A Weight on the Heart

(Brain storage)

After Kamisato Ayaka stepped out, the spatial tunnel slowly closed. Before it shut completely, Lin Yiyi could still see the worry in Thoma's eyes.

The girl looked around curiously, finding this other world entirely new.

Lin Yiyi asked, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Traveling from a two-dimensional world to a three-dimensional one meant crossing different spaces, so some degree of discomfort was inevitable.

Kamisato Ayaka shook her head. "Not at all. The air here is no different from Inazuma's." Then she began looking around again.

An alternate world held immense appeal for anyone. Even though Kamisato Ayaka had been obedient and well-behaved since childhood, she probably could not suppress the curiosity in her heart.

Lin Yiyi noticed that Ayaka seemed somehow different, though he could not quite put it into words. She appeared even more dignified and elegant than she did in the game. Her bangs had changed slightly as well; at the very least, they now swayed gently in the breeze from the window.

"Is this your room?" Kamisato Ayaka asked. "It may not be large, but it's quite neat."

"No, I'm only temporarily staying at this inn."

"Hm? Aren't you going home, sir?"

Lin Yiyi suddenly fell silent.

Kamisato Ayaka was exceptionally intelligent. From the faint change in the boy's expression alone, she understood the answer.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I..."

"It's all right. I don't blame you." Lin Yiyi's expression remained calm.

His phone vibrated softly. Lin Yiyi raised it and saw several lines of text on the screen.

"Kamisato Ayaka" has been invited into your dimension.

Tap "Return" below to send the character back to the world of Teyvat.

Friendly reminder: The characters you invite all originate from your own game data. Therefore, their detailed information, Constellations, story quests, and so on will match the progress of the world in your game.

When Lin Yiyi saw the word "Constellations," he immediately glanced at Kamisato Ayaka's right hand. Sure enough, a blue glow had lit up there, with petals of cherry blossoms scattering around it. However, the petals vanished almost as soon as they drifted away.

Lin Yiyi frowned. Effects were naturally a good thing, but this was far too conspicuous. Even if he claimed she was doing cosplay, such a perfect recreation would seem unusual and would inevitably attract attention.

"Ayaka, can that thing on your hand disappear?" Lin Yiyi asked tentatively.

Still looking around, Ayaka lowered her gaze to her right hand when she heard him.

"This? I'm not sure why it's there either, but whenever I encounter danger outside, it seems to grant me greater strength."

What strength? The strength of money, of course! I'd smashed in one 648-yuan top-up after another!

Lin Yiyi's face darkened. He looked at his phone again, thankfully discovering that the app was quite user-friendly. There was even an option in the settings to hide special effects.

After he checked it, they both noticed that the blue halo around Kamisato Ayaka's hand had disappeared.

"Eh? Why did it disappear? But I can still clearly feel that this power remains..."

Kamisato Ayaka looked utterly confused, but she noticed Lin Yiyi staring at a small rectangular mirror. After thinking for a moment, she guessed it had something to do with him. Trusting that the boy would not harm her, she did not pursue the matter further.

"By the way, sir, I still don't know your name?" Remembering something, Kamisato Ayaka asked politely with a faint smile.

"Lin Yiyi." The boy did not dare meet her gaze and could only lower his head.

The girl's pale blue eyes were kind and pure, like a clear pool of water—impossible to forget.

"Lin Yiyi." Kamisato Ayaka remembered the boy's name. "Since you invited me to this world, why not take me around and show me the sights?"

The girl took the initiative to make her suggestion, leaving Lin Yiyi momentarily at a loss. But since he had invited her here, he could not neglect his guest, so he hurriedly agreed, "Ah, all right."

In the end, the host was dragged out onto the streets by his guest, Kamisato Ayaka.

Just as Lin Yiyi had expected, most people assumed Kamisato Ayaka was a girl doing cosplay. Her makeup, hairstyle, and outfit were all incredibly faithful to the original, and she was beautiful to begin with, so she drew countless glances.

"Miss, miss, can I get a photo with you?"

While Lin Yiyi was worrying about where he should take his guest, a girl of around sixteen or seventeen jogged over. Blushing slightly, she gathered her courage and asked.

"Eh? What does 'get a photo' mean?" Kamisato Ayaka covered her mouth and turned to Lin Yiyi.

Though the girl was puzzled, she felt that this older sister's recreation was so flawless that it did not seem like her first time cosplaying. Even if it was, she should have understood these anime-related terms after looking into them a little.

Lin Yiyi leaned closer and whispered, "It means taking a picture together with her."

After understanding, Kamisato Ayaka nodded with a smile. "Of course."

With Kamisato Ayaka's poised manner, the girl happily took a photo with the White Heron Princess.

Once there was one, more followed. Soon, several other people came over hoping to take pictures with her. Out of politeness, Kamisato Ayaka agreed to each of them.

After the crowd dispersed, Kamisato Ayaka was finally able to catch her breath.

"Your outfit is too eye-catching. Everyone wants to spend time with someone as beautiful and graceful as you," Lin Yiyi said before Kamisato Ayaka could ask. "Next, I'm going to tell you some things that may overturn everything you know."

Kamisato Ayaka blinked her watery eyes and quietly waited for the boy to continue.

"The world you live in—Inazuma, along with Mondstadt, Liyue, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, and Snezhnaya—is known to our world."

"Because the people of our world created yours. They created the continent of Teyvat."

"The people of our world made a game and designed all of you."

"Because everyone believes you exist only in your own world, some people try to imitate your clothes, hairstyles, and so on."

"This is called cosplay. It requires the face, hair, eyes, and clothing to resemble the original as closely as possible, so those people usually wear makeup to make themselves look more like you."

"So they think you are cosplaying—imitating Kamisato Ayaka—and doing it remarkably well."

Lin Yiyi lowered his head again. He still did not dare look the girl in the eye. No matter when he looked at them, her crystalline eyes were like two sparkling sapphires.

How could someone like me, living among the dead, dare meet her gaze?

"Mm, it's a little different from what I imagined," the girl murmured gently beside him. "The moment I arrived in this world, someone called out my name. So I guessed that perhaps you had some way of knowing me here—perhaps even my brother and the others."

"But I never imagined that we came to exist because of all of you."

"Though it is difficult to accept such an ending, we are still living happy and fulfilling lives, aren't we?"

Lin Yiyi finally raised his head and looked into her eyes. Just as her title, the White Heron Princess, suggested, she was gentle, refined, and graceful.

The girl's eyes seemed like two mirrors, reflecting his own heart. Lin Yiyi felt as if he saw the boy who had sealed himself away.

"Come to think of it, I should thank you as well. Even if we were created, I can still feel everyone's love for us."

"I am also honored to receive everyone's recognition and affection. If my existence can bring something beautiful to everyone, then even if I was created, my existence still has meaning."

Kamisato Ayaka raised her hand. For some reason, the effects of Dance of Suigetsu appeared once more.

"I don't know why I possess this power, but I imagine it was not easy to obtain. So I cherish the time I have now."

"At the very least, we must keep living. An optimistic mindset is essential, isn't it?"

"..."

Lin Yiyi seemed to feel something inside him shatter.

There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.