Something stirs in Kael's chest.
He turns his head and looks at Yelan's face.
Her cold, striking features show no expression at all, just as calm as ever. But if one looks closely, her eyes have already lost their focus. Her pupils are unfixed, as if her soul has slipped free of her body, leaving behind nothing but hollowness.
Kael stares at her, unable to look away.
Had she already guessed it…?
Is that why she refused to shatter that thin layer of ice…?
She was avoiding it.
Seeing Yelan like this, Kael suddenly feels afraid.
His shattered body is lying not far from the exit.
He does not want to imagine what kind of reaction Yelan will have when she sees his corpse.
Chenxi stands beside Yelan, completely unaware of anything amiss.
She thinks Yelan is standing still because she cannot break through the ice wall.
When she sees how transparent the ice has become, she even smiles and speaks up happily.
"Yelan, look. The ice is almost completely melted."
Yelan's voice is hoarse as she repeats herself yet again.
"Mhm… Kael will come back. We'll wait for him here."
She is like a wooden doll that has lost its soul.
Her gaze drifts, unfocused, and she tugs at the corner of her mouth, trying to force out a smile.
But her face is too stiff to form any expression at all.
Deep down, Yelan knows.
If Kael were still alive, he would never make them wait this long.
He would have rushed back to them at the fastest possible speed.
After all, he cared so deeply about Chenxi…
Yelan does not possess the kind of unparalleled Talent that Kael has.
But her sharp instincts and insight into the world are in no way inferior to his.
Everything Kael could think of, she could think of as well.
When Kael stubbornly insisted on facing the Fatui alone, she had already sensed his intentions.
He was prepared for this.
Since the Fatui already knew Kael's whereabouts and had stationed forces at the exit, then what awaited them outside could never be ordinary Fatui soldiers.
After all, he had infiltrated the Fatui for so many years.
He knew far too many of their secrets.
How could the Fatui possibly let him go so easily?
Both she and Kael knew exactly what kind of danger was waiting for them outside.
The violent disturbances that came from above just now had already confirmed her suspicions.
Kael had left them with the resolve to die.
That was why Yelan had been so insistent on acting together with him.
But…
She failed to stop him.
He still left without hesitation.
No.
She would wait for him here.
She would wait for him to come back.
Wait for him to personally shatter this ice wall…
And then…
They would return to Liyue together.
Suddenly, a shell streaking with flames rips through the air, carving a fiery red trail as it hurtles toward Yelan and Chenxi.
"Watch out!"
Kael is the first to notice the attack.
He shouts and throws himself in front of them.
But he is only a spirit now. The shell passes straight through his body without any resistance.
The flames explode outward, and thick smoke swallows everything in sight.
When the smoke finally disperses, Kael sees the scene before him and his breath catches.
Yelan is holding Chenxi tightly in her arms.
The cloak on her back has been blown to pieces by the blast.
Her once flawless back is now scorched black.
And the ice wall she had never dared to cross has been completely shattered by the explosion.
Fragments of ice crash onto the ground, melting into water that seeps into the earth.
Yelan stares fixedly at the puddles on the ground.
It's gone.
That ice wall that let her deceive herself, that allowed her to cling to one last shred of hope.
It's gone.
"Yelan… are you okay? You're hurt!"
Chenxi's trembling, tearful voice comes from Yelan's arms.
Yelan coughs twice, blood surging from her mouth in an endless stream.
She shakes her head and lifts a hand to wipe the blood from her lips.
Then she gently pushes Chenxi aside.
"Go wait somewhere safe. I'll take you away soon."
Countless emotions churn violently in Yelan's eyes.
She draws Aqua Simulacra and charges forward, murderous intent surging like a tidal wave.
Blue light from Hydro flares again and again in the dim depths of the cavern.
Yelan ignores the wounds covering her body, attacking relentlessly as if she has lost all reason.
Blood continues to seep from the injuries on her back.
But at this moment, she can no longer feel any pain.
Her fury and despair have finally found an outlet.
It seems that only the blood of the Fatui can ease her suffering.
Yelan is powerful to begin with.
She was injured earlier only because her mind had been elsewhere, trapped in her thoughts, causing her to miss the Fatui's attack.
Now, she becomes a true killing god, unleashing strength far beyond her usual limits.
It does not take long for her to slaughter every Fatui that rushes toward her.
Yelan looks down at the field of corpses, the killing intent slowly fading from her body.
Chenxi stares blankly at Yelan standing atop the bodies.
She suddenly feels that the sister who has always protected her is terrifying.
She hesitates before speaking.
"Yelan…"
Yelan looks at Chenxi, her eyes filled with nothing but desolation.
"Let's go."
"I'll take you to see Kael."