Non-Existent Memories

Caelus blinked, looking at March 7th, not understanding what she was saying. But then he quickly realized March 7th was probably joking with him again, sighing helplessly. "Stop kidding, March. If we leave Twilight alone outside, who knows what kind of trouble she'll get into again. Besides, her body—"

Her body isn't well...?

No, Twilight should be very healthy and strong—Strange, head feels dizzy, what's going on...

A dizzying sensation, as if his brain were being stirred deep inside, caused Caelus immense discomfort. He subconsciously clutched his forehead, trying to alleviate the faintness, but it had no effect.

"Caelus, are you okay? You look really uncomfortable, and you're saying strange things..." March 7th worriedly supported the slightly swaying Caelus, asking with concern, "Are you not feeling well? Should we go to the Alchemy Commission first? Bailu and Lynx should still be there right now."

"Alchemy Commission? How could the Xianzhou possibly help us... I, I'm fine. Anyway, call Twilight, let's head back to the Express first."

Caelus's reassurance clearly didn't work. March 7th's eyes remained filled with worry, the concern even deepening.

"You really don't look fine at all, and you've started talking nonsense. How could the Xianzhou possibly not help us? We're comrades-in-arms, okay? Even putting aside helping them resolve the Ambrosial Arbor and Phantylia issues earlier, just helping deal with Hoolay before already makes us esteemed guests of the Xianzhou!"

"...?"

Caelus turned his head in disbelief, staring blankly at March 7th. He knew this companion he had traveled with all along too well; he could tell the current March 7th wasn't joking or lying. Therefore, no matter how much his head hurt now, he had already realized some things seemed different from his memory.

Thinking of this, Caelus disregarded everything else, quickly asking the question he cared most about now.

"Where's Twilight?"

"I just told you I don't know this person! Compared to that person, we should take you to see a doct—"

"How could you possibly not know Twilight?! March, aren't you and Twilight the closest? She's with you every day! How could you possibly not know her!"

Caelus's agitated voice directly interrupted March 7th, even startling her into silence. Caelus immediately realized his outburst but struggled to calm himself. The dullness in his head and a strange sense of loss in his heart continuously pushed his emotions towards anxiety.

"Sorry, March, I... I need to calm down. Something's not right."

Seeing Caelus sway twice then slump down dejectedly by the roadside, March 7th finally realized the severity of the problem. Her expression turned serious. She nodded, took out her phone from her pocket, and quickly contacted the other members of the Express crew.

When facing unsolvable problems, seeking help from companions is what united Nameless should do.

...

"Mm... So according to you, Caelus, there's actually another girl named Twilight on our Express. She's gentle, beautiful, incredibly strong, and likes you very much?"

A few minutes later, all members of the Express crew had gathered. In the quiet room, Welt looked seriously at the worried and frowning Caelus, subconsciously turning his head to check with the others—only to find the same confusion in their eyes—before looking back at Caelus.

"I remember you hit your head during the fight with Hoolay earlier. Could it be... the injury still hasn't healed?"

Although Welt tried his best to make his tone sound gentle, it still made Caelus abruptly stand up.

"There's nothing wrong with my head! Everything I said is true!" He looked at Welt in disbelief. "Uncle Yang, Twilight! She said she'd help you chase away those who bully you, have you forgotten?!"

"March, you two stick together every day! She usually sleeps in your room!"

"Himeko, you usually treat her like your own daughter! You should remember, right?"

"Dan Heng, your memory is so good! You definitely wouldn't forget, right?!"

Caelus looked at each of his companions in turn, but their troubled expressions made answers unnecessary, leaving only silence that gradually chilled the hope in his heart.

"You're playing a prank... right? I remember Trailblaze has a good relationship with Aha. You... you're paying homage to Aha, right?"

"...Caelus, there is no record of Twilight in the data bank. Nor is there such a passenger in the Express crew's archives."

Although reluctant to shatter the faint hope remaining in Caelus's heart, Dan Heng chose to speak after a moment of silence.

"If the Express crew truly had such a powerful companion as you described, it would be impossible for no records to exist."

"Interference with memory... Could it be the work of Memokeepers or Fictional Historians?" Himeko frowned slightly.

"Everything I said is true! Why don't you believe me!"

Although his companions' gazes were filled with concern, Caelus could only feel coldness from these events now. He didn't understand why everyone could forget Twilight so completely, as if she had never existed.

"Caelus, we really want to believe you... But right now, your memory conflicts with everyone else's memories and reality."

Welt shook his head. One person's memory being faulty, or the entire world's reality being tampered with—comparing the two possibilities, the former was clearly much more likely.

"But—Got it! If Twilight didn't exist, then how did we resolve the Stellaron crisis on Jarilo-VI back then?"

Caelus's eyes suddenly lit up, like a desert traveler unexpectedly finding an oasis.

Right! Facts couldn't be changed! Even if Memokeepers altered everyone else's memories, as long as he pointed out the contradiction between reality and their memories—

"Wasn't it you, Caelus, who pulled out the Lance of [Preservation] yourself, defeated Cocolia, and the Stellaron was sealed?"

"...Me?" Hearing March 7th's answer, Caelus pointed at himself blankly. The next moment, as if sensing something, he took out a flaming lance that seemed to burn with fire from his personal storage device.

What is this thing? He didn't recognize it at all—Hiss, wait, it seems vaguely familiar...

Looking at the strange yet familiar weapon in his hand, Caelus felt a sharp pain deep within his brain, making him subconsciously toss it aside.

"Then Penacony? How did we deal with Aventurine and Sunday in Penacony?!"

"The situation in Penacony was indeed complex. Fortunately, we found many allies," Himeko recalled the past, speaking slowly. "Defeating Aventurine was due to Miss Acheron's strike. And ultimately overcoming Order and the Dream of Unity [Ena] was a collective effort. Galaxy Rangers, the Astral Express, Miss Robin, and the wish of everyone wanting to wake up... Lacking any one of these, we likely would have failed."

"Then, then the Xianzhou?! The Ambrosial Arbor, Phantylia, Hoolay, and us..." The headache intensified. Caelus found that the closer he got to the end of his memory, the harder it became to clearly recall what happened. Conversely, memories of another world seemed to grow clearer in his mind—a memory without Twilight, only him, embarking on the Express alone.

"The Ambrosial Arbor and Phantylia were ultimately dealt with by Jing Yuan and Dan Heng's combined technique. Hoolay was taken care of by General Feixiao earlier," March 7th said cautiously. "It really didn't have much to do with that... Twilight?"

Silence.

Caelus could only remain silent. No matter what he asked, these people could provide answers, give evidence. Conversely, he himself couldn't find anything to corroborate his words.

Could it really be his problem? Was something wrong with his brain? Did Twilight actually not exist?

Yeah, how could such a good thing happen? Having a beautiful girl love him right from the start of the journey, willing to set off together with him...

"Hehe... Hahahaha!"

Suddenly, Caelus burst into laughter. Under the worried gazes of the others, he seemed to have figured something out, shedding his previous dejection, his eyes filled only with excitement.

"I get it... I get it all!" Caelus excitedly clenched his fists and stood up. "This is a dream! I'm still in the Dream of Unity [Ena]!"