Felicity was an unusual girl.
But that was all—just amusement.
Felicity was dead, and Herta's only regret was the loss of a subject who had offered full cooperation in her experiments, unbothered by life or death.
So, when Felicity's heart stopped, Herta didn't pay much attention. Still, an odd emptiness tugged at her chest.
After idly returning the [Invalid Thought] code machine to the display case, Herta turned back toward Felicity's lifeless form. She furrowed her brow, appearing to contemplate what to do with her now.
But Herta didn't waste too much time thinking. After a brief pause, she summoned a larger display case with a wave of her hand and casually placed Felicity inside.
"A barely qualified Emanator. Slightly interesting."
She murmured to herself, her eyes quickly dimming.
"Waiting…"
--+--
System time is 23:44:58.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"
A blinding white flash erupted, followed by a thunderous explosion that shook the space station to its core. The shockwave jolted nearby staff, the entire facility trembling under the impact.
Dozens of black and purple humanoid armors stormed the station, tearing through everything in sight without restraint.
"Arlan, what's going on?"
Inside the control room, a pink-haired girl grabbed onto the console for balance. She frowned and quickly called through the line, her voice filled with concern.
"Miss… Stationmaster Asta, it's the Antimatter Legion. For some reason, our defenses suddenly dropped. They blasted an opening and forced their way in."
"Gather all staff and retreat to the main control compartment. Once everyone's secured, seal the elevator. I'll request external support."
Asta's expression tightened—but it was clear this wasn't her first time handling such emergencies. Her orders came without hesitation.
"Understood. I'll have everyone follow Stationmaster Asta's command."
"I mean all officers. Defense personnel count as staff too. Arlan, stay sharp."
"It's fine. I can make my own calls."
Toot—
The call ended, leaving only the busy signal behind.
--+--
System time is 23:47:15.
A woman with a burgundy ponytail strolled leisurely through the abandoned space station. Virtual soldiers' corpses surrounded her, but her manner was more like a walk after dinner.
Beside her sat a petite girl with a silver ponytail.
"What are you staring at, Silver Wolf? It's rare to see you this absorbed. Mind showing me?"
The woman's tone was soft, her eyes reflecting gentle curiosity.
"Herta's toys. Items from the [Catalogue of Curios]. The space station's full of odd stuff."
As she spoke, Silver Wolf sliced open the floating screen before her with a flick.
"Look, Kafka. There's something strange stored with the Stellaron."
"Oh? What kind of strange?"
Kafka's voice was gentle, like a teacher coaxing a child to speak her mind.
"Not sure. No records of it anywhere in the station. Which means Herta values it. Don't you wonder what it is? I do."
Silver Wolf placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow.
Kafka gave a faint, indulgent smile. Folding her arms, she nodded. "Alright. Let's go have a look. Where's the target?"
--+--
Felicity's awareness floated in complete darkness.
In this state, she guessed one thing—she wasn't dead.
Her consciousness was sealed away, somewhere beyond reach. She couldn't move her body, but her thoughts remained intact.
It wasn't the first time. Once before, Herta had tried destroying her outright. Her mind froze for days, but the power of Abundance reshaped her after death, or so Herta had said.
Who knows how long it'll take this time?
Felicity thought bitterly.
She disliked this feeling. It reminded her of her arrival in the stars—sightless, voiceless, untouchable.
Huh?
She thought she heard something.
"There's an independent system around it… Looks like the Stellaron's more than just a collection to Herta. But I'm curious about the body beside it."
"Handle the mission first. Then check. Can you extract it?"
"Tch. Even Herta can't top me in hacking."
"Then I'll leave the carrier prep to you~"
…Voices?
Felicity trembled faintly.
"How much of her… memory remains?"
"She'll remember you, at least."
A light laugh followed, softer this time.
"It's time to wake up~"
The Stellaron surged. Just for a moment—but it was enough to reach her.
Felicity's eyes flew open.
"Ah… a strange ceiling."
Looking at the display case around her, she spoke softly. Stretching lazily, she turned her gaze to the side.
The burgundy-haired woman had her palm over a silver-haired girl's chest. The petite one stood watch, as if guarding her.
"…Bullying?"
The thought popped into Felicity's head without warning.
Her movements drew the two's attention.
"Kafka, look. That corpse… it's moving?"
Silver Wolf's voice wavered with doubt. She stared at Felicity, unsure what Herta was thinking—hiding a person in the most secure room.
—The Genius Society's brightest keeping a girl in a display case? That would go viral.
"Well then. Silver Wolf, hold her for a moment. I'd like some private time with my little one."
Kafka met Felicity's gaze, then looked away. Her tone held a subtle urgency.
"I got it. Looks like this might be fun, too."
Silver Wolf nodded. Her curiosity had been piqued. Why hide a living girl in a sealed, pitch-black room?
Elio's script hadn't mentioned a failure during Stellaron integration. What the script didn't include… didn't matter.
Silver Wolf stepped forward, confident and calm.
--+--
T/N: Damn, herta being a tsundere.