Mondstadt City.
Within a hidden Fatui stronghold
The once-arrogant Fatui diplomat now stood respectfully below the main seat, bowing deeply to the woman above him.
"Your Excellency, the Harbinger—our agents have confirmed the identity of the Anemo Archon, Barbatos."
"Oh? So you finally found him?"
A cold, contemptuous female voice drifted down from the elevated throne.
Every Fatui member present lowered their heads with reverence.
The woman seated above them wore a black crown-like mask.
A black-and-white gown outlined her figure flawlessly; dark chokers wrapped her neck; a crimson fur-trimmed mantle hung from her arms; her high-slit skirt bore elegant black diamond patterns.
Her lavender eyes didn't even bother to glance at the subordinates kneeling before her.
She toyed with a floating white catalyst at her side, as if everything else were beneath her notice.
She was the Fatui Harbinger, Eleventh Rank — No. 8: The Lady.
Because of the infamous "Black Fire Incident" years ago, the Tsaritsa had sent heavy reinforcements to Mondstadt.
Handling matters related to Gnosis extraction fell under her responsibilities—thus, she came in person.
"It seems the agents stationed in Mondstadt aren't all useless. At least one or two of them aren't complete failures."
Despite her openly disdainful tone, not one Fatui soldier dared to react.
After a long pause, the diplomat cautiously asked:
"Your Excellency… now that Stormterror has been taken away by the Abyss Order, it may be difficult to continue using it to pressure Mondstadt's defenses. What should we do next?"
Originally, their plan was simple:
Because Mondstadt had signed an alliance with Snezhnaya, they would claim the Knights of Favonius were incapable of defending the city from Stormterror.
This would allow the Fatui to "temporarily assist" in maintaining city defenses.
A benevolent gesture on the surface—
—but in truth, a vicious scheme.
If a nation's defenses were entrusted to another power, then the city was nothing more than meat placed willingly upon another's chopping block.
Once inside the walls, the Fatui could manipulate Mondstadt however they pleased.
But with Stormterror gone, and no immediate crisis to exploit, even bribed officials couldn't justify letting the Fatui take over.
Yet The Lady didn't seem bothered at all.
"Such trivial concerns. The only thing that matters is the Gnosis. Even if the plan fails, as long as we obtain that, nothing else matters."
Her cold, elegant voice echoed through the chamber.
"Keep eyes on the Anemo Archon at all times. Report immediately if he is alone."
"If he isolates himself, eliminate him and extract the Gnosis. Do not let the Knights discover anything. We cannot afford diplomatic noise at a critical time."
"Not that Snezhnaya fears Mondstadt—but we will not allow interference with the Tsaritsa's will."
One command after another.
All Fatui members responded in unison, vowing absolute obedience.
Once her subordinates withdrew, The Lady glanced toward a stack of dossiers beside her.
Reports detailing Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma—key figures, political structures, internal factions.
She skipped Liyue for now.
She picked up the documents for Mondstadt and Inazuma and began flipping through them.
"With the Anemo Archon confirmed, once the Gnosis is secured, I can leave. Everything else can be handled by lesser agents."
"As for Inazuma… the Vision Hunt Decree has already begun. Two of the Tri-Commission are under our influence. But unlike the Anemo Archon, the Raiden Shogun cannot be confronted directly. Strategy is needed."
She continued flipping pages, until
Her fingers froze.
Her pupils shrank sharply.
She quickly turned back to the page she had just skimmed.
[Diluc Ragnvindr — Heir of Dawn Winery. Current Captain of the Knights' Reconnaissance Company. Obtained Vision at age ten. Became Cavalry Captain at fourteen…]
None of this was what caught her attention.
What froze her heart—
Was the blurry figure at the corner of the photograph.
A man's silhouette.
Only one-third of his profile visible.
Barely enough to recognize a face.
Yet she stared at it as if struck by lightning.
"That's… you? But… how could that be?!"
Her voice trembled—something unthinkable for one of the Tsaritsa's Harbingers.
Memories she had locked away centuries ago surged uncontrollably from the depths of her mind.
She had sworn to abandon the past.
But this shattered the seal she placed on her heart.
Even with so little visible
Even with the image blurred
She was certain.
That man was the one she loved five hundred years ago.
The one she sought across nations.
The one said to have died in the Abyss.
The one she was told she would never see again.
The man named Luo Li.
Five hundred years ago after returning from her studies in Sumeru—young Rosalyne had gone to Inazuma with overflowing hope, wanting to confess her feelings to him.
She learned he was no ordinary man
but one of Inazuma's two most exalted figures, equal in status to the Raiden Shogun herself.
But she didn't care. She would have been satisfied simply remaining by his side, even as a distant shadow.
She tried everything.
Overcame countless obstacles.
Endured insult, danger, and exhaustion.
At last, she reached Tenshukaku. And there
The Raiden Shogun herself informed her:
The man she loved… had fallen into the Abyss.
Dead and gone.
A fate beyond salvation.
She never remembered how she even walked out of Tenshukaku.
She only remembered:
"The westerly wind carries the scent of wine…"
"The mountain breeze brings word of triumph…"
"The distant wind tugs at my heart…"
"Whispering my longing for you…"
The song she once wrote for him after that day changed forever.
"The dandelions travel with the morning wind…"
"Autumn winds return with bountiful fragrance…"
"But no matter how the winds blow…"
"None will ever bring me your gaze again."
When tears and voice both dried up, the girl named Rosalyne died.
Only The Crimson Witch of Flames remained
a woman who burned herself to scorch away a distorted world.
The scar of heartbreak, fused with incandescent flame, consumed her mortal life…and was engraved eternally upon her soul.