Qin Yu had always believed she had only met Ganyu once as a child, reuniting only after growing up. But the hazy memory that had just surfaced suggested otherwise.
Ganyu had once held her in her arms.
Yet she couldn't recall the specifics—when it happened or why. She could only vaguely remember Ganyu carrying her somewhere.
Somewhere...
One memory triggered another, and as she recalled fragments, others began to surface in succession.
But just as Qin Yu was about to fully remember, Ganyu seized her hand.
"That never happened. Let's head back to Cloud Retainer first? We'll say goodbye, then return to Liyue Harbor," Ganyu said with an uncharacteristic firmness.
"Ah, right, that makes sense."
That never happened? Could my memory be mistaken? Human memory isn't exactly reliable... Qin Yu's certainty wavered at Ganyu's denial.
In any case, they returned to the summit of Mt. Aocang together.
Summoning Cloud Retainer, the Adeptus glanced at Ganyu. Seeing that the lingering sorrow from her time in Jueyun Karst had vanished from her face, she reassured herself, "It seems you've recovered your spirits."
Ganyu smiled apologetically. "Yes, I'm sorry for making you worry, Cloud Retainer."
"It's enough that you're well. Are you returning to Liyue Harbor now?"
Ganyu replied earnestly, "Yes. There's still so much work to do. And if I really am being ostracized, I want to fight for my place!"
"I told you, you're not being ostracized," Qin Yu said helplessly.
Cloud Retainer nodded gently, turning her gaze to Qin Yu.
"This time, we owe you a great debt. If not for you, given Ganyu's stubborn nature, who knows how long she would have remained in her sulk," Cloud Retainer sighed.
"It wasn't exactly a sulk," Ganyu murmured defensively.
Qin Yu chuckled. "No need to be so formal. Sister Ganyu looks quite adorable when she's sulking, so it was no trouble at all—in fact, I quite enjoyed it."
After traveling all this way and spending so much time persuading her, I wouldn't say I'm angry, but a little payback is in order.
Ganyu sulked. "I keep telling you, I wasn't sulking! Fine, let's just go back now."
"Wait a moment," Qin Yu called out, stopping Ganyu as she turned to leave.
Ganyu looked puzzled, unsure why Qin Yu had called her back. Could there be something else to do?
"Cloud Retainer, haven't I met Sister Ganyu before?" Qin Yu asked, seeking confirmation.
"Indeed," Cloud Retainer replied, her answer catching Ganyu off guard. As if stabbed in the back, Ganyu exclaimed in panic, "Cloud Retainer!"
"There's no need to keep the truth from her now," Cloud Retainer stated calmly.
Is that so? Ganyu didn't quite understand. She still believed it would have been better to keep the truth hidden. But since it was Cloud Retainer's judgment, she had no room to object.
Having reached this point, Ganyu could only apologize, her voice filled with regret. "I'm sorry, I lied to you. We did meet again after delivering the flowers, but... that encounter was far from pleasant."
So I was right all along!
But what exactly did she mean by "far from pleasant"?
Qin Yu pressed her temples, a dull ache throbbing in her head. Guided by a web of fragmented memories, the deepest recesses of her mind were being dragged into the light.
She remembered everything.
-
That day, when Keqing returned from outside, Qin Yu told her about what had happened earlier. Learning that the toy ring had been snatched by some children her age, Keqing flew into a rage.
"I'll go teach them a lesson!"
With that, she grabbed her wooden sword and stormed off. But the children taunted:
"We threw it into that cave over there! If you're so tough, go get it back!"
Keqing's brow furrowed. She swapped her wooden sword for a real one and prepared to charge into the so-called cave to retrieve the toy ring.
Qin Yu stubbornly followed her.
"Why are you coming along?" Keqing asked.
"Just in case... I can protect you... or something!" Qin Yu stammered.
"Shouldn't it be me protecting you? Fine, if you're coming, stay close!"
"Okay!"
The cave lay beyond Liyue Harbor's city walls, far beyond the Millelith's patrol range.
Keqing peered nervously into the cave's depths, muttering to herself, "Doesn't seem too strange... but stay close! Here, you take the lantern."
"Okay..." The young Qin Yu carefully accepted the lantern and followed Keqing cautiously into the cave.
They hadn't walked far when a door appeared before them.
"Huh? How did a door get here... Could it be part of some ruins?" Keqing asked, her voice tinged with surprise.
"Ruins?" Qin Yu echoed.
"Yeah, I've seen a few before. I'm pretty sure this is one. Did you see any rings along the way?" Keqing turned to ask.
"No, could they be inside?"
Keqing was skeptical. "Would they be? This door's closed, and a child couldn't possibly push it open. Unless... there's some kind of mechanism inside that opens the door when you touch it..."
"Should we go in?" Qin Yu asked nervously.
"Hmm... let's take a peek. Maybe the ring is inside."
"Shackles," Qin Yu corrected gently.
"I know, I know. If anything feels off, we run, got it? I can handle most monsters, but the really nasty ones..."
"Okay."
Keqing, sword in hand, cautiously touched the door. To their surprise, it slowly creaked open, as if inviting them inside. Peering through the doorway, they saw nothing particularly remarkable.
The two exchanged a glance, then cautiously stepped inside one after the other.
And then...
-
"Ugh!" Qin Yu groaned, her headache unbearable. The terror etched into her very being made her legs go weak, her abnormal reaction startling Ganyu beside her.
Ganyu quickly steadied Qin Yu, asking with concern, "Qin Yu, what's wrong?"
"Bad news! Quickly channel Adeptus Power to relieve her!"
Ganyu and Cloud Retainer's voices seemed to come from a distant place, easily swept away by the torrent of memories that dragged Qin Yu's consciousness to the next fragment of recollection.
-
The lantern in her hand shattered against the ground. In the deep, dark Abode, Keqing dragged Qin Yu toward the exit, running for their lives. The writhing darkness, its amorphous silhouette, devoured everything behind them.
"Faster! The exit's just ahead! Don't look back!"
Keqing's voice barely sustained Qin Yu's fading consciousness. Her stamina wasn't great, but in this desperate situation, she ran with all her might, panting for breath.
"What—?!" Keqing's startled cry cut through the air.
Gazing upward through her daze, Qin Yu's eyes widened in shock.
The gate was closing!
She couldn't help but think of feeding.
To eat, one must open their mouth. Once the food is inside, the mouth closes, chews, and swallows... and right now, they were the food of this monster-controlled Abode.
"Faster!"
Keqing picked up her pace, and Qin Yu pushed herself to the absolute limit to keep up.
But a child's legs were simply too weak. The closer they got, the narrower the remaining gap became. By the end, perhaps only one person would be able to squeeze through—and that was under the best of circumstances.
The realization flashed through Qin Yu's mind, and she reacted immediately.
Just one step from the door, Qin Yu wrenched her hand free from Keqing's grasp and, with every ounce of remaining strength, shoved Keqing out.
Unable to regain her balance, Keqing tumbled out of the doorway. Before she could cry out in pain, she looked up at Qin Yu.
The door was now almost completely shut, leaving only a narrow slit.
"Wait, Qin Yu!"
Qin Yu instinctively reached out, but in the end, she merely smiled silently.
"Wait—"
Just as Keqing tried to extend her hand, the door slammed shut completely. The sounds from outside vanished, leaving behind only a deathly silence.
Qin Yu turned to look behind her, and saw the darkness still creeping closer. Paralyzed by fear, she could barely move.
I have to hide.
Driven by primal instinct, Qin Yu frantically scanned her surroundings until she spotted a few old crates and wooden barrels.
With no time to hesitate, she stumbled over to a crate and squeezed inside.
Closing the lid, she curled up in the cramped, pitch-black space, hugging herself tightly and shutting her eyes.
Soon, she felt something intangible seeping into the box, invading every inch of her skin. Cold, formless whispers began to echo in her ears.
Rustling sounds lingered outside—the sounds of monsters.
Terror surged through Qin Yu. She could only hug herself tightly, murmuring Keqing's name, clinging to memories to sustain her will.
Her body temperature gradually plummeted, her consciousness blurring. Only the throbbing pain in her body reminded her that she was still barely alive.
But even that pain began to fade, replaced by an unprecedented calm that slowly swallowed all sensation.
A cascade of memories flashed through her mind, dreamlike and surreal, beckoning her toward an unknown realm.
In the next moment, a deafening roar erupted.
Like a violent gust of wind, the ominous aura rapidly dissipated.
Someone's here? A hazy thought surfaced, but she lacked the strength to form another coherent thought. Even lifting a finger felt impossible. She could only cling to the faint hope that whoever had come would find her.
Moments later, the lid of the box was pried open.
"Qin Yu!"
The vaguely familiar voice jolted Qin Yu's eyes open a fraction.
Two faces appeared before her: one utterly indifferent, the other etched with worry.
She didn't recognize the first, but she had a vague impression of the second.
"Sister Ganyu..."
Feeling safe, Qin Yu closed her eyes again.
"Don't fall asleep. Wake up... Ugh, such a heavy demonic aura..."
"Let's save her life first, then figure out how to deal with this."
"Mm, I know."
In her hazy consciousness, Qin Yu felt herself being lifted into warm, comforting arms. The faint scent of sweat mingled with a delicate fragrance, carried on a steady stream of warmth.
"Qin Yu!"
Hearing the familiar voice, Qin Yu regained a sliver of consciousness.
She found herself cradled in Keqing's arms. The soot-covered Keqing's eyes lit up at her awakening, her relief evident in her smile. But then, she gently tapped Qin Yu's head, tears streaming down her face.
"Ow..." Qin Yu murmured weakly.
"Pain is good—it means you're still alive... Seriously, you nearly scared me to death, you know that?! Why would you do something like that?" Keqing sobbed.
Why would I do something like that?
The reason was simple. Without hesitation, Qin Yu offered a weak but resolute smile. "My only friend... of course I have to protect her..."
"Are you crazy?! I don't want you risking your life to protect me..."
Qin Yu tried to respond, but her consciousness began to fade again. She could still faintly hear bone-chilling whispers that made her skin crawl.
Recalling the recent darkness, she couldn't stop trembling. Fortunately, Keqing's tight embrace helped alleviate some of the terror.
"We can talk later. Right now, she's being corrupted by a monster. If we don't act quickly, she won't survive much longer," Ganyu's voice cut through the haze.
"What do we do? I'll do anything to save her!" Keqing shouted.
"There's nothing you need to do... No, what you must do is keep her conscious. Her unique constitution and extraordinary willpower, combined with the Adepti's magic, should allow us to transfer most of the monster's essence out of her, preserving her life," the young man explained.
Ganyu said gravely, "Then we must hurry! We need to reach Jueyun Karst immediately!"
"Agreed. Follow me."
Qin Yu felt herself being cradled in Ganyu's arms again. A steady stream of warmth flowed into her body, sustaining her last thread of life.
"Keqing... the shackles... did you find them?" Qin Yu murmured, her mind clouded.
"...Yes, I found them. Here, take them and don't lose them."
Keqing pressed the toy ring into her hand.
It didn't quite feel like her own, but Qin Yu was too weak to tell the difference. Overwhelmed by a sudden sense of security, she chuckled softly.
Then...
"Cloud Retainer, we need your power!"
"I never imagined such a situation would arise. Very well, I accept. But—even with her unique constitution, she will have to pay a considerable price."
"It's better than losing her life."
The memories swirled, finally settling on that moment.
"To perform this ritual and save your life, you must pay a price... Whether you accept or not, discuss it thoroughly with your friends."
Under the Adepti's healing, Qin Yu, barely stabilized, asked weakly, "A price? What price?"
"Your memories."
-
Snapping out of her memories, Qin Yu suddenly jolted awake.
Gasping for breath, she felt the cold sweat on her skin, realizing she had returned to the real world. Overwhelmed by the relentless stream of memories that had flooded her mind, she fell silent.
"Are you alright?" Ganyu asked worriedly, sitting beside the bed.
Bed? Ah... Qin Yu noticed the bed beneath her, shaking her head as she replied, "I'm fine now."
"Phew, that's such a relief! I was so worried about you. No matter how I called your name, you wouldn't wake up. I had no choice but to let you rest in Cloud Retainer's Adeptus Abode for now," Ganyu said with a sigh of relief.
No wonder it looked so familiar.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble," Qin Yu said uneasily.
"It's no trouble at all. The most important thing is that you're okay. Cloud Retainer and I both feel the same way," Ganyu said with a gentle smile.
Qin Yu's face flushed with warmth, her heart warmed, and she nodded quietly.
"I remember everything now."
"...Mm."
"So that's why I'm afraid of the dark," Qin Yu said, curling up and hugging her knees. "And that's also why I forgot Keqing and you."
Then she apologized softly.
"I'm sorry for forgetting you both and making you go to so much trouble to hide it from me," Qin Yu whispered.
Ganyu shook her head, rejecting Qin Yu's apology.
"No, you're not at fault. The blame lies with those who deceived you and Keqing. If not for them, you wouldn't have been in danger in the first place, right?"
"You're right."
The real culprits were those little bastards.
Tch, just thinking about it makes my blood boil!This is probably one of the reasons I dislike children so much, Qin Yu thought as she sat up and smoothed her hair.
This must be the terrible memory Keqing mentioned.
If she were alone right now, it would indeed be awful, letting her mood spiral downward. But thankfully, Ganyu was by her side, diverting her attention.
Besides, Ganyu was her savior.
The Conqueror of Demons must have been with Sister Ganyu at the time. I need to find time later to thank him properly.
The other Adepti were the same.
Without them, she wouldn't be here today. Qin Yu pondered the future briefly before her gaze returned to Ganyu's face.
First, of course, she had to thank Ganyu.
Climbing to the edge of the bed, Qin Yu said sincerely, "And thank you too, Sister Ganyu. Without you, I would definitely have..."
"When someone is in danger, I can't just stand by and watch, especially when... it's you. No need to thank me. I'm just relieved you're safe," Ganyu replied with a gentle smile.
Qin Yu couldn't resist hugging Ganyu.
Ganyu startled, "Wah! What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"...No."
If she wasn't feeling unwell, could it be fear?
The painful memories of childhood seemed to linger into adulthood, especially since Qin Yu had only just recalled them. It was as if she had relived that ordeal all over again.
Feeling she understood, Ganyu gently patted Qin Yu's back to comfort her.
"It's okay now. That's all in the past."
"Mhm..."
She couldn't bring herself to say it.
I just suddenly felt like doing it, Qin Yu thought, realizing how childish it sounded. No matter what, she couldn't voice those words. Instead, she gave Ganyu a vague reply.
I probably won't ever resist calling her "Sister Ganyu" again, she mused.
Ganyu stopped comforting her and returned the embrace.
"This might sound selfish, but... the fact that you remembered me makes me so happy," Ganyu said softly.
"Me too."
Just then, the door to the room opened.
"How is she? Has Qin Yu awakened yet...?"
Cloud Retainer appeared in the doorway.
Seeing the two girls embracing, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Oh? What a close relationship!"
Waaah!? Qin Yu reflexively pushed Ganyu away and scrambled back to her bed, desperately trying to create an air of normalcy. But Ganyu's flushed cheeks mercilessly betrayed them.
"No matter, I'm quite adept at reading the room. Please continue," Cloud Retainer said, retreating back outside.
Reading the room? You can't read the room at all!