The first place was where beauty began.
The second place was where beauty resided now.
And the most unforgettable memory—buried by Zane in the past—was wedged between the two.
That painful memory...
Yeah. There never needed to be an answer.
Qingyi's lips curved into a gentle smile, her eyes shimmering as she whispered,
"Zane... it was my mistake..."
"Yeah, from the very beginning, I should've trusted you... but instead, I pushed your power away."
"I was never truly alone—not once, from start to finish."
The Book of Trajectories. The white flower...
Qingyi lifted her hand, gently lowering Zane's. Without a trace, she wiped away the glimmer at the corner of her eye, then smiled slightly.
"Alright, I'm going to sleep now. You should head out..."
She gave Zane a light push, nudging him straight out the door. Just as he had started to feel happy from Qingyi's words, he was left stunned again.
Wait—didn't she say she trusted him?
Then what was with this sudden "get out" treatment?
Unfortunately, no one answered Zane's confusion. The only response was the door clicking shut behind him.
Staring at it, Zane could only assume the conversation had been... halfway successful. With a sigh, he turned to head back to his room.
Inside, Qingyi had no intention of sleeping like she claimed.
She stood in front of the white flower, gazing down at it as she murmured,
"The thing that nourishes you... it's not Zane's emotions that matter most, is it?"
"It's the existence of what causes those emotions..."
Qingyi smiled faintly, slowly lifting her hand. She touched a soft petal—it was still fragile, even incomplete.
The positive emotions were still lacking... but she had an idea.
As for the negative ones—she already knew what needed to be done.
This was something she had to do as a mentor. Something only she could do. Something that was always meant to be.
She picked up the Book of Trajectories—and without hesitation, tore it to pieces.
As the fragments scattered, she watched the black markings—like writhing worms—melt into the ground.
Something was coming.
Qingyi didn't care. She lay down lazily on the bed, her expression calm, quietly waiting for the moment to arrive.
As her body relaxed, drowsiness slowly crept in. Her eyelids grew heavy. She didn't resist it.
She fell asleep... waiting...
...
It was a sunny day.
The courtyard overflowed with birdsong and the scent of flowers.
It felt like the morning when Zane had first woken up.
Only this time, it was Qingyi who opened her eyes.
"That guy's still out cold..."
Hands on her hips, Qingyi stood in front of Zane's door. She didn't even need to look—she already knew. That guy always slept in whenever he had nothing to do.
"But... this is fine."
...
By the time Zane woke up, it was already close to noon.
He opened the door and glanced around the empty living room. Odd—why hadn't Qingyi forced him to boot up today?
Wait... where did she go?
He frowned slightly and scanned the area. No sign of Qingyi—until he heard something from outside.
He opened the door to the courtyard. Qingyi sat beneath a tree, reading quietly. The moment looked serene.
But then... Zane froze.
Under the shade, Qingyi wore a light cyan robe, her presence airy and elegant. The hem of her dress lay softly on the green grass.
Her long, smooth hair hung freely. She looked at Zane, tilted her head slightly, and smiled gently.
Her bare feet were tucked neatly in front of her—white and soft. Noticing Zane's gaze, she instinctively curled them in a little.
"Zane, how long are you going to keep staring?"
Seeing the admiration in his eyes, Qingyi blushed faintly and scolded him with a soft voice.
"Master, you look beautiful today."
Zane didn't answer her question. He simply complimented her. Truth be told, he'd always wanted to see her in ancient-style clothing.
He never expected he'd actually get the chance.
"It's just a change of clothes, no big deal..."
Qingyi muttered. Still, Zane's reaction was stronger than she anticipated. The emotional shift...
"What made you dress like this today, Senior?"
Qingyi closed her book, gently placed the glowing orb in her hand onto the white flower, then stood up, looking at Zane with a small smile.
"Because I knew you wanted to see it."
Zane's heart warmed. A blush rose to his cheeks. Seeing his expression, Qingyi chuckled softly.
"Last night... there were a lot of things I didn't get to explain properly. But now, I've figured it all out, so I can—"
She stepped toward him, her smile light and easy. Seeing her like this, Zane's eyes brightened.
Finally! His senior wasn't being cryptic anymore!
"Zane, do you know that actually—"
Qingyi paused to gather her thoughts. She wanted to explain everything clearly... without revealing too much of her inner world.
But just as she opened her mouth—
Pssh—!
A splash of crimson burst forth, like a dazzling rose—like a blood-red spider lily—blooming in front of Zane's eyes.
In an instant, several black spikes—origin unknown—pierced through Qingyi's body.
Her eyes widened. The pain hit all at once. But no sound came out. Her body gave out and collapsed forward.
Zane caught her instinctively, his pupils contracting, his arms trembling slightly as he stared at the blood-soaked Qingyi in his arms—mind utterly blank.
Blood flowed freely, soaking her pale blue robes. Qingyi looked up at him weakly, completely blindsided.
It was too sudden...
Zane fell to his knees, cradling her. He said nothing—only stared, dazed, at the growing pool of red.
The world began to collapse.
The distant sky, the towers, their surroundings—all began to twist, rotate, and shatter. The entire space plunged into chaos.
Even the courtyard began to blur and fragment, breaking apart like shattered glass.
"There's still time... Zane..."
Qingyi's voice was soft—barely a whisper, like a falling feather. She looked at him, lips twitching as if trying to smile... but she couldn't.
She couldn't see, but she could feel it—the blood draining, her life ebbing away...
Yeah... this was who she was inside Zane's heart.
An advanced automaton couldn't read. Couldn't eat on schedule. Couldn't feel pain. Couldn't feel tired... couldn't bleed.
But fragile humans could...
"Zane... looks like you've figured it out..."
Qingyi gazed at the collapsing, crumbling world. She understood now.
Zane had realized the truth—this place... wasn't real.