"...She left. So, should we...?" Firefly asked.
"[Stelle: We should continue our date!]
[March 7th: Pam is angry.jpg]
[Stelle: Pam is sad.jpg]
Clockie said understandingly, "Go on, go on, thank you, my gray friend!"
"Thank you so much! As expected, Nameless are truly remarkable people... I hope we meet again!" Misha smiled as he said goodbye to Stelle.
Clockie drew out his words, "See you again, tick-tock."
"Come with me. Don't let invisible friends call you away this time."
After bidding farewell to the three 'people', Stelle followed Firefly to the entrance of a cafe across the river.
"We're here, this is it," Firefly said.
"This is the secret base? It's a very beautiful cafe," Stelle said, looking at the cafe's decor.
"No," Firefly said, her small face a little flushed, "—It's here."
Stelle looked in the direction she was pointing, at a half-open manhole cover.
"Hmm... What a beautiful manhole cover," Stelle paused for a moment, then continued to praise it.
"Hmm, the 'secret base' is inside," Firefly seemed a little shy.
Stelle scratched her head, "Everyone around us is staring."
"It's okay!" Firefly explained, "Anything can happen in dreams. Lots of people fall from the sky every day—pedestrians are long used to it."
"I'll show you first—it'll be a bit dark at first, so you need to follow closely."
After Firefly finished speaking, she led the way into the sewer, and Stelle followed closely behind her.
The scene shifted, arriving at an area of tall buildings.
"Look, it's a beautiful place, isn't it?"
"Usually, tourists aren't allowed here, so we need to be careful not to be discovered by others."
"Don't worry, it's not a dangerous area. You can think of this as the border of the Golden Hour, the dreamscape further out, which the Family is still building and renovating."
"My 'secret base' is in here, let's sneak in."
[March 7th: Wow... going into the sewer sounds very smelly.]
[Gallagher: The sewers of Penacony also flow with surlada. They are more decorative than functional.]
[Hound A: It's just that someone actually went into the sewer to find a path to the Dreamscape Border.]
[Stelle: Hiss... I suddenly thought of Sparkle telling Aventurine to go into the sewer before. Was she hinting at this place?]
[Aventurine: You're very clever, friend. I also thought of that possibility. Heh, this Masked Fools lady might be the most clear-headed one.]
Amidst the conversation in the bullet comments, Stelle and Firefly, using tools unique to Dreamweavers, nimbly traversed the rooftops. Before long, they reached a wide rooftop. A melodious tune drifted from somewhere, lingering in Stelle's ears.
"Have you heard this song, 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking', a work by Robin? The Harmony Festival is approaching, and her music sometimes plays in the dreamscape."
Firefly said softly, pulling Stelle towards the edge of the rooftop, gazing at the rising sun in the distance and the shooting star streaking across the sky. The distant towering buildings were bathed in the morning glow, shimmering with a dazzling, dreamlike radiance.
The bustling, vibrant city unfolded like a magnificent scroll, and Firefly's bright eyes were illuminated by the scattered lights of countless homes.
"This is the closest place to the sky in the dream, far from the city's hustle and bustle, and free from the quarrels of Dreamweavers. You can be undisturbed by anyone and feel the present—the present scenery, people, and dreams..."
"So beautiful..." Stelle gazed blankly at the breathtaking scenery before her, Firefly's gentle voice, accompanied by the beautiful melody, still softly whispered in her ear.
"How beautiful..." Firefly stood beside Stelle, sighing, "Time forever stops in this Golden Hour, a golden dream. The Fool of the tavern and the Recollector of the Garden of Recollection, the wandering ranger and the Company's envoy, the Nameless of the Astral Express... and me."
"Everyone sleeps equally here, regardless of the reason, even though we indeed each have our own goals..."
"...I'm sorry, Stelle, I am indeed an illegal immigrant." Firefly looked into Stelle's golden eyes, a hint of determination and resolve in her gaze. She took a deep breath and continued, "I feel I should tell you the truth."
"My homeland was destroyed a long time ago, perhaps by the Legion, or perhaps by the Swarm... I am a homeless interstellar refugee, just like many 'locals' in Penacony." Firefly's voice carried a faint sadness, as if recalling that painful past.
"'harmony' embraces everyone. No matter who they are, as long as they come here, they can find a place to rest. The Family has accepted us wanderers who have come from afar, but we... ultimately do not belong here."
Firefly turned around and looked into Stelle's eyes, seemingly wanting to see further through her.
"In this magnificent metropolis, some people place their dreams in Penacony, while others' dreams are identical to reality. Although every ordinary person who comes here initially harbors the same goal, their ultimate destinations vary."
Stelle stood silently behind Firefly, listening to her story, a complex emotion welling up in her heart.
At this moment, Firefly's figure appeared so fragile yet strong. Her back shimmered with a faint light in the sunlight, like a lonely star striving to emit its own brilliance.
"I am the same. In the real world, I have an unfulfilled wish—it is so strong that I can only turn to the dreamscape..." Firefly's words gradually faded, as if carried away by a gentle breeze, disappearing into the air.
"What wish?"
".. 'Entropy Loss Syndrome'. Have you heard of this term?" Firefly softly explained:
"It's a strange phenomenon. People afflicted with this condition experience an irreversible, chronic dissociation of their physical structure. This means you are slowly disappearing, and this 'disappearance' is even difficult for others to perceive—"
"You can still run, jump, and communicate with others. Everything seems so normal, except you're always a little slower than others..."
"...And then slower and slower, until your own outline and the outline of the entire world become blurred. You can't distinguish between reality and dream, because they become equally fragmented."
"So, how can I refuse...? Can you imagine? In this dream, I can... I can not stay in a cold 'medical pod'..."
"I can ignore the doctor's words and use my own body to listen, to see, to touch, to think, to comprehend as I please. Although this world is not real, this feeling is incredibly precious..."