[According to the old Director's final wishes, Hu Tao became the next Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and a grand funeral was held for him.]
[Hu Tao conducted the ceremony with the highest honors. Even the parlor's veteran executors were stunned by how elaborate it was.]
[That same night, after the funeral ended, you heard a noise coming from the courtyard.]
[You opened the door and saw Hu Tao holding her luggage, ready to leave.]
[When she spotted you, guilt flickered across her face as if she were afraid you'd scold her.]
["I… I want to see Grandpa one last time. There are things I still want to tell him. I finally understand what death really means, and I want him to know that."]
["Alright. I'll go with you."]
[You understood Hu Tao's feelings completely, but you couldn't let her wander alone into the wilderness.]
[You held her hand and walked toward Wuwang Hill.]
[From Wuwang Hill, one could reach the Border, the realm that lay between life and death. It was a secret passed down through generations of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.]
[Hu Tao led the way, wandering with you for two days and two nights.]
[But she was still just a young girl, and the journey was far beyond what her body could endure.]
[You, strengthened by the Vision in your possession, had far greater stamina. So during the latter half of the journey, you carried Hu Tao on your back.]
[Eventually, the two of you reached the Border.]
[Here, there was only the eternal night sky and the cold dampness of drifting dew.]
[You searched the Boundary together, hoping to find the old Director. When exhaustion overwhelmed you both, you lay down on the ground and slept in each other's arms.]
[The yin energy here was so dense it chilled living beings to the bone.]
[So the entire time, you and Hu Tao slept while holding on to each other for warmth.]
[You were already sixteen, fully aware of matters between men and women.]
[But Hu Tao was still young, her figure completely flat.]
[Holding her against you was simply a necessity for survival, nothing more.]
[Hu Tao lay in your arms, her face showing how utterly worn out she was after so many days of travel.]
[You brushed your hand over her long hair and whispered, "We'll find him."]
[Day after day, you waited with her. You never saw the old Director.]
[But you did meet someone you never expected.]
[You caught sight of a ghostly figure in the distance. Without realizing it, your hand slipped from Hu Tao's.]
[Then you ran, using every ounce of strength in your body.]
[You had never run so fast in your entire life.]
["Mom! Mom!!!"]
[Hearing your voice, the ghost turned around. Her face lit up with surprise.]
["Kael."]
[It was your mother.]
[Here, at the Border between life and death.]
Kael had wondered about this for years.
He had the Yin-Yang Eyes. He could see spirits and ghosts.
Then why… after his parents died… had he never seen their spirits?
Logically, with children so young, his parents should have held strong attachments and lingered in the mortal world.
But now he understood.
His mother had been here all along.
Here, at the Border.
[She ran toward you too, but suddenly stopped as if something struck her. The joy on her face twisted into fear.]
[Her lips trembled as she whispered, "Kael… why are you here… you…"]
[You knew exactly what she was afraid of and hurried to her side.]
["Mom, I'm not dead. Look closely, I'm alive."]
[When she realized your body was solid rather than translucent like a ghost's, she finally relaxed.]
["Thank goodness… I thought you…"]
[She looked you over from head to toe, her expression softening with pride.]
["Kael, you've grown so much… that's wonderful. I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you. You must've suffered so much these past few years."]
[Something inside you cracked open. Your tears burst forth all at once.]
[You fell to your knees before her, your face streaked with tears.]
["Mom, I'm the one who should apologize… I'm sorry. If I hadn't insisted on returning to Liyue, you wouldn't have died… I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry…"]
[You knew she hadn't died from overwork like others claimed.]
[But for years you had wondered… if you hadn't been so eager to return to Liyue, maybe the Fatui wouldn't have targeted her.]
[Maybe your mother… had died because of you.]
[She stepped toward you, trying to pull you into a comforting embrace.]
[But her hand passed right through you.]
[She was only a spirit now. She couldn't even give her child a warm hug.]
[Her eyes filled with pain.]
["No, Kael. My death had nothing to do with you. I died because…"]
[She paused, then forced a gentle explanation.]
["I was so happy at the thought of going back to Liyue that I didn't pay attention to my own health. That's all. It had nothing to do with you, so stop blaming yourself."]
[You noticed the hesitation in her voice, the deliberate shift in tone.]
She knew.
Your mother knew she had been killed by the Fatui.
She changed her words only to protect you, to keep hatred from growing in your heart.
But she didn't know the truth.
Your life had already been swallowed by hatred.
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