In the dim environment, the gemstone lamps swayed above, with columns of light alternating between pale purple and deep blue as the bass drum began to beat.
In the quiet room, the unchanging rhythm of the drum beats entered the hearts of every audience member in this dim environment, one after another. Despite the darkness, the clear sound allowed one to 'see' the trembling drum skin—so lucid and yet intoxicating.
This was an underground concert hall, a small space filled with seventy or eighty spectators. They stood in the dimly lit and fluorescently interwoven environment, fervent yet restrained, watching the only figure spotlighted on stage—a black-clad songstress.
The slanted light only illuminated half of the girl's face. She had eyes of ice blue, black hair, and skin pale as snow. Partially bathed in light and mostly immersed in shadow, her delicate yet enchanting form still caused one to succumb to her charm.
Her lips, as pale pink as cherry blossoms, parted slightly, and a somewhat cool voice slowly emerged amidst the drumbeats. Even with eyes shut, one could feel the voice piercing through time and space, reaching the deepest part of the soul.
It was as if every cell floated in the music and rhythm, and all the world's troubles and restlessness vanished, entering a world far away and barrenly cold.
The song carried no passion, no persuasion, no comfort—only endless emptiness and distance, like the insignificance and loss one feels when gazing at the stars, stripped of all trivial human emotions.
The music didn't stop. With the slender fingers plucking the guitar strings, following a long silence, a lively and life-imbued rhythm began to slowly emerge, so deliberate yet so grand, causing the audience to unwittingly shed tears.
Gradually, the music ceased and the scene darkened, everything froze in place.
The finger swiping the screen halted.
"Whose concert is this, looks like it has a unique style," a voice with a hint of freshness came from beside you.
You looked up; the blonde girl with two horns next to you was asking, her dress white with scattered floral patterns, and seven or eight black lines like ink splashes adorned the hem. Meanwhile, the squares made of azure and bright pink filled in between, creating a stark and lively contrast that made the dress seem bright and lively.
"I stumbled upon it recently on the Star Domain Network, I'm not clear on the specifics."
"Is that so, I was wondering who it was," she replied with a hint of regret, her black horns lifting slightly, brushing against a few golden strands of hair.
"Are you curious about my species?" As if noticing the curiosity in your eyes, the girl grinned and deftly began to introduce herself.
"I was born in the Givillia of the Northern Federation Star Domain and carry the blood of the Orc Subspecies Bull Horn Tribe. I'm now in the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain on an exchange program."
...
"Why did I come here? Although the economy of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain isn't that great, it has a lot of history. I watched many documentaries and TV series as a child, so I was very curious and wanted to come to see it for myself, which is why I pleaded with my family to agree to a two-year exchange program."
Looking at this young girl, who still held onto her innocence and aspirations, you couldn't bear to shatter her beautiful imaginings and could only nod slightly before falling silent.
Outside the circular window, a vast blue planet slowly approached, chasing after the ever-burning star. On the distant horizon, a golden light slowly rose, illuminating the boundless and expansive land.
As it faced the endless expanse of blue and white, the spaceship slowly entered the atmosphere, with vibrations and tremors passing up from the soles of your feet and your seat.
"The aircraft is now entering the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain-B2-7621 (Jade Skirt). Due to atmospheric turbulence on the outer layers of the planet, the aircraft will experience some shaking. Please remain in your seats with the safety armrests engaged and avoid moving about," a synthetic female voice echoed throughout the ship, and a series of half-spherical robots attached to the floor patrolled the center aisle, checking if all passengers were seated and if anyone needed assistance.
"I'll have a glass of Yellow Maple Givillian Cranberry Juice," the Bull Horn Tribe girl next to you, unfazed by the aircraft's shaking, waved to the passing robot and placed her order.
"Please wait a moment." The hemispherical robot stopped its wheels. A simple character-spelled smiley face emerged on its black panel. Then, opening the hatch on its chest, it took out a cup of chilled juice, inserted a straw, and handed the juice to the Bull Horn Tribe girl beside it.
"Thank you~"
"Serving humans is our honor," the robot responded with emoticon expressions before continuing to move forward.
"The little guys are pretty cute, don't you think?" The girl bit her straw lightly, the ice cubes and the orange-yellow liquid collided inside the glass, emitting a faint luminescence.
She watched the world outside the round window, where the previously dark and endless starry sky gradually gave way to the sea blue and cloud white of the planets, becoming brighter and brighter.
The Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain, a peripheral Star Domain in the Southern Federation, contains two large and one small stellar systems. In the early days, it provided the Federation with many urgently needed industrial goods, greatly supporting the frontlines during the fifty-year campaign.
The R3H412-type Four-leaf Crystal was an essential component for the main axis cannon of the Federation's main battleship, the "Sigh Dragon Class," at that time. Because its production required a large amount of liquid water and rare minerals, only a few areas could produce it. Located safely in the rear and coincidentally one of the crystal's origins, the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain was highly valued by the Federation. Countless citizens migrated here under federal policies, and various industrial conglomerates built supporting facilities, which led to the Star Domain's rapid development. Eventually, it was also named after the 'Four-leaf Crystal.'
...
But these are all stories from hundreds of years ago.
Today's Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain is just a small Star Domain in the outskirts of the Federation, with a stagnant economy and obsolete environment and facilities. Industrial pollution has damaged the environment of the inhabited planets in the Star Domain, with continuous acid rain, while funds for environmental remediation seem to be an endlessly bottomless pit.
In earlier years, there were calls within the Federation to protect and improve the environment of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain because this place was the 'heroic' Star Domain of the Federation, contributing to the Federation's most difficult times. But as generations passed, and the Star Domain's environment remained unresolved, the once-prominent conglomerates withdrew from the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain. It gradually became the 'Rust Belt' within the Federation, neglected and remote.
Nowadays, it's hard to find news about the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain on the Federation's Interstellar Network, perhaps only the locals still remember that distant and glorious era.
After entering the Galaxy Universe, although humanity had a brilliant and dazzling heyday, as always played out in history, all brilliance would eventually dim down progressively.
With the struggle for interests, all sorts of complex and confusing ideologies flooded the information networks. People became frenzied and numb; there wasn't a corner left untouched by the era's tides or unpolluted by its baptism, nor was there any serenity or innocence left untainted.
This is a sorrowful world, a world that will slowly head towards extinction.
As you gaze at the world outside the window, you zone out until the spacecraft slowly stabilizes while the inside lights gradually come on. Your reflection slowly appears on the windowpane.
Soft grey hair, black eyes, a simple and common school uniform, and the somewhat adorable, large black bow behind your head.
If there were a highly advanced AI adept at analysis to compare this face with the beguilingly dark Songstress previously on the screen, it would find many similarities in detail, but the girl's common hair color, attire, and a certain special talent greatly diminished her presence, making people around her unconsciously ignore her, just like a common high school student on the street.
"By the way, I haven't asked for your name yet," the girl beside you finally remembers, as the plane is about to land.
"Tilan, Hexia Tilan."
The long whistling sound sliced through the atmosphere, accompanied by trembling and slightly jarring brakes; the Interstellar spaceship slowly landed on the runway, eventually coming to a complete halt. The safety restraints on the seats deflated, then lifted and opened. The passengers bustled about, talking, then stood up from their seats and headed to the exit.
The overhead screens in the cabin also slowly shifted, projecting the rare and clear blue sky. A set of white numbers on the side jumped, displaying the current time.
[The Sixth Era, 1252, July 10th, Rose Federation - Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain - B2-7621 (Jade Skirt), 2:41:54 P.M.]