[Your pleasant time with Jean didn't last long.]
[Soon enough, the two of you were busy again.]
[The storms stirred up by Stormterror were becoming more frequent, and more Hilichurl camps were appearing around Mondstadt.]
[You and Jean had to head out on missions once more.]
[As you were about to leave Jean's office after accepting your assignment, she called out to you.]
["Kael… be careful on your mission. Don't get hurt."]
[A look of genuine concern crossed her face.]
[This was the first time she'd shown you this kind of care. You could tell—it wasn't just a superior worrying about her subordinate.]
[Jean was finally starting to truly see you.]
[It meant your relationship had taken another step forward.]
[Smiling sincerely, you replied, "Don't worry. I'll take care of myself."]
[Ever since you gained your Vision, your overall strength had skyrocketed.]
[What used to be deadly Hilichurl camps were now things you could clear out singlehandedly.]
[You wiped out plenty of Hilichurls around Mondstadt, saving many residents.]
[Once, you'd been just another nameless Knight among the hundreds of the Knights of Favonius. But now, you were slowly building a reputation. More and more people in Mondstadt knew your name.]
[And you liked that feeling. You enjoyed the respect in their eyes.]
[So you threw yourself into your work harder than ever, cutting down more Hilichurls by the day.]
[Today, as usual, you were patrolling the outskirts of Mondstadt.]
[Suddenly, the sounds of battle reached your ears from afar. You rushed over at full speed.]
[When you arrived, you found a Hilichurl camp.]
[The ground was littered with frost—the mark of Cryo.]
[Eula Lawrence was there, swinging her greatsword, laying into the Hilichurls.]
[She rolled aside just in time to avoid an Abyss Mage's spell.]
[But to your shock, she was covered in injuries.]
[In this fight… she was losing ground.]
[You'd followed Eula long enough to watch her fight countless battles.]
[Camps of this size? She'd always been able to wipe them out alone with ease.]
[Why did she look so strained now?]
["Captain!"]
[You pulled the dagger from your boot and prepared to charge in.]
[But mid-battle, Eula caught sight of you and shouted, "This camp is strange! Don't come closer—go back to Mondstadt and get reinforcements!"]
[Distracted by your sudden appearance, she was slammed from behind by a Mitachurl's shield bash. The impact sent her flying and crashing to the ground.]
[You saw her struggle to stand, blood seeping from her wounds. Her face was pale as paper from blood loss.]
[More Hilichurls surged toward her. You didn't have time to think—you dashed in, dagger in hand, intercepting their attack.]
[Eula, recovering just a little, jumped back into the fight alongside you.]
[But every time she swung her greatsword, more blood seeped from her wounds. You knew she couldn't last much longer like this.]
["Captain, go back to Mondstadt for reinforcements—I'll hold them off!"]
[You'd only just joined the battle, your Stamina far fresher than hers. She was in no condition to run; having her retreat was the best choice.]
["No!" Eula snarled, cutting down another Hilichurl with her greatsword. "I won't abandon you! If we leave, we leave together!"]
[She tried to pull you into an escape, but today the Hilichurls were… different. Like they'd gone mad.]
[Their attacks were savage, relentless—you had no opening to break away.]
[Blocking strike after strike, you roared at her, "Go! If you don't, we'll both die here!"]
[Eula slashed down another Hilichurl, but she too felt her strength fading fast.]
[She knew you were right. At this rate, neither of you would make it out alive.]
[Gritting her teeth, she finally relented, spinning toward the camp's exit. "Hold on! I'll be back soon!"]
[As she ran, a cluster of Hilichurls tried to chase her down. You immediately dashed in front of them, blocking their path to buy her time.]
[Raising your dagger, you sneered, "Your opponent is me."]
[Your taunt sent them into a rage. They gave up their chase and swarmed you instead.]
[You fended them off again and again with your dagger.]
[But this kind of battle didn't suit you. Normally, you relied on stealth, waiting for the perfect opening before striking.]
[Here, surrounded and locked in direct combat, your techniques gave you no advantage. The Hilichurls had their eyes glued to you—you had no chance to slip away.]
[And you finally understood why even someone as strong as Eula had struggled against this camp.]
[These Hilichurls fought like they were on something—wild, frenzied, stronger than normal by several times.]
[Their sheer numbers made it worse. Against a force like this, even Jean would've been hard-pressed to win.]
[Your wounds piled up, blood soaking your clothes. And still, Eula hadn't returned with reinforcements.]
[At this rate… you might not survive long enough for her to come back.]
[A crushing unwillingness welled up inside you.]
[You hadn't claimed the wealth and status you desired…]
[You hadn't won Jean, the person you wanted most…]
[You can't die here!!!]
[Suddenly, a dark, sticky voice whispered in your mind.]
["It's been so long since I've seen such strong desire… marvelous…"]
[The voice dripped with temptation. "Do you want to live? Everything you crave… I can give it to you. All you need to do… is surrender your body to me…"]