Twilight deepened, the last sliver of grayish-purple light struggling to fall upon Furina's pale cheeks and the silver strands of her hair, now stripped of all their usual flamboyant adornments.
Her gaze slowly swept across the bowing, trembling crowd before her, overwhelmed by guilt. There was no reproach in her eyes, no anger, scarcely even a ripple of emotion. Only a fathomless weariness that seemed to have pierced through five centuries of profound solitude, and a faint, almost imperceptible daze, as if the dust had settled after a long, tumultuous storm.
At the forefront of the crowd, a richly dressed woman spoke first, her elaborate attire now disheveled. "Lady Furina, are you alright?"
"...I'm sorry..." A hoarse, nearly incoherent voice rasped from somewhere in the crowd, thick with sobs.
"...Thank you..." Another trembling voice followed quickly, as if emboldened by the first.
"...We... we're guilty..." An elderly voice broke into heartrending sobs.
"...Hydro Archon... please forgive us..." A mother clutching her child tightly to her chest, tears dripping onto the infant's innocent face.
These scattered whispers and sobs, heavy with blood and tears, spread rapidly like ripples from a stone thrown into a still lake.
At first, there were suppressed, fragmented sobs that rose and fell in waves. Soon, they merged into a surging tide, ultimately transforming into a colossal lament that swept through the streets of Fontaine, shaking hearts to their core.
This sound was no longer mere weeping. It was a confluence of far too many emotions: gratitude delayed by five hundred years, heart-wrenching regret, the anguished cries of souls scourged by truth, and the overwhelming shame of survivors confronting the sacrifices of the lost.
Furina's mouth hung slightly open. Focalors had told her about Focalors's plan and Fidelle's whereabouts, but had never mentioned the live broadcast witnessed by all of Fontaine.
Because Focalors herself didn't know. The small blue orb she inhabited was now slowly flickering.
The tidal wave of voices, carrying the weight of the entire city, crashed relentlessly against the solitary figure standing on the steps.
"I'm sorry... Lady Furina!"
"Thank you... thank you..."
Furina shook her head ever so slowly, ever so faintly.
Her lips moved silently, but to everyone who gazed up at her through tear-blurred eyes, it was as if they could hear the unspoken words: "Enough."
She finally took another step, descending the stairs, one step at a time.
Her steps were light, almost floating with exhaustion, yet they strangely pierced through the surging waves of grief.
The hem of her skirt—that once deeply blue skirt symbolizing divine splendor—now brushed against the dusty steps, gently sweeping across the slate floor.
"...It's all over now," Furina's voice drifted out, soft and subdued.
Without a trace of bitterness or resentment, only a profound, bone-deep calm honed by centuries of relentless time, a weary relief that had sunk all the turbulent waves into the depths of the sea.
The grand drama, meticulously acted out for five centuries, had finally reached its curtain call.
She had relinquished the Divine Throne, shedding the weight of all of Fontaine. The opulent robes hung loosely on her frame, and the once-sparkling gaze had settled into a deepsea-like weariness, tinged with an almost transparent serenity.
Furina clutched the two pearls in her arms even tighter, as if they were her entire world.
Her slender figure moved step by step through the crowd's spontaneously formed, sorrowfully respectful passage, bathed in the deepening twilight.
Where was she headed?
Furina didn't think it was Palais Mermonia, still grand but no longer hers.
Instead, it was likely some quiet corner of an ordinary apartment, where no one would recognize her.
The deep blue hem of her skirt receded into the distance, fading through countless tear-blurred eyes until it merged with the hazy glow of Fontaine's early-evening lights, like a single droplet returning silently to the sea.
"Lumine, should we follow her and see where she's going?" Paimon asked, turning to Lumine beside her.
Lumine initially wanted to refuse, but considering the two small spheres Furina now held—and fearing the Abyss might return—she agreed to quietly tail her.
-
After following her for a while, Lumine realized Furina was heading toward Fontaine.
Given that Fontaine had just been flooded, and the city was still in chaos, Furina was likely returning to retrieve her belongings.
Paimon: "Lumine, why are we sneaking around?"
Chu Xi: "Yeah, why?"
Paimon's question stumped Lumine. Why are we sneaking around?
As Lumine struggled to formulate an answer, she suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
Neuvillette?
The trio approached Neuvillette, their faces alight with curiosity.
"Neuvillette, are you here to follow Furina too?" Paimon blurted out.
"???"
Lumine shot Paimon a warning glare. Can you really just say something like that to his face?
Neuvillette: "My apologies. Fontaine is likely swamped with urgent matters right now. The Aquabus is temporarily out of service, so we'll have to rely on walking."
Lumine: "Oh~ Neuvillette, about Fidelle's soul..."
Neuvillette started walking forward, explaining as he went.
Given Lumine's unique status, Neuvillette felt no need to conceal anything and revealed the full story.
After listening, Lumine fell silent for a long moment.
Fidelle's actions... they really resembled someone she knew.
It was just a pity that while Fidelle could still return, she could never come back.
Paimon: "Neuvillette, is Furina no longer the Hydro Archon?"
Neuvillette: "That's right. She wishes to rest now, and she deserves it."
-
Fontaine.
Furina had snuck into the city, but her stealth skills were woefully inadequate, and she was quickly discovered.
The scene at the Opera House entrance ensued, and Furina barely managed to shake off her pursuers.
Palais Mermonia.
Furina returned to her room with the two orbs. No sooner had she entered than she began packing her belongings, as if she couldn't wait another minute.
Focalors: "Furina, there's no need to rush so much. You should at least get a good night's rest tonight."
Furina continued packing as she replied, "You don't understand. I've wanted to leave this place for ages. My luggage is light; I'll be done in no time."
Ignoring whether her clothes were still wet, Furina piled them all onto the bed.
As the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, Furina possessed countless exquisite garments. Yet her favorite remained the blue outfit she was currently wearing. She owned several identical sets of this particular style.
"Fo... Focalors, when we go to Sumeru, you're coming too, right? Should we get you a physical body as well?"
Focalors shook her head. "I've grown accustomed to residing in objects."
"Really? Won't you reconsider? With a body, you could enjoy all sorts of human delicacies!" Furina said.
The mention of food made Furina glance at the small purple orb she had carefully placed on the bed. She reached out and patted it gently before resuming her packing.
Once Fidelle and Focalors both had complete bodies, they could finally move into the house Furina had long prepared for them.
After five centuries, Furina's little treasury had grown quite substantial.