"The Golden Hour was your handiwork."
Robin's words sounded like a question, yet her tone was unmistakably certain.
"That's right. Sparkle and I ended up fighting the moment we met, so I could only temporarily seal that place. Those lights are my compensation—giving everyone a little hope."
Sol admitted it openly and without hesitation.
"That's exactly it. The two of us fought until even our Paths were worn away."
Sparkle nodded, saying so with pride.
"You two are truly powerful."
Robin gave Sparkle an awkward yet still polite smile.
Still, she quietly committed this arrangement to memory.
Since it was Sol's gift, it surely wasn't ordinary stellar light—perhaps it carried some special effect.
The Light of Hope had to be used where it was needed most.
She looked at Sol and said firmly, "Mr. Mercer, thank you very much for clearing up my doubts, and thank you as well for stepping in to help. I must take my leave now to complete my mission. I'm sorry that I can't offer you a song as thanks."
"I came here under Mr. Gallagher's guidance. Now that I have my answer, it's time for me to return."
Her arrival at Dreamflux Reef had indeed been the result of Gallagher misleading her into seeking answers.
Though she didn't know exactly what Gallagher had meant, it certainly wasn't the two people she met here.
Now that she had received guidance from Sol, she needed to get back to work. The rebirth of Order involved the entire Charmony Festival, and for her brother—the one in power over Penacony—to know nothing at all would be far too suspicious.
She had to return and ask him directly, to win him over and deal together with the one behind the scenes.
"There's no need to rush so much." Sol stroked his chin and said, "Gallagher pulled you in because he'd also realized something was wrong with the dreamscape. He's looking for allies, and you're just one of them."
"As the Watchmaker's successor, he noticed the problem far earlier than you did. Why not wait here, in this quiet place, until he brings the others over?"
"Of course, if you want to try on your own first, you can leave now—just remember to come back and take another look."
Letting Robin know this much in advance meant that, aside from Sunday becoming the godlike Lord Sunday, she already knew almost everything.
Perhaps this clever girl had already guessed that Sunday was also part of Order—she just didn't know his exact role yet.
Letting her go might disrupt the course of events a little. But that was fine. It might even make things more interesting.
"I still want to try on my own. As a member of the Family, entrusting Penacony's safety to others would be a dereliction of responsibility."
Robin bowed to Sol and said with a smile, "And thank you for the reminder. I'll remember to come back and take a look."
"Then farewell. I look forward to your performance." Sol wasn't surprised, and reminded her, "Just remember—no matter when, always keep hope in your heart, no matter how bad things get."
"Mm, I will."
Robin inclined her body slightly, then slowly vanished from Dreamflux Reef.
"Ah, your bird is gone!"
Sparkle looked at the empty air and laughed mischievously.
"Though it sounds a bit villainous to say it like this, she's already mine."
Sol stood with his hands behind his back and said confidently.
The seed for the story of "Sol Otto" had already been planted.
But he would succeed—and the real Otto's coffin lid had long since been nailed shut.
"If I meant another bird?"
Sparkle's crimson eyes brimmed with delight.
"You can try and see whether it's here."
Sol didn't blush in the slightest.
"I mean Black Swan. Don't let your thoughts run wild."
Sparkle said seriously.
"So, do I. You can try and see whether she's here."
Sol said with a smiling squint.
"I'm here."
Black Swan stepped out from the Memoria, standing beside Sol. "Thank you for your generosity, for letting me glimpse the preview of such a grand drama."
As expected, following Sol was the right choice—such explosive news to hear.
Like a movie trailer: it didn't diminish the brilliance of the main feature, only whetted one's appetite.
"Mm-hmm, Black Swan is here too."
Sol patted Sparkle on the shoulder.
"Heh." Sparkle looked at Sol and sighed. "We really are on the same wavelength! If I hadn't known I never met you in a tavern, I'd have thought you were one of us."
He always picked up on her words, and even stirred up a sibling conflict—just as wicked as she was.
"Isn't that so?" Sol thought of himself as a decent troublemaker. It was just a pity that Aha had arrived a step too late instead of Nous.
He looked at Black Swan and said seriously, "Miss Black Swan, remember—some things aren't meant to be watched casually."
Normally it didn't matter if she followed along; it was just like having an extra Woz who didn't celebrate.
But having an outsider around during intimate moments would be truly uncomfortable.
"It seems our relationship still isn't close enough."
Black Swan extended her hand toward Sol and said with a smile, "Why not… become friends with me as well?"
This person carried far too many secrets, drawing her in.
She was eager to peel them back layer by layer and record their shining brilliance.
"That's not out of the question."
Sol took the hand veiled in light purple gauze with his right hand, while his left hand held Sparkle's.
Tsk, an unexpected gain.
A black bird was not inferior to a white one in the slightest.
"Then let's go. Before Lord Sunday makes his appearance, there's still a sufficiently grand prelude to sow hope."
The group vanished from Dreamflux Reef as well, returning to the first layer of the dream.
Whether Aventurine's efforts went smoothly or not remained to be seen; the marks of Nihility ought to be mended by hope.
If it didn't go smoothly, so be it.
He had already drawn the attention of certain people—the former head of the Oak Family, the mastermind behind the inheritance of Order's spirit.
That level of weight alone was enough to serve as nourishment for hope's growth.
...
And at the same time.
Aventurine was wandering the streets of Penacony, handing out gemstones to anyone he met.
Very quickly, he emptied his wallet of all its intact gems.
Such a self-destructive spectacle naturally caught the attention of Sunday's informants.
He merely let out a scoffing laugh, then turned his attention to another matter.
He had just received word that his younger sister had been killed by a monster in the dream. And now, she was back. With no time to rejoice over her return from death, he was about to face her righteous interrogation.
A corporate executive who had lost his power was no longer worth his extra attention.
At this moment, Aventurine lifted his now-empty wallet, fragments clattering inside.
The true Aventurine Stone had finally returned to his hands.
Next, it was time for his performance.
===BREAK===
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