The Star That Voyages Far

Read the WavesLine message sent by Academic Affairs

Rover: (My symptoms have stopped for now. But whatever drained my frequency is still somewhere in Lahai-Roi.)

Rover: (The only thing I haven't surveyed yet is the Exostrider out in the frostlands.)

Rover: (The Roya's Trine Myth likely mentions it. This lecture could be my chance to find a clue.)

Head to the lecture hall

Lucilla: Now, we reach the second epoch of the Royan Trine Myth, the Sacred Reactor Epoch.

Lucilla: After Baldur, the Sun's incarnation, had sealed the foreign divinity Hvedrungr, the frostlands fell into an endless dream… Assistant Nivora, would you continue?

Nivora: O-okay. T-this section... it describes how the Exostrider used its greatsword to seal the Threnodian behind the Stridergate.

Nivora: The records say both the Exostrider and the Threnodian travelled through the Stridergate to reach Lahai-Roi. Their battle was fierce.

Nivora: The Threnodian pushed the Exostrider to the brink of defeat.

Nivora: But at that moment, for reasons unknown, the Exostrider's Reactor Drive flared with blinding light—

???: —And it found the strength to raise its sword and seal the Threnodian away. Lahai-Roi was saved. What a relief!

Aemeath: Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Aemeath from Rabelle College, same as you.

Aemeath: First time seeing you in class. Trying to collect credits from all four departments? That's ambitious. Welcome to the academic quagmire.

Rover: Aemeath?! I've been looking for you.

Rover: I never got the chance to thank you.

Aemeath: Thank me?

Rover: The day the Eye of the Threnodian appeared, you drove it back and saved me.

Aemeath: Did I? …Sorry, I don't remember that.

Rover: (She doesn't sound like she's lying. Then how...)

Aemeath: A Synchronist… Rover… Hahaha!

Rover: What's so funny?

Aemeath: Oh, don't mind me. I'm just not used to seeing you like this.

Aemeath: I mean, look at you. Something's missing, though... Oh, I know, a uniform!

Aemeath: The Academy still hasn't issued you one? They're painfully slow sometimes.

Rover: Aemeath?

Aemeath: I have to go.

Aemeath: Gotta run, Professor!

Lucilla: Rover, let's try to channel that enthusiasm into listening. Do come see me in my office after class, okay?

Lucilla: Assistant Nivora, if you would? Pick up from the Twilight Epoch's Unending Winter, please.

Nivora: Sigrika, could you come to the library with me?

Sigrika: Okay. Hey... Did you notice the new student? The one who kept talking to himself during class.

Nivora: Hmm—

Lucilla: …So a girl named Aemeath just got up and left the lecture hall?

Lucilla: Heh. I never expected to hear that name again. Certainly not like this.

Lucilla: Perhaps you've just had a run-in with a "ghost"?

Lucilla: After all... You were the only one who saw her.

Rover: President Lucilla, what do you know about her?

Lucilla: Stay at Rabelle College long enough, and you'll eventually hear her name mentioned. Though it's a story from over a decade ago now.

Lucilla: Aemeath was a Synchronist. Brilliant. Popular. Professors had high hopes for her.

Lucilla: Then, during a piloting drill, she simply vanished.

Lucilla: She climbed into a simulator with the others. But when the cockpit reopened, hers was empty.

Lucilla: Of course. You're exactly the type to get pulled into Aemeath's story.

Lucilla: To see someone who vanished years ago, presumed dead, lingering around the Academy. A figment of your imagination, or is there more to it? I'm very curious to find out.

Lucilla: She disappeared from the Synchrolink Training Grounds. The very cockpit she vanished from is still there.

Lucilla: The Academy turned it inside out at the time and found nothing. But if you're interested, go take a look.

Lucilla: I expect you'll dig up some new surprises for us.

Leave the lecture hall

Catch up to the Soliskin

Rover: (Soliskin? What could they be doing here?)

Rover: (That Soliskin... It's headed straight for the Synchrolink Training Grounds.)

Investigate the cockpit

Rover: (My frequency loss… It's getting worse!)

Aemeath: Aaaand... nope! Still on the fritz. How are you feeling?

Rover: I'm… okay. After that mech flew off, I felt less of my frequency bleeding out.

Rover: (That mech's frequency felt like the presence from the rift back in Honami City.)

Rover: Aemeath, that mech only left after it saw you. After you clashed with it.

Rover: That's twice you've saved me. Each time I'm left with more questions than answers. They say you're the Exostrider's Synchronist who's been missing for over ten years.

Rover: And your hand back there...

Aemeath: Me? I'm not the Exostrider's Synchronist now.

Aemeath: I'm its Resonator.

Aemeath: I just... died first. Call me a digital ghost!

Aemeath: Ten plus years back, the underground seal broke. The Threnodian on the other side of the Stridergate was about to swallow Lahai-Roi.

Aemeath: I was still a student. My sync with the Exostrider hadn't hit a hundred percent yet.

Aemeath: But there was no other choice. The Exostrider was still sleeping, so I had to do something... unorthodox.

Rover: So you Overclocked yourself to try to resonate with it?

Aemeath: Yup. Impressive, right? I woke the big guy up, if only for a second.

Aemeath: The seal held. The crisis averted. Everyone I cared about... they made it out okay.

Aemeath: But it was too much for me. My body couldn't take it and got totally torn apart.

Aemeath: You can see me now... because of this little guy.

Aemeath: The Exostrider's Reactor Core. My existence is kinda tethered to it now. Think of it as my heart.

Aemeath: Even as a digital ghost, I never stopped trying to pull my "self" back together. To get back to reality.

Aemeath: There's something I gotta do. And I gotta be the Exostrider's true Resonator to see it through.

Aemeath: But our Resonance started with an Overclock. The power I got was unstable from the get-go.

Aemeath: I've spent years building it back up with this Core. The Soliskin have been my little helpers, too.

Aemeath: Then, not long ago, you ended up with it. That became your backstage pass to seeing me.

Rover: "Not long ago." You mean when the Reactor Drive fell?

Aemeath: Bingo! Since then, the Core has become energy stored inside you. This is the first time I managed to make it solid. Took me a bit to figure out the trick.

Rover: Then it was you. You're the one who saved Mornye when she was dying.

Aemeath: You and that junior of yours were always close. We even crossed paths a few times back when I was still... well, around. Of course I'd help.

Rover: (A junior of mine? So I really did know Mornye in the past...)

Aemeath: Alright, no more teasing. But I mean it. No matter what, you always choose to save.

Aemeath: And to me... that's the coolest thing in the world. The most beautiful.

Aemeath: Anyway! Back to business. The Reactor Core is tied to Sigillum—that's the mech that attacked you.

Aemeath: It's like those Voidworms you fought. Made mostly of Exostrider parts, but corrupted. Contaminated by Threnodian Voidmatter.

Aemeath: Sigillum... stole a chunk of my power. That threw a wrench in my whole "reassembling myself" project. Now it's after the Core, too.

Aemeath: Since Sigillum holds this piece of the Exostrider's power, it can't be killed completely as long as the Exostrider and I exist. Now, it can only be me who stops it.

Aemeath: And since just touching the thing makes your frequency drain, taking it down should plug your leak, too.

Aemeath: Plus, I get my power back. Win-win.

Aemeath: But see what it's doing to me? Even with you holding the Core, I keep flickering in and out. One second I can touch you, the next I'm fading right through. So annoying—

Aemeath: So will you help? You've got the Core, and the Reactor Drive is wrecked. I can't do this alone.

Aemeath: Also, I've noticed... when the Core is in your hand, it runs faster.

Rover: I can tell you're leaving a few things out, Aemeath.

Rover: Still, you helped me and a lot of people in Lahai-Roi. That's enough for me to trust you. What do you need me to do?

Aemeath: "Existence" is the imprint life leaves behind. Being remembered, talked about, and seen...

Aemeath: All the places I went when I was alive bear those imprints. The Core's running lets me find and record those frequencies.

Aemeath: These little cuties have been my scouts, and they'll be our guides now, too.

Aemeath: Pretty easy, huh? All you gotta do is carry the Core and follow our lead.

Rover: I'll do it.

Aemeath: Alrighty! Thanks in advance, study buddy.

Aemeath: The Soliskin went down the lift. Let's follow.

Rover: Before we go, I need to contact Mornye.

Rover: The Reactor Drive was Lahai-Roi's "sun." If I'm using the Core, the Academy will want to know.

Aemeath: Go for it! No problem!

Head to the elevator

Head to the elevator and call Mornye

Rover: (Aemeath definitely glossed over some things.)

Rover: (Like what happened during our previous encounter, what she's done since becoming a digital ghost, and the real reason why Sigillum stole her power.)

Rover: (After years drifting like this, to still hold onto that spirit... Her will must be strong. Prying answers from her won't be easy.)

Rover: (I'll bide my time. The right moment will come.)

Mornye: I see. So the Reactor Drive's Core survived the crash?

Mornye: It must be the key to reactivating the Exostrider. Of course, then the official stance is that it be returned. Startorch Academy and the Roya would both agree on that.

Mornye: But, as you said, curiosity from the Institute is inevitable—

Rover: Mornye?

Lucilla: My, my. Already caused a stir in the training grounds? Color me impressed.

Lucilla: I'll have people clean up the aftermath. You can carry on as you see fit.

Rover: You were monitoring my comms with Mornye?

Lucilla: You're a person of special interest. Of course we keep an eye on your movements.

Rover: "We"?

Lucilla: Yes, "we." The Spacetrek Collective. Think of us as the annoying adults on campus.

Lucilla: I'll handle the debate between the Institute and the Academy about the Core. This is a matter of priority. They'll listen to me.

Lucilla: But when you're done with your business, I'll need you to return the Core to the Exostrider, Rover.

Lucilla: You didn't mention it to Mornye, but I suspect... your possession of it traces back to Aemeath, doesn't it?

Rover: President Lucilla, I don't appreciate being interrogated over a tapped line.

Lucilla: Heh, my apologies. As the one responsible for this Academy, matters related to the Exostrider tend to cloud my judgement.

Lucilla: After the incident with Warren, we upgraded safety protocols on public lines. No more overstepping.

Lucilla: Here is a peace offering. I've granted you full clearance: passes for the Starward Riseway, archive access, and use of Academy weaponry and equipment.

Lucilla: I'll also personally apologize to Professor Mornye for interrupting your comms and ensure her next research grant is... substantially approved.

Lucilla: How's that, Rover? More to your liking?

Rover: Why is the Spacetrek Collective pushing this so hard?

Lucilla: You should know. You have a past in Lahai-Roi, and you have some kind of connection with the Exostrider.

Lucilla: The Twilight Epoch, the Unending Winter described in Royan legend... the threat of the Threnodian Aleph-1 is growing. We need the Exostrider awakened. Returning that Reactor Core is the only way.

Lucilla: We've always trusted you to stand with us in this matter. To stand on the side of humanity.

Lucilla: You know where to find me if you need anything, Rover. And my door is always open if you just want to talk.

Call the elevator

Wait for the elevator to arrive

Ride the elevator

Aemeath: The Soliskin are leading us to the auditorium first.

Aemeath: The New Solar Celebration is almost here. I wonder what they'll put on this time.

Aemeath: By then, exams will be over, and we'll finally get a long break.

Aemeath: Ah, vacation! What's not to look forward to!

Chat with the students by the auditorium door

Outgoing Fan: She's a singer! A campus legend. She's only released online, but she's super popular.

Shy Fan: But… her site hasn't been updated in over ten years. She posted one last demo and then… nothing.

Outgoing Fan: Don't be such a downer. Maybe she just graduated and moved on to bigger things.

Outgoing Fan: Probably never showed her face to keep her life private. Doesn't matter, we still have her music!

Outgoing Fan: Here! Even if you're not a fan, you should give her a listen. I'm new here, but even I was hooked when I first heard her songs!

The outgoing fan shoves a poster into your hands.

Aemeath: Hm, nice print.

Aemeath: A fan meeting... huh? If they're happy, I'm happy.

Aemeath: C'mon, let's follow the Soliskin and see what's going on in the auditorium!

Enter the auditorium

Explore the auditorium

Aemeath: Oh, just a habit of mine. Waving, chatting, going to class... it makes me feel like I'm still alive.

Aemeath: If I stop, I might forget what it felt like to be human. Call it… a self-reminder.

Rover: ...Fleet Snowfluff?

Aemeath: Yep, that's me. Ugh, but don't say my alias out loud! It's embarrassing—

Rover: So you weren't just a Synchronist. You had a whole other life here.

Aemeath: Just one of my many hobbies. I was into photography, gaming, movie nights with friends…

Aemeath: Figured you only get to be a student for a few years. And I wasn't the ambitious researcher type. I wanted to soak it all up while I could.

Aemeath: I tried a little bit of everything. I just wanted a happy, carefree life!

Aemeath: Hope so. Guess everyone needs something to hold onto. It's good to have a little hope.

Aemeath: But I have to say... It's really moving to hear people talk about my songs after all this time.

Aemeath: I wrote those for myself, you know? Never expected so many people to care.

Aemeath: But, if they made someone feel something—joy, pain, anything—that makes me really happy!

Aemeath: Hey, listen. Hear that song playing in the auditorium? That's the unfinished demo I left on my site.

Aemeath: What a shame. I really should've finished that before the training run. Now it's my little musical... epitaph. Haha.

Rover: ...

Aemeath: Let's go! The Soliskin is calling us.

Past Surprised Student: Is that the student rep from Rabelle College? That's one bold speech…

Past Mocking Student: Haha, is she giving a welcome speech or recruiting for a space adventure club? Uh-oh, the professors look upset.

Past Gentle Student: But she made a good point, didn't she? Isn't that passion the entire reason we're here? To explore whatever's out there again?

Past Impressed Teacher: Aemeath, right? I remember her sync test scores were off the charts. We might be looking at this year's prime Exostrider candidate.

Past Stern Teacher: Don't be so sure. Heard about her extracurriculars? Put nicely, she's quite the dabbler. Put bluntly, she doesn't take anything seriously.

Past Thoughtful Teacher: Potential is still potential. She's brilliant. She just needs… guidance.

Past Aemeath: May we one day walk among the stars, to touch with our own hands a universe so cold, so real, and so breathtakingly beautiful.

Past Aemeath: That's all from me. If I keep going, my credits this year might be in danger!

Past Aemeath: It's an amazing feeling to be here at Startorch Academy, and to know I'll be sharing this journey into the great unknown with all of you. As a student, I can't wait to start this new chapter of my life.

Past Aemeath: There's just one thing missing today... I wish my family could be here in the crowd to hear this.

Past Aemeath: So, to him, I want to say: I'm doing great. And I'm happy. Everything is just as you hoped it would be. So please, don't worry about me.

Aemeath: Looking back… I really do miss those days.

Aemeath: Startorch Academy is a nice place. I mean, I caused my fair share of trouble, but the professors never turned me away from lectures.

Aemeath: Maybe a little? But it's fine. Loneliness doesn't kill. Besides, I still have plenty to keep myself busy with!

Aemeath: I just... I wish I could've been there. At graduation. To hug my friends and wish them all the happiness in the world.

Aemeath: The Soliskin headed outside! Let's catch up!

Aemeath: If it's leaving the campus, it's probably going to the frostlands. Right, we'll need to take the Starward Riseway.

Rover: That place above the sword?

Aemeath: Yes. A frozen, silent plain, white with endless snow. The place where the Exostrider finally sank into slumber.

Talk to Aemeath

Head to the platform

Aemeath: When I was a kid, I once hid in the Starward Riseway and made it to the frostlands all by myself.

Rover: Bold even as a child…

Aemeath: Hee hee.

Sit and wait for the train to arrive

Arrive at the Frostlands Surface

Aemeath: Cold?

Rover: I'm fine. What about you?

Aemeath: Between you and me, ghosts can't feel the cold.

Aemeath: The snow... It's so beautiful.

Luuk Herssen: What a coincidence to run into you here, Rover. This is a pleasant surprise.

Aemeath: Oh… it's Dr. Luuk. When he's around, just pretend I'm not here. Otherwise, you look like a weirdo talking to thin air.

Aemeath: You should hide too, okay? This is our secret journey.

Rover: You know him?

Aemeath: He's the school doctor. All the students know him. I didn't super well, but I do know that he's been in Lahai-Roi for a long time, and… you can trust him.

Luuk Herssen: You came to the frostlands for the Exostrider?

Luuk Herssen: I'm headed the same way. I've got to check in on some researchers stationed out here on long-term fieldwork.

Luuk Herssen: Having a guide might make the trip a little easier. What do you say?

Luuk Herssen: Let me help you modify your bike. There are quite a few waterways, and its current setup might not handle them well.

Rover: You know how to modify bikes?

Luuk Herssen: You pick up a few things when you come here as often as I do.

Aemeath: Oh, I used to love riding! My friends even called me the Speed Queen! Though that was usually while they were white-knuckling the seat and screaming. Heh.

Luuk Herssen: Look at this place, Rover. Hard to believe it, but years ago, all of this was a lush, green forest.

Luuk Herssen: Back then, the Roya were nomads, the true natives of Lahai-Roi, who walked in step with nature itself.

Rover: Was it the Lament that changed it into frostlands?

Luuk Herssen: Yes. It triggered a magnetic pole shift. From then on, Lahai-Roi became the new pole.

Luuk Herssen: The Lament wasn't the only cataclysm stirring back then.

Luuk Herssen: In the past, we had already reached the stars. But at some point… the Etheric Sea spread to cover all of Solaris.

Luuk Herssen: From that moment on...

Aemeath: From that moment on, the universe locked its doors. We couldn't verify whether the sky above us was real or just a reflection.

Luuk Herssen: Countless spacecraft were lost. Our space exploration programs were abandoned. And space became out of reach.

Luuk Herssen: But times have changed. Since its founding, the goal of Startorch Academy has been to use the Exostrider to explore space—whether through the Etheric Sea or the Stridergate.

Rover: I understand the Etheric Sea part, but the Stridergate…?

Luuk Herssen: You know Lahai-Roi's history. Both the Exostrider and the Threnodian first came to Solaris through the Stridergate.

Luuk Herssen: With a gateway like that, of course we want to open it. But to pass through, we must awaken the Exostrider and be prepared to face Aleph-1 head-on.

Luuk Herssen: I've long believed that Aleph-1 poses a far greater threat beyond Void Storms and Voidworms.

Luuk Herssen: With other Threnodians, we can at least glean clues of their nature from their places of origin and the civilizations they emerge from. But Aleph-1… our knowledge remains blank.

Luuk Herssen: So many dream of being the voyager who returns from the stars, the first to walk the cosmos once more. But in all these years, no one has succeeded.

Luuk Herssen: The Etheric Sea Phenomenon cast us into isolation. But it also gave birth to all our dreams of what could lie beyond.

Luuk Herssen: And those dreams… are still alive today.

Rover: Dr. Herssen…

Luuk Herssen: Just call me Luuk. It has a nicer ring to it, no?

Rover: Then Luuk... you asked about my feelings on the Academy. What about yours? How long have you been here?

Luuk Herssen: About twenty years. I was a traveler before that, seeing what Solaris had to offer. But then a friend asked me to come to Lahai-Roi. To keep an eye on things here for him.

Luuk Herssen: The students make it easy. Watching them find their way is its own reward. They enjoy talking, and I enjoy listening. The work suits me well.

Ride your motorbike into the frostlands

Continue exploring the Frostlands Surface

Ride your motorbike into the frostlands

Continue exploring the Frostlands Surface

Nivora: Hm? Y-you are the one who was talking to yourself in class…

Aemeath: Whoopsies...

Nivora: Oh, and Dr. Herssen! You are... traveling together? Did the Academy greenlight a new field trip?

Luuk Herssen: Just my routine checks on the field researchers. Rover here has their own business to attend to, but we're headed the same way.

Luuk Herssen: What about you, Ms. Nivora? Chasing more fallen debris?

Nivora: Yes! Exactly. I-I heard the frostlands have been experiencing changes since Helios was launched. I had a hypothesis that new debris fields might have been exposed!

Rover: Debris?

Nivora: Space equipment that fell from the sky long ago! Probes, satellites, and even space stations!

Nivora: Some previous digs unearthed wreckage containing records lost during the Lament.

Nivora: Oh, and images! Photos taken in orbit of other planets! They were absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful!!

Nivora: Thank you… Sometimes, I'll just start info-dumping... I know it's not the best.

Nivora: Really?! That's great! I'll... I'll show you the data I've collected next time we're in class!

Nivora: The universe… What secrets is it hiding beyond all those infinite stars?

Nivora: I really want to know.

Nivora: Anyway, in short, I came here for the fallen debris.

Nivora: The data on the instrument shows there's a high chance that close by… Huh?

Luuk Herssen: Run!

Escape the avalanche

Nivora: I knew it! There had to have been undiscovered debris in this area!

Nivora: It must've been sealed in the ice wall all this time.

Rover: Luuk, Nivora. You alright?

Aemeath: Oh, I'm good! Perks of being a ghost, y'know.

Nivora: Ah! I'm so sorry... It's my fault for putting everyone in danger.

Rover: The collapse was an accident. We're all okay, so don't blame yourself.

Rover: But the way we came in is completely blocked.

Luuk Herssen: Scaling that ice wall… It's too high, too risky. I'd rather not have a student on that climb.

Luuk Herssen: I've contacted the Academy. They're sending a rescue team. Once Nivora's safely returned, we'll set out again.

Nivora: Mmm...

Aemeath: Hey, little guy here says our next stop is deep in the ice. There's a path at the bottom of the station. Wanna check it out?

Rover: What about waiting inside the station? It's freezing out here, and another collapse is possible. It's safer to wait for the rescue team indoors.

Nivora: I-I agree! I want to see what's inside too...

Luuk Herssen: With Rover on the team, a quick recon should be manageable. Up to you.

Aemeath: Hey, question. Before you came to Lahai-Roi, did you do this kind of thing a lot?

Rover: What do you mean?

Aemeath: Like traveling with a crew, seeing the sights, stumbling into trouble, then going your separate ways.

Aemeath: Nice. I happen to love those.

Aemeath: Looks like this time I get a co-starring role. Amazing. Let's keep going, study buddy.

Nivora: There's a collapsed entry point over there, but… it's blocked. Some kind of barrier caused by unstable frequencies.

Luuk Herssen: The Exostrider sleeps in these frostlands. Void Storm activity can make local frequencies unstable with fluctuating Voidmatter levels.

Luuk Herssen: Oh, taking this opportunity, Rover, let me grant you access to the Module Adapter… Hm? It's already unlocked.

Rover: (Hm? That must've been Lucilla.)

Luuk Herssen: Let's move to an area with a stronger signal so it can be deployed.

Head higher to get a better signal

Take the Module Adapter

Luuk Herssen: This Module Adapter was developed by Startorch Academy for frostland expeditions. It lets you interact with frequencies disrupted by Voidmatter.

Luuk Herssen: Give it a try. You'll need it here.

Head to the Space Station entrance

Explore the sealed off station segment

Nivora: Huh?

Nivora: Ugh! That hurts...

Rover: Nivora!

Aemeath: Voidmatter saturation is critical! The SkyArk System is going into failure. I'm going in to try to stabilize it!

Luuk Herssen: Everything here has already been contaminated, including... that.

Luuk Herssen: From a doctor's perspective, the only healing left for what this man has become... is release.

Defeat the Nameless Explorer

Nameless Explorer: We... fell from the stars...

Nameless Explorer: Danger... Leave... This place...

Rover: (Was that... me in that recording?)

Rover: (That had to have been the station's final moments, when the "Etheric Sea Phenomenon" suddenly spread and engulfed all of Solaris, like Luuk said.)

Rover: (But those droplets in the sky… that was Retroact Rain. So that might've been an image of an event long ago, not part of the Etheric Sea Phenomenon itself.)

Rover: (Did I really fall from the Etheric Sea? Or what lay beyond it? Junxi did say the droplets could act as some kind of gateway.)

Rover: (Back then, could I have...)

Rover: Aemeath?

Aemeath: Haha! Not at all.

Aemeath: I'm fine, Rover.

Luuk Herssen: I'd recommend you keep this private. Don't leave the recording for the Academy's teams to find.

Luuk Herssen: Remember what I said earlier? It's a nest of competing factions. Anything connected to your past needs to be handled with discretion.

Luuk Herssen: So, what do you think? Leader of the Black Shores.

Rover: (Very few people know about that.)

Rover: Be direct with me, Luuk.

Rover: I know you knew me before. But I acted mostly as a Bloom Bearer in the past.

Rover: You and I, what exactly are we to each other?

Luuk Herssen: Mm... friends, I'd say. Not the kind who lived in each other's pockets, but, as a Huanglong saying puts it, "True friendships are still waters that run deep."

Luuk Herssen: We met by chance, and by another twist of fate, you entrusted me with a rather long-term assignment.

Luuk Herssen: That's fine. Your work in Lahai-Roi won't be finished so soon, and we still have plenty of opportunities to reacquaint ourselves.

Luuk Herssen: Startorch is a web of competing interests. If this video leaks, it'd create quite the cleanup operation.

Luuk Herssen: Heh... You're not the same as when we first met. But let's save the reminiscing for later.

Luuk Herssen: Nivora's hurt. I've stabilized her, but as a doctor, I must stay to watch over her.

Luuk Herssen: From this point, you'll have to proceed alone. We'll wait here for the Academy's retrieval team.

Rover: Alright. I'll see you back at the infirmary.

Rover: Luuk, when you said I'm "not the same," what did you mean?

Luuk Herssen: Just my impression, I could be wrong. But you seem... lighter now.

Luuk Herssen: More hopeful. Happier.

Luuk Herssen: And that's... not a bad thing, Rover.

Leave the Space Station

Aemeath: So our squad of four is now a squad of two... Oh wait, I don't really count, do I? Guess that makes it a solo squad now.

Aemeath: I once got accepted to work at a research outpost in the frostlands. I took a different route back then.

Rover: That's a surprise... I thought you'd prefer hobbies over field trips.

Aemeath: Well, I was really into Void Storms. Could count as a hobby, I guess.

Ride the elevator

Go through the ice cave

Aemeath: Let's follow the light ahead!

Rover: (Looks like a long way. Better take the bike.)

Explore ahead

Aemeath: So it was here...

Rover: This is the research outpost you mentioned before?

Aemeath: One of them. I worked at several outposts back then. But this one wasn't so lucky. The scan shows it was hit by a sudden Void Storm surge. No survivors.

Aemeath: So that's why I never saw them again back at the Academy.

Aemeath: I thought I just didn't see them around.

Rover: Aemeath...

Aemeath: Anything swallowed by the Void Storm slowly loses its "existence" until it's forgotten entirely.

Aemeath: If a Cassette makes it out, at least there's a record. But if that gets erased too, then even the fact that they died is erased.

Aemeath: Use the Core, Rover.

Aemeath: I want to see them again.

Past Dazed Researcher: Aemeath, you were amazing! If not for you, that Glommoth would've crushed us to bloody pulp!

Past Dazed Researcher: I'm still shaking, but you're already cool as ice. Are all Synchronists from Rabelle College as composed as you?

Past Outgoing Roya: If you want to thank her, share your Void Storm research! To the frostlands came our little Aemeath for this curiosity. You should show her that thesis you've been writing for years!

Past Meticulous Researcher: Aemeath, you think Cassettes might be a breakthrough?

Past Meticulous Researcher: Hm, I'm not sure… Right now they're just for archiving. Actual transcription feels like a leap.

Past Gentle Roya: Try looking to the Exoswarm for inspiration. In Lahai-Roi, only one power against the Void Storm exists, and that all comes from the Exostrider.

Past Aemeath: Haha! Your thesis or your delicious stew, either works! I'm not picky!

Past Aemeath: As for the Void Storm… I'll try all your ideas. The problem is, we don't understand the Void Storm deeply enough.

Past Aemeath: Especially in the depths with high Voidmatter concentration. No probe survives the journey, so research is stuck. I can't shake the feeling that...

Aemeath: When I was a child, my parents were lost to a Void Storm. Soon after, I even forgot what they looked like.

Aemeath: So you see? Death hasn't been all bad!

Aemeath: Once I became a digital ghost, Voidmatter couldn't affect me anymore. Even if the whole world forgets my friends and colleagues, I still get to remember every single one of them.

Rover: Aemeath.

Aemeath: Yep?

Rover: You don't always have to smile through everything.

Aemeath: What's that supposed to mean?

Aemeath: I'm happy. Really. It's the way I chose to live. You're too serious, always overthinking, hence the long face.

Aemeath: You wouldn't understand how happy this moment makes me.

Aemeath: Come on. I'll show you the frostlands' slumbering giant. Lahai-Roi's… Exostrider.

Hop on your motorbike

Travel with Aemeath

Aemeath: Ever since I became a digital ghost over ten years ago, I've stayed in Lahai-Roi. Can't get too far from the Exostrider.

Aemeath: You've been to many places, right? Care to share some stories?

Rover: Let me think...

Go through the ice cave

Rover: It wasn't all smooth sailing. Plenty of emergencies along the way.

Aemeath: Still, it all sounds amazing. And I know you must care for some of the people you met.

Aemeath: Tell me, Rover, this journey you've been on since losing your memories… Have you been happy?

Rover: ...Yeah.

Aemeath: That's all that matters.

Leap over the ravine

Continue onward

Explore ahead

Aemeath: The cabin up ahead. It's where I used to live with my family. I—

Aemeath: ...

Aemeath: Sorry. I just... I need a minute. I'm not ready yet.

Rover: (Just like before. The moment it appears, my frequency starts getting sucked out of me.)

Rover: (Aemeath said it's a Threnodian derivative, like the Voidworm. They share similar frequencies, but my gut says it's different.)

Sigillum: Go home.

Aemeath: ...!

Abby: What happened to you?!

Abby: Your frequency's been leaking everywhere! I tried plugging it from the inside, but it didn't work.

Abby: Eurgh! No, this is no good... How about this!

Abby: It stopped... it stopped... for now. I gotta... I gotta rest...

Rover: You did great, Abby. Go get some rest.

Aemeath: Don't you ever jump in after me like that again.

Aemeath: Always making people worry.

Aemeath: There's a theory in Lahai-Roi: Threnodian Aleph-1, the Devourer of Existence, is the embodiment of voidance. The dissolution of all things.

Aemeath: Its true form is like... a black hole.

Aemeath: And that theory is correct. I verified it myself.

Aemeath: So far, I'm the only one who's reached it. Because I'm already dead, and no living soul could withstand a place like that.

Rover: You went inside the Threnodian itself?

Aemeath: Yes. Think of a severe Void Storm as a manifestation and portal into Voidspace itself—A higher dimensional plane. It's pitch-black, but also like a kaleidoscope.

Aemeath: Inside, time and space aren't linear. Everything is warped.

Aemeath: Things the Threnodian devoured from different eras can be sitting right next to each other.

Aemeath: I know you fought many Threnodians, but Aleph-1 is different. It's already won elsewhere....

Aemeath: Wandering through the Voidspace, I saw the proof... a graveyard of civilizations it's already ended.

Aemeath: The Threnodian's presence in Lahai-Roi is only a sliver of its true self. It's been trying to break through the seal on the Stridergate to devour Solaris.

Aemeath: So... Rover, don't go wandering off alone. Not until the Exostrider awakens.

Follow Aemeath to the cabin

Aemeath: Come, let's rest at the cabin.

Head to the cabin

Aemeath: I'll stay outside and keep watch. Just in case Sigillum comes back. You rest. Don't go anywhere, okay?

Rest on the sofa

You sit down, weakened by severe frequency loss. You've faced many dangers, but this exhaustion is different. It feels more like a chronic sickness wearing you away.

Darkness envelops you. After a brief rest, you wake up.

The room is empty. Aemeath hasn't returned.

Rover: (I thought I remembered something before in the lake. I should look around this cabin while I wait for her to get back.)

Rover: (A game console. Two controllers. The screen is covered in dust. Hasn't been touched in years.)

Rover: (Space Fantasy: Katya VI, Split Stars... Most games here are RPGs or co-op games.)

Rover: (Childhood doodles. All telling stories of heroes saving the day...)

Rover: (Well. She had a... creative approach to art.)

Rover: (Stuffed toys. A big cat and a small cat. They look like they were well-loved.)

Rover: (So soft. You could probably hug these all night.)

Rover: (The Soliskin rushed towards the couch...)

Head to the Soliskin

Rover: (Aemeath still isn't back, but if my hunch is right...)

Past Rover: Aemeath, have you been out terrorizing those Snowfluff Seals again? They scatter the moment they see you.

Past Rover: Keep this up, and it won't be long before there isn't anyone left in the frostlands to play with.

Past Rover: Have you finished your lessons? You start school soon. Maybe spend less time gaming, hm?

Past Aemeath: Nah-uh, they love playing with me! Why else would they crawl over and play before running away?

Past Aemeath: And my lessons—ahem, Rover, you promised me another level of Split Stars! No take-backs!

Past Aemeath: But... I want to learn how you folded that thing first. Can you show me? Pretty please?

Past Rover: You mean, the paper plane?

Past Aemeath: Yeah! Mine always nose-dives right away, but yours flew so far! How?

Past Rover: Hehe, well of course there is a trick to it.

Past Rover: I'll teach you. But first, you finish your lessons. Then we'll fold planes together, alright?

Past Aemeath: Aw, okay. You promise?

Past Rover: I promise. Cross my heart.

Aemeath: When I was little, I woke up one morning and realized I couldn't remember the sound of my parents' laughter anymore.

Aemeath: Their voices, their faces, their warmth... everything about them dissolved in the Void Storm.

Aemeath: Later, even the memory of forgetting them began to fade from my mind.

Aemeath: It terrified me... to the bone.

Aemeath: I didn't know how to fight it. I felt cold, and I knew I had to do something, anything, to make it stop.

Aemeath: So I ran away from Bjartr Woods by myself. I hid in the Starward Riseway and made my way to the frostlands.

Aemeath: My parents... One was a foreign researcher, the other a Roya. They were stationed here, during the Void Storm.

Aemeath: I wanted to return to where we once lived, but I couldn't remember the way. I stumbled around for so long... until I finally reached this lake.

Rover: My past self saved you...

Aemeath: I was sinking into the lake. Choking. Everything was fading, until a pair of warm hands caught me.

Aemeath: They held on tight and pulled me out… and when I opened my eyes, I saw you.

Aemeath: But then I realized the talisman my parents had left me was gone. Probably lost to the deep. The thought alone broke my heart.

Aemeath: I cried so hard, and you had no choice but to scoop me up, comforting me as best you could. You took me back to your cabin to get warm.

Aemeath: And after that... Well, you guessed it. I stayed with you there, under your care, until the day you left Lahai-Roi.

Rover: Why did you keep this from me?

Aemeath: Because it would've been awkward.

Aemeath: Imagine someone you don't remember runs up to you, all smiles, saying, "Long time no see! I'm the kid you used to look after!"...Haha!

Aemeath: And what would I even say next? "Wanna go visit our old cabin?" "I listened to you and topped my class!" Or—"Yeah, I accidentally got myself killed, my bad!"

Rover: Since I woke in the Gorges of Spirits, I've met many people from my past. They've helped me recover pieces of myself. It's a good thing.

Rover: I can make my own choices. You should have a little more faith in me, Aemeath.

Aemeath: ...I see.

Aemeath: Then I'll just shoot away! My freshman speech, my first song release, the time I hit a new sync rate record. You missed all the big moments!

Aemeath: But I couldn't be mad. I knew you were busy.

Aemeath: You were always off saving Solaris from the Lament. You had to, and I do think that's a good thing.

Aemeath: So I thought, why can't I do the same? Look! I kept Lahai-Roi safe while you were away.

Aemeath: The more you save, the steeper the cost. I've always known that. But some things, you just gotta do.

Aemeath: You mean after you left? Well… pretty normal, I'd say. Went to school, enjoyed my days. Just like you wanted me to.

Aemeath: And then... I became a ghost. Since then, it's been drifting between the Academy and Voidspace.

Aemeath: Hey, easy now. Just rest here tonight. We'll handle everything tomorrow when you're stronger.

Aemeath: Project "rebuilding myself" is going great. Once we reach the Exostrider and recharge with the Reactor, we can make for Sigillum and finish it for good.

Aemeath: I will take care of the problem for you.

Rover: We will face it together, Aemeath.

Aemeath: Of course! But for now, bedtime. You take your old room. I'll be in mine.

Aemeath: Good night!

Young Aemeath: ...Huh? When did I fall asleep...

Young Aemeath: My paper plane, I have to show it to Rover...

Young Aemeath: (Oh, nooo! I forgot to save my game! That was my best score ever...)

Young Aemeath: (Next time, I'll definitely beat Rover's record! I'll show him!)

Young Aemeath: (I drew my favorite story! The challenger fighting the dragon, and the lone hero battling the evil galactic empire!)

Young Aemeath: (But… I can't get the colors of their clothes right. Oh well, I'll just ask Rover to help me later!)

Young Aemeath: (This cat stuffy Rover gave me is so warm. I love cuddling it when I sleep.)

Young Aemeath: (Feels like he's right there with me.)

Young Aemeath: (I wonder… how long will Rover stay this time? I wish he didn't have to go deal with all those annoying people...)

Young Aemeath: (How tiring to have to work so hard every day…)

Young Aemeath: (…Ugh, but he never listens! I'm just gonna talk his ear off while I can!)

Young Aemeath: (It's really late now… If I go out, Rover will worry…)

Find that person

Past Rover: Ah, Aemeath... What's wrong? Can't sleep?

Young Aemeath: Are you sad right now?

Past Rover: No. Just... thinking about some things.

Young Aemeath: Hmph, you're lying! You are sad!

Past Rover: You see right through me, huh? I'm not sad, I just...

Past Rover: Well, to put it in your words, I guess I'm thinking about my homeland.

Young Aemeath: Then… do you wanna go back for a visit?

Past Rover: I can't go back.

Young Aemeath: Why?

Past Rover: ...

Young Aemeath: Can I tell you a secret, Rover? After Mom and Dad went away, my chest always felt all tight and heavy.

Young Aemeath: When people in the tribe talked to me, their voices always sounded really far away.

Young Aemeath: But that day at the lake... after I cried in front of you, the feeling got a little smaller. I didn't feel so bad.

Young Aemeath: I know you can't say this stuff to other people. 'Cause they all think you're super strong.

Young Aemeath: But I'm just a kid! And I don't think you're that strong! So, if you need to cry, you can cry with me. I'm really good at keeping secrets.

Young Aemeath: So, you don't have to be sad by yourself. Okay?

Past Rover: My homeland is far, far away, Aemeath.

Past Rover: The people there gave me a mission. That's why I came here.

Young Aemeath: Hm… what kind of mission? It must be really important to come so far.

Past Rover: It's complicated. Too complicated for you right now.

Young Aemeath: Then just pick a simpler way to say it! I'll listen really carefully.

Past Rover: A simpler way...

Past Rover: Put in terms of your Space Fantasy Katya games... I came here to save the world.

Past Rover: To do whatever needs to be done to fulfill the mission, for as long as it takes.

Past Rover: But was it the right thing for me?

Past Rover: Because one day I realized I would never return home.

Past Rover: I couldn't stop thinking about that faraway place. More than I ever had before.

Past Rover: In what you'd call dreams, I'd go back. Stand there, just stare at what I once called my homeland...

Past Rover: Even if staring didn't change a thing. Even if it was pointless.

Young Aemeath: Oh! I see!

Young Aemeath: You miss home, Rover!

Past Rover: Maybe.

Past Rover: But… talking with you makes it not so bad.

Past Rover: There's still a lot I have to do in this world. This won't stop me. Don't worry about me, Aemeath.

Past Rover: Yeah?

Young Aemeath: I'm your family too. Until you find your real family and can go back to your homeland, I'll be right here with you!

Past Rover: Sounds good.

Past Rover: Thank you, Aemeath.

Aemeath: Ha, a dream of the old days.

Aemeath: Homeland...

Leave the cabin

Aemeath: Morning! Off to see the Exostrider we go!

Head to the shore

Rover: (Looks like a long way. Better take the bike.)

Aemeath: The Exostrider is surrounded by water. Perfect chance to test out that bike Dr. Luuk modified for us!

Talk to Aemeath by the shore

Rover: Aemeath, once you get all your power back, will people be able to see you again?

Aemeath: Hard to say. There's no precedent for my situation. It's all just theory.

Rover: But what if it works? What would you want to do then?

Aemeath: Hmm, haven't decided! But I'm definitely going on a proper tour of the Academy!

Aemeath: If that happens, can you come with me?

Aemeath: Look. It's sleeping.

Aemeath: Look, we've reached the Exostrider's feet.

Aemeath: Once I find more pieces of my existence here, I'll be strong enough to face Sigillum…

Aemeath: We take that thing down, and this is all over! Alright, let's race full-speed ahead to the finale!

Sigillum: Hand over...

Sigillum: ...Piloting control.

Aemeath: Ugh!

Rover: Aemeath!

Rover: (It's heading straight for the Exostrider! I have to catch up and get Aemeath back!)

Pursue Sigillum

Continue in pursuit

Sigillum: ...Complete...

Rover: (It's throwing up barriers to block my path.)

Clear the obstacles

Pursue Sigillum

Dive toward Sigillum

Sigillum: Make... whole.

Rover: Aemeath!

Aemeath: If destroying you is the only way to protect Rover...

Aemeath: Then so be it.

Head to the Exostrider

Continue onward

Fly over the broken route

Aemeath: Damn it, can't force reboot!

Sigillum: Open... Stridergate.

Aemeath: Not while I'm here. Don't even think about it.

Rover: (Aemeath can't fully control the Exostrider. She needs my help!)

Clear the obstacles

Rover: (It's like Aemeath is doing everything she can to keep Sigillum away from me.)

Rover: (And then there's the Stridergate. There must be a connection.)

Continue onward

Swim up

Go above the waterfall

Aemeath: It's already speaking more clearly now. I can't let it drain any more of Rover's frequency.

Aemeath: Gotta pull it inside. Gotta end this for good.

Head to the Exostrider Slumber Site

Return to the Academy

Luuk Herssen: All good on your end, golden boy? Lucilla mentioned the Exostrider in the frostlands just moved. Please tell me that was you?

Rover: That was Aemeath. Given how well you know me, I assume you know her, too.

Luuk Herssen: You found her?

Rover: I brought her back to the Academy. It's a long story. I'll fill you in when there's time.

Luuk Herssen: Understood. But I do have to ask, on Lucilla's behalf: what's the status of the Core?

Rover: It was returned to the Exostrider.

Luuk Herssen: That explains it. The Research Institute is reporting a spike in Voidmatter concentrations over Lahai-Roi. Void Storm activity is kicking up again.

Luuk Herssen: Back when the Reactor Drive was in the sky, its annual self-diagnostics caused the Exostrider's Greatsword pointed at the Threnodian to weaken.

Luuk Herssen: The Exostrider is probably running the same procedure now to integrate what you returned. Best for you both to stay within the Academy until peak season passes.

Rover: Alright, I'll be careful.

Luuk Herssen: Next time you're in the infirmary, we should revisit your old plan. The one tied to the Exostrider, the Stridergate, and the Threnodian.

Luuk Herssen: For now, just be with Aemeath. It must be a great relief to have her back. I'm happy for you.

Luuk Herssen: You've earned a break, Rover. Get some rest.

Rover: (Looks like Aemeath is at the auditorium. What's she doing there?)

Talk to Aemeath

Aemeath: You know what? I just had a brilliant idea!

Rover: Why do I feel like someone's about to get in trouble when you talk like that?

Aemeath: Hey! That's a totally unfair stereotype from when I was a kid playing with Snowfluff Seals!

Aemeath: I was just thinking, now that people can actually see me, I could... you know, attend my own fan meeting.

Aemeath: I know, right! You have to come too!

Aemeath: You have to see this star perform, Rover! Forget all your worries for a night and just enjoy the young energy of Startorch Academy!

Wait in line to enter the auditorium

Aemeath: For years, the little website I threw together to post songs kept getting comments.

Aemeath: They'd talk about how much they loved a song, or share problems they were having in their lives. And then... they started connecting with each other.

Aemeath: I never saw myself as a hitmaker. I was just an amateur, singing what was in my heart.

Aemeath: But over time, they stopped being just my songs. They became... a melody that connected people.

Aemeath: If my listeners want a complete song, I'll finish it for them. Or maybe for me, too.

Rover: You really do care about the people of Lahai-Roi, don't you, Aemeath?

Aemeath: I guess I do now. Wouldn't have said that at the start, though.

Aemeath: To be honest, I never had some grand passion. Before I became a ghost, I just wanted to live an easy, happy life and try a little bit of everything.

Aemeath: And my whole "I want to be a savior" thing? Well, that was just me trying to copy you.

Aemeath: But after I died, I had all this time. Time to notice the people and things in Lahai-Roi I'd overlooked before.

Aemeath: So many people here dream of becoming stars themselves, but that was never my dream.

Aemeath: I'd rather be the one who looks up at the stars. The one who watches over them.

Rover: Go on then, Aemeath. I want to hear you sing.

Aemeath: You'd better! 'Cause you're my most important audience today.

Aemeath: But first… hmm, you need a better look for the show.

Aemeath: There! Brand new, just like I remember you wearing. Looks good, right? A new place calls for a new look.

Aemeath: Ah, this brings me back...

Aemeath: Haha! What, are you blushing? Since when is having charm a bad thing?

Aemeath: Now, go grab that seat over there. Best view in the house. I scouted it myself back when I used to nap through lectures.

Aemeath: As for me, it's showtime.

Mingle with the lively crowd

Return to your seat and wait for Aemeath

Rover: (My homeland… the Sentinels... and the Exostriders…)

Rover: (The Exostriders were built to transport the Sentinels. The wreck Aemeath found in the Voidmatter suggests not all of them made it through.)

Rover: (The wreck's design matches the Exostrider here in Lahai-Roi, the one forced to go offline to stop the Threnodian. Their power should be comparable.)

Rover: (So why was one destroyed and devoured, while the other managed to stop the Threnodian and seal the Stridergate with its greatsword? Where did that strength come from?)

Rover: (There's a piece that's missing.)

Aemeath: Please, a little meet and greet? I used to host huge parties at the Academy.

Rover: So, where to next?

Aemeath: A wander about the Academy, just like we planned. No rush, just a quiet stroll!

Aemeath: This is incredible. Having company like this... The boredom I felt as a ghost could've literally killed me again.

Aemeath: Ahh, I'm so happy right now. Really.

Aemeath: Even a fake sky can hold such beauty.

Find Aemeath

Rover: (Huh? Why am I in control of Sigillum?)

Rover: (Is it because… I absorbed its frequency?)

Aemeath: Sigillum… Back for more? Thought I made a mess of you last time.

Aemeath: Hah… I can tear you apart a thousand times, but you never really die, do you? Fine. You're going to sit there and listen to me lose it!

Aemeath: After all, there's no one else to hear this.

Rover: (I can't speak… or move. Was Sigillum incapable of speech back then?)

Aemeath: You know, I found something interesting in the Exostrider's Reactor Drive.

Aemeath: A message left by my future self.

Aemeath: Years ago, while sailing the stars toward Solaris, an Exostrider caught the attention of Aleph-1.

Aemeath: Both of them tore through the Stridergate, clashing in the caverns deep below.

Aemeath: The Exostrider has combat features, but it was still no match for Aleph-1.

Aemeath: Its body was shattered, energy nearly depleted. And Voidmatter kept pouring through the Stridergate. Aleph-1 kept pushing, desperate to squeeze its whole disgusting bulk into this world.

Aemeath: It was almost successful. It would've ended everything.

Aemeath: But then a girl named Aemeath emerged from inside the Threnodian itself. The great savior, making her dramatic entrance at the final moment!

Aemeath: The Exostrider watched her touch its greatsword, the one pinning the Threnodian. Their resonance sent a surge of power back into the Reactor Drive.

Aemeath: It turned the massive blade, forcing the Threnodian back through the Stridergate and driving a seal over it.

Aemeath: But the human girl who had resonated with the Exostrider? She was dragged through the Stridergate with the Threnodian, vanishing from Solaris forever.

Rover: (Aemeath was the key? She helped the Exostrider seal the Threnodian?)

Aemeath: I was shocked at first. But the moment I stepped into Voidspace it all made sense.

Aemeath: This distorted, black hole of a realm where time and space are warped... it appeared when the Threnodian came to Solaris.

Aemeath: Anything lost inside can exist in multiple moments at once. Things caught in it can be thrown into junctures of time they were never part of.

Aemeath: And I… I can move through it all. The Voidmatter can't touch me!

Aemeath: Haha... Do you have any idea what this means?

Rover: (Aemeath, where is this going?)

Aemeath: It means… I can use it to go back. Back to the very moment Aleph-1 descended!

Aemeath: Time, cause, effect, a perfect, closed loop. But my meeting with Rover all those years ago.... that wasn't the cause. It was the effect.

Aemeath: Only by resonating with the Exostrider and dying as a Synchronist all those years ago, could I later become the Exostrider's true Resonator as a digital ghost.

Aemeath: And only in this form could I cross Voidspace, return to the past, and power the Exostrider to save Lahai-Roi.

Aemeath: And only because Lahai-Roi survived, could Rover have ever come here, rescue my younger self, and let me grow up here to become the chosen Synchronist in the first place.

Rover: (No, I have to get Sigillum to move! I need to stop—)

Aemeath: Only I can do this. It has to be me. Just like Rover, I can't turn away from a responsibility like this.

Aemeath: There's just one thing. One last wish.

Aemeath: Just one more time, I want to…

Rover: (Aemeath...)

Head to the rooftop

Aemeath: Now that your frequency is stable, what will you do next? Stay in Lahai-Roi, maybe?

Rover: The Threnodian here needs to be dealt with first.

Aemeath: Hah, of course. Typical workaholic. I knew you'd say that.

Aemeath: Aleph-1 won't be an easy fight. But I believe in you. You're the one who keeps making the impossible possible.

Aemeath: Of course. Take your time.

Aemeath: This world you've chosen is vast. You can go anywhere.

Young Aemeath: Are you leaving now?

Past Rover: Yes. There's something I have to do.

Past Rover: The Academy will look after you. Or you can go back to live in Bjartr Woods.

Young Aemeath: When... when will you come back?

Past Rover: I don't know, Aemeath. I'm sorry.

Past Rover: But I'll come back to see you when I can. I promise.

Young Aemeath: You promise?

Past Rover: Promise.

Young Aemeath: Then, I'll wait for you here in Lahai-Roi.

Past Rover: Don't feel you have to. The world is vast. Don't let me or Lahai-Roi hold you back.

Young Aemeath: B-but, you can live for so, so many years. What if I'm gone by the time you return—

Young Aemeath: Sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You should go now.

Past Rover: Aemeath—

Young Aemeath: Just go!

Past Rover: I know you're worried.

Young Aemeath: It's not fair. Why does it have to be you saving the world? You're always so exhausted, always getting hurt.

Past Rover: Look, Aemeath...

Past Rover: I've walked through lands torn apart by the Lament. Every tear weighs me down, and every cry breaks a bit of my heart.

Past Rover: Their pain is no different from mine. Neither is their joy.

Past Rover: So if I can help, I will. I have to.

Young Aemeath: Then… I'll be the one to protect you someday.

Past Rover: You... protect me?

Young Aemeath: Yes! You're not invincible! You get hurt, you get tired, you get sad. You're just like everyone else in this world.

Young Aemeath: So I'll protect you.

Young Aemeath: I'll chase off anyone who tries to hurt you! Like Katya from Space Fantasy!

Young Aemeath: I'll become a savior, just like you.

Past Rover: Hehe...

Young Aemeath: Don't laugh! I'm serious!

Past Rover: Alright, alright, I'll stop now. I know you're serious. And I'm listening to every word.

Past Rover: I'll be counting on you then, Aemeath.

Aemeath: Tired?

Rover: The frequency Sigillum took is coming back. It's… not a great feeling. Abby's already helping me recover through the Tacet Mark. I'll be fine soon.

Aemeath: You can count on me...

Find Aemeath

Rover: (Aemeath's mind space is even more chaotic than last time.)

Talk to Aemeath

Leave the classroom

Talk to Aemeath

Aemeath: For over ten years now, I've tried the same thing.

Aemeath: Every time the Reactor Drive ran its self-diagnostics during peak Void Storm season, I tried to reverse time. And every time, I failed. I just wasn't strong enough.

Aemeath: But now, further along the timeline, the edges of Voidspace are beginning to collapse. I don't know why the Threnodian is changing, but I know there won't be another chance.

Aemeath: I have to make the jump now, during this peak season, while Voidspace is still stable.

Aemeath: I'm not that child who needed protecting anymore. I have a duty to fulfill. Lahai-Roi is my responsibility.

Aemeath: So if I can help, I will. I have to.

Aemeath: But before I go… I want to see him again. That's my one, selfish wish.

Aemeath: I want to talk to him. To know how he's really been. I want to spend a little more time with my family.

Aemeath: I was always afraid that when he finally discovered the truth about himself, he'd feel so alone.

Aemeath: But... it's alright now.

Aemeath: He told me about his journey after losing his memories. It was… meaningful.

Aemeath: He met people. People who care for him. Who miss him. People he formed connections with.

Aemeath: So even knowing the truth about his homeland now, he won't be alone. He has a reason to keep living.

Aemeath: That's enough for me. Now, I can finally... let go.

Aemeath: You…? How…?

Rover: Aemeath, don't you dare decide this by yourself!

Aemeath: You're the one who taught me that my pain is no different from anyone else's! I can't turn my back on the responsibility I have.

Aemeath: Forgive me, Rover.

Rest on the chair

Rover: Aemeath!

Rover: (She's gone… This is the piece I was missing. Luuk said that the Core's self-diagnostics would trigger peak Void Storm season.)

Rover: (She knew. When she returned the Core, she already knew. She's been waiting for this moment, waiting to travel back in time.)

Rover: (The lake in the frostlands. The Voidmatter is densest at its depths. If I'm lucky, I can find a way into Voidspace from there.)

Rover: (I can still catch up to her. I have to move, now!)

Proceed to Ginnungamere

Jump into Ginnungamere

Rover: Don't go.

Rover: This can't be the only way...

Aemeath: It is. The Voidmatter can't hurt me.

Aemeath: Don't try to save everyone on your own.

Aemeath: This time, you have to trust me.

Rover: No! If you do this, there's no coming back! The Stridergate will shut you out forever!

Aemeath: This is the only way

Aemeath: the loop will close, and Lahai-Roi will survive...

Rover: Aemeath!

Aemeath: And we will find each other in the frostlands

Aemeath: Journey well.

Aemeath: I hope to make you proud. I hope I haven't let you down.

Aemeath: (My body... it's breaking apart…)

Aemeath: (Hah… have to Overclock to get through… should've known it'd be this brutal.)

Fly to the start

Rover: (I'll have to jump into the lake from there.)

Jump into Ginnungamere

Continue through the blizzard

Rover: (Aemeath said someone lifted her from the lake when she was a child. That's when she lost her talisman.)

Rover: (It wasn't my past self who saved her, it was me. Right here, right now.)

Rover: (My failure to save Aemeath… has it already become part of Lahai-Roi's chain of cause and effect?)

Rover: (There's still a way. I can't give up here.)

Follow the Soliskin

Rover: (Aemeath is on the other side of the Stridergate. I'll just go through it and bring her back.)

Rover: (Someone has to pilot the Exostrider, open the Stridergate, and deal with the Threnodian anyway.)

Rover: (I'll do it.)

Rover: (The odds are slim, but they're not zero.)

Rover: (It touched the talisman then ran away. Is it trying to lead me somewhere?)

Rover: (That direction, it's the Synchrolink Training Grounds.)

Curious Student: What's wrong? The simulation pod won't open?

Pensive Student: Seems so. It bugged out with an emergency error and just... locked down. Maintenance is on the way.

Surprised Student: But it's showing it's occupied? Class just started. No one could have gotten in yet.

Rover: Aemeath?

Read Luuk's WavesLine message

Head to the station

"Aemeath": ...

Rover: This is... her paper plane.

"Aemeath": ...

Rover: You can keep it, if you'd like.

Rover: I know you're not Aemeath. You're only a piece of what she left behind, kept alive by this talisman.

Rover: But if you exist, it means she's still alive, too. Doesn't it?

Rover: Otherwise, the Soliskin couldn't have brought you back.

Rover: So... it wasn't for nothing. If I hadn't gone looking for Aemeath, I never would have found this talisman.

Rover: And you wouldn't be here at all.

Rover: Luuk told me you're a piece of her. A thread that might still tie her to this world.

Rover: If I follow it, maybe I can find where she is.

"Aemeath": ...

Rover: He might've only said that to comfort me. No one has ever seen what's beyond the Stridergate. It's all just guesswork.

Rover: How long has it been for her since she was pulled into that chaos?

Rover: Is she still alive? And if she is, how much longer can she hold on?

Rover: ...I don't know.

Rover: But I will hold on to hope.

Rover: Because the world she saved is so full of it. So peaceful, and so beautiful.

"Aemeath": ...

Rover: It's... strange seeing "Aemeath" so quiet like this.

Rover: I will cross the Stridergate and bring you home.

Rover: Wait for me, Aemeath.

"Aemeath": Don't... be sad...

A gentle breeze whispers the beginnings of spring.