It was as if rain had fallen in his memory.
A vast, diffusing fog.
When the rain cleared and the sky brightened, the night became clear, with stars spread across the heavens. The golden roses of the White Jade Palace became more fragrant, and suddenly a figure sat down beside him.
The Female Emperor wore a black fur over her shoulders and a deep red floor-length dress. Her voice was hoarse. “Do you like it?”
The child of about five or six years old withdrew his gaze, his jade-like eyes staring at the Female Emperor. “What?”
“The starry sky.”
Lin Ge chuckled softly, sitting down and scooping the young Crown Prince into her arms.
The smell of alcohol wafted over, and Ryann frowned, covering his nose. “Your Majesty, have you come to my place to act drunk?”
“Mmhmm.” The emperor’s eyes were red-rimmed, her demeanor half-drunk. She lazily pinched the child’s ear, “Are you bored again, little monster?”
Ryann remained silent. He looked back at the starry sky, and after a while said. “…I like it, let me go.”
Lin Ge sighed wistfully. “Day after day, not a bit like a normal human child. Isn’t this peaceful empire enough to satisfy you?”
She narrowed her eyes, poking the child’s cheek, her speech slurred, “Hey, I’m asking you, are you waiting… to meet someone?”
“To meet someone who can give you a place to belong, become your faith… who can turn you from an otherworldly monster into a true emperor…”
Ryann couldn’t be bothered with her. The emperor was a mad woman, and especially deranged after drinking. He was used to it.
Lin Ge started laughing to herself. “But you won’t meet them! Little monster, little bastard, you’ll just go bad on your own, rot away, you’ll be a monster all your life, and then die.”
She laughed until tears came out, spouting nonsense. Ryann pushed her away in disgust, dusted off his clothes, and left.
Before leaving, he took one last look at the starry sky above.
****
So the starry sky was reflected in his eyes.
“What am I?”
After a day of combat training, he lay resting in the treatment cabin, gazing at the starry sky outside the skylight of the Black Shark Base.
The Chief sat beside him, shaking her head. “If I answer now, you’ll find a reason to get angry, and use it as an excuse to blow up my lab again, right?”
Kaios didn’t deny it. He closed his beautiful green eyes.
What was he? An imperial weapon, artificially created, with no origin or destination. But despite such a birth, he refused to be defined at will.
The Chief’s hand, clad in black armor, wanted to stroke His Highness’s sweat-dampened curls, but was avoided with disgust by the latter.
She shook her head and sighed, finally placing her hand gently on Kaios’s shoulder.
“When are you planning to tell me the purpose for which the base created me?”
“Wait a little longer.”
“I don’t intend to wait for you too long.”
The Chief let out a soft sigh.
“You’re not mature enough yet, little Kaios,” she said, stroking His Highness’s shoulder with her mechanical voice. “There’s still too much I haven’t had the chance to teach you, so I didn’t want to let you out so soon.”
“But if you really resist… the Black Shark Base is destined to not be able to keep you.”
“Go seek the wind and snow where you can hide, before our next encounter.”
Later, he indeed went to the sea of stars.
He was the young Crown Prince who went to the front lines, piloting the Crown of Golden Dawn, looking down upon all enemies within sight; he was the Empire’s radiant Little Highness, the universally revered Crown Prince, symbolizing strength, invincibility and glory.
Later, he indeed walked into the wind and snow.
He was the “Second Prince” whose identity was unknown, wandering in emptiness, relying on life-and-death battles to stimulate his nerves; he was the cold and lonely eagle in the First Fortress, a lone wolf licking its wounds in the snowy night, waiting for a destined reunion.
****
That encounter finally came to him like fate.
In the clean and bright library of the Aslan capital, a book falling from slender fingers.
On Alpha Alien Star, on a battlefield full of fire and smoke, a mecha arriving with the wind.
It was gentle—
It was fierce—
“Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Your Highness.”
—Yet unyielding and unrestrained.
—Yet fragile and easily broken.
“Ryann.”
Deep in his memory, countless raindrops flowed backwards to form a celestial river.
He loved those deep black eyes that reflected the stars.
****
After their encounter, everything in the world became that person.
Only that person.
Memory fragments began to surge, repeatedly struck by the downpour in the depths of consciousness, each drop splattering, each drop reflecting the light of another.
In one moment, the young Crown Prince complained half-grudgingly about the military school student’s caution and restraint, secretly annoyed that the person he wanted to protect always refused to rely on him trustingly.
But the next second, in the snow-covered wilderness of the alien star, the black-haired youth’s face was sickly pale, his emotions somewhat out of control as he reached out to him; while high-level crystal bones protruded from his wrist, preventing the other’s touch.
The scene shattered, revealing a new one. The first time he saw the military academy student fall ill with a fever, he was terrified and stayed up all night without daring to close his eyes. At that time, he thought that the disabled human was too strong-willed and prone to accidents, and decided he must watch over and take care of him carefully in the future.
The next encounter was in a fortress in the Far Star, in a bustling trading area. The disabled human, running a low fever, wore a silver-black military uniform, seriously selecting weapons.
He walked up to him, frowning coldly and asked, “Why are you always sick?”
The scene shattered again, revealing a new one. One moment he was gently kissing the black-haired youth in his arms, trembling with tenderness to his heart’s core, promising the future, promising forever.
Jiang smiled and kissed him back, but avoided this topic.
He was actually guilty, feeling more self-reproach. It was because his ability was not enough that his lover couldn’t stand in the open.
So in His Highness’s memory, he should have just angrily pushed Jiang away, sulking and throwing a tantrum.
But after a twist in space-time, that delicate, fragile neck was suddenly in his grasp, the pressure tightening, then tightening further.
He was venting his emptiness and violence, perhaps also his overflowing jealousy.
“The Crown Prince treated you well when he was alive, didn’t he?”
“Why isn’t he coming to save you now?”
No… let go, quickly let go, he can’t breathe.
Ryann’s heart and courage shattered. This memory was so clear that he could even recall how Jiang Jianming’s eyelashes trembled from suffocation, see how those parted lips gradually turned a faint purple from lack of oxygen.
Even the labored sound of trying to breathe air seemed to be in his ears, along with the violent pulse throbbing in his palm.
Let go—…
He screamed silently, on the verge of breakdown.
Everything collapsed before his eyes again.
He saw the clouds of Beta Alien Star, and Jiang Jianming tilted his head to ask him, ‘Have you really thought it through?’
“I am a disabled human, of ordinary birth, worlds apart from Your Highness. You are still so young, and will meet many more excellent people in the future, and encounter many more changes.”
“I don’t mind waiting a bit longer, Little Highness. Do you really want to…”
The black-haired youth said with a self-deprecating laugh, but frankly, “Go as far as discussing marriage and making a lifelong commitment? You’re not even of age yet.”
The young Crown Prince shook his head, his heart full of intense emotions.
He persisted. “Jiang, I love you.”
In an instant, the winter night of the White Jade Palace overlapped from the abyss of memory.
The disabled human across from him had nearly drowned to death a few hours ago, and now he dared to run around with a fever. He felt extremely irritated inside, and spoke with a cold expression, sarcastically. “I only pity you.”
Don’t say it, don’t say those words.
“I will never compromise my position for you, and the so-called truth is not something a disabled human like you should be privy to.”
Don’t treat him like this.
“So you see, you’re not as capable as you imagine yourself to be. From now on, I won’t look after you anymore, and there won’t be a place for you in the Silver Big Dipper.”
Don’t…
“I understand,” the black-haired youth said gently.
The young Crown Prince became inexplicably nervous, feeling that the proposal was about to fail. He quickly added. “Forever.”
Forever, how far is forever?
He only remembered that Jiang Jianming finally nodded, and that crystal bone ring was placed on the black-haired youth’s ring finger.
Two lives merged into one, two emotions entangled to the death. The rainstorm grew heavier, and in his consciousness, there was no sound other than the rain.
Later, he learned about crystal particles, Crystal Nest, and racial colonization. The White Bird project, consciousness projection, Base Body.
It turned out to be a predestined parting of life and death, with no forever, only unfulfillable promises.
His original self lured him to his death, and he chose to agree.
And Jiang Jianming also chose crystal disorder, saying he didn’t regret it.
“Do you understand what I mean? Even if Ryann with complete memories appeared before me, I would only give him one more slap and then tell him to get lost.”
That day, Jiang Jianming said this to him coldly.
He persisted. “What about me?”
“I… I’m begging you.”
“I’ll give you anything you want, I’m begging you like this.”
A thunderous sound.
At the end of consciousness, thunder and rain resounded.
Round and round, Ryann’s consciousness seemed to return to the depths of the laboratory in the Black Shark Base, the last period of suffering before his death.
On the verge of collapse, he clung to the chief and cried uncontrollably, saying he hadn’t had the chance.
Sylph comforted him. “The things you haven’t had the chance to do, the next Base Body will do them for you.”
It was also at the Black Shark Base where he stubbornly pressed Jiang Jianming against the incubator and demanded a kiss, his eyes red.
“Your lover once treated you badly, he abandoned you, forced you to damage your body, he doesn’t deserve your devotion.”
“But he will cherish you in the future, he will make up for all the past mistakes, he will… love you very much.”
“Do you believe it?”
Would Jiang believe it?
At least he himself, once didn’t believe it.
“No, never…The next one…will never treat him better than I did, and he won’t be able to forgive me again, to trust me again.”
But they finally stood at the top of the White Jade Palace.
The sacred light illuminated the layers of long stairs.
Jiang Jianming walked towards him holding the golden red crown, bending down to crown him, becoming the Crown Princess who stood beside him to receive the cheers of the people.
“Then may you, never lose your glory, and be all-powerful.”
The promise that was finally fulfilled, after crossing life and death.
This journey had taken so long.
…..
Finally, he naturally also recalled the communication across the sea of stars before saying goodbye.
“My love.”
Oh, my love.
The rain in his memory stopped, and that figure he longed for stood at the end.
Jiang Jianming closed his eyes, his expression clear, raindrops falling from the black-haired youth’s upturned chin, falling from his hair.
“Your Highness.”
“I will be with you forever.”
“Until the end of life, or until you no longer need me.”
How far is forever?
Jiang had said he would always be behind him.
The fusion of memories briefly plunged Ryann into confusion, causing him to hallucinate non-existent futures in the short time before waking up.
The aftermath.
The fires of war extinguished, the entire army returned triumphantly.
On the returning starship, he held Jiang lazily in bed, talking and eating fruit while analyzing the great victory, and when night fell deep, they turned off the bedside lamp and crawled under the covers to sleep.
When they woke up, they had already returned to Aslan. The imperial capital was deserted as cheering soldiers and civilians waved their hands in the brilliant sunlight, long winds blew through the streets, and white doves flew from the church.
After peace arrived, the official wedding was quickly held.
Many people came, making noise until midnight before leaving. He nervously embraced Jiang as they entered the bedroom, thinking about the next steps.
Suddenly, fireworks started outside the window.
So they embraced and kissed in the grand, shimmering night, their fingers intertwining; they gazed into each other’s eyes, seeking love, seeking the hidden heat; they seemed to be smiling, yet someone might have been crying.
Just like this, forever like this…
Never to be separated again.
Is that alright?
****
At the Alpha Alien Star, deep within the Stele of Heroes in the underground of the First Fortress.
Inside the treatment cabin of the medical mecha, the sleeping Crown Prince’s eyelids twitched slightly. A few seconds later, his eyes opened gently.
A snowflake fell silently.
It landed on the transparent door of the treatment cabin, quickly melting from the warmth inside, flowing down like a teardrop.
Ryann stared blankly at the snowy ceiling.
Where was this?
[Beep——]
[Treatment program terminated]
Ryann fumbled and pressed the button at his side. The treatment cabin stopped its medical procedures, the infusion needles and such all retracted in sequence. Soon, he opened the cabin door from the inside.
Ryann supported himself with one hand on the hatch, sitting up straight. He frowned and rubbed his temple, a hint of confusion still lingering in the depths of his eyes.
He felt as if he had just woken from a long dream.
Struggling to sort out the order of his memories – the battlefield of Alpha Alien Star, Margaret… Jiang fired the main cannon, and then what happened?
He remembered now, Jiang had taken him into the Stele of Heroes.
And after that?
His Highness raised his head, and his first glance fell on the mecha’s pilot seat in front of him.
There seemed to be a figure sitting there, right arm resting on the armrest, wrist and fingers naturally hanging down.
On the ring finger, a faint light flickered.
It was a bright golden-red ring.
All around was quiet, very quiet, unnaturally quiet.
“…Jiang?”
