“Dad—Dad?”

Ye Weibai stared at his palm, stunned, like a stone dropped into still water sending one lonely ripple.

The Doll called Little Ash had woken at some point. Tiny fists rubbed foggy eyes, as if she’d scrambled out of a nightmare, fear still clinging like cold dew, her confusion child-soft and clouded.

She lifted her head and saw Ye. Her small face froze, hesitated, then lit up—joy blooming like sunrise, worry melting away like mist.

Propped on Ye’s palm, Little Ash gave a little heave-ho and sat up. Her small backside nestled in his hand; her slim waist leaned on his slightly raised fingers; two long legs slipped from her skirt and dangled in the air like willow fronds.

Gray eyes wide, she beamed. “Daddy—!”

Ye didn’t have time to marvel at her waking. Her word hit him like a bell. “Daddy—you mean me?”

“Mm!” Little Ash nodded hard, like a sparrow pecking millet. “Exactly!”

Ye’s face went complicated. “Do you… remember who I am?”

“Daddy!—Daddy is Little Ash’s, Little Ash’s—” She tilted her head, bit her lip, brows knotting like tangled thread, frustration clouding her like a small rain. Ye’s heart tightened; he reached out and smoothed the little knot from her brow.

She bloomed into a sugar-sweet smile, wrapped her arms around his finger like a vine, adorable enough to burst. She giggled. “Father!—Daddy is Little Ash’s honored father!”

“Why—”

He hadn’t finished the word when the gray-haired girl’s color drained in an instant, like paper left in frost.

“Sorry.”

Breathing quick and thin, Little Ash yawned. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her voice breaking like a frayed string. “Daddy, I don’t know why… Little Ash is so sleepy. Sorry, Little Ash… may… again… again—”

The sound cut off.

She tipped backward and fell into Ye’s palm, slipping into darkness.

“Little Ash!”

Ye’s breath faltered. He reached to feel for Little Ash’s breath.

“Nothing.”

Little Ash’s breathing and heartbeat were gone—she had died again, like a candle pinched out.

But Ye’s face wasn’t as grim as expected. “So that’s how it is…”

Her memory seemed scrambled for reasons unknown.

But it was clear, Little Ash—you need the same thing I do to live.

——【Girl’s Despairing, Sincere Tears】.

“Then that’s that.” He set the gray-haired girl back on the bed, tucked in the quilt, and watched her sink into heavy sleep. A soft smile rose like a warm lamp on his face. “【Girl’s Despairing, Sincere Tears】—I’ll fetch them back for you. My—”

His smile curved, bittersweet as old wine. He whispered, “My—daughter.”

…

…

Two years ago.

Two years before Ye Weibai met 【Nightfall】.

“Interesting.”

Under a night with no stars and no moon, only cold streetlights flickered along the riverside road. On the rail above the surging river, a black-haired, black-eyed teenager lifted his head; river wind tousled his hair, and his eyes sparked like fireworks.

“Hey, did you zone out? I said you’re going to die.”

“Killed by a Deity, right?”

“Yes! Absolutely—no—saving you!”

“That’s—interesting!” He smiled, corners of his mouth hooking like a fox’s grin.

“Hey, you think I’m bluff—”

“No, I believe you.” His eyes gleamed, full and fervent, like lanterns in a storm—without a flicker of fear. “I’m just curious—which Deity, and by what method—will kill me.”

The naked lack of fear made Little Ash forget to breathe.

“Ha—” After a beat, Little Ash smiled too. “It’s 【Nightfall】. The way should be—scythe at the waist.”

“Oh, like an execution.” He rubbed his chin and thought for a while, then laughed. “Hey, you—let’s set a board.”

“Huh? What kind of board?”

“A counter-kill board. How’s that?”

…

…

“Arrived?”

Blue light flared in the living room, sea-glow bright. When the glow faded, 【Time】 stood in the room.

Ye Weibai let the memory settle like dust.

To be honest, reminiscing before a campaign is a perfect flag.

He laughed at himself, like tapping a wooden fish.

“Don’t you need a few more days to recover?” 【Time】 asked.

“Eh?” Ye looked at her, eyebrows lifting like wings.

“Don’t misunderstand. I only worry you’re not in top form to finish the task.”

“Relax.” Ye shook his head and pointed at the empty room washed in afternoon quiet. “This isn’t rest to me. One good sleep is enough. Going to a new 【World】—that makes me expectant.”

“Then, as usual, you have one question.”

“A question…” Ye thought for a moment. “—Wei.”

“Mm.”

He smiled. “—Are you a girl?”

“……” The question seemed to spook her. 【Time】 froze for a long beat before replying, her tone flat as stone, emotion hidden. “If defined by human notions of gender—yes.”

“And from a 【Deity】’s view?”

“Gender means nothing to a 【Deity】.” Her voice turned cool, like shade.

“Got it.” Ye nodded. “Then I understand.”

“Ye,” like she couldn’t help it anymore, 【Time】 tossed it bluntly. “You’re boring.”

“Hahahaha.” He laughed out loud, like bells clapping. “True. But—life is like that. Because it’s boring, we want to make it interesting. If everything runs on rails, it’s dull. Even a 【Deity】, if bound to the tracks—too dull, that’s all.”

“—No awe.”

“Maybe.” His signature ambiguous smile returned, drifting like smoke. “Rather than I lack awe—maybe I don’t know what to be in awe of.”

He didn’t know what deserved awe—Ye Weibai, who found even 【Life】 a so-so thing.

He spoke it offhand, like tossing a pebble. Yet in 【Time】’s ears, it landed heavy. She went silent, stirred.

After a while, she ended the topic gently. “Then, let’s go.”

“Hm? So sudden? Not chatting more?”

“I’m busy.”

“Ha, fine, fine.” He smiled. “Then wish me luck, Wei.”

—whoosh.

…

…

“Good luck. Xiaobai.”

…

…

Many years earlier.

Long before Ye Weibai met 【Misfortune】 and 【Nightfall】.

Somewhere in the 【World】.

“【Seer】, I have a question.”

“You know the rules, right?”

“This is for you. Enough?”

“Of course. For a yes-or-no question, there’s a surplus. What’s your question?”

“After this, he won’t face anything like what happened to me, right?” 【Qiu】 looked at the 【Seer】 and spoke the man’s title. “My—elder brother.”

“Of course—”

The 【Seer】 answered thus.

“He will not.”

“Then I understand.” Her face unreadable as fog, she turned and left.

She didn’t see it—after she left, the 【Seer】’s forever placid face twitched. His mouth, with effort, tipped upward a fraction, sketching a faint but real smile, tasting of mockery.

In a voice the whole 【World】 held for her alone, the 【Seer】 chuckled under his breath.

“Because—he’ll be more—【Misfortune】 than you.”