Revival

Who lived a life without regrets? Not even gods, for all their long years.

Ei, who had been shut away in the Plane of Euthymia, suddenly rose to her feet.

Revival...

Did that mean people really could be brought back to life?

She looked toward the Sky Screen, longing burning ever brighter in her eyes.

The Sky Screen might as well have handed her a Gnosis.

Meanwhile, inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Nahida pressed a hand to her chest. She kept feeling as though something was missing, but her wisdom told her she had to win that chance at revival...

"Who am I thinking of bringing back?"

Nahida murmured as she looked down at her hands.

On Celestia, Ravana had long since given up.

But when she saw the words "revival," one eyebrow lifted.

"Can even someone who died so long ago be revived?"

Her gaze drifted toward Rhinedottir.

Rhinedottir had been pondering how to reclaim the Ruler of Life's authority. Catching Ravana's glance, she curled her lip.

"Forget it. Even if that one came in person, they couldn't revive someone who died over three thousand years ago, much less bring them back out of thin air like this mysterious being."

Istaroth was already starting to doze off. Ever since Venti had gone to another world, no one had sent her stories on the wind.

"Why don't we just disband? I don't think humanity needs us anymore."

They had been created to safeguard Lord Fa's sacred plan.

Now one cared only about experiments, another had defected, and a third was thinking of disbanding.

Ravana was exhausted. With so many of them, why was she the only one working?! Teyvat was beyond saving. Let it all burn!

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Teyvat Merchants' Guild...

Zhongli, who had been drinking tea, stared blankly at the Sky Screen.

He had imagined that the Sky Screen might revive Guizhong. But when it truly happened, he was still stunned.

Venti, who had fled earlier, flew back as well. Like Zhongli, he looked toward the center of the room.

There, points of light traced two figures, slowly giving them shape.

The first was a boy who looked exactly like Venti...

A thousand things left unsaid became an embrace.

The two Venti lookalikes held each other tight.

The boy was startled, but when he sensed that familiar presence, he smiled and said,

"Why do you look like me? Didn't I die?"

Venti handed him the Holy Lyre der Himmel, then took his hand and flew out the window.

"Here, your lyre. Don't blame me if I'm rusty after all this time."

"This is another world, the one you wanted to see back then. I spent more than two thousand years seeing it for you! Mondstadt is a truly free city-state now."

Their voices faded into the distance, and at last the two disappeared from sight.

A sound behind Su Yun made him turn. He caught sight of Guizhong throwing herself into Zhongli's arms...

"Morax, you're back! What happened to Guili Assembly?"

Zhongli reached out to touch her, then drew his hand back.

"Guili Assembly... was flooded. I led them somewhere new. It's called Liyue now..."

He did not know how to explain to his old friend Guizhong that, when he returned from his campaign and saw Guili Assembly submerged, he had flown into a rage and cut the Evil Chi, who was not even a god, into five pieces to seal him away. Osial, a god, had received only a single stone spear.

"So I still couldn't protect it?" Sadness crept into Guizhong's voice.

"You did all you could. Liyue is strong now, strong enough to face gods on its own."

Guizhong looked up into Zhongli's eyes. Only when she was sure he was not saying it merely to comfort her did her tears give way to a smile.

"It's grown that strong? Good... that's good. Even if this is only a dream."

Only then did Zhongli realize she thought she was dreaming. He hurriedly used Divine Power to draw an image in his palm: Liyue as it stood today.

"We're in another world now. If we get the chance, I'll take you to see Liyue."

Guizhong studied the image for a long time.

Outlined in Divine Power, Liyue glowed warmly within it. Ships stretched for miles across the harbor, the lanterns of Feiyun Slope formed a river of stars, carriages stood before Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and wisps of cooking smoke rose from Chihu Rock.

Her fingertip brushed a pavilion with soaring eaves in the image, and she suddenly smiled.

"Did you build this?"

"Yes."

"And this?" She pointed to a long bridge spanning the mountains.

"That too."

"Liar." Guizhong tilted her head, her eyes curving into crescents. "You could barely be bothered to tend your own abode. You built a bridge?"

Zhongli fell silent for a moment.

"The people of Liyue built it themselves. I only... watched them build it."

Guizhong's smile slowly faded. She knew Morax too well. His words were always airtight, but he could never hide what he truly wanted to keep secret.

"So you only watched." Her voice softened. "Even when Guili Assembly was flooded, did you only watch?"

Zhongli did not answer.

Guizhong suddenly reached out and took the hand he had withdrawn.

It was colder than she remembered, with several new, deep marks across the knuckles, as though a sharp blade had scored them again and again.

She lowered her gaze to those scars. Her lips parted, but in the end, she asked nothing.

"Morax." She raised her head and looked earnestly into his golden eyes. "Promise me you won't shoulder everything alone anymore."

Zhongli was quiet for a moment.

"All right."

Guizhong studied him for a long while, then let go and gave a soft huff.

"You'd better remember that."

She lifted a foot as if to step on his. Zhongli instinctively shifted half a step aside. The movement was too practiced, like an instinct formed over countless encounters in the past. Guizhong froze. So did he.

An awkward silence settled between them.

"You... you still remember." Guizhong's voice finally softened.

"Remember what?"

"That I used to step on you."

"...You did it too many times. I don't know which time you mean."

Guizhong burst out laughing, only to draw her face stern again.

"Listen carefully, Morax." She raised one finger. "First, I don't care how strong Liyue is now. If you dare shoulder everything alone again, I'll... I'll climb back out of the ground just to scold you."

"All right."

"Second." She raised another finger. "Take me to see this place called Liyue. Not a picture. Liyue, alive before my eyes."

"All right."

"Good." Guizhong clapped her hands, satisfied, then sat down beside him without ceremony. She picked up the tea he had been drinking. "Mm, this tea is good. Who made it?"

"I did."

"You know how to make tea?"

"I learned when I had time to spare."

Guizhong cradled the cup and sipped slowly. Amid the curling tea-scented steam, her expression finally relaxed, as though she had at last accepted this was no dream.

"Morax," she said suddenly.

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

Zhongli turned to look at her.

Guizhong set down the cup, rested both hands on her knees, and looked earnestly into his eyes. Her own eyes were just as they had been three thousand years ago: bright, gentle, and clear enough to see through everything.

"Thank you for raising the children of Guili Assembly for me."

"They weren't my children."

"But you raised them." Guizhong smiled. "Wasn't it the children of Guili Assembly who built the place called Liyue?"

"Traveler, wow! Guizhong actually came back to life! And Zhongli's here too!"