Firefly's eyes widened, and she spoke rapidly, "The TV's flash is too dazzling... No, wait! Be careful, there seems to be something strange..."
Before she finished speaking, the television in front of them suddenly exploded with a blinding light like a flashbang, forcing both of them to quickly raise their hands to shield their eyes.
Immediately after, a chilling scene unfolded—the television slowly opened an eye! It was a purple, elongated eye, as if from a ghost of the underworld.
In an instant, more and more televisions opened their eyes, and countless pairs of purple eyes stared hungrily at the two people in the center of the room.
Stelle nervously looked around, her baseball bat in her hand faintly shimmering with power. "What in the world is this thing? Be careful!" Stelle cautioned Firefly, shielding her behind her back, vigilantly observing the surroundings. However, she didn't notice the changes quietly happening above her head.
"Watch out above!" Firefly's anxious cry came from beside her. Stelle instinctively looked up, her gaze instantly drawn—a horrifying monster with a distorted face, three sharp fangs, and a body covered in chilling eyes, was emerging from the swirling black mist above.
[Huohuo: ┭ ┮ ﹏ ┭ ┮]
[Tail: Don't hide, keep watching. What are you afraid of?]
[Qingque: Wow, is this the monster hidden in the dream? It's indeed a ferocious fellow.]
[Sushang: This thing always gives me a creepy feeling, like my heart is fluttering.]
[Welt: This creature is filled with the scent of death. Even just seeing it feels like a hallucination. It truly is a peculiar life.
Stelle raised her baseball bat without hesitation and slammed it fiercely into the monster's fangs. In an instant, a crisp, loud metallic clang echoed all around. The monster, suspended in mid-air with its wings flickering with strange and eerie light, lunged at Stelle with bared fangs and claws.
With a thunderous crash, Stelle was sent flying directly, her body heavily impacting the wall. Immediately after, the fierce monster turned its head and viciously pounced on Firefly, firmly restraining her with its incredibly sharp claws.
"Wuwah..." Stelle struggled to get up from the messy ground, her only thought to go and help Firefly, but she found herself powerless and unable to stand. At this moment, the camera zoomed in on Firefly's hand, which seemed to want to make a move. She trembled slightly, trying to raise her arm, but it ultimately fell back down weakly.
[Stelle: —Are you also going to unleash your hidden power?!]
The next moment, the once-calm floor suddenly began to glow with a mysterious purple light, as if a powerful force was awakening. Immediately after, countless thick arms, meticulously carved from purple glazed glass, suddenly extended from the floor. They quickly grabbed the terrifying monster and effortlessly lifted it up to the ceiling.
"If you don't master the correct method... you won't be able to escape the shadow of death unscathed, you know." Just then, a low voice with a hint of playfulness suddenly echoed above the room. Stelle turned her head in astonishment, only to see a woman dressed in a sleek black jumpsuit, wearing a wide hood, and black leather boots, elegantly sitting atop a giant television, her legs crossed.
Firefly struggled to crawl up from the messy ground, quickly ran to Stelle's side, and solicitously helped her to stand steady. "Are you alright?" Firefly asked anxiously.
Stelle gently shook her head, indicating that she was fine. Then, she and Firefly both turned their gaze to this uninvited guest, their eyes filled with confusion and wariness.
"Don't be nervous, little sisters. Don't worry, I'm on your side." The woman chuckled softly, her tone revealing an elusive confidence.
"Then... how should we address you?" Firefly bravely asked.
"How about you call me 'Recollector' Black Swan?" The woman smiled slightly.
However, just as the three of them were deep in conversation, suddenly, the tightly bound 'death' let out an earth-shattering, deafening roar! The sound was like thunder, echoing through the sky, as if it wanted to tear apart the entire space!
Surprisingly, under such immense power, 'death' actually broke free from the glazed arm's restraint. It bared its fangs, its face ferocious, and lunged at them with bared fangs and claws!
"See you next time!" Black Swan raised her hand and quickly waved the mysterious tarot card in her hand. In an instant, countless thick and powerful arms emerged from all directions, like a steel Great Wall, firmly pressing 'death' in mid-air onto the ground.
At the same time, Black Swan quickly glanced at Stelle and Firefly, anxiously shouting, "Hurry!" Before she finished speaking, she casually threw out another card. The card spun rapidly in the air, then landed steadily, instantly transforming into a dazzling screen of light, forming an incredibly sturdy doorway.
Firefly reacted quickly. She grabbed Stelle and rushed into the doorway without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished without a trace...
[Aventurine: Connected. This has solved a small doubt of mine.]
[Stelle: Whose side are you on, anyway? First you cooperate with Aventurine, then you come to save me.]
[Black Swan: You will undoubtedly shine with a unique brilliance in Penacony. As a Recollector, I am also a collector, and when it comes to precious Memories, you can never have too many.]
[Black Swan: You should have already dealt with my colleagues, haven't you? Many times, this is a win-win situation.]
As if traversing through the deep sea, Stelle groggily opened her eyes, only to meet another pair of beautiful eyes.
"You're awake, little sleepyhead. It seems you had a good dream." She lazily stroked Stelle's forehead. "How was it? Did you dream of me?"
"Black Swan...? Is this heaven?" Stelle mumbled groggily.
"Welcome to reality—The Reverie Hotel—your most familiar and safest place."
"I'm glad your mental state is still normal and hasn't been affected by that primal dream. Good luck." Black Swan smiled as she helped Stelle up.
Stelle stood up, groggily holding her head.
"Firefly... Did she escape?"
"Heh heh, you're quite concerned about that little girl. And yes, even in the face of 'death', she tried her best to protect your safety... Even I was a little moved."
[Seele: She changed the subject.]
[March 7th: Actually, I'm concerned about her protecting Stelle's safety... but it always seemed like Stelle was protecting her.]
[Stelle: Hiss... Could Firefly have been left in the dream? This title always gives me an ominous feeling.]
"I know you have many questions in your head, don't rush. Before that, report your safety to your worried companions." After Black Swan said this, she walked towards the room's door.
"Come on, little sleepyhead, they're already very anxious."
Although Stelle hadn't figured out what had happened, she still followed.