Sunset Falls, Stars Fill the Sky

The scenery of ARC City wasn't always so gentle. As the Honkai kept occurring, the city gradually began to collapse. After the great Honkai disaster, ordinary people, in order to survive, had almost all gathered in the big cities, and the city suburbs were gradually shrinking, until they were devoured by the Honkai bit by bit.

Sitting alone on the edge of a high-rise rooftop, Kiana watched the distant sunset slowly descend, and smoke rose from the areas that had been destroyed by Honkai beasts. The cold wind, carrying the faint sound of crying from the distance, brushed past Kiana's hair before dissipating into nothingness.

The remaining rays of sunlight that fell upon her didn't bring warmth. Instead, a powerful sense of loneliness enveloped her.

The broken star-shaped hair clip was held in her hand. The bloodstains that had previously stained it had been wiped clean, but were now coated in crimson from the sunset.

"You've been staring at it for half an hour now. If it really bothers you that much, then just go find him," Fu Hua's voice sounded by her ear. This wasn't the first time Kiana had spaced out. Ever since that battle, Fu Hua had clearly felt that another crack had appeared in her heart.

This situation was very dangerous. Because Sirin's consciousness was still constantly eroding her, once she managed to break open that crack and occupy Kiana's body again, it would be a disaster for the entire ARC City.

"…" Kiana didn't speak, but a deep weariness was hidden in her eyes.

Looking up at the distant sunset, a red sun was being devoured by the pitch-black horizon. Before long, the entire world would fall into darkness.

"Was my choice at that time correct?" Confusion and hesitation intertwined in her heart. She had asked herself this question countless times, but she could never find an answer.

Fu Hua fell into a brief silence. She couldn't answer Kiana's question.

Although Kiana had never said it, ever since discovering that the little girl had gone missing, she had been tormented by self-blame and regret.

"Kiana, the little girl's disappearance wasn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself for it…"

In the end, she could only offer such a pale consolation.

Right and wrong were never the answer, just differences in choices that resulted in different outcomes.

Griseo's disappearance was essentially unrelated to Kiana. She was just passing by. She wasn't the mastermind who caused everything, nor did her mistakes change the result. In fact, when she had wanted to help, it was Fu Hua who had advised her to prioritize the big picture.

But whenever she remembered the scene of that night, a cool evening breeze blowing through the grassland, the squeaking swing swaying under the starry sky, Griseo painting a cloudless starry sky, and she and that boy sharing their pasts.

And, that beauty had disappeared because of her careless choice. The intense pain filled her heart.

If she hadn't prioritized her identity at the time, and had gone to help her find a safe place first, before investigating the bloody smell, would the outcome be completely different?

Griseo's whereabouts were still unknown, and her fate was uncertain. Kiana was not only afraid that she had failed to save Griseo because of her own fault, but also afraid that she would no longer have the courage to face that person again.

She was afraid that the future would be like that broken star, and that she could never return.

"I'm sorry, Kiana. If I hadn't persuaded you to leave it be…" In her mind, Fu Hua was still talking to her, but at this point, she couldn't hear it anymore.

Whether it was Fu Hua's past as Otto's secret spy on Kiana, or her wrong choices in the Griseo incident, it had ultimately left a deep rift between them.

After she had indulged Otto in carrying out the Herrscher of the Void experiment, destroying everything for her, and plunging the world into a great Honkai disaster, all her words had long since become pale and powerless. And after she had escaped, when she needed help the most, she was nowhere to be seen.

If she hadn't met Ren, who was also struggling in the mire of despair, and borrowed courage from him, she probably wouldn't have been able to hold on, and would have become a complete vessel for the Herrscher of the Void.

Now, she was alone again, but the road still had to be walked. Whether it was for Teacher Himeko, or for Ren, or for the missing Griseo, she couldn't stop here.

In the distance, strong Honkai energy fluctuations erupted again. Since some time ago, Honkai outbreaks in the city had become more and more frequent.

Forcing herself to stand up from the rooftop, Kiana looked at the distant horizon. At this time, the sun had completely set, and the afterglow dyed the sky crimson, like the sky was ignited by flames.

Her heart was confused, and her body was in pain. But she had many things she wanted to say, many things she wanted to do, and she hadn't seen the people she wanted to see yet, so she couldn't fall here.

There were still many people waiting for her help. She couldn't make another wrong choice.

"Kiana, your body has already been severely eroded. You can't use Honkai energy anymore. Once you lose control, that would be a true disaster for the city." Seeing that Kiana's golden pupils had lit up again, Fu Hua tried to persuade her.

"Enough, don't say anything more." No matter how many words there were, it wouldn't change the facts. At this moment, Fu Hua would only make Kiana feel annoyed.

"Your mental state is very dangerous right now…"

"I said enough! Do you not understand? Fu Hua." Firmly interrupting Fu Hua's voice, and not even using the title of Class Monitor anymore, Kiana no longer wanted to hear her advice. "You've been by Otto's side for too long. You've learned to weigh the pros and cons, and you're always talking about what will happen to ARC City, what will happen to the world, what will happen to the future. But have you ever thought about the reasons for all of this?"

"Your retreat and weakness made him more and more presumptuous. You're like a tool without any thoughts of your own, being manipulated by Otto at will. And now, when I want to save people, and I want to face it, you're still telling me to prioritize the big picture. For those who are in danger, for those who are in despair, who will light the path for them?"

"I'm tired and I don't want to hear your great principles anymore. Just disappear from my mind."

In her Feather of the Past state, Fu Hua felt like her heart had been pierced by a sword. The intense mental pain tugged at her memories, making it feel as if she had returned to that day five thousand years ago.

"Did I really do something wrong?"

…

Standing on the high-rise, the girl gazed into the distance. The sun had been swallowed by the earth, the afterglow had dissipated, and the night had covered the sky.

Even if she was trapped in darkness, and even if the past was gone.

Under this starry sky, there were still many paths that Kiana needed to walk alone.

"Go say goodbye to him…"