Story Reader / Main Story / 33 Wither to Shine / Story
The false daylight suddenly spins in view.
In a daze, everything within the mind flashes through, cycling endlessly.
Hey, hello there! Is this your first day at F.O.S.?
Hey... Hey!
Tsk... Wake up! Working so hard for the graduation mock exam, huh, Chief?
The distant, muffled school anthem echoes through the auditorium. Beside you, Vanessa, who hasn't changed into her school uniform yet, looks over impatiently.
This is? Don't tell me, Chief, that your precious little hippocampus finally gave out after you spent all night cramming for that pathetic graduation mock battle.
The white-haired girl frowns as she glances at her terminal.
You're about to be up for your grand graduation speech.
And now...
She arches her eyebrows disapprovingly.
You haven't even changed into your uniform.
In a foggy state, fragmented memories surface involuntarily, and words slip from your lips before you can even process them.
Hah—unlike you, I don't need to parade around on stage begging for attention, so nobody's going to care even if I don't wear the uniform.
Friendly reminder—you don't have much time left.
What nonsense are you talking about?
...Forget it, I'm not arguing with you. You're the one on a ticking clock, and I'm not the one who's going to die. Not like I have to go up on that stage and give a speech.
Your thoughts seem forced to reweave the correct "memories", while your consciousness remains hazy, failing to fully inhabit this shell of a body.
You have... 34 minutes and—
Before Vanessa finishes announcing the time, an instructor hurriedly approaches from the other side.
[player name]... Over here!
Teacher...? I'm your instructor!
The instructor pretends to be angry and strides over.
There's an issue with your records. You'll need to go sort it out yourself with the teacher at the archive management office.
Yeah, I noticed while going through the files that you forgot to fill in the code on one of your reports.
He gives you a look that clearly says, "Don't worry. I know your little secret, but I won't tell anyone."
...What's wrong with you today? You're acting like a voice recording program in a terminal.
I'll be borrowing your Chief for a moment, and I promise to return your Chief before the ceremony begins.
The instructor exchanges a quick greeting with Vanessa, then hurriedly leads you toward one side of the campus.
In the dimly lit room, only the archive management teacher waits there. The incandescent lights seem to be malfunctioning, flickering on and off, making it impossible to clearly see the teacher's face.
Hmm... yes, these are the ones.
The teacher selects several pages from various transcripts, registration forms, and reports, placing them in front of you before impatiently tapping the desk.
Originally, the code on these reports should all be machine-printed, but it seems several pages were missing from your records when you first enrolled.
When we tried to reprint them later, you were in simulation training and couldn't be contacted, so it was delayed. Now you need to fill in the code by yourself.
Despite your mind already being in disarray, a peculiar sense of wrongness still rises within you.
Even though you're the Chief, we can't make an exception and activate the printing machine just for you.
Handwritten code is perfectly valid. Just write what I say.
9... 3... 12...
Though these numbers couldn't be more familiar, for some reason, writing them down now feels incredibly difficult.
What are you... waiting for...?
The archive room becomes shrouded in a dense white fog, and the "teacher's" words filter through the vast mist like echoes from the depths of your memory.
Your fingers tremble slightly, as if some force is preventing you from writing any further—
Hurry up, the graduation ceremony... is about to begin...
Your fingertips sting slightly, and amid the vague urge, your pen suddenly tears through the paper—
931206.
The tail of the number 9 stretches long across the report code column, like a wound that can never heal, torn into the aged paper.
The lights in the old archive room flicker on and off. Does F.O.S. really have such a room? Were your records really missing pages before...?
Real and absurd memories intertwine in chaos, blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Here or elsewhere, moving forward or backward...
As the world violently spins around you, your consciousness experiences intense spasms, abruptly detaching from your body—
Once more, a shroud of complete darkness sweeps over you.
The river of stars spirals gently against the backdrop of darkness, as a massive starship carrying the solitary girl slowly advances deeper into the distant void.
The mechanoid girl in blue remains seated by the porthole, watching the annihilation and rebirth of galaxy clusters.
Ah... it's been a while. What a surprise to have you drop by.
It's been a while.
Rifts scattered across the stars silently open, and Ishmael emerges slowly from behind.
You should have received it by now.
That's quite clever... It's indeed impossible to find out.
Beside her hand, a Hetero-Core shard sits placed upon the table.
Having endured a long journey through time, it has grown somewhat dim, but this doesn't affect the function it was originally meant to bear.
What are you planning to do?
At this point in time...
Ishmael speaks enigmatically, hinting at her intended actions.
Could be easily caught. We cannot interfere too much with the final timeline.
Don't worry.
Nanami is the almighty Nanami, capable of handling any difficult task.
Gazing at the countless stars beyond the window, Nanami breaks into a joyful smile.
But I never thought... that we could actually make it.
Within this intricate plan spanning countless light-years, a single misstep could lead them into a labyrinth of deadly traps and dire situations at every twist and turn.
No one could have imagined they would struggle through to this day.
So... what's your plan to avoid... notice?
Ishmael deliberately omits the personal pronoun.
Just like what I've done before.
Established "history" never deviates from its course.
The girl flashes a crafty smile and lightly taps the Hetero-Core shard.
It's just that we need more...
A nimble beam of light pierces into the Hetero-Core shard.
...Redundant information?
Nobody's gonna be interested in useless navigation logs anyway.
...What a rustic approach.
She has envisioned all possible methods, but never expected Nanami would opt for the simplest one—
The simplest is actually the hardest to notice, don't you agree?
After a moment of thought, Nanami touches the Hetero-Core shard again.
Better add a password... what should I use? DeLorean... or maybe 737373?
Hmm, both of them feel too obvious...
After racking her brain for quite some time, the girl finally makes up her mind.
This is perfect! A secret that only Commandant knows—
The "information" materializes, and Nanami solemnly writes her predetermined password in the air.
q... q31206?
Looking at the string of numbers, Ishmael finds herself bewildered.
Shh...
The girl raises her hand to open a light screen. It displays a document tagged with "Copperfield Aquarium Campaign".
Regardless of what happened during that time, Chiko would inevitably replace Bianca and head to the sea after Bianca was injured.
The light spot runs along the information tree, finally stopping at the marked location.
Haicma, can you help me pack up File No. 2143 and make it ready for 4-dimensional communication? There's something I'd like to send to Earth.
But mankind didn't have the ability to receive 4-dimensional communications at that point of time. Besides...
This would affect the timeline. If "They" were to discover this...
I know.
That brief moment is our only chance.
...I get it now.
The information has been encapsulated. Time-space coordinates locked. It will be sent out during Delorean's wormhole warp.
This is my gift to everybody... the gift of the "future."
Ishmael stands quietly to the side, observing this play that has already been performed once before.
Phew... Nanami's journey might finally be reaching its end!
But will they really be able to discover this secret? I mean... that special password you set?
Of course! Nanami trusts Commandant more than anyone!
This is a little secret between Nanami and Commandant! Commandant will definitely get it!
Outside the porthole, a tranquil river of stars swirls around the starship.
The shooting star carrying the information will travel back in time, heading to its destination.
