Brain storage area.
The opening isn't my best work, but I'm too lazy to rewrite it. If anything feels off, you can start from Chapter 2 or 3.
The sky was clear.
Inside a cramped, dimly lit rental room, a shut-in had just finished the Elysian Realm storyline and was now fiercely arguing with his online friends.
Yue Bo: "I swear, you guys are unbelievable. You told me this game was wholesome and uplifting. You even said Himeko comes back in Chapter 25. Are you kidding me?!"
Gacha Guru: "Heh."
Elysia Forever #1: "Heh."
Double Wings Upper: "Heh (smirk)."
Double Wings Lower: "Heh (smirk)."
Never-Hit-Pity (Yue Bo): "What the hell! Waaaah… Elysia… waaah…"
Lucky Single Pull: "Hahaha, how did you know I got Jingliu in 12 pulls? (smirk)"
Gacha Guru: "?"
Elysia Forever #1: "?"
Double Wings Upper: "?"
Double Wings Lower: "?"
Never-Hit-Pity: "?"
Gacha Guru: "Kick him out!"
Elysia Forever #1: "Kick him out!"
Double Wings Upper: "Kick him out!"
Double Wings Lower: "Kick him out!"
Never-Hit-Pity: "Kick him out right now!"
Yue Bo closed the group chat. One more second and he felt like he would explode.
Sitting on his bed, he replayed the story in his mind.
It hurt. It really hurt.
"Damn it… writer… what kind of twisted dream is this…"
Sirin… Wendy… Himeko… the Thirteen Flame-Chasers… all gone.
Yue Bo clutched his head and groaned. "How am I supposed to recover from this?"
After a while, he calmed down and glanced at the tiny window in the room. Calling it a window was generous. It was more like a ventilation opening. A thin beam of sunlight slipped into the dim space.
So it's sunny today…
The sun must be strong if it can even reach in here.
Yue Bo was… ordinary.
His grades, family background, appearance, and finances were all average. The kind of person society quietly stacked at the bottom to hold everything else up.
The only thing unusual about him was his albinism. His body couldn't produce melanin.
White hair made him stand out in a crowd.
And being different meant being watched.
Whispers. Stares. Judgment.
It wore him down.
After graduation, with his family struggling, he took a factory job. Day after day, like a machine on an assembly line. Most of his salary went back home to fulfill what people called "family responsibility."
The version of himself that once felt passion for the world had long since faded.
Now, the only place he could pour his thoughts and emotions was into games and anime.
It was the only thing that made his numb heart beat again.
A ringtone suddenly broke the silence.
Starfall.
Crash against the barrier above the crowd
Fragments flare into the sky, becoming a falling star
I want no tomorrow or yesterday
These sparks shine until dawn
The melody echoed softly in the small room.
Yue Bo sighed, pulling out his phone as he headed downstairs for noodles.
"Hello?"
"Hey… how have you been?" The voice on the other end sounded familiar, yet distant. Hesitant.
Yue Bo took a breath. "Same as always. I'm fine."
There was a pause.
Then
"Your sister's condition… it's gotten worse."
His heart sank.
"…Got it. I'll transfer the money later."
His father forced a gentler tone. "Don't say it like that. We're family. Your sister needs treatment. When she gets better, we'll all have a meal together."
The call ended.
Standing on the stairwell, Yue Bo felt a bitter mix of emotions.
When he was younger, his family had been honest. Straightforward.
Now… everything felt rehearsed. Artificial.
His sister's illness had become a convenient excuse.
More likely, his father was losing money at the mahjong table again.
His phone buzzed.
A group chat popped up:
Mahjong Club
"HAHAHA, you lost again!"
"Man, you're basically our personal财神 at this point!"
"Don't be salty, just admit it. But seriously, your luck is something else."
"Look at your face. You're dying inside, aren't you? Come on, say something for our entertainment."
"Don't leave. I'll get more money and we go again. I'll win it all back this time!"
Yue Bo stared at the screen for a long moment.
Then turned it off.
Some things never change.
He stepped out of the building and walked toward a small noodle shop.
At the very least, he needed to eat.
What was most pathetic about him wasn't his circumstances.
It was that he had no one he truly cared for in real life.
No goal. No purpose.
If he could choose…
He wanted someone to protect.
Someone who could give meaning to everything he did.
Walking through the narrow alley, hunger and confusion clouded his mind.
His vision blurred.
Then
A voice.
Soft. Distant.
"Ich liebe dich."
Yue Bo instinctively responded, almost unconsciously.
"Ich liebe dich too."
He froze.
"…Am I hallucinating now?"
He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Great. Guess I've played too much…"
He looked up at the sky.
Wait… wasn't it sunny just now?
Why did it feel like the sky itself was closing in?
"Whatever. Food first…"
Suddenly
He couldn't control his body.
It felt like he was sinking into an endless ocean.
Weightless.
Drowning.
"…This is strange… Is this what freedom feels like?"
A faint thought surfaced.
"If anyone's kind enough… please wipe my phone clean… Let me leave this world with some dignity…"
That was his final thought.
His soul drifted away from the world.
One less body bound by chains.
One more free soul beyond it.
Local News Report
"A rare celestial phenomenon appeared in the city today. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported. Experts are currently analyzing "
December 1998
Siberia, Honkai World
In a small town buried under snow, a little girl with long violet hair stood by the window.
Outside, children played in the sunlight, laughing in the snow.
Her golden eyes were filled with longing.
Freedom.
Companionship.
Things she had never known.
She turned back.
Her mother lay inside, frail from illness.
Yet today, she was in the kitchen, preparing caramel pudding.
Her favorite.
"Mom, let me do it today," the girl said softly.
Her mother smiled.
"No. Come here. Today is special. Let's make it together… for my precious girl."
The girl forgot about the world outside.
She ran toward her mother, smiling.
"Mom! Let's make the best caramel pudding ever!"
By evening, the small home was filled with warmth.
Candlelight flickered.
"Sirin, Happy New Year."
"Ich liebe dich."
"Ich liebe dich too, Mom. Come eat with me."
Her mother gently touched her head.
"Sirin… no matter when or where, if you say this magic spell in your heart, any wish will come true. And I'll always be by your side."
"Then… I wish for Mom to always stay with me."
"Then say the magic words."
"Ich liebe dich."
The next day
The storm had not passed.
Snow howled against the fragile house.
Inside, Sirin clung tightly to her mother.
The warmth was gone.
The house was silent.
"Mom…?"
Her small hands trembled.
Her golden eyes dimmed as she called out again and again.
The words from last night echoed in her mind.
"Ich liebe dich…"
"Ich liebe dich!"
"Ich liebe dich!!!"
No answer.
"Liar…"
"Liar!"
"You said any wish would come true!"
Tears streamed down her face, freezing as they fell.
"I just want to see Mom again…"
"Ich liebe dich…"
Nothing happened.
She held her mother tighter, trying to pass her warmth back.
Hoping for a miracle.
Time passed.
Eventually, she stopped crying.
Curled up in the arms that would never hold her again.
"…Mom is still here. Right in front of me."
"That means… the wish worked."
"The magic is real."
Her voice grew quiet.
"If that's the case…"
"Then I want one more wish."
"I want… a friend."
"Ich liebe dich."
A strange symbol appeared on her chest.
A crescent moon intertwined with several stars.
Hidden beneath her worn clothes, it shimmered faintly.
And in the corner of the room
A white cat sat silently.
Watching.