Nahida stared at her own messages in the chat, desperately wishing for a delete button. But the system offered no such mercy.
What frustrated her more was that Venti and the others—usually so talkative—had all gone silent. Not a single new message appeared.
In truth, everyone felt the same.
Mondstadt
Venti sat on a tree branch, slapping his own forehead.
"Damn it! Why did I say so much? I should have known Kevin had a different past. I just never imagined that someone so powerful and cold could have such painful memories… Misstep, big misstep! Now I'm completely embarrassed."
He glanced anxiously at the chat, too ashamed to post anything. He braced for Zhongli's mockery—but the Geo Archon sent nothing, clearly letting him stew.
Liyue
Zhongli sipped his tea, lost in thought.
"Truly surprising. Even Kevin experienced such fragile moments."
Tianquan's attendant (grinning): "That's precisely what makes him a true hero. See how he buried his pain, dispelled his shadows—and still spoke those words to Fu Hua."
Zhongli set down his cup, pondering. Then he asked: "In your view, Kevin is not a villain?"
Attendant (firmly): "Definitely not."
Traveler's Camp
Paimon's sweet flower-stuffed chicken lay untouched.
"Waaaaah—Ying, what do we do?! I completely misunderstood Kevin and said such awful things!"
Lumine (patting her head): "It's okay. This is just a past life, all in the past. Lin Hao won't blame you—otherwise he'd have frozen you and tossed you into the sea by now."
"Wah—!"
"Still, I shouldn't have said that."
"No! You can't blame me! It's all Kevin's fault—why does he love reminiscing so much? He's like a ghost!"
Lumine: "Exactly—a demon!"
She decided to post in the chat, shattering the silence.
[Nahida]: "That's right! Normal people don't constantly dwell on the past."
[Paimon]: "Who often reminisces? Only those with no future—or no joy in the present!"
[Nahida]: "Or... demons."
[Venti]: "Then why is Kevin so haunted?"
[Nahida]: "…"
[Paimon]: "…"
[Shenhe]: "Who's that pink-haired girl?"
[Ganyu]: "Elysia?"
[Shenhe]: "I'm curious about her relationship with Kevin. She seems… special to him."
[Ganyu]: "Indeed. He doesn't want her to feel lost, sad, or worried."
[Kamisato Ayaka]: "Lady Yae Miko also has pink hair… and Lord Lin Hao is in Inazuma…"
[Paimon]: "Huh?!"
[Lumine]: "Could it be?"
[Nahida]: "But… I don't know why, I feel Elysia isn't quite good—she talks too much… I can't describe it."
[Paimon]: "I get it! Same feeling!"
[Venti]: "More importantly—does Fu Hua understand Kevin's intentions now?"
[Zhongli]: "Stop speculating. Keep watching—exposure will give the answer."
All eyes returned to the sky.
Above the Clouds
The argument between Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Knowledge continued.
Herrscher of Knowledge: "…I don't understand."
Fu Hua: "What?"
Herrscher: "Why are you so hostile to me? I am you; you are me. Two bodies—you should understand me best."
Fu Hua (hesitant): "I—"
Herrscher (cutting in): "Let me remind you: don't say 'I am the real Fu Hua.' I'm not in the mood."
Fu Hua (calmly): "Perhaps you haven't noticed… but your state is abnormal."
Herrscher (scoffing): "Hmph! Go on—I'm listening."
Fu Hua: "Are you truly Fu Hua? From what I see, you're not like her at all—you're almost polar opposites. You may have her memories, you may have woken in her body—but you're a completely new being."
Herrscher (laughing coldly): "What nonsense. I have her body, her memories—if I'm not her, then who am I?"
Herrscher (leaning in): "How ironic—you're just a feather, yet you speak as if you're the real one."
"Do you think I haven't noticed? You always look at me like an elder watching a child. Don't bother—worry about yourself."
"But you're right about one thing."
"I don't need to be chained to my old self. I'm the new me now. Why mimic the past? I'll simply be myself."
"You, on the other hand—you are precisely who you used to be."
Fu Hua: "…"—speechless.
The Herrscher continued: "Was I good in the past?"
To prove her point, she waved her hand. The clouds parted, revealing a familiar figure—Kevin.
"My old friend… Kevin. A poor soul bound by the past. Ever since Mei died, his time has stood still."
"You're a little like him."
"Is it worth it? For Dr. Mei—she's already gone…"
Fu Hua gazed at Kevin's image. Fragmented memories flashed—anger and resentment still lingered—but one thing she knew for certain:
"Kevin fights for humanity. His conviction is far deeper than it seems."