Chapter 6: Act 5 - Life and Art
When Artmory returned to the Pillars of Creation, he saw Stera lying quietly on the ground. Artmory quickly went forward to take Stera to a place where she could rest against something. Artmory looked at Stera; he felt that Stera's life breath seemed to be weakening, and the light of the Pillars of Creation itself also seemed to be less bright than before. At this moment, the Pillars of Creation seemed to sense Stera's situation, and a subtle but powerful energy surged from the depths of the Pillars of Creation and gathered into a beam of light. This beam of light slowly flowed into Stera's body, and then Stera's life signs gradually recovered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Seeing Stera was okay, Artmory breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "How do you feel?"
"Just normal wear and tear, no big deal," Stera replied.
Stera took a deep breath and said, "There's something I haven't explained to you yet. In fact, since my birth, my life has been tied to the Pillars of Creation. The power to create stars is actually consuming my own life force. I also know that one day I might burn out. This is the mission given to me by my creator. At the beginning, I was indeed confused and puzzled, not understanding why my creator wanted to treat me this way, letting me bear such responsibility and cost."
Her eyes softened and continued, "But as I created more and more stars, I watched the scenery of stars blooming in the universe, and I began to feel that all of this was worth it. The birth of each star is a miracle in the universe; their light and heat are the ways I communicate with this universe. My mission is to convey this beauty to more places, allowing more lives to see these beautiful scenes. Moreover, even if I disappear one day, these stars will still serve as proof of my existence."
A spark appeared in Stera's eyes, and she continued, "Later, after I met you, you told me the story in that novel, which made me have a new perspective on what I have been doing.
I began to think that perhaps my creation is not just for the universe but also for myself, to convey my artistic masterpiece to the entire universe."
"I want every star to become the most gorgeous performance in the universe, illuminating more places with their light."
Artmory smiled and said, "Then, I would like to stay here until the day I witness your performance, the day you light up the universe with stars. Is that okay?"
"Of course, it is," Stera replied with a smile.
In the following days, Artmory and Stera traveled through the Pillars of Creation together, observing the birth of stars and enjoying the magnificent scenery created by the stars. With Artmory's company, Stera became more invested in creating each star, and each creation was filled with passion and creativity.
They witnessed the birth of new stars together, their dazzling light like new hope, illuminating their faces. At the top of the Pillars of Creation, they enjoyed the magnificence of the universe, with countless galaxies unfolding before their eyes. Stera began to try to combine her creations with art; each newly born star was not just a part of the universe but also a stroke of her artistic creation. She began to add more variations to the arrangement of the stars, and even some stars gave birth to binary star systems. Each birth of a star was like a brand new and exquisite painting drawn in the universe. Artmory was on the side, recording all of this. This kind of life continued for an unknown duration.
One day, Stera found Artmory and said, "Artmory, I want to go to the top of the Pillars of Creation with you again to see the scenery there. By the way, I want you to read that novel's story to me once more, okay?"
"Of course, it is," Artmory replied with a smile.
Stera continued, "But it seems I left that novel near the place where you first met me, where I was hiding. Can you go and get it for me?"
"Sure."
"I'll go there first, and you come over after you get the novel," Stera said before running towards the direction of the top of the Pillars of Creation.
Artmory went to the place where they first met Stera and sighed, "It's been so long since I've been here. The little guy who was still confused before now has such a broad dream. Time is really a wonderful thing."
Artmory suddenly saw something very conspicuous in front of him. "Hmm, isn't that Stera's novel? The novel is placed in such a conspicuous place, and Stera cares about that novel so much. Normally, she shouldn't leave it so casually, right?"
Suddenly, the Pillars of Creation produced a violent vibration, and the energy around quickly drained towards the same direction. And that place was the top of the Pillars of Creation. Artmory suddenly realized something and immediately headed towards the top of the Pillars of Creation.
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"Worldview"
[Pillars of Creation]
This is a special "structure". It does not have the "substance" that people perceive, but is composed of gas and dust, so it cannot be called a planet. It is about 7000 light-years away from the solar system we are familiar with. Here, many stars are produced every moment to light up the universe.
[!] Over time, the Pillars of Creation seem to gradually fade.