[Why's she calling him 'dear' again? Call it a few more times!]
[Dr. Mei called me 'dear' too, I love it.]
[As we all know, Star Rail's nickname is 'Dear.']
[She called me dear!]
"I know you're sensitive to memoria, more affected by dreams than others. That's why I need to stay with you. I'll use a little trick to make you feel better."
Black Swan snapped her fingers, "Feeling better now?"
Caelus nodded, "A bit, but my chest still feels tight, like I can't breathe properly."
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Time waits for no one—let's head to the lobby."
[Caelus' constitution is that weak?]
[Black Swan's not cutting it—her trick didn't even fix him.]
[What if it's not a physical issue?]
[What do you mean?]
[Like a bad premonition?]
Caelus remembered March 7th was staying in the room next to his. He knocked hard on the door, but there was no response.
Black Swan explained that the building's structure was completely scrambled, and March 7th wasn't there, though she could sense March 7th was far away.
After learning his companions were scattered, Black Swan led Caelus further into the memoria.
The two traveled together, seeing many Dreamjolt Troupe monsters lying defeated on the ground.
From the stairs, they saw Acheron standing in the center of the lobby, facing off against Dreamjolt Troupe monsters.
Black Swan's brow furrowed. Even when facing monsters, the ever-composed and elegant Memokeeper showed such an expression, "Oh… her? How is that possible?"
Acheron glanced at the Dreamjolt Troupe monsters, "Is there… no staff here?"
Suddenly, she turned and saw Black Swan and Caelus, "Huh, it's you two?"
Caelus' mouth twitched, "You… got lost again?"
"Not exactly, I just don't know where I am."
Black Swan stepped between them, interrupting, "You two, let's pause the pleasantries… How about we work together to send these hospitable guests away?"
Acheron: "I'd be honored. Thank you both for the help."
Before her words finished, Black Swan struck first, with Acheron and Caelus following close behind.
Oddly, Acheron fought the entire time without drawing her blade, relying solely on her scabbard.
[Why fight without drawing her sword?]
[Probably a cursed blade—once drawn, it's uncontrollable.]
[That's possible.]
[Just a prophet here, but it'll get drawn eventually.]
"Finally quiet." Acheron looked at the fallen monsters, her hands clasped over her chest, "Why are you two here?"
Black Swan smiled, seemingly familiar, "Actually, that's what we want to ask you."
But Acheron's words were displayed in red subtitles, "It's a long story. By chance—he/she might remember—I became friends with some of the Bloodhound Family, helping them track a fugitive… Somehow, I ended up here."
[Why red? Is there some deeper meaning?]
[Maybe Acheron's red lines are optional dialogue, so they're in red?]
[What's optional mean?] [No idea.]
"You… aren't hiding anything, are you?" The camera zoomed in on Black Swan, her expression slightly unnatural.
Acheron maintained her harmless demeanor, "Hiding? In front of a Memokeeper, I don't think I could pull that off."
Caelus nodded, "Fair point."
"You two came at the right time. This dreamscape is full of dangers. Since our goals align, why not travel together? I can protect you from harm, and in a memoria, I could use a Memokeeper's help. Plus… if we run into the Family, an extra person means an extra explanation."
After some thought, Caelus noticed Black Swan's wary expression, sparking suspicion. What kind of being could make a Memokeeper so afraid?
In the end, Caelus agreed to Acheron's request to travel together.
The trio continued searching for their other companions, and the following plot showcased Inception-like imagination, fantastical and dazzling.
Finally, under Black Swan's guidance, they arrived at an elevator.
Acheron spoke softly, "We're here—this elevator is identical to the one in the lobby. It should take us to our destination."
But Black Swan stopped them. As a Memokeeper, she was highly sensitive to the area, "The memoria ahead… feels heavily distorted. Everyone, be cautious."
As the plot progressed, sure enough, the trio didn't reach the hotel lobby as planned but arrived at a new corridor.
Continuing forward, they saw a door glowing with red light. It looked unmistakably eerie.
Acheron tried pushing the door, "This door… locked too?"
Black Swan placed her hand on it, "This could go on forever. Let me handle it."
Then, she closed her eyes, searching the room and beyond in an almost sensory way.
"This memoria… is too distorted. I'll have to use some less elegant methods. You two… give me a moment… There. I can see the center of this dreamscape, the Family's people… and a few figures groping forward. Looks like your friends aren't faring well either… One, two, three…"
In her mind, a scene took shape. Black Swan saw the third person, "Another person looking for the lobby? Wait… this is… the little lady who was with you before?"
Caelus' eyes widened in panic, staring at Black Swan, "You said she returned to reality."
Black Swan held her chin, "I don't understand, but there's a familiar shadow in the memoria, very similar to her presence… Does she have a reason to dive deeper into the dream? She… is she running? No… fleeing? Something's behind her… This is bad. Everyone, we need to hurry."
[Is Firefly doomed to be knifed?]
[No way!!!]
[My god, I've never seen a writer with such a twisted heart—must they knife Firefly?]
[They wouldn't, right? They've built her up so much without knifing her.]
[She's alone now. Before, she was with the protagonist, so there was some safety.]
[So you're saying when they find Firefly, she might already be…]
[Stop it!!! I can't take it!!! Aaaah!]
[With such a creepy vibe this season, horror fans know being alone means a death sentence.]
[It's not that absurd, right?]
[At least they didn't knife her in front of the protagonist and audience.]
[Then why create Firefly? Just to knife her for us to see?]
"Fleeing?" Caelus clenched his fists tightly, "Is there a way?"
Black Swan pursed her lips, "It's urgent, so I'll make an exception and use some tricks to take you through the memoria. I gathered some of her thoughts from the memoria. These will help you form an impression of her. Now, hold onto these thoughts tightly and piece them together in your mind. Earlier, I caught some very familiar memories. The old friend here isn't just her but also the third party at the scene when you were in danger…
—That memoria meme, it's there too."
Caelus' hands trembled as he collected memories of Firefly. Each piece brought up blue text, accompanied by Firefly's voice.
"'The Watchmaker's Legacy'…"
"I… don't want to give up…"
"I have that right… don't I…"
[Oh no, bad vibes, getting stronger!]
[Damn, watching this web drama is nerve-wracking.]
[You never know who's getting knifed next.]
[Wait, if Firefly's getting knifed, why all this buildup for her appearance?]
[To make the knife hurt more!]
[???]
Black Swan pieced the gathered memories into a puzzle, and the trio finally found a way out—it was time to head to the hotel lobby.
"Go, through here." Black Swan led the two to a golden elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, Caelus felt his thoughts stirred by swirling currents, drawn into them, sinking into a deep valley.
An indescribable fluid rose from his chest to his throat.
A suffocating sensation overwhelmed him from within. Then, a voice rang out… "'I dreamt of a scorched land, a new sprout breaking through, blooming toward the dawn, whispering to me.'" "Why do people choose to sleep? I think… it's because they're afraid of waking from the 'dream.'"
Though Caelus didn't know who it was, the subtitles marked it as Firefly's name.
[Is this a will?] [Pfft, pfft, pfft!] [Do you guys have a grudge against Firefly? Always going on about knifing—can't you just watch?]
At the lobby, Acheron gripped her sword tightly, "Careful! There's a dangerous presence nearby."
Black Swan spread her cards, "Everyone, stay alert."
Caelus scanned the area and suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
He ran toward her, relief washing over him.
The camera shifted, revealing none other than Firefly.
[Yes!] [Told you, just a fake-out!] [Goddamn, the comments had me scared to death.] [Phew, phew. With Firefly's tragic backstory, if she got knifed, I'd storm miHoYo's offices.] [She's fine now, the protagonist found her—she's safe.]
Firefly smiled upon seeing their arrival, locking eyes with Caelus.
He rushed toward her eagerly.
But then, a purple mist appeared above.
The monster—"Dormancy"—appeared again.
It charged at Firefly with such speed that none of the three could react in time.
Caelus stumbled, rolling to steady himself, then pulled out his bat, ready for battle.
However, Firefly was already flung high into the air, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at Caelus.
Slash—!!
The monster's blade pierced through Firefly's body!
Caelus trembled all over, unable to speak.
A tear rolled down Firefly's cheek as she mustered all her strength to speak softly, "I'm… sorry…"
Slash—!! Slash—!!!
The monster drove its blade deeper, the intense pain making Firefly's eyes widen, her life fading completely. With a violent fling, it sent Firefly crashing down.
Caelus dropped his bat, frantically trying to catch her.
Just as he was about to hold her tightly, she shattered like foam, vanishing in his arms, a glimmer of fluorescence escaping from her chest…
In the end, nothing remained at the scene but a shallow pool of blue liquid…
At that moment, every viewer staying up late to watch miHoYo's drama was stunned, utterly stunned!
The impact of this scene was overwhelming.
Such a beautiful, resilient, adorable girl—reduced to a pool of liquid?
Who could handle this? No one could handle this!
The moment Firefly vanished, there were no comments. Not because the server crashed, but because the audience was frozen, unable to process.
They even forgot to send comments!
Some had takeout in their mouths, forgetting to chew. Even delivery drivers forgot to knock.
At that moment, it was as if time itself had stopped.
But the calm before the storm is always quiet.
The comments exploded.
[Ah!!!!]
[????]
[!!!!!]
[AMBER LORD!!!]
[Give me back my Firefly!]
[One stab wasn't enough, they had to add another!]
[Why? Are miHoYo's writers that dark-hearted?]
[Firefly, my Firefly!]
[Her last words were 'I'm sorry'!]
[Wahhh… I'm done, I'm quitting!]
[She was hurt and still apologized to you!]
[I'll kill the Dormancy a hundred times, ten thousand times—not enough!!]
[Count me in!!]
[No, no!]
[Firefly's probably not dead in reality, right?]
[Right, right, dying in a dream doesn't mean dying in reality!]
[Hahaha, yes, yes!! Smart brains taking over!]
[Thanks, bro, or I wouldn't sleep tonight.]
[Not necessarily—some settings say dying in a dream means real death.]
[Stop it, bro, I'm begging you.]
But the heartbreak was just beginning.
Caelus fell to his knees like a broken man, staring blankly at the pool of liquid, his eyes lifeless.
Acheron walked to his side, "Are you okay?"
Caelus turned his head, his pupils dilated, his voice deathly, "Is this… a dream…?"
Acheron helped him up, placing her hands on his head, forcing him to meet her gaze as she breathed steadily, "Look at me… Calm down, take a deep breath, okay?"
Black Swan shook her head, "Let me."
She snapped her fingers at Caelus, "Relax—you'll be okay."
Caelus' scattered pupils refocused, but his tone dripped with sorrow, "This… was too sudden…"
[I feel it too, so sudden!]
[Aaah, I can't take it. Firefly getting knifed was bad enough, but Caelus' reaction broke me.]
[The look of losing a loved one, a gaze without hope.]
[Hope there's no more knifing.]