Genshin Impact : Sorry can't be there till the end

Seino Fugin lowered his head and spoke softly, "This life of mine... how pitiful, how ridiculous it has been."

Suddenly, he felt the world spinning around him. A sharp pain tore at his mind as though something was ripping his brain apart, and his vision quickly dimmed. He was falling, and a myriad of whispers echoed in his ears.

"Hey… what's wrong? Hey! Wake up!"

…

Dawn had yet to fully break. Only the eastern sky showed a faint streak of pale light.

Bit by bit, that pale band spread across the sky. The deep blue turned into light blue, and the light blue gradually took on a pinkish hue—like a silk ribbon of glowing color draping the edge of the city.

A new day had arrived.

"You're awake?" A voice came from the other side of the room.

"I'm awake."

Seino Fugin opened his eyes with some difficulty. Glancing at the young woman seated on a small bamboo stool, he asked, "What are you doing?"

She was half-reclined against the chair back, looking tired, like a cat suffering from too little sleep. Lumine yawned softly:

"These are today's flowers. But I haven't finished weaving them yet."

Sweet Flowers have a pure, soothing fragrance—so faintly sweet it's almost white. As Lumine wove flower wreaths, she looked every bit like a noble lady in a Mondstadt oil painting. The warm sunrise filtering through the peachwood window cast a gentle and transparent glow, peaceful and lovely.

Half of her figure was bathed in that sunlight. With slender and graceful fingers, she pinched the edge of the vines, twisting them into threads, entwining two cords together. In her shining golden eyes was an earnest focus, and her lips were lightly pursed.

Yesterday, Lumine had used carnations; today, she was weaving Sweet Flowers.

"It smells wonderful," Seino said. "How did I get back yesterday?"

"You passed out—at the Wolf Temple, no less—and nearly fell to your death. The dawn owner carried you back," she replied while continuing to weave the flowers.

"That's so embarrassing…"

"I held everyone back again."

Seino Fugin's first reaction was utter mortification. 

He cared more about whether he'd inconvenienced anyone or looked foolish than he did about his own life. That was the sort of pride burned into his bones—unchangeable across multiple lifetimes. To him, collapsing and then being rescued and carried home was beyond humiliating.

"Embarrassing, huh?"

Lumine said softly. She looked down at the petals in her hands, picking up a Sweet Flower and straightening its leaves. She spoke in a quiet voice, "Seino Fugin, YOU'RE SUCH A JERK."

A jerk…?

Getting berated out of nowhere annoyed him a little. He grunted, ready to fire back, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw Lumine's pale hand crush the bud of the Sweet Flower.

"When you came back yesterday," she continued in a low voice, "your body was as cold as a corpse. I held your hand, and I couldn't feel any warmth. I leaned on your chest and could barely hear your heartbeat."

Seino Fugin scratched his head, embarrassed. "Ah… guess I wore too little yesterday, plus I didn't eat well, so I had a blood sugar crash. It was just an accident, an accident."

He forced a laugh.

Though Lumine's voice was calm on the surface, beneath that steadiness there was a faint tremor.

"Seino Fugin, you're a jerk."

The petals of the Sweet Flower were nearly crushed to pieces. Lumine paused, lowering her head. Her golden eyes dimmed, too.

"You're a jerk," she repeated. 

"The worst thing about you is the way you act afterward—so indifferent. The moment you wake up, all you can say is 'how embarrassing, how embarrassing.' Maybe you've never cared about your own life. You might not care whether you live or die, but—"

"But?" Seino prodded her to continue.

Lumine bit her lip and turned her head. Her amber, crystal-clear eyes glared fiercely at Seino Fugin. He'd never seen her lose her temper before. In his memories, this girl was always naive, always easy to push around. But right now, she was furious:

Her nails dug into the petals; her chest rose and fell; her brow furrowed; her teeth ground together. All of it showed her current mood—she was angry, yet not on her own behalf.

"But…?" he pressed again.

"But someone out there does care."

"What?"

"Someone cares."

Lumine stood up from her wooden chair. Barefoot on the floor, she approached with alarming ferocity, her golden hair swaying with each step—like an enraged little lion cub. Thump, thump. That was the sound of her bare feet hitting the floorboards.

She grabbed Seino Fugin by the collar without hesitation. Before he could react, she yanked him toward her, their faces suddenly inches apart.

A gentle breeze swept the fallen leaves by the window, scattering the Sweet Flower petals into fragments. Lumine glared at Seino Fugin with ferocious eyes. In those crystal-clear irises, he could see his own reflection and also the faint tremble lurking in her fierce gaze.

"I CARE."

She declared:

"Jerk, I care!"

Seino Fugin looked up at her. Behind her was the window lattice, and morning sunlight shone past Lumine's shoulder, falling harshly on his face. 

What was that shimmering in her golden eyes? He couldn't tell.

"You might not care if you live, but I do."

All of a sudden, he didn't know what to say. 

Lumine said she cares—but what about him was worth caring for?

Yet somehow, hearing that made him feel… happy. 

He wasn't sure exactly how—maybe not super happy, but a little. During these three months of his life, it was the first time anyone had gotten mad on his behalf. 

After all the wandering he'd done, it seemed he'd left at least some trace in the world.

"I'm really… okay." 

He tried to reassure her. 

"I've just been tired lately, cleansing those temples and whatnot. One good night's sleep, and I'll be good," he said, patting her hand gently with a smile. "I'm fine."

Lumine still clutched his collar, staring directly into his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"Then watch."

From that memory retrieval session last night, Seino Fugin had inherited almost all of Young Wolf's skills; his level had risen to 70, which was considered the "Heroic Tier"—the first real threshold that humans could reach. 

Without warning, Seino Fugin twisted Lumine's wrist. With a technique once used by Prince Rostam of Mondstadt to apprehend criminals, he folded her right arm behind her back and pushed her head onto the bed.

Caught off guard, Lumine's eyes went wide with alarm. She struggled, but his strength was overwhelming, leaving her powerless to resist.

"See? Would a dying man be able to do this?" he asked with a grin.

"Ah! That hurts…" Lumine winced, trying to break free. But he was too strong.

"Let go," she demanded.

"Nope."

He certainly didn't look like an invalid. Sick people weren't so… energetic.

"But your body was ice cold, like a corpse, just last night!" Lumine retorted. 

Seino Fugin replied, "I told you, I wasn't dressed warm enough. The Wolf Temple's freezing! Besides, you must've called a priest or something. What'd the priest say?"

Lumine frowned. Indeed, they had summoned a priest. Once Diluc carried Seino Fugin back, the Knights panicked. Barbara from the Church of Favonius arrived to examine him but was shocked to find his body showed no real abnormalities. On the contrary, he was unexpectedly healthy.

Before long, his faint heartbeat grew ever stronger, his body temperature rose, and color returned to his cheeks. 

Seeing Lumine hesitate, Seino guessed the outcome.

That trace of chill from the "Lady" was buried too deep, beyond the reach of any God's Heart to purge, let alone a normal priest's exorcism. 

Besides, Seino Fugin's biggest problem wasn't cold energy; it was **wear and tear**—the "erosion" inside him.

After a while, Lumine finally muttered, "…the priest said you were perfectly healthy."

"Exactly."

Seino Fugin released her and chuckled. "I'm fit as a fiddle! I could punch you, you blockhead, right into next week. I'm so strong, I'll stay strong for centuries!"

He had a gift for talking nonsense that was almost believable. 

She had no comeback—infuriating.

"Idiot Drowned Corpse!" Lumine bit her lip, throwing out her insult. 

She was still angry as she stood, rubbing her sore wrist. He had not been gentle. That pain brought a bit of clarity back to her head, and she started to wonder:

How strange…

Even she didn't understand why she'd been so furious just now. 

Normally, Lumine was aware of her temperament—she rarely got angry. She was inherently optimistic, or maybe just carefree. 

Yet the sight of him acting so nonchalant—waking up after nearly dying and immediately worrying only about how "embarrassing" it was—had stoked such a surge of emotion: frustration, sadness, a sense of grievance. Her temper flared hot and quick.

She had never felt that way before. 

Never experienced such emotions. 

So strange.

Her mind drifted to the flower crowns she'd been weaving. That emotion was also odd, indescribable—like the mildly astringent flavor of a citrus fruit: sour and sweet at the same time, spreading slowly across the tongue. She found it sour for some trivial reasons, sweet for others. Just lightly chewing on that citrusy feeling, she found she was… happy. 

She didn't understand why, but it made her happy.

Sunlight fell upon Lumine, illuminating that puzzling sense of longing.

"Your flowers," Seino Fugin said suddenly. "They're ruined."

Indeed, they'd fallen to the floor. Sweet Flowers lay scattered, petals crushed, stems snapped—like a piece of spoiled fruit.

"This is all your fault," Lumine said.

"Why don't we go pick some more together?"

"What?"

Seino Fugin explained, "There are plenty of Sweet Flowers along the shore of Cider Lake."

"Together?" she asked.

"Yeah." He nodded, then fell silent. Outside, a breeze stirred; dandelion seeds drifted everywhere. After a long pause, he spoke quietly:

"Thank you for caring."

Lumine tilted her head.

"Thank you for caring about me," he said. "After remembering some things, I realized how miserable and ridiculous my life has been. But right now, it doesn't seem so bad."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lumine, having just been thanked, placed her hands on her hips and puffed up proudly like a triumphant little chick. A bright smile broke across her face:

"I'm not worried about you—I just care about my travel itinerary!"

"Let's go pick some Sweet Flowers." Seino Fugin suggested.

---

Stormterror. 

That dragon lay crouched at the lakeside, head drooping low, letting out a low, pained roar. A thick scab covered the wound on its neck—a wound inflicted by God Cutter. It was not something most creatures could heal from easily.

The sparkling water of Cider Lake reflected the dragon's figure. 

Its eyes, tinted red with blood, seemed to show a faint glimmer of clarity. Its six wings folded at its back, head bowed, as though speaking to someone.

Seino Fugin stared intently at it, one hand resting on God Cutter's scabbard while the other instinctively shot out, placing Lumine behind him. 

He never expected to run into the beast again. With the power of the Four Winds Temples severed, Stormterror's strength had waned dramatically. Perhaps now, Seino Fugin would stand a chance. 

But after awakening Rostam's memories, Seino Fugin no longer wished to fight it.

Sensing danger, the dragon stiffened. Instantly, it raised its slender neck and cast a wary glance at Seino Fugin, focusing on the God Cutter in his grip. Letting out a sorrowful, enraged roar, it flapped its wings, soared into the sky, and vanished.

It was gone. 

All that remained was a lone figure at the lakeside.

She looked rather young. 

Her attire was somewhat Baroque in style: a dark-green cape, a lighter-green hat, with a small white flower pinned to the brim. Pale, shifting hues ran through the braids that framed her delicate face. She wore white stocking-socks that stretched from her ankles to her thighs.

A young girl dressed like a traveling bard. 

She gazed at the spot where Stormterror had disappeared, looking slightly forlorn. After a while, she turned around.

Seino Fugin and Lumine emerged from the forest.

"Greetings, friends."

The bard looked them over—Seino Fugin, then Lumine. 

Ha. 

Ha…

A gentle breeze stirred as sunlight sparkled on Cider Lake. 

She paused, then smiled, as lightly as a wind's caress, and waved:

"Hello, friends!"

Something about her seemed suspicious, Lumine thought. 

Sticking close behind Seino Fugin, she placed her hand on his shoulder and peeked out, eyeing the smiling girl skeptically. She'd just been talking to Stormterror a moment ago—they'd seen it clearly. Could she be from the Abyss Order?

Seino Fugin was also eyeing the girl. She seemed familiar, stirring some vague memory. Suddenly, he remembered and let out a small exclamation:

"You're the one who was playing the lyre on the square last time."

Previously, following remnants of Young Wolf's memories, he had drifted to that square. Out of boredom, he hummed a tune from deep in his mind—"Rainy Night at Cider Lake." Across the street, there had been a stranger playing along. 

If he recalled correctly, it was this traveling bard.

"Nice to meet you." 

She smiled, extending her hand. The sun caught the green of her eyes, making them gleam. 

"My name is Venti, and I'm a bard."

"Hello…" Seino Fugin responded, since you don't refuse a friendly hand. "I'm—"

"You're Seino Fugin," Venti said.

"You know me?"

"Who in Mondstadt hasn't heard of the hero who saved the city?" she replied, smiling.

"I used to…" Seino Fugin hesitated, testing her. "Did I see you before?"

"Ah, do you mean in the square?"

"No." He paused, unsure why he was insisting. "I mean before that—had we met even earlier?"

"Nope."

Venti answered without missing a beat, smiling. "This is our very first meeting."

"Ah, I see." Seino Fugin nodded.

"And this one here is Lumine." He patted Lumine's head, mussing up her neatly brushed golden hair.

Lumine suddenly felt invisible. She glanced from Seino Fugin to Venti and back again. The great Honorary Knight found herself, yet again, unable to get a word in, just like back at the Knights of Favonius. 

She wanted to say something impressive, to intimidate this suspicious stranger who looked so harmless yet obviously had some hidden agenda. But after racking her brain for a while, she couldn't think of any formidable lines. So, acting like a tiny hedgehog, she clung to Seino Fugin's shoulder and eyed the stranger warily. In an imitation of the Inazuma Colonel's speech, she demanded:

"よし! Who you? Why you here? What you say to that Anemo Dragon?"

Venti raised her hands in mock surrender. Naturally lively, she played along with Lumine's exaggerated accent. "I be… big, big りょうみん."

"And you two? Why are you here?"

"We're here to pick flowers," Lumine boasted, pulling a handful of them from her pouch. Besides Sweet Flowers, there were lilies and all kinds of wild blooms. She was beaming. She patted Seino's shoulder.

"This guy's so dumb—always picking useless wildflowers."

"And he doesn't even know how to pick them. He snaps the stems, so they won't last long at all…"

Lumine rattled off Seino Fugin's shortcomings, but there was a smile in her golden eyes.

"I could just buy them. There's a flower shop right next door," Seino grumbled. Proud as ever, he refused to appear at a disadvantage. "If I buy them and stuff them in my pocket, doesn't that count as my own picking?"

"That's cheating."

"You mean like how someone cheats at fishing?"

"Ugh…"

Seeing them bicker, Venti chuckled softly. "I see."

"Anyway," Seino Fugin said, "what were you talking about with Stormterror?"

"I want to help him. He's in pain. He doesn't truly want to harm anyone, so I was soothing him."

Venti explained.

"And… how did that go?"

"Well, two certain people appeared to pick flowers and scared Dvalin off." Venti rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Ah…" Lumine looked embarrassed.

"So you have to compensate me."

"Compensate you how?"

"With the Holy Lyre der Himmel!" The bard smiled, tracing the outline of a harp in midair with her pale fingers. She pointed at Seino Fugin, then dropped a bombshell:

"You're coming with me to steal the 'Holy Lyre der Himmel.'"

"What are you planning?"

---

"What are you planning?"

The Lady gazed coldly down at the man kneeling before her. 

A crimson mask concealed her face, her light blue eyes lowered, revealing no hint of emotion.

The man was no longer young. His body was covered in injuries—lacerations that overlapped and crossed each other, some so deep you could see bone. 

He smelled of alcohol; his skin was rough and darkened to a brownish hue—a sign of a lifetime spent at sea. He was a sailor who worked for the Fatui, collecting taxes.

This man was McCajub—he was the first mate who pulled Seino Fugin from the sea. He was also the one who let Seino Fugin go free. When Seino Fugin left, they'd raised mugs of ale from across the ship, toasted one another, and said, "Farewell."

"What was your goal?"

He said nothing, only hung his head. 

He was silent, biting his lip, eyes fixed on the ground. After a long pause, he said, "I had no goal."

"I simply didn't want to kill a child," McCajub said wearily. He was exhausted; everything was a blur. Each sentence took great effort. "He was alive, so I couldn't kill him."

The Lady regarded him icily.

"He's with the Knights of Favonius."

Lately, her mood had grown more and more irritable—because of that boy, and because of the nightmare five hundred years ago. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw that raging inferno again. The sun dying the sky scarlet, Rostam's corpse disintegrating before her eyes, vanishing no matter how desperately she reached out. Because no one can grasp the wind.

From that day forth, she had vowed to burn every monster to ash, to bring a pure and orderly world. For that goal, she would stop at nothing.

The Witch of Flames had long since exhausted her tears. Only ashes remained in this life.

"I didn't know who he was back then," McCajub murmured.

"You let him go. He's sabotaged our plans."

McCajub let out a labored breath and forced his eyes open, though barely. 

"But he's just a kid. And since I'm the one who fished him up, the responsibility for his life or death should fall on me."

"I can't kill a child. 

"That's my principle, my lady. Every sailor has a calm sea in their heart—after thirty years on the ocean, I've done my share of dirty work, but there's still one patch of water I won't pollute. If that area gets tainted, I'll lose the right to go home and face my own children."

A faint smile crossed McCajub's weary face. His life was on the brink.

Irritation. 

Irritation.

The Lady stared down at him, emotions unreadable. She felt that same irritation again. 

These people… each one so righteous, so noble, acting like they want to save everything. And yet they were so feeble—just like five hundred years ago. 

They all ought to be destroyed. 

This was vexing.

"You know what happens now," she pronounced coldly.

"My lady." McCajub lifted his gaze to meet hers—this older man looking up at the high, imposing executrix of the Fatui:

"I can see it in your eyes; you also once had an untainted sea in your heart. It's just that it has dried up now.

"Please… don't abandon it. If you do, you'll lose it forever."