The real reason circled in Her mind, but She swallowed it down and forcibly came up with an excuse.

Actually, She wanted to wait until Sique was no longer so busy... so they could go to the sunflower garden together and watch the golden petals and white dandelions fluttering in the sky.

Her birth derived from a sudden inspiration that struck Sique one day as he passed the sunflower garden. So, Qi Jue wanted to see... what kind of scenery brought Her into existence.

She recalled what She had personally witnessed before—a character did something utterly disgusted by Sique and was wiped out by him. She wondered how She might avoid such a fate.

If She could understand why She was born, maybe She could know why She might be discarded.

In this way, She could avoid a sorrowful ending and stay with Sique forever.

...

That day, Sique fainted at the desk.

Recently, Sique had grown increasingly frail, and not even Qi Jue knew what he was doing. After helping him onto the bed, he held onto Her sleeve:

"... What do you think about the story of 'Daylight Floating City'?"

This was the first time Sique asked Qi Jue's opinion on the Twelve Stories.

Qi Jue: "I think that little girl named Siyi is very pitiful. She did nothing wrong, yet is destined to carry the burden of initiating reincarnation."

Sique lowered his eyelids, his face flushed, his forehead resting with a damp towel, his voice hoarse: "…Yes, indeed, she did nothing wrong but still must bear such a mission, why is that."

Qi Jue: "Actually, I think from an idealistic perspective, we can join forces to solve the problem of the Floating City—adults could bring in outsiders, children could help the adults... Although such a happy ending is a bit cliché, for the people of the Floating City, they would surely prefer a beautiful ending over endless reincarnation. Reincarnation is indeed exciting, but it's too sad."

She spoke a great deal at once, and upon finishing, looked at Sique expectantly, like a little dog yearning for praise.

Sique: "Is that so... Another conflict between tragedy and excitement level."

Sique's breath was scorching, his dull golden eyes half-open, a string of coughs erupted from his throat, and blood flowed out.

At that moment, Qi Jue seemed to see Hell.

She was the Goddess of Life. She could extend the longevity of all things, make the dying leap back to life, and ward off diseases.

She could save almost anyone.

But the one thing She couldn't do was,

—heal Her creator, Sique.

As a creation, She could not repay the creator. She could only watch, forever watch.

Neither could She walk to the creator's side nor fall into the creator's gaze.

She resumed Her goddess form, silently sitting beside Sique, trying to use Her abundant life force to improve Sique's condition, even if just a little…

She did not ask why Sique was so weak and continued to accompany him in silence.

To make Sique feel a little better, She abandoned Her appearance as "Qi Jue" and accepted Her identity as the Goddess of Life, becoming less extraordinary, merely dignified and sacred.

Losing Her uniqueness might very well lead to Sique discarding Her... but She silently became Lotasha, because Her life force as a goddess might make Sique feel more comfortable.

She wanted Sique to live.

If She became dull, it didn't matter.

Sique: "…Cough, cough cough cough!"

Lotasha: "Are you okay?"

Sique: "I know... you've always been worried about being discarded by me. That's the real reason you want to stay by my side."

Lotasha: "!"

She wanted to say, that's not true. But She found Herself unable to refute... She did indeed fear Sique would cast Her aside. But what motivated Her to stay had long surpassed that reason, or else She wouldn't have returned to Her goddess form.

Sique: "Lotasha... hold my hand."

Lotasha: "Qi Jue."

Sique: "Yes, Qi Jue."

Lotasha held Sique's hand; his hand had become somewhat withered... she could even feel the distinct shape of bones.

Sique: "I promise, I won't abandon you."

Lotasha: "…!!"

She felt something jumping in Her chest.

Sique: "But I cannot promise that I won't erase you. I erase them not because I hate them, but because they've committed unforgivable errors. If the errors aren't reversed, something terrifying will occur."

Lotasha: "…I understand."

Sique: "Am I a terrible person?"

Lotasha: "I don't know. At least right now, I respect you and admire you. Perhaps until the day you erase me, I'll think you're terrible. So, please don't make me feel you're terrible... that's my only wish."

Sique: "You should leave. The story is about to begin, the protagonist is about to take the stage, and the Goddess of Life is a necessary part."

Lotasha: "Do you want me to go? But your body..."

Sique: "Cough... cough cough cough! You must trust the magpie's exuberant life force. You should embark... you shouldn't stay by my side forever, but live in your own way."

Lotasha: "Then please let me accompany you for one more night."

That night, the kerosene lamp stayed lit, the fireplace crackled with orange flames.

The goddess silently sat at the table, right at the place She was born, watching Sique sleeping on the bed. But unlike before, when She was born, She was a carefree green-haired youth, sitting cross-legged on the table. Now, She was a goddess with square shoulders and straight back, eyes filled with melancholy. Dignified, sacred, solemn.

When She quietly went out to find medicine, Sique's hoarse voice echoed from the bed.

"Qi Jue."

Lotasha did not hear these words.

Sique: "…When everything settles down, when we no longer need to write stories..."

Sique: "When that moment arrives... cough, cough cough cough!"

Sique: "I'll accompany you to the sunflower garden, and... the white dandelions. I'll accompany you in the white, for ten minutes. You said, if you do that, you'll gain... pure happiness."

Sique: "I don't quite understand what that means. From a literary perspective, it should be the simple, pure, tangible, instantly visible happiness. Is that what you've always longed for? You've accompanied me for so long... I'll make it happen for you."

Sique: "Before, the white on Cloud Mist Island was too mixed, maybe we still haven't obtained pure happiness."

Sique: "Once you've attained your wish... maybe, pure happiness will come."

Sique: "..."

Sique: "Cough cough cough… cough cough cough cough cough!!"

Sique: "I don't want to erase any of you. I refuse to call you ocs, you are real lives, and you are what I love."

Sique: "You are truly... the best."

...

That day Lotasha left Sique's house.

The sky was extraordinarily blue, and the amber clouds reflected in Her green eyes.

The wooden house, iron pipes, grids, and steam formed an iron-gray and dark red space, complex yet exquisite, with a lovely patch of lavender at the entrance, and wisteria flowers on the roof.

She embarked, following Sique's words, so that the name of Goddess of Life Lotasha Ocassi Sylvia would resonate throughout Luowasha. More and more believers began to hold faith in Her; they sang hymns and verses that were ethereal and elusive, while She must sit solemnly in divinity.

For most of the time, She was a qualified Goddess of Life, showing compassion, guiding life... occasionally daring to transform into Qi Jue and live for Herself for a dozen minutes.

At these times, She wondered—did She misunderstand? Perhaps Sique meant to let Her live as Herself, not as a rigid goddess?

But when She turned back—She couldn't find Sique anymore.

Sique was gone.

Until one day, the God of Doom descended into Her dreams and tempted Her.

——"Sique wants to see you live out your true self, Qi Jue." The words of the God of Doom pierced right through his heart.

——"What should I... do?" Lotasha was bewildered.

——"Become the free Qi Jue, not the rigid Lotasha. Go tell him... you have already pursued freedom."

——"But how can I see him? I haven't seen him for so long."

——"Someday, Xi Ting will summon you, and you will descend into the Land of the Undead, where you can express your loneliness and longing to him, show him your growth and freedom... Believe me, he will be proud of you."

——"Then, can we go to the Sunflower Garden together? He won't despise me anymore?"

——"Of course, you will have pure happiness."

...

[The youth with green hair on the high platform softly gazed at Su Ming'an.]

[His eyes were the same shade of green as Lotasha's.]

["Sique." Qi Jue's lips moved, and the Goddess of Life floating above his head laughed, with two voices overlapping as if one person speaks, bearing the youth's innocence and the seductive magic of the female deity.]

["I really like your insights on the Goddess of Life... on me, Sique."]

...

——So, little magpie, seeing you again, you indeed have not despised me, how wonderful.

At that time, the moments we spent together, the poems we recited, the bookshelf I arranged for you, the ink I ground for you...

Now, you have returned.

Can I finally run to you?

...

[Su Ming'an opened his eyes.]

[In front of him was drifting white light dust.]

[The feather pen in his palm pierced through Qi Jue's chest like a purple-golden velvet blade. The swirling white light particles danced around them like a great snow of the Life Source Stream. The expression on Su Ming'an's face held a compassionate look, his golden eyes slightly lowered, and his long purple hair was stained with blood.]

...

"...I can't understand." The green hair flowed on the ground, blood poured from Qi Jue's chest, looking at Su Ming'an.

He couldn't understand.

Just like he couldn't understand his own meaning.

Just like he couldn't understand how far the Sunflower Garden was.

Why was it so distant... that even after thousands of years, he still couldn't reach it?

Why must everything be missed?

He reached out desperately to touch the feather pen in Su Ming'an's hand, looking at the pen longingly, his eyes full of stark confusion.

"...I can't... understand." He sat up slowly from the ground, his body inching forward, with the surging life stream floating like snowflakes around him.

Then,

He grabbed Su Ming'an's wrist tightly, burning to the touch.

"I can't understand." He repeated once more, his voice beginning to tremble.

Can you... give me an answer? Tell me, what exactly did I do wrong that made you angry, enough to erase me.

What unforgivable thing did I do, that on the road to you... it was cut off.

When can we finally return to that little room, singing the old poems as always. Or, when can we set out to that garden full of white dandelions, and just stroll quietly for ten minutes?

...

——My Creator.

Why do you want to kill me?

...

"..."

Qi Jue stared at the feather pen like this, slowly, slowly lowering his head.

When he stopped breathing, the abundant Life Source Stream around him scattered, his slender figure dissolving into white light.

——Like a swirling, majestic snowfall.

But no matter how confused an expression Qi Jue used to ask, the purple-haired youth before him remained silent. He didn't know that what lay before him was not the old person, and Su Ming'an could not provide the answer he sought.

Perhaps if Sique were present, Sique could have answered his final question, but ironically, it was Su Ming'an at this moment, and it was Su Ming'an who returned.

As Qi Jue's figure completely disappeared, Su Ming'an bowed his head, and a drop of water landed on his finger.

Boiling, damp heat.

"...who?" He couldn't tell who was crying, touching the corner of his eye, it seemed like it was spilled blood. If it were Sique crying, what was Sique crying for?

But if it was Qi Jue who cried last, what was Qi Jue crying for?

He couldn't know.

The purple-haired youth was bathed in this pure snow. The thick, white Life Source Stream brought on by Qi Jue's passing surrounded him, at this moment, amidst this white blizzard—

He raised his head, looking up at the sky's light descending on the dome, purely in white.

——In such purity, if he walked for ten minutes, would pure happiness descend upon him?

...

...so far, so bitter.

But that Sunflower Garden, he could not reach.

...

"Ding dong!"

[You have reached the (Lotasha) character ending: HE·A White Story]

["...White, walk for ten minutes, and pure happiness will arrive."]

["How could he believe such a naive rumor."]

["I told him not to wait, but he waited all along... He is always so innocent, unlike a god, like a child written by me."]

["I wanted to tell him the reason, but he didn't hear it."]

["..."]

["If only I'd waited a bit longer."]

["If only he... hadn't taken the wrong path."]

...

[You witnessed the first death.]

...

[You have advanced to a C-level Creator!]

[Unlocked functionality: Creating Supporting Character (you can use special Memory Clips to create your original characters), Card Participation (in certain plots, your cards can actively participate).]

[Your creation functions (unlocked): 1. Insert Memory Clip. 2. Inspiration Integration. 3. Plot Additive. 4. Character Setting Play. 5. Creating Supporting Character. 6. Card Participation.]

...

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