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[Firefly takes you to the border of the Golden Hour—a forbidden edge of dream construction not open to tourists.]
[You once again witness a different side of Firefly.]
[She's nothing like her soft, fragile appearance. She's decisive, quick on her feet. She leads you past family hounds, evades the Reverie Theatre, and disables dream-construct mechanisms.]
[Finally, deep at the edge of the dream, you arrive at her secret hideout—a rooftop terrace.]
[From here, you can overlook the entire Golden Hour. The view is perfect.]
[And here, Firefly confides her deepest secret.]
[Why did she always dodge certain topics? You finally understand.]
[Firefly opens up—yes, she is a "stowaway." Her homeland has been destroyed.]
[She came to Penacony in search of the Clockmaker's legacy because she suffers from a disease called Entropy Loss Syndrome.]
[With this disease, her physical structure will undergo irreversible, chronic dissociation—she's slowly fading. And to others, that "fading" is nearly undetectable...]
[In reality, she lies dormant in a cold medical pod. Only in Penacony's dreamscape can she see, hear, and touch like a normal person.]
The rooftop wind brushes past—but now, it feels heavy.
Firefly looks pained as she apologizes, "I'm sorry… I've kept this from you for too long."
"As a guide, maybe you would've been better off with someone who actually knows Penacony."
[Firefly falls silent, her head lowered, waiting for your response.]
[At this edge of the dream, it's just the two of you. Finally, the world quiets down.]
Su Qing takes a moment to digest everything, then shakes his head.
As a guide, Firefly's done everything she could. Anyone else wouldn't have run around with him like this.
He initially wanted to say something casual—like "it's fine" or "I don't mind."
But then his gaze drifts to Firefly's tightly clasped hands, nervously twisting in front of her.
Her starry eyes are lowered in tension.
Su Qing understands.
This confession took immense courage. It means something to her.
So, instead, he says: "I still remember the look on your face when you invited me to eat."
"…Why bring that up now?"
Firefly lifts her head, a bit confused and a little embarrassed. "Wait… so you noticed back then?"
She tried hard to hide it—but he saw.
Su Qing pretends to reminisce: "At first I thought you were on a diet, resisting temptation."
"But later I figured it out—your sad, pitiful look wasn't because of calories. It was your empty wallet crying as you forced yourself to treat me."
A hint of red creeps onto Firefly's cheeks. Her once-tense hands reach out to tug on his sleeve: "C-Can we not talk about that right now…? We're having a serious moment."
Su Qing chuckles but continues: "It's a shame, really. We weren't close back then, so I didn't capture it. That was such a vivid expression. I can still remember you watching me eat—swallowing hard."
"Hey!!"
Firefly's face turns red as she smacks his shoulder. "I said drop it already!"
"Alright."
Su Qing stops teasing and softens his tone: "What I wanted to say is—there's no need to apologize."
"Whether it was your sad little face back then, or the joyful one when eating cake. Whether it's my thrill when snapping a perfect shot, or our frustration after all that running with no results…"
"Even if you kept things hidden… from the moment we met, all our moments and emotions have been real."
"As long as those genuine feelings are true, who cares about the rest? The lies, the omissions… we're in a dream anyway. They don't matter."
Firefly's expression shifts—moved.
Su Qing looks at her: "Honestly, what you're hiding isn't a secret—it's privacy. If it were me, I wouldn't have opened up so easily either."
"Confiding in me means trust. And with that trust, I believe we'll work even better together. Both as a guide, and as a photographer."
"So don't apologize. If you really feel bad… just take me to a few more spots. That's enough."
[At this point, even simulated Firefly is touched—let alone the audience watching the stream.]
[Himeko: My verdict? Full marks.]
[Seele: Wait, is this guy secretly a romance writer??]
[March 7th: Time for Detective March 7 to break this down for everyone.]
[March 7th: Start with jokes to ease tension, then a sincere response with empathy, follow it with a trust bomb, and wrap it with a smooth transition back to work…]
[March 7th: Notes! Where are my notes?! I need to write this down!!]
[Bronya: You're seriously taking notes now?]
[Himeko: Calm down, March. Even the person involved isn't this excited.]
[Trailblazer: Not necessarily. Firefly's probably rolling around on her bed hugging her pillow right now.]
[Firefly: …No I'm not. Don't make stuff up.]
[Firefly: (Puts down pillow) (Looks around suspiciously) (Where the hell are the cameras hidden!??)]
Back in the simulation, Firefly clearly shows her emotion.
She takes a step forward, wanting to speak—
Just then, music swells in the distance. The Grand Theatre of Penacony lights up in sync.
"Oh! This is a perfect spot to view the Golden Hour!" Firefly exclaims, hands on the railing. "Quick—take a photo! The timing is just—"
But she's cut off by the *click click* sound nearby.
Su Qing had already raised his camera the moment she opened her mouth.
Firefly can't help but smile.
She glances at Su Qing's focused face and whispers in a voice so soft she can barely hear it herself: "Thank you."
Not "I'm sorry."
Only "thank you" will do.
···
Su Qing reviews the photos.
With the Grand Theatre at its center, the radiant lights spreading outward, and the entire Golden Hour sprawled below—this image captures it all.
The system pops up with a prompt:
[Evaluation: This photo borders on perfection. Filled with technical skill and craftsmanship. It showcases Penacony so well it could be used as official promo material.]
Even the system gives its praise.
Firefly leans over to look: "It's beautiful."
Su Qing nods. "Yeah. It really is."
[March 7th: This is the part where he should've looked at the girl and said that line!]
[Seele: That's so cheesy.]
[March 7th: Classic lines never die!]
But as Su Qing stares at the photo, he feels like something's missing.
Over the past month, his Penacony feels deeper than this.
He can't quite put his finger on it, but doesn't dwell. This shot is good enough.
The song changes—female vocals fill the air.
Su Qing recognizes it—Penacony's famous singer Robin's piece: *To Shield a Heart from Sorrow.*
"Birds are born with no shackles,
Then what fetters my fate?"
"Blown away the white petals,
Leave me trapped in the cage."
"The endless isolation can't wear down my illusion,
Someday I'll make a dream unchain…"
Su Qing and Firefly say nothing.
They sit together on the rooftop bench, listening to the music.
Firefly offers him a piece of oak roll cake. Su Qing hands over a bottle of Soolado.
He takes a bite of the cake—bitter. Honestly, it doesn't taste good.
Only when paired with sweet soda, and the joy of this dream city, can it go down.
He glances left.
Firefly's happily eating, hugging the cake while listening to music, taking little bites—her smile looks utterly real.
Su Qing begins to suspect—
Maybe because of her Entropy Loss Syndrome, she can't sense normal sweetness. Only bitter things stimulate her taste buds.
···
[The two of you share a peaceful moment with the music. In Penacony, such calm is rare.]
[Though both burdened by thoughts, your bond clearly deepens.]
···
[The cake theory casts a soft melancholy over the livestream.]
[Bronya breaks the silence.]
[Seele: Good thing it's just a simulation. Otherwise: terminal illness, destroyed hometown, broke as hell… Firefly's backstory is just tragic.]
[Firefly: Um (raises hand nervously), actually… I'm like this in real life too.]
[Trailblazer: …]
[March 7th: …]
[Bronya: …]
[Seele: I'M SORRY!!!!]
[Sparkle: Someone's not sleeping tonight~]
···
[After the music ends and the cake's gone, you both leave the rooftop.]
[At the edge of the dream construction, you spot a patch of exposed dreamscape. It seems to be a more primitive, raw layer of Penacony's dream.]
[Firefly's eyes light up.]
[She's being fully honest with you now. She tells you this is a rare opportunity. She *has* to explore it.]
[But it could be dangerous—Firefly wants you to return while she goes in alone.]
[You think for a moment. Recording this hidden side of Penacony is worth it.]
[As a cameraman diving into primal dreamspace… it's really not much different than a chef hunting rare beasts for ingredients.]
[Faced with the moment, your mind flashes with choices:]
[A. Enter the primal dream with Firefly and explore it deeply.]
[B. Enter with her, but persuade her not to go in too far.]
[C. Persuade Firefly not to enter at all.]
[D. Leave her be and return to the hotel to drink Soolado.]
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