Furina watched the girl standing rooted to the spot, a sudden sense of foreboding gripping her heart.
"Emily, hurry up and get on the elevator!"
The girl smiled and shook her head at Furina.
"No, Lady Furina, I've already chosen my ending."
"And it's not just me. Even before we met you, we had already chosen our final fates."
"Though this ending isn't what we initially wanted, it's not so bad either."
Hearing the girl's words, Furina couldn't help but shift her gaze to the other girls' followers.
Among them, she recognized Overseers from the Fortress of Meropide, freedmen who had redeemed their crimes, and prisoners still serving their sentences.
Furina also spotted familiar faces from the Mutual Aid Network gatherings—some she had even chatted with and enjoyed spending time with.
Now, these individuals stood in a circle around the elevator, calmly watching them ascend, their faces radiating only composure.
Just as Furina began to dimly grasp the girl's meaning, the girl spoke again.
"Farewell, Lady Furina."
"I've truly enjoyed the time we spent together."
"I'm sorry for occupying so much of your time. Now, you should return to your own life."
With that, the girl decisively pressed the mechanism in her hand. The elevator began to ascend slowly, its speed steadily increasing as it rose higher above the ground.
"Wait!"
Furina tried to climb over the railing to reach the girl, but the elevator lurched violently as it started moving, nearly throwing her off balance.
Though she managed to steady herself, the elevator had already risen to a considerable height.
"Emily!"
Furina shouted down, but the girl merely waved back and turned to leave.
A wave of panic washed over Furina. At this height, any ordinary person's legs would have turned to jelly. Furina, too, felt a surge of fear, but her gaze hardened with resolve.
Suddenly, Emily heard a gasp from above and turned to see a dark figure leaping from the elevator.
"Lady Furina!" Charlotte shouted as she plummeted, instinctively raising her camera to capture the scene.
Seeing the falling figure, Emily quickly manipulated Anemo Energy to slow her descent. She then caught her firmly in both arms and looked at Furina with a mixture of helplessness and exasperation.
"Emily, I won't abandon you to die alone here!" Furina declared urgently, seizing the girl's hand the moment her feet touched the ground, not even pausing to reflect on the terror of her fall.
"Come with me, Emily!"
"If you have no reason to live, then let me be that reason!"
"I need you, Emily!"
Despite Furina's heartfelt words, the girl simply shook her head.
Just then, a massive wave crashed against the pipe's corner in the distance, sending a thunderous roar through the air.
The Primordial Sea Water had finally reached this far.
Furina's expression changed instantly, and she cried out urgently, "Emily, take everyone and get out of here! I know you have the power to do it!"
"No matter what, living is the only way to have a future!"
But the girl merely shook her head again. She reached out and patted Furina's shoulder. In an instant, a torrent of Anemo Energy enveloped Furina's body, and Furina felt herself growing weightless. Before she knew it, her feet were floating above the ground.
Realizing the girl wasn't coming with her, Furina wrapped her arms tightly around Emily, refusing to let go.
"Emily, why won't you come with me?"
"Didn't we have such a wonderful time together these past days?"
"Didn't we laugh every day?"
"You... don't you adore and cherish me most of all?"
"Were all those moments just lies?"
"No, Lady Furina."
The girl sighed softly before continuing, her voice tinged with resignation.
"These moments spent with you, Lady Furina, were among the few truly happy days of my life."
"But a sinner like me shouldn't continue to exist in this world."
"No, Emily, you're not a sinner!"
The roar of the encroaching waves grew louder, forcing Furina to shout her rebuttal.
"I refuse to believe you'd carelessly take another's life! There must be another reason for their deaths!"
"Even if you truly bear sins, I'm willing to share the burden with you!"
Hearing these words, the girl smiled faintly at Furina.
"Lady Furina, you truly are a gentle Archon."
Just then, Furina clearly saw the distant figure swallowed by the surging Primordial Sea Water, now several meters high. Her pupils constricted sharply, a flicker of fear rising in her eyes. Her hands instinctively loosened their grip, but quickly tightened again.
"Hurry, Emily! If we don't leave now, we'll all be trapped here!"
"Emily, do you really want to see me buried alongside you in the Primordial Sea Water?!"
Furina believed the girl wouldn't stand by and watch her die. Even if it meant resorting to a bit of trickery—and risking the girl's anger, hatred, or abandonment—she would do anything to prevent the girl from being swallowed by the Primordial Sea Water.
"Sigh..."
The girl sighed softly, and a cyan array materialized beneath them.
After a brief surge of Anemo Energy, the array propelled them swiftly into the air.
The moment they left the ground, the Primordial Sea Water surged to engulf the spot where they had stood, swallowing the nearby figures in its wake.
Witnessing this filled Furina with a mix of sorrow and confusion. She couldn't fathom why they had chosen such a fate, but at least she had brought the girl back.
"Emily, once we're out of here, I'll rekindle your love for life!"
The girl shook her head.
"Lady Furina, the root of the problem isn't here..."
Before she could finish speaking, the Primordial Sea Water beneath them seemed to develop a consciousness of its own. Sensing their escape, the water began to divide, with a portion coalescing into a rapidly advancing stream that surged toward Furina and the girl.
Seeing this, Furina was instantly terrified.
What's going on? Furina thought. I've never heard of Primordial Sea Water being able to do this!
Snapping out of her daze, Furina urgently warned Emily.
"Emily, watch out!"
Emily glanced down, nodded at Furina, and the cyan array suddenly pulsed with a blinding light. Their speed instantly surged.
Yet inexplicably, as their speed increased, the pursuing Primordial Sea Water also surged forward, closing the gap once more.
This development filled Furina with dread, leaving her utterly bewildered.
If this continued, they would be overtaken by the Primordial Sea Water in no time.
In the end, both of them would dissolve into the Primordial Sea.
Moreover, if Furina were to die here, she couldn't guarantee she could maintain her Archon status, nor could she be certain whether the Prophecy would still come to pass.
Furina wasn't afraid of death. As an ordinary human who had lived for five centuries, she had already lived long enough.
But she dreaded the thought of all her efforts over the past five hundred years being in vain. The mere possibility that her recklessness might cause Fontaine's Prophecy to unfold as predicted filled her heart with overwhelming guilt and anguish.
But if Furina had to make the choice again, she would still leap from the elevator without hesitation, for it was the only way to bring the girl here.
As the Primordial Sea Water drew closer, Furina's gaze softened with resignation. She had accepted her fate.
She could only hope that Neuvillette would handle the aftermath properly. Now, as an ordinary person, there was nothing she could change.
"Lady Furina."
Hearing the girl's voice, Furina snapped back to attention.
Sensing Furina's stolen glances, the girl smiled faintly.
"Lady Furina, I didn't choose to leave this world because I despise it."
"I believe you're aware of the recent surge in crime within Fontaine, aren't you?"
"I possess the ability to influence the hearts of those around me. By amplifying their inner malice, I've caused Fontaine's crime rate to skyrocket."
"This power is beyond my conscious control. I am merely a failed creation."
"Yes, it's been this way from the beginning. From the start, I've never been needed by anyone..."
The girl's eyes glazed over slightly, as if lost in memories of the past.
"That's not true, Emily!"
"But you still have so many followers, don't you?"
"They admire and follow you from the bottom of their hearts!"
"And me too! Your presence has given me the courage to face tomorrow."
"You're definitely not someone no one needs! You're incredibly important to us all!"
The girl gazed into Furina's unique yet strikingly beautiful eyes and softly spoke.
"It's different."
"They're merely influenced by my abilities."
"Even the thought of giving up their lives... that's mostly due to my inner influence."
"I've already borne countless sins, and I'm long past redemption."
The girl paused, then offered Furina a radiant smile.
"Lady Furina,"
"I'm so glad I could occupy such a special place in your heart."
"I've truly cherished the time we've spent together."
"But let's bring this beautiful story to a close here."
"I've tried countless methods to control this ability, but the situation has only grown worse."
"Since long ago, I've remained in the Fortress of Meropide. Because it houses those who have committed crimes, I felt less guilt being here. Besides, my ability was still weak back then, and it didn't affect too many people."
"But now it's completely out of control. Only by leaving this world can Fontaine truly regain its former tranquility."
Hearing the girl's words, Furina's heart surged with renewed turmoil.
She never imagined this was the true reason the girl sought to end her life. The girl was willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of those affected by her ability, leaving Furina both profoundly saddened and deeply shaken.
Why must such a kind and virtuous person endure suffering she doesn't deserve?
In the girl, Furina saw a reflection of herself.
So that's why she understands my inner torment so well! We're kindred spirits!
Both preferred to live in endless agony rather than harm others.
Furina's vision blurred as warm tears streamed down her cheeks.
She had never truly understood the girl's past until this moment, finally grasping the anguish and turmoil hidden beneath her radiant smile.
Someone who lives in constant agony still uses her smile to inspire others with courage and hope.
"Emily, don't give up like this!"
"There must be another way!"
"Let's find Neuvillette! His power is immense—he'll know what to do!"
"And those who follow you—I refuse to believe they're only influenced by your abilities. They genuinely revere you!"
"The members of the Mutual Aid Network too! I've spoken with them, and they all adore their current President—that's you, Emily!"
"And my feelings for you are the same!"
"So there must be another way!"
"It's different, Lady Furina," the girl said, shaking her head. "As an Archon, you're naturally immune to my abilities."
I'm just an ordinary person!
Furina almost blurted out the truth, but she bit her lip hard to stop herself.
No, this secret is the one thing I can't reveal!
The girl's deception filled Furina with immense guilt, and that guilt only deepened her sorrow.
As Furina sank deeper into the pain of having to deceive her, the girl suddenly spoke.
"It's almost time."
Furina stared blankly for a moment, then immediately understood. The Primordial Sea Water had silently crept up on them, and some of it was already splashing onto the girl.
She must be enduring unimaginable agony right now, but all I see on her face is that gentle smile.
The girl removed her Vision and placed it in Furina's palm.
The Vision blazed with unprecedented brilliance, its azure glow almost enveloping both of them.
"Fly, Lady Furina."
"Your power is currently sealed, so I'll lend you mine."
"Fly to a grander world—the true stage for the Hydro Archon Focalors!"
"Don't grieve for me. For us, death is not the end."
"We are merely returning to our original Homeland."
With those words, the girl released her grip on the Vision and gently pushed it away.
"No!"
Furina reached out to grab the girl, but it was too late. The powerful Anemo Energy contained within the Vision propelled her upward at an incredible speed, instantly separating them by several meters.
Those few meters now represented the gulf between life and death.
The girl narrowed her eyes, offering Furina one last smile—the same slightly nervous, expectant, and yet cautious smile she had worn during their first meeting, as if she feared overstepping boundaries with someone she admired. Then, she was completely engulfed by the Primordial Sea Water that had finally caught up.
Overwhelming sorrow and pain surged through Furina's heart as the last of the girl's energy within the Vision carried her higher and higher. A stream of crystalline tears cascaded down like pearls from a broken string.
Finally, enveloped in a cyan glow, Furina burst out of the Fortress of Meropide and continued her ascent, piercing through the sea's surface until the light gradually faded, depositing her on a nearby beach.
"Emily!"
Overwhelmed by grief, Furina wept bitterly, her tears streaming onto the beach.
With no one else around, she could freely vent her sorrow.
"You could have just left me behind!"
Though Furina knew that falling into the Primordial Sea Water would inevitably dissolve her, the girl didn't realize that Furina was merely an ordinary human.
There was no evidence to suggest the Primordial Sea Water affected Archons, yet the girl refused to take the risk, using her last shred of strength to propel Furina to the surface.
Furina clutched the Anemo Vision tightly in her hand, the only memento the girl had left her. A suffocating sense of loss surged through her.
Memories of their cherished moments together flooded Furina's mind. Just that morning, she had been imagining their future together on the surface after the duel, picturing them returning to their life above the waves.
But everything that followed had turned into a nightmare.
If she could, Furina would rather this day had never come, even if it meant her burden would never end. Losing the girl was simply unbearable.
"How come I never noticed Lady Furina had such a habit of crying?"
The familiar voice rang out close by, freezing Furina in her tracks. She frantically searched for its source.
"Emily? Is that you? Where are you?"
"Over here, Lady Furina."
The voice came again, confirming it wasn't a hallucination. Furina hastily wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and hurried to the shore, where she saw a beautiful, shimmering figure half-submerged in the water.
"Emily?"
"It's me, Lady Furina."
The figure moved slightly underwater, confirming Furina's guess.
"You... how did you become an Oceanid?!" Furina exclaimed, shocked.
"There's nothing to be surprised about, Lady Furina," Emily replied calmly. "This is our true form, after all."
"Didn't I tell you before? For us, death is merely returning to our former 'Homeland'."
"So stop crying. I'm perfectly fine."
"I-I wasn't crying!" Furina retorted, her face flushing crimson at the thought that Emily had witnessed her earlier, embarrassing display. "I just..."
"'The Hydro Element was too abundant,' right?"
The Oceanid fluttered its wings and spoke.
"Yes, that's exactly right!"
Furina declared with absolute certainty, but even she couldn't help but laugh at the flimsy excuse.
Of course, part of her joy stemmed from the fact that the young woman was still alive, merely having changed her form. This realization filled Furina with a sense of rebirth.
"Thank goodness, Emily! I'm so glad you're still alive."
"I'm honored that Lady Furina cares so much for me, but I regret to say that I cannot accompany you any further on your journey."
Hearing the Oceanid's words, Furina's heart clenched, and she immediately blurted out:
"Emily, where are you going? Can't you stay with me? I truly need you! With you by my side, I can face anything with courage!"
"I apologize, Lady Furina, but I cannot maintain this form for long."
"I am not the Main Body. Maintaining this form and conversing with you is already straining my consciousness. Before this moment, I didn't even believe it was possible, which is why I bid you farewell earlier. If I force myself to stay, my consciousness will completely vanish from this world."
Upon hearing Emily's words, Furina's expression shifted to one of sorrow and reluctance.
"How could this be happening...?" she murmured.
"I truly don't want to part with you, Emily..."
"I feel the same, Lady Furina."
"But I believe that one day, we will meet again."
As soon as she finished speaking, Furina noticed the Oceanid becoming even more transparent.
"Are you leaving, Emily?"
Furina felt a pang of reluctance, but she knew she couldn't selfishly force Emily to stay.
"Yes, I've almost reached my limit."
"It seems it's time for me to return."
"With this, Fontaine will finally regain its former peace."
Hearing Emily's continued concern for Fontaine even at this moment, Furina's heart ached.
"Lady Furina, this is truly farewell. I don't know when we'll meet again."
"No matter how long it takes, we will meet again!"
Furina's eyes welled up with warm tears once more.
"If you don't come find me, Emily, I'll come find you!"
"No matter where you are on the Teyvat Continent, I will find you!"
"When we meet again, you'll have to make cakes even more delicious than the ones I've had before!"
"We have a deal!"
"Yes, we have a deal."
Furina watched as the Oceanid beneath the waves grew increasingly transparent. She reached into the water but grasped nothing, as if the creature weren't truly there.
Suddenly, a surge of emotion washed over her. She called out to the Oceanid once more.
"Next time we meet, I should be able to tell you all my secrets. You have to wait for me, Emily!"
In the end, the Oceanid made no sound, as if it lacked the strength. Instead, it fluttered its translucent wings in what seemed like a farewell gesture.
Furina raised her hand in return, tears already streaming down her cheeks.
Only long after the Oceanid's form had vanished from sight did Furina finally stand up straight, wiping the tears from her face.
Her expression hardened once more, burying her vulnerability deep within her heart.
Her task was not yet complete; she still had to continue playing the role of the Hydro Archon Focalors.
However, compared to the countless times she had mentally prepared herself upon waking from bed, this time Furina felt filled with courage for the future.
"Emily, I'll finish my task as quickly as possible and come find you."
"Wait for me!"
Under the golden glow of the setting sun, the Vision clutched in Furina's palm flickered faintly...