Sad Bird

An unknown amount of time passed before the blue-haired girl slowly woke from her coma. A wave of intense dizziness brought bouts of tinnitus; the entire world seemed to be spinning, and mosquito-like black dots drifted across her retinas.

Beep—Beep—

An instrument to her side recorded the girl's gradually stabilizing vital signs. For some reason, Tang Xin felt so miserable she wanted to cry out loud. It was as if she had sung an incomparably sad and heavy song in a dream, one where everyone had left her.

An indescribable weight pressed down on the girl's heart. Perhaps triggered by physiological stimuli, her eyes involuntarily grew moist. She suppressed her tears, but when she tried to wipe them away, she noticed her arm was connected to numerous life-support tubes. The unsightly burn scars deeply stung her eyes.

She wanted to cry. She really wanted to cry. Why was she so sad, so miserable?

She remembered everything that had happened on the island. In the end, it seemed someone had saved her.

Tang Xin propped herself up to sit. Her fingertips touched her slender neck, stroking the bandage that smelled of medicine. Facing the mirror by the bed, she pulled the bandage down slightly, revealing a ghastly puncture wound. Seeing herself so thin she looked like a different person, she tried to cry out in terror, but could only produce a few low, raspy, and unpleasant sounds.

This physical change brought an unprecedented fear upon the girl. She tried to sing the songs she was familiar with, but her throat refused to obey, feeling hoarse and painful. Amidst her struggle, she fell from the hospital bed to the floor. The nurse on duty outside saw this and quickly opened the door, rushing in:

"Miss Tang Xin, you're awake?"

The nurse helped Tang Xin back onto the bed while pressing the red bell on the headboard. Moments later, various plague doctors entered the ward, clipboards in hand, recording the girl's current physiological state.

Through their conversation, Tang Xin gradually calmed down and learned the general situation. She was currently in a private hospital owned by Life Daybreak Company. She had been in a coma for nearly three days, kept alive only by intravenous fluids. Her life had once been in critical danger, teetering on the edge.

There was a small scar on her right cheek, left during the fight with White Snake. Her entire left arm was severely burned. Only through full medical intervention had they barely managed to save the nearly necrotic nerves and blood vessels, though the charred skin could not be fully restored. Many of the gunshot wounds on her body were fatal; it was her unconscious, continuous use of water healing arts to mend her broken body like a ragdoll that had stabilized her vital signs.

When the conversation turned to the puncture wound on her neck, all the plague doctors fell silent in unison. Tang Xin learned the truth: her vocal cords were severely damaged. Even after healing, there was only a minimal chance she would regain her ability to speak, and there was a high probability of lasting side effects.

All the physicians expected the girl to lose her temper or cause a scene, but she didn't. After the initial wandering of her mind upon waking, Tang Xin remained calm throughout. She simply leaned against the headboard, silently watching the plum tree outside the window. It was already the season for the plum blossoms to bloom.

There were only two months left until the new year. She recalled what the golden-haired girl had said. The other party had promised to spend the new year with her—they would ride the Ferris wheel, walk hand-in-hand along the banks of the Aegean River, and finally go to the New Year Square to welcome the new year amidst the collective countdown of the crowd.

She really wanted to ask about Xu Xiaoyou's current situation. But no matter what she tried to write on the small whiteboard the doctor handed her, the doctor only shook his head and told her she needed to rest.

Finally, Tang Xin gave in to the doctors and gave up. She pulled up the covers, and a deep sense of loneliness enveloped her. It was another night on the Star of Art, yet she felt as if she had returned to the past. Outside was a festive holiday, while she could only sit alone in a corner of the city, singing to a camera in the biting cold.

Her curtain had also been destroyed in the fight. For some reason, the emptiness in her heart made her truly want to hear Xu Xiaoyou's voice at this moment.

Had she helped Yuzu in the end? Where was the other party now? Did she know she had woken up? Would she come to visit?

Would she... despise her as she was now?

She couldn't even sing anymore. Combined with these unsightly scars, her popularity would surely plummet, right?

What was she thinking? Her mind was uncontrollably drifting toward such thoughts. Tang Xin shook her head and turned on the television; it was her only channel for understanding the outside world.

"Star of Art Talk Show, Your Moon My Heart..."

Tang Xin picked up the remote and changed the channel.

"Let melody awaken your soul, let rhythm ignite your passion. Don't let the corners of the city at night remain in silence..."

Change channel.

"The fourth performance of the Gloomy Girls Band was a great success. As you can see, the fans below the stage are very enthusiastic."

Seeing the bright, beautiful, and lively light-pink-haired girl on stage, Tang Xin dazed for a moment before continuing to change the channel. Whether it was family politics or the newly promulgated Starry Movement, she didn't care. She only wanted to know the final situation on the island.

Ultimately, she got what she wanted on the Winter family's station. All members of Section 6 were facing the interviewers with infectious smiles. They were the ones who had successfully terminated the Siren King on the island, ending the advent of the siren miracle, and using the anchor point to reseal the Siren King back into the depths of the ocean.

Tang Xin had met everyone in Section 6. The people appearing on the news, whether in appearance or temperament, were identical to the Section 6 members she had previously contacted. Yet, there was an indescribable sense of strangeness. Their eyes seemed to lack a bit of... spark?

At that moment, the reporter raised a question. "Everyone, regarding the authenticity of the following recording, can you give us your subjective thoughts?"

The station played a segment of footage. In the frame, a golden figure wore a mask and a grayish-black robe, wielding pitch-black twin blades. The figure was phantom-like, almost demonic, with blade light as dense as a web, suppressing and severely wounding the Siren King throughout the encounter.

Tang Xin couldn't confirm the figure's identity, but her heart was thumping, beating fast and hot. It was like that ball on the cruise ship, where the golden-haired girl took her hand, held her waist, and whispered in her ear.

Since this video leaked, it had set off a massive wave of popularity for the "Dark Gold Rose" on the Star of Art. Most people had come to recognize this mysterious luminous prism grade fixer.

Discussions about the Dark Gold Rose on the internet refreshed by the thousands every minute. Various merchandise like dolls and figurines were launched, and fan creations were everywhere. For the vast majority of young people, this was the first time in their lives they had witnessed a luminous prism grade fixer in combat. It perfectly matched the yearning in their hearts.

So mysterious, powerful, beautiful, and far removed from the mortal world. She had left with a flick of her sleeves after wounding the Siren King, hiding her fame and achievements. No matter how the news reported it, they firmly believed the Dark Gold Rose was the one who truly defeated the Siren King, the torch that brought hope and light to the people.

Dark Gold Rose, Xu Xiaoyou...

Tang Xin's gaze became vacant. So, the other party had already left the Star of Art?

A sharp pain spread across Tang Xin's chest. She began to resist everything related to the girl—all the beautiful memories, the experiences of being together, holding hands and resting in the afternoon, the promises made. The unspeakable emotions made her unable to suppress her tears any longer.

In the empty hospital room, the girl wept silently. Scalding tears fell one by one, soaking the bedding.

The other party was clearly just a passerby in her life who had left behind an unforgettable scenery. Why was she so miserable now that the other had left? Why was it so suffocating she couldn't stop her tears?