This was perhaps a scene Firefly would never forget in her entire life.
A young man with long silver hair tied back made a promise to her beneath a sky streaked with falling stars.
He asked her to let go of her sorrow in the days to come.
To never let shadows cloud her face in the years that followed.
But..
Could she really do it?
Firefly didn't know. Even now, she couldn't imagine a tomorrow without Bai Heng.
Yes, even though he had used silly, playful words to dry the tears on her face, the sadness still seeped through like water through porous sponge, dripping bit by bit into her heart.
Just then, without any warning, a clear, melodious prelude drifted over from afar, carried by the gentle breeze.
It was from the Grand Theater of Penacony.
Every Sunday evening, the theater held magnificent live performances. The rest of the time, it continuously broadcast music through the radio.
And this song…
She had heard it before.
A song by Robin, the most famous singer in Penacony.
—[If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking.]
Yet, the voice singing it now, so close she could almost feel it, didn't belong to that songstress whose voice captivated the entire galaxy.
It was a voice Firefly knew intimately—a slightly androgynous, gentle tone.
The girl looked up, dazed, and saw the young man smiling tenderly at her. He opened his mouth slowly and, accompanied by the distant music from the Golden Theater, took up the melody.
"Birds are born with no shackles."
"Then what fetters my fate."
"Blown away the white petals."
"Leave me trapped in the cage."
Bai Heng was no professional singer, and his voice held no power of 'Harmony,' yet as each word rang out, a comforting warmth seeped into every part of Firefly's being.
It was like a pair of soft, invisible hands gently smoothing away the tight, lingering ache in her heart.
In the live stream, everyone was equally captivated by his voice.
As if by some unspoken agreement, even the barrage of comments ceased at that moment.
All viewers listened quietly, watching the scene unfold before them.
A silver-haired youth singing for a girl, hoping to soothe wounds that had yet to come.
This might be the last beautiful moment the two would share, and as audience members, they didn't want to disturb it.
On screen, Bai Heng's voice continued to echo across the rooftop.
Perhaps understanding his feelings through the song, or perhaps finally accepting the promise they'd made…
A smile unique to Firefly gradually returned to her face.
She listened quietly, taking in all the beauty he wanted to give her, storing it deep within her heart.
"Let the clouds heal me of the stings."
"Gently wipe the sorrow of my life."
"I dream."
"I dream."
The accompaniment from the Grand Theater gradually faded, and Bai Heng's song came to an end.
He was about to say something more, but in the next moment, starting from his fingertips, his body began to dissolve into specks of starlight, drifting upward toward the sky.
He smiled bitterly and murmured to himself, "Seems like time's up. I wanted to say a bit more…"
Just like Firefly, he had so many words left unspoken. He wanted to see her flustered and angry again, to welcome each new day with her.
But time was no longer on his side.
All those unspoken words and unmade moves could only be condensed into a few short sentences now.
"Come here, Firefly."
He held his hands open to her, his body glowing with a silvery light, already beginning to scatter like dust.
In this final moment, he wanted to feel her warmth one last time.
Firefly felt the same. The moment she noticed the change in his body, she was already running toward him.
With a light leap, she threw herself into his warm embrace.
"Well then, our promise is set. In the days ahead when I'm not here…" Before Bai Heng could finish, the girl in his arms continued for him.
"Don't be sad."
"Don't stand still."
"And never let shadows hide your smile."
Repeating the terms of their promise one by one, Firefly wore a radiant smile.
It was strange, really. A moment like this, a separation as final as death…
Yet both Bai Heng and Firefly were smiling.
It was as though that song had been the rising tide, and as it ended, the sea slowly receded, taking all their sorrow with it.
"Exactly. That's our promise," Bai Heng said with a soft laugh.
"But isn't this promise a little unfair to me? It's all your one-sided demands! And it doesn't give me any motivation at all," the girl pouted, dissatisfied.
"Then let's add one more thing."
"If you can keep our promise, then…" He seemed to struggle for a moment, as if he hadn't yet thought of a suitable reward.
"Then what?!" Her eyes shone with anticipation.
Looking at her like this, Bai Heng smiled wryly. "Then, on a day when planets align and the cosmos shifts…"
"We will meet again."
"Kinda sounds like you're deceiving a child…"
"Then I'll change it."
"Never mind, this one is fine."
Even though she knew it was an ethereal, nearly impossible reward, the girl still agreed softly.
And the moment their promise was sealed, the light around Bai Heng grew even brighter.
"Guess it's time to say goodbye," he said, taking in every detail of her face one last time, his expression as gentle as when they first met.
"Goodbye," Firefly whispered.
"Goodbye," Bai Heng replied equally softly.
Amid the slowly dispersing starlight, his smile remained tender. Until the very moment he faded away, his gaze never left her.
Everything returned to silence, as if all that had happened was nothing but a long, elaborate dream.
Only the lingering warmth in the air proved that he had been there just moments before.
And then, something astonishing happened.
In this deep night, when the dream-building functions had long shut down and no meteors streaked across the sky…
A brilliant trail of light brought a touch of brightness to the darkness.
Without a doubt, it was a shooting star.
But that was only the beginning.
Two.
Three…
Four...
More and more meteors followed, their light growing ever brighter. They streaked across the sky with wild, unrestrained beauty, blooming one after another in the girl's magnificent eyes.
In the 2043rd Amber Era, the Interastral Peace Corporation recorded a description of this rare phenomenon.
It was a magnificent spectacle, said to occur when the Star Children returned to the cosmos.
But to this day, neither the "Family" of Penacony nor the Interastral Peace Corporation…
Has ever found "The Place Where Stars Fall."
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.