6: Sunsetias. They’re Sweet. Want One?

"That's her! She's a curse!"

"Southern Dipper brings life, Northern Dipper brings death."

"She set foot in the village for one day and the dog died. Then the village chief. Now it's the fish in the river—what's next, us?"

Murmuring voices—sharp, venomous, unfiltered—swirled in the darkness. North Star tried to open her eyes, to make out the shadowy figures speaking, but she couldn't. She could only feel their contempt.

They were people she had once known—villagers from the place she'd grown up in. People who had always seen her as a bad omen, a bringer of misfortune.

"I… I'm not a curse… I'm Beidou!" she shouted into the void, but all she received in return were colder stares than any winter wind and insults that pierced deeper than any blade.

"But… I didn't do anything wrong…"

All she'd done was fight a starving dog for food when she herself had been starving. That was her crime?

Then the scene shifted. Rain fell, and she saw clearly now—herself, on a small boat, battling a colossal sea beast.

It was Haishan.

It was in that battle that she had cleaved the creature's skull in two, and from the heavens descended a Vision of crackling purple—Electro—falling gently into her palm.

She had taken it as a sign.

A god's recognition.

The memory played faster now—clearer. The Death Omen Star. The formation of the Crux Fleet. Her dealings with Ningguang. Boarding the Jade Chamber. Sailing to Inazuma…

And then—

The image froze.

A gleaming spear of light filled her vision, piercing her Electro shield and stabbing clean through her chest.

"Right… I died."

Beidou remembered now. She had died by the hand of that girl from Snezhnaya—Saphir. She recalled the moment clearly: the strange weapon, the effortless strike, the radiant spear. But what stood out most wasn't cruelty, wasn't contempt.

It was the shock—the look of disbelief on Saphir's face.

Beidou laughed bitterly to herself.

"Was she surprised I was that weak? Heh…"

Yes, she had been injured beforehand. But even if she'd been at her peak, she doubted she could've won. That girl was too strong.

"I wonder if Chongzo and the others got away… Hope they did."

She sighed and raised a hand to her forehead—

"You're awake?"

A gentle voice reached her ears. One she couldn't possibly mistake.

Saphir.

Beidou bolted upright, instinctively activating her Vision to summon her Blackcliff Slasher—only to find her hands empty.

That's when it hit her.

She was alive.

The familiar flow of Electro within her. The weight of her body. The presence of another.

Saphir stood nearby, no longer in her heavy cloak, but dressed in that nun-like black-and-white outfit she always wore. Her starry eyes calmly met Beidou's confused gaze.

Beidou looked around, disoriented. Then stared at Saphir.

"With wounds like that, maybe don't go picking fights next time. If you'd died for real, I'd be in big trouble back in Liyue. Grown woman like you not taking care of herself—honestly, what a pain."

Saphir's voice was light and matter-of-fact, like she were lecturing a child for falling into a puddle.

For a moment, Beidou genuinely thought she was talking to Ningguang.

"Wait… was it you? You saved me?" she asked, pointing at herself.

Saphir shifted to the side and pulled a plate of stir-fried pork and a large bowl of rice from behind a crate.

"Here. But only if you promise not to start another fight. If you eat and then come at me again, I'll just tie you up and shoot you onto the Jade Chamber with a bow."

The food had been made from supplies Ada had scavenged. Guyun Stone Forest, remote though it was, still had plenty of wild ingredients—she'd even found some Jueyun Chilis. Saphir had used them to whip up a glowing dish of Delicious Stir-Fried Pork Slices, tailored perfectly to Beidou's taste.

And Beidou was starving.

Between dying, being resurrected, and the loss of blood, her body was screaming for sustenance. The resurrection had healed her wounds, sure, but it hadn't replenished her energy.

She hesitated—until Saphir looked at her curiously and asked, "Not hungry?"

"I'm eating!" Beidou grabbed the food instantly.

After what she'd just been through, what was there to be cautious about? If Saphir had wanted her dead, she wouldn't have resurrected her. Worrying about poison in the food felt beyond ridiculous.

As she dug in, Saphir smiled.

"See? Isn't it nice when people just get along? Saves me so much effort."

Beidou's face reddened. She knew, deep down, that this entire mess had been her fault. From the outside, it probably looked like she'd brought it all upon herself. Even if Saphir had killed her on the spot, no one could've said she was in the wrong.

She was already dreading the look on Ningguang's face when this all got back to her.

"You really don't seem like a Fatui," Beidou muttered between bites. "At least… not the kind who'd care about one person's life."

"The Fatui have their reasons for everything," Saphir replied calmly. "It's easy to call us heartless, but we value results. We value efficiency. We also have the most reliable network in all of Teyvat."

She reached into a crate and pulled out two Sunsetias, polished one with her sleeve, and held it out.

"Sunsetia. It's sweet. Want one?"

A chill ran down Beidou's spine for no reason she could explain. She shook her head quickly.

"I'd rather have some wine."

Saphir chuckled and took a bite herself.

"Save the wine for when we get back to Liyue. Honestly, your death wouldn't have benefited us in the slightest. You being alive is much more useful—both for us Fatui, and for Liyue."

She leaned back and continued, tone even.

"I could've left your body there and blamed it all on you. Ningguang couldn't have said a thing. You know how the seas work—no laws out here. Not even the Geo Archon controls these waters. And your crew? They saw everything. Investigating wouldn't do them any favors. The truth wouldn't hurt me."

Beidou stayed silent. She knew Saphir was right.

"But all that's just surface-level." Saphir took another bite. "Our nations' cooperation wouldn't collapse over a single death—but I don't want to give Liyue's higher-ups the wrong impression of me. If I killed one of Ningguang's most trusted people, she might smile… but she'd never forget."

A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

"She might even fantasize about dropping the Jade Chamber on my head. After all, before she was the Tianquan, she was just a barefoot girl trying to sell fish in the market."

Beidou laughed.

"Please. Ningguang's not that petty. And it's not like we're that close—just friends, really. I'm not 'her person' or anything."

She reached for her wine gourd, only to remember it wasn't there. She scratched her head and chuckled awkwardly.

Saphir didn't press further. Whether Beidou was playing dumb or just truly oblivious didn't matter. She understood the stakes.

"Anyway, enough of that." Saphir stretched. "I'm heading to Liyue Harbor tonight. Want to come with me? Better to let everyone know you're not actually dead. Avoids misunderstandings."

It had already been nearly two days since their arrival at Guyun. Saphir figured that by now, word of Beidou's "death" had reached Ningguang's ears.

What kind of face would she make when she heard the news…?

Sadly, she wouldn't get to see it.

Beidou didn't hesitate.

Of course she would go. She had intel that needed delivering. And if she stayed behind in Guyun Stone Forest, who knew how long it would be before someone came to pick her up? The Crux Fleet thought she was dead. Without her presence, the entire operation might fall apart.

Wait for them to swing back around and pick her up? That chance was slimmer than plucking a sweet Sunsetia off a sour tree.

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