"What's wrong?" March 7th asked, puzzled.
"Forget it. It's nothing."
Leon chose to yield to "Oblivion" for the time being. It wasn't a good time to bring this up. Better to wait until they found the Astral Express.
"Let's not talk about this anymore."
"The next destination is decided: Penacony. They call it the Planet of Festivities or something. Sounds like a very photogenic place."
Leon took her hand, saying he would take her back to find Herta.
"We can go and broaden our horizons."
March 7th followed along, not quite understanding. She didn't know where the next stop was, nor what Penacony was.
But...
She raised her eyes, looking at the profile so close to her.
Leon's face rarely showed any negative expression.
Because he firmly believed there was nothing he couldn't do. Be it an Emanator or an Aeon. No matter what obstacles lay ahead.
This journey, this story. Its ending would still be decided by him. If the path to a happy ending ever deviated, he would simply rewrite it back on course with numbers.
March 7th's left hand was held by him, while her right hand tightly gripped her ever-present camera.
She instinctively raised her camera.
The flash went off with a fleeting click.
In that snapshot moment. The blurred outline of his profile was imprinted on it, another photo becoming one of her precious memories. It was the best proof that she had been to this space station.
The two of them walked further and further away.
But "Oblivion" didn't move, remaining where she was, as if silently spelling out her final fate.
Only the future will remain. Whether people or things, the past will forever remain in the past; time will no longer flow for them.
"Oblivion" watched their retreating figures. Her expression showed no change, no emotional fluctuation.
"I'm leaving March 7th to you. Take good care of her."
"Oblivion" murmured to herself.
For new life to sprout, its seed must die.
"March 7th, when you bid farewell to the past and were born from the Six-Phased Ice."
"Have you thought about what kind of person you wanted to reflect?"
"Oblivion" looked at her back. She thought this question already had an answer.
"Don't disappoint me."
"Oblivion" said softly to Leon.
She was the past, sculpted from March 7th's memories, an obsession that existed to protect her. Therefore, she knew best who the enemies she would face in the future were.
The Path of Remembrance was far more than what the world understood on the surface. And in this shattered conspiracy, "Oblivion" absolutely could not let her become the next victim.
Watching over March 7th's past was originally her responsibility, but now there was undoubtedly a more suitable candidate.
"Oblivion" took one last deep look at their retreating figures. Just as she withdrew her gaze and was about to leave, she heard a shout.
"Come on, what are you hiding for?" Leon called, looking back.
To others, he was talking to thin air, but only he knew someone was there.
Of course, it wasn't March 7th.
It was a girl named "Oblivion."
"Oblivion" raised her head and looked at him again.
Then, without saying a word, she moved forward, her steps as silent as a ghost.
She went forward as he wished, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.
And so, the three of them traveled together.
If nothing else, Penacony was in for a treat. The arrival of two Emanators unparalleled in the cosmos.
They could get "Xipe" ready to clean up the mess in advance.
Leon thought to himself as he prepared to take March 7th to check in.
YAWAIAYY
Penacony.
The Reverie Hotel front desk.
Inside the magnificent, high-tech grand hotel. A spectacular sight greeted them. Everyone who entered would be hit by an overwhelming aura of wealth and extravagance.
Leon watched as everyone else had their luggage inspected, while he and March 7th passed through unhindered, riding on Herta's reputation. Skipping the ads was great, he could only say.
Wow!
March 7th looked all around. This place was even bigger than Herta Space Station. It was her first time in a place like this, so it was inevitable she would find it novel.
"Oblivion" only accompanied them for a short distance. By the time they were about to meet Herta, she had vanished without a sound.
"In a dreamscape, no matter how powerful you are, it's still fake."
Leon couldn't help but say, looking at the dense array of guest rooms inside and out.
In any case, he wasn't one for dreaming. If not for the current objective, he probably would never have come to Penacony in his entire life.
"Let's just get this over with quickly."
The odds were unknown. But according to the genius's speculation, even if he were still alive, he would likely only be a consciousness clinging to life in Penacony's grand dreamscape.
This Nameless wasn't a long-life species. Even with the healthiest lifestyle, he wouldn't have lived that long.
Not to mention, he had spent his early years fighting on battlefields for Penacony's construction, so he likely suffered from numerous chronic ailments.
Stepping onto a Path did indeed strengthen one's body, but without something like a blessing from an Aeon, it couldn't directly rewrite a person's lifespan. Unless you were a genius like her.
"Welcome to The Reverie. May you have an unforgettable holiday experience! If you need to check in, please proceed to the hotel's front desk!"
Just as he was about to go to the front desk to ask about the rules, a blue-haired boy suddenly appeared in his line of sight and gave him a respectful bow.
Leon's intuition told him something was off.
He sized up the reactions of the people around him and found that no one cast a glance at the boy.
Logically, that was unlikely. He wasn't the only one checking in. When a staff member spoke up, at least a few people should have subconsciously thought they were being addressed, right?
But in reality, only he had noticed.
The people around him completely ignored the voice, as if the boy didn't exist at all.
This phenomenon was rather strange.
A living person was greeting them, and not quietly. A normal person's reaction would be to follow the sound with their eyes.
Then they'd marvel at how different this grand hotel was, that even the bellboy was so naturally beautiful, and then add a compliment like, "Can a man really be that beautiful?"
But in reality, he was the only one who noticed the call.
"Can a man really be that beautiful..."
Thinking this, Leon immediately added the compliment.
"What is Leon saying?"
March 7th noticed his strange behavior.
"March 7th, can you see that there's someone here?"
Leon asked, pointing to where the bellboy was.
"Isn't it empty there? Is there something?" March 7th was even more confused.
She definitely believed his words. So her confusion was about what was there, not how something could possibly be there.
"I am Misha, a staff member here at Penacony. It's a pleasure to be of service. If you need help with your luggage, please come this way."
Just as Leon was pondering this, the bellboy spoke up once more.
_____
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