Happy Birthday

Thump, thump, thump--

The deep tolling of bells echoed through the main city of Fontaine, where a giant mechanical clock tower, standing precisely in the center of the city, announced the start of a new day.

The hum of meshing metal gears mingled with the distant chimes of bells, spreading throughout Court of Fontaine via the waterways. The slumbering streets and alleys gradually awoke, the Aquabus prepared to set sail, and the waters of the Fountain of Lucine rippled gently with the sounds. The boundary between day and night officially changed with the rhythmic chimes.

Meanwhile, in the ruins of the House of the Hearth in the distance, Xingsu, who had just regained his memories, slowly clenched the icy-glowing Vision in his palm as the clock struck precisely. His new life, along with the dawn of Fontaine, began.

All the regrets, battles, and endings of the past have settled. He is no longer the lonely figure who fell in the strife at the House of the Hearth, nor the traveler who just escaped from Sumeru and knew nothing about the road ahead. Instead, he is Xingsu, who has regained his complete memories, gathered his spirits, and is now embarking on a new journey.

"Hey, Little Xingsu, a new day has arrived. Have you ever thought about making this your birthday?"

Xingsu looked down at the necklace in her palm, then gazed at the distant horizon where the morning light was slowly breaking through the darkness, a relieved smile slowly spreading across her lips.

The old life ends in the final battle, and a new life begins at dawn. It is indeed most fitting to take the day when memories awaken as one's birthday.

"Ah, yes, what a wonderful day! It's the perfect time to celebrate my new beginning."

Xingsu chuckled softly, but a flood of long-forgotten memories rushed into his mind, making his head feel dizzy and throbbing.

He didn't even have the strength to pitch the tent, so he simply lay down on his side on the cool ground. His eyelids were too heavy to keep open, and with the lingering chimes of the bells, he closed his eyes and slowly fell asleep.

Her scarlet eyes snapped open, Arlecchino's long eyelashes trembled, and the warmth of the dream still lingered in her heart.

The scene from just now was still crystal clear. Under the moonlight amidst the ruins, Xingsu slowly reached out his hand to her, his tone earnest and gentle, softly making an invitation: If there's a chance, let's be together.

A chilling shadow suddenly descended, Crucabena's icy longsword pierced through the air without warning, striking Xingsu's chest. Warm blood gushed out instantly, staining the ground beneath his feet. He looked at his panicked self, his lips barely moving as he whispered "I'm sorry," before his body slumped limply and he slowly collapsed before her eyes.

She raised her hand to press her slightly burning brow, just as the faint chimes of the Fontaine drifted in from outside the window. Even though it was just a dream, it left her unable to calm her emotions.

She was convinced that the boy who fell in the conflict at the House of the Hearth would only remain in yellowed letters and endless memories, never to appear in reality again. But fate played a cruel joke on her; Xingsu was resurrected, settled down in Poisson, met Navia, Callas and their group, and began a completely new life in the mortal world.

But now, as the "The Knave" of the Fatui's Harbinger, she carries the mission of both the Fatui and the House of the Hearth. Her position stands between the two, and reason repeatedly reminds her that she must maintain a proper distance from him and should no longer arbitrarily interfere in his peaceful life.

But the result was...

"Ha, I still can't forget him... That fool, he even asked me if I'd seen him before." Arlecchino stood alone by the window, gazing at the dawn breaking over Court of Fontaine in the distance, her thoughts churning.

Arlecchino shook her head gently, letting out a soft, self-deprecating laugh, but the laugh concealed a lingering helplessness and longing. She tried to dispel the images in her dream, but her heart still tightened for no reason, making it impossible for her to fall asleep again.

She got up from the bed, walked to the wooden cabinet against the wall, and opened the innermost drawer. Deep inside the drawer lay a slightly yellowed letter, the last letter Xingsu had left for her before his death in battle.

As my fingertips traced the childish yet sincere handwriting on the paper, I reread each word, and the scenes of past battles and the boy's final moments flooded back into my mind.

After reading it, she carefully folded the letter, put it back in the deepest, most hidden part of the drawer, picked up the brass lock, and gently fastened it with a crisp click.

All the grudges, the regrets of separation and death, and the unfulfilled promises that entangled the House of the Hearth are sealed away with this lock. Let the memories of the past be forever buried deep in time.

"Found it! The deepest buried memories of the past, Xingsu, how intriguing!"

The scene unfolds frame by frame, showing Xingsu, Peruere, and Clervie relying on each other in the endless, cold darkness of the House of the Hearth. Under the relentless selection and cruel rules, they protect each other, share the only peace and happiness they have, and comfort each other on countless sleepless nights of fear, creating a small, warm corner in the hellish cage.

They had also secretly dreamed of escaping this place and having a future where they could live peacefully without fighting.

Having witnessed these pure yet fragile moments of beauty, Lin couldn't help but sigh softly:

"Hmm~~ What wonderful memories! Our Xingsu is truly like a great hero~ This story shouldn't end so abruptly, right? Keep it up, dear little Xingsu, write a romantic ending for this story~ After all, I, your older sister, love happy endings the most."

Lin cherished this precious memory, still savoring the story of resilience and hope within it.

"Oh right, I almost forgot, this is also a transaction. How could our great hero be without the power to change destiny?"

Soft starlight filtered through the cracks in the ruins, slowly scattering and enveloping the sleeping Xingsu.

Pale golden starlight fell on his palm, stained with dust and dried blood, and gently caressed the frost-covered, ice-attribute Vision.

The shadows cast by past battles have not been erased, but have been gently enveloped by this newfound power. He will no longer be overwhelmed by heavy memories, and can calmly look back on the old days of the House of the Hearth, while also firmly grasping the new life that belongs to him in the present. The originally chaotic and turbulent torrent of memories has been sorted out into an orderly manner, transforming into his own unique confidence.

As Xingsu slept, her brows relaxed slightly. Surrounded by starlight, she reconciled with her past and gained a new power to control her memories.

"Keep going! But for now... Goodnight, Xingsu, have a good night's sleep."

"Oh, by the way, my lovely little Xingsu."

"Happy birthday"