Xing stood in the Black Tower’s office, somewhat at a loss.
“Didn’t you just go in not long ago? Why are you out already?” Black Tower looked at the suddenly awakened Xing, her eyes filled with confusion and impatience.
“I haven’t even had a chance to check the test data for the Simulated Universe!”
“I…” Xing opened her mouth, unsure how to explain.
She couldn’t very well say, “I encountered Selene’s back door, she paid me hush money not to tell you, and then I just passed through and came out,” could she?
“Perhaps… there’s a bug in the Simulated Universe.”
Under the suffocating silence and Black Tower’s increasingly suspicious gaze, Xing, in a moment of desperation—or rather, with her brain under immense pressure—unleashed a spark of extraordinary wisdom.
“Huh?!” Black Tower’s voice instantly rose.
Crossing her arms, her tone was filled with disbelief and offended displeasure.
“A bug appeared right after we started testing?! Where does this leave Black Tower’s reputation?!”
She immediately turned and lunged at the control panel, her hands moving in blurs.
Her expression shifted from anger to focus, then from focus to even deeper confusion.
“What’s going on?” she muttered to herself, her fingers tracing rapid lines in the air.
“The underlying logs are normal, the operational trajectory shows an abnormal interruption, but there are no signs of external intrusion or data tampering… Can a bug be hidden this deep?”
“Um…” Xing suddenly spoke up.
“Huh? You’re still here?” Black Tower seemed to notice only then that Xing hadn’t left.
Waving her hand impatiently, as if shooing away a small animal that had disturbed her thoughts, she said, “Alright, alright, that’s enough for today. I’ll thoroughly check the Simulated Universe. Go wherever you want, just don’t get in the way.”
With that, Xing was “invited” out of the office, the door closing abruptly behind her.
Standing outside the office, Xing suddenly felt an emptiness in her heart.
The future…
what should she do?
She was an amnesiac, an “anomaly” with a Stellaron inside her, an existence utterly ignorant of everything.
Black Tower seemed to have temporarily lost interest in her.
So, where should she go?
What could she do?
Just as she felt lost, a pair of steady, elegant footsteps approached.
It was Himeko.
Without rushing to speak, she simply looked at her gently, as if she could see through the confusion in her eyes.
“Feeling… a little lost, aren’t you?” Himeko’s voice carried a calming power.
Xing nodded without hiding anything.
Himeko didn’t give an immediate answer.
Instead, like a patient guide, she began talking with Xing, trying to understand her feelings and confusion.
Finally, she offered two clear choices:
“Either board the Astral Express and join us on an unknown, adventurous, and potentially groundbreaking journey.”
“Or stay at the space station for now and become Black Tower’s research subject. A friendly reminder: based on what I know of Black Tower, once her interest wanes—or she encounters a more interesting topic—she might simply abandon you and ignore you completely.”
She didn’t rush her but calmly stated the facts and possibilities.
“The Express will remain docked at the space station for the next few days, so there’s no need to rush your decision. You have plenty of time to think it over.”
…
The next day, Xing wandered alone near the platform.
The confusion from the previous day hadn’t completely dissipated.
Instead, the need to make a choice had only made it clearer and heavier.
Just then, she saw that familiar figure.
Selene sat in her wheelchair not far away, quietly gazing at the boundless starry sky beyond the platform.
March 7th wasn’t by her side; she seemed to have been sent to run an errand.
Her long hair shimmered softly under the space station’s artificial lights, her silhouette serene and graceful.
Xing hesitated for a moment before walking over.
“It’s you, Xing.” Selene seemed to have eyes in the back of her head.
She gently turned her wheelchair toward Xing as she approached, her voice as gentle as ever.
“Himeko told me. So… have you made your decision?”
“I don’t know.” Xing shook her head honestly.
Facing this gentle older sister who had healed her and given her gifts, she didn’t want to hide her hesitation.
“Selene, what do you think… I should choose?”
“I recommend that you board the Express.” Selene answered almost without hesitation, her voice soft yet firm.
“Why?”
“Because,” she continued, “I don’t think you should be confined to a small space station. Whether it’s the Stellaron within you or you yourself… you belong to this vast, boundless sea of stars. There are more possibilities out there, and more stories waiting to be discovered.”
Leaning forward slightly, she lowered her voice.
“And, most importantly…”
“Is…?” Xing, drawn in by her mysterious tone, unconsciously moved closer.
“After boarding the Express, you’ll gain a kind older sister~” Selene winked playfully with her left eye, a childlike slyness in her smile.
“Huh?” Xing froze for a moment before her cheeks flushed slightly.
“Aha, I was just teasing you~” Selene chuckled softly, her laughter as clear as a wind chime, dispelling the previously heavy atmosphere.
But she quickly composed herself, her expression softening as she became serious again.
“However, the final choice is still yours. After all, I was only offering a suggestion and sharing my perspective.”
Her gaze remained calmly fixed on Xing.
“Remember, Xing.”
“When you have the opportunity to make a choice, don’t let yourself regret it.”
With that, Selene smiled gently at her and slowly turned her wheelchair around.
Just then, March 7th came skipping back, carrying a dreamy-colored milk tea with two straws.
“Sister Selene! The milk tea’s here! A super-sized one! Let’s drink it together! Come on, come on! The lighting here is perfect for photos!”
“Okay, I’m coming,” Selene replied, giving Xing one final nod before letting March 7th push her wheelchair toward the “photo spot” she had picked.
Their laughter gradually faded into the distance.
Xing stood there, watching their figures disappear around the corner of the skybridge.
“Don’t let yourself regret it…”
Kafka’s words echoed once more through someone else’s lips.
Now, using those same words, Selene had once again offered her guidance as Xing faced one of the most important decisions of her life.
Xing lowered her head.
She seemed…
to have found her answer.
…
Selene is flirting with me.
She’s definitely flirting with me!
She winked at me!
At this point in the story, the black cat, after witnessing Selene’s actions and hearing her words, completely lost its mind and began screaming wildly.