"Finally..." I murmured, more to myself than anyone else.
I was alone... or so I thought.
"Dan Heng!"
I slowly opened my eyes. The voice was soft yet urgent. Hurried footsteps crushed the damp grass of the forest. I turned my head slightly, and there she was.
Ganyu.
She wore her usual blue attire, but her ragged breathing told me she'd been running. Hard. Her eyes, brighter than the moonlight illuminating us, scanned my entire body with a mix of anxiety and... relief.
"I was looking for you... When the seal broke, we Adepti sensed the disturbance from Jueyun Karst. When we learned you and Lord Morax were heading toward Azhdaha..." Her voice faltered, eyes lowering momentarily as if afraid to voice her true concern "...I worried."
I blinked. Her presence felt like a cool breeze over sunbaked stone. Unsure how to respond, I simply nodded.
"I'm fine. Just tired."
"Really?" She took a step closer "But... that purification must have demanded tremendous energy from you. You faced Azhdaha directly, didn't you?"
Her tone shifted, becoming more technical, more professional... an attempt to mask the unease trembling on her lips. But her gaze... remained warm. Genuine.
Then she did something unexpected.
She approached, raised both hands, and without asking permission, gently brushed aside a strand of hair covering part of my face. Her fingers lingered on my cheek, tracing a small scratch I hadn't even noticed.
"You're hurt."
The contact lasted barely a moment, yet the warmth it left on my skin was undeniable. Ganyu's brow furrowed softly as she kept her position, placing one hand on my arm while scanning me with expert eyes.
"Any chest pain? Difficulty breathing? Is your vital energy still flowing steadily?"
Every word was professional. Every gesture, precise. But the problem wasn't in what she said... but in how close she stood.
Too close.
I could see every eyelash, every tiny glimmer of light reflected in her eyes. Her breath brushed against my face, and her body—still slightly trembling from her run—almost touched mine. Gently, she tried to check my side for fractures, but as she did...
Our eyes met.
And she noticed.
"Ah...!"
Her cheeks flushed like lanterns during the Lantern Rite festival. She jerked back abruptly, clutching both hands to her chest, stumbling over a tree root before barely regaining her balance.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... get that close! I just... wanted to make sure you..." Her voice frayed into an incomprehensible whisper as she hid her face in her hands.
The scene was somewhat comical, yet also... endearing. I rose slowly, watching her in silence.
"Thank you for your concern, Ganyu. I'm truly fine now... thanks to you."
She glanced up for just a second before looking down again with an embarrassed groan.
"Don't look at me... like that..."
"Like what?"
"As if you didn't notice... how ridiculous I looked."
The night settled like a serene mantle over Liyue's mountains. We walked in silence, Ganyu by my side, at a slow but steady pace. She kept her hands clasped together, clutching a small pouch of medicinal flowers she'd gathered after examining my injuries.
She'd regained her composure, but occasionally her eyes would steal sideways glances at me, as if still fearing I might collapse at any moment.
"Are you sure you're not injured anywhere?" she suddenly asked, lowering her gaze.
"No. Just fatigue remains."
She nodded, though her brow remained furrowed. Another silence slipped between us, though this time it wasn't awkward. It was the kind of silence that lets the distant song of cranes and the whisper of wind tell ancient stories.
"Thank you for accompanying me," I said finally.
Ganyu turned to me in surprise but didn't respond immediately. She only nodded softly, her expression mellowing like firelight.
"I wanted to make sure you returned safely... and also..." She hesitated for a second. "I wanted to see you after what you did for Azhdaha."
Her tone was almost reverent.
"It was something... beyond what I thought possible."
Before I could attempt to explain, a familiar voice descended from above:
"My, what a charming scene."
Ganyu froze. So did I.
From atop a boulder, a figure descended with nearly theatrical grace. She wore elegant white and gold robes, her sleeves billowing like clouds in the wind.
Cloud Retainer.
"The new Adeptus and my dear disciple, walking together beneath the moon... What sweet harmony, almost like poetry in motion."
"M-Master Cloud Retainer..." Ganyu stammered, her voice barely a whisper.
"And you, Dan Heng..." The Adeptus' gaze settled on me with that cryptic, ever-analytical air characteristic of her. "You've fulfilled a role even Morax dared not reclaim. Admirable. Azhdaha weeps no more... thanks to you."
Before I could respond, another gust of wind descended—this time more abrupt, like a knife cutting through mist.
And he appeared.
Xiao.
"Azhdaha's erosion has vanished," he stated without preamble, his gaze fixed on me. "I was unaware of the battle... until it was already over."
I held his gaze. In his eyes was something he rarely showed: doubt... and respect.
"Your duty as the Vigilant Yaksha is constant. There would have been no point in needlessly risking you."
Xiao frowned but didn't argue. His spear rested on his back, yet his muscles remained tense.
Then he turned to Ganyu.
"Are you unharmed?"
She nodded.
"Thank you for your concern, Guardian Yaksha. I came as soon as I sensed the disturbance... I couldn't remain in Jueyun knowing Dan Heng was facing Azhdaha."
Cloud Retainer let out a poorly concealed chuckle.
"Oh, of course. What admirable loyalty. Or should I say... affection?"
Ganyu flushed immediately.
"M-Master!"
Xiao sighed. It was clear this part of the conversation didn't interest him.
"Liyue is safe. I have nothing more to add." And with a swift leap, he vanished into the mist.
Cloud Retainer watched him go, then turned her gaze back to us.
"It seems things in Liyue are changing. The Adepti adapt... and hearts, oh, hearts open. Fascinating."
"I'm not sure what you mean exactly," I said flatly.
"Aren't you? I think you do..." She winked at Ganyu before ascending skyward as if reclaimed by the wind. "We'll meet again soon, youngsters. Very soon."
When silence returned, Ganyu and I said nothing for a while. We simply walked.
"...I'm sorry about her," she finally whispered, her voice almost trembling. "Sometimes... she just can't help herself."
And so, together, we continued our path back to Liyue.