Stars See Me [Interstellar] | Chapter 233 | The Weight of a Star | Novela.app

Does a mental body need to collapse when it "faints"? No, it does not. At the very least, research conducted by the various great civilizations of the galaxy indicated that when a mental body completely loses its autonomous consciousness, it generally does not enter a "faint" state through a biological protection mechanism. A mental body would only reveal its most primal form—much like Yvain Heller, upon whose head a black, horned crown had now manifested... Then, the mental body would maintain a certain shape for a moment before its outer silhouette dissipated, revealing the core within. It would not, like Yvain—who had specifically revealed his horned crown to gain the other's trust—topple straight into the newcomer’s arms. In that same span of less than a millisecond, this sliver of Lei Ting’s mental strength was startled. He instinctively wrapped his cloak around the other man and caught him. The incinerating rage in his heart subsided significantly. As he turned, the entire city began to restructure itself, and he stepped into a familiar cafe... The cafe his family had owned in the 21st century. ... After laying Yvain down on a folding sofa bed like a normal person, Lei Ting sat silently beside him. He did not expose the other’s pretense, nor did he vent the manic energy within his heart. He didn't even find himself a chair; instead, he sat cross-legged on the floor, his cloak pooling on the taupe carpet. His tall silhouette split the light and shadow in two. This was the room of the "Lei Ting" from those years—it wasn't large. In the interstellar era, it would be considered nothing more than a small lounge, but it had been his home in the 21st century. The anxious silence was harrowing. After a short while, Yvain suddenly opened his eyes. He turned his head and found that Lei Ting was not looking at him, but was instead staring down at his own hands. They were a pair of powerful, vigorous hands, encased in pitch-black armor and high-tech fabric. Their sharp, rigid lines were clasped together. Yvain could see the immense power within those hands—a power that could crush mountains and snap steel, a power that could hold the very stars at its whim. But now, even though their owner was so agitated that his muscles were taut, that destructive power was merely wrestling with itself between his palms, never leaking out to affect anyone else. Yvain rolled over and sat up, looking down at Lei Ting. After a moment, he reached out and stroked the man’s long black hair, pressing down slightly. He watched the faint traces of silver-white appearing amidst the black and remained silent for a long time. "I killed them," Lei Ting said, his voice brief and calm. "It’s only right that they hate me." He didn't seem to be speaking to anyone in particular. Yvain remained silent for a long time. He had already remembered their first meeting within the "illusion." Back then, Lei Ting didn't seem to be the person he became later... And now, he seemed to see that Lei Ting again, and from within all of this, he found the shadow of an even earlier version. Pain, sorrow, self-reproach, a heavy sense of guilt... He could feel all of these emanating from this man. Yvain lowered his eyes slightly, white stardust falling from between his fingers. The fury in Lei Ting’s heart subsided bit by bit until it returned to a controllable level. He silently lowered his head and closed his eyes... leaning against Yvain’s leg. "I'm sorry," he said. His humanity was tearing him apart. Because he knew he was wrong—wrong in many ways, in many places. But Yvain did not cling to those words or their implications. He simply said, "You could say more." "...What?" "I mean, sharing. Bearing the burden together," the blond man said softly. "Have you ever done that?" He patted the tall man’s shoulder; the spaulder let out a dull echo. "You can't say nothing, Lei Ting. Even if some deep secrets must remain hidden, you don't have to keep everything to yourself," he said. "I hope I can help you. I believe I'm not the only one in this world who thinks so." "..." After a long silence, Lei Ting kept his head lowered. "For those who cannot help, knowing too much is merely a burden." Yvain took a deep breath. Then another. He exhaled, then slapped the top of Lei Ting’s head hard, his fist tightening at this blockhead’s stubbornness. Lei Ting instinctively withdrew his defenses and raised a hand above his crown, ensuring the other’s strike didn't hit the sharp edges of the golden laurel leaves. "...See, that is exactly the problem... child," Yvain whispered. He withdrew his hand, propped his arms on his knees, and leaned down to look at Lei Ting’s profile. "If a person naturally places themselves in the position of 'protector' and 'burden-bearer,' even to the point of unilaterally sacrificing everything they have for it... "And if this process of sacrifice and protection has occupied—no, 'already' occupies—two-thirds of his life, and that proportion might even increase in the future— "—Then this matter, whether for the person or for those he protects, is not entirely a good thing." Lei Ting said nothing. Yvain reached out and patted his head again, gentler this time. "I don't remember many things," the blond man said. "But I can see that you are very strong—you're a 'Double S,' aren't you?" "Yeah," Lei Ting answered muffledly, then suddenly asked back: "And what about you?" "...What?" Yvain blinked, startled. "I'm an 'S-rank'..." Then his hand was caught. The person holding his hand pulled it down with a steady, powerful grip. "I'm asking, what about you, Yvain Heller Kohne?" Lei Ting looked up, his deep black eyes reflecting gold and blue. This time, Yvain knew what he was asking. His lips moved, a hint of fluster in his heart. "...I am not a 'protector' or a 'burden-bearer'... well, perhaps the former could count as half of one... maybe." He blinked, appearing as composed as ever. "...Wait, why am I telling you this? We are discussing your problem right now." Lei Ting laughed. His eyes were clear, his smile bright. Such a smile, revealing a canine tooth and carrying a hint of youthful spirit, could move the hardest of hearts. But he seemed to rarely smile like this—at least, not for the past twenty years. ...What kind of eyes were those? Yvain pursed his lips, trying to break free from the hold; he felt as if he were about to be burned. But he couldn't do it. A sun had bound him to its side, and then used a pair of eyes to show him all the tenderness, consideration, kindness, and tolerance it possessed. It made his heart tremble. He realized he must truly love this person, whether as a lover or simply as a human being—no one could fail to love such a person when he looked at you with such a gaze, a shining heart beating within his chest. But... —["I killed them."] —["It’s only right that they hate me."] —["I'm sorry."] How cruel, wasn't it? For this man, reclaiming his benevolence would inevitably be accompanied by catastrophic pain. But Yvain thought... ...Rather than a fierce sun, perhaps the world needed "Lei Ting" more. And Lei Ting himself, as well as Yvain, needed that "Lei Ting" even more. Everyone knew this, yet that sun could not retract its flames right now. That was the cruelest reality of all. "I understand what you mean, Yvain... I understand." The young man sitting on the floor still looked up, gazing into those eyes, searching for his starlight amidst the golden strands and the slight avoidance. When he lost his sensibility, he looked at him as if looking at a star. When he found it again, he looked at him as if looking at the eternal deity in his heart. "...But you also know," the star and the deity heard his believer say, "we all have things we must do. And nothing in this world that holds great significance can be achieved easily." "I don't know," the star said, averting its gaze. "You made me forget what I was supposed to do. Lei Ting, this is your world, but it is also my prison." Lei Ting was stunned for a moment. But soon, he laughed again. "You will know," he said, a golden glow gradually lighting up the depths of his eyes as his tone began to lose its softness. "One day... you will leave this prison. From then on, no one will ever be able to bind you again." Yvain suddenly turned back. He grabbed Lei Ting’s wrist and stared straight into those golden eyes that would no longer hurt him, roaring, "You little bastard, what are you trying to do now?!" "What I'm best at," the 'Solar Star' replied. He stood up. Without much effort, his wrist slipped from the other's grasp. The dark phantom stood isolated in the room. He looked at the interior decor around him—the bookshelves, the computer, the pen holder, the half-painted models and leftover paint, the water dispenser, and a small box of miscellaneous metal parts, mostly made of iron. He beckoned, and those metal parts flew into his hand, shimmering with a cold, silver-gray light. "I love you," the Lord of Metal said coldly. He leaned down and drew a flower forged of steel from his hands. He held the flower out, and without waiting for the other to accept it, he tucked it into the buttonhole of the other's collar. Yvain stood up as well. He could feel that the metal, which should have been bone-chillingly cold, carried a hint of gentle warmth. He looked down somewhat blankly and saw dazzling gold lines flowing through the iron-gray under the illumination of the golden light. He looked at the flower, while the tall man gazed at him, reaching out to caress his face. Cold, hard metal and a coarse glove lightly brushed against his false skin. "Goodbye," the voice said. It was deep and carried an indescribable indifference. It seemed that from this moment on, everything in this world could once again be placed upon the scales of justice and equity. A kind-hearted young man had turned back into that cold machine. Within his burning golden eyes, the reflection of a battle occurring in another world appeared. Yvain stared into those eyes. He saw doomsday-like scenes unfolding within the cage that shrouded heaven and earth, as figure after figure joined in the maintenance of that barrier. Massive numbers of monsters emerged from various parts of a barred spiral galaxy, led by a gargantuan form and followed by dense swarms. A war had begun. Army after army assembled, arrived, and threw themselves into the fray. Those eyes closed slightly. He saw that man vanish once more into tranquility. *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 双S | Double S-rank | A tier of power above S-rank. 阳星 | Solar Star | One of Lei Ting's titles/epithets. 金属之主 | Lord of Metal | One of Lei Ting's titles/epithets. 棒旋星系 | Barred spiral galaxy | A type of galaxy structure mentioned in the vision of the war. 伊文海勒·康 | Yvain Heller Kohne | Yvain's full name.