"Don't worry, Mr. Gopher Wood."
"My sister is fully prepared."
"There's no one more suitable than her."
"This Harmony Festival—she will stand at the center."
Sunday was lying.
Robin's voice—
Had already begun failing the moment she entered the dream.
This couldn't be revealed.
Not to Gopher Wood.
Not to anyone.
If even the main performer lost her voice—
Penacony would descend into chaos before the festival even began.
And that—
Was unacceptable.
"…Good."
"I trust you and your sister."
"Go. I hear the IPC has arrived."
"Handle it."
"Yes, Mr. Gopher Wood."
—Caw.
The crow vanished.
The moment it left—
Sunday's expression darkened.
This Harmony Festival—
Was not what the Family claimed it to be.
Gopher Wood intended—
To use Robin as a sacrifice.
To summon—
The Choral Choir.
And Sunday knew—
If Robin learned the truth—
She would never agree.
More importantly—
She wasn't qualified.
Not him.
Not her.
Neither had the power—
To summon it alone.
So the plan was simple—
Gather the power of the entire Oak Family—
Condense it into a single vessel—
And force the summoning.
Such was the strength of Harmony.
Under Harmony—
The Family could become one.
A single will.
A single force.
Legends spoke of:
Ena, the Infinite Choir Leader — turning entire armies into unified forcesDominicus, the Choir of Collective WillConstantina, the Grand Theater of VoicesBeatrice, the Blissful Masquerade of Music
Each—
Divine in form.
Yet…
Something far more twisted beneath.
Sunday exhaled slowly.
His expression returned to calm.
"Lord Sunday."
"The IPC representatives have arrived."
"There's also a scholar from the Intelligentsia Guild."
"Bring them in."
"Yes, my lord."
Meanwhile — Reef of Flowing Dreams — Cloudford Garden
Golden light—
Spanned time and space—
And descended upon Evan.
A phantom of the Astral Express appeared—
Etching his body and consciousness—
Onto an endless silver rail.
Only after a long moment—
Did the light fade.
"I've grasped it…"
"The power of Trailblaze."
Evan withdrew his gaze from Mikhail—
And looked at Gallagher.
"Gallagher."
"Fictionologist."
"If I'm not mistaken…"
"You were the one who sent Himeko that music box."
"…Yes."
Gallagher's expression was complicated.
Relief.
Regret.
Resentment.
"If only you had come sooner…"
"Even just a little earlier…"
"The old man's final wish…"
"Was to see the silver rail return to Penacony."
Silence.
"…We were too late."
Evan admitted quietly.
If they had arrived earlier—
They could've at least seen him off properly.
A man like Mikhail—
Didn't deserve to fade away in silence.
And the one responsible—
The Dreammaster.
"Gopher Wood."
Evan stood.
"You've been watching long enough."
"Show yourself."
A massive blade of consciousness—
Pointed toward the sky.
A black crow descended.
And transformed—
Into a man.
"…Gopher Wood."
Gallagher stepped back—
Protectively shielding Mikhail.
The Dreammaster.
Founder of the Oak Family.
One of Penacony's original builders.
And—
The one who betrayed it.
Yet the figure before them—
Was young.
At his shoulder—
Perched a black crow.
"So…"
"The light of Trailblaze shines once more upon this forgotten dream."
The man adjusted his glasses, stepping forward calmly.
Evan frowned.
This wasn't right.
By all accounts—
Gopher Wood should've appeared as an old man.
Yet here he stood—
In his prime.
A provocation?
Or something else?
"I've heard the Astral Express has returned."
"To think… its Nameless would be so young."
"You remind me of him."
"Mikhail."
"You're the same."
"Young."
"Arrogant."
"Fearless."
"…You talk too much."
Evan didn't even look at the man.
His gaze—
Was fixed on the crow.
Because that—
Was the real body.
The "man"—
Was just a puppet.
Herrscher of Sentience Authority — Activated.
This world—
Though built upon a Stellaron—
Was still—
A realm of consciousness.
And in the domain of consciousness—
Evan's authority—
Was absolute.
In an instant—
Gopher Wood felt it.
Something was wrong.
Across all twelve dreamscapes—
The world trembled.
A massive hand—
Descended from the sky—
Grasping the crow.
Tight.
The core of the dream—
Shook violently.
"STOP!"
Gopher Wood's voice turned hoarse.
"Nameless!"
"Do you intend to destroy this dream?!"
"Or shall you hear the harmony of the Infinite Choir?!"
The puppet fell silent.
Only the crow struggled—
Its voice cracking.
The grip—
Was crushing its existence.
"Release me!"
"If you don't want the Family hunting you—!"
"This dream—was Mikhail's life's work!"
"…Oh?"
Evan's voice was calm.
"Then tell me, Gopher Wood—"
"Within Harmony…"
"Shouldn't there be discord?"
"Or perhaps—"
"You are that discord."
"—A remnant of Order."
Silence.
Gopher Wood understood.
He—
Was the dissonance.
He had abandoned the Path.
Abandoned the dream.
Turned Penacony into this distorted paradise.
Rewriting history—
Even casting Mikhail as the villain.
All for one purpose—
To restore Order.
From within Harmony.
"…Don't look at me like that."
Gopher Wood said coldly.
"And don't think you can threaten me with authority here."
"Do you think Harmony doesn't already know…"
"That a traitor exists within its song?"
Evan's gaze remained steady.
He wasn't interested in the puppet.
The crow—
Was enough.
"…I'll remember you."
Gopher Wood said.
"The afterglow of Trailblaze will fade."
"Only Order…"
"Will rule the cosmos."
—Caw.
The crow tried to escape.
"Leaving already?"
Evan tightened his grip.
"Boring."
CRACK.
The crow shattered—
Into feathers.
The massive hand vanished.
The dream stabilized.
"…Gopher Wood…"
Gallagher muttered—
Picking up the scattered feathers.
"One of Order's remnants…"
"…Yes."
Evan replied calmly.
"That's what Mikhail wanted to tell us."
A dream—
Built over a lifetime—
Stolen midway.
The father of Penacony—
Turned into its "traitor."
"…That bastard…"
Gallagher clenched his fist.
Gopher Wood—
Deserved to die.
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