Aventurine stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the red curtain in front of him, the entrance to Clock Studios Theme Park.
"Bottomless, just like Penacony, right?" Phantom asked again.
Aventurine clutched his head in distress: "Why are you still here?"
"You've always known, if the Family truly extended generosity to every family member who came seeking aid, why would they build such high walls and deep moats?"
"But people don't think that way, after all, the taste of Dream Syrup is truly tempting. You're isolated and helpless in Penacony, you can only rely on your own strength to bring down the high walls... How is that possible?"
[March 7th: This child's state is so similar to Aventurine's!]
[Sushang: Eh... If that's the case, why didn't Mr. Aventurine recognize the Old Woman?]
[Aventurine: The environment I lived in as a child was very special; there simply weren't mirrors there. Not only that, but Tzigania-IV, the planet I was on, was also an extremely dry place with pitifully little rainfall. So, throughout my entire childhood, I never had the opportunity to see my true appearance with my own eyes.]
After Aventurine finished speaking, he calmly sat back at the table as if nothing had happened, but Topaz, sitting beside him, keenly noticed something amiss—Aventurine's other hand was secretly hidden under the table, trembling slightly.
[Welt: This is a conversation between the past, present, and future.]
[Star: So, he's debating with himself right now?]
[Dr. Ratio: Precisely. The heartbreak of the past, the anxiety of the present, and the fear of the future.]
[Star: The power of harmony is too interesting... but it feels a bit sinister, I keep getting a creepy feeling.]
Phantom couldn't help but unleash a barrage of sarcastic remarks: "So the moment you stepped into the hotel, you took off your tall hat and started begging everyone, just like a hyena scavenging in the desert. Because you knew, opportunities are fleeting."
"Compared to your claims, Ratio's 'Atykini Peacock' sounds incredibly pleasant."
And Phantom said with unusual seriousness: "You know I rarely speak from the heart; I advise you to listen."
"Coincidentally, you mentioned that professor—I especially like your common ground with him, the conspiracies and schemes... Ha! Especially the ending part, a magnificent betrayal!"
"...When everyone believes that, who would suspect it's another trap you meticulously set?" At this point, a hint of barely concealed excitement flickered in Phantom's eyes.
Aventurine tightly pursed his lips, a complex emotion welling up in his heart.
"Did I get it right? You're that kind of person, meticulous yet self-deprecating, winning so much, yet still more afraid of losing than anyone."
"People only see you throwing money around at the card table, but they don't know there's another hand under the table, gripping the chips, trembling uncontrollably," the other party continued, as if seeing through Aventurine's deepest secrets:
"Amazing, no wonder the tavern sent you an invitation. You're a born actor... not only good at deceiving others, but even better at deceiving yourself."
Aventurine's tone carried an unspeakable sense of emotion: "To keep yourself from being exposed in front of others, the cleverest way is to first deceive yourself."
"Haha, of course, I know you too well... But, it's strange, why did you refuse that invitation? You clearly had the chance to embrace 'Nihility,' wasn't that what you wanted most? Yet you still chose the company's card table..." He looked curious.
[March 7th: What's up with this? Phantom just said he understood everything, then asked again?]
[Star: I think this is also a question he's asking himself?]
[March 7th: Like making peace with himself? Well, I can't understand it~]
"For Preservation? Hmph, I don't think so. Do you have anything to do with Preservation?" Phantom's lips curled into a disdainful smile, speaking sarcastically.
"I thought you knew... Aren't you supposed to understand me so well?" When Phantom questioned him like this, Aventurine merely showed a somewhat self-mocking smile.
"Alright, either shut up now, or get out of my sight immediately." Seemingly impatient, Aventurine issued his final ultimatum.
"Heh, no problem. But, who exactly will disappear here?" Phantom's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a subtle smile, exuding a mysterious aura. However, in the next moment, Phantom suddenly dissipated like smoke, eventually vanishing completely into thin air, as if he had never appeared.
Watching everything unfold before him, Aventurine couldn't help but fall into deep thought. After a long while, he murmured to himself: "It's not me anyway..."
Not long after, Aventurine saw the child's back and was about to catch up when he suddenly realized that the world before him had become somewhat strange. Some distorted characters began to slowly emerge, floating in the air as if they possessed life. These characters flickered with strange light, making people feel uneasy.
(After the suffering among the rocks)
(Shouts and wails)
(Prison, palace, and spring thunder)
"I feel like I might really be going crazy..." Aventurine muttered to himself, his eyes lost in confusion as he ambled forward.
"Ah—do you want to play hide-and-seek? I'm the best at it—" The tender child's voice seemed to still echo in his ears.
"Now it's my turn to hide—I bet you guys definitely won't find me—"
Aventurine was walking when he suddenly heard a slight movement behind him, but when he looked back, he saw nothing.
At this moment, an inexplicable fear surged in his heart, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace and rush forward.
After passing through several alleys, he entered the Wolf's Path area of Clock Studios Theme Park.
"Hide-and-seek... what a sweet childhood memory."
At some point, Phantom reappeared behind Aventurine, speaking in a self-mocking tone:
"How many Katikans chased after you like jackals on the day you said goodbye to your mother?"
"I bet you'll never forget their sharp laughter. To make yourselves disappear from under the noses of those barbarians, you and your sister could only roll in the blood, ruining the only piece of clothing your father left you..."
Hearing this, Aventurine retorted without hesitation: "It wasn't ruined, I've kept it."
Phantom, however, scoffed disdainfully in response, "That's just a piece of rags; you'll never be able to wear it again."
"Now you don't have to hide anymore; you even have the leisure to dislike your precious clothes getting wet from the rain. Heh, your status has really changed, hasn't it?"
"I've never changed," Aventurine said firmly.
"No, you have changed... You've become the one doing the chasing now. This last game of hide-and-seek... enjoy it." With that, Phantom turned and walked away.