books44 Chapter 418 [Empire] Dust
Chapter 418 [Empire] Dust
Yes, Nightingale and Lin Hao went to complete the mission. While I don't remember the exact details, I know they handled the remaining matters. And I, completely detached from all the chaos, simply wanted to find a place to completely empty myself. So, I fell asleep. There was no struggle, no entanglement, just a deep sleep, as if no force could pull me back to reality.
In my dream, I was back in front of that tree. It stood there quietly, its roots deeply buried in the earth, its branches and leaves seemingly reaching the sky, gazing at me from afar. I did nothing but stare at it quietly.
This tree once held human dreams, aspiring to be great. However, fate and the power of humanity pushed it down from that ideal platform, shattering it to pieces. Its roots are now tangled into cold, indifferent roots, and its heart—a heart once brimming with life—is now cold and silent.
It gazed into the distance, its eyes devoid of resentment, only a deep sense of helplessness. Beyond them lay the humans it had once loved, the ones it had trusted and upon whom it had placed all its ideals and hopes. Yet, those very humans had ultimately pushed it into the abyss, turning its life into a tool for experimentation, cutting, dissecting, and even destroying it without hesitation.
There was no anger or hatred in its eyes. Only a stillness, like stagnant water, a hollow feeling left by deep hurt. Just like the dreams of the past, they were also destroyed by the cruel reality, and ultimately reduced to ruins.
I stood beneath the tree, watching it, its silent gaze. I wanted to ask it if it regretted anything, if it had ever considered resistance, if it had ever longed for a different outcome. But it didn't respond. Its gaze seemed to penetrate the years, to penetrate all our thoughts and emotions, gazing at the now-vanished land, as if it had seen through all impermanence.
“Can you see it?” I asked it in my dream.
It remained silent, saying nothing, only gently shaking its branches, which had been corroded by time. It seemed that it no longer needed to answer, and all the words and emotions had been worn away by time.
At that moment, I felt an indescribable sadness. That tree, once so full of hope and ideals, no longer belonged to that world. It became a silent monument, a reminder to all of us of the ultimate price.
I don’t know how long I stayed in the dream. I only know that when I opened my eyes again, the heavy feeling still didn’t go away, as if the image of the tree was still lingering in my heart.
The New Year’s bell rang, and I realized that we had entered a new year.
But in this interstellar age, New Year's Day has long ceased to be the festive symbol it once was; it has become little more than a symbol of nostalgia. We still sit in this classroom, in this strange interstellar city, continuing our lives and work as before, as if time has stood still. Even holidays are no longer valued, and New Year's Day is nothing more than an empty memory.
Nightingale somehow managed to get a clay hand warmer, the kind used for burning charcoal. This morning, he mysteriously pressed it into my hand, saying, "Take this, it'll keep you warm." I looked down at it. It was an ancient hand warmer, completely out of place in the interstellar era, even a bit dated and worn. I couldn't help but smile, but I took it to school anyway.
The air in the classroom remained chilly. The students hadn't been feeling well in the days since the holiday, as if weighed down by the New Year's silence. The faint warmth from the stove warmed my hands slightly, but my body remained as cold as unmelted ice. Nightingale's hand warmer had clearly been prepared especially for me. Despite its slightly dated smell, it gave me a strange feeling of warmth at that moment.
My eyelids grew heavier, the lectures no longer holding much interest. Though the interstellar city outside was bustling with activity, at this moment, I simply wanted to lean on this time-forsaken hand warmer and enter a dreamland free of pressure and tasks.
"What's wrong with you?" The classmate next to me suddenly asked me in a low voice.
I raised my eyelids and realized that I had been distracted in class. A smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of my mouth: "Nothing, just a little sleepy."
"How was your New Year?" he continued, seeming a little worried about my situation.
I shook my head gently, not intending to say anything more. In the interstellar age, festivals no longer belonged to individuals, but had become some kind of stereotyped ritual, still carried out mechanically.
"Aren't you going to the interstellar celebration?" he asked again, with some curiosity in his eyes.
I thought about it and shook my head gently: "I'm not in the mood." After saying that, I lowered my head again and set my eyes on the clay hand warmer. I felt that the temperature it emitted was a little weak, but it was enough for me to relax for a moment.
A new year, a new beginning, a new mission, everything seems to be full of uncertainty. But I will continue to walk on this familiar yet unfamiliar road.
Final exams were quietly approaching, and the classroom atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The teacher at the podium began to quicken the pace of instruction. Every class was like a countdown clock, reminding me of the inevitable approaching exam. For me, this wasn't just about the pressure of the test; it also meant a farewell—I was leaving the capital planet to find my third foster parent, the commander-in-chief of the First Army, Ye Qing.
This moment filled me with a mixture of nervousness and complexity. Leaving the capital planet meant leaving behind familiar surroundings, leaving behind this city filled with a complex and subtle atmosphere. This place held so many memories for me, from the dark alleys of the mercenary streets to the calm hours of the classroom, every inch of this land had been woven with my own. But all of this would be temporarily left behind, replaced by new challenges and the face of new unknowns.
I also began packing my bag, gathering my scattered belongings. My backpack contained no extravagances, just the bare necessities. I also packed the young green seedling and took it with me. Its branches and leaves were still green, but compared to their initial fragility, they now seemed more resilient, as if it too was quietly growing, awaiting greater challenges.
And behind all this preparation, Ye Qing's name kept recurring in my mind. This military commander, my third foster parent, seemed to hold a deeper background and more secrets. Meeting him marked the true beginning of my mission, and another stage in my transformation.
He's more than just a simple leader; he's a complex figure brimming with scheming and strategy. Nightingale's presence introduced me to the world of mercenaries, while Ye Qing's existence is like a key to a higher level. The border star region seems completely different from the capital star, filled with more turbulent and unpredictable elements.
I'm not sure if I'm ready, but I know that at the end of the road, I can only move forward.
Most importantly, he's the person I think is most likely the original owner's father, so I need to be more careful and cautious around him. Although his behavior is self-evident...
As the days passed, the countdown seemed to have begun. I was no longer the carefree student I once was. In this unfamiliar star region, my sense of responsibility and mission gradually grew. Looking back on the past, while it was hard to let go, my goal had already surpassed every small hurdle before me.
On the final night of the semester, I sat alone, buried in my books under the lamplight, attempting a final review. Outside, the winter wind still blew, while the warmth of the room seemed increasingly distant. I kept reviewing the knowledge points, my heart awash with emotions. Knowing I was about to leave, knowing I was about to embark on a new adventure, all of this filled me with an unprecedented sense of turmoil.
Perhaps the final test score is no longer the most important thing. What matters is the step I'm about to take, to find my third caregiver and enter that unknown territory. In this process, I will gradually transform and become a truly strong person.
As night falls, starlight shines through the window, illuminating my desk. Perhaps, tomorrow morning, I will pack my bags and head towards the unknown star region, beginning one of the most important tasks of my life.