The Astral Express cut through the clouds like a comet—silent, steady, sovereign.
Inside the lounge, golden lanterns swayed gently with the motion of the train. Outside the windows, the fractured sky slowly stitched itself back into blue.
Noah sat quietly at one of the windows, a cup of jasmine tea in hand, fingers curled loosely around the warmth. Solgratia no longer pulsed. Void Archives had fallen silent. And yet, something flickered beneath his coat—not power, but peace.
Across from him, Kiana leaned with her legs on the seat, arms behind her head, an empty bowl of rice perched on her stomach. Her eyes were closed, but her breath was steady.
"She's calmer now," Lumine said from nearby, gently adjusting the blanket draped over Kiana's legs.
"She's not the only one," Elysia added as she entered, carrying a tray of sweets. "Looks like the fires finally gave way to something softer."
The three sat together, the space between them no longer filled with tension—but trust.
Kiana stirred, her voice quiet. "Sirin's still there. Not gone."
She placed a hand over her chest where the rose pulsed faintly.
"But she's not just watching anymore. She is walking with us now."
Lumine reached out, squeezing her hand. "Then we will gladly walk with her."
Kiana smiled, then looked at Elysia.
"…Also, did you have to tease Noah with that kiss to save the captain's line?"
Elysia's laughter was like sunlight through stained glass. "Of course. It was poetic! Besides, someone had to immortalize that blush."
Noah, passing by at that moment, gave her a flat look. "I'm beginning to question who the real troublemaker is on this train."
"Oh come on," Elysia grinned, her tone lilting. "We both know that title belongs to our Captain now—especially after being kissed by a Natlan priestess in full ceremonial garb. Very dramatic."
Kiana folded her arms, clearly pouting. "She didn't even ask first. Seriously…?"
Lumine raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly. "And he looked rather calm about it afterward. Hm."
Noah blinked, taken aback. "I was caught off guard—completely—"
Elysia clapped her hands together. "Oh? So that's what we're calling it?"
Kiana huffed. "Bet he wouldn't be that calm if I kissed him."
That earned a surprised look from Lumine and a sudden cough from Noah.
Elysia's eyes sparkled. "My, my. Sparks everywhere."
Noah sighed in defeat. "Is this my reward for saving a world?"
Elysia fluttered her lashes. "Unbreakable bonds, eternal friendship… and a generous helping of jealous chaos? Absolutely."
The girls laughed—soft, genuine, and free.
For a moment, they were just themselves. Warriors, yes. Survivors, certainly.
But also: family.
—
Later that evening, the crew lingered in the lounge as the train neared the edge of Teyvat's skies.
One by one, they sat beside Noah—no longer as soldiers returning from war, but as friends who had shared something unforgettable.
Kiana sat first, quietly placing a hand over his as she gazed out at the sky. "Do you remember the first time we landed in Teyvat?"
He chuckled. "You nearly knocked me over jumping off the train."
"I was excited," she said with a small embarrassed laugh. "I didn't know then that we'd walk through gods and ghosts and fire together."
Noah smiles at the fond memories they made..
Elysia joined next, resting her chin on her arms across the table. "I still remember the way the snow danced on Dragonspine. The wind sang like it knew us."
"You made it sing," Noah said."Ohh and Venti as well."
Kiana flopped beside him last, arms around his shoulder from behind. "And don't forget me smashing abyss creatures with a bat. Pretty sure I stole the show."
"You always do," Noah said fondly.
Sirin inside kiana —quiet, awkward, unsure. The rose on Kiana's chest pulsed once in response, and as it did, her right eye shimmered gold for just a second.
Her form didn't fully separate—she couldn't—but something in the air shifted. A flicker. A breath. A presence within.
Her voice came softly from Kiana's lips, tentative. "Can I... come out for a bit?"
Kiana nodded, letting go just enough. Her eyes flickered gold once more as Sirin took partial hold.
She turned to the others—still herself, but not quite. "Hi," she said, almost inaudibly.
Lumine blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Took you long enough."
Kiana, still conscious, grinned from inside. "Come on, you've been eavesdropping on us all this time. So you are pretty much included in the team."
Sirin looked like she wanted to vanish again. "I… don't know how to do this."
"That's okay," Kiana whispered gently within. "You don't have to get it right. Just be you."
Elysia slid over a little. "We're not expecting perfection. Only honesty."
Lumine extended a cookie. "Try this. It's sweeter than it looks."
Sirin hesitated, gold eyes flickering, then reached out and took it. "Thanks."
Noah leaned in slightly. "You're already doing more than you think. "
Sirin stared at him, startled. Then looked around at them all. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I… want to be part of this."
Elysia reached across and gently touched Kiana's—no, Sirin's—hand. "you already are."
There was a beat of silence. Then… a fragile, glowing smile.
And for the first time, the light behind Kiana's gold-tinted eyes didn't feel threatening—it felt like hope trying to bloom.
—
As the laughter slowly faded into a softer hush, the lounge settled into reflective quiet.
Lumine stood by the window again, drawn by the faint shimmer of the sky beyond. She placed her hand gently against the glass, fingers splayed as if to trace the invisible lines of their journey.
Outside, the mountains of Liyue faded into the mists, the golden shores of Fontaine retreated into twilight, the emerald canopy of Sumeru shimmered in the distance, and the sacred blossoms of Inazuma swirled into memory like drifting petals.
Each silhouette passed like a page turned, each nation a chapter now sealed with flame and memory.
Kiana joined her briefly, standing side by side. "Feels strange, doesn't it? Like we're leaving something behind… but carrying it, too."
Lumine nodded slowly. "They changed me. Every one of them. Mondstadt's wind, Liyue's stone, Sumeru's wisdom, Fontaine's sorrow… Inazuma's resolve. And I… I don't think I realized how much until just now."
Behind them, soft footsteps approached. Elysia joined without a word, looping her arms gently around both of them. Noah followed soon after, his gaze quiet and full.
"I think we were changed, too," he said softly. "Because we saw how much these lands still had hope left in them."
Lumine leaned slightly against him. "You never said no. Not once. Even when we were lost."
Kiana gave Lumine a playful nudge and said with a grin, "You're gonna make me cry."
"That's what Trailblazers do," Noah replied, a quiet smile on his lips. "We don't stop at the storm. We walk through it."
Kiana smirked and nudged his arm. "Still the drama king, huh?"
Elysia grinned. "He earned it."
Then Lumine smiled—soft, tired, but real. Then she whispered, more to the glass than to anyone, "I will return. You're part of me now."
And the sky shimmered in reply—like it remembered her too.
—
Elysia curled on a velvet bench nearby, her journal open across her knees, a pen dancing lightly between her fingers.
She didn't write yet.
She only watched.
The way Noah paused before stepping into the bridge, turning to glance back at the crew.
The way Kiana leaned her head against Lumine's shoulder.
The way her own reflection looked—less alone, more real.
She smiled faintly, the soft weight of memories curling behind her eyes.
"I think I'll write a book," she said aloud, voice just loud enough for the others to hear.
Kiana perked up. "Book? What kind? And I thought you already did."
Elysia laughed. "Of course I was. But now… I think I have a title."
She turned back to her journal and wrote slowly, deliberately:
"Chronicles of the Astral Express: First Steps"
Lumine leaned over, smiling. "That sounds beautiful."
Kiana grinned. "A little dramatic. But I like it."
Noah tilted his head. "First Steps, huh?"
Elysia glanced at him, her eyes bright. "Yes, our First Steps towards the future, as we leave our marks on every world we visit. Like here in Teyvat." She closes her eyes as she recalls the memories of their adventures. "And besides we're not done, are we? There's still more stardust to chase. More footprints to leave."
She paused.
Then, with a slow breath and a heart still full:
"Volume One… complete."
—
And far behind them, in the ashes and starlight, the fire they left behind continued to burn.