The gathering was lively from start to finish, with laughter and clinking cups overflowing across the table.
The Liyue wine Chef Mao prepared was strong—much stronger than Mondstadt's. Venti wasn't used to it. By the end of the night, he was drunk out of his mind, babbling nonsense.
"Hehe… more… Zhongli, hurry, bring out your stash…"
Kael's cheeks were a little pink, but he stayed clear-headed.
Zhongli approached him. "I shall entrust my old friend to you. When he's drunk, I fear he may… say things he should not. Please keep an eye on him."
Say things he shouldn't?
Kael chuckled.
"Don't worry. I'll watch him."
Zhongli nodded and left.
When everyone dispersed, Kael sent Keqing home first, then headed toward the Jade Chamber.
A Millelith guard appeared suddenly at the entrance.
"Are you Mr. Kael?"
Kael stepped forward.
"I am. What's the matter?"
"Lady Ningguang requests your presence at the Jade Chamber."
Keqing stepped up, frowning. "What happened? Why summon him so late at night?"
The guard stiffened when he saw her and quickly bowed.
"Lady Keqing. I'm not sure. Lady Ningguang only gave the order."
Keqing frowned deeper and turned to Kael.
"Do you want me to go with you?"
Amber was currently at the Jade Chamber.
Kael suspected this summons likely had something to do with her.
He shook his head. "No need. Lady Ningguang and I are on good terms. Everything's fine. Don't worry."
---
Kael followed the Millelith guard up the steps to the Jade Chamber.
The moment he arrived, he saw Baishi waiting at the main entrance.
"Baishi, why did Ningguang call me up here?"
Baishi frowned. "A Miss Amber from Mondstadt City came to deliver a letter to Lady Ningguang earlier today. But… something happened. Not long after she entered the Jade Chamber, she suddenly collapsed."
"What?!"
A spike of panic shot through Kael's chest.
How could this happen?
Mondstadt and Liyue had maintained diplomatic ties for years. Amber showing up in Liyue wasn't surprising—she could be here for work… or to see him.
When he first saw her location marked in the Jade Chamber, he didn't think much of it.
But never—not for a second—did he imagine she'd been up here this whole time because she'd fainted.
Baishi led Kael through the corridors of the Jade Chamber and stopped at a room.
"Miss Amber and Lady Ningguang are inside."
Kael pushed the door open immediately.
The first thing he saw was Ningguang standing beside the bed. He rushed over.
"What happened to Amber?"
Ningguang's expression was unusually serious.
"I already had Baizhu from Bubu Pharmacy examine her. Physically, she's perfectly healthy. But for some reason, she still hasn't regained consciousness."
Even Ningguang was anxious about Amber's condition.
Amber was a Knight of Favonius and had come on behalf of the Knights to deliver an important document.
If anything happened to her here inside the Jade Chamber, it would directly affect relations between Mondstadt and Liyue.
Even though the Liyue Qixing and the Knights of Favonius had a long-standing friendship, something like this wasn't something she could easily smooth over.
"When Amber came to see me, she asked about the location of Wanmin Restaurant. You only arrived in Liyue recently, so I assumed the two of you knew each other."
"We do."
Kael moved quickly to Amber's bedside, staring at her pale, unmoving face.
Amber had always been strong and healthy. She wouldn't collapse for no reason.
There was only one possibility.
This had to be the System's fault again.
He knew by now that everything that happened in Life Simulation and every emotion someone felt in that world affected reality in some way.
Just like Kamisato Ayaka before.
Don't tell me… something happened in the Life Simulation again?!
Damn it.
System, get out here!
[…Host, I was just about to contact you.]
"Explain. What happened to Amber?"
Kael no longer had any doubt.
Something on the System's end had gone wrong again.
Otherwise, with the System still in cooldown, it would never appear on its own.
"What did you mess up this time? Why is Amber unconscious?"
[To be precise, this time it isn't my fault. Host, do you remember how Amber's consciousness from Life Simulation was projected into the real world once before?]
Of course he remembered.
That had been his first encounter with a Life Simulation character crossing into reality.
Back then, he'd treated Amber like a threat, pushing her away, breaking her heart…
But afterward, he'd done everything he could in the real world to make up for that mistake.
"And then?"
[Because Life Simulation entities are made of energy, the emotional shock she suffered in the real world severely damaged her. When she returned to the simulation, her energy remained unstable.]
"…"
[You should also know this, after you died in the Life Simulation, Amber moved to Liyue. When the real Amber came to Liyue, she ended up standing in the exact same location as her simulated counterpart.]
[Her mental energy automatically flowed into the Life Simulation to stabilize the simulation's Amber.]
"…How is that even possible?"
Kael wanted to tear the System apart.
The Life Simulation affecting reality was one thing but this was going way too far.
If this continued, would the simulation and the real world start merging outright?
If that happened, Teyvat would be in complete chaos.
"If I shut down Amber's Life Simulation world, will the real Amber wake up?"
[If you do that, her mental energy in the real world will be sealed as well. She'll never wake up.]
"That's exactly like what happened with Kamisato Ayaka! Fine.. send me into the simulation again so I can fix Amber and restore her soul."
[I'm sorry, Host. The last incident with Kamisato Ayaka consumed too much of my power. I cannot send you into the simulation again.]
"So that's impossible too? What, am I supposed to just let Amber stay unconscious forever?"
[There is one option. Amber's mental energy is scattered throughout the Liyue region inside Life Simulation. If you go to the corresponding locations in the real world, I can teleport you there to retrieve her energy.]
[But I can only sustain each teleportation for one day. And because you're retrieving energy that exists in the real world, time here will not freeze during your absence.]
"How many times do I need to go?"
[Five in total.]
"When I'm there, how do I collect her energy?"
[…This situation is new even to me. You'll have to figure that part out yourself.]
Tch.
Amber couldn't stay unconscious like this. The longer it went on, the more harm it would do.
And this was the only workable option.
"I'll go now. Where's the first one?"
[It's near Wangshu Inn. I've already marked the exact location on your map.]
"Good. I'm heading out."
Ningguang watched Kael sitting beside Amber's bed, his expression full of worry.
His eyes shifted faintly, as if turning over countless thoughts.
She sighed quietly.
So Miss Amber has quite the bond with him as well.
She saw Kael suddenly stand and turn to her, his voice firm.
"I'll find a way to wake Amber. For the next few days, please help me take care of her."
Ningguang understood how serious this situation was. She pushed aside her own faint discomfort and nodded solemnly.
"Rest assured. I will."