A surge of blurred memories was instantly pulled up from the depths of his mind—was this already the thirtieth? Fortieth? Or some uncountable number of Sabzeruz Festivals?
Paimon patted her head, barely recalling attempts like "helping the flower carriage troupe break out of Sumeru City", "causing a ruckus in the Akademiya to search for a way to break the cycle", and… the little girl who always followed everyone around—Nahida—was actually the Dendro Archon!
She stared pitifully at the innocent-looking Nahida, almost blurting out the truth: "You—"
Nahida shook her head.
"Uh… uh… I meant to say, Sumeru people shouldn't be able to dream, right?" Paimon forcefully changed the topic and shifted her gaze to Nilou. "So how did Nilou immediately realize this place was a dream?"
"How should I put it… Have you heard the story of Sumeru's 'first sage'? The tale of how he set out to seek the Dendro Archon to escape calamity."
"Mm-hm! Dunyarzad told us."
"Then I won't start from the beginning." Nilou explained the ending of that tale: "Actually, when that first sage gained wisdom, resolved the calamity, and prepared to return home, he discovered he was lying in bed, waking from a dream. It turned out he had not embarked on the journey at all. His devotion and determination had reached the Dendro Archon, so the Archon bestowed her blessing in the form of a dream."
"This sounds like…?"
"Paimon noticed it too, right? This story completely contradicts what the Akademiya always preaches: 'Dreams are ignorant delusions; not dreaming is a blessing from the Archon.' I've always doubted that. I couldn't explain why Sumeru people can't dream, but thinking about it… we must have been able to dream once."
Nilou sighed, and Dunyarzad's expression dimmed as well—they had never experienced what it felt like to dream.
Watching from the side, Nahida blinked, a faint thread of guilt flickering in her heart.
Carrying the Gnosis, she was both the Dendro Archon and the original terminal of the Akasha. Her consciousness was constantly linked to the Akasha, allowing her—despite being imprisoned physically—to view the outside world through others' minds using the Akasha as a medium.
And from what she understood, it was the Akasha that had taken dreams away from the people of Sumeru.
Yet she could not deny the Akasha's existence for that reason alone. The Akasha was the legacy of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and it had undeniably brought endless convenience to Sumeru. The Akademiya even relied on it to govern Sumeru in an orderly manner for centuries after sealing their own god. Even though the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had passed away hundreds of years ago, the Akasha still empowered the nation.
This made her feel unworthy of bearing the title God of Wisdom, and doubtful of her own worth to Sumeru.
If her consciousness remained linked to the Akasha, then she had no need for physical freedom. So, she continued maintaining the status quo—searching for a way to save Irminsul while working hard to grow into a more suitable god… the only ones hurt in the process were herself, those who believed in her, and the dreams the people had lost.
Despite her guilt, she always chose to endure.
But this time, the Akademiya had used the Akasha to create a looping dreamscape, forcibly harvesting dreams without regard for people's safety. This was undoubtedly a deviation from the rightful path. She could no longer stand by and do nothing, and finally conceived the thought of shutting down the Akasha.
Unaware of all this, Nilou stretched her body, circling the stage: "Now that I know I'm dreaming, this dream will probably end soon. Dreaming… is really rare. But since this is a dream, I can make the final Dance of the Sabzeruz Festival a little more dazzling."
"Yeah, we've been waiting a long time!"
"A really, really, really long time… We never get to see it. After all, once we see it, the dream ends."
"Go for it, Nilou!"
"Dance to your heart's content."
Everyone cleared the stage for Nilou. At first, she called for the Zubayr Theater members to play music, but then remembered that in a dream, whatever she wished for would appear—and melodious notes resonated from all directions.
Before Nilou began dancing, Lumine asked Nahida, "You really won't tell Dunyarzad your identity?"
"?"
Dunyarzad blinked at Lumine in confusion, while Paimon imitated Nahida's earlier expression—shaking her head blankly, signaling Lumine not to speak.
But Nahida openly confessed: "Actually, I am the Lesser Lord Kusanali. It's not something that must be hidden."
"?"
Dunyarzad covered her opened mouth with her hands, though the shock in her widened eyes could not be concealed.
Paimon muttered resentfully, "Nahida! You didn't let me say it earlier!"
"Because I had my reasons. Whether it's the flower carriage parade or the Dance of Sabzeruz, only if I attend personally is it the greatest respect to everyone's efforts. But I once asked Nilou—using another identity—'Would you like the Lesser Lord Kusanali to watch your dance?' Even though I've secretly watched many times… she tactfully declined. So, it's better not to let Nilou know who I am."
"So… Nahida… you really are the Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
"That's right."
Dunyarzad felt like she was dreaming—completely unbelievable. She had even pinched Nahida's cheeks before… that soft little face, pinched many times, praising her cuteness each time… now she didn't know where to put her hands.
"Huh? I actually… spent an afternoon playing with the Lesser Lord Kusanali at the Sabzeruz Festival? Why aren't you all surprised? Don't tell me you already knew? Victor—why aren't you surprised?"
"Huh?"
Victor Wang was worrying about how many loops had passed and whether he had said anything in front of Lumine and Nahida. Keeping calm was always the safest option—silence was the best defense—yet Dunyarzad easily broke through it.
"Ahem, I—I am a little shocked by this truth."
Then he saw Lumine and Nahida shake their heads in unison.
What kind of reaction was that?
Had he really, in some loop, been pressured into saying something he shouldn't have?
No—he had to trust himself. As long as he was still himself, no matter how many loops there were, he would surely take the same countermeasures…
But… what if something truly unexpected happened?
"Ahem… ahem, ahem, could it be that earlier I—"
"No."
Lumine cut Victor Wang off.
"No?"
"It's because you never said anything. It's the same every time. You practically write 'I have a secret' across your face. And every time, you overthink everything, then cough twice and ask: 'Did I say something before?'"
"..."
"And this silence—every time you learn the truth, it always happens."
Lumine delivered another blow.
"Ah! Nilou's Dance of Sabzeruz is starting! Look, look!"
Everyone burst into laughter at Victor Wang's reaction—but the dance had indeed begun.
Nilou beckoned, summoning ethereal crystalflies. The crystalflies gathered at her fingertips and transformed into budding flowers. In an instant, the flowers bloomed, releasing streams of shimmering light that drifted toward the audience.
Melodic and graceful rhythms flowed around her, accentuating the elegance of her movements. Even though Victor Wang had watched several rehearsals, his heart still fluttered.
"Ah… so beautiful!" Paimon struggled for words in awe before finally managing, "She really looks like a spinning flower…"
As her voice faded, the entire world dissolved into light.
===BREAK===
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