Faking a smile is so hard.
But seeing the sparkling anticipation in Asta’s eyes, Columbina let that hint of a smile appear on her face.
As long as Asta was happy, as long as she could see her lively expression, this slightly clumsy cooperation of hers would have some meaning.
Columbina sighed softly.
It had been a while since she had taken a wish seriously.
Those fragmented prayers were like fireflies scattered in the universe.
Most were too weak and vanished in an instant.
She needed to find a wish clear enough, urgent enough, to properly fulfill.
“Host, if you’re looking for a wish, I suggest you set your course for Jarilo-VI or the Xianzhou Luofu.” “That way, you’ll have a high chance of running into the Astral Express.
Whether you’re just joining in on the excitement or trying to create more opportunities for contact, it’s better than drifting aimlessly here.” Columbina gazed at the churning Sea of Stars in the distance, her tone calm: “I know, but maybe next time.” Everything has its priorities.
She knew the Astral Express’s itinerary; it would definitely not arrive at the Luofu anytime soon.
There was no need to force this chance encounter.
She just stood still in the Sea of Stars, letting countless fragmented prayers flow past her ears.
Some travelers hoped for a safe arrival, others shed tears for lost loved ones, and some prayed for an end to the natural disaster.
These wishes might have been grand enough, but Columbina could feel that they were still not pure enough.
Until a voice, sharp and laced with a sob, broke through all the noise and pierced straight into her heart.
“This is it.” Columbina confirmed the coordinates of the voice.
A layer of soft Moonlight gently washed over her, as if wrapping her in a transparent silver veil.
She flew in that direction.
The moist wind, heavy with water vapor, rushed to meet her, and the desperate crying in her ears grew clearer.
Columbina heard the girl’s heart-wrenching cries, mixed with sobs and rain, so heart-breaking.
“Mom?
Dad?
Brother!
Sister!
Where are you all?
I give up!
I really give up!
Waaaaa—” She followed the voice and saw a small figure standing in the shallow water by the river, completely soaked.
Dark hair clung to her face, covering her eyes in wet strands, leaving only her constantly trembling shoulders visible.
Rainwater dripped from the hem of her clothes, forming a small puddle at her feet, a sight that tightened one’s heart.
After calling out for a long time without any response, the girl seemed to have exhausted her last ounce of strength.
But she suddenly raised her voice, screaming desperately at the sky, her voice filled with desperate pleas: “Lady Moon Goddess!
Can you hear me!
If you truly exist, if you can hear my words, please help me!
I beg you, whatever price I have to pay, I am willing!” Legends about her were passed down here.
Compared to the Aeons, who were aloof and never easily responded to prayers, the tangible way she fulfilled wishes made her a source of support for many.
Over time, some began to revere her as a true God, calling her Moon Goddess.
In truth, she knew her own speed of fulfilling wishes was not fast, sometimes even taking long detours and much effort to achieve.
It was just that, compared to the Aeons’ unreachability, she would truly appear before the supplicants and solve their problems in a real way.
This “sense of presence” was enough to let people place all their hope on her.
However, it seemed that all living beings, when driven to a dead end, would say they were willing to pay any price.
But Columbina had lived for so long, yet she had never truly let anyone pay for a wish.
Those prayers were already laced with pain, and she only wanted to soothe the wounds, not add new burdens.
“Poor child.” Columbina murmured softly, slowly stepping out from the moonlight to land before the girl.
The moonlight flowed around her body, dispersing the shadows around the girl, and even the wind in the rain seemed to have softened a little.
Hearing the voice, the girl suddenly raised her head.
The hair clinging to her face swayed, revealing a pair of swollen red eyes.
When she saw the moonlight surrounding her and that gentle, reassuring aura, a faint light suddenly sparked in the depths of her originally darkened eyes: “Lady Moon Goddess…
You are Lady Moon Goddess…
I can’t find my father and mother, or my older brother and sister, they…
they’ve all disappeared…” As she spoke, tears began to fall again.
Columbina walked to her side and reached out, her fingertips entwined with faint moonlight.
With just a gentle wave, the girl’s soaked clothes gradually became dry and crisp, and the hair clinging to her face slowly floated up, becoming fluffy and soft.
She slowly knelt down, trying to bring her line of sight level with the girl’s.
Then she stretched out her warm hand and gently patted the girl’s head, her tone exceptionally gentle, as if afraid of scaring her: “Don’t be afraid, Big Sister is here.
Tell Big Sister, what’s your name?” “Lady Moon Goddess, my name is Capefin.” The girl blinked her swollen red eyes, the sobs in her voice fading slightly.
Lady Moon Goddess’s hand was so warm, even gentler than her mother’s.
That feeling of being abandoned by the whole world, the anxiety, the terror, and the excitement of seeing hope…
In this moment, it all suddenly calmed down.
“Capefin,” Columbina repeated the name, a smile flickering in her eyes.
“What a lovely name.
Rest assured, Big Sister has heard your wish.” She stood up, then gently took Capefin’s small hand.
The warmth from her palm transferred through the skin, making the girl feel a little more at ease.
“Come with me, Big Sister will help you find them.” Capefin nodded vigorously, clutching Columbina’s hand tightly as she followed her forward, step by step.
The sandy soil beneath their feet was soft, and the small shrubs along the road swayed in the wind, making a gentle “shushing” sound.
Yet as they walked, apart from the sound of their own footsteps, the surroundings were unnervingly quiet.
Finally, Capefin couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.
She tilted her small head up and asked Columbina in a soft voice: “Lady Moon Goddess, why is there no one on the road?
There used to be so many uncles and aunts passing by here…” Columbina’s footsteps paused, her voice soft and carrying a hint of imperceptible heaviness: “Because they’ve all hidden away.” She simply patted Capefin’s hand gently, gesturing for her to keep walking forward.
The road ahead gradually opened up, and a vast expanse of sea appeared before their eyes, the white seawater churning with fine waves.
The distant horizon merged with the sea, stretching endlessly.
Columbina held Capefin’s hand, walking slowly along the seaside.
Occasionally, a few figures would pass by them.
But no one noticed them the entire time, as if they were two transparent shadows.
After walking for about an hour, Capefin’s steps slowed down, and her gaze gradually grew a bit lost.
Columbina saw this and suddenly spoke, her tone as relaxed as possible: “Capefin, Big Sister has been walking for so long and is a little bored.
Can you tell Big Sister a story?” “Yes, yes!” Hearing that she was to tell a story, Capefin instantly perked up, shaking Columbina’s hand, her eyes shining brightly.
“What kind of story does Lady Moon Goddess want to hear?
A story about the stars, or a story about a little rabbit?” Columbina looked down at her, her fingertips tightening slightly, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, a fleeting trace of pain crossing her expression.
She softened her tone and asked gently, “I don’t want to hear those.
Big Sister wants to hear why you are here all alone.” Capefin skipped cheerfully, a smile blossoming on her face: “I have a very happy family, and I’m the youngest one in the house.
Papa, Mama, and my big brother and sister all dote on me.
Everyone in our family loves to play hide-and-seek, and I’m always the one who gets to be the seeker.
Sometimes they would hide me in a box on the street, sometimes in an abandoned car, and once, they even put me in a trash can.
I thought it was so much fun.
They would run, and I would be responsible for finding them.
Every single time, I won.
No matter how well they hid, no matter how hard they tried to conceal themselves, I always found them in the end.” At this point, Capefin’s voice suddenly stopped, as if something was stuck in her throat, and her eyes gradually dimmed.
After a long while, she finally spoke again, her voice as light as a breeze, yet carrying a heartbreaking sense of grievance: “The last time, they hid me in a big black bag, tied it tight with a knot, and threw the bag into the river.
I heard Big Brother say that this way I wouldn’t be able to catch up to them, and they could run even farther…” She sniffled, tears starting to well in her eyes again, but she forced them back: “I was so scared in the bag, feeling around everywhere, until I finally found a small hole.
I clawed at it desperately, tearing the hole wider, then crawled out of the bag and swam to the shore.
But…
but this time they really succeeded.
I searched for a long, long time, but I still couldn’t find them…”