"Well. Our life is indeed very short. The people we believe are still healthy and about to accompany us forever, can leave us suddenly, as fast as the wind blows. Disappear, snatched from us."

Daphne is taking a walk with Payneth, that woman also wants to visit Daphne's house. Payneth says that she has been too tired all day because of working nonstop in front of the computer but no satisfying progress she can achieve since it is totally stuck. So when Daphne comes to see her at 8.30 PM, Payneth immediately takes her to have a walk outside, relieving her fatigue by taking the fresh air.

"Well... that's how it is," Daphne replies in low voice. "And there is nothing human beings can do, except accept their death with resignation."

They pass through the shopping area by chance. One of them is a shop selling cyber monitors. And coincidentally, the cyber monitor being sold is now reporting the news about the war in Pluto.

"... Neptune's troops are now launching the invasion in Sapphire City. The falling missiles have destroyed plenty of civilian settlements. At least dozens of houses have been destroyed by this attack, and the casualties are..."

Daphne freezes. Her eyes widen as she watches a scene showing the destroyed cyber mansion. "That's... my house..."

"What?" Payneth asks.

But Daphne's gaze remains fixed on the cyber monitor screen which shows the cyber mansion destroyed by the missile attack. Her mind turns vacant. The media only shows her destroyed house in a flash, but that has been enough to stir her mind into a mess. So, even though the screen's spotlight has changed to another scene, that dreary scene is still etched in her mind.

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Payneth can immediately understand what is inside Daphne's mind right now. But she knows, whatever kind of statements she is going to say would certainly get negative feedback from Daphne. No matter how Neptune makes excuses and reasons, the reality is certain - war only destroys civilians, it is the civilians who always become the victims.

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On the other hand, Daphne feels her heart go numb. All this time she worries about Stairmount so much that she only focuses on him, but evidently, she forgets to care about herself. She only searches and listens to the news about Stairmount, and she forgets to look for the news about her homeland. What she knows for this time is that Neptune still focuses their invasion on Amethyst, so this news truly shocks her. She has missed all the news, so how can't she get surprised as seeing it shown straight at her front right now?

A few months ago, everything was still fine. Everything was still running as usual.

A month ago, Sapphire was still safe from the invasion, it was still standing properly, as a peaceful city.

But now. Sapphire has been shattered.

Including her house. Now it has been shattered.

Everything that has been built all this time, just disappears, goes with the wind. Go away in the blink of an eye.

"Why does Neptune have to attack Sapphire?... As Sapphire residents, we are the Neptunians, right?... But why, Neptune attacks his own fellowmen?..." When Daphne finally can speak again, it is the question she asks in a hoarse voice.

Payneth inhales a deep breath, before replying, "Neptune only attacks military bases, weapons stores, and soldiers. It is really out of Neptune's expectation that the enemy hides their weapons in the residential areas. But Neptune has ensured that no residents live in the area before detonating it. Neptune is not the kind of country who attack to torture or kill their opponents, like other countries - you know them - do towards the long list of their victimized countries. You can be sure of that. Actually, Neptune is driving out Pluto's forces that make you suffer. Just like medicine, when we consume it, we must deal with its bitterness, but it turns out that it gives a healing effect. This bitter state, is a process, to achieve goodness in the end."

"Blood, status, ethnicity, and nationality," Daphne says gloomily. "The hard dilemma that we have as citizens of a country but of a different ethnicity. Which side should we be on? Which side should we defend?"

"... I am also Pluto people, not Neptune people, even though I am ethnic Neptunian. I have no obligation to defend Neptune..."

Is this the punishment for what I've said? So this is what I have to get as a result?

It must be. Indeed, this is the punishment I deserve.

Copyright ©️ by boundless_universe