Three days aboard the Astral Express had acclimated Anming to the Trailblazer lifestyle.
Mornings began with texting Firefly, though her firefly avatar often showed "No Signal." Breakfasts involved testing March's idiom knowledge.
"Do you know what 'forgetting to eat and sleep' means?"
March pouted. "Studying so hard you skip meals, obviously."
"Wrong."
Anming gestured to Stelle snoring in her room. "It means trash sleeps in bed, forgetting breakfast."
"Ugh..." March facepalmed. Stelle's daily routine consisted of sleeping and contemplating rule-breaking.
Stelle shuffled out in Pom-Pom pajamas. "Do you know 'reviving the dead'?"
Anming deadpanned. "Waking up is death. Going back to sleep is life?"
"My soulmate!" Stelle teared up before March pillow-slammed her.
"Next destination: Jarilo-VI."
"That's it?"
"What else do you want?!" March kicked Anming under the table.
Stelle brandished her bat eagerly. 72 hours since last smashing Voidrangers - the Galactic Bat Legend thirsted for action!
March surveyed her ragtag crew:
Stelle: Stellaron entity of mysterious origins
Herself: Amnesiac beauty and chief snarker
Dan Heng: Stoic badass with a shadowed past
Anming: Enigmatic erotica author
"Are we... the Amnesiac Alliance?"
"With Anming, Jarilo-VI will be a cakewalk!" Stelle remembered his godly sword skills.
March recalled the Doomsday Beast's demise. Anming's power was no joke.
As the girls bickered, Anming accessed his system interface. The once-bare panel now showed:
[Next Simulation: 7h 11m 43s]
[Light Cones] [Talents] [Store]
The store was empty - "Restocking." Useless system!
Activating the system froze time. Anming waved a hand before March's face, watching strands of pink hair float motionless.
What past will the next simulation reveal?
A notification pinged. Firefly's message:
"Mission complete. According to Ellie's script, we'll meet in Belobog soon."
[Attachment: Selfie]
The photo showed Firefly's radiant smile... and apocalyptic flames behind her.
Anming wiped sweat. Good thing I never cheated.
Firefly's Dog: "Ellie's script gets my approval. See you in Belobog?"
Firefly: "Mm! [Pom-Pom heart]"
The usually tech-averse girl had become quite the texter.
Ellie materialized before her. "You're the true Fictionologist. Even I didn't foresee this subplot."
Firefly blushed, then straightened. "Anming is why I joined the Stellar Hunters. My sole reason for being here."
No force in the universe could stop her from reuniting with Anming in Belobog.
Ellie sighed. "The Hunters won't chain you. But Belobog... the script will descend into chaos."
Firefly's future pages would blank out, irreparably so.
"I've always said - Anming means more than life itself."
She smiled. "Sam, the Life-Chaser. He is the life I pursue."
Ellie didn't press further. "The Hunters stand with you, script or not."
"Thank you."
Firefly touched her ring, polished through countless Amber Eras. For that moment with Anming, she'd pay any price.