Arriving in front of the curtain at the movie theme park, Aventurine froze at the sight of the red drape before him.

"Bottomless, just like Pinocchioni, right?" the hallucination questioned again.

Aventurine clutched his head in frustration, "Why are you still here?"

"You've always known, if the family truly showed compassion to every family member who came seeking help, why would they need to build such high walls?"

"But people don't think that way, after all, the taste of sweet dream syrup is too tempting. You were alone in Pinocchioni, only able to rely on your own strength to bring down the high walls... How could that be possible?"

[March 7th: This child's state seems similar to Aventurine's.]

[Sushang: Eh... If that's the case, why didn't Mr. Aventurine recognize himself?]

[Aventurine: The environment I grew up in was very special. There weren't even any mirrors there. Not only that, but the planet I lived on, Tsigania-IV, was an extremely dry place with very little rainfall. So, throughout my entire childhood, I never had the chance to see my own true appearance.]

After sending this message, Aventurine continued to sit calmly behind the table as if nothing had happened. However, Topaz, sitting next to him, keenly noticed something unusual - Aventurine's other hand was hidden under the table, trembling slightly.

[Welt: This is a dialogue between past, present, and future.]

[Stella: So, he's debating with himself now?]

[Dr. Ratio: Exactly, the heartbreak of the past, the anxiety of the present, and the fear of the future.]

[Stella: The power of Harmony is so interesting... but it feels a bit eerie, like there's something unsettling about it.]

The hallucination couldn't help but mock, "So as soon as you entered the hotel, you took off your tall hat and started begging everyone, just like a hyena scavenging in the desert. Because you knew the opportunity would slip away in an instant."

"Compared to your words, Ratio's 'Athenian Peacock' sounds delightful."

The hallucination spoke with unusual seriousness, "You know I rarely speak from the heart, so I advise you to listen carefully."

"Speaking of that professor - I especially like the similarities between you two, the conspiracies and calculations... Ha! Especially the part about the ending, a grand betrayal!"

"...When everyone thinks that way, who would suspect that it's just another trap you've carefully set?" At this point, a hint of undisguised excitement flashed in the hallucination's eyes.

Aventurine pressed his lips tightly together, a complex emotion welling up inside him.

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"Am I right? You're that kind of person, cautious yet self-deprecating, winning so much but still more afraid of losing than anyone else,"

"People only see you betting big at the card table, but they don't know that under the table, there's another hand, clutching the chips, trembling," the other continued, seemingly seeing through Aventurine's deepest secrets:

"Impressive, no wonder the tavern sent you an invitation. You're a born actor... not only good at deceiving others, but even better at deceiving yourself."

Aventurine's tone carried a hint of indescribable emotion: "To avoid giving yourself away in front of others, the most clever way is to first deceive yourself."

"Haha, of course, I know you too well... But, it's strange, why did you refuse that invitation? You had the chance to embrace 'Elation', isn't that what you wanted most? Yet you still chose the company's card table......" He looked curious.

[March 7th: What's this? The hallucination just said it understands everything, and now it's asking questions again?]

[Stella: I think this might also be a question he's asking himself?]

[March 7th: Like reaching a reconciliation with himself? Well, I can't understand it~]

"For Preservation? Hmph, I don't think so. What do you have to do with Preservation?" The hallucination's lips curled into a disdainful smile as he spoke with cold sarcasm.

"I thought you knew... Don't you understand me so well?" Challenged by the hallucination, Aventurine only showed a somewhat self-mocking smile.

"Alright, either shut up now or disappear from my sight." Seeming to have lost patience, Aventurine issued an ultimatum.

"Heh, no problem. But who's really about to disappear here?" The corners of the hallucination's mouth turned up slightly, revealing a barely noticeable smile, exuding an air of mystery. But in the next moment, the hallucination suddenly began to dissipate like smoke, finally vanishing completely, as if it had never been there.

Looking at everything that had happened before him, Aventurine couldn't help but fall into deep thought. After a good while, he muttered to himself, "At least it's not me..."

Soon after, Aventurine saw the child's back and was about to chase after him when he suddenly noticed that the world before his eyes had become somewhat strange. Some distorted words began to slowly appear, seemingly alive, floating in the air. These words flickered with an odd light, causing one to feel puzzled.

(After suffering among the rocks)

(Screams and wails)

(Prison, palace, and spring thunder)

"I feel like I might really be going crazy..." Aventurine mumbled to himself as he wandered forward with a dazed look in his eyes.

"Ah— Do you want to play hide and seek? I'm the best at this—" That childish voice seemed to still echo in his ears.

"Now it's my turn to hide— I bet you can't find me—"

As Aventurine was walking, he suddenly heard a faint sound from behind, but when he turned to look, he saw nothing.

At this moment, an inexplicable fear welled up in his heart, and he couldn't help but quicken his pace and run forward.

After passing through several alleys, he entered the Wolf's Road area of the Clorack Movie Theme Park.

"Hide and seek... such a sweet childhood memory."

At some point, the hallucination appeared again behind Aventurine, speaking in a self-mocking tone:

"On the day you said goodbye to your mother, how many Kartika people were chasing after you like wolves?"

"I bet you can't forget their shrill laughter. To make yourself disappear from under the noses of those savages, you and your sister had to roll in blood, ruining the only piece of clothing your father left behind......"

Hearing this, Aventurine immediately argued, "It wasn't ruined, I've always kept it."

The hallucination responded with a cold, disdainful laugh, "It's just a rag now, you can't wear it anymore."

"Now you don't have to hide anymore, you even have the luxury to complain about your precious outfit getting wet in the rain. Heh, your status has really changed."

"I've never changed," Aventurine said firmly.

"No, you have... You've become the one doing the chasing now. The last game of hide and seek... enjoy it well." With that, the hallucination turned and left.