But Dream Weaver still gave no response. Mr. C.B.'s expression dimmed.
She knew all too well that her words would earn no answer, yet she couldn't help trying once more.
Mr. C.B. shook her head and handed the ice cream she was holding to Dream Weaver.
As if triggered by some unspoken rule, the previously unresponsive Dream Weaver instinctively accepted it and began to lick the treat with mechanical, repetitive motions.
Seeing her still so attached to food even in this state, Mr. C.B. let out a soft, bitter laugh.
"You really never waste a thing, do you?"
She sat down beside Dream Weaver, gazing at the azure sky before them. Her thoughts drifted inevitably to the past.
Back then, when Mr. C.B. had noticed Dream Weaver was pushing herself too hard in training, she had made every excuse to take her out for a break.
It was during such relaxed moments that the two had first truly opened up to each other.
After that, Mr. C.B. had kept trying to invite Dream Weaver out again, but Dream Weaver, no longer fooled twice, would always refuse with the same reason: 'It's not time to rest yet.'
But now, the dream they had once fought for had already set the world ablaze.
By any measure, Dream Weaver had earned the right to rest.
Just like in those worn-out hero's tales—after the adventure is done, the world saved, and the perfect ending achieved, shouldn't the hero return home to live a happy life?
So why… had it come to this?
A heavy gloom pressed on Mr. C.B.'s chest, almost suffocating her.
In this era where everyone could chase their dreams and happiness, the very one who had guided them toward that new world was forever trapped in the past.
The Kikuka-shō, Kyoto Racecourse—that day of victory was also a day Mr. C.B. could never forget.
Their joy in triumph hadn't even had time to reach Dream Weaver before the frantic words of a staff member brought world-shattering news.
Just moments after winning the Shinzan and securing her first Triple Crown, Dream Weaver had collapsed backstage.
By the time Mr. C.B. and the others learned of it, she was already lying in the infirmary.
How could Mr. C.B. ever forget that day?
She could still remember Symboli Rudolf's bloodshot eyes, Shiragawa's face twisted with grief, and Shinzan curled in on herself by the corner, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
She remembered herself, too—her own shattered heart.
The treatment dragged on in a heavy silence.
It wasn't until the doctor in his white coat emerged from the operating room to deliver his final verdict that everyone's eyes slowly focused, regaining a flicker of awareness.
They had hoped, prayed, that Dream Weaver's collapse was just a temporary injury, that with some rest she would stand before them again.
But the chief physician's words extinguished the hope in all their eyes.
"Her condition is critical. It's not just muscle tears or bone fractures. Her internal body temperature is unbelievably high—it's as if she's burning from the inside out."
"Such extreme heat places immense strain on the body. Her organs, even her brain, are suffering irreversible damage from the temperature."
"Impossible!"
Amid the stunned silence, Shinzan was the first to speak. Her voice was frantic, as if trying to convince herself.
"I carried her here myself! If her temperature was that high, I would have noticed!"
The doctor shook his head and patiently explained.
"Normally, yes. But for some reason, the heat is completely trapped within her body. Unable to dissipate through her skin, she's forced to endure it as it grows more and more intense."
"We've tried to cool her down, but… we've never seen anything like this. No one can predict what will happen."
Mr. C.B. remembered every word the doctor said, every expression on every face that day. Recalling it now felt as if it had just happened.
She turned her head, her eyes sorrowful as she watched Dream Weaver mechanically licking the ice cream.
The cream melted under the sun, sticky liquid dripping onto her skirt.
But Dream Weaver showed no reaction, just blankly continuing to lick her treat, making no move to wipe it away.
Mr. C.B. sighed softly, took out a handkerchief, and gently wiped the stains from Dream Weaver's clothes.
After the doctor's diagnosis, Symboli Rudolf and Shinzan used their influence to seal the news and transfer Dream Weaver to a specialized hospital.
Just when everyone thought they would have to wait with bated breath for the outcome, Dream Weaver miraculously awoke not long after.
The thinking at the time was that Dream Weaver's physique was simply exceptional; she only needed a little recovery to wake up.
But when everyone rushed to her hospital room, overjoyed that the crisis had passed, they were met only with a pair of vacant, dark eyes. Gone was the familiar, unwavering conviction; only emptiness remained.
They tried everything to reach her—scientific treatments, taking her to places from her past, just like in the stories.
But Dream Weaver never responded.
Dream Weaver's body had recovered, but her spirit, it seemed, had been burned away in that inner fire.
What remained in this world was no longer the Uma Musume they knew, but a hollow shell, a remnant that had lost its soul.
Now, aside from the most basic instinct to eat, she needed help with everything.
Not wanting to betray the new era Dream Weaver had fought so hard to create, Shinzan and Symboli Rudolf threw themselves into their work, leaving them only scarce moments to care for her.
So, after winning the Japan Cup, Mr. C.B. took on the responsibility herself.
Her own mission was complete. She had contributed her own victory as part of the stand against Europe.
Countless new talents would follow in her footsteps; for the racetrack, Mr. C.B. was not irreplaceable.
But for Dream Weaver, she was the only companion who could be by her side every day.
Even knowing Dream Weaver had no awareness left to feel loneliness, Mr. C.B. couldn't bear to leave her alone in that cold, silent hospital room.
She had been hospitalized herself; she knew how lonely that place, reeking of disinfectant, could be. Mr. C.B. refused to let Dream Weaver, who had brought happiness to so many, end up like that.
So, she took Dream Weaver home, returning to the hospital only occasionally for check-ups.
Rather than that cold, white prison, Mr. C.B. wanted Dream Weaver to see the new era she had helped create.
That's why, today, she had brought Dream Weaver to the amusement park.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! 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.