Caelus had hoped the evening would wind down smoothly with a casual chat alongside Kafka and Silver Wolf, yet the universe seemed to have other plans. The unexpected entrance of a new, vibrantly energetic party turned the atmosphere tense, much to his dismay.

Standing beside Dan Heng, Caelus noted his friend's repeated sighs—each one deeper than the last, signaling a profound weariness. Curious about the cause and eager to redirect his own discomfort, Caelus ventured a question to break the increasingly heavy silence. "Hey... Dan Heng. Mind telling me how you even met this man? I don't like the way he's stirring up the crowd. Everyone's looking this way."

His gaze swept across the room, catching the annoyed and uncomfortable expressions of onlookers. Even those lounging in plush seats seemed disturbed by the growing hostility emanating from the confrontation between the gun-wielding man and Acheron, with the former clearly the instigator.

Dan Heng followed Caelus' observation and sighed again, a hint of resignation in his voice. "I was minding my own business in the archives of my wonderland."

"Wonderland? You're taking March's suggestion of calling your library 'Wonderland'?" Caelus interjected, recalling the playful banter between March and Dan Heng about the grandiose naming of his cherished space.

Dan Heng coughed slightly, a hint of annoyance flickering across his face. "Do not cut me off. Anyway, while I was deep in my research, Pom-Pom suddenly announced the need for my presence in the main hall with such urgency that I hastened there without a second thought."

His narrative was abruptly interrupted as Acheron, with astonishing agility, dismantled the opposing man's firearm, causing him to leap backward in a desperate attempt to maintain some dignity. Caelus and Dan Heng, momentarily distracted, couldn't help but admire the speed and precision of the Odachi wielder.

Caelus shook his head, urging his friend to continue. "Right... There, I found the man, calling himself Boothill, treating Pom-Pom's ears like plush toys, squeezing them without any respect."

Dan Heng paused, his story hanging in the air, prompting Caelus to probe further. "You threatened him with your spear, didn't you?"

With a nonchalant glance to the side, attracting admiring looks from nearby women who mistook his gaze for introspection, Dan Heng responded coolly, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Caelus' expression flattened even more, recognizing the evasive tactic.

Meanwhile, the scene escalated as the man known only as Boothill retrieved another gun from his holster, only for it to be swiftly knocked away by Acheron. In a blur of motion, she grabbed his jacket and hoisted him up with one hand as if he weighed nothing, his legs flailing helplessly.

"Oi, you mother fudger! I'm supposed to be capturing you, not the other way around!" Boothill protested vainly.

Acheron, unamused, walked over to a nearby chair and set him down as effortlessly as one might place a doll, eliciting a pained yelp from him.

"Tch! I, the great Boothill, will not be tormented any longer, for I will have my revenge!" he declared defiantly.

"Silence," Acheron commanded, and with a swift slap, rendered him unconscious. The force of her strike was such that Boothill's eyes rolled back, his mouth frothing slightly.

The audible crack of the slap made everyone wince—everyone, that is, except for Kafka, who seemed unphased by the display of raw power. It was a sound that resonated with finality, one that suggested Boothill might be journeying to the heavens sooner than he'd planned.

Turning back to Caelus, Acheron approached with a natural sway, her expression seeking validation. "Did I do good?"

Caught off-guard by her question, Caelus glanced at Kafka, who responded with an encouraging thumbs up and a bright smile.

'If Kafka approves, then it must be alright,' Caelus reasoned internally. He mirrored Kafka's gesture, offering Acheron a smile and a thumbs up, which coaxed a soft smile from her.

The rest of the onlookers, however, could only respond with a collective facepalm, bewildered by the surreal turn of events.

---

Minutes after the chaotic encounter with Boothill, the rest of the group, minus the still incapacitated troublemaker sprawled on a chair, relocated to a VIP lounge. The details of how they secured this prime spot were best left unasked, but a knowing glance towards Silver Wolf suggested she had pulled some strings, likely not all of them legal.

In the newly acquired luxurious setting, Kafka sat with a glass of wine, sipping it with evident pleasure, her demeanor one of relaxed sophistication. Silver Wolf, in stark contrast, was deeply engrossed in her mobile games, expertly juggling five gacha games at once, her fingers a blur of motion.

Dan Heng held a glass of sparkling water, his attention occasionally drifting from the book in his hand—a gift from Jing Yuan—to the ongoing dynamics around him. The book, a dense tome on the philosophy of knowledge and war, seemed to offer him a refuge from the surrounding chaos.

Caelus and Acheron sat together somewhat apart from the others, with Acheron nonchalantly eating a peach that appeared as if by magic from thin air. The tranquility between them contrasted sharply with the earlier tension.

Seeking to understand more about the recent uproar, Caelus turned to Dan Heng. "Hey, Dan," he began, prompting Dan Heng to look up from his philosophical musings.

"Yes, Caelus? Are you perhaps interested in the philosophy of knowledge and war?" Dan Heng inquired, his tone serious yet inviting.

"What? No. I just want to ask you about something," Caelus replied, slightly amused by the misdirected guess.

Dan Heng closed his book, marking his place with a bookmark, and gave Caelus his full attention. "Go on..."

Caelus took a deep breath and gestured subtly towards the Stellaron Hunters, who were lounging around, seemingly at ease despite the recent disturbances. "Aren't you bothered by them? You used to be so wary of them, even Ms. Himeko gets tense when they show up on our radar."

Dan Heng's gaze followed Caelus' gesture, observing the relaxed group. "Under normal circumstances, I'd avoid them as much as anyone else, but as per this book I'm reading," he said, showing Caelus the cover, "why start a battle when they haven't directly threatened the Astral Express? Granted, their methods are questionable, but after some reflection, I deem them no immediate threat."

Caelus blinked, slightly taken aback by Dan Heng's calm rationale. "That's it? Huh... who knew thinking outside the box could change perspectives so much."

Dan Heng simply nodded and resumed his reading, leaving Caelus to ponder the complexities of human interactions and the power of perspective.

His contemplation was abruptly interrupted when Kafka placed her wine glass on the table with a gentle clink. She stretched languidly, a soft moan escaping her lips, which inadvertently stirred a reaction in Caelus—a reaction he desperately hoped wasn't as visible as he feared.

Snap!

Silver Wolf seized the moment, capturing Caelus' flustered expression with her camera, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips as she reviewed the photo saved to her cloud storage.

Caelus' heart sank. 'Was my expression that obvious?' he wondered, panic setting in as Kafka's giggle confirmed his fears.

'Damn, I'm dead,' he thought morosely.

Then he noticed Acheron's expression, neutral yet with a slight tremor in her eyes, the emptiness behind them hinting at her own turmoil.

'I'm truly dead. May the Aeons above forgive me,' Caelus lamented inwardly.

Kafka, sensing the shift in mood, clapped her hands lightly to recapture everyone's attention. "So, Caelus. How has your journey been in Belobog and Xianzhou? I've heard bits and pieces from articles and rumors, but I'd like to hear it from you, personally. You must have some interesting stories that haven't reached the public ear."

Settling more comfortably on the couch, Caelus began to recount his adventures, the group listening intently. "It's been... intense. I've encountered people who wanted to kill me, others who sought to use me, and even faced betrayal," he said, his voice heavy with the weight of his experiences. "But that's not all. I've also made new friends and found moments of joy. I'm not sure if this is what true Trailblazing feels like, but if it is, I'm ready to keep going until..."

He paused, the words 'I die' lingering unsaid but heavily implied, the weight of his statement hanging in the air.

The group felt a collective unease, sensing the depth of Caelus' reflections. Acheron, in particular, saw a familiar pain in his demeanor, one that resonated deeply with her own experiences.

Caelus quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the darker aspects of his journey. "Anyway, now that we're in Penacony, I'm trying to enjoy what life has to offer here in the realm of dreams."

This comment seemed to lighten the mood slightly, and everyone took a relieved sigh.

Silver Wolf, ever curious, chimed in. "So, what are you enjoying here?"

Caelus smiled at her question. "Well... other than the friends I made here, absolutely nothing."

"Huh?" That was what was in their heads as they listened to him.

Caelus noted the confusion on their faces and reiterated his words. "To put it simply, there was something I enjoyed, but most of it I didn't. How do I say this... it's mainly because everyone's emotions felt too fake, you know? In the dreamscape, people seemed to be enjoying what they were doing with their lives, yet I sensed an emptiness in them. It's like trying to experience life when everything is handed to you on a silver platter—you don't immediately feel the disconnect from struggles, but it's there, dormant, like a ticking bomb waiting to explode at the climax of your life."

Dan Heng and the others listened intently, struck by Caelus' insightful observation.

Kafka clapped her hands appreciatively at his analysis. "It seems you've encountered much, yet you've grown from it. I'm proud of you, Caelus," she said with a warm smile.

Acheron, feeling a need to support Caelus, took his hand in hers, offering him a silent gesture of comfort.

There was more he had hidden, at least from her perspective, but what could it be? Currently, he is suffering from amnesia, unless...

'Is his past clashing with his present self? Or is an unknown force in Penacony disturbing him?'

Those were her thoughts, and she considered the latter more likely. Penacony is a planet of dreams where anything can manifest itself.

Kafka then turned the conversation to a lighter topic, addressing Acheron directly. "Now, Acheron, why don't you and I talk about fashion? I've noticed you have an eye for beauty in designs."

Acheron, taken aback by the sudden shift, simply nodded. "I haven't really discussed beauty and fashion with anyone in a long time. It's quite nostalgic."

As the group settled into a more casual discussion, with Silver Wolf diving into her gacha games, Caelus checked the time. Feeling the weight of the day's events, he excused himself. "I think I'll head to bed. It's been a long day for me."

No one objected, understanding his need for rest. Kafka waved goodbye, Dan Heng nodded respectfully, and Silver Wolf gave a casual thumbs up. As Caelus walked away, Acheron called out softly, "Goodnight, Caelus."

With a smile, Caelus replied, "Goodnight to you, too." Then he left, leaving the other women alone.

Kafka simply kept her smile; their simple interactions were cute to her.

Acheron then brought the topic back to what Kafka had mentioned. "It has been a while since I've talked about beauty with anyone."

Kafka poured another glass of wine for herself. "Hahaha~ Don't worry, we have time for a leisurely chat."

The two women chatted about their interests and life, while Silver Wolf started to play three new gacha games.

---

Caelus gently closed the door behind him, the sound barely a whisper as it sealed shut. The soft click echoed slightly in the quiet room, a sound that marked the end of a long, bewildering day. "Phew! I'm beat for today, it's time to get some sleep," he muttered to himself, the exhaustion evident in his voice.

Transitioning between the dreamscape and reality had always been a surreal experience, but today it felt particularly jarring. The mental fatigue from navigating two dimensions seemed to split him in two, each half pulling him in opposite directions. He sighed heavily, trying to shake off the disorientation. "I am sure that I'll get used to it, like how life always is."

With a final resigned thought, Caelus dropped himself into the clam shell of water that served as his bed in this strange realm. He closed his eyes, eager to surrender to the peace of oblivion, but peace was not to come so easily tonight.

Almost immediately, he felt a rush of hot wind against his skin, forcing his eyes open in alarm. He was no longer in his room but standing knee-deep in an ocean that stretched infinitely into the horizon. But this was no ordinary ocean; the water was black, thick like oil, shimmering ominously under an unseen light.

"Huh? What's going on? What's happening?" he exclaimed, his voice edged with panic. The surreal scene unfolded around him with no logical explanation. How did he get here? This place felt entirely removed from any dreamscape he had ever known.

Without warning, the ocean stirred violently, sweeping Caelus off his feet. He was pulled under, the black water enveloping him, moving through him in a way that was unnervingly sentient. Despite the darkness, his vision remained clear, unnaturally so.

Glug! Glug!

Glancing downward in a mix of fear and curiosity, Caelus recoiled at the sight below. The ocean floor was a tableau of horror, where humanoid figures twisted into eldritch shapes, their elongated, clawed hands reaching upwards as if to drag him down to their damned depths.

Terrified, he flailed in the water, momentarily forgetting how to swim. Panic clawed at his mind, but he forced himself to focus, to remember his training. With a burst of desperate energy, he propelled himself toward the surface.

Gasp!

Breaking the surface with a gasp, Caelus sucked in the cool air greedily. But his relief was short-lived as a pervasive darkness began to dim the world around him, casting long shadows that twisted and writhed like living things. An oppressive weight settled over him, the shadow looming large as if some immense creature watched him from above.

Compelled by a mixture of dread and curiosity, he looked up at the sky, and his blood ran cold. Above him, blotting out the stars and the light—an anomaly so stark, so terrifying in its implications, that it seared itself into his memory.

It was a sight that Caelus knew would haunt him for the rest of his days, a symbol of some unfathomable horror that his mind could barely grasp.

A Black Sun.

---

End of Chapter

A/N: Hello, everyone! How have you all been? Surprised by the early upload? Well, there's a reason for that. I need to upload early because my weekend will be packed with family events and whatnot. Also, it's sort of an apology for the late upload of the previous chapter.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I had a ton of fun writing it! Anywho, this is the end of my author's note. Like always, see you next weekend!