"# Welcome everyone to the latest Interstellar Peace Broadcast. Good evening, everyone! #"
"# Good evening! #"
"# Top Stories! #"
"# Recently, with the joint efforts of the Interstellar Peace Corporation, the Xianzhou Alliance, Ms. Herta, Lord Screwllum, and many other forces, the Lord Ravager Iron Tomb was successfully defeated... #"
"# The new star Amphoreus has fallen into the cosmos. The Divine General General Jing Yuan has announced an alliance with Amphoreus, stating that any who violate Amphoreus will face the endless vengeance of The Hunt... #"
"# Breaking news update: The Stellaron Hunters have shown signs of activity near Amphoreus... #"
"#...#"
Inside the observation car, the broadcast echoed in the empty space.
Pom-Pom remained silent, picked up a watering can, and quietly went to a corner.
It watered the potted plant, their small shoulders heaving slightly as it let out a sigh,
"Searched for so long, and still haven't found him, Pom-Pom…?"
Just then, the train door opened with a clang.
Dan Heng, Welt Yang, and Sunday walked in, covered in dust, the fatigue on their brows almost solidifying.
Pom-Pom immediately dropped the watering can and scurried over to the three.
It looked up, their eyes filled with a final glimmer of hope.
"How was it? Passenger Dan Heng, Passenger Welt, Passenger Sunday, did you find any trace of Phainon, Pom-Pom?"
No one answered.
Dan Heng silently lowered his eyes, and Sunday averted his gaze.
Welt pushed up his glasses, the look behind the lenses so dim that his emotions were unreadable.
Silence was the cruelest answer.
"No, Pom-Pom?"
Pom-Pom's voice took on a crying tone, and it lowered their head in disappointment.
"Thank you all for your hard work, Pom-Pom… But it's okay! Passenger Himeko, Passenger March, and Passenger Stelle will surely find him, Pom-Pom!"
Before it finished speaking, the cabin door opened again.
Himeko, March 7th, and Stelle returned.
March 7th's eyes were red and swollen, while Stelle was expressionless, her eyes now dimmed, covered by a thick layer of ash.
Pom-Pom looked at their empty backs, and their last shred of hope was completely shattered.
It could no longer hold back, suddenly turned, and ran towards the inner car.
"It seems Phainon… really went on a trip alone! What a pity, Pom-Pom!"
It ran faster and faster, the "pity" in their voice gradually turning into uncontrollable sobs.
"Pity… Wuwuwu…"
Loud crying echoed through the car, like a heavy, muffled hammer striking everyone's heart.
Welt Yang looked at Himeko, his voice hoarse: "I'll go comfort the Conductor. Himeko, let's prepare our future itinerary."
"Mm…"
Himeko nodded slightly. She forced herself to perk up, her gaze sweeping over everyone's tired faces.
"Everyone is tired too; go back to your rooms to rest. The Xianzhou Alliance, the Galaxy Ranger, the Interstellar Peace Corporation, and the two geniuses have all promised to continue searching the cosmos. I think… we will meet again someday."
However, no one moved.
Stelle slowly walked to the observation window, looking at the vibrant blue planet outside that had replaced Amphoreus.
That was the scenery he had exchanged for his life.
She reached out, her fingertips gently pressing against the cold glass, as if wanting to reach through the endless void to touch that solitary, vanished silhouette.
"He promised me."
Her voice was very soft, yet it carried an unshakable resolve.
"He said he would definitely come back."
"He will definitely come back!"
—
At the same time.
In a deep space unmarked by any starchart, aboard a phantom ship.
Silver Wolf sat in front of a screen, legs crossed, her fingers constantly sliding across the screen.
"Warning! Energy reaction supercritical! Life parameters fluctuating!"
Silver Wolf glanced at the life data stream in front of her, and in her excitement, fell off the stool, "Ouch!"
Hearing the commotion.
Kafka, Firefly, and Blade's figures instantly appeared behind her, their gazes simultaneously directed at the life pod in the center of the room.
Inside the pod, a man lay quietly.
His entire skin was a deathly gray-white, like a sculpture drained of all color.
Then, a completely black cat silently jumped onto the life pod's hatch.
their eyes were devoid of emotion, yet they seemed to reflect the end and origin of the universe, calmly observing Phainon inside.
Under their gaze, a faint trace of crimson began to spread from Phainon's chest.
Beneath the gray-white skin, golden blood began to flow anew.
His body slowly returned to their normal skin tone, and then, his fingers and eyelids showed extremely slight tremors.
"Is he coming back to life?" Blade crossed his arms over his chest, his voice as low as ever, yet hiding a hint of inquiry.
Kafka gently brushed a strand of hair, swirling the red wine glass in her hand,
"You'll have to ask Elio that question."
"After all, to pull him back from death, we put a real 'Stellaron' into his body."
The next moment.
Phainon's consciousness struggled to surface from the endless darkness and nothingness.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
There was no confusion, no perplexity in those eyes, only a profound, ultimate tranquility after everything had burned away.
His gaze passed over everyone, accurately landing on the black cat.
He struggled to speak, his voice hoarse and dry.
"Long time no see, Elio."
"To bring me back. You must have paid a great price, right?"
---------------
(T/N): I felt so empty when I finished this series, because I know that my expectations for other phainon fics probably wont be able to satisfy me like this fic did, it will forever hold a special place in my heart. This phainon fic is the only one that managed to make me feel emotional (Paired with sad music)
Anyways since this peak is finally over, my final gift to you all for reading this novel is... a bunch of phainon pictures!
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I did, and as always.. have an awesome day.