In a distant region of Spirit Race territory, a tranquil courtyard floated above an emerald nebula.
Beside a stream fed by Life Spring Water, in a quiet chamber grown entirely from living ancient trees, Liyue Hina slowly opened her eyes.
She wore the intricate traditional garb of the Spirit Race. Her hair was woven like moonlight, and her eyes held the wisdom and gentleness accumulated over the years.
But beneath that gentleness, a trace of worry lingered, refusing to fade.
Liyue had just finished a cross-galactic call with her granddaughter, Irelia, who was far away in Human Race territory.
During the call, Irelia had sounded much as she always did, cool and composed as she reported on her routine work.
But no one knew a granddaughter better than her grandmother. Liyue had keenly caught the faint oddity beneath that calm tone.
It made the seed of unease in her heart stir once again.
Her slender, jade-like fingers unconsciously tapped twice against her knee.
"Old friend."
A note of chill entered Liyue's voice, breaking the quiet of the chamber.
"First Irelia sold the life planet I gave her for her thousandth birthday. Now she's used an encrypted channel to request full access to the family's reserve funds at the Human Race Star Sea Bank."
As soon as she finished speaking, the space beside Liyue rippled faintly.
A hazy figure composed entirely of soft light slowly took shape.
It was Oran, the Intelligent Life who had accompanied Liyue for countless years.
Oran stood quietly beside her. As the Intelligent Life left behind by Liyue's father, a World-Deriving Rank being who had long since fallen, he had been with her far longer than any blood relative.
Oran still possessed World-Deriving Rank information privileges, something of immense importance to a Star Domain Rank family.