Chapter 18: Resonance of the Badge

The dome of the old observatory peeked out from behind the shadows of the trees, dusty and gray.

Its exterior walls were covered in withered vines, making it look like a sleeping monster.

The iron door was left slightly ajar.

Wind whistled through the gaps in the dome, making a “woo-woo” sound that resembled someone crying.

It was enough to make anyone’s skin crawl.

“The door is open…”

My voice grew tense, and I gripped Xiao Yan’s hand even tighter.

‘Did someone come here already? Lin Yu?’

Xiao Yan immediately stepped in front of me and pushed open the iron door.

A cloud of dust billowed out, carrying the scent of old wood and forgotten time.

She was clearly a bit scared herself — her shoulders were pulled tight — but she still protected me behind her like a kitten bristling its fur.

It was very dark inside, with only a few high windows letting in a trickle of starlight.

The silhouette of the observation deck loomed in the darkness, and the barrel of the telescope sat in the middle like a silent beast.

‘Is this thing an antique? I hope it doesn’t fall apart the moment I touch it, or we’ll never be able to afford the repairs!’

As the flashlight beam swept across the walls, I saw a line of text.

“What should I do.”

It was carved into the wall with deep, forceful strokes.

Next to it was a small star carving, identical in shape to the badge.

A bit of dust from the passage of time was still trapped in the grooves.

“Senior Lin Ming carved this…”

Xiao Yan leaned in closer to look, her fingers gently brushing the words.

Her voice was soft.

“She must have been very scared back then, right? Was she so helpless because she couldn’t find a way to undo the transformation?”

I didn’t know, but looking at those words, I could imagine it.

One night many years ago, a person had stood here just like I was now, clutching a badge and not knowing where to go.

Fortunately, I had Xiao Yan by my side.

“President.”

Xiao Yan nudged my arm, pointing the flashlight toward a corner.

A few cardboard boxes were piled there.

The words “Lin Ming, Astronomy Club” were written on them.

The handwriting had faded, and a yellowed Astronomy Club sticker was still attached.

We knelt down to rummage through them.

The boxes were filled with things:

Yellowed observation records, several pens that still had ink, a worn lens cloth, and a journal with Orion’s star trails drawn on the cover.

I flipped open the journal.

A photo was tucked into the last page.

Bai Lu and Lin Ming were standing in front of the observatory, wearing their Astronomy Club uniforms and smiling sweetly.

On the photo, a hand-drawn depiction of Orion’s three stars was clearly visible, looking like a silver ruler.

A line of text was written on the back of the photo:

“When the three stars align, the badge will speak.”

“The badge will speak…”

Xiao Yan read it aloud, tilting her head to look at me with eyes full of confusion.

“What does that mean? Will it make a sound, or will new clues appear?”

I pulled out the star badge and turned it over.

The carvings shimmered with a silvery-white light under the flashlight, looking like fragments of stars.

“Xiao Yan, take out the structural diagram.”

She spread out the diagram, and the flashlight beam hit the section for the observation window.

A star mark was drawn on the map, with a line of small text next to it:

[Resonance Core]

The handwriting was exactly the same as the carving on the wall.

“It’s right here.”

I stood up and walked toward the observation window.

My heart beat faster and faster, feeling like it might jump out of my throat.

The flashlight beam swept across the wall, revealing a carved star that was identical to the shape of the badge.

The carving was deep, and its edges were smooth as if it had been touched repeatedly, giving off a faint luster.

“Found it.”

My hands were trembling.

Xiao Yan grabbed my hand, interlacing her fingers with mine.

The warmth of her palm seeped through my skin, feeling cozy.

Her fingers gently hooked around mine with a comforting pressure.

“President, should we come back when the three stars align? It’s too early right now. What if we trigger something dangerous?”

Just as I was about to nod, a cold white light suddenly flared near the observation window.

Someone was standing there.

They wore a dark school uniform and had a sharp, short mullet.

In their arms, they held a silver-gray weather observation instrument.

Xiao Yan immediately shielded me even more closely, acting like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Her shoulders were tense, and the flashlight in her hand even wobbled for a second.

She was clearly shaking, yet she stood tall like an indestructible barrier.

The faint glow of the screen illuminated the person’s face.

It was a face very similar to Lin Ming’s — just as cold, with eyes that held no warmth.

Lin Yu.

Her expression was hidden in the dim light, making it hard to read her emotions.

Her voice was as cold as a winter wind, devoid of any fluctuation.

“You’re early. The current magnetic field strength isn’t enough to make the badges resonate.”

“Lin Yu! Why are you here? Are you tracking us?”

Xiao Yan’s voice trembled slightly, but she tried her best to sound confident.

“Whatever we do is none of your business!”

Lin Yu looked up expressionlessly, her tone flat.

“I am monitoring the magnetic field. It has nothing to do with you.”

She walked in and placed the instrument on the table.

The screen was filled with dense data and curves, identical to the resonance curves I had seen on Bai Lu’s computer earlier.

“A warning,” she said.

Her gaze swept over the badge in my hand, her tone carrying a hint of a threat.

“Magnetic field disturbances can cause the transformation state to fluctuate. At best, it results in memory blurring. At worst, you’ll never be able to change back. Don’t cause trouble for my research, and definitely don’t ruin the things my sister left behind.”

She had finally admitted her relationship with Senior Lin Ming.

“You!”

Xiao Yan’s face flushed with anger.

She wanted to say something, but I pulled her back.

I took a step forward and looked into Lin Yu’s eyes.

The badge in my hand suddenly began to grow hot again.

This time, it was even more intense, nearly burning my palm and making my fingertips go numb with pain.

“Lin Yu,” I asked, enduring the pain as I spoke each word carefully.

“To open the secret chamber, do we need both badges?”

She glanced at me with a faint gaze but didn’t deny it.

“Both badges must be pressed into the star marks on the wall at the same time,” she said, pointing to the star carving as her fingertip brushed over the grooves.

“The secret chamber’s switch can only be triggered during the peak of the magnetic resonance. If one is missing or the timing is wrong, it’s a waste of effort. It might even trigger a backlash of memory disorder.”

‘Memory disorder?’

I recalled everyone who couldn’t remember that I was a boy.

I suddenly wondered if their memories had been interfered with by this thing.

‘Will our memories be interfered with too?’

The thought struck me, and my mind instantly tightened as I looked back on every detail since I had become a girl.

‘Am I really going to change back? Will Xiao Yan forget the memories of this time?’

The stray thought flashed by.

I shook my head, trying to clear those terrifying ideas.

I gripped the badge tightly.

A faint blue light began to emanate from Lin Yu’s pocket.

Hers was also glowing, responding to mine from a distance.

The blue light was like an invisible thread connecting the two badges.

Even across a distance of several meters, the two badges were actually sensing each other.

The blue light grew brighter and brighter, like two tiny stars flickering in the dark.

The heat in my palm was staggering.

When I looked down, the carvings on the back of the badge had lit up, emitting a faint blue glow that faced the star mark on the wall.

For the first time, Lin Yu’s expression wavered.

She frowned as she stared at the observation instrument.

The data curves on the screen suddenly jumped violently, and a faint alarm began to sound.

Her knuckles turned white, yet she still forced herself to remain calm.

However, the look in her eyes as she watched the data grew deeper and more panicked.

“The magnetic field is strengthening ahead of schedule…”

Her voice tightened, and she spoke rapidly.

“The peak might arrive early! It’s a full half an hour earlier than expected!”

On the wall beneath the observation window, in the spot where the blue light had flashed, a groove identical in shape to the badge suddenly emerged.

Blue light flowed within the groove like the tears of a star, breathtakingly beautiful.

It matched the position of the resonance core marked on the structural diagram perfectly.

“That’s it.”

Xiao Yan grabbed my hand. Her voice was shaking, but she was firm.

“President, the secret chamber switch is right there!”

The observation instrument in Lin Yu’s hand suddenly emitted a sharp alarm that pierced the silence of the observatory.

It was like a knife cutting through the night.

Lin Yu’s face changed completely.

For the first time, she showed clear emotional distress, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

“The peak has moved up! It’s happening tonight at 10:00 PM! The window is only 5 minutes! If we miss it this time, there’s no telling when the next chance will be!”

I used my flashlight to light up the watch on my wrist.

9:56 PM.

Only 4 minutes left.

“Xiao Yan,” I said.

“Yeah.”

Her voice was trembling, but it was steady.

“Are you scared?”

She gripped my hand tight, her gaze firm.

The flashlight beam reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle as if they held the entire starry sky.

She leaned down, bringing her lips close to my ear.

Her voice was soft, carrying the sweet scent of orange candy. “I’m not scared.

If I were scared, how could I protect the President?”

Her breath brushed against my ear, tickling me.

My heart beat so fast it felt like it might explode.

The star groove on the wall flickered in the blue light.

The badge in my hand grew hotter and hotter, the carvings glowing so intensely they seemed ready to catch fire.

It pulsed in harmony with the blue light from Lin Yu’s pocket, and the humming sound of the resonance grew clearer.

Lin Yu stood by the observation instrument, staring at the screen without saying a word.

She gripped the hem of her clothes so hard her knuckles turned white.

The data on the screen jumped faster and faster, like a countdown timer.

Every number felt like a hammer striking my heart.

Outside the window, Orion rose higher and higher.

The alignment of the three stars on the Hunter’s belt was blindingly bright.

It was like a silver ruler measuring the distance of the night sky — and the time we had left.

I gripped the badge and took a step forward, the heat in my palm staggering.

Xiao Yan followed me closely.

The sweat from her palm dampened the back of my hand, but she didn’t let go.

Right then, the badge in my hand suddenly emitted an incredibly soft hum.

The sound was faint but clear, like a star whispering in my ear, or perhaps calling out to its other half.

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