A Gift of Consciousness (EXTRA)

"Teacher Himeko said that stars have very long lifespans, so no matter how deep the night sky is, the stars will always shine. But even the moon, which is closest to Earth, is separated by an insurmountable distance."

The boundless black universe was like a curtain, reflecting the bright and dim stars. Without the obstruction of the atmosphere, the girl only needed to tilt her head slightly to see the Milky Way, which looked like silk stretching across the distant sky.

Kiana lay on the soft, fine lunar soil, gently reaching out her hand, trying to touch the planet that reflected a pale blue light. The massive Earth lay quietly in the girl's palm, but when she closed her hand, there was only an empty phantom.

That's right, they were on the moon, more than 400,000 kilometers away from Earth. How could she grasp a celestial body so distant?

The lack of any tangible sensation made Kiana feel a little lost. She stared blankly at the blue sphere, silently retracting her raised arm.

"Ren."

"Yeah, I'm here." The boy's voice was as gentle as ever, flowing into Kiana's ears like a soft stream.

Her cold hand was taken in a warm palm, gradually melting the lost feeling in her heart. Kiana turned her head, meeting a pair of eyes that were watching her.

The girl lay on the ground, her head resting on the boy's lap. Ren sat quietly beside her, watching the planet she was looking at, listening to her story.

Even though they had told each other their stories countless times, he would still listen quietly.

Time flowed rapidly on Earth, but it was forever frozen on the desolate moon. Although many structures left by humans were still preserved, over the years, the two of them had explored every corner of this planet.

For them, this world forsaken by time no longer held any novelty.

But whenever they looked at each other, the memories that had been worn by the unchanging time remained just as they were when they first met, and they were still as they were at the beginning.

"Ren, do you think if the children on Earth look up at the moon, will they see us?"

"Of course, maybe when you look at Earth, countless children will be looking back at you." Ren said with a smile, jokingly adding, "After all, the legend of the Moon Princess has always been told. Every day, countless people look up at this bright planet."

"If you feel happy, countless people on Earth will be happy with you. If you feel sad, many will also be sad with you. People's joys and sorrows sometimes connect, we are never alone."

"Is that so?" Kiana said, looking at Earth, lost in thought.

Even at night, the planet was still illuminated by brilliant lights.

"With so many people together, I shouldn't feel lonely." A smile appeared on the girl's face, but Ren, who knew her well, could see the lingering regret in Kiana's eyes.

He knew that after being separated for so many years, even the strongest girl would inevitably miss home.

Ren tightly clasped the girl's fingers, as if he had just remembered something, and said softly, "Oh, right, I prepared a gift for you today."

"A gift?" The desolate moon was only marked by the remnants of that battle. Where could there be a gift?

But the girl didn't ask. She followed Ren's hand, letting him lead her toward the core of the lunar base.

The dilapidated lunar base had many signs of repair, which were their handiwork during moments of boredom. However, the dense Honkai energy filled the area, making it impossible for electronic devices or cultivation machines to create anything new.

The two arrived at the core area, where there was only a pitch-black, empty factory. Besides the occasional anti-gravity meteorites floating around, there was nothing else.

"Try snapping your fingers?" Ren said to the girl, his tone encouraging.

Hesitantly, Kiana reached out and gently rubbed her fingertips together.

Snap.

The crisp sound of a finger snap echoed in the factory, bouncing off the walls over and over again.

From somewhere in the darkness, the sound of faint electrical arcs could be heard. Pale blue lights flickered in the air, like playful children, rapidly gathering together, forming a vortex of spacetime that looked like a mirror.

"This is... a stargate?" Surprise appeared on the girl's face, as if she were in a dream. "Wait, weren't stargates completely blocked off? It's impossible to fix them."

"So, this is just an incomplete stargate. We still can't leave the moon, but today, we can try to travel back to Earth."

"Travel?"

"Let's go, today is..."

Ren didn't mention how long it took him to repair this stargate. It didn't matter. He took the girl's hand and quickly walked into the stargate.

...

A flash of pale blue light disappeared. When the girl opened her eyes again, the shock in her eyes was finally impossible to hide.

The flowing traffic, the bustling shops, the people talking to each other, and this familiar city.

Without a doubt, this was home.

Earth.

"We... we're back?" The surprise only lasted for a brief moment. A look of concern soon appeared on the girl's face, "That's not right. The Honkai energy I'm carrying cannot return to Earth, I..."

Before Kiana could finish her sentence, Ren gently hugged her. He smiled, gesturing for the girl to notice the pedestrians walking toward them.

Noticing that she was in the way, Kiana hurriedly stepped aside, but the pedestrians didn't seem to notice them, walking right through their bodies.

"A hallucination?"

"No, just consciousness." Ren released the girl, taking her hand as he walked forward. "Don't worry, as far as Earth is concerned, we are still on the moon, more than 400,000 kilometers away. It's just that our consciousness can be in this land. So, we won't harm anyone."

They wouldn't be noticed by anyone, sensed by anyone, as if they were excluded from the world. This might be torture for others, but for these two, it was the best gift.

The two walked through the bustling streets. Today seemed to be some kind of holiday, with young couples everywhere. Street vendors were also selling all kinds of flowers and strange gifts.

At first, Kiana was still a little worried, but after confirming that they really wouldn't hurt anyone, she finally began to enjoy the rare moment of freedom.

The silent moon hung high in the sky. The moonlight was beautiful tonight, illuminating their figures. The moonlight didn't leave shadows on Earth, but the blue planet was reflected in their eyes.