[March 7th: The timing is off! I remember these words were spoken after we arrived at Penacony. Could it be that they had already talked privately before?]
[Aventurine: It is indeed a strange dream, very... novel.]
Stella suddenly saw a familiar figure not far ahead. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Silver Wolf.
At this moment, she was standing quietly in front of a silver mecha. As Stella slowly approached, Silver Wolf's illusion spoke: "How did you get them involved?"
The mecha only responded with a voice: "By presenting the truth in full, they will naturally come."
As soon as the words were spoken, the illusions of the two dissipated like smoke.
Next, Stella came to the side of a small loli and a cold, elegant lady.
Sparkle, with a smile on her face, asked: "Mnemonic... do you think you can leave safely?" Sparkle asked with a smile.
Black Swan smiled slightly, her tone firm but polite as she responded: "I'm sorry, but I've already chosen my dance partner."
Finally, the illusions of these two also dissipated into the air.
[Welt: Their dialogues don't match up. These illusions seem to be just snippets of one or two sentences.]
[Sparkle: Oh my, I didn't expect to appear here too. Hehe, so the little gray-hair saw me this early.]
Acheron walked to Stella's side: "These voices... are just illusions of the dream. Don't mind them, come with me."
Stella nodded and followed behind Acheron.
The two entered a long corridor, and at this moment, the space began to extend infinitely, stretching as if pulled by a great force. Acheron just walked calmly ahead, while Stella, not understanding what was happening, could only follow silently behind. Until they stopped in front of a door.
"We're here," Acheron gestured for Stella to push the door.
Stella walked to the front and pushed the door. A boy who had appeared in the previous viewing stood at the door.
The hotel doorman, Kisha.
"Welcome to the Dreamscape Hotel. We hope you have an unforgettable holiday experience! If you need to check in, please proceed straight to the hotel reception."
[Asta: Hmm... I've been wanting to say, this doorman who appeared in the viewing earlier... I've never seen him before.]
[Member of the Houndpack Family: Yes, we've never seen this doorman before.]
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[Welt: This is interesting. It's almost as if he was specifically waiting for you.]
Acheron seemed to ignore the illusion before her, casually leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. As Kisha's form gradually dissipated, Acheron suddenly broke the silence:
"Leave this place, wake up as you normally would, forget this chance encounter, and return to where you came from."
"But before we part, I have a request."
Hearing this, Stella couldn't help but feel curious and stepped closer to Acheron.
Acheron continued: "To you, it might sound strange, even rude, but I want to know..."
Stella looked at Acheron with interest, waiting for the rest.
Acheron slowly said: "...Have we met somewhere before?"
She murmured: "You remind me of an old acquaintance. In my hazy memories, she stood beside me... just like this bizarre dreamscape, so close yet untouchable."
"May I ask you a few more questions? I... often forget things, so rather than relying on memories, I'm more accustomed to capturing something through 'feelings'. Whether the answer is correct or not doesn't matter, what's important is your immediate reaction."
She took a few steps forward and turned to look at Stella. "For example, when you woke up in the guest room, you mentioned a few names. Are they your companions? Family? Enemies? You seem to have established unbreakable connections with many people and many things."
"May I ask, would you fear losing these connections?"
Stella hesitated for a moment, then slowly said: "If it means their departure, I would."
"Hmm... Then if there was a vast dreamscape, so realistic that it's indistinguishable from reality. There's no separation or death there, everyone can achieve the happiness they deserve and live happily ever after."
"May I ask, would you be willing to dwell within it?"
A strange question. Stella thought again before saying: "It depends on what price I have to pay."
This statement once again caused Welt, who had been calm, to experience intense psychological fluctuations.
The Stigmata Project... Come to think of it, Penacony is also a dreamscape, hiss...
Once this thought emerged, it spread like wildfire in Welt's mind, making him increasingly feel that something was amiss. Could Penacony also have a Kevin?
In the scene, the questions continued.
"Then... if this beautiful dream is destined to shatter, and everything will depart; friends, family, strangers; then the gentle wind, flying birds, stars... and finally, yourself."
As Acheron spoke, the scene slowly receded, then turned towards the ceiling above, and finally returned to the gaze between Stella and Acheron.
Acheron continued, "Every person, everyone in their memories, those smiles and tears, fulfilled and unfulfilled promises... will ultimately move towards a predetermined end. If at the beginning of the journey, you already knew the destination..."
"May I ask, would you still embark on this journey?"
Stella pondered for a moment, then answered without hesitation: "I would blaze the trail without hesitation."
Acheron nodded slightly, showing understanding: "I know this is difficult. There's no need to rush to a decision. I said... the answer doesn't matter."
"Listen, touch, think, and from this, you will gain feelings — cherish them, for it is through feelings that we make choices. So, back to the initial question..."
"May I ask, do you remember me?"
Stella frowned, pondering hard, and after a while, murmured: "I seem to have seen you somewhere..."
"I understand," Acheron replied softly, her voice calm as water, but with a hint of imperceptible emotion. "How interesting. In that instant, it was as if thousands and millions of similar yet different versions of you gave completely different answers."
Stella's heart jolted, seemingly touched by Acheron's words.
"This is indeed the last question. Thank you," Acheron continued, her tone still calm. "We both have our own paths to walk. Let's part ways here."
Stella nodded silently in agreement. However, he still felt an inexplicable sense of unease in his heart, as if he had overlooked something important. This feeling made him uncomfortable, so he couldn't help but ask: "Will we meet again?"