"Dropping at 4 AM? We joked about an early release, but you actually did it—at freaking 4 AM?
What's the deal? Should I shout 'Man!' and brag about seeing 4 AM Los Angeles now?"
Though the sleep-deprived young man grumbled, his body betrayed him as he tapped the play button.
A buddy had even set up a group chat—
because whether it's movies or games, the real premium experience isn't hardware,
but the friends suffering alongside you.
However,
the timing was downright unholy, with most still fast asleep.
Only four or five lingered in the chat.
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Alright, I'm diving in! Spoilers incoming!]
[Kafka's Dog: Have some decency!]
[It's miHoYo Not Hoyoverse: Like I care! 2x speed, let's go!]
[Asta Is My Wife: You guys from Dunhuang? Walls of text over here. This handsome genius already started.]
Banter over, the young man switched to the streaming app, donned headphones, and braced himself.
The familiar miHoYo logo flashed before the screen cut to black—
then seamlessly continued from Episode 0.
——
Kafka cradled the Stellaron, approaching Silver Wolf cautiously.
Silver Wolf tossed a holographic screen toward her.
"Your call."
Kafka studied the figure on the display before shoving it back.
Then, under Silver Wolf's command,
a gray-haired materialized from a 3D printer—
Su Chen's portrayal of the Trailblazer.
Kafka leaned close. "How much does he remember?"
"At least you."
"Hmph." She pressed the Stellaron against his chest and gave a firm push.
"Time to wake up," she murmured tenderly.
To enhance immersion, Su Chen had named the Trailblazer "Caelus"—not everyone shared his name,
but anyone could be Caelus, the Trailblazer!
The perspective shifted as eyelids fluttered open like a camera lens focusing.
Kafka's lips curled faintly at the sight.
"Kaf…ka?"
She exhaled imperceptibly. "Good. You remember me."
Yet her expression soon hardened.
"Listen: Your mind is chaos right now.
You don't know who you are, why you're here, or what to do next.
You recognize me but can't tell if I'm trustworthy—"
The subtitles emphasized "Listen" in bold, annotating it as [Spirit Whisper].
Her voice also gained an ethereal echo, starkly contrasting her earlier tone.
"—None of that matters. What does is that I'm leaving you alone on this space station. So from now on, stop dwelling on the past or doubting yourself.
Listen: You'll face countless dangers, nightmarish predicaments… but also wonders beyond imagination.
You'll find comrades like family and embark on adventures no dream could conjure…
And at the journey's end, every mystery haunting you will unravel."
"This is the future Elio foresaw—your future. Do you like it?" Her voice normalized, the spell lifting.
"Where… are you going?"
"Somewhere else, to weave the threads of what's to come. Think of it like embroidery—we can only stitch one golden strand at a time, but eventually, it forms something beautiful."
Kafka closed her eyes, smiling enigmatically.
Silver Wolf glanced over. "How much longer? Script says the Astral Express crew's arriving soon. We shouldn't meet them."
"I know, Silver Wolf. Just… a little more."
"Time's up. I have to go…" The echo returned. "Listen: Someone will find you soon. Go with them without hesitation. Remember nothing—except me."
"Kafka…!"
"When you get to choose… make sure it's a decision you won't regret…"
The "eyelid" camera slowly shut, its final glimpse being Kafka and Silver Wolf's retreating figures.
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Why's Silver Wolf's screentime so short? It's all Kafka! Still think she's not a villain?]
[Kafka's Dog: Huh? Did we watch the same thing? Kafka's the villain? Bro, you're too busy staring at Silver Wolf's fishnets!]
[Kafka's Dog: Look how Kafka visibly brightens when Caelus wakes,
how her voice lifts when he says her name.
Isn't it obvious? He matters to her!]
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Okay, fair point.]
[Herta's #1 Simp: Why's Kafka so gentle here? The way she looks at Caelus—like a mother watching her child! Even her tone's soft!]
[Kafka's Dog: Wait, if the Stellaron's like giving Optimus Prime a Spark, does that make Kafka his mom? Can we call her 'Mommy' now?]
[Asta Is My Wife: First-person view does give 'mom vibes.']
[Kafka's Dog: Sync timestamps—I'm at 16:00 flat. No spoilers ahead!]
[Asta Is My Wife: 1.]
[Herta's #1 Simp: 1.]
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: 1.]
——
The screen stayed black, but a muffled male voice spoke:
"This person's coordinates weren't transmitted from the station…"
A female voice cut in:
"Who cares? He's literally right here—can't be a hologram!"
"...Pulse and breathing are weak. March, prep for CPR."
"Wha—?! I've never—Dan Heng, you do it!"
Just then, Caelus's eyes snapped open, restoring the visuals.
The first thing visible was a stoic face pursing its lips for rescue breaths—
"STOP—ABORT!" A pink-gloved hand yanked him back.
March 7th's face promptly filled half the screen.
Caelus sat up groggily, clutching his head.
After quick introductions, he learned the space station was under siege—
and that Dan Heng and March 7th belonged to the Astral Express.
Dan Heng left to find Arlan, leaving March to arm Caelus with a baseball bat.
[Kafka's Dog: HOLY—March 7th! Adorable overload!]
[Herta's #1 Simp: That close-up of Caelus waking up? Illegal levels of cute. miHoYo, you monsters—now I'm locked in. What if another waifu appears?]
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: Thought you were a Herta loyalist? If Silver Wolf's benched, March 7th's my temp waifu!]
[Kafka's Dog: Disgusting! I'm Kafka's loyal guard! BARK!]
[Asta Is My Wife: 20 minutes in and the plot's still chill. But dang, the sets and costumes are next-level!]
[Silver Wolf's Current Boyfriend: True. Where's the conflict? Episode 0 had tons of fights—shouldn't the Antimatter Legion be everywhere?]
[Herta's #1 Simp: Also, a baseball bat? Really?]
[Kafka's Dog: You don't get it—bats are versatile! This isn't miHoYo's style though. Where's the spectacle?]
——
Caelus swung the bat experimentally before following March.
Soon,
Antimatter Legion ambushed them.
Stepping forward, Caelus summoned the bat mid-air,
twirling it dramatically as he declared:
"Rules… are meant to be broken!"