Chapter 62: Waking from the Dream and the End
It was already dawn.
She touched her face, and the tears on her cheeks seemed to tell her that it had all been a dream.
Now, the dream was over.
But what about Yu Xie?
She quickly got out of bed, and went outside.
Coincidentally, Navia was also heading out at that moment, and the two bumped into each other.
Clorinde could tell that Navia still had traces of tears on her face.
Without needing to say much, the two seemed to understand instantly and quickly rushed to Yu Xie's room.
They knocked on the door, but there was no response.
They pushed the door open and found the room tidy, but the owner of the room was nowhere to be seen.
The books on the desk were neatly arranged, as if to say that the room's owner was a very serious person.
"Clorinde, I had a long dream. In the dream, Yu Xie said goodbye to me, telling me that he was going to leave…" Naviya said softly, her voice lacking strength.
"I had the same kind of dream…" Clorinde's voice was also faint.
"In the dream, Yu Xie said 'we'll meet again in the next life.' That must have been a joke, right? He's always like that, how could he joke about something like that?" Navia forced a bitter smile, her eyes brimming with tears.
"…" Clorinde didn't know how to respond to Navia's words.
Was Yu Xie really joking?
Was everything that had happened in that exceptionally real dream really just a dream?
Wait, there seemed to be a small part at the end of the dream—Yu Xie had said something, but why couldn't she remember it clearly?
"Navia, he said we shouldn't look for him, but… why should we listen to him?" After a long pause, Clorinde finally spoke.
That's right. You, who left without a word, we won't listen to you.
We're going to find you and hear you explain what exactly is going on!
…
Furina woke up, tears still lingering at the corners of her eyes.
She had a dream, in which she was just an ordinary girl, living a simple life with Yu Xie.
The days were plain, but filled with joy.
Until, in the dream, Yu Xie bid her farewell.
When she woke up, she understood—Yu Xie was gone, and she hadn't been able to see him one last time.
She didn't know how long had passed, but Furina staggered to the desk in her room, looking at the diary that Yu Xie had left there.
She opened it.
"April 13th, clear weather. Furina didn't seem to be in a good mood today. After work, she dragged me out for a walk in the suburbs. I still hope she's just an ordinary girl, her shoulders carry too much responsibility."
"April 20th…"
The diary was filled with mundane daily details, with occasional complaints about life and work.
What had once been humorous words now made Furina's tears flow uncontrollably.
The events from the dream mixed with the contents of the diary, and slowly, it seemed that Furina suddenly understood something.
"You knew all along that I wasn't the Hydro Archon, right?"
"You didn't tell me because you were afraid I would worry about the prophecy, right?"
"Then don't leave… If you leave, won't I be left all alone again…"
…
In the evening, Yu Xie painfully climbed to the top of a bare mountain and sat down.
The view from here was excellent, and he could see all of Fontaine below.
[Remaining Lifespan: 5 minutes]
The final five minutes felt much longer than he had imagined.
He gazed down at the Court of Fontaine and Poisson Village, places where he had lived, all within his sight.
The wind brushing past his ears seemed to ask him: Is there any regret in this brief life of yours?
Of course, there were regrets.
But whose life is without regret?
At least he had done what he wanted to do, and had changed the ending he did not want to see.
That was enough.
Under the setting sun, amidst the sound of the wind, the five minutes passed quietly.
Yu Xie slowly closed his eyes.
…
Poisson Village.
Clorinde and Navia had been searching for Yu Xie all day, but to no avail.
But at this moment, it was as if their hearts suddenly tightened.
The two of them slowly looked up at a barren mountain peak. There was nothing there, yet it seemed to capture their gaze completely.
The last fragment of the dream suddenly came to them.
It was what Yu Xie had said to them in the dream.
"Clorinde, Navia, I'm sorry. I'm going to break my promise. I had promised you both that we would go on a trip to Liyue if we had the chance, but now I can't keep that promise anymore."
"Please forgive me for not having the courage to say goodbye to you in person. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to leave."
"Clorinde, actually, without me, you would have become the strongest Duelist Champion. From that perspective, I guess I stole your title, and I hope you won't be angry with me. After this, just follow your heart and do what you think is right."
"Navia, I know you were really worried about Uncle Callas's illness, but you don't need to worry anymore. Uncle Callas's condition has completely healed. He'll live the rest of his life well, and you should take care of yourself too."
"It's really strange, though. Even though there's so much more I want to say, in this final moment, what I really want to say are just these simple, everyday things."
"You two need to eat well, and of course, make sure to get enough rest."
"When the weather gets cold, make sure to wear more clothes to stay warm. When it gets hot, be cautious in the high temperatures and watch out for heatstroke."
"In the future, I won't be able to walk with you anymore. My remaining life only allows me to go this far."
"…"
"Clorinde, Navia, we'll meet again in the next life."
…
Autumn had arrived.
The autumn wind blew gently, and the yellowed maple leaves fluttered down.
Arlecchino stood before a grave, the name she knew so well carved into the tombstone.
It was like this again.
She hadn't expected there would be a second time.
He had left again, leaving behind only a cold tombstone.
"Miss 'Knave,' did you know Yu Xie before?" Navia, who had been standing silently beside her, asked.
"I did." Arlecchino replied, "We were very close in the past. He changed me a lot."
"I see." Navia's gaze also fell on the tombstone, her expression filled with complex emotions.
Yu Xie's life was like an unsolvable story. He had appeared without warning and left quietly, without a trace.
Tears began to well up in her eyes again.
Navia turned her head away, gently wiping the corner of her eye.
A white handkerchief was suddenly offered in front of her. Navia slowly looked up.
It was Clorinde holding the handkerchief.
"Clorinde..."
"Yu Xie wouldn't want to see our tears," Clorinde said.
"…You're right." Navia wiped away her tears and forced a smile.
Clorinde walked up to the tombstone, crouched down, and gently stroked the name etched on it.
"Yu Xie, I inherit your title. I promise you, I will be the last Champion Duelist of Fontaine's Judgment Court."
End of chapter
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