Amber stayed frozen in Kael's arms, her expression empty and stunned.
Why…
Why could Anders hold her today…?
The first time she'd ever seen Anders, she'd tried to touch him too.
But every single time she was about to make contact, his figure would vanish the moment her fingers brushed close.
After a few attempts, Amber didn't dare approach him anymore.
She couldn't embrace the man she loved.
But being able to see him at all… that alone felt like a blessing granted by the gods.
She didn't dare to hope for anything more.
Just being able to talk to Anders every day was enough.
Even if he never answered her, not once.
Her hand lifted slightly, trembling, then dropped again.
No. She couldn't touch him.
If she did, this beautiful dream might shatter.
Kael held her for a long time before the storm in his chest finally calmed.
Only then did he realize Amber hadn't moved an inch. She felt like a statue pressed against him.
He gently held her shoulders and eased her back.
"Amber, I…"
Before he could finish, he saw her eyes.
It felt like someone had gripped his throat from the inside. Words wouldn't come out.
Her gaze was full of fear and desperate longing.
Amber… didn't believe he'd really come back.
He grabbed her hand and pressed it to his cheek, letting her feel the warmth of his skin.
"It's me, Amber. I'm Anders… it's really me. I'm so sorry. Last time I saw you, I… I didn't remember you. I didn't remember our past. I'm sorry. I hurt you."
Last time?
Amber's eyes wavered in confusion.
Last time…
Suddenly, it felt like a hammer slammed into her skull.
A sharp, splitting pain tore through her mind.
"Ah!"
She clutched her head and let out a cry of agony.
Kael panicked. "Amber, what's wrong?!"
Lost memories surged back all at once, flooding through her like a broken dam.
She remembered.
The pain she'd gone through had been too much to bear. Her body had forced itself to forget—an instinctive defense.
That tiny room in Mondstadt…
Anders had been alive.
She knew it hadn't been a dream because everything had felt unbearably real.
But he didn't remember her.
They'd shared so many beautiful memories together. Why… why had Anders forgotten all of it?
Amber's lips trembled. "You're really Anders. You remember me? You know who I am?"
Kael's voice was steady. "You're Amber, my childhood fiancée. The person I love."
The moment he said it, Amber's tears burst like a storm.
She cried like a child, pounding her fists against his chest.
"You… how could you forget me!"
"You said when you proposed that you'd stay with me forever!"
"You didn't keep your promise… and then you forgot me!"
Every word struck Kael like a blade.
All he could do was keep whispering, "I'm sorry. It's my fault…"
He hadn't known how badly his words back then had wounded her, how deep the damage would go.
Apology was the only thing he had left to offer.
And yet…
Kael remembered what the System had told him before he entered this world.
He only had one day here.
How was he supposed to tell Amber that?
Amber cried so hard she could barely breathe, releasing years of bottled-up hurt in a single, shattering wave.
"…How could you do this to me… how could you…"
Kael wiped her tears gently, his heart twisting.
Suddenly, the sound of a baby crying echoed from inside the cabin, freezing Amber in place.
Her daughter's voice pulled her back to herself.
Amber sniffed, trying to steady her breathing. "Anders… we have a daughter now. Her name is Cecilia."
Kael already knew Cecilia existed, but he had always been curious what their child looked like.
"Can I see her?"
"Mm."
Amber wiped her face and led him inside.
Kael remembered how, in the Life Simulation, she'd decorated their little Mondstadt room with warmth and care.
But this cabin was simple and bare, filled only with basic furniture. There was no warmth, no sense of home.
Just like Amber's heart, emptied out and hollowed by sorrow.
A beautifully delicate baby girl with pitch-black hair sat on the bed, screaming moments earlier. But when she saw the stranger following behind Amber, her crying stopped.
She stared at Kael with wide, tear-filled eyes, blinking curiously.