In the live stream.
Cocona's storyline was nearing its end.
If the numerous setbacks in her work forced Cocona to kill her former self, then her boyfriend's departure was the final straw that shattered her sanity!
Originally, everything had been agreed upon.
After winning the competition…
He would take her out of the Dreamscape, to a blue planet.
However.
What Cocona awaited was not the triumphant return of her boyfriend.
But a sighing stranger.
The stranger said, "In order to fulfill his promise to you, Ponde... borrowed a large sum of money from his family."
"He used all of it to bet—he wagered that he could win the amateur division of the motorball competition."
"Unfortunately... although Ponde's skills were exceptional, competitive sports always have their unpredictable elements. Ponde ended up narrowly securing second place, which means..."
"...Well, I think you know what that means, Miss Cocona."
Hearing this truth, Cocona found it hard to accept at first.
After a long pause, she trembled and asked, "...Is he... safe?"
"Honestly, Miss Cocona, I don't know... and it's better not to know."
After throwing away the tickets and the record.
Cocona's memory had also reached its end.
The entire world had turned into shades of gray! At the forefront.
The edge of the roof.
Cocona's desolate figure stood there.
After experiencing all of this.
She was in despair.
She was tired.
No need to say more!
All the players watching understood...
What she intended to do.
...
"Such a depressing color..."
"I can relate to this feeling, sometimes I have similar thoughts."
"Don't do it, Cocona!"
"Sometimes, saving someone from suicide might be disrespectful to the person..."
"Damn, I feel this so deeply! If it were me, I wouldn't want to live either, leave this malicious world..."
"As long as you live, there's still hope!"
"If you die, you'll never get to play 'Honkai: Star Rail' again, wuwu..."
...
Seeing Stelle approach.
Cocona said calmly, "Please allow me to leave... At this point, I've heard all the reasons. No matter how hard I try, it's just futile."
[Cocona, do you remember your song?]
[Envision a Rose Forthcoming]
"That song... Hah, perhaps it can't even be called a complete song... just a flawed piece."
"...Just like me now. To survive in this world, I kept slicing and discarding pieces of my soul... until finally, all that remained was a repulsive shell."
"On the path to becoming a shop owner, I learned many qualities that I despise. I kept betraying myself... in exchange for success in others' eyes."
"But I couldn't change completely. Guilt always caught up with me, and the inner interrogation always came. I'm too twisted, too painful, there's no place for me in this beautiful dream."
Originally.
The streamer had a resolute expression.
No matter what, she had to stop Cocona from the thought of suicide.
But.
As Cocona spoke these words, the streamer began to waver!
Perhaps...
Maybe...
Letting go, was the best choice for her?
At this moment.
Two options appeared.
[Grab Cocona's hand.]
[Watch Cocona leave.]
In the live stream.
More and more players joined in, voicing their opinions!
...
"Before, I didn't have the chance to hold her hand, this time I hope the streamer doesn't let go!"
"I chose to hold onto her because I hope someone will hold onto me when my time comes."
"She hasn't truly lived for herself yet, how can she leave like this!"
"She told me, that was her cry for help!"
"If Cocona were to leave without a word, that would be true despair."
"Even if everything is Nihility, I will struggle until the very end!"
...
In the live stream, no one, including the host, expected...
At this moment.
The person watching this scene.
Besides them.
Was Cocona herself!
Seeing her desire to leave this world.
Cocona wasn't surprised.
Because she had, indeed, had similar thoughts many times before!
In reality.
During those most difficult days, she came across Honkai: Star Rail.
She saw the storyline of To the Dim Star...
It gave her a glimmer of hope during her many breakdowns!
And in the story.
She had truly reached this point...
Yet.
Cocona's hand clenched slightly.
At this moment.
She actually hoped that the version of herself in the story wouldn't give up!
She hoped someone would pull her back!
This world might be terrible.
But there are always people mending it.
Yu Ling, the developer of Honkai: Star Rail, must be one of those people.
As a player now, how could she let him down?
In the live stream.
After a brief hesitation.
The female host resolutely chose [Hold Cocona's Hand]!
No matter how much Cocona struggled, she refused to let go!
With each act of persistence.
Cocona's world gradually regained its brilliance.
Finally.
The entire world returned to its normal colors.
Those provocative and seductive words of death vanished completely.
Cocona sighed, "Madam... you really are a strange person."
"That voice... it's gone now. It will come back, I know—but at least for now, in this moment, I'm free from its control."
"Thank you, madam. Thank you for not giving up on me... even if it's just temporary comfort. But at least you've made me realize... someone cares—someone believes I can keep fighting against it."
...
"Great, great!"
"Her world has regained its colors!"
"So it really is possible to save her! I held on three times but eventually couldn't resist letting go..."
"When you have the chance to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it."
"Mommy Kafka's words are still proving their worth!"
"I hope that in every moment of despair, someone will pull you back."
...
The female host also let out a long breath.
Her eyes brimming with tears.
"I knew it, my choice was right!"
"Because I've had a similar experience..."
"Back then, someone also held onto me, allowing me to start a new life."
Seeing this.
Cocona, in front of the screen, suddenly felt a warm current flowing through her heart.
The live stream had a feature to connect with the host.
Cocona couldn't help but clicked on it.
The female host was a bit surprised.
She didn't expect someone to choose to connect with her at this moment.
After a moment of hesitation, she still accepted.
The live stream split into two.
Cocona's image appeared on the right side of the stream.
As soon as the host saw her.
She froze!
In the live stream room.
All the players were stunned!
"Are you... Cocona herself?"
Cocona wiped the corner of her eye.
And revealed a faint smile...
"Yes."
"I watched this part of the story about myself with all of you..."
"I want to say to everyone... thank you."
"Thank you for not letting go and persisting until the very end."
"From now on, I will live my life well and won't do anything foolish like that again."
...
"Really?"
"I can't believe we actually got to see Cocona in person!"
"Nana is even cuter in real life than in the game, keep it up!"
"As long as you live, there's hope!"
"Who would have thought our world would have a game like Honkai: Star Rail?"
"This is amazing, both reality and the game have reached a perfect conclusion!"
...
The female streamer wiped away her tears of excitement.
"This is wonderful, truly wonderful!"
"So good..."
"Nana, I'm really happy to see you pulling yourself together!"
"By the way, could you sing that song for us?"
"—Envision a Rose Forthcoming."
Cocona was slightly surprised.
A hint of shyness appeared on her face.
But she mustered her courage.
And said, "Mm... okay."
"It's been a while since I last sang, so my voice might not be perfect. I hope you all don't mind."
Then.
She cleared her throat.
"Lost souls, look ahead, There Lies Not Void~"
"It's just that the rose from the future has yet to bloom~~"
...
"Holy crap, this is so beautiful it's making me cry!"
"Unexpectedly moving!"
"Miss Cocona, please start a live stream! I'll definitely stay in your stream every day!"
"Clapping like crazy, praising Miss Cocona!"
"Oh my! Is this really her raw voice without any audio effects?"
...
Cocona's singing grew more beautiful and confident.
After the song ended.
The live stream room was filled with tips and praises.
Someone had already recorded this segment.
Planning to post it on the Honkai: Star Rail forum!
At that moment.
Cocona's phone suddenly received a notification.
It was an official message from her family.
As she read it.
Her expression shifted from confusion to surprise, and then from surprise to shock!
The female streamer quickly asked, "Nana, what's wrong?"
"My family has just arrested all my colleagues and superiors because they were involved in counterfeiting goods and smuggling illegal materials..."
"Due to poor oversight, my family has decided to transfer the luxury store I worked at to me, free of charge..."
After Cocona finished speaking.
She still looked utterly incredulous!
Everything had happened so quickly!
It felt like a dream.
The female streamer was the first to react.
Her face lit up with joy.
"Congratulations, Nana!"
"It must be because of the Envision a Rose Forthcoming quest that allowed your family to quickly uncover the store's internal issues..."
"I told you, as long as you keep living, there's always hope!"
"Now you can bravely pursue your dreams!"
In the live stream room.
The players also began to react!
...
"Miss Cocona! I'd love to help you manage this business..."
"The sound of your calculations is practically hitting me in the face."
"I'm a student majoring in fashion management, Miss Cocona, please give me a chance!"
"My dream has always been to work in a high-end luxury store."
"Now we can't call her Miss Cocona anymore, it's Boss Cocona!"
"Those colleagues and superiors really got what they deserved!"
"I just saw the news photos from the scene, it's so satisfying!"