[Old man jumping high—Daddy's leap!]
[That sudden appearance was way too creepy.]
[No way, is Season 4 going for a horror vibe?]
[Whatever vibe, just don't let it flop!]
[Good stuff, love watching, want more.]
The bellhop was also a shadow of the dream, vanishing after his bow.
Looking at the final door before her, Acheron knew she had found the exit, "Let's leave. Wake up as you would any other day, forget this chance encounter, and return to where you came from. But before we part, I have a request. It may sound strange, perhaps even rude, but I want to know… Have we met somewhere before?"
As Acheron spoke, the subtitles turned red. This presentation gave the audience an indescribable, unsettling feeling. Everyone knew Acheron was no ordinary character.
"I don't know."
Acheron: "You remind me of an old acquaintance. In my hazy memories, we crossed blades… like this bizarre dreamscape, so close yet untouchable."
Then Acheron continued voicing her questions. "For instance, when you woke up in the guest room, you murmured a few names. Are they your companions? Family? Enemies? It seems you've already forged unbreakable bonds with many people, many things… Tell me, would you fear losing those bonds?"
"What if there were a vast dreamscape, so vivid it was indistinguishable from reality? A place with no partings, no death, where everyone could achieve the happiness they deserve and live joyfully forever. Tell me, would you choose to stay there?"
"Every person, everyone in their memories, their smiles and tears, promises kept and unkept… all heading toward a predetermined end. If, at the start of the journey, you already knew its destination… Tell me, would you still embark on that path?"
"Listen, touch, think—through these, you gain feelings. Cherish them, for through feelings, we make choices. So, back to the first question… Tell me… do you still remember me?"
Caelus answered every question, except the last one. He thought for a long time, "I feel like I've seen you somewhere…"
Acheron gave a soft chuckle, "I see. How fascinating. In that moment, it was as if millions of similar yet different versions of you gave entirely different answers. That was indeed the final question. Thank you. We both have our own paths to walk, so let's part here."
"Will we meet again?"
Acheron didn't answer directly, raising her edict blade, "The golden dream is starting to stir. In the long night ahead, you'll likely face many setbacks, witness countless tragedies, and in the end… all you see will be reduced to black and white. But believe me, in that black-and-white world, a fleeting glimpse of red will appear, and when you make your choice, it will manifest again."
"And you must carefully ponder its meaning, then return to the waking world." She slowly moved behind Caelus, a single blood-red tear falling from her eye.
Suddenly, Caelus's abdomen was struck by an inexplicable attack, his blood bursting forth like dazzling fireworks, vibrant and colorful.
"We will all find our answers there."
Caelus's eyes went blank as he fell backward.
The next moment, he woke up on the train's sofa, greedily gasping for air, tears inexplicably streaming from his eyes. He wiped a tear away, realizing he was truly crying.
Smack smack… Pom-Pom hurriedly rushed to Caelus's side, "Passenger, what's wrong? W-Why are you suddenly crying?"
Caelus, still dazed, leaned back on the sofa, "I got slashed in my dream…"
Pom-Pom's eyes widened, "S-Sounds like a nightmare, pa! You just arrived in the Asdana system and already ran into something like this… You need to be careful. It seems your resistance to Memoria is pretty low."
Pom-Pom later explained that while Caelus was asleep, the train had safely arrived at Penacony, and March 7th was waiting for him to set off together.
Caelus took a deep breath to steady himself, accepting the hot water Pom-Pom handed him. After a sip, he felt much better. Turns out, "drink more hot water" wasn't just a meme.
Caelus slapped his cheeks, got up from the sofa, and prepared to meet March 7th.
[Whoa, this atmosphere feels so off.]
[Acheron seems crazy strong!]
[Inception-style setup—dying in a dream just wakes you up. Not too bad, maybe just a bold presentation.]
[The info dump is real. This is just the first episode, and I've never seen this many lines in previous arcs.]
[With miHoYo's habits, there's rarely wasted dialogue. Looks like Season 4 is going big.]
—
After meeting up with March 7th, Caelus headed to the Reverie Hotel together. After navigating tedious procedures, March 7th shook her head, unable to hold back her complaints, "Ugh… finally here! The Family's entry procedures are way too complicated. Dozens of checks, big and small—my suitcase got flipped through four or five times… I was worried they'd insist on inspecting the Stellaron in your body."
Caelus glanced at his chest, "Good thing they didn't."
"In a way, The Family is pretty inclusive…"
March 7th looked around, gasping in awe, "But the effort wasn't for nothing—this hotel lobby is insane! Are those densely packed rooms all guest suites? How many people are staying here? Which one's ours? Come on, Uncle Yang and the others are probably queuing at the front desk. Let's go meet them!"
March 7th hurried toward the front desk, and the blue-haired bellhop from the dream appeared before Caelus again.
"Welcome to the Reverie Hotel. May you have an unforgettable vacation! Please proceed to the front desk to check in."
Caelus squinted at him for a while, "The kid from the dream…"
"I'm Misha, a server at Penacony. It's my pleasure to assist you. If you need help with luggage…" With that, Misha gave Caelus a deep bow.
[Now that I look closely, Misha's kinda cute.]
[So cute, must be a boy, right?]
[Misha feels a bit off, but I can't put my finger on it.]
[I'm getting that vibe too.]
—
After chatting briefly with Misha, March 7th's shout came from ahead, "Hurry up, something's not right…"
Misha, ever tactful, said, "If you need luggage taken to your room, you can find me anytime. Go on, don't keep your friend waiting."
Caelus returned a smile, "Thanks. See you next time."