If Stelle was the cherished friend who had illuminated Firefly's past and taught her to live for herself, then Su Mo was the one who had bestowed upon her a new life, a new future, and absolute hope. He was equivalent to a second father, or even a god-like being.
Before, the person Firefly cared for most was Stelle. But now, Su Mo's place in her heart had risen even higher than that of her best friend.
Fortunately, the two were on the same side and had an excellent relationship—practically "father and daughter." This meant Firefly didn't have to agonize over who was more important.
She would have them both!
As a completely unburdened Firefly invited Su Mo and Stelle to her secret base to show them the most precious thing in her heart... (March 7th: ?), Robin, who had logged out of the dreamscape, anxiously sought out her brother, Sunday.
"Brother!" Seeing Sunday diligently working on preparations for the Harmony Festival, Robin hesitated slightly. Brother is so devout to the Aeon. Is it really okay to burden him with these troubles?
However, the deep bond between them ultimately overcame this concern, and her expression quickly became firm.
"Robin?" Seeing his sister's sudden appearance, Sunday feigned a slight surprise. In truth, he had known she had left the moment it happened, thanks to his corvid surveillance; he had just pretended not to know.
Those wretched Masked Fools prevented him from protecting his sister within the dreamscape.
Fortunately, no real danger could befall her there, so he didn't need to worry excessively. Seeing Robin reappear, he still let out a small sigh of relief.
Seeing her worried expression, his heart tightened, and he asked with great concern, "What is it? Didn't you volunteer to be Lord Su Mo's guide? Why do you look so troubled now that you're back? Did Lord Su Mo say something?"
"Mhm." Recalling what she had experienced with Su Mo, Robin nodded.
"Did Lord Su Mo say something about the crisis in Penacony?" Sunday asked nervously. Although Robin's expression didn't suggest she knew he was the mastermind, he still had to be sure.
"No." Robin shook her head. "Penacony's crisis is no great matter to Lord Su Mo."
"Oh." Sunday relaxed, a sneer flashing through his mind. How naive! How could a mere Emanator possibly stand against the avatars of two Aeons?
Then, he asked with feigned indifference, "Was it that Lord Su Mo said something inappropriate that shattered your illusions about him?"
Perhaps Sunday himself didn't even realize how much hope was laced into his tone. He desperately wanted his sister's idol to fall from grace in her eyes. It wasn't that he had any personal issue with Su Mo, but he was simply concerned for his sister's safety.
Even if she was of lower status, she was still a rare beauty. What if Su Mo toyed with her irresponsibly?
"Of course not!" In her dejected state, Robin naturally didn't notice Sunday's tone. But hearing his words, which were slightly disparaging of Su Mo, she instinctively furrowed her brow.
"With Lord Su Mo's noble character and supreme wisdom, how could he possibly say something wrong? Even if it sounded problematic, the fault must surely lie with me!"
"..."
Sunday fell silent. She would rather doubt herself than him. When it came to her idol, his sister's devotion was no less zealous than that of the most fanatical followers.
But with Su Mo's achievements plain for all to see, he had no grounds for rebuttal. He could only continue asking, "Then what is the problem? If I remember correctly, you seemed quite happy before you left. You even said it would be an unforgettable experience."
Robin recalled the shocking information she had received and sighed softly. "I just never thought I would actually encounter such a problem one day."
"What problem?" Sunday asked curiously.
"About... um, about the Aeons." Robin opened her mouth but didn't know how to begin.
Given the trust between them, she should have told him everything she had seen and asked about The Family's high-level strategy—why they hadn't yet taken action regarding the Aeon Alliance.
But all of this information had been disclosed to her unconditionally by Su Mo. Most of it was top-secret intelligence.
For example, the Preservation faction joining the Aeon Alliance, the Elation faction being rejected, the Garden of Recollection making overtures to Su Mo—any one of these was a top-tier state secret.
To casually relay these matters to the outside world seemed improper, to say the least. After all, Sunday was not only her brother but also a high-ranking member of The Family, and the Aeon's attitude towards Su Mo was unclear.
Sharing this information could be disadvantageous to Su Mo.
But if she didn't say anything, the doubts in her heart would remain unresolved.
So, after some thought, she chose to omit the top-secret parts, leaving only her pure confusion. "Lord Su Mo asked me a question that I couldn't answer. No matter how much I think about it, I can't seem to find a conclusion."
With that, Robin looked at Sunday and asked with utmost seriousness, "Brother, tell me... if one day, we discovered that the Aeon we believe in was walking a path that went against our original purpose, a path that might even harm those important to us, what should we do then?"
"At that moment, should we choose to trust the Aeon? Or should we choose to trust ourselves and fight against the Aeon for the sake of those we hold dear?"
The very instant Sunday heard Robin's question, his heart lurched, and he almost stopped breathing.
Those with a guilty conscience are always the most paranoid. An Aeon straying from their believer's original purpose—how could that question not sound like a pointed accusation aimed directly at him?
But his mental fortitude was strong, and he quickly realized that wasn't the case. Given Robin's personality, she would never resort to such roundabout sarcasm.
And more importantly...
Lowering his head, Sunday saw on Robin's face the same confusion he himself had once felt. To someone who had walked that path, her distress was unmistakably genuine.
Confirming this, Sunday was stunned for a moment, then felt a wave of ecstasy.
Could it be? Had Robin finally reached the same crossroads as he once had? Was she beginning to question the Aeon of Harmony?