With a "ding," the screen lit up with a scene of the hotel lobby.
The empty hallway was shrouded in a faint mist.
Acheron immediately warned:
"Be careful! There's a dangerous presence nearby."
"Everyone, stay alert."
Guinaifen realized—something was very wrong.
It was too quiet.
Not a single soul in sight.
Combined with Acheron and Black Swan's warnings, the oppressive calm before the storm was palpable.
As they approached the front desk, a distant figure came into view—leaning against the railing, gazing outward.
Silver hair.
Hints of green in her outfit...
"That's her!"
"It's Firefly!"
Seeing her, Guinaifen didn't hesitate. She instantly switched to Dan Heng • Imbibitor Lunae.
"Cloudhymn Roar!"
Thanks to her earlier race with Bailu, she now had a deeper understanding of the Imbibitor's drifting techniques.
"Vrrrrr—!!"
With Dan Heng's burst of speed, she arrived on the scene in an instant.
Firefly seemed to sense someone approaching from behind. She turned warily at first—then her expression shifted to shock and delight upon seeing Stelle.
Guinaifen let out a massive sigh of relief, clutching her chest.
"Thank goodness!"
"She's okay!"
"We made it!"
"That was way too close…"
"That elevator scene had me on edge."
Stelle shared a smile and rushed forward.
But then— The camera panned out to a wide shot.
Above them, a swirling purple mist materialized in the air.
A flash of red light.
A razor-sharp claw shot out— Bypassing Acheron.
Bypassing Black Swan.
Even bypassing Stelle.
It struck straight at Firefly, who stood frozen in place.
"Death" shoved her forward, as if hurling her into the air—then circled behind her.
"Vzzzt—!"
A metallic blade pierced clean through Firefly's body.
Stelle, Acheron, and Black Swan stared in shock at the sudden brutality.
Tears welled in Firefly's eyes.
"..."
As if puzzled that she could still speak, "Death" tilted its eerie violet gaze—
"Vzzzt—!"
Another vicious stab.
Firefly's tears spilled over, streaming down her cheeks.
Her body went limp, plummeting from the air.
Stelle scrambled desperately to catch her—even dropping her bat in the process.
But the moment Firefly landed in her arms—she dissolved.
Into a pool of pale blue liquid splattering across the floor.
"???"
"Huh?"
"It's over."
[Chat erupts:]
"'Thank goodness' my ass!"
"'We made it'—WHERE?!"
"Not a single thing is okay!"
"I'm actually speechless."
"BAILU, DO SOMETHING!!"
"AAAAAAAAH—"
"I'm completely powerless!"
"Take off those damn sunglasses!"
"I volunteer to join the Abundance Emanators."
"Dragon Ascension Ritual, ACTIVATE!"
"Dan Feng, lead us in another Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae!"
"Acheron's just standing there!"
"She just turned Firefly into jam right in front of us?? IS THERE NO JUSTICE?!"
"Why not stab Stelle first?!"
"Stelle: 'Hello.'"
...
In the livestream, Guinaifen short-circuited.
Like a frozen frame—except the barrage of chat messages proved time hadn't stopped.
"Stunned" didn't begin to describe her. It was more like her cerebellum had been yanked out.
She just sat there, utterly obliterated.
...That's it?
She's really gone?
???
[Chat rages on:]
"STREAMER, SAY SOMETHING!"
"'Silence Speaks Volumes'"
"Hate Dan Feng, pity Dan Feng, study Dan Feng, become Dan Feng, surpass Dan Feng."
"Now you know why 'Silence Speaks Volumes' is a Hunt Light Cone."
"Your silence is DEAFENING."
"Friendly reminder: This is not a still image."
"What's wrong, streamer? Cat got your tongue?"
"Damn, you monsters—how can you joke at a time like this?!"
"That blade came WAY too fast."
"Suddenly, I feel at peace…"
"Guinaifen, TALK! You're scaring me!"
After an eternity of silence, Guinaifen finally took a shaky breath.
"Firefly… does she have… like… a clone mechanic?"
"Some kind of water clone or something…?"
"So… this was just a fake, right…?"
Her voice grew smaller with each word. Her speech module seemed to be malfunctioning.
Clearly, even she didn't believe her own copium.
Having passed the initial stage of brain shutdown, she'd now entered Phase 2: self-delusion.
She exhaled deeply, eyes glistening.
"ASASASASAS—"
"It was so sudden…"
"I knew something might happen, but… !!!"
"That was WAY too fast!"
"Seriously, TOO sudden!!"
And then—Acheron had the audacity to ask:
"Are you… alright?"
Though she was clearly concerned about Stelle's mental state, the timing made this question peak emotional incompetence.
Guinaifen blinked.
[Chat detonates:]
"'Are you alright?'"
"DO I LOOK ALRIGHT?!"
"I'm FANTASTIC! Never better!"
"HAHAHAHA I'm fine!"
"This… is hell…"
"I'LL KILL YOU—!!"
"No worries, tombstone sales are booming."
"Guinaifen can do nothing."
Guinaifen sniffled, coughing as she stood up abruptly.
Five minutes later…
She returned—likely after splashing water on her face.
Her eyes were still slightly red.
Taking a deep breath, she seemed somewhat composed.
"It's just… too sudden."
"Really too sudden…"
"I wasn't ready…"
"I knew something might… might happen… but… it was too fast…"
"Really too sudden…"
The pale blue liquid on the ground had vanished, but faint glimmers remained.
Approaching, she investigated.
A selfie appeared—the one taken with Firefly on the rooftop.
In the photo, Firefly looked sweet and gentle, while Stelle beamed with confidence.
[A half-dissolved phone lies on the ground, preserving an unsent message… A photo of two people smiling brightly.]
[(Pick it up)]
[The phone crumbles entirely, vanishing into dream bubbles.]
Guinaifen froze again.
Then, the background music swelled—a soft, humming rendition of "If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking."
Guinaifen fell silent once more.
[Chat mourns:]
"Silence Speaks Volumes ×2"
"FINISH HER!"
"777777—"
"Overkill."
"[Sunglasses emoji spam]"
"You monsters!"
"AAAAAAAAH—!!"
"Killing her AND mocking her?!"
"Weakness exploit!"
"Absolute carnage!"
"Guinaifen, stop lying to yourself."
"TOO PAINFUL!"
"Dao Heart: SHATTERED"
"I'll create a world where Firefly lives!"
"The Departed Return—let's go, Luocha. Our mission begins."
To be continued…