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Kiana's heart wavered.
To Herrscher Sirin, this presented a rare opportunity.
Within the pristine white dream realm, darkness surged from some unknown source, invading the pure expanse and gradually dividing the world into stark black-and-white extremes.
Emerging slowly from the shadows, a girl with golden eyes appeared clad in exquisite monochrome armor, the Subspace Lance hovering behind her. She extended a hand toward the sobbing silver-haired girl curled up in the corner.
"Look at you, so determined to protect them, yet ending up miserable and alone. There's no need to cling to such false illusions. Come, I'll help you—destroy that ugly world..."
Slap!
As Sirin extended her hand, it was grasped by another clad in black armor.
Kiana, sobbing on the ground, slowly vanished, and from within her fading silhouette emerged a girl dressed in dark armor.
"Don't you see... I'm grieving right now?!"
"BOOM!!"
The fierce black fist collided with the tip of the Subspace Lance, sending invisible shockwaves rippling outward, shaking both the black and white worlds to their breaking points.
A gust lifted Sirin's long silver hair, but she nonchalantly brushed it aside, leisurely examining her perfectly manicured, glossy pink nails as she drawled,
"So you haven't crumbled yet? What a pity."
"Hmph! Dream on if you think you can escape my mental world!"
Kiana withdrew her fist, and the Subspace Lance behind Sirin gradually returned to its position as well.
Kiana stared at the face identical to hers, while Sirin continued admiring her elegant fingernails, maintaining a poised and relaxed demeanor amidst the growing chill in the air.
After a long moment, Sirin stopped admiring her nails and looked up, her dazzling golden eyes devoid of emotion as she gazed at Kiana.
"Human emotions are nothing but laughable fictions," she said. "Your resilience won't last forever. Enjoy your false and fleeting existence while you can. Soon enough, I will reclaim this body and all my power. Then, I'll tear apart that deceitful sky and declare judgment upon humanity!"
"If you dare, come try me! No matter how many times it takes, I'll send you back every single one!"
"In that case... I eagerly await our next encounter."
"We'll see about that!" Kiana retorted firmly, without any trace of fear.
The darkness gradually receded, yet Sirin remained. She sat on a golden throne materialized seemingly out of nowhere, legs crossed, calmly observing Kiana shedding the black armor.
Kiana wiped away the tears that continued to flow uncontrollably even within the dream realm, sniffled, and paid no heed to Sirin's presence.
Ultimately, this was their shared mental world. While Kiana could suppress Sirin, driving her out entirely would be as challenging as ascending heaven itself.
As dawn broke, Kiana slowly opened her eyes amidst shattered dreams.
She found herself nestled against Zeke, with a burning red greatsword leaning against a metal stand before them—the Greatsword Mode of Judgment of Shamash.
Zeke had once again used it as a makeshift heater.
But beyond its practical use, this served as a reminder to the Herrscher Aspect within Kiana: Zeke is watching from outside, so think carefully about the consequences.
"Awake?"
A deep voice sounded by her ear. Kiana lifted her head and met a pair of gentle yet profound blue eyes.
"Uh-hmm..." Kiana responded softly, her head resting against Zeke's chest, listening to the familiar heartbeat that gradually calmed her.
"You're mean..."
After a moment of silence from Zeke, Kiana grumbled unhappily.
Zeke sighed. "Yes, I am quite mean."
"...I want to go to the amusement park."
"Sure, we'll visit together."
"I want to have Ulu Town's famous Black Forest cake."
Kiana had once secretly ordered this delectable treat using Zeke's phone, and its taste remained unforgettable for her.
Compliant as always, Zeke agreed, "Alright, I'll take you to buy Ulu Town's cake."
"I want to eat until I'm full."
"No problem, enjoy it to your heart's content."
"And every day, I want cakes until I can't eat anymore."
"...Rejected."
The gradually warming atmosphere shattered abruptly with Zeke's firm response.
Kiana lifted her head, eyes reddening slightly, and gently punched him on the chest.
"Meanie! Can't you just let me indulge when I'm already feeling like this?"
"That's not healthy."
"Is this about health now?!?"
"The amusement park and having your fill of specialty cakes are fine, but indulging in cake every day...isn't allowed." Zeke concluded with a hint of exasperation yet unwavering seriousness.
"Hey!" Kiana pouted, pounding on Zeke's chest repeatedly. After a moment, she burst out laughing through teary eyes: "Ha ha! It must have...must've been that girl who made the first move, right?"
Zeke understood she was referring to his interaction with Bronya. He gently wiped away her tears while responding, "Indeed, it was her initiative, but I couldn't refuse either."
"I knew it! With your personality, how could you possibly initiate anything like that?" Kiana teased.
"...Are you insulting me?"
"Yes! So what if I am? You dummy! Blockhead! Fool! Heartless! Two-timer..." Suddenly, Kiana stopped mid-rant.
Her eyes widened as she felt something invade her mouth, stealing her breath away.
After a long moment, Kiana's lips reddened, and she panted heavily as she leaned weakly against Zeke, giving his shoulder a gentle punch.
"Is this some sort of compensation? Or..."
"It's not compensation; I just wanted to do it."
"...I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
"That's fine, you taste sweet," Zeke replied softly, gently caressing Kiana's rosy lips with his fingers. His eyes flickered momentarily before regaining their calm composure.
Kiana's face was flushed, even her adorable round earlobes tinted a delicate pink.
"Alright, I forgive both of you."
"Mm-hmm, thank you," Zeke said, maintaining his composed tone while internally sighing in relief.
They had passed this hurdle.
Although, he truly felt indebted to Kiana.
With a soft sigh, Kiana traced circles on Zeke's chest, sounding resigned: "Ah... I thought Sin was the only one involved."
"I did too, always believing it was just Sin."
"There aren't any more surprises, right? From now on, it'll be just our journey together?"
"Yes, just you and me from now on."
Zeke's response finally allowed Kiana to relax—dealing with Bronya had already tested her rationality enough. Any more explosive revelations would have utterly ruined this precious date.
"Okay then, no mentioning her name from here on out. You can only look at me, think about me, understood?" Kiana earnestly said as she cupped Zeke's face.
His silent reply was prompted by her stubborn, focused gaze, coupled with her delicate, innocent features still tender from crying most of the night.
The cost? Kiana found herself breathless once again, lips flushed unnaturally red, her body weak and limply leaning against Zeke, softly panting with each exhale fragrant like orchids.
"You've been corrupted by that guy, Zeke!" Kiana playfully tapped his chest, this time genuinely feeble.
Zeke chuckled lightly, "Didn't you say we shouldn't mention her?"
"I take it back! Pretend you didn't hear anything!"
"All right."
Apart from rejecting the unreasonable request for infinite cakes earlier, today's Zeke seemed unusually compliant, indulging Kiana even more than usual.
This newfound obedience naturally delighted Kiana but also left her feeling somewhat frustrated—why did he become so gentle due to such circumstances?! It prevented her from fully enjoying the moment.
"Kiana."
"Hm?"
"I initially planned to wait until we reached Mondstadt, but considering it's just you and me here, I guess there's no need for delay."
"What is it, Zeke?" Kiana looked up at him with wide-eyed innocence.
Zeke's smile widened as he spoke candidly:
"I'm not well-versed in matters of love, so I can't clearly express 'love' to you. However, whether it's ten years, a hundred years, or even millennia upon millennia, I won't let go of you. You must stay by my side forever, accompanying me always."
Indeed, Zeke had never learned how to speak sweet nothings; he simply expressed his deepest desires—yes, towards Kiana, he harbored an incredibly strong possessiveness. When did it begin? And based on what feelings? These questions were no longer important. What mattered most was that this girl needed to be beside him, without missing even a single day or moment; anything less was unacceptable to Zeke.
To Kiana, these words resonated as the most moving, beautiful sounds in the world.
"What silly talk is this? Of course we will...be together forever!"
As the morning sun rose, Kiana wrapped her arms around Zeke's waist, revealing a radiant row of snow-white teeth in a cloudless smile.
******
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