Line after line appeared.
However…
At the ending, there was a subtle difference.
[O great Kephale, all-knowing father of stature so tall, yet low does their gaze willingly fall.]
[With light of dawn heavy upon their shoulders, golden blood spills unto the land..]
[Converge into a boiling river that flows to the heroic heirs of this world.]
Just as everyone was immersed in the exotic melody, enjoying the peace brought by the song, a harsh burst of static suddenly exploded.
The static sounded like screaming, like wailing.
The piercing noise tore through the carefully created warmth and calm like an ice spike!
Immediately after, the image began to twist and flicker wildly, as if the signal were being violently interfered with.
The screaming static reached its peak. The screen froze on a cold, massive Janus symbol filling the entire display.
Distorted, unrecognizable text flickered around it.
Jumpscare! A technique from horror films was used here! But the effect was surprisingly good.
After a moment of stunned silence, the live comments exploded.
...
: Holy shit!!!!!
: What the hell was that noise!
: Scared the crap out of me!
: Damn! I almost punched my screen!
: I was about to fall asleep like it was ASMR, why suddenly this?!
: Damn it! A nice bedtime fairy tale turned into a horror movie!
: Bro, I'm a grown man and I grabbed my girlfriend in fear, now she's looking at me weird!
: Scared me to death!
...
The music suddenly became choppy. The woman's voice grew heavily distorted.
The screen kept flickering. Seeing this, who could still believe this was Amphoreus?
It was clearly a horror scene! Tribbie was instantly jolted awake.
She pulled her hands to her chest, eyes wide with fear, staring at the stuttering music box and the three dolls on it.
[O Janus █, please lend me your ears █ █!]
[In the black mist, as death and fate draw close. █n the bloodied earth, the living and dead, but g█o█ts.]
[What is this world█ It mirrors your maze-like fa█e. What is this world? A █ilent lament, without a tra██.]
[What is the past█ Wandering ghosts that linge█. What is the future? ██uls scattered by fate's f█n██r]
[What is the start█ A voyage born in solitud█. What is the end█ A sp██it, lonely and s█b██e█.]
[Lonely and subdued █nd subdue█ and subdue█ subdue█ subdu██ subdued ██b███d ███d███]
The woman's voice grew more and more out of control, At times sorrowful, at times terrified, at times struggling.
Her words and the subtitles, like her mental state, were fragmented.
The audience could only try to piece together meaning in this terrifying atmosphere.
At that moment, two different voices identical to Tribbie's exploded in her mind.
"Trianne... Trinnon...!"
The fear in Tribbie's eyes suddenly cleared.
She woke up. And the moment she regained clarity, the whisper became understandable.
But its meaning was even more horrifying.
[Hurry! █un! █ █ Tribios, █ ██ run! ███ █ ██ █]
[The black tide ██ █ has █ ██ █ arrived █ ██ ███ █ ██!]
It was her mom's urgent voice.
Tribbie had no time to think, whether it was her instinctive warning or her mother's call, she instinctively dashed toward the door.
But just as she stepped out of the study, the scene before her made her stop in shock.
Fire! Fire everywhere!
Outside the room, raging flames had already erupted. Countless dolls identical to her, in various poses, filled Tribbie's entire field of vision.
Her mother's voice sounded again.
This time not in her mind, but from within the flames, filled with deep sorrow and pain.
[This ██ is █ the sacrifice █ ██ of a Holy Maiden.███ █ ██ █]
[You █ won't █ █ make █ ██ it to the end.███ █ ██ █]
[Only █ one █ █ person █ ██ can.███ █ █]
[Go █ █ bid your farewells, Tri ██ █bios███ █ █]
[Time ██ █is running█ out.███ ██ █ ██ █ █]
[███ ██ █ ██ █ █ ██ █ ██ █ ██ █]
Just as the audience thought the scene was over, the mother's voice returned, no longer static, but gentle, as if everything was an illusion. But the words spoken were anything but gentle.
[But remember this, █ █ Tribios...█ ███ ██ █ █]
["All shall bid farewell to one, and that person alone will witness the miracle-"]
Above the subtitles, a small line of text appeared in parentheses.
[Only one shall live till the end, and they alone will witness Era Nova]
Though small, it seemed to possess a strange power, drawing countless audience' eyes.
What does this mean?
Could it be… This… Is… The true prophecy?!