Returning to the dreamscape, Nero met up with the other three near Kokona's shop, bringing along the Special Emotional Comfort Mix they had gotten from Siobhan.
Then the four of them headed to Kokona's store together.
Kokona was still standing at the entrance, forcing herself to smile.
But tiny beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead, and her wine-red eyes would occasionally lose focus. She was still in terrible shape.
Some passing customers noticed something was wrong and pointed at her while whispering among themselves.
The four walked straight up to Kokona. The female shop manager looked at them blankly and spoke in an almost mechanical voice.
"Dear guests, welcome. I am the manager here, Kokona. How may I help you?"
Nero blinked and looked at her with concern.
"Big Sister Kokona, it's us! Did you forget us already?"
A dazed look flashed through Kokona's eyes.
Then her body suddenly swayed. After a moment, a faint trace of life finally returned to those wine-red eyes.
She stood there blankly for a while. Looking at the people before her, it took a long time before she finally came back to herself. Tiredness, apology, and gratitude mixed together as she spoke with some difficulty.
"Ah... it's you... I'm already fine now. Thank you for looking after me...", As she spoke, Kokona raised a hand and rubbed her head, showing a hesitant expression.
"...Earlier... I was just overwhelmed for a moment. I didn't expect I'd forgotten so many things. Look, I've completely recovered now... I can work normally again."
For some reason, Kokona seemed to have suddenly returned to normal.
Yanqing and Huohuo watched without doubting her words, because she really did look much better.
Standing behind them, Argenti frowned, but said nothing.
Nero looked at Kokona, studying her face and expression. She really didn't seem unusual anymore.
So he smiled.
"In that case, I guess you won't need this anymore."
As he spoke, Nero took out the Special Emotional Comfort Mix they had gotten from Siobhan.
"Your condition was really bad just now, so we went to see Miss Siobhan, the chief dreamscape therapist. She prescribed this special medicine for us.
"But since you don't need it anymore, I might as well try it myself and see what this special-flavored SoulGlad tastes like instead. I won't give it to you."
Kokona fell silent.
"...Well, even though I don't need it anymore, you really shouldn't drink it.
"Actually, it's no different from ordinary SoulGlad. It just has some... medicine added to it."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then I don't want it."
Nero tossed the Special Emotional Comfort Mix to Argenti.
Kokona let out a sigh of relief.
No matter what, these people genuinely wanted to help her. She couldn't just stand by and watch them drink that medicine.
Having experienced it herself, she knew exactly what it felt like to forget something. Maybe at first it brought a little relief, but... after that, all that remained was torment.
Then she forced herself to smile at Nero and said, "I'm very happy that I remembered what happened before... even if none of those memories were pleasant."
"It's all in the past now... The old me would hesitate and remain undecided... but now, I think I've finally found a way to solve everything."
"I'm happy, little one. I'm really happy."
"I've found the final solution... Please don't worry. Everything will get better."
"All right, big sister has to get back to work now. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to it."
"I really miss the breeze and the grass in the real world... I wish I could find a quiet, soft field, lie down in it, and get some sleep..."
After hearing her sigh, Nero said, "Then why not take the day off today?"
"I can't. I can't just leave my post."
"It's fine. I've got people."
Kokona blinked.
"Huh?"
She froze for a moment, then smiled.
"No need. If you really want to help, could you bring something back for big sister?", As she spoke, Kokona looked up at Argenti.
In her eyes, the scene before her was clearly one adult leading three children. This knight looked upright, tall, and imposing, clearly very capable, and he had been staying with the three children the whole time. With that, she felt reassured enough to make her request.
"I lost something at the Dreamscape Hotel. It's a record. Could you bring it back for big sister? But be careful. There are many strange and abnormal monsters inside the Dreamscape Hotel. It would be best if the knight behind you came along."
"Okay," Nero said.
Then he turned to his companions.
"Are you coming with me?"
"Of course," Argenti replied. "I look forward to traveling with you."
Yanqing and Huohuo had no objections either.
So the four of them left together.
Watching their backs as they walked away, the determined look on Kokona's face quickly faded into loneliness. She kept watching until the boy disappeared from sight before finally looking away with a sigh.
"What a lovely child..."
Kokona lowered her head and murmured softly at the floor beneath her feet, her voice carrying a hint of relief.
"The money big sister earned here in this land of beautiful dreams... I'll leave it to you as your reward. It won't be of any use to me anymore anyway..."
Dim blue flames smoldered silently in the shadows. Tiny sparks slowly gathered together, and the ghostly fire condensed into an eye within Kokona's shadow.
Cirrus quietly watched the woman named Kokona, a trace of impatience flashing through her gaze.
'If that little ancestor hadn't said something was wrong with you and told me to keep an eye on you, I wouldn't have bothered standing here listening to you ramble...' Cirrus thought. 'But since you're planning to leave your entire fortune as payment, I'll reluctantly forgive you.'
———
Stelle had never imagined that Sampo had been in disguise.
She had originally planned to happily return to the real world with Firefly, but somehow that girl with the twin tails had used some kind of trick that left her feeling dizzy, and she accidentally fell asleep.
When she woke up again, she found herself in a strange room.
The colors here were rather gloomy, with faint ripples of light drifting through the air, as though it were a glass box submerged underwater.
In less than a second, Stelle realized she was in trouble.
Right now, she needed to tell Himeko so everyone wouldn't worry after they gathered.
However, when Stelle tried to send a message with her phone, it failed.
She frowned, her expression turning serious.
Just then, she heard faint voices echoing around her.
They sounded a bit like... Misha?
"Mikhail, are you in there?"
"Mikhail, where did you go?"
"They didn't lock it..."
The words appeared before her eyes, gently swaying like lotus leaves floating on water. The next second, they burst apart, as though they were nothing more than reflections on the water's surface, the moon mirrored in the lake.
The words and voices kept appearing, then disappearing.
Stelle couldn't help frowning.
"My god, this is way too creepy."
She quickly searched the room. After confirming there was nothing worth paying attention to, she immediately walked out.
The moment she stepped into the corridor, she saw the white-haired girl standing beside a collapsed monster, worry written across her face.
Hearing the door open, the girl turned around almost immediately. Her eyes were filled with resolve and determination, but the moment she recognized who it was, they instantly softened.
Firefly's brows relaxed, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"Ah... Stelle! So you're here too..."
Seeing Firefly also eased Stelle's mind somewhat.
"What happened?" she asked.
Firefly shook her head.
"I... don't know."
Then she said firmly, "No matter what, we're definitely still inside a dream, not somewhere else, and certainly not in reality. The air carries the unique sensation of memoria. I can't mistake it."
"But this place is so different from the beautiful dreams I know. It's enclosed... quiet... unsettling... and these floating words, you can see them too, right? Penacony under the Family's rule couldn't possibly have a place like this. So... is it a dream bubble...?"
Firefly guessed.