"Waaah... Waaah, I don't care! I don't care!"
However, Chen Yuxuan's attempts to calm her down were completely ineffective.
Mo Xin only knew one thing: her Sister Acheron had been treated like a suspect and locked inside that dark, sunless interrogation room!
"Sister Acheron is obviously the victim! Why are you treating her like this? Captain Chen, can you really not tell right from wrong?!"
"Mo Xin, calm down!"
"Yeah, Junior Student, don't get so worked up. The Captain really didn't mean it that way!"
Seeing Mo Xin's eyes redden, her chest rising and falling violently, and her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white, Mu Yao hurriedly stepped forward and grabbed her shoulders. Qing Yutong also rushed over, gently taking one of her hands and patting it reassuringly.
The two stood on either side of her, afraid she might do something impulsive.
"Senior, you've met Sister Acheron before, so you should know what kind of person she is, right? And Sister Yutong, are you suspecting Sister Acheron too?"
Mo Xin stared directly at them, her eyes filled with accusation.
Mu Yao opened her mouth, intending to speak, only to swallow her words again.
Qing Yutong also frowned, her expression unreadable.
The two exchanged glances, each seeing a trace of helplessness in the other's eyes. For a moment, neither of them could answer.
Come to think of it, Mu Yao had indeed met Mo Xin's Sister Acheron once before.
Aside from being somewhat emotionally detached and seemingly acquainted with Robin, there had been nothing particularly unusual about her.
Objectively speaking, Mu Yao didn't believe Acheron was a suspicious person.
But Chen Yuxuan's thoughts had always been difficult to read. Since he had made this decision, he must have had his own reasons.
The problem was that he hadn't explained them.
And Mu Yao couldn't figure them out herself.
Qing Yutong remained silent, as quiet as a shadow.
Yet inside, her heart was already in turmoil.
That inexplicable emotion had appeared so suddenly that it left her completely flustered.
She didn't even know why she felt this way, nor could she tell whether the feeling was unease, doubt, fear, or something else entirely.
The only thing she knew for certain was that all of it had begun after meeting the woman named "Acheron."
A vague thought surfaced uncontrollably in Qing Yutong's mind.
Have I met her somewhere before?
Or... do I actually know her?
Because of that, Qing Yutong could only remain silent, afraid that saying too much would expose something.
However, the hesitation shown by the two only weighed even more heavily on Mo Xin's heart.
She knew perfectly well that Acheron was an Otherworlder.
That was exactly why she had to do everything she could to keep that secret hidden.
At present, Mo Xin wasn't sure whether her parents knew about Acheron's true identity.
But she believed one thing.
Acheron had always been calm and composed.
If she had kept her identity hidden for so long without revealing it herself, then there had to be a reason.
(She simply didn't care.)
Perhaps it was for self-protection.
Or perhaps there was some secret she couldn't reveal.
Whatever the reason, Mo Xin chose to believe it.
Sister Acheron must have her reasons.
Besides, Sister Acheron is usually absentminded and a little silly. She's always forgetting things and getting lost. Throwing her into the Ability Bureau's affairs is basically sending a little sheep straight into a tiger's den!
With that thought, Mo Xin became even more determined.
The arguments inside the room continued without end.
Taking advantage of the brief moment when Mo Xin finally calmed down a little, Chen Yuxuan turned his gaze toward the interrogation room once more.
Acheron remained exactly as before, quietly seated on the chair with an indifferent gaze fixed ahead.
There wasn't the slightest change in her expression, as though everything happening outside had nothing to do with her.
The air inside the interrogation room seemed frozen.
The silence was almost eerie.
...
The cold light inside the interrogation room fell across Sparkle's face, tinting her fair cheeks with an unnatural flush.
Yet her lips remained curled into an enchanting smile.
Acheron's expression stayed calm and composed.
Not the slightest ripple stirred within those violet eyes.
Sparkle wasn't surprised in the slightest.
The various Sparkles bounced all around the cramped room, their bell-like laughter echoing against the cold walls.
One of them clasped her hands behind her back, tilting her head toward Acheron with crescent-shaped eyes full of cunning.
"Alright! Lady Sparkle always keeps her promises. That question has been answered~ Do you have any others?"
Acheron blinked slowly.
A moment later, she looked at Sparkle, a trace of curiosity appearing within her violet eyes.
"Fool, what role are you playing in this game?"
"Hmm, now that's..."
Sparkle deliberately dragged out her words.
She slowly raised her head, lightly pressing a fingertip against the corner of her lips.
There seemed to be invisible hooks hidden within the curve of her eyes.
She was obviously stalling on purpose, yet she insisted on pretending to organize her thoughts seriously.
Only after a while did she finally answer.
Her fingertip still lightly brushed against her lips, while her eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Hmm... I suppose I can barely be considered a 'conscientious' sponsor. Oh, and I also happen to serve as an assistant director and an actor."
She deliberately emphasized the word "conscientious," dragging out the ending as though hinting at something, yet refusing to explain it directly.
It was an ambiguous answer.
Yet Acheron showed no dissatisfaction.
It was enough.
"Oh..."
Sparkle deliberately dragged out the sound, her voice full of surprise.
"I thought you'd be annoyed or embarrassed after hearing that. I really can't tell whether you're simply heartless... or genuinely indifferent to things like this from the bottom of your heart~"
She tilted her head, poking her cheek with a fingertip, the cunning in her eyes impossible to conceal.
Acheron merely glanced at her calmly.
Her gaze remained utterly tranquil.
There was neither anger nor resentment.
The smile on Sparkle's face faded slightly.
She stuck out her tongue in boredom before resting her chin on both hands.
"Fine, fine. You win."
She lazily waved a hand.
"Do you have anything else to ask?"
She paused before glancing toward the interrogation room's observation window.
A trace of schadenfreude crept into her voice.
"After all, the cuties outside look so busy they're practically running themselves ragged~"
"Not for now."
Acheron nodded slightly.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Eh?!!"
Sparkle immediately covered her mouth dramatically with one hand, her little face filled with exaggerated astonishment.
"You're not going to ask for more details? Or anything else?"
Acheron looked up at her, speaking as though stating an obvious fact.
"Even if I asked, you wouldn't tell me."
"Is that so?"
Sparkle froze briefly before scratching her head.
A smile that looked almost honest appeared on her face.
Yet before it could fully bloom, a flash of cunning flickered through her eyes.
She tilted her head, lightly tapping her lips with a fingertip.
Her tone was light, carrying a hint of smugness.
Lady Sparkle (๑•̀ᴗ- )✧: "After all, spoilers are a huge taboo. I wouldn't want to ruin the fun of the game~"
Just then, the dreamlike scenery surrounding them suddenly began to distort.
The colorful, glass-like light warped and blurred.
The rainbow halos looked like shattered crystal, their edges dissolving into hazy afterimages.
Even the stars floating through the air began flickering uncertainly, as though they would disappear at any moment.
"Are you leaving?"
"Yep, yep! Lady Sparkle doesn't want to eat prison food in a cold place like this~ There are still soooo many fun things waiting for me outside!"
As she spoke, she skipped toward the door.
Her hair swayed lightly behind her, leaving a trail of crisp laughter.
Sparkle hopped over to the door.
Just as her fingertips touched the cold doorknob, she suddenly stopped.
It was as though someone had pressed a pause button.
Tilting her head, she thought for a few seconds before suddenly turning back around.
With both hands behind her back, she stood on tiptoe, looking toward Acheron, who was still seated quietly on the metal chair.
"This counts as a special bonus hint for the protagonist."
She grinned mischievously.
"But of course... it has to be delivered in Lady Sparkle's own style~"
As soon as she finished speaking, a small slip of paper suddenly appeared between her fingertips.
She deliberately cleared her throat.
Then she put on a pair of scholarly-looking glasses out of nowhere, straightened her back, and struck an elegant pose.
Unfortunately...
A brat was still a brat.
No matter how dignified she tried to appear, she couldn't hide that incorrigibly mischievous temperament.
[When the story turns a new page, the protagonist hidden within the shadows will step, one step at a time, from beneath the stage into the folds of the "Nightfall."]
(It's not just the latter half~ The first half is also an important clue. Of course... it doesn't really matter anyway. Just sit back and enjoy the show hehe~)