[On a howling winter night, someone bangs on your front door.]
[Several men carry your father's frozen, stiff body inside.]
[The moment your mother sees him, she collapses on the spot.]
[You walk forward in a daze and stare blankly at your father's pale, bluish face as tears fall from your eyes one after another.]
[You're old enough to understand what death means.]
[You no longer have a father.]
["Dad… where are my Mr. Cyclops toys…?"]
Of course. It happened.
[Your parents loved each other very much. After your father's death, your mother falls gravely ill.]
[During this time, debt collectors flood your doorstep.]
[While your father was alive, the family business was thriving.]
[But for reasons no one explains, everything collapses right after he dies.]
[Your mother has always been a housewife, but she possesses a strong will.]
[For you and your sister, she grits her teeth and takes over the business herself. Against all odds, she stabilizes the situation and slowly pulls the business back from the brink.]
["Kael, take care of your sister for a while. Your father worked so hard to give us a better life. I can't let his efforts go to waste. Once I earn enough, I'll take you both back to Liyue."]
Kael chooses instantly.
The System flashes a warning: "Difficulty Mode Unlocked!"
Who cared about business now?
His father's death was obviously suspicious.
If they stayed in Snezhnaya any longer, their whole family would die in this cursed place.
In past Life Simulations, he always hesitated. He would observe, think, wait… until things snowballed beyond recovery and he was filled with regret.
Not this time.
He switches to Sensory Mode and dives into the simulation.
He wouldn't watch his mother and sister die.
The scene shifts, and Kael appears inside the Snezhnayan mansion.
His mother stands before him, exhausted yet gentle.
"Mom, I don't want money or a fancy life. I just want our family to be together. Let's go back to Liyue and start over. There's nothing here worth staying for."
His mother freezes at his determined tone.
Only then does she realize how much he's changed.
He isn't the child who threw tantrums over Mr. Cyclops toys anymore.
His father's death had stolen his innocence too soon.
Her eyes redden.
If she could, she would have kept him innocent forever.
But life had forced him to grow up overnight.
Her hands tremble as she pulls him into her arms.
"…Alright. If that's what you want, then Mom will listen to you. I'll take you both back to Liyue."
Even though she agrees immediately, many matters in Snezhnaya still need settling before they can leave.
Kael decides to stay in Sensory Mode for a few more days.
He has over forty thousand Attribute Points now. He doesn't have to ration anything.
He can help watch his sister and keep an eye on his mother.
Katarina follows Kael everywhere. She knows he's preparing to return to Liyue, and it breaks her heart.
"Kael, you're really leaving?"
Kael doesn't know how close the simulated version of himself was to this lonely little girl, but he feels her sadness.
She'd been alone in this empty house for so long, and he was the only person who could see her.
But Kael is determined.
Snezhnaya is full of danger. He's still just a child, and the Talents he has in this life are nearly useless here.
Staying would be suicide.
He had to get his mother and sister out.
"…Katarina… I'm sorry. I really have to go back to Liyue. But I won't forget you. When I grow up, I'll come back to see you."
"I don't want that!!! I hate you!!!"
Katarina bursts into tears and runs off. No matter how Kael calls after her, she never looks back.
He searches the mansion for a long time but finds no trace of her.
This house is too big, too cold, and ghosts can walk through walls.
If she wanted to hide, he had no way of finding her.
Kael sighs.
He can only wait for her to calm down.
His mother spends her days working from early morning to late night, growing thinner and weaker by the day.
But she remembers her promise to him.
She wraps up the Snezhnayan business as fast as humanly possible.
One night, she calls him over to the fireplace, her face glowing with relief.
"Kael, we can go back to Liyue soon!"
Kael's eyes light up.
"Really?"
"Of course. I promised you, didn't I? I bought tickets for the ship leaving the day after tomorrow. Go pack your things, sweetheart. We're going home."
"Okay!!"
Finally.
Once they were back in Liyue, they'd be safe.