Story Reader / Main Story / 33 Wither to Shine / Story
Thump—
The dull beating of a heart echoes in the dark abyss, profound and lingering.
Thump—
The lone lost soul has found the way home.
Thump—
As if a drowning exile reaching air at last, the cold, sticky heaviness—reminiscent of a soaked cotton coat—is gently peeled away from consciousness by a soft breeze...
Your body seems to have endured tremendous suffering—a suffocating sensation rises from the nasal cavity, while a heart-wrenching, bone-piercing pain seeps through every joint—
Where... where are you...
The world spins wildly as excessively bright light stabs at your eyes.
[player name]...
[player name]?
A familiar voice, and familiar light—
[player name]... Are you alright? Feeling the effects of your injury?
Your consciousness feels like it's been salvaged from a cold, deep sea, carrying with it chilling tremors and biting sorrow.
What... what in the world... happened?
Hazy fragments rise and fall in your mind. It feels like countless painful experiences were endured, yet also as if they were merely an all-too-real nightmare.
As the ringing in your ears persists, black spots fade from retinas, revealing a concerned-looking Hassen before you.
Thank you for your hard work on the last mission.
You mentioned in your report that Lithos has some unique insights on the Red Tide?
Sorrow follows from the shadows. It feels... as if something has been forgotten...
Your body acts before your mind can catch up, ignoring the ongoing meeting. You push open the doors and sprint desperately toward the Gray Raven lounge.
It has to be now, it has to be at this exact time, you have to confirm it—
Contact Gray Raven...
Hassen's voice is left far behind.
Babylonia
9:00A.M.
Babylonia 9:00 A.M.
A summer breeze caresses your cheek, bringing with it a disorienting sense of unreality.
What exactly... have you forgotten? And what exactly are you trying to confirm?
In your mind, a persistent voice keeps urging—Gray Raven lounge, you must get to the Gray Raven lounge—
The despair from the nightmare still pursues you. If only, if only you can reach that place—
The door to the Gray Raven lounge remains closed, as always.
Your fingers quiver subtly, teeth chattering involuntarily, as if gripped by fear—fear of something irreparable—
BANG!
Before there's time to think further, your body already begins executing the urgent command—
Commandant!
Morning light flows through the room, boldly spilling into your field of vision.
What happened, Commandant?
A warm hand, faster than the pursuing nightmare, reaches your shoulder.
They say you were in the middle of giving a report when you suddenly fainted. As soon as you regained consciousness, you bolted out of the meeting room and ran straight to the lounge.
After receiving Hassen's message, Lee rushed back even though he was only halfway through his frame calibration...
Commandant, what happened?
Don't worry, we're all here...
The chill is brazenly washed away by the morning light, as sunshine strikes against darkness, mocking the abyss for its impotence.
By your ear, the crackling of a bonfire and sounds of crying gradually fade away, replaced by the anxious conversation of Gray Raven.
Commandant... Commandant! Vital signs appear normal. Liv, run a thorough examination!
No external injuries, confirm again—
I'll contact the Star of Life!
Your gaze loses focus, scattering amidst the warm light filling the room.
Now comes the eternal dawn.
We find rebirth in our breaking.
The heroes' feats lie buried beneath the first ray of dawn.
No one will remember the devastating price they have paid for this moment. No one will remember the pain and suffering they have endured for this "miracle".
But... dawn has broken, the light has come.
I shall traverse myriad sufferings and the darkest of nights, to meet with you—
At the break of dawn, upon the first ray of light.
The heroes' feats lie buried beneath the first ray of dawn.
No one will remember the devastating price they have paid for this moment. No one will remember the pain and suffering they have endured for this "miracle".
But... dawn has broken, the light has come.
I shall traverse myriad sufferings and the darkest of nights, to meet with you all—
At the break of dawn, upon the first ray of light.
Babylonia
12:00A.M.
Babylonia 12:00 A.M.
Something seems off with the Gray Raven Commandant...
Is it about the meeting this morning? I've heard about it too, but I'm not sure what exactly happened...
I heard it might be Mind Beacon disruption during the last mission?
But it was supposed to be just a routine mission...
Oh... Ishmael? Back from your mission?
The pink-haired woman halts in her tracks as her colleague catches a glimpse of her from the side and greets her with enthusiasm.
Ah... yes, I was on quite a long mission.
She speaks in a nonchalant tone.
But it's over now, and fortunately, the outcome was still what I had hoped for...
Well, all good if it went smoothly!
It's lunchtime now, want to join us?
Sure.
The pink-haired woman smiles in agreement with her colleague and walks slowly into the crowd.
<phonetic=Cradle>Agent Zero</phonetic>, killed by Chaos, has vanished into the crevices between past and future. All traces of Vonnegut's entry into this world have also been completely erased by Chaos.
Before this civilization reaches a sufficient level of advancement, the Hetero Tower will not descend in haste again.
Time and causality have been converged piece by piece, forging the final and only path to the "future" for this civilization.
...
Though she has paid a great price for it, she is willing to stand here and witness the "future" of this civilization.
Everything is now as you wished, Gray Raven.
So this time... what choice will humanity make?
