chapter 50

Chapter 50: Kamisato Ayaka's Horror, Ningguang's Uncertainty

"This..." Raiden Shogun murmured, her thoughts replaying the events of recent days. After much reflection, she realized a significant fact: Su Ran had never said that he would give her control over the dream. He had only mentioned that he would include all the people of Inazuma within it.

But the dream itself? It had never truly belonged to her. This meant that the dream was not under her control.

At first, this didn't bother her. If no one had special privileges, Raiden Shogun wouldn't have given it much thought. But now, she knew there was someone with privileges—Su Ran. That knowledge made her uneasy.

What if one day Su Ran grew tired of this dream and destroyed it? She felt the need to speak to him, to get reassurance that her vision of eternity was secure.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Kamisato Ayaka was leaning against it, listening to the conversation between the two gods. Her face showed nothing but horror.

"A dream?" she whispered to herself, utterly confused. Has the dream already begun? Why hadn't she noticed anything? Ayaka, doubting the reality of her surroundings, pinched her arm hard. The pain was real.

"If I can feel pain, how can this be a dream?" she thought. But the gods wouldn't lie to her on purpose. When had she started dreaming? She raised her hands and conjured an ice flower. She could still sense the elemental power within her.

So, am I really in a dream?

"No! I... I must verify this," Ayaka thought, fear gripping her heart as she considered the implications. If this truly was a dream, she couldn't wait. She needed to go directly to Su Ran and seek answers.

Her expression didn't go unnoticed by another figure lurking in the shadows. Yae Miko watched Ayaka closely, pleased with her reaction.

Although there was a sense of truth within the dream, it wasn't real. In this dream, people's movements were confined to the boundaries of Inazuma—there were no other nations to visit, no fresh experiences to enjoy.

Without the wonders of other lands, Yae Miko felt no joy in the dream. Moreover, the absence of birth, aging, sickness, and death in the dream could lead to humans losing their appreciation for life over time. That was something Yae Miko absolutely did not want.

Even if she herself had returned in the dream, she didn't want to exist solely in this dreamscape. She admitted that she was a bit greedy. While she was happy to have returned, she disliked the idea of dreams replacing reality.

If she could have it both ways, that would be ideal. But Su Ran wouldn't easily agree to such a request. Perhaps Ayaka could be useful to her in some way.

While Yae Miko couldn't gauge the depth of Su Ran's affection for Ayaka, she knew there was some connection. If there was even a trace of affection, Yae Miko might be able to use it to her advantage.

---

In Liyue, high above the harbor, a luxurious floating residence stood—Ningguang's private domain, the Jade Chamber. As the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, Ningguang held immense power and control over vast wealth. Yet despite her high status, she was now staring at the letter in her hand, troubled.

The letter contained news that was causing her quite a headache.

The Death Star, Beidou's ship, had lost contact after it entered Inazuma's waters days ago. No message had been received since. At first, Ningguang wasn't overly concerned. She knew Beidou was capable and had her own affairs to handle.

But in the past two weeks, no ships had returned from Inazuma. Not one. Even though the nation was known for its strict isolation, this silence was unprecedented. The thunderstorms surrounding Inazuma had disappeared, making it easier for ships to return. So why hadn't anyone come back?

Ningguang could only come to one conclusion: something was wrong in Inazuma.

Her gaze shifted to a display board near her, showing a portrait accompanied by some intelligence from the Fatui.

"Genius... the second Harbinger of the Fatui arrived in Inazuma more than a month ago, and shortly after, the thunderstorm surrounding the islands vanished," she muttered.

While some ships had managed to escape Inazuma right after the storm disappeared, only a week later, the flow had stopped entirely. No one had returned since, and this had been going on for almost two weeks.

Ningguang couldn't help but suspect that the Fatui were involved, and specifically, that this Genius—the second Harbinger—was at the center of it all.

He was one of the most mysterious Harbingers, with little information available on him. But the timing of his arrival and the storm's disappearance was suspicious. Was this his doing?

Though she didn't underestimate the Harbinger stationed in Liyue, Ningguang was fully aware of how powerful even the second-ranked Harbinger could be. The thought of what such a figure might be doing in Inazuma troubled her deeply.

Whether or not Inazuma remained locked down, Ningguang wasn't too concerned. At worst, it would mean less trade and fewer Mora for Liyue. However, she couldn't ignore Beidou's disappearance. They were good friends, and if Beidou was in trouble, she had to help.

"But the Rite of Parting is approaching..." Ningguang muttered to herself.

As the presiding figure over the ceremony, she couldn't simply abandon her responsibilities. However, she also couldn't ignore Beidou's situation. Waiting too long could mean putting Beidou's life at risk.

"I'll have to send Yelan to investigate."

Yelan was a key figure in the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and Ningguang trusted her completely. If anyone could handle this delicate situation, it was Yelan. Diplomacy with Inazuma was tricky, and Ningguang couldn't act as freely as the Fatui, who had agents all over Teyvat.

But whether for Beidou or for the other Liyue citizens still in Inazuma, Ningguang needed to uncover the truth behind what was happening there.

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