Kael stands where he is, watching the backs of Yelan and Chenxi as they leave The Chasm.
They are about to see his corpse.
When Kael thinks of how broken and mangled his body looks, a wave of pain rises in his chest.
Sometimes, standing inside someone else's suffering hurts far more than enduring pain yourself.
If he had a choice, he truly would not want to see Yelan and Chenxi's reactions.
[Host, your spirit form must rely on energy provided by the possession target in order to survive.]
[If the distance exceeds twenty meters, forced following will activate. Please catch up to the current possession target, Yelan, as soon as possible.]
The moment the System finishes speaking, Kael's vision shifts abruptly.
He finds himself standing right beside Yelan.
"...…"
Is this trash System doing this on purpose, creating this Talent just to torment me…
He wants to stay farther away.
He does not want to witness Yelan and Chenxi's pain with his own eyes.
But he cannot.
Sensing Kael's resentment, the System offers an explanation.
[The energy transfer of this Talent has inherent limitations and is unrelated to the System itself. Please maintain a calm mindset, Host.]
"…Get lost!"
What calm mindset?
Even if he knows that being bound to a Tragedy System means delivering pain is part of his fate…
Watching the people he loves suffer still hurts him deeply.
How is he supposed to stay calm?
Especially after learning that the people in the life simulations are projections of real individuals from the real world.
Facing this becomes even harder.
No matter how much Kael tries to avoid it, it is useless.
Yelan and Chenxi still arrive at the spot where his body lies.
"Big brother!!!"
The moment Chenxi sees Kael lying motionless in a pool of blood, she screams and rushes forward.
She drops to her knees, her hands shaking as she reaches out and places them beneath Kael's nose.
She feels nothing.
The person in front of her is no longer breathing…
"Big brother?"
Chenxi collapses onto Kael's body and breaks down completely.
"I don't want this… Big brother… don't leave me…"
"You promised… you said we'd live together in Liyue someday…"
"I'm scared… what am I supposed to do all alone…"
"I don't have any family left…"
"Big brother… I'll be a good little sister… I really will… I'll listen to you, I'll behave, I'll do everything right…"
"Please… please don't leave me…"
Dust and tears mix across Chenxi's face, leaving her looking like she has fallen into mud.
She cries and looks toward Yelan, who is standing not far away, begging for help.
"Yelan… please come here…"
"Help me… save my brother…"
"I don't want him to die… please… save him…"
Yelan's legs feel as if they have rooted themselves into the ground.
She cannot move an inch.
She stares blankly at the scene before her.
She had already anticipated this outcome.
And yet, deep down, she still clung to a faint, fragile hope.
Kael's body lies there, silent and unmoving.
Yelan feels as if her heart has been carved out of her chest.
There is nothing left but pain.
"Yelan… Yelan…"
Chenxi can only cry helplessly, calling Yelan's name over and over again.
In this world, her only family is gone.
She does not know who else can help her now, besides Yelan.
Who else can help her hold on to the last person in this world who cared for her, who loved her.
Just as Chenxi is on the verge of passing out from crying, Yelan finally moves.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps…
Such a short distance, yet every step feels like torture.
Yelan stops beside Chenxi and lowers her gaze to Kael.
That once handsome face is now completely covered in blood and dirt, its original features impossible to make out.
Yelan crouches down and reaches out, gently brushing his face with her hand.
The skin beneath her palm is cold and stiff.
He is dead.
Kael is truly dead.
Everything is already… beyond saving.
Yelan thinks she should cry.
But her eyes are utterly dry.
Only now does she understand.
When pain reaches its deepest point, even tears will no longer fall.
Kael stands nearby, watching Yelan and Chenxi kneeling beside his body, unwilling to leave, and anxiety wells up inside him.
Even though Yelan just slaughtered a group of Fatui…
There are far more Fatui stationed throughout The Chasm.
They must have noticed the commotion from the earlier fight.
If they delay any longer, more Fatui will arrive!
Even though he knows they cannot see him or hear his voice, Kael cannot help but speak.
"Yelan, take Chenxi and get out of here. Stop wasting time…"
Suddenly, a palm-sized doll slips out from Kael's clothes and falls to the ground.
It is a handmade cloth doll.
Golden yarn forms a beautiful head of long hair, and it is dressed in clothing styled after various nations.
It is obvious that its owner cherished it deeply.
The doll still looks brand new.
Only for some reason, beneath the blue-threaded eyes stitched onto its pale face, there are now two dark marks.
They look just like tear stains.
"This is…?"
The blonde doll lands right beside Kael's hand.
When Chenxi bends down to pick it up, she notices that words have been carved into the ground nearby.