Dawn Winery, in Rola's room.
Head Maid Adelinde was cleaning for the fourth time. She had insisted on working alone, repeatedly wiping down already spotless decorations.
Adelinde had been working here since Rola was very young, watching her grow up and blossom into a beautiful young woman.
Back then, Diluc hadn't quite understood how to care for a girl, so Adelinde had taken on much of the responsibility.
In Adelinde's heart, Rola was more than just the young lady of the estate.
Adelinde had already prepared the ingredients for all of Rola's favorite dishes, eagerly awaiting her return so she could cook them for her.
But now, there would never be another chance...
Having only returned from Mondstadt yesterday, Adelinde found herself instinctively drawn to Rola's room, compelled to clean it.
Her gaze suddenly fell on a framed drawing by Rola, done when she was ten years old. It depicted Master Crepus, Diluc, and Rola herself.
The painting wasn't perfect, but young Master Diluc and Miss Rola loved it dearly. Master Diluc had it framed and hung in Rola's bedroom.
Adelinde stroked the painting, sighing inwardly. What a wonderful person Miss Rola was. Why did Fate have to play such cruel tricks on her?
"Rola, I hope you're happy wherever you are now. Remember to eat well and get enough sleep..."
Suddenly, she heard sounds from downstairs. Adelinde set the frame down and went to investigate.
"Master Diluc, you're back?"
"Haven't you been resting?"
"I can't sleep."
Dawn would break soon, but Adelinde felt no drowsiness at all.
"Master Diluc hasn't eaten yet, has he? I'll prepare something right away."
"No need. Go get some rest."
Adelinde didn't move. Gazing at Diluc's haggard appearance, she finally couldn't hold back any longer:
"Master Diluc, I think Rola would never want to see you like this."
Diluc paused, momentarily taken aback. He suddenly remembered how Rola used to come and urge him to sleep when he stayed up late, always reminding him that early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.
"I understand. Go get some rest now."
Seeing that Diluc had truly taken her words to heart, Adelinde left.
After Adelinde departed, Diluc took a shower and, just as Rola had instructed, obediently went to bed.
When Diluc awoke again, it was already nightfall. He had slept through the entire day.
After a quick wash, Diluc summoned Adelinde, Connor, and the others, entrusting them with full authority over the Winery's operations. These were all his long-serving and trusted employees.
"Master Diluc, where are you going?"
"That's none of your concern. Just focus on carrying out my instructions."
After Diluc departed, the group exchanged glances before Adelinde finally spoke:
"Let's follow Master's instructions. Miss Rola's departure has hit him hard. We should simply focus on performing our assigned tasks."
-
Diluc descended into the cellar.
This was a different cellar, not the one Rola had emptied.
Gazing at these once-prized vintages, Diluc couldn't help but think: If Rola could come back to life, I would find her as much wine as she wanted, no matter the quantity!
Diluc pulled a chest from a corner, opened it, and revealed a set of crimson-red attire.
Red Dead of Night!
He traded his usual low ponytail, easy to manage, for a high one that would allow greater freedom of movement. Donning the Red Dead of Night, he looked like an emissary of the night itself.
He hung his sister's Vision at his other hip and left Dawn Winery as dusk fell, embarking on a path with an uncertain future.
On this journey, it would either be Malice's death or his own demise!
-
Meanwhile, in the Player World...
The rarely updated official Genshin Impact website suddenly released a post with a new illustration.
It featured Diluc wearing the Red Dead of Night and wielding the Wolf's Gravestone Claymore.
Within minutes of its release, the post had already garnered over a million views.
This was because, beneath the illustration, a few lines of text explained:
His sister fell victim to the Abyss. Finally abandoning all compromise, he donned this attire to become a messenger of the night, vowing to avenge her!
The players, already furious at Mihoyo over Rola's death, immediately shifted their focus, flocking to the comments section below the image to discuss the new development.
[Don't think this will make me forgive you! Give me back Rola!!!]
[Go get him, Big Bro! Avenge Rola and wipe that scumbag off the face of Teyvat!]
[Diluc is so handsome! Forgive me for misjudging him before.]
[I knew it! There's no way Diluc, who was so devastated after Rola's death, would stay silent. Now he's finally here!]
[Great! I'm going to use this skin to kill that bastard!!!]
It's hard to imagine how much Mihoyo will earn when this skin goes live, given the overwhelming hype.
-
Teyvat, Mondstadt.
Many people attended Rola's funeral, but Diluc was absent.
After Rola's death, Noelle had been isolating herself at home.
Gradually, she began to understand what Acting Grand Master Jean Gunnhildr had meant when she said that what she and Rola had always lacked was something she couldn't grasp before. But on the night her best friend died, it finally clicked.
Paimon held a Windwheel Aster in each small hand.
Back when Lumine and Rola were together, Rola had told her how much she loved Windwheel Asters. They only grew where the wind blew, and places with strong winds were the most cherished spots in Mondstadt.
Even now, Paimon hadn't fully recovered. Whenever she thought of Rola, she would secretly slip away to cry. After she was done, she would reappear before Lumine with tear-reddened eyes.
After the funeral, Lumine and Paimon left Mondstadt.
Mu Qingge had left the cathedral that night and returned to Liyue the next day.
"Traveler, if we ever see that nasty guy again, Paimon will bite him to death, even if she has to use her mouth!"
Lumine forced a weak smile. If she ever encountered that fiend again, she wouldn't spare it either!
"You two, would you care to talk?"
"Dain?"
Lumine stared at Dain without a word.
"I apologize for not being there. I was engaged in battle with the Abyss and couldn't break away."
"You said... the Abyss?"
Hearing that word now triggered an instinctive reaction in Lumine. The Abyss! They killed Rola!They killed my dear friend!
"I have one final question for you. Is the Abyss... truly connected to Aether?"
This time, it was Dain's turn to fall silent. After more than ten seconds, he finally spoke:
"Aether is now the Prince of the Abyss."
Lumine's hand, which had been resting beside her thigh, clenched into a fist.
"During your battle with that creature, I found Aether and questioned him about it. Unfortunately, he didn't give me a straight answer."
"Afterward, I used special methods to track the creature's movements and set an ambush near the Stone Gate. Regrettably, it escaped. Its abilities are truly bizarre; no wonder it could evade the Anemo Archon's perception."
"I'm merely telling you what I know. Whether this creature is connected to Aether remains to be verified."
Lumine looked at Dain with unwavering resolve:
"I need to see Aether. Do you have a way?"
"I don't know his current location, but his Abyss Heralds are likely still at the ruins where you first saw the Inverted Statue."
"Good. Let's go now!"
From Lumine's reaction, Dain could see her determination. Aether had been blinded by hatred. Perhaps his sister was the only one who could still reach him.