On a park bench nearby.
Sylvia listened quietly for a good while.
Her mood had turned subtle.
The three Nameless from the train, the moment they stepped off, had thrown themselves headlong into Asdana without a second thought.
Even if it meant dying here, even if it meant never again boarding the train, never again seeing Pom-Pom.
Still, they went without hesitation.
The Astral Express's journey has no end, but each Nameless's Path of Trailblaze has its own finish line.
Perhaps, someday in the future, the five passengers currently on the train would also leave, one after another?
Or even... just vanish without a trace, perishing in some remote star system.
Unknown for who knows how many Amber Eras, with no other Nameless ever finding out.
"..."
Though Sylvia wasn't a member of the Astral Express.
As a former player, having walked through several planets in the role of the Trailblazer, it was impossible for Sylvia to feel nothing for the current crew.
Precisely because of that.
Sylvia suddenly felt a twinge of sadness.
If it was like this for the crew.
Then would she and Mei, in the future, also part ways one day?
Sylvia hadn't forgotten the title 'Bosenmori' nestled within Mei's name.
She'd asked Mei about it, and though Mei hadn't gone into detail, Sylvia could still guess that it was a title inextricably linked to Nihility.
Mei's travels seemed aimless, but Sylvia knew that, someday, she'd probably want to confront that Nihility head-on.
Maybe that day would be their end?
It was a bit nonsensical, but for a moment, Sylvia felt a pang of sorrow.
She wanted to take out her phone and talk to Acheron.
But clearly, in the Dreamflux Reef, there was no signal from the real world.
She put her phone away again.
Sylvia looked up at the grand theater hanging upside down in the sky ahead.
"Miss Sylvia, are you alright?"
"...Yeah, I'm fine."
Sylvia shook her head with a smile, but Micah beside her suddenly asked:
"This might be a bit forward, but... Miss Sylvia, are you a Nameless of the Astral Express?"
"Sorry, I'm not a Nameless, but I do know the current crew. They should be arriving in Penacony soon."
"Really?"
Micah's spirits noticeably lifted, but he quickly restrained himself.
Still, the joy on his face was unmistakable.
Clearly, he'd been waiting for the Astral Express.
Which made sense, thinking about it.
While Mikhail was away, the Family used the Stellaron to build the Dreamscape in Penacony.
It was like snatching the fruits of victory right out of the Nameless's hands.
Forcing Mikhail's followers to gather here, in this place of the original dream.
Anyone waiting this many years, finally seeing hope, would definitely be excited.
Having gotten the information she wanted, Sylvia stood up from the bench.
She planned to wander around Dreamflux Reef a bit more.
According to Micah, there was a well-established living circle here. Though it couldn't compare to the Family's Dreamscape, it had all the necessary facilities.
And Micah had also said that anyone who stumbled into Dreamflux Reef was free to stay or leave.
If Sylvia wanted to leave, Micah would help arrange it.
Bidding farewell to Micah, Sylvia turned her back to the theater, and walked back towards the platform she'd come from.
But when she reached the top, the enormous black hole, almost hidden by the towering skyscrapers in the distance, came into view.
Even from this great distance, staring directly at the black hole made her heart pound with a nameless dread.
"...What is that thing?"
Sylvia looked at the massive black hole, then turned to glance at the Twelve Hours and the Penacony Grand Theater on the other side.
The Penacony Dreamscape operates right next to that thing??
There must be someone in Dreamflux Reef who knows about that black hole.
Just as she was thinking this, suddenly, a familiar voice sounded by her ear:
"Hehe~ now this is an interesting place. Guess I have you to thank for this, little white-hair! Thanks, hon~"
"Sparkle?!"
Warm breath landed on her left ear, making Sylvia shiver all over.
She quickly turned her head.
But she hadn't expected them to be so close, and Sparkle, whether intentionally or not, didn't move away at all.
So Sylvia felt her lips land on a soft, sweet-smelling cheek.
Sparkle's unique fragrance drifted into Sylvia's nose, leaving an impression in her mind.
And reflected in her wide eyes was Sparkle's grinning face, blushing red.
"Mmph—"
She quickly stepped back twice to put some distance between them.
Sparkle, however, lightly landed on the ground, twirling her red-and-white mask in her hand.
"Geez~ how innocent! Getting all worked up over a little cheek kiss, it just makes me want to tease the little white-hair even more~"
Sparkle hid half her face behind the mask, leaving only her smiling eyes staring intently at Sylvia.
"How did you get here?"
"Take a guess~"
Sparkle giggled, refusing to answer Sylvia's question, but she put the red-and-white mask on her head.
At the same time, she took two steps forward, suddenly right in front of Sylvia. She even deliberately stood on tiptoes, bringing her face close.
"...You followed me in using that mask you pawned off on me?"
"Not bad, thinking on your feet~ It's just too bad little white-hair never wants to wear my mask, otherwise things would definitely be way more interesting~"
Sparkle said this while looking at Sylvia expectantly, as if she really wanted Sylvia to put on her mask.
Sylvia ignored Sparkle's words and put some distance between them again.
Sparkle didn't mind, though. Instead, she put her hands behind her back and started bouncing towards the direction of the black hole, humming to herself.
Walking along, she tilted her head up, her gaze flitting back and forth between the black hole and the Penacony Grand Theater:
"This side and that side, both are so big... Hmm... which side would be more fun to set off fireworks on? Maybe I should do both sides at once~"
--+--
They walked all the way to the very edge of Dreamflux Reef, the spot closest to the black hole.
Sparkle was fiddling with something beside her, peering through her fingers held up to her eyes like binoculars.
Sylvia ignored her and went to gather some information herself.
A resident nearby told her.
That was an accretion of memories, an existence similar to a black hole.
It had gradually formed in the distant past, then devoured, expanded, slowly becoming the scale it was now.
It was the most characteristic landmark of Dreamflux Reef.
You could see what used to be tall buildings in the distance, twisted and shattered by the black hole,
And drifting towards it at a certain speed.
And Dreamflux Reef was so close to it.
So close that Sylvia couldn't help feeling a sense of crisis, as if this place would eventually be devoured by the black hole.
"Ahead, there's the Family and the Stellaron crisis; behind, there's the accretion disk of memories. Dreamflux Reef is caught between them... This isn't looking good."
Initially, Sylvia thought this place seemed safe, aside from being a bit run-down.
But looking at it now, it wasn't safe at all.
Sparkle, hearing Sylvia's muttering, turned her head and said with a grin:
"Wanna team up with me and set off two big fireworks in Penacony?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.