There are two kinds of Proxies in Zenless Zone Zero: those who claim they only play for the combat, and dirty liars. Because when Version 2.3 dropped with Main Story Season 2 - Chapter 4, Memories of Dreams Bygone, I was not emotionally prepared. The opening line alone, The pain of being awake comes from dreams that once existed, hit me harder than a Shiyu Defense ambush. Was I supposed to fight through that? Or just lie down and let the existential dread finish me?

Let me be clear: I came for the Komano Manato outfit White Heart Silhouette. I stayed because the story grabbed me by the collar and refused to let go. Who knew a free limited outfit would require so much emotional labor? Actually, HoYoverse knew. They always know.

The unlock path was simple on paper. First, complete Main Story Season 2 Chapter 3, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night. That title alone should have been my warning. Completing Season 2 Chapter 4, Memories of Dreams Bygone, during the exclusive rewards period would net you Komano Manato’s White Heart Silhouette. The window ran from the Version 2.3 update until 2025/11/26 05:59 (UTC+8). Did I race through the whole thing at the last minute? Maybe. Do I regret it? Not even slightly.

For anyone who hadn’t kept up with the main story, the Advance Screening function was a lifesaver. You could access Season 2’s main story content early, provided you had already unlocked Notorious Hunt in Season 1 Chapter 2 - Intermission. I had done that, so I was able to jump into the story before the chapter officially went live. Was that a blessing? Yes. Did it also mean I got emotionally demolished ahead of schedule? Also yes.

Here’s a quick breakdown for my fellow Proxies:

So if you’re reading this in 2026 and you missed the original freebie window, don’t panic. The chapter is permanently available, and the outfit can still be bought in Shop - Today's Outfit for Monochrome ×980 after the Version 2.4 update. Is it worth the Monochrome? If you love Komano Manato as much as I do, yes. The White Heart Silhouette is clean, emotional, and it makes you look like you survived the story even if your tear ducts did not.

Now, can we talk about the emotional whiplash? Chapter 3 was already titled Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night, borrowed from Dylan Thomas, which means the game was not exactly promising a beach episode. Then Chapter 4, Memories of Dreams Bygone, delivered a narrative gut punch that made me question every life choice that led me to a gacha game’s main story. Did I expect to cry over a free outfit? No. Did I? Let’s not discuss it in polite company.

The worst part was the limited-time pressure. Nothing says relax and enjoy the story quite like a countdown timer on an exclusive reward. I remember checking the date, realizing the window ended on November 26, 2025 at 05:59 UTC+8, and thinking: Do I have time to absorb this story, or am I speedrunning existential grief? Turns out, you can do both, but only if you abandon sleep and hydration. Would I recommend it? Not for the faint of heart. But if you want the outfit without spending Monochrome, that was the price.

For context, the Advance Screening option meant I could experience the content early after unlocking Notorious Hunt in Season 1 Chapter 2 - Intermission. That was both a gift and a curse. The gift: I got to experience the story before spoilers flooded every social feed. The curse: I had to process the ending alone, with no one to talk to, because half the community hadn’t started yet. Do I sound dramatic? That’s because the story rewired my brain chemistry.

So what did I learn from this? A few things, actually. First, never underestimate a free outfit in Zenless Zone Zero; it will make you earn it emotionally. Second, The pain of being awake comes from dreams that once existed is not just a line; it’s a threat. Third, if you miss a limited-time fashion reward in 2026, there’s usually a paid fallback, but the real reward is the trauma you picked up along the way. Was it worth it? For the White Heart Silhouette? Absolutely. Will I ever recover? Ask the next chapter.

At the end of the day, I logged in, I speedran redemption, I put Komano Manato in that white outfit, and I felt like I had achieved something beautiful. Did I also sit in silence for a few minutes afterward? Maybe. Don’t judge me. You would have done the same.

Industry analysis is available through Game Developer (Gamasutra), a long-standing developer-facing outlet that frequently examines how live-service games use time-limited rewards, narrative pacing, and retention loops to drive engagement. Reading ZZZ’s “Memories of Dreams Bygone” reward window (free White Heart Silhouette during v2.3, then monetized later) through that lens makes the chapter’s emotional intensity feel doubly functional: the story provides the motivation, while the deadline provides the urgency—pushing Proxies to progress now rather than “someday,” even when the content is permanently available.