To be honest, in the brutal internet landscape of 2025, netizens had already deconstructed the tropes of entertainment works to their very core.
The story creation in the ACG world actually follows a rather mature template.
"Heroine Element One: A heart-pounding encounter."
Whether it's a good impression or a bad one, the first step is to establish a basic awareness between the character and the player, allowing the heroine to showcase her charm or minor flaws that can be corrected later. Otherwise, no story can unfold.
Orchis's artistic photo was merely an appetizer. Seeing the Trailblazer's small, melancholic expression from afar, she knew she had to carefully polish her official meeting with the little gray-hair.
But how would it actually turn out? Would she be popular with the players? The girl honestly had no idea.
She couldn't get instant feedback from the players. The flow of time in the real world and the game world was completely different. The opening story of Honkai: Star Rail covered the entire Herta Space Station, Jarilo-VI, and a portion of the Xianzhou's Disciples of Sanctus Medicus plotline. A fast-paced player could finish it all in a day from their perspective, but for Orchis, it would be an extremely long period of time in the game.
Therefore, if she wanted to know what was happening in the real world, she could only wait for Aha's next appearance, which happened with each version update every 42 days. She couldn't adjust her words and actions or modify her strategy in real time.
"So, for my debut, I should probably stick to a conservative story."
"Assembly-line" and "cliche" weren't pejoratives. Their prevalence was precisely because the vast majority of people ate them up. They were highly stable and not prone to error.
A general-audience, 12+ game should strive to be appreciated by all. The first step was to try and please everyone.
Once she had endured the hardships and secured her position, even if she engaged in some overly intimate contact with the Trailblazer, there would be great scholars to argue her case.
Don't have too much of a creator's desire for self-expression. First, tell a decent story, then talk about how to turn it into a flawless masterpiece.
"Heroine Element Two: A special feeling of 'it has to be you'."
Next, Orchis had to pull the game's protagonist out of her daily routine and transport her to a perceptual different environment from her past. This would allow the player to establish a special, secret connection—a powerful bond—that belonged exclusively to the two of them.
It was like a beautiful girl suddenly appearing in your home. Even though it's a familiar place, you can't help but feel a sense of incongruity.
Or perhaps, the protagonist is taken to a special location.
Firefly's rooftop, Cyrene's little swing, Castorice's sea of flowers, or even Hysilens's bath.
Give the player treatment that is exclusive to them.
Tell the audience: This is an unconventional, special story route!
A romance only the protagonist knows, a meaning only you understand!
With these thoughts, Orchis began to prepare for the next stage of the narrative.
-----------------
Several days had passed since the Antimatter Legion's attack on the Herta Space Station.
During this time, Stelle had met the station's master, Madam Herta, and was investigating the Stellaron inside her body with Herta's assistance.
At the same time, both the Astral Express and the space station had extended an olive branch regarding the Trailblazer's future.
The person in charge of the Express, Miss Himeko, warmly welcomed any colleague with a spirit of exploration to board the train and journey through the cosmos. She never turned away a guest. The trailblazing spirit of Akivili would bless every lost soul who yearned for the path ahead. As long as they were not heinous villains, their origins, background, and past would not be questioned.
Herta, on the other hand, had developed a keen interest in the little gray-hair as an unprecedented Stellaron vessel. She wouldn't let the Stellaron-wielder go until she lost interest, and she promised to guarantee the little gray-hair's basic living needs after the research was complete. The master of a space station could certainly afford to support an idle person.
Both adults gave the little gray-hair ample time to consider. And Stelle hadn't been idle these past few days. While cooperating with Herta's research, the Trailblazer also fully indulged the thirst for knowledge in her bones, absorbing information from the Simulated Universe like a sponge.
"The universe is like a giant tree, and within its leaves exist individual worlds. They are similar yet different. So, when traveling to the outside world, you won't encounter strange alien creatures. Is the concept of spacetime basically making parallel worlds into planets? Are they all organic and inorganic civilizations that evolved differently? And there are all sorts of Aeons, a rich and colorful system of Paths... What will it be like to see them in person?"
She had benefited greatly. Even as the hour grew late, Stelle remained in front of the Simulated Universe, poring over books from Herta's library and murmuring to herself.
With no memory of her past, she could only seek the future, possessing a child-like reverence and longing for all things unknown.
What choice should she make? Should she follow the Astral Express, yearning for that infinite world?
Or should she stay at the Herta Space Station and live out her life under Madam Herta's protection?
The world outside was beautiful, but Stelle realized it was also very dangerous.
The adventures of the Nameless seemed fun, and the Trailblaze journey was so alluring. But the reason that train wasn't packed to the brim was precisely because the path of the Trailblaze offered no guarantees. The Nameless were unusual individuals who had forsaken comfort, like arrows loosed from a bow, seeking only the path ahead and the unknown.
Was such a perilous adventure really worth abandoning her personal safety?
Curiosity killed the cat.
Stelle touched her chest, her expression hesitant. She had already personally experienced battle with the Antimatter Legion and had even been glanced at by Nanook. When such a great being looked over, his gaze, devoid of any hostility, was like a contemptuous look at a worm. It was utterly terrifying.
"And if Mr. Welt hadn't stepped in to help, the Stellaron inside me might have already blown me to bits, right?"
What on earth should she do?
Lying down on a pile of books, Stelle was wide awake despite the late hour, not a hint of sleepiness in her.
Maybe I'll go to the station's platform to clear my head. Gazing at the starry cosmos, you could directly feel your own insignificance, but also the beauty of the universe. That was why the Trailblazer loved watching the scenery from the platform and had been loitering there often these past few days.
Or perhaps... it was love for the house that extends to the crows on its roof?
Stelle thought back to a few days ago. Was it a hallucination? The girl in the black dress she had seen on the platform.
A fairy, appearing and disappearing in a meteor shower. The sight of that scene had been breathtakingly beautiful.
People instinctively pursue excellent things, beautiful things. That's why a genius like Herta wanted to break through the circle of knowledge set by Nous.
In everyone's heart, there is a desire to chase after something better.
Stelle said she was going for a walk because she was lost and didn't know whether to choose the Astral Express or the space station.
But maybe it was simply that... deep down, she yearned to meet the girl from that day again, to talk to her—a completely innocent longing.
And so, scratching her head, the girl got up, left the entrance to the Simulated Universe, and walked slowly down the corridor.
Just then, a wondrous and melodious tune drifted into the Trailblazer's ears.
It seemed to be from an instrument like a music box, its crisp tune tinged with sadness.
"What's that sound...?"
Curiosity naturally arose in Stelle. Drawn by the beautiful melody, she wanted to find its source.
Looking around, searching for the sound, the Trailblazer found herself gradually walking down a somewhat familiar path.
It was the path to the observation platform, a place she had frequented these past few days.
Soon, the girl reached her destination. On the platform, illuminated by the vast sea of stars, she saw something in the middle of the path.
It seemed to be the device making the sound. The little gray-hair bent down in confusion and picked it up.
"A pocket watch?" she murmured, examining it.
It was a golden pocket watch with exquisitely crafted patterns. When opened, it played the melody and displayed the current time.
In a game, it would be a fine choice for a quest item or a token of love.
One would take out a watch every day to check the time, and in doing so, one would inevitably think of the person who gave it.
A small, clever design meant to anchor the protagonist's thoughts.
"——!!"
The Trailblazer suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence and started in surprise. Someone was behind her!
She scrambled to her feet and turned around. At that moment, Stelle held her breath.
What met her eyes was a gothic girl in a black dress, her long, silvery-white hair tied into twin tails.
Just as she had seen her that day, the same as the first time. She held a parasol, which partially obscured her, creating a dreamlike quality that still made it difficult to see her face and expression clearly.
What I saw last time wasn't a hallucination... Stelle's eyes instantly lit up, not even realizing her own expression was one of delight.
I can't believe I actually met her today!
-----------------
Late at night, in a quiet and deserted residence, the game's protagonist is drawn by an unknown melody.
A sense of mystery!
A tasteful choice that the older kids love: a pure music box piece in the style of Yuki Kajiura, instantly capturing the audience's heart.
A sense of sophistication!
On the space station's platform, the protagonist meets the mysterious girl she has been thinking about for the past few days.
A unique atmosphere under the starry sky, and a payoff to her anticipation!
There is no third person in the entire environment. This is a special interaction between the game's protagonist and the heroine!
A one-of-a-kind feeling of "it has to be you"!
Stelle looked at Orchis before her. She didn't know the other's name. Seeing the girl remain silent after appearing, she felt awkward but also wanted to talk.
So the Trailblazer held out the pocket watch in her hand.
"Is this... yours?"
Orchis stepped forward, gradually closing the distance with the gray-haired girl before her. She reached out, but not to take back the watch.
Instead, she gently pressed the watch back into Stelle's palm, and in a smooth motion, the puppet girl's fingers intertwined with the Trailblazer's.
An intimate gesture! The legendary hand-holding!
Appropriate physical contact is a shortcut to building trust and intimacy. A warm, firm, and non-aggressive handshake can quickly shorten the social distance between two people, creating a subtle atmosphere of "there's more between us than this." Of course, considering that some players are sensitive and shy, to avoid giving a bad impression of having no boundaries on a first meeting, the hand-holding must be brief and justified.
"——"
Ripples spread through the Trailblazer's heart. Orchis's slender fingers overlapped with her own. She felt a chill and was surprised to discover that the girl's joints were identical to Madam Herta's. She was a puppet, too. Could this girl be related to Herta in some way?
Before she could think further, Stelle saw that Orchis's gesture, while intimate, was also very restrained. The other girl immediately withdrew her hand.
The puppet girl spoke softly, her voice as pleasant as a lark's song but with little emotional inflection. The words she uttered were very brief.
"Gray, are you hesitating?"
Orchis's role was that of an information provider and guide. Right now, the little gray-hair was in a state of confusion about whether to board the Astral Express.
Her lines had to be concise and clear, serving to advance the plot. This would increase the heroine's value and weight. The words she spoke also had to contain information that made the character's appearance worthwhile.
The crucial point: the heroine's special name for the Trailblazer was out of the ordinary.
A name that belongs only to you and me is another kind of bond that strengthens the connection between the heroine and the player.
Hearing this, the Trailblazer clearly realized something, her tone showing she cared.
"Gray? Are you referring to me?"
Stelle wasn't slow-witted; this was the future puzzle-solving master who could escape from a revolutionary prison like Amphoreus! The girl reacted quickly, catching the unusual aspect of this moonlit encounter. The gothic girl before her clearly knew her. An immediate handshake was not something strangers did on their first meeting. Who was she?
The Trailblazer had no memories of her past and was desperate to grasp at any straws.
"Do you know something about me? Who are you?"
"——"
A camera shot is needed here.
Orchis trembles slightly, almost imperceptibly. Something seems off. The hand holding the parasol is unsteady.
It's as if this is indirect proof of the Trailblazer's words, and the cause of her emotional fluctuation is precisely that question: "Who are you?"
A game protagonist with amnesia, a heroine who exists faintly like a meme—a natural story seed.
The carefully selected, sorrowful music box BGM would fill the story with a bitter tone, painting the image of a tragic heroine.
For example, a familiar stranger. Someone who sacrificed herself for the protagonist, only to be forgotten by the entire world and the person she loves.
The puppet girl, being a deceased person, can't let go of the Trailblazer but also doesn't want her to recall the sad past.
"I can't walk with you to the end, so please forget me. Go and meet others, and live happily. That is my only wish."
But her true feelings are a tearful plea of "don't leave me," combining the feel of the one true love with that of a destined loser.
"...The universe travels toward its end. The world will one day meet its curtain call."
Orchis spoke, not directly answering the little gray-hair's question, but instead inserting a bit of world-building information.
"For that reason, the people here need you to embark on this journey."
Stating that the Trailblazer will walk a thorny path, reinforcing her sense of being the protagonist.
"Swept along by fate, you will gain much, but you will also face cruel choices and endure all kinds of suffering."
The so-called journey of chasing the flame is an epic of constant loss, of suffering through hardships only to face more hardships, ultimately forcing Cyrene into a state of eternal damnation.
People only care about you continuing to trailblaze, about your value as a Stellaron. Only the heroine cares about the pain you suffer and your own wishes.
"It is precisely because you believe you have lost nothing that you continue to start new journeys, carrying precious bonds into the future."
But that is simply too cruel for one person.
Orchis spoke in a sorrowful tone to the bewildered Trailblazer before her, saying her final words.
"You don't have to embark on the journey. It's fine just like this. Just stay here. Fate should not be borne by you alone.
"No one will blame you. If there is such a person, I will never forgive them.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Please, you must... cherish yourself more."
Warm words, comforting words, yet they contained endless sorrow—an unreserved concern for the Trailblazer.
Seeing Orchis's words and actions, Stelle's gaze trembled. She desperately wanted to know more. Why was the other person so sad? I don't even know you, so why are you suffering because of me? You even tell me to cherish myself. Does that mean...
Did I lose something in the past?
I don't know anything, I can't remember anything. Frustration, anxiety, sadness... these feelings welled up, along with a desperate need to understand everything.
Someone else is in great pain because of me, but I have no idea why. This feeling...
"Wait, who are you—!!"
The gray-haired girl felt a pang of distress. She reached out, wanting to stop the girl before her, but saw her figure disintegrate and vanish like smoke.
The Trailblazer was in disbelief, her hand suspended in mid-air. Only the golden pocket watch remained in her palm. She stared at it, stunned.
The music box was still playing its tune, the sorrowful melody echoing under the space station's moonlit sky.
It was proof that this one-of-a-kind encounter was by no means an illusion.
Stelle looked down, clutching the pocket watch tightly in her hand. Who knows what she was thinking beneath her melancholic expression?
[Phase One: Opening Event, complete.]
[Execution Content: Create a strong connection point, raising the relationship between the game protagonist and the heroine from 0 to 1.]
[A high-precision interaction that makes it impossible for either party to avoid the other's necessity. The so-called gears of fate begin to turn, marking the budding of first love.]