Swoosh~ Swoosh~
Waves lapped against the shore over and over. The people who had worked hard all day had all fallen asleep.
Moonlight washed over the beach. It was cold here. Aside from scattered shells and seaweed washed ashore, there seemed to be nothing else.
Well, except for a small figure and a flickering oil lamp.
Bonanus had been sitting here for a long time. Her arms wrapped around her knees, her gaze surprisingly calm. She had finally accepted her fate.
She had made peace with it long ago. Even if her departure felt rushed, this was still a good ending, wasn't it?
The five Yakshas would finally be truly reunited—not with an outsider filling in the gaps. That was something to be happy about.
It was a pity she hadn't saved more people or visited more nations. As a transmigrator, she had really let down her predecessors.
Maybe she could have fought back and refused to leave, but that would have been selfish. After all, she was using someone else's body.
She sighed softly and remembered Zhongli's words.
During her slump, he had come to talk to her. Just the two of them, with no one else around.
Their conversation had taken place at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
...
A Few Days Ago
Wangsheng Funeral Parlor
In the Small Courtyard
Two figures, one tall and one short, sat at the stone table. They were Zhongli and Bonanus.
Zhongli, dressed in his robes, poured tea into a clean cup and spoke calmly.
"You seem troubled lately, Bonanus. Your mood has been rather unstable."
Hearing that, Bonanus's gaze dimmed again. She looked at her reflection in the tea and said nothing.
"You... are not from this world, are you?" Seeing her silence, Zhongli wasn't upset. He simply spoke a truth that surprised her.
"How did you know?" Bonanus's eyes widened. She looked up in disbelief.
She had spent so much Mora on that item the system had recommended! And yet she was found out so easily. The system was so unreliable.
"Because I sensed something unusual."
Zhongli looked into her eyes, as if seeing someone else inside her. Someone who didn't belong to this world.
"There were moments in your behavior that felt off, but also made sense in hindsight. That is what I sensed." Zhongli took a sip of tea and explained calmly.
That explanation made sense to her. He was a 6,000-year-old veteran and a god of great wisdom. Of course he would notice.
"I'm really not from this world... I'm just borrowing someone else's body." Bonanus lowered her head again, like a child caught doing something wrong.
"I know. This world has seen outsiders before. But a soul inhabiting another's body is indeed an exception."
Zhongli nodded and set his teacup down.
"This is just a small world. Among the countless worlds out there, there are powerful beings. You were probably sent here by them."
"You are not a bad person. I've seen everything you've done. I accept you. So, can you tell me why you've been so down?"
His words showed that he had accepted her existence—specifically, the soul inside her body.
"I have to leave..." Bonanus thought for a long time, then managed to squeeze out those words.
"Go where?" Zhongli frowned.
"I might have to leave this world and never come back. Just like you said, those powerful beings want me gone." Bonanus took a deep breath, steadying her racing heart.
"I see..."
Zhongli's tone hesitated. He had already come to see her as a friend. This news was truly difficult to hear.
"What is your choice?" His expression turned serious.
"To leave." Bonanus answered quickly. She had no more explanation to give.
"I understand." With that, Zhongli stood up. He walked over to her and gently ruffled her hair.
He could feel that the soul before him was still young. By mortal standards, probably around twenty.
"Rex Lapis, I have a question." Feeling his gentle touch, a smile crept onto Bonanus's face.
"Ask."
"If I leave... will you still remember me?"
Zhongli was silent for a moment. Then he shook his head slowly.
"No."
...
Back to the Present
Just thinking about how everything she had done would be forgotten made her chest ache. That tearing pain tormented her.
But at least the people she had saved would remain. That was still a good ending in its own way. She should be grateful.
She looked at the watch in her hand. Five minutes left. Then she would leave. The system would take her soul to another world.
And the original soul would return to Bonanus's body.
While she was lost in thought, a handsome young adeptus arrived beside her.
He sat quietly, keeping the lonely girl company.
"You're here." Bonanus turned to look at Xiao. He was always around, always finding ways to reach her.
"I'm glad to see you out for some air." Xiao smiled gently. If his sister was willing to come out, it meant she was starting to heal.
That was a good sign.
"You're such a cute boy, Xiao." Bonanus laughed.
Hearing her call him that, Xiao blinked in surprise. It was the first time she had ever addressed him as "Xiao."
He didn't respond. Though her choice of name was odd, hearing her call him cute made him blush.
"Can you grant me one small wish?" She glanced at her watch again and spoke hopefully.
"Anything you ask, I will do." Xiao said seriously.
With that assurance, Bonanus hesitated no longer.
She pulled him into an embrace. Their lips met.
Xiao quickly responded. Their breaths grew heavier, their passion rising.
Just as things were about to go further, Bonanus pulled away. She stepped back, her big paws clasped behind her back, offering a faint smile.
"If one day I disappear, I wish you a good morning, a good afternoon, and a good evening."
"The sand and the stones will remember everything. The sea will remember our reflection. Goodbye... or perhaps, forever goodbye."
...
With those words, Bonanus collapsed. Xiao caught her immediately, his expression tense.
A translucent soul drifted out of her body. Xiao saw it. He didn't recognize it, but it felt strangely familiar.
"Remember to eat on time." The soul said before vanishing.
Countless beautiful, pale blue scales drifted down from the sky. They appeared over Liyue, over Mondstadt, over many places.
The moment they touched someone, they disappeared like fleeting illusions.
Everyone's memories were being altered. Deleted memories were replaced by new ones.
The original soul that belonged to Bonanus returned. The Yakshas and all those who knew her looked up at the sky.
They felt like they had forgotten someone very important.
Goodbye. Don't miss me. Because I was never meant to be here in the first place.
(T/N: End of official story. The next chapter is my own original epilogue to the story because this ending felt like a cliffhanger to me.)