"No good, everyone, we need to speed up."
Black Swan suddenly opened her eyes, raised her hand, and conjured a tarot card. The card twisted in the sky, and a powerful force surged forth, creating a portal shimmering with mysterious light.
"The situation is urgent, I can only make an exception and use some means to take you all through the Remembrance Domain with me," Black Swan explained with a serious tone.
"I've gathered a few wisps of her thoughts from the Remembrance Domain. This will help you form an impression of her. Now, grasp these thoughts firmly and organize them in your mind."
"Just now, I captured some very familiar Memories. The *Old Friend* who appeared here is not only her but also the third party present when you were in danger..." At this point, Black Swan's expression grew even more solemn.
"—That Memory Zone Meme, it was there too."
As her words fell, Stelle gasped.
[Bronya: She hasn't been able to leave, has she? Has she been hunted this whole time?]
[Black Swan: That's possible... After all, if this young girl truly has a strong desire not to wake up, she should remain deep within the Remembrance Domain.]
[Stelle: Is it because... of Entropic Syndrome? This is the first time I've heard of this illness. Is there no cure?]
[Himeko: Entropic Syndrome is a terminal illness, Stelle... Currently, there's no known treatment.]
[Firefly: No need to worry about me, I'm very happy.]
"Hurry, go through here!" The anxious Stelle rushed through the portal without hesitation, sprinting forward. What appeared before them was an elevator, which should have led to the lobby of the building.
"This is it, let's go in," Black Swan said.
After they entered the elevator, the doors closed. Stelle felt her thoughts disturbed and pulled by swirling currents, descending and sinking into a deep chasm.
What sight would greet them when the cabin doors reopened? Perhaps no one could provide an answer. Some indescribable fluid spread from Stelle's chest to her throat. A suffocating sensation enveloped her from within. Then, Firefly's voice sounded again.
"I dreamed of scorched earth, a new bud breaking through the soil, blooming towards the morning sun, whispering to me."
"Why do people choose to sleep, I wonder..."
Then, an unknown sigh was heard.
"It's because they're afraid to wake from the dream."
When their thoughts returned to reality, the elevator had already reached its destination. A solemn Acheron warned, "Everyone, be careful! I sense a dangerous aura permeating the surroundings."
They were now in a spacious and brightly lit lobby, where they could see the front desk and resting areas in the distance, but the place was empty, with no one in sight.
"Everyone, please remain vigilant!" Black Swan reminded them. Thus, the trio slowly approached the front desk. Just then, a familiar figure came into view—it was Firefly. She stood quietly in an open space not far from the front desk, with her back to the three of them.
Seeing this, Stelle felt an impulse surge within her and involuntarily took steps towards Firefly. At this moment, Firefly seemed to sense something; she gently caressed her chest and turned around, slightly nervous. In that instant, their gazes met.
When Firefly saw that it was Stelle standing before her, her originally tense and anxious face immediately relaxed, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly into a faint smile.
Stelle's highly strung nerves completely relaxed in that instant, a joyful smile bloomed on her face, and the baseball bat gripped tightly in her hand loosened slightly. Then, filled with happiness, she rushed towards Firefly.
However, Stelle, immersed in joy, did not notice that Black Swan and Acheron, not far behind her, exchanged a meaningful glance with an extremely tacit understanding.
In an instant, the entire sky was filled with a strange purple mist. It began to rapidly spin and twist, and with astonishing speed, it passed through where Black Swan and Acheron were, rushing directly towards the two of them!
In that very instant, a strong sense of unease surged in Stelle's heart! Her sixth sense screamed like a piercing siren! Almost without thinking, Stelle instinctively dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding the fatal claw attack at the last possible second.
Stelle's yellow eyes widened in horror, and her mouth hung open in shock, as she stared in disbelief at everything unfolding before her. She saw Firefly's chest completely... In that instant, a liquid made of remembrance gushed out, splattering everywhere. "I'm... sorry..." A trace of remembrance overflowed from Firefly's lips. She used all her strength to barely utter these few words, each syllable seemingly carrying endless pain.
Just then, two other sharp and cold fangs struck like lightning, mercilessly piercing Firefly's frail body. Her eyes suddenly widened, revealing anguish in her tear-filled gaze.
Finally, Firefly couldn't even make a sound. Her body, like a broken puppet, slid limply from the terrifying claws of death and fell heavily.
Stelle witnessed this cruel scene with her own eyes, her heart aching to the point of suffocation. She instinctively loosened her grip on the baseball bat and rushed towards Firefly without hesitation. However, everything happened too quickly.
In the blink of an eye, Firefly's body fell into Stelle's arms, then transformed into a pool of remembrance, dissipating in Stelle's embrace.
Stelle stared blankly at everything before her, completely stunned. She felt the gradually disappearing warmth in her arms, and immense sorrow surged like a tide, enveloping her tightly.
[Stelle: Firefly!!!]
[Aventurine: I'm afraid, my friend, I'm thinking of our previous conversation—you've encountered another murder, perhaps I should have realized it sooner.]
[March 7th: Miss Firefly... is she dead?]
[Welt: According to the known information, those killed by 'death' will truly perish. Current victims include—Miss Robin, Miss Firefly.]
[Welt: But... according to Aventurine's deduction, death might not be the end—of course, it's said that one cannot normally die in the dream, given the Family's 'protection.' Perhaps only a powerful attack capable of penetrating that protection can achieve 'death.']
[Qingque: Mr. Welt, do you mean that death is not the end?]
[Stelle: Really, Uncle Yang!]
[Welt: I'm just speculating, Stelle. While I don't want to shatter your illusions, we still have too little information at the moment.]