Story Reader / Main Story / 30 Stars Ensnared / Story
Tap—tap—
As Luna emerges from the tower, even the gentle sunlight blinds her. She squints and sees a blurry figure.
You stand in silence. Just as Luna opens her mouth to speak, you raise a hand to silence her and tap your earpiece.
[player name], how's it going on your end? Has the agent emerged yet?
We've detected signal disturbances outside. All readings are showing extreme fluctuations.
Have you decided on our contingency plan?
...
Luna chuckles softly. The words linger on her lips for a moment before she swallows them back, choosing a different response.
I agree.
The tension eases. You remove the earpiece and turn it off.
I've only stabilized the core. The damage caused by Selene and Agent Zero is permanent—the Clean Zone can't be fully restored.
Luna falls silent, deep in thought. Then, she looks up with a serious expression.
There's one more thing... I'm unsure about Agent Zero's status.
I'm merely returning the favor.
A knowing smile crosses Luna's face as she remembers something, gesturing at the earpiece.
This cooperation has been productive. Your Clean Zone is secure, and I've achieved my goals.
Though our positions differ, we'll inevitably face shared challenges.
Consider today a precedent for future cooperation. When our interests align, you may still call on my assistance.
But...
Luna pauses, her tone hardening.
I, and the Ascendants under my command, trust only [player name].
What's wrong? Surprised by my attitude?
It's just an extra precaution—one you may or may not need. If something happens to you, there's no guarantee Babylonia won't change its stance on Ascendants.
I'm simply looking out for myself. Don't read too much into it.
But what?
Perhaps I should rephrase. Our cooperation was unpleasant, and two died.
The Gray Raven Commandant and Ascendant Roland.
As the words fade, your eyes lock. After a long moment, you both look away, trying to hide the faint smiles playing on your lips.
We both got what we wanted, and besides... you know I don't care about such things.
Luna's face remains impassive, but the single wing at her back twitches slightly.
When we meet again, don't fall behind.
Splash—
Luna's words are carried away by a sudden, violent wind.
The world comes back into focus, but she's vanished.
Several Days Later, Clean Zone
The readings are stable, and external indicators are normal. I can now confirm that the Punishing concentration in the Clean Zone has stopped increasing and remains within a safe range. The Ascendant wasn't lying.
What happens next isn't my concern. Calming the public and rebuilding the Clean Zone is someone else's job. Contact me only if you need technical assistance.
It's difficult to describe Gestalt's situation in such vague, subjective terms as "good" or "bad." If you'd like, I have a newly finished written report, about 100MB in size. Should I transfer it to you now?
I thought you'd at least take it, then ask questions... Well, whatever.
You could say that. The Ascendant's entry into the Inver-Hetero Tower has made many people nervous.
Some projects are in the pipeline, others are being revived, but all of them demand my immediate attention.
While I usually find their ideas and goals completely worthless... they did raise a valid point this time.
We need a frame that can freely access the Inver-Hetero Tower, like... Lucia.
Exactly because I know... Forget it.
Asimov sighs heavily in the video feed, an unusual display of emotion.
Let's leave it at that for now. I'll be in touch.
Asimov's image fades from the screen, but his words echo in the air.
Gazing up at the towering structure in the distance, you pull a chip from your pocket. If any place holds answers about the Inver-Hetero Tower, it must be here.
You slip the chip into the terminal. A wave of dizziness washes over you as your vision is once again engulfed by a torrent of data.
What's today's date?
A familiar voice rings out, different from their first encounter—less emotional, more distant.
This is what's left of that "invitation." After the offer from "Dominik" was rejected, the phantom in the data space vanished completely.
All that's left is a standard Q&A protocol and a hidden black box of information at the system's very end.
Status of the Hetero Tower?
While no answer is strictly necessary to proceed, these parameter-like questions naturally lead one to follow their logical sequence.
Status of contamination memetics?
Status of Babylonia?
...
As the questions conclude, a new interface appears on the screen.
Please enter preset password.
Incorrect password
The interface resets. The cold input field stands like an impenetrable fortress, guarding secrets and truths in an abyss tantalizingly close yet out of reach.
If the "relevant parties" want to leave a mark on this era, you'd be their top pick.
What are you planning?
Keep an eye on it. The clues are closer than you think.
Having learned about Vonnegut's statement, Asimov secretly recruited several cryptography experts, compartmentalizing the information sources before having them analyze the potential objects and data separately.
From forum accounts and terminal passwords to student IDs and file information... password experts have explored countless possibilities, but every guess has been a dead end.
As you sift through various possibilities, you finally settle on a sequence of numbers you know intimately.
Incorrect password
The error message is unsurprising. These numbers were your personal secret—how could they possibly relate to Dominik? Even if they were discovered in the file, they'd never be the password here.
Your vision returns to normal as you close the chip program.
You return to the terminal to package and back up the Clean Zone's statistical data for the next department, when an unexpected message pops up.
Multiple password verification attempts and changes have been detected on your account in a short period. Due to potential security breach, please reset your password.
You watch the password experts begin another round. To assist them, you have to reset all your passwords after sharing them—standard security protocol.
To meet password requirements, your new password must include at least three of the following: uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
As you mutter to myself, your fingers hover over the keyboard, a strange thought forming in your mind.
If Vonnegut's hint is genuine, and it really does have something to do with you...
A sudden, overwhelming impulse compels you to reinsert the chip, bypassing the initial prompts.
Password correct. Access granted.
As this different response echoes, a blinding light fills your vision.
Meanwhile...
Luna walks down a dark, dilapidated road toward her empty childhood home.
Dawn is approaching...
Luna gazes at the dusty floor and closes her eyes.
That day, beyond the Gate of the Inver-Hetero Tower, she stepped into an ethereal tunnel bathed in starlight.
In Selene's plan, Luna was to be her "key"—a means to fully return to the past.
But now, with Luna emerging victorious, no such key will ever appear.
Having inherited everything from Selene, Luna now understands the true meaning of entering the tunnel.
Unlike humans with their unique frames, she lacks the ability to send messages to her past self.
Yet she steps forward, compelled by feelings she cannot ignore.
Is this an attempt to alter her tragic past?
No...
During her extensive exploration, Luna had already witnessed the consequences of reckless time manipulation through countless simulations shown by Selene.
Even if she hadn't given up their winter supplies, Luna and her sister would still have been attacked that winter.
Besides, had she not become a Construct in Lucia's place, she would have remained a burden to her sister, destined to perish in the depths of winter as snow fell endlessly.
Even if she were to venture deeper into the tunnel, back to the days shortly after the Punishing outbreak to save her family... they still wouldn't qualify for the Great Evacuation. Nothing would truly change.
No matter how many failed futures Selene showed her, or how she urged Luna to change the past, she had but one goal—to drive Luna into despair through futile attempts.
And then, to make her walk that hate-filled path once more.
2161/1/5
Dim moonlight blankets the deserted streets.
She returns to the same place as the present, her body stripped bare, arriving on the sixteenth day after the Punishing outbreak.
This brief journey isn't to change the past, but to see someone she hasn't seen in a very long time.
Many townspeople have already fled, having heard news from afar.
Others remain behind closed doors, gripped by fear.
All the better—only the moonlight witnesses her arrival.
Gazing out the pitch-black window, Luna's expression shifts between joy and sorrow.
It's late, and her mother is at home. By the time the consequences of her unauthorized intrusion catch up with her, she may not even have a chance to see her mother—only to gaze at her from afar, separated by an insurmountable distance.
Even a glimpse from afar would be enough—a small comfort she allows herself. She longs to see that figure who, after such a long separation, has begun to fade from her memory.
Suddenly, a light softly illuminates the house, and Luna glimpses a silhouette rising to the window.
Soon after, the hallway light flickers on, and Luna watches the figure pause in front of what was once her room.
The figure raises a hand, lowers it, and then repeats this several times before finally resting it gently on the door.
...
She takes a deep, involuntary breath. Emotions aren't data—they have no off switch, no way to be blocked out.
Time to go.
Luna tells herself. But as she rises to leave, the phone booth shudders, and the receiver clatters to the floor.
Beep—Beep—Beep—
Each soft tone seems both a plea and a question—
A hand reaches out to lift the receiver, but hesitates. Luna finally steps into the phone booth and, after a moment's hesitation, dials a number that should go unanswered.
Hello? Who's speaking?
...
Hello?
Hello.
Luna forces the word out awkwardly, like a child learning to speak. The other end of the line falls silent.
As jumbled thoughts swirl in her mind, Luna moves to hang up, but a voice from the other end stops her.
May I ask who this is...
Luna slowly brings the microphone to her ear.
I...
I... am Luna's... friend.
Luna? Oh, she's asleep. Would you like me to wake her? Or is there something else I can help you with?
The voice on the other end sounds weary, but more than that, concerned.
With all the chaos outside, and communications being down for days, I didn't know the lines were working again until your call. Are you and your family safe?
They... They're doing well now. I'm... okay too.
Through the phone booth's glass, she watches the distant figure standing vigil in the night, waiting for her daughter.
It's late... are you still up?
Yes, Lucia and her dad haven't come back from their walk yet, so I'm waiting for them. What about you? Why are you still awake?
Don't wait any longer. Run away now. This place will fall too.
She desperately wants to warn her, but knowing the danger of altering the past, she can only remain silent.
My family hasn't come back either, so I'm waiting for them... Can you keep me company for a while, Ma'am?
The figure inside the cottage rises and moves to the window.
Of course. You remind me so much of Luna—she does the same thing, always asking me to talk to her when she can't sleep.
Yeah, she does...
Once the conversation starts, it flows naturally. The two talk across a vast distance, their tone shifting from awkward to comfortable.
She carefully avoids mentioning her identity, the passage of time, or anything too personal, keeping the conversation light. Until... her voice starts to weaken.
This is the price of not having the "key."
What's wrong, dear?
It's nothing, I'm just... getting tired.
Then you should get some rest. Sticking to a regular sleep schedule will help you feel less tired.
Um...
What's wrong?
Are the snow orchids still blooming at home?
The snow orchids... oh, I completely forgot to bring the pots inside. With everything that's been happening lately, it's been a real mess.
Hmm...
Her voice trails off as her vision blurs.
Then... good night.
Goodnight, get some rest.
The gentle voice on the other end of the line fades away as Luna closes her eyes.
Everything around her dissolves into darkness.
Luna.
Luna blinks, emerging from her hazy memories. Alpha is standing beside her. Dawn has already broken.
Are you okay?
...
She doesn't answer, but steps closer.
Are the events behind that gate still unclear to you?
It's always been fuzzy, like a dream, or like a vision read from the Punishing Virus.
But I'm certain it happened.
Following the girl's gaze, Alpha spots a snow orchid seedling swaying amidst the ruins.
A snow orchid...
We searched everywhere, only to find it here at home.
Indeed.
That's why I've been thinking...
There must be places the Punishing hasn't touched, variables the Ascension-Network's calculations haven't considered.
The mirror may reflect a vast starry sky, but it is still bound by the frame.
I won't let you leave, nor allow the Ascension-Network's calculations to become reality.
We'll surely find something we can still change.
