I want to watch the sunset at Cider Lake with you

"Little Fischl, you need to get some rest too. Don't wear yourself out."

In the pink-decorated room, Ellin's mother set a plate of sliced apples beside the bed.

"Yes, Auntie, I'm fine. Right now, I just want to stay here with Ellin and wait for her to wake up." Fischl forced a faint smile.

"All right, then I'll leave Ellin in your care."

Ellin's mother understood that Fischl felt guilty, so she kindly let her look after Ellin before leaving the room.

Three days had passed since the incident in Wolvendom.

Three days earlier, Feng'er and Oz had worked desperately to bring Fischl back to Mondstadt, getting her treatment when it mattered most.

The priests at the church had spared no effort to save her, and Barbara's healing magic had soon restored her to health.

But Ellin... had been unconscious for three days.

There was a reason Fischl had recovered so quickly despite being on the brink of death, while Ellin remained unconscious for so long.

Although Fischl had been gravely wounded and close to death, most of her injuries had been physical.

Ellin was different. Not only had she suffered severe injuries, but she had also pushed her strength beyond its limits, and her overwhelming fury had taken a devastating toll on her heart.

Barbara's healing magic could only heal physical injuries. It could not replenish Ellin's depleted strength or repair the damage her rage had done to her body, mind, and spirit.

Only prolonged rest could restore Ellin's depleted strength and heal her damaged body, mind, and spirit.

She had fallen unconscious precisely because her body needed a long sleep to recover.

That was why Fischl could already walk normally, while Ellin remained asleep.

"Ellin..."

Looking at the sleeping girl, Fischl felt tears prick her eyes.

After delivering her to the Church of Favonius, Oz and Feng'er had immediately gone to the Knights of Favonius to report what had happened and ask for help.

Knowing how serious the situation was, Jean had immediately left Lisa temporarily in charge of the Knights' affairs and rushed to Wolvendom with Kaeya.

But when Jean and Kaeya arrived in Wolvendom with a group of knights, they found that the battle was already over.

Broken trees and shattered branches littered the ravaged battlefield.

The ground was studded with ice spikes that had yet to melt completely, radiating a chilling cold.

The mangled corpses of Hilichurl Berserkers lay scattered across the ground.

Farther away lay the bodies of two Abyss Mages.

Jean and Kaeya reached the center of the battlefield, where they found Ellin lying in a pool of water.

The enormous, spiked block of ice still stood beside her, stained with a conspicuous patch of blood.

"Judging by the bodies, eight Hilichurl Berserkers were killed in total. One was shot, and its body bears scorch marks from Electro, so Fischl must have shot the one over there."

"The other seven were hacked apart, their remains scattered everywhere. They must have been subjected to an utterly frenzied assault! There are traces of frostbite on their wounds. That should be Ellin's work."

Kaeya surveyed the surroundings, his brow furrowing slightly when he spotted the bodies of the two Abyss Mages.

"One was grabbed by the head and slammed into the cliff, then dragged more than thirty meters with its head pressed against the rock until it died."

"The other had every bone in its body shattered by a single blow from that enormous, spiked block of ice she swung!"

"What brutal methods!"

The Knights of Favonius present instinctively drew sharp breaths at the ruthless way Ellin had killed her enemies.

But none of them blamed or loathed the white-haired girl lying on the ground, because they had all seen the pitiful state Fischl had been in when she was brought to the Church of Favonius for emergency treatment.

"This child... must have lost control because her friend was hurt!"

Jean looked at the white-haired girl lying on the ground, her eyes filled with compassion and emotion. The traces of battle alone were enough for her to imagine how frenzied Ellin had been.

She bent down and lifted Ellin into her arms.

"Ellin, let's go home."

After Jean left with Ellin, the nun in purple fishnet stockings hidden in the shadows yawned and departed in another direction.

Hidden farther away, Diluc let his gaze linger on Ellin in Jean's arms for a moment. He exhaled, then left as well.

Deep within Wolvendom...

"Just now, were you... protecting... her?"

In the trial grounds, a hooded, white-haired boy carrying a greatsword on his back asked the wall before him.

The Wolf King's voice drifted from the wall.

"She fought for a friend with a true heart. She deserved protection."

With that, the Lord of Wolvendom fell silent.

Earlier, the Lord of Wolvendom had quietly released his aura, intimidating the wolves, nearby Hilichurls, and other monsters to keep the unconscious white-haired girl safe.

"Ellin... when will you wake up?"

Beside the bed, Fischl held Ellin's hand, tears glistening in her eyes.

She would never forget what she had seen at the Church of Favonius three days earlier.

After several hours of emergency treatment, she had finally woken up.

But the first thing she had seen upon waking was Ellin being brought in by Jean...

The sight of Ellin unconscious, covered in wounds, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, her hair disheveled and her clothes torn, was forever etched into her mind.

Every time she remembered how Ellin had looked then, her heart bled.

She was frustrated. She was filled with regret.

She hated her own helplessness, her inability to defeat the enemy, which had forced Ellin to risk her life for her.

She regretted her own weakness, which had left her best friend gravely injured and unconscious for days!

"Ellin, please wake up soon."

"I still want to watch the sunset at Cider Lake with you, see the sea at Cape Oath, and listen to the wind at Windrise..."

Fischl clutched Ellin's hand and kept sobbing.

It was as though Ellin had heard Fischl calling, or as though Fischl's wish had been answered.

Ellin's body trembled slightly, and at last, she slowly opened her eyes.

"Where am I...?"

Ellin looked at the familiar ceiling, then saw Fischl beside her.

"Fischl, why are you crying...?"

"Ellin!!"

Weeping with joy, Fischl threw her arms around Ellin and burst into loud sobs.

"Waaah... Ellin, you're finally awake! I thought I'd never see you again!"

"There, there, don't cry. Look, I'm all right!"

Pale-faced, Ellin managed a smile and gently stroked Fischl's hair.

Perhaps moved by Fischl's emotions, she felt tears prick her own eyes as well.

She hugged Fischl tightly in return and said softly,

"Thank you, Fischl. Thank you for still being alive..."

When Hermann and his wife learned that Ellin had woken up, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ellin was their only daughter. How could they go on living if they lost her?

Ellin's mother, in particular, cried her eyes out and immediately prepared all sorts of restorative foods and nourishing porridge. Every time, she insisted on watching Ellin finish everything before she was satisfied.

She also ordered Ellin to stay home and recuperate for the next few days, strictly forbidding her from going out.

Afterward, Noelle came to visit with treats she had made herself.

After finally finishing a full day's work, Acting Grand Master Jean also made time late that night to visit Ellin.

Fischl's parents even came to the house in person with generous gifts to thank Ellin for saving their daughter's life.