Nightingale felt as if she had fallen into a bottomless pit. It was pitch black, and she couldn't see a thing. She desperately tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt heavy as if they were filled with lead. Her mind was in a turmoil, as if two little people were fighting, making her head feel like it was about to explode.
"Kill her! Kill that child! Only in this way can you break free from control!" A voice sounded like it came from hell, eerie and tempting.
"No... My sister saved me, I can't do this..." The other voice was small but firm, like a small oil lamp in a storm, which could go out at any time but still tried hard to stay lit.
"Break free? Do you think you can? You're just a puppet controlled by others!" The cold voice rang out again, each word like a knife stabbing Nightingale's heart. "Do you really think you can break free from our control? Hahahahaha..."
Nightingale closed her eyes tightly, her brows furrowed into the shape of a "川" character, and her lips were tightly pursed, as if she was fighting fiercely with something. Fine beads of sweat oozed from her forehead, and her face became increasingly pale.
"No... I'm not a puppet... I'm Nightingale... I'm my sister's friend..." Nightingale struggled painfully. She could feel her consciousness being eroded bit by bit. That cold voice was like a leech, constantly corroding her sanity and trying to drag her into endless darkness.
"Friend? Hahahaha..." A cold voice laughed wildly, "You treat her as a friend, but what does she treat you as? She's just using you! She uses your abilities, your loyalty, to achieve her own goals!"
"No...it's not like that...Rosie is not that kind of person..." Nightingale shook her head desperately, trying to drive the voice out of her mind, but the voice kept echoing in her ears like a spell, making her unable to get rid of it.
"Isn't that so? Then tell me, why did she save you? Why is she so nice to you? She just took a fancy to your ability and wanted to use you! You are the only person with nine-series superpowers in the entire galaxy, who wouldn't want you?" The cold voice pressed on step by step, like a hunter approaching its prey, trying to force her into a desperate situation.
Nightingale's eyes began to blur and her body trembled slightly, like a wounded little animal struggling in despair.
"No... I believe Rosie..." Nightingale's voice grew weaker, but her eyes gradually became firmer. "I believe her..."
"Believe her? Hahahaha...how ridiculous!" The cold voice sounded again, "You will soon find out how foolish your belief is!"
Nightingale's consciousness became increasingly blurred, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. She knew that she couldn't go on like this, otherwise, she would really be controlled by that voice and do something irreparable.
"I...can't..." Nightingale gritted her teeth, concentrating hard to drive that voice away. Her hand groped around, and finally, she felt a cold dagger.
That was the weapon she always carried with her for self-defense. But at this moment, this dagger became her only hope against that voice.
"This is the only way... to stop it..." A trace of determination flashed in Nightingale's eyes. She raised the dagger and stabbed her arm fiercely.
"Ah!" The intense pain came instantly and spread throughout the body like an electric current, making Nightingale scream in pain.
Blood gushed out, staining her sleeves and her vision red. But at the same time, the power that controlled her quickly receded like the tide.
The cold voice disappeared, and Nightingale regained consciousness. She gasped for breath, like a traveler who had survived a disaster, greedily breathing in the fresh air.
"I...what happened to me?" Nightingale looked at her bloody arm, her eyes filled with confusion. She didn't remember what had just happened, only that she seemed to have had a very scary dream.
"Are you okay?" A familiar voice came with a hint of concern.
Nightingale looked up and saw Rosie standing in front of her, looking at her with a worried look on her face.
"Sister..." Nightingale's voice was a little choked. She looked at Luo Xi and suddenly felt very wronged and wanted to cry.
"It's okay, it's okay." Luo Xi gently hugged Nightingale and patted her back like she was coaxing a child. "It's all over."
Nightingale leaned in Rosie's arms, smelling her familiar scent and feeling her warm body temperature, and finally couldn't help crying.
She didn't know why she was crying, but she knew that at this moment, she just wanted to have a good cry.
Rosie didn't say anything, but just held her quietly, letting her cry as much as she wanted. She knew that Nightingale needed to vent, to release all the fear and anxiety in her heart.
"Okay, stop crying," Rosie said softly, her voice as gentle as the spring breeze in March. "If you cry again, you'll turn into a little cat."
Nightingale burst into laughter. She raised her head, looked at Luo Xi, and smiled sheepishly: "Did I...did I scare you?"
"Yeah, I was scared to death." Luo Xi pretended to be angry and frowned. "Tell me, how are you going to compensate me?"
"I..." Nightingale was speechless for a moment. She opened her mouth, but didn't know how to answer Luo Xi's question. Like a frightened deer, her eyes were full of helplessness and confusion.
Seeing her adorable look, Rosie couldn't help but burst out laughing. Her laughter, as clear as a silver bell, broke the solemn atmosphere in the room. "Okay, I won't tease you anymore." She reached out and pinched Nightingale's cheek, which was soft and looked like it had just been baked. "Look how scared you are! Your face has turned pale."
"Sister, I..." Nightingale lowered her head, her eyes red, and her voice was obviously choked. She was like a child who had been caught doing something wrong, twisting her fingers nervously.
Luo Xi looked at her like this and swallowed back the blame that was on the tip of her tongue. She sighed and softened her tone: "How about you help me take care of the children?"
She's really been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Ling Yuan, that workaholic, takes care of the kids during the day and handles company affairs at night. He's like 007 turned into 007 plus pro max, working non-stop every day without even getting any sleep.
But little Xingxing is a high-demand baby. He doesn't sleep well at night and wakes up every once in a while. His crying is so earth-shaking that he is like a living alarm clock that rings on time, more accurate than the interstellar standard time.
Ling Yuan was nearly exhausted, his steps unsteady, as if he were treading on cotton. He felt like he was about to ascend to heaven. Even if he was an eighth-rank expert with an extraordinary physique, he couldn't withstand such a torrent of pain.
Luo Xi was heartbroken, but there was nothing she could do to help. She had barely taken care of the previous cubs, and now she was only taking care of Lingyuan's cubs, which seemed like favoritism. So, she could only spend as much time with Little Star as possible during the day, which helped to relieve Lingyuan's stress.
In fact, there are domestic robots and childcare robots in our homes. They care for cubs with incredible dedication, even more meticulously than humans. But who would be willing to entrust a sweet, soft female cub to a cold robot? In the interstellar age, female cubs are more precious than national treasures. Each one is a precious treasure, held in the palm of your hand for fear of dropping it, held in your mouth for fear of melting it.
Nightingale's condition had been visibly deteriorating recently, like a puppet with its soul drained out. Her eyes occasionally looked empty, and it was unclear what she was thinking. Rosie saw it all and felt anxious. She knew the tragic deaths of the experimental subjects in the dungeon haunted Nightingale like a nightmare, one she couldn't escape.
"Little Star has been so well behaved lately. Do you want to go see her?" Rosie asked tentatively, her tone as gentle as the spring breeze caressing her cheek. She knew that for the kind-hearted Nightingale, nothing could heal the wounds of her heart better than a new, pure and innocent little life.
Nightingale's eyes flickered, like a dim star, suddenly lighting up for a moment. But then, the light faded again. "I... I'm in this state now, so I'd better not go..." She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito, like a child who had done something wrong, afraid of being scolded. She was afraid that the shadows on her would taint her innocence.
Rosie sighed. She knew what Nightingale was worried about. "It's okay," she walked over and patted Nightingale's shoulder gently. "Little Star loves you so much. You're still young, and the children all like to play with you."
"Really?" The nightingale raised his head, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, like a thirsty traveler in the desert who saw an oasis.
"Of course it's true," Luo Xi smiled, her smile as warm as the sunshine in winter, "Those two little guys, Fan Zuo and Fan You, are always pestering you. You know that."
Talking about the twins, Nightingale also showed a rare smile on her face. Although the two little guys were naughty, they did bring her a lot of joy.
"But..." Nightingale was still a little hesitant. She looked at her hands, as if they were still stained with the bloody smell of the dungeon. "I'm afraid I'll scare them..."
"Silly, how could you scare them?" Rosie took Nightingale's hand and held it gently. "You are their 'big sister', they love you so much."
The title of "Big Sister" warmed Nightingale's heart. It had been a long time since she felt the warmth of being needed.
"Then... I'll try?" Nightingale finally nodded, with a hint of anticipation and a hint of uneasiness in her voice.
"Okay, let's go see Twinkle Little Star together." Rosie said, taking Nightingale's hand and walking towards the nursery.
The afternoon sun shone through the garden windows, illuminating the twins as they played with their spirit animals, casting a golden glow on them. Like two tireless little beasts, they ran and played in the garden, their cheerful laughter ringing and melodious like silver bells.
"What are you two doing playing around with again?" Rosie's voice came from behind, with a hint of doting rebuke.
When the twins heard Rosie's voice, they stopped and turned and ran towards her like two birds returning to their nest. "Mom!" they shouted in unison, their voices full of joy.
"Sister Nightingale is here too!" Fan Zuo had sharp eyes and saw Nightingale following behind Luo Xi at a glance, and immediately shouted excitedly.
"Sister Nightingale!" Fan You also shouted, his voice full of joy.
Nightingale looked at the twins running towards her with a gentle smile on her face. She squatted down, opened her arms, and hugged the two little ones in her arms. "You two, have you missed your sister?"
"I thought about it!" The twins answered in unison, loudly and without hesitation.
"Have you practiced the moves that your sister taught you?" Nightingale asked with a hint of anticipation in her voice.
"Yes!" the twins answered in unison again, their voices full of pride.
"Then let me test you." Nightingale said, standing up and taking a starting stance.
The twins immediately followed suit and struck the same pose.
"Not bad, you've made progress." Nightingale nodded with satisfaction, and then began to demonstrate a set of boxing techniques.
The twins watched intently, carefully imitating every move of the nightingale.
Rosie stood aside, watching the twins studying diligently and Nightingale teaching patiently, a gratified smile on her face. She knew that Nightingale was slowly emerging from the haze and finding herself again.
However, at this moment, a cold voice suddenly sounded in Nightingale's mind: "Kill them..."
Nightingale's body suddenly stiffened, and the smile on her face froze. She opened her eyes wide in horror, as if she had seen something terrible.
"What's wrong?" Rosie noticed Nightingale's abnormality and asked quickly.
"I...I..." Nightingale opened her mouth, but no words came out. She felt her body tremble uncontrollably, and that voice echoed in her mind like a spell, unable to get rid of it.
"Get out!" Nightingale yelled in her mind, her voice filled with anger and fear.
Strangely, the sound actually disappeared.
Nightingale breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if she had escaped death. She looked at the bewildered twins, her heart filled with fear. If she had truly been controlled by that voice, the consequences would have been disastrous.
"Sister Nightingale, what's wrong with you?" Fan Zuo asked cautiously, with a hint of worry in his voice.
"I'm fine," Nightingale forced a smile, "Let's continue."
She forced herself to concentrate and continue teaching the twins. But her heart felt like a huge rock, heavy and burdened. She knew she had to resolve this issue quickly, otherwise, sooner or later, she would be controlled by the voice and do something irreversible.
Luo Xi looked at Nightingale, who was forcing a smile, with a thoughtful look on her face...
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