——[Summerverse] is [Summerverse].
It was just that he had never noticed.
Only now did Peter Parker suddenly realize that he seemed to have been trapped in the preconceived notion that [Finn is the System], always believing that the "System" had been a "System" from the very beginning, the most special species in the universe created by the Main Brain.
Then is there a possibility—that at the very beginning, the System was actually a human?
Then what kind of reason would turn someone into a System?
Is it.. the dead?
Thinking of this, Peter could no longer breathe.
In the tragedy that occurred two years ago, Palman cruelly and ruthlessly murdered his wife and the three children he had adopted, the only survivor was eight-year-old Felix. The boy ran away from home in the early hours of the morning the night before, since then, there have been no further clues.
—Was Felix truly missing?
—Could the truth be that he was murdered even earlier..
Then, an eight-year-old, innocent, pitiful, naive soul was chosen by the Main Brain to become the "System."
Peter Parker's pace quickened, hot tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks. As he walked briskly while sobbing, the young man paid no attention to the astonished gazes of passersby, nor did he care how disheveled he looked at this moment.
He suddenly thought of those sorrowful inner thoughts that Finn had poured out to System PP when he was in a state of depression—
I'm not nearly as amazing as I say I am; I was very clumsy at the beginning.
At first, I couldn't help at all, I didn't understand anything. My Host was always scolding me for being stupid and useless. It was because of this that I spent all my time hoarding Points to buy plugins, over and over again, wanting to become a very useful System that could actually help my Host. You are actually much more capable than I am. Back then.. I was actually secretly jealous of you.
I was really so useless back then.
By comparison, System PP, you are truly so smart. I actually, I actually—
I actually secretly put a lot of points into Intelligence as well.
At that time, Peter still thought Finn's inner thoughts were pitiful, heartbreaking, funny; now, he only felt.. like hell.
Eight years old.
A child of only eight years old, who hadn't even had the chance to grow up, hadn't even had the chance to experience what life truly was.
Life, however, came to an abrupt end at that very moment.
He wasn't stupid, nor was he useless; he was simply young and had not yet grown up.
He clearly understood nothing at all, yet he became the "System" after death, beginning a long and boundless career of missions.
For an unknown number of years after that, Finn's world contained nothing but missions and hosts.
One by one, a full hundred hosts.
Finn accompanied his hosts through their dramatic reversals, helped them achieve their wishes, watched them find happiness.. yet he could only stand in the position of a bystander as a System, watching others' stories over and over again, never having the right to truly live his own life even once.
Every single time, at the host's happiest moment, Finn would say goodbye with a smile, then quietly exit the stage.
He would immediately rush off to the next mission, to save the next host who was struggling in distress.
Peter finally understood that all of Finn's behavioral logic—the ways in which he sometimes seemed to possess an innocence that was too well-protected, at other times reacted with a bluntness that bordered on dullness, all those things that seemed "not like a normal person"—was because—
He had become the System since he was eight years old, his way of thinking had been solidified into a selfless "systematic program."
No warmth, no heartbeat, no freedom, no choice..
The only ones who had spoken with him, or had any intersection with him, were one after another, fleeting hosts.
A suffocating, clear, bone-chilling heartache instantly overwhelmed Peter, making the young man tremble with pain.
Peter simply could not imagine that, from that day on, all the meaning of Finn's existence seemed to be nothing more than to fulfill the lives of others.
He had no story of his own.
He could only grow up step by step within the stories of others.
Maintaining an inherent innocence, Finn only wanted to be needed by the Host, wanted to receive the Host's praise, wanted the Host to have the most perfect life..
He wanted to witness with his own eyes that hardworking, kind, optimistic people could achieve a perfect ending.
Instead—
Just like him.
Just like his family members who were brutally murdered.
They met the most cruel and merciless fate innocently, without even a single chance to resist.
Peter's footsteps slowly came to a halt.
He gasped for breath, his chest feeling as if it were being tightly choked by something. Even though he was still standing, he was so exhausted that he could no longer take another step.
That was his Finn;
It was the most brilliant summer that ever shone for him;
He was the beloved partner he was willing to risk his life to protect;
He is an angel whose heart is so pure and clean that it seems as if he does not belong to this world;
It was the Young Master Osborn, whom he thought the Main Brain had given the most beloved little System to, so that the world would hold him in the palm of its hand.
But the moment the truth was torn open, Peter suddenly jolted awake.
How could he ever forgive himself?
—So it turns out that Finn's past was actually the deepest hell, one that he had personally let slip through his fingers.
Peter couldn't help but crouch down; he truly couldn't hold on any longer.
The young man's legs gave way at this moment, he collapsed onto the cold ground, nearly paralyzed. His rapid breathing caused a sharp pain in his chest. Crying so intensely triggered waves of severe nausea and dizziness, making him feel even worse, even causing a spasm of pain.
Finn clearly remembered all of this.
He remembered who he was, remembered his original name, remembered his family.
The city had undoubtedly left him with nothing but.. fearful, tragic, dark memories that he never wanted to touch again.
Peter thought of that night again, the way Finn had looked at him—that hollow, sorrowful expression with tears streaming down his face—as Finn had both cried and laughed while speaking to him:
Everything is so perfect, I shouldn't hesitate anymore, I shouldn't dwell on it anymore, right?
But right now, I feel as if I am very sad.
At that time, he had said "I understand" with such self-righteousness.
Only at this moment did he realize just how incredibly wrong he had been.
He understood nothing at all.
He never imagined how much courage Finn would have to muster, how much fear he would have to suppress, how many shadows etched into his soul he would have to overcome to be willing to give up the long-held wish that had been encouraging him since he became a System, choosing instead to stay in a world that had dealt him such cruelest harm.
Tears completely blurred Peter Parker's vision, the "perfect" world he had imagined seemed to collapse before his eyes as well, leaving only heart-wrenching self-reproach and pain, which ruthlessly crushed every single one of Peter Parker's defenses.
Peter, Peter.." Elias finally spotted Peter's back as he crouched on the ground and rushed over quickly. The young man pressed his large palms against Peter's trembling back and asked in confusion, "What's wrong with you?
Peter opened his mouth, but no complete sound came out. His emotions had collapsed to the extreme; he could no longer pretend to be strong, he simply could not hide his own pain. He bit his lip so hard that he could taste a hint of blood, yet the sharp pain and emptiness in his heart seemed to be intensifying.
Peter?" Elias had no idea why Peter had suddenly broken down like this. "It's okay, I'm here.
"It's all my fault.. It's all my fault.." Peter finally broke down, his voice cracking as he spoke. The young man's voice was incredibly hoarse, every word accompanied by broken sobs. Massive guilt and self-reproach surged like a violent tide, completely drowning him.
All the surrounding noise of the outside world became a blur; Peter couldn't hear anything clearly, nor could he see anything at all.
His mind was still flashing back to those first memories of when he met Felix two years ago—
Even though at that time, he had already found him.
Clearly, he was already standing right in front of him.
He was clearly asking him for help..
How could Peter Parker accept that he had missed the chance to save them in his haste back then—
were four innocent lives who hadn't even had the chance to grow up properly;
is a family that was personally crushed and utterly destroyed by a demon;
It was the life of the gentle Wilsons and their daughter;
He is his.. most beloved, most shining, the best lover in the whole world.
Peter realized that Harry was right; Harry saw it clearly—Finn had been pretending everything was fine while desperately trying to escape something. Noah was just like Harry; they both wanted to know the true shadow hidden behind Finn that was causing him such pain.
Instead, it was he—who knew nothing.
It was simple, easy, superficial to blame all of this on a System debuff.
Why the fear of blood?
Why claustrophobia?
Why was the voice in the nightmare saying 【Save me】..
The more Peter thought deeply about the clues, the more painful it became, his heart tightening with a pain that left him nearly breathless. Blurry tears completely obscured his vision, leaving the world in a chaotic mess, as endless self-reproach疯狂ly gnawed at his very being.
Why didn't I recognize him?
Why didn't I.. fail to save him?
He clearly admired heroes so much and believed in Spider-Man so much.
Peter didn't even dare to think if, on that night two years ago, in a place he knew nothing about, that eight-year-old child had once been trapped in a dark corner, silently chanting "Spider-Man" countless times, crying out to him for help countless times, believing that Spider-Man would appear as heroically, fearlessly, omnipotently as he had imagined, to rescue him from hell.
—But he didn't.
Peter cried until his breathing became so rapid it was difficult to gasp for air, with immense regret and heartache twisting his heart. He could not imagine how, in the final moments of Felix's life, there had been such fervent expectations for Spider-Man's appearance, yet in the end, how those expectations had cooled bit by bit, shattered, finally plunged into cold despair.
The young man's back curled inward uncontrollably, his entire body shook uncontrollably. In his memory, the fact that Finn had shown him nothing but unreserved kindness from the very beginning deeply stung him. Even though he had clearly failed to save him, he was still.. treated by him as an idol; he could still say "Nice to meet you" to him from the bottom of his heart.
Peter, listen to me, calm down." Elias firmly supported his back, attempting to provide the collapsing Peter with steady strength, his voice urgent yet steady as he spoke, "Take a deep breath, take it slow. Listen to me, the world isn't ending, everything isn't as bad as it seems. Think about your Aunt May, think about Finn, think about your friends, think about your hero companions—if they saw you in this much pain, how much it would hurt them?
There is a solution to everything." Elias pressed down firmly on his trembling shoulders, soothing him in a low voice, "I need you to calm down. You can tell me anything, just tell me what exactly happened? I will face it with you, okay?
Peter panted, his fingers gripping Elias's arm so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
After catching his breath for a long time, Peter looked toward Elias with eyes that slowly regained focus and said in a trembling voice—
I couldn't save him.
Are you talking about Felix? Hasn't that boy not been found yet? Look on the bright side, maybe after he escapes, he'll be adopted by a family that truly loves him," Elias comforted. "Even if not, we will find him. He's only ten years old now; we can help him and give him a better future.