Should the dream awaken...?
What was she talking about? Wasn't this reality?
How could such a wonderful place be a dream? Twilight's existence defect was cured, the Express crew completed their perfect Trailblaze journey, and he himself successfully pushed himself to defeat the detestable Aeon of Destruction...
"Caelus, are you guys ready yet?"
Twilight's call came from outside the door. As if finding a perfect excuse, Caelus stood up somewhat hastily, forcing a smile. "See, Twilight's waiting for us. So stop joking around, Dabai..."
But the woman before him made no move. She just sat there, quietly and peacefully looking at Caelus.
That gaze continuously pricked Caelus's heart, seemingly reminding him of things he didn't want to acknowledge.
"Fairytale-like hero adventure stories are indeed intoxicating. Taking a short nap within them when tired isn't entirely wrong... But we must eventually face reality."
Dabai gently placed the fairytale book onto the table. "And the reality is... Caelus, you lost."
"That moment in Penacony when you faced Sunday and were defeated, not a single Aeon extended a helping hand to you, and you ultimately couldn't summon any miracle... The Astral Express failed to defeat the avatar of Order. The Dream of Unity [Ena] eventually enveloped the entire Asdana star system. Everyone indulged in that carefree beautiful dream, awaiting an empty death. Without value, without leaving any mark on the galaxy, their lives were merely an empty dream... Reverie"
"What are you talking about... Didn't you defeat Sunday?! You personally turned him into a flower!"
"Are you talking about this?"
Only when Dabai pointed it out did Caelus realize with horror that the vibrant flower was somehow still pinned to his collar—but how was that possible? So many years had passed...
"Because this is just a dream, Caelus."
Dabai's eyes lowered slightly. "Only within a dreamscape can I do such things. Because the price of performing such actions in reality... I cannot afford to pay."
"Dream or not... What are you even saying, Dabai?! I can't tell... I really can't tell anymore!"
The moment he saw the flower that shouldn't be there, Caelus felt endless confusion, as if all the memories of adventures experienced over so many years suddenly started to feel alien and distorted.
Was this long experience all fake? The laughter, the tears, and all these years of companionship...!
"No... No! Then are you real or fake?!"
Rejecting the correct answer his heart already faintly acknowledged, Caelus clung to the only lifeline he could find, staring intently at the person before him. "If you're just an existence within the dream, how could you tell me this place is fake!"
"Because you called me." Dabai's attitude remained as gentle as ever. "Everything initially was indeed fake. But at the beginning of the dream, you faced the illusion constructed by the dreamscape and called for me... so I came to replace it."
"Called?" Fragments of past memories surfaced instantly, making Caelus's eyes widen in astonishment.
Indeed, after being defeated by Sunday, the moment Dabai appeared before him and saved him, he had subconsciously called out to her. But what did that have to do with Dabai? Could she sense his call just by him uttering her name?
Even a call from within a dream...?
"Then why didn't you tell me this was a dream back then..."
Dabai paused, her expression hard to describe—perhaps helplessness, perhaps sadness. Even the smile on her face faded slightly. "Because you looked... very tired."
"Unable to defeat the enemy before you, unable to save the companions beside you, only able to watch everything continuously worsen... Your condition looked poor, so I thought letting you rest temporarily in the dream would be good."
"Don't worry. Even though so much time has passed within the Dream of Unity [Ena], it was merely an instant in the outside world. You haven't missed any opportunities because of it. You've rested enough now, so it's time to face reality."
Caelus fell silent, speechless.
Beautiful dreams fear waking.
When a person truly realizes they are dreaming, the dreamscape departs from them, regardless of whether they wish to wake up. And upon waking, all stories within the dream, whether sad or happy, quickly fade, eventually leaving no trace.
And now, Dabai had ruthlessly burst his beautiful dream bubble. Whether he wanted to or not, he could feel himself about to wake up.
The Dream of Unity [Ena] might originally have had more miraculous effects, capable of keeping even the conscious asleep, but before the lady sitting before him, it was clearly no different from an ordinary dream.
But what good would waking up do?
During these dozens of dream-years, had he truly never been lucid for even a moment? Never doubted this world that felt almost too perfect to be real?
Of course, he had. He just deliberately chose not to look at those doubts.
Even after waking up, he still couldn't defeat Sunday... They couldn't defeat him together, let alone him alone?
Resistance was futile. He had indeed lost, defeated by this person possessing the will to save all misfortune in the world...
"Then in reality... are you willing to help us?" Caelus stared blankly at Dabai. If she possessed the same power in reality as she did in the dream and was willing to help him, perhaps they still had a chance to overcome the obstacle of Sunday.
But Dabai disappointed him. She just shook her head silently, shattering Caelus's last hope.
But if she wouldn't help him, why force him to face an enemy he couldn't possibly win against?!
Since she accompanied him in the dream for so many years, why turn that memory into nothing now?!
At this moment, Caelus didn't feel sad, nor angry... He only felt bewildered, a sense of helplessness about fate and the future.
He knew a Trailblazer shouldn't hesitate, but faced with this dilemma, this empty reality, how could he possibly ignite hope?
Perhaps it was because of his indecisiveness that those Aeons were unwilling to look his way, grant him the power to break the deadlock...
Reality only held an unbeatable enemy, irreparable regrets. Since that was the case, why couldn't he just choose to submit to this beautiful dream? Yet this easy path was precisely the one Dabai wouldn't let him choose, forcing him to confront the reality he didn't want to face.
Caelus looked at Dabai's face. That face he had spent so many years with, grown so familiar with, was now rapidly becoming strange... just like back then.
The memories of their time together in the dream were returning to nothingness.
Come to think of it, perhaps not remembering dreams is a good thing... If he retained these memories, waking up to find those he had formed deep bonds with didn't even recognize him would surely be incredibly painful.
"But I can't do anything, Dabai. Without you..." Caelus clenched his fists. Admitting his failure was a sorrowful thing, but he was truly powerless against the current situation. "I can't win against him."
"Mm, I also wish you could hold my hand, Caelus... But at this moment, the hand you should hold isn't mine. Trailblazing was never a solitary journey. You still have companions, don't you?"
The dreamscape gradually grew illusory. Caelus saw Dabai's figure become indistinct.
Only her voice still reached his ears.
"Call that child... For you, she can do anything."
...
That child...?
When Caelus opened his eyes on the cold floor, he only remembered the last sentence.
Who was that child...? Subconsciously, he uttered the most important name in his heart.
"Twilight?"
BOOM!!!
The next instant, a deafening explosion erupted directly in front of him, completely shattering the last vestiges of grogginess from waking up.
Caelus laboriously lifted his head and saw a familiar yet different back.
Similarly slender, but with blue hair instead of white... White hair? Why did he think it was white hair...?
But there was no energy left to ponder such meaningless things, because Caelus already recognized who was standing protectively before them!
It was Twilight, who had been on standby for so long!
A proper rescue needs perfect timing to be effective.
Knowing the people behind her were likely woken by the explosion, Twilight didn't even turn around, just stared coldly at Sunday's giant faceplate before her.
Sunday was strong, stronger even than Acheron at full power, but not yet at a level she couldn't handle—absolutely perfect!
After all, Acheron's power attribute meant she couldn't fight recklessly to the death with teammates nearby, otherwise the Asdana system might succumb to Nihility even before the Dream of Unity [Ena] took over. Thus, her defeat was rather spectacular.
But Twilight was different. She was an Emanator without restrictions—her body itself had some issues now, but that didn't stop her from getting serious against Sunday.
Moreover, to increase her chances of winning and facilitate wool-shearing, she had dipped into her pitiful little energy bank again for a new skill.
[Classic Lifespan-Burning Power-Up Method] — On any other alt account, this would definitely be considered a joke item.
This skill, just like its name, was a classic technique that boosted power by sacrificing lifespan—but the problem was, it reduced lifespan by a percentage, while the power increase was rather subtle.
Each use permanently reduced current lifespan by fifty percent, then increased power by twenty percent... The input and output were completely disproportionate, a terrible deal.
But for Twilight, who didn't have long left anyway but possessed immense inherent power, this skill was quite cost-effective. At least the added power was enough for her to defeat the Sunday before her, and her remaining lifespan was enough to reach the Xianzhou.
And that was enough. The rest wasn't for her to handle.
At least, that's how it played out in the script she saw.