Rabbit Reflected in Shades

Read Lucilla's WavesLine message

Find Lucilla

Lucilla: "When the Bird Glides Across the Sky"... that song I listened to during my insomnia last night. The Rinascitans do have an exquisite taste in art.

Lucilla: But this melody just keeps my mind going. Not suitable for sleeping. Erase.

Lucilla: Next... today's breakfast. Hmm, Royan-style.

Lucilla: All trivial. Erase it too. It was delicious, though.

Lucilla: Alright, looks like my guest has arrived. Gotta handle the rest later.

Lucilla: What? Do I look like some murmuring android to you?

Rover: Sorry, President. Were you...

Lucilla: Everyone leaves behind frequencies on the objects they carry. My Forte allows me to read and analyze that information.

Lucilla: Those frequencies, in a sense, are their memories.

Lucilla: I can read, analyze, and store them in my mind, erasing or adding memories at will. That's what I call "memory tuning."

Lucilla: It's different from amnesia. With amnesia, memories might still return.

Lucilla: But when I "erase" something through memory tuning, I erase the frequency entirely. There's no recovering it.

Lucilla: Oh? You still have it. Perfect. Objects with personal meaning carry stronger frequencies.

Lucilla: Rover, I'll need to ask you a few questions. Let's begin.

Lucilla: I have a general picture now. At the end of the Celebration, you and Sigrika entered the Dark Side to solve the final riddle, and encountered another "Sigrika."

Lucilla: And you realized she was a fake when she said, "Should finding an answer really be so important?"

Rover: You got it all right... Amazing how much you learned just from that single card.

Lucilla: To me, your memories play like a film. I can pause and study them frame by frame.

Lucilla: So, what happened after the fake Sigrika revealed herself?

Rover: Then... there was a rabbit. I remember chasing it, the same one I saw right after entering the Dark Side.

Lucilla: I see. Thank you, Rover. I think I've found what I needed.

Lucilla: Remember when I said Mornye compared the frequencies and found that the rabbit was likely the root cause of the Dark Side anomaly?

Lucilla: The rabbit leads those who enter the Dark Side to face what they fear and try to avoid. Just like Sigrika meeting her alter ego.

Lucilla: Since then, the anomaly has persisted. Some students and professors have faced the same situation.

Lucilla: Given the Grand Architect's teaser for you and Dr. Luuk, that rabbit should be one of the Fractsidus's little tricks in this game of theirs.

Lucilla: That rabbit is their pawn, which means, I can turn it against them.

Lucilla: We'll lure it out, capture it, and remove the anomaly at its source. Then, using my Forte, I can extract information about the Fractsidus from it.

Lucilla: Hehe, let's call it a field project. A joint study between a professor and her dear student.

Lucilla: Wonderful. Hearing that puts me at ease.

Lucilla: It's worth noting that while many have entered the Dark Side, only a few were chosen by the rabbit.

Lucilla: While the Celebration incident was a Fractsidus scheme targeting you and Sigrika, the other victims might have followed a pattern that drew the rabbit.

Lucilla: Exactly. We need to find out what each of them did in the Dark Side and make comparisons.

Lucilla: The common threads might be what attracted the rabbit. The Academy has already investigated the victims.

Lucilla: Based on what we've found, a few possible factors stand out.

Lucilla: Like how long they stayed in the Dark Side, whether they entered with a strong purpose or desire, and whether they brought anything back.

Lucilla: Not exactly. Some of his beliefs just don't align with the executives' ideas.

Lucilla: Setting that aside, I'll support your investigation from the Dark Side. My Forte will be essential to uncover what they experienced.

Lucilla: Hm. Now, I've textedWavesLine you the basic info on that victim... And take this.

Lucilla: Don't underestimate this little mirror. It's actually a communicator. It's only natural for partners to have a private line, right?

Lucilla: It's getting late. I'm already on my way to the Dark Side. The on-campus investigation is in your hands now.

Lucilla: Oh, and check your phone. I've sent you a new message.

Read Lucilla's WavesLine message

Head to the camp where Professor Sevi is

Lucilla: You're holding it too close. Using a communicator like that would make you look too suspicious.

Lucilla: Relax. I already adjusted the settings before giving it to you.

Lucilla: Just keep it in your pocket. The key is to stay calm and look natural.

Find Professor Sevi ahead

Inquire about the situation from the students

Lazy Student: Ugh, law of conservation... Then tell me, is the time between holidays and weekdays physically symmetric?

Lazy Student: Fridays turn into weekends, but when weekends pass, it takes four whole days for Friday to come again. Time clearly isn't evenly divided, is it?

Sorrowful Student: Maybe when they invented weekdays and weekends, they didn't think about that law... You know, science is rarely accepted by the masses at first.

Lazy Student: Exam guides? You mean like notes, previous tests, or lecture reviews? Forget it. None of that works on President Lucilla's exams.

Lazy Student: According to her, "Don't think of it as a test of knowledge, but an assessment of your life skills."

Lazy Student: "After all, here at Startorch, knowledge isn't just for show. It's what lets you breathe and move forward."

Sorrowful Student: Yeah, she really doesn't like those old scholars who keep talking about theories all day.

Rover: Speaking of our Professors... is there anyone who might go easy on students? Maybe Professor Sevi?

Lazy Student: Professor Sevi... Maybe? People say he treats students like his own kids. We just saw him earlier.

Sorrowful Student: But isn't he one of those "old scholars" the President dislikes?

Sorrowful Student: I heard they had a dispute once. He refused to compromise his academic pursuits, and it all ended on a sour note.

Lazy Student: Say no more. He's nearby. You can find him up ahead.

Rover: So, what does your receiver look like?

Lucilla: We have a winner. Hehe, nice association.

Lucilla: ...Unfortunately, you guessed wrong. Think of something that pairs with a mirror, like a lip balm.

Keep finding Professor Sevi ahead

Lucilla: Oh, no panic. I simply put together the professors' finest ideas for the exam questions... and added a little extra depth.

Lucilla: Of course not. If we are having ugly disputes simply over academic issues, Startorch Academy wouldn't even need to exist.

Inquire about the situation from the other professors

Professor Karl: I read it. Aside from the title, the rest was mind-numbingly long and irritating, like a damned Voidworm!

Professor Karl: And don't you dare include my name in your acknowledgements. That'd be pure slander! That's all.

Professor Karl: If you've got something to say, spit it out. Hesitation doesn't suit a Startorch student.

Professor Karl: Kids like you are always tentative. You even drag that habit into research... Honestly, I'm starting to wonder what Lucilla was thinking when she admitted you lot.

Lucilla: That voice... must be Professor Karl. You'd better answer him candidly. He's upright, and blunt.

Rover: I saw you were upset with your student earlier, so I didn't want to bother you. Professor, have you seen Professor Sevi?

Professor Karl: Sevi? He's probably prepping instruments. The man seems to be trapped in his research lately.

Professor Karl: Why... Hmph. Probably because of Lucilla and her merry band. They must've botched something, and Sevi caught wind of it.

Professor Karl: You're new, so you probably wouldn't know. Sevi and I don't really see eye to eye with Lucilla.

Professor Karl: She's a fine teacher. But as the Academy's leader? Hardly!

Professor Karl: If it's about scholarship, we have geniuses like Professor Mornye. If it's about leadership, we have investors with far more experience.

Professor Karl: Ugh, forget it. I don't even know why I'm bringing this up with a student. Guess I've been bottling that up for too long.

Rover: About what Professor Karl just said...

Lucilla: Don't worry. I'm fine. In my position, hearing skeptical voices is part of the job.

Lucilla: No rush. Go see it for yourself. Let's keep moving. Professor Sevi should be just ahead.

Find Professor Sevi

Lucilla: And one more thing, he is also a memory-type Resonator. He can reproduce and project objects from his memories.

Lucilla: To keep you focused, I'll stay quiet during your conversation.

Talk to Professor Sevi

Sevi: You're late. Did you bring all the materials I asked for?

Sevi: Hand me the recalibrator... Hm? What—

Sevi: Ah, my mistake. I thought you were my assistant. You are... Have we met before?

Sevi: So, when the launch program for Helios bugged out, how did you manage to recalibrate the parameters? And what about the live Drive data...

Sevi: Ahem... Watching a project come to life always gets me a little overexcited. I helped with part of the launch mechanism myself.

Sevi: Oh, I haven't even introduced myself properly. I'm Sevi, Professor from the Department of Engineering, and a past recipient of the Spacetrek Collective's Startorch Prize.

Sevi: This prize hasn't been awarded in years due to the difficult situation. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not showing off.

Sevi: I keep it... to remind myself that our science did make headway before, though now...

Sevi: ...Anyway, Rover, what brings you here?

Rover: (Lucilla mentioned that he's not on good terms with the management. I can't let him know I was sent here by her.)

Rover: (Still, we're both victims of the Dark Side. Maybe approaching from that angle won't raise suspicion.)

Rover: I'm here to talk about the Dark Side. Sigrika and I had an accident there, and I heard other students and professors experienced something similar.

Rover: There are so many conflicting stories about it. As someone who had been there, I want to know if everyone saw the same thing. You've entered it too, haven't you, Professor?

Sevi: I... Before that, tell me, what did you see in there?

Sevi: ...Unfortunately, although I did enter the Dark Side once, I didn't see any of that.

Sevi: Still, with all these incidents, the place should be completely sealed, especially from students.

Sevi: Now, I have to prepare for an experiment. We can have more discussion next time. Oh, and...

Sevi: That medal's yours now. The Startorch Prize may have been discontinued, but your contribution to the New Solar Ceremony deserves recognition.

Sevi: What we need now is another breakthrough in technology. So take it... as my personal acknowledgment.

Contact Lucilla

Lucilla: Yes, I've heard everything.

Rover: Looks like Professor Sevi didn't want to open up about what he saw in the Dark Side.

Lucilla: Even so, that medal's a valuable lead. It's deeply connected to him.

Lucilla: Excellent. Now, leave the rest to the adult.

Contact Lucilla to enter the Academy's Dark Side

Rover: President, can you still hear me?

Lucilla: Yes... The comms are stable. Let's begin.

Find clues ahead

Sevi: This is strange... I was setting up the room according to the riddle the Academy gave me, but now it's...

Sevi: Who changed the riddle? Who altered the scene? Could it be that rabbit the students keep mentioning?

Sevi: Either way, I should focus on restoring the room through memory projection. If a student gets misled and causes another accident, it'll be a real headache.

Lucilla: Mmm. So this is Professor Sevi's memory when he first entered the Dark Side. He stayed here quite a while and used his Forte.

Lucilla: From what we just saw, he was one of the staff involved in the New Solar Celebration. He came here to restore the scene that had been tampered with.

Lucilla: But...

Rover: Something wrong?

Lucilla: Not exactly. Maybe because I'm a memory-type Resonator too. Something caught my attention.

Lucilla: People think memory-type Resonators like us are masters of memories and emotions, unshaken by illusions or insults.

Lucilla: But no Forte is perfect. When we pour all focus into manipulating memories, information floods the mind.

Lucilla: That's when we're most vulnerable. The anomaly in the Dark Side preys on the mind. If I were a Fractsidus member, I'd strike then...

Lucilla: This projection won't hold for long. Let's move forward.

Look for Professor Sevi's projection

Investigate Professor Sevi's projection

Sevi: ...I can't even feel time passing here. Half an hour's gone already?

Sevi: This one... should go here. Wait, the rabbit—

Sevi: You again! Are you the one who changed the riddle and warped this place? Get back here!

Lucilla: This memory records the moment he met the rabbit. Before that, he mentioned time. Could that be another key factor?

Rover: Did the other victims have similar behaviors?

Lucilla: Let's not jump to conclusions yet. Keep going.

Follow Professor Sevi's projection

Sevi: Gone again? No matter how good you are at hide-and-seek, your traces stay in my memory.

Sevi: I'll just need to use my Forte again.

Sevi: No use hiding. I know you're there.

Sevi (Dark Side): Surprised? Staring at yourself.

Sevi: Y-you are... No, I know what this is. The Dark Side's a mirror. You're just my shadow.

Sevi (Dark Side): Hah. Even if I'm a shadow, so what? I'm still part of you. Afraid your shadow might know a few of your secrets?

Sevi (Dark Side): Secrets you've been running from...

Sevi (Dark Side): You're trapped, desperate for progress, like that Huanglong researcher, who eventually threw everything away for the truth.

Sevi (Dark Side): Pascar Spectrum... That name rings a bell?

Sevi: ...I'm nothing like Pascar.

Sevi (Dark Side): Oh, you're right about that. You don't even have his courage to give it all up. That's why you're stuck here, like a lab rat running in circles.

Sevi (Dark Side): But what if I told you... the answer you've been seeking is right here? Something about your current project. Go on, take a look.

Sevi: The data model... was wrong from the start? Is this where the error lies? If I fix it, my second hypothesis could actually work.

Sevi: Then, based on the corrected model, the result should be... Wait, there's a formula missing? The first half matches my derivation perfectly...

Sevi: Where's the rest? Where's the other half of the formula?

Sevi (Dark Side): I never said the answer was free. Let's make a fair trade.

Sevi (Dark Side): Offer something of equal value, and the answer's yours. Look, I've even prepared the stakes for you, everything tied to your research.

Sevi (Dark Side): Thesis, data... It's all here. So, which one's worth the truth?

Sevi (Dark Side): See? No weight at all. Your report's worthless.

Sevi (Dark Side): Try again?

Sevi (Dark Side): Ah, no, no, no. Far from enough. Is that the extent of your pride in knowledge? Why not wager everything?

Sevi: That... that can't be...

Sevi (Dark Side): But it can. You've spent all your chips. What else do you have left to trade?

Sevi (Dark Side): Ah, right. Almost forgot about that. Your greatest honor, wasn't it? Let's see if it's worth anything.

Sevi (Dark Side): Look at that. You've given everything, and yet, you still can't trade for a single answer.

Sevi (Dark Side): Or maybe... the scale is the answer. The so-called scientific pursuit at Lahai-Roi contributes nothing to the advance of human civilization.

Sevi (Dark Side): And of course, it can't change what sleeps beneath Lahai-Roi. You know exactly what I mean.

Sevi: Enough! You don't understand anything!

Sevi (Dark Side): Oh? Don't I? You've got nothing left. Oh... but there's still one last thing you can trade.

Sevi (Dark Side): Your life. Go on! This is the part you idealists always love, isn't it?

Sevi: ...I told you. You don't understand! You're just preying on desperate seekers of truth!

Sevi: I won't let anyone else enter this room!

Rover: So that's why Professor Sevi was so determined to keep everyone out of the Dark Side...

Lucilla: He was protecting them in his own way. He feared that eager students or passionate teachers might trade their lives for an illusion of truth.

Lucilla: Greatness isn't just about achievement. Sometimes, it's about facing reality and still choosing to live with dignity.

Lucilla: At Startorch Academy, we pursue truth, yes, but we value the journey more than the destination. Weighing our worth on a scale? That's true ignorance.

Lucilla: Spending more time in the Dark Side does raise the chance of seeing the rabbit, but that's not the root cause.

Lucilla: You're half right. The key isn't the Forte itself. It's what it acts upon.

Lucilla: Remember? Professor Sevi used his Forte to restore the scene, and other student victims used theirs to take something from the Dark Side...

Lucilla: In both cases, they influenced the space itself. That's the real link.

Rover: Since we've found the answer, I'll wait for you here...

Rover: Hello? Lucilla?

Lucilla: Look, there's actually one more thing I didn't mention. After the Celebration, every Dark Side victim shared one trait.

Lucilla: They were all memory-type Resonators. And there aren't many of us in the Academy...

Lucilla: Only one remains. You understand what that means now, don't you?

Lucilla: Focus my mind. Loosen my thoughts. Just a little. Give the threat an opening.

Lucilla: A small price to draw it out. In that false professor's words, a fair trade it is.

Lucilla: Since the Fractsidus went to such lengths to invite me, well, as the President, how could I turn down the feast?

???: That student... You seem to trust him quite a lot.

Lucilla: Mm-hmm. You'll understand once you meet him yourself. Anyway, how's your progress?

???: Just as planned. No one else remains in the Dark Side.

???: But the rabbit's clever. Every room has traces of its frequency. I can't pin down its exact trail.

Lucilla: Heh. If it were easy to catch, their little "feast" wouldn't be half as entertaining, would it?

Lucilla: And remember, if anything unexpected happens, you know what to do.

Lucilla: Of course. And I knew if I'd told you sooner, you'd either stop me or try to follow me.

Lucilla: But there's something only you can do from the outside.

Lucilla: The Dark Side is unstable by nature. Remember what I said? The Academy used riddles to regulate its gateways.

Lucilla: Most have been replaced by Fractsidus riddles, but a few originals are still hidden in the Academy's archive.

Lucilla: And the archive is... inclusive. Be careful what you dig into.

Lucilla: Even if I said no, you'd come anyway, wouldn't you? Fine. The Dark Side is a maze. I'll leave a few clues behind to guide you.

Lucilla: But if anything goes wrong, promise me you'll get out immediately.

Head to Rabelle College

Find the entrance to the Dark Side

Rover: The alternative riddles for the New Solar Celebration... Guess this is what President Lucilla wanted.

Rover: Why is it tucked into a storyboard, though? Her hobby?

Enter the Dark Side

Explore ahead

Rover: That's odd... Why are Tacet Discords here? And they're all moving towards her.

Lucilla: You're here. This way...

Rover: If I follow this path, it should lead me to the President.

Defeat the Tacet Discords

Rover: The Tacet Discords are gathering around here...

Rover: This is...

Enter the depths of the Dark Side

Some time earlier...

Lucilla: Heh, even got my taste right, huh? It's always so easy to read one's mind.

Lucilla: "The Tragic Life of Lucilla," directed by Lucilla, starring Lucilla.

???: Welcome. Enjoy your own movie.

Lucilla: Using my name and slapping on a title that lame?

Lucilla: I heard the Fractsidus had a playwright. And this is what your "art" looks like?

???: "This is the story of a girl who discovered she could read memories when she started to grow up."

???: "Before she could fully develop her self-knowledge, she absorbed too many memories that weren't her own... until she lost who she was."

Lucilla: Stealing Sevi's voice, twisting people's lives into your cheap drama...

Lucilla: Since when does that count as cinema? What's next, my grand arrival in Lahai-Roi?

Lucilla: How considerate to have even written the Academy's ending for us too.

Lucilla: If this ever hit theaters, I'd fast-forward it tenfold just to end the agony. The title really tells it. Utterly tasteless.

???: Thus ends the film. However, upon review, it's filled with meaningless actions, and its protagonist is pitifully naive.

???: The script will be rewritten and re-screened. Actress, please wait before the curtain.

Lucilla: Hm? A post-credits scene? Planning to remake my life now?

Lucilla: Fine. Since you've handed me a free ticket, I'll see it through.

???: "The Tragic Life of Lucilla: Remake"—Scene One. Action!

???: The pitiful girl repeats her past, grows up again, and again arrives at Startorch Academy, standing once more at a crossroads.

Stern Professor: Now, I'll announce the results of the Startorch Academy presidential election.

Stern Professor: The vote was jointly conducted by each department's committee and the New Federation Special Investigation Panel.

Stern Professor: Professor Lucilla, congratulations. You've been elected as the new President of Startorch Academy.

Stern Professor: Well then, President Lucilla, care to say a few words?

Lucilla (Actress): I...

Give an election victory speech

Lucilla (Actress): Thank you for your trust, but... I don't intend to accept.

Lucilla (Actress): Compared to others at the Academy, don't you think I'm... a bit too ordinary?

Lucilla (Actress): I have no major academic achievements nor administrative experience. Honestly, sometimes I even feel small standing among all of you.

Lucilla (Actress): Making a nobody the shepherd is dangerous for everyone, isn't it?

Lucilla (Actress): So... please understand my choice. I'm content following at the back of the flock. I request a new election.

Leave the meeting room

Keep exploring

Cheerful Student: Professor Lucilla, last time we stopped at page fifty-nine!

Lucilla (Actress): Alright then, page sixty, bottom right corner. This photo was taken before the Lament.

Lucilla (Actress): Back then, there was no Etheric Sea, and aerospace technology wasn't blocked yet. One of humanity's probes took this image in space...

Lucilla (Actress): Our home world, see? Just a pale blue dot.

Arrogant Student: So what's the point?

Lucilla (Actress): Excuse me?

Arrogant Student: I mean, what's the point of taking that photo? Looking at it only makes us feel small.

Arrogant Student: That tiny dot only makes all of us on it feel more insignificant, pathetic even. That so-called golden age of exploration and the great astronomy before the Lament... All they bring is loneliness.

Arrogant Student: We're all lonely in that endless darkness, just like Startorch Academy now. Tell me, Professor, does our so-called "exploration" here even matter?

Lucilla (Actress): I... I don't know...

Stern Professor: Absurd! You want to withdraw now, at the most critical stage of the experiment? Who could possibly take your place?

Lucilla (Actress): I-I'm just... scared. Scared to touch those instruments again. Scared of seeing results that don't match what we hoped for.

Stern Professor: Afraid of the risks? Then switch to theoretical work! Are you really going to let everything you've built amount to nothing?

Stern Professor: How long has she been locking herself in there?

Arrogant Student: No clue. We just heard stuff breaking... and someone crying.

Worried Student: Could it be... she's having another episode?

Worried Student: The madness caused by memory confusion...

Return to the room on the other side of the window

Approach "her"

???: She said nothing. Deep down, she'd already accepted her own mediocrity... and stopped moving forward.

???: The girl who once forced herself to stand tall now teeters on the edge. Her curtain's about to fall.

Lucilla (Actress): Hah... Did the others' memories bleed into mine again? How long was I out? The meeting's already over...

Lucilla (Actress): What's happening to me... I just want to forget. To erase this wretched Forte.

Lucilla (Actress): Erase... right. If I erase the memory of my Forte itself, maybe then, everything will go back to normal.

Lucilla (Actress): I'm done with all of it.

Stern Professor: She abandoned her title, her right to explore, and now even her own Forte.

Sevi (Dark Side): She chose to kill the person she used to be, like someone who had drowned, losing both her air and shadow.

Arrogant Student: A different choice, a brand-new life. Tell me, our dear audience, isn't this fascinating?

Arrogant Student: If everything's destined to fade away, why not just wait it out? Enjoy the last bit of pleasure and revel in the beautiful memories before the end.

Sevi (Dark Side): After all, fleeting joy feels far more real than some unreachable truth.

Cheerful Student: You only need to come a little closer, and take my hand.

Cheerful Student: Our lives can trade places. No more pain, only warmth and bliss. The curtain's about to fall, and the choice is yours.

Lucilla: Done with your performance?

Lucilla: All that noise for one purpose, the same trick you used on Sevi. Stirring fear, pressing old wounds.

Lucilla: Let me guess what you're after. Targeting Sigrika was just a diversion. You wanted the Academy to intervene.

Lucilla: Next, the memory-type Resonators affected in the Dark Side, and you knew I'd see it. That was your invitation.

Lucilla: So this little play? It was meant for me and all the memory-type Resonators. You're afraid of something in us, aren't you? Something that threatens your grand scheme.

Lucilla: You put on quite a hilarious show, I'll give you that. But you came to the wrong audience. You can ramble about pasts and futures all you like, but I only focus on the present.

Lucilla: And that's exactly why your "message" in that film disgusts me.

Lucilla: I don't deny the doubt, the struggle, or the pain we face in our search. Every soul in Startorch Academy has endured those.

Lucilla: But the weight of civilization demands shoulders to bear it. And we, right from the beginning, are a flock walking willingly toward our own end.

Lucilla: If the campfire's dying out, then these lambs you mock will burn themselves, just to walk one more mile before the final breath.

Lucilla: No glory sought. No remembrance needed. We'll lie down here, leaving not a trace.

Lucilla (Actress): But what's the point of it all?!

Lucilla: The point? You who watch us burn... You're the proof. You, and everyone behind you, that's our meaning.

Lucilla: And one more thing. Whether I deserve to be the President... That's not for your cheap words or your lousy films to decide.

Lucilla: If you're so desperate to tear me down, that only proves I'm doing something right.

Lucilla: Tell me, who's the real desperate one here?

Lucilla: Hehe, you're not the only one with backup. Checkmate.

Lucilla: You're here.

Hiyuki: Go after it. I'll handle the rest.

Lucilla: Come on. We've still got work to do.

Follow Lucilla to explore ahead

Lucilla: Stay sharp, Rover. It can take the form of anything in the Dark Side.

Lucilla: There's only one passage here. It must still be around. Stay close.

Talk to Lucilla

Lucilla: No sign of it here either. Rover, let's split up.

Lucilla: I'll check this room. You take the one before.

Lucilla: Told you... It's checkmate this time.

Lucilla: Hmm... We still haven't figured out what the Fractsidus wants with the Dark Side.

Lucilla: For now, this little one's our only lead. Let me try reading its memory first.

Lucilla: Oh? Looks like I don't even need to use my Forte.

Strange Rabbit: I suppose this counts as our first proper meeting, Madam Lucilla?

Lucilla: Proper meeting? You're talking to me through a rabbit from your little hideout. That's what you call "proper"?

Lucilla: Still... thanks for the film. It was tasteless and trashy, but I'll admit, it added a little fun to my job.

Lucilla: You knew I'd catch this rabbit from the start.

Strange Rabbit: And didn't you already know it was a trap meant for you? We both have what the other wants.

Lucilla: What are you trying to do in Lahai-Roi?

Strange Rabbit: Uh-uh. As an educator, you of all people should know better. Finding the answer is the asker's job, you know.

Strange Rabbit: Still... congratulations. You've won this round.

Lucilla: Won? I never agreed to play your little game. And neither did my students. Right, Rover?

Strange Rabbit: Flattering myself? That hurts. I worked very hard setting up those trials for you.

Strange Rabbit: If you didn't enjoy them, don't worry. There'll be a next round. And I promise, it'll be far more thrilling.

Strange Rabbit: Because next time, we'll be betting on the very fate of Lahai-Roi. Will it go boom and vanish... or will the flames of Startorch keep burning?

Strange Rabbit: I can't wait. Truly... I can't wait for our next meeting.

Lucilla: Next meeting...

Lucilla: I know you've got many questions, but let's get out of here first.

Return to the meeting room

Check the meeting room's window

Denia: You said the things in the Dark Side wouldn't hurt them.

Nivora: Didn't I do what you asked? You wanted to help Sigrika, so I tweaked the Dark Side to help her see herself clearly.

Nivora: Besides… no one got hurt, right? Your friend, your teacher… and Rover.

Nivora: I should thank you, actually. You helped me finish an experiment…

Denia: Experiment?

Nivora: The opposite of the void… How far can memory-type Resonators go before "its" power consumes them?

Nivora: And what other tricks is this petty Academy hiding?

Nivora: A miko wielding a sword, hehe…

Nivora: Come, my sweet darling. We've still got much to do.

Denia: What about the rabbit? Isn't it your pet?

Nivora: We don't keep trash. We dump it.

Nivora: So… please try hard to be useful, if you don't want to be disposable.

Lucilla: Sorry, Rover. I've kept you busy all day.

Rover: From the moment you came to me, you already knew this was a trap set by the Fractsidus. Yet, you planned to walk right into it.

Lucilla: All in a day's work for your President. Besides... it worked out pretty well, don't you think?

Lucilla: Don't worry. I know the Dark Side pulls people toward what they fear and try to escape from. But I learned to face my past honestly long ago.

Lucilla: You want to know?

Rover: Didn't you say you wanted to introduce a new course, Startorch Guidelines: From Strangers to Confidants?

Rover: Students and teachers should get to know each other, right? Maybe this counts as our first class.

Lucilla: Sigh... I really set myself up for that one. Well...

Lucilla: Before I turned twenty, I couldn't tell which memories were mine and which belonged to the ones I had read.

Lucilla: As I absorbed more and more of them, I saw too many births and deaths… I started to feel how small and ignorant I really was.

Lucilla: That's exactly what the Dark Side preyed on. It then recreated the predicament I once lived through. The Fractsidus was questioning me, the representative of Startorch Academy…

Lucilla: When the future offers no answers, and existence itself is destined to fade… can anything we do, in our brief and ignorant lives, truly matter?

Lucilla: As a student of Startorch Academy, what do you think, Rover?

Lucilla: Haha, that's the kind of answer you'd say.

Lucilla: Back then, I joined the Spacetrek Collective without a real purpose, but luckily, just like you, I met a good teacher.

Lucilla: My teacher was an ordinary man, a Roya in charge of observation in the frostlands. We both spent our days watching and recording, each in our own realm…

Lucilla: But he never saw himself as just an observer. Again and again, he made connections with people and the things he studied and built bridges between them.

Lucilla: It was like how we draw lines between the stars now. In these perilous frostlands, each person is a point of light for another.

Lucilla: Maybe I used to stand too high, never stooping to feel the emotions in those memories… the ones that needed time to settle for an ordinary person.

Lucilla: When I revisited the memories I once read, I realized they all shared one thing in common—everyone spends their whole life searching for answers.

Lucilla: No… I'm still searching. In that sense, I'm the same as all of you, just another student on the path.

Lucilla: So don't worry. Until I find it, the Fractsidus won't be able to shake me. Also, about that miko lady you're curious about…

Lucilla: My lips are sealed on that, I'm afraid. A President has her principles, not to mention the Academy's safety protocol. But one day, you'll see her again.

Lucilla: Anyway, I still have to write a full report on the Dark Side. Leave the rest to the adults now. It's getting late, Rover. I'll see you in class.

Lucilla: …Has this game truly ended?

Wait until the next day...

Head to the auditorium

Lucilla: It's just the two of us now. No need for all the formality, Hiyuki.

Lucilla: Oh, and just so you know, the maintenance fee for that blade will be coming out of your paycheck this month.

Hiyuki: Which blade?

Lucilla: The one you used in the Dark Side. That makes it the fourth you've broken so far. Try to be gentler the next time, will you?

Hiyuki: Sure. What about my own sword?

Lucilla: Its maintenance is mostly done. Don't worry, you'll have it back soon.

Lucilla: Want to try one? It's pretty popular among the students.

Hiyuki: Not hungry.

Lucilla: Candy's supposed to be eaten when you're not hungry. That's what makes it taste good. Go on, try it.

Lucilla: Have you swallowed it?

Hiyuki: Umm-hmm. A bit sour… and my tongue's tingling. Not my favorite.

Lucilla: Huh? No reaction at all? That's odd. When Sigrika and the others ate theirs, they…

Hiyuki: What?

Lucilla: You're no fun.

Hiyuki: He saw me. Does that affect your plan?

Lucilla: It's fine. The Fractsidus didn't just set the trap for me. It was meant to draw you out as well.

Lucilla: They've noticed your existence.

Lucilla: I'm sorry for keeping you confined… for trying to hide your power. In the end, it still came to light.

Hiyuki: We both knew this day would come sooner or later.

Lucilla: So… would you consider moving back to the Academy for now? If anything happens, you can respond right away.

Lucilla: The Fractsidus went to great lengths to tamper with the Dark Side, but it poses little actual threat to the Academy.

Lucilla: At worst, this anomaly might be tied to the power of the Threnodian, too. It seems they're already preparing their next phase.

Hiyuki: What do you need me to do?

Lucilla: Now's not the time.

Lucilla: You should know that the Spacetrek Collective was built atop the Threnodian. That's why we've prepared countless contingency plans.

Lucilla: Even if every single one failed… even if the Threnodian completely consumed the Collective, we still have a final card to play.

Lucilla: The wish-granting miko, you—