[You and your mother talked for a long time at the Border between life and death. Hu Tao, who had hurried over, sat quietly nearby without interrupting.]
[You told your mother that your life in Liyue had been good, that you'd found work you genuinely liked. You explained that you'd come to the Border this time to accompany Hu Tao so she could see the old Director.]
["Mom, I'm sorry. I couldn't take care of Chenxi, so she had to stay in Snezhnaya and was adopted by someone else."]
[Your mother didn't blame you. She looked at you gently and said, "It's alright. I know you did your best. But when you have the ability someday, I hope you can bring Chenxi back to Liyue. A family belongs together. You two should look after each other."]
[You nodded.]
[You wanted the same thing.]
[Snezhnaya was too dangerous for Chenxi, and you were determined to bring her back to Liyue.]
[Knowing that both you and Chenxi were living decent lives now, the worry in your mother's eyes began to fade.]
[Her regrets, her burdens, all slowly dissolved.]
[She reached out and brushed her hand over your hair, just like she used to when you were little.]
[Her hand was only a wavering silhouette, unable to touch you, but it drifted lightly across your hair.]
[You felt a chill on your scalp.]
[Her hand wasn't warm anymore, yet the comfort it carried was exactly the same.]
[All the pain you'd carried for years seemed to loosen, just a little, under that phantom caress.]
["Kael, now that I know you're both living well, I finally have no regrets. It seems my time has come."]
[Your eyes filled with tears as you watched her walk toward the threshold of life and death.]
[She stood at the boundary and turned back to give you a gentle smile.]
["Kael, you must take good care of yourself. Don't overwork, rest when you need to. Your health matters more than anything else. I don't need you to become rich or powerful. I only hope you live safely and peacefully."]
["I hope you can always face the world with a kind heart, and…"]
[She spoke for a long time, her voice soft and rambling, until the emotion in it began to tremble.]
["Kael, remember this. No matter what you do, your mother will always believe in you. Always."]
[After saying that, she looked at you one last time, then stepped into the Boundary and disappeared.]
[You knelt on the ground, tears streaming down your face, and bowed deeply to the space where she vanished.]
[Your forehead pressed against the cold earth as you cried uncontrollably.]
[Hu Tao approached you quietly, sitting cross-legged beside you. She placed her small hand over yours.]
[She wanted to tell you that you weren't alone, that she was still here with you.]
[You remained kneeling until your legs went numb. Only then did you slowly rise to your feet.]
[When you lifted your head, you found Hu Tao watching you with those bright, expressive eyes.]
[In her gaze, you saw sorrow, compassion, and a quiet acceptance.]
[She smiled softly. "Kael, let's go back. Grandpa won't appear anymore."]
[She wiped the lingering tears from your cheek with a gentle touch.]
[Seeing your reunion with your mother had brought her clarity, and she suddenly seemed much more mature.]
["Grandpa used to say, 'Live well when you're alive. Then death won't be scary.'"]
["He didn't appear because he crossed the Boundary entirely. He went to the other side. He wasn't like your mother, Kael. When he left, he truly had no regrets."]
[Hu Tao gave you a bright, liberated smile and took your hand.]
[Together, in the quiet and shadowed realm, your silhouettes leaned toward one another.]
[You stepped out of the darkness, and dawn's first light washed over you both.]
[When you returned to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, you and Hu Tao discovered a blazing red Vision inside what you thought was an empty pouch.]
[It was Hu Tao's Pyro Vision.]
[Age 17: After returning from the Border, Hu Tao regained her innocent, childlike personality, though she would occasionally show the maturity she'd gained.]
[Your relationship grew closer than ever, filled with a wordless understanding others couldn't decipher.]
[Hu Tao could sense the pain and unease in your heart. You had come to understand her view of life and death.]
[Emotionally, the two of you were confidants, dear friends, siblings, the closest people in each other's world.]
[No one understood you better than she did, and no one understood her better than you.]
[At work, you were the Director's most reliable assistant, handling most of the parlor's affairs.]
[You moved constantly between your identity as a Fatui informant and your role as a respected undertaker of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.]
[You were often exhausted by the life you led in the shadows.]
[But Hu Tao's playful, mischievous nature always managed to lift your spirits.]
[She was your sun, brightening the bleakness of your life.]
[Age 18: Thanks to your intelligence reports, the Fatui had reaped significant benefits.]
[Because your identity remained perfectly hidden, they had grown increasingly arrogant, far less cautious than before.]
[Their influence in Liyue was expanding, something you absolutely didn't want to see.]
[Now that they were overconfident, their guard was down.]
[You believed it was time to strike back.]
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Next target 50PS :)