It was finally over.
Maybe it was because, in this Life Simulation, more people had formed emotional bonds with him than before.
Kael felt like this simulation had lasted longer than the previous ones.
Along the way, that dumbass god had even shown up, almost dragging things out even further.
After this experience, he understood more than ever—
He absolutely needed to earn a huge amount of Attribute Points.
Not just to get stronger.
But so that, when running a Life Simulation, he could activate Sensory Mode and alter the course of the story.
He'd already figured it out: whether he wanted to twist the story, or end the simulation quickly, he had to personally step in through Sensory Mode to make it happen.
[Score is being calculated. Epilogue for this Life Simulation has been generated. Would you like to view it?]
"Yes."
He wondered how Barbara Pegg would react when she found out he'd died.
[Epilogue activated.]
[Eula]
Eula was walking the streets of Mondstadt when she noticed a merchant drop something. She called out, "Hey, you dropped something."
The man turned and spotted his coin pouch lying on the ground. He quickly picked it up, his face grateful as he looked up to thank her.
But the moment he saw who had spoken—Eula—his gratitude vanished without a trace. His expression hardened with cold indifference.
"What the hell… a Lawrence…"
He scowled, said nothing more, and turned on his heel to leave.
Scenes like this—Eula had lived through them countless times since childhood. She was long since used to it.
"I'll remember this grudge."
If it had been the old Eula, she would've thrown out that line of spite. But now, the words never even left her lips.
Back then, she'd say it only to cover up her own hurt and disappointment. "Vengeance" was the only way she knew how to vent those feelings.
But now? She didn't need that anymore.
Even if the entire world hated her, despised her—it didn't matter.
Because to her, the only thing that mattered was that he loved her.
A soft, gentle smile spread across her face.
Though Kael's last words before his death had been faint and muddled, she was stubborn. Once she decided on something, she never wavered.
She'd decided—what he said before he left was, "I love you too."
Her feelings had been answered. That was enough.
With Kael's love, she no longer feared anything.
The hatred and resentment of Mondstadt's citizens could no longer touch her.
She would continue protecting Mondstadt with everything she had.
This was the nation her beloved had laid down his life to defend.
And she was willing to take his place, to guard it in her own way.
[Barbara]
"…What did you say?"
Barbara had just woken up, sitting up in bed as a nun tended to her. Her face was deathly pale, her lips twisting into a strained, ugly smile. "What… what did you just say? I must've misheard you…"
The nun's eyes flickered with pity.
"Knight Kael… passed away this morning."
It was like a giant hammer had slammed into Barbara's chest. The sudden, brutal pain made her double over, her body shaking uncontrollably.
Tears poured from her eyes, darkening the blanket in small, spreading blotches.
"No… that's impossible… it's impossible…"
Just before she fell asleep, his strong, warm hands had been holding hers. She could still feel that warmth now.
How could he… how could he die in his sleep?
Barbara suddenly threw off the blanket. The abrupt motion made her dizzy, and she toppled from the bed, scraping her wrist on the floor.
She didn't care. She scrambled up as fast as she could and bolted toward the headquarters of the Knights of Favonius, running like someone possessed.
In her panic, she forgot to even put on shoes. Her pure white stockings were quickly dirtied and torn by dust.
She burst into headquarters, ignoring the shocked stares around her, heading straight for Jean's office.
But the door was locked tight. No matter how she twisted the handle, it wouldn't budge.
Barbara collapsed helplessly to her knees in front of it, pounding on the door with her hands.
"Jean… open the door… Where's Kael? Tell me where he is! Someone said he's dead—no, that's not true, right? Tell me it's not true!"
"Open the door! Please tell me where Kael is… Jean, Jean!"
Panic and despair drowned her so completely she even forgot she bore a Vision. One spark of elemental power could've opened the lock easily.
Her mind was blank—she just kept pounding on the door with reddened, swollen hands, her once-delicate fingers puffed up painfully.
Her voice was hoarse from crying, but she kept begging, again and again: "Tell me… it's not true… it's not true… open the door… tell me…"
The knights standing around stared, wide-eyed.
Barbara, who usually shone like sunlight, her golden hair now tangled, her once-pristine white dress stained with dust—she looked utterly broken, crazed as she pounded the door, her face twisted with despair.
No one could believe this was the same sweet, angelic Barbara Pegg they all knew.
"Enough."
Someone caught her swollen hands.
Barbara, face streaked with tears, looked up to see Lisa Minci watching her with deep sorrow.
"Lisa… why won't Jean open the door? Where's Kael? He's still alive, isn't he? He has to be alive!"
Like a drowning girl grabbing onto the last straw, Barbara clutched Lisa's hands desperately.
Her eyes, filled with despair and agony, were suffocating to look at.
Lisa turned her gaze away, unable to meet them.
Her voice was heavy, painful: "I'll… take you to him."
Barbara followed Lisa, her eyes growing duller with every step, until the light in them faded entirely.
This was the path to the morgue.
Standing before the door, her heart felt numb, like it had already died.
She could feel her soul slipping away.
Her trembling hand slowly pushed the door open.
The one she wanted to see lay on the table at the center of the room.
She forced herself forward, each step heavier than the last.
By the time she reached him, she had nothing left in her.
She stared blankly at Kael's closed eyes, his bluish, lifeless face.
Her own face showed no expression at all, as if she hadn't processed it yet.
The morgue was silent, frozen in time.
Then suddenly—Barbara's tears burst forth in a flood.
Why did it end like this?
She'd fallen asleep with his warmth beside her, his smile still in her mind.
Why had everything changed the moment she woke up?
She'd gone to bed full of hope and joy. In her dreams, she'd seen their bright, happy future together.
Now she had nothing.
No future.
No Kael.
"This isn't how it's supposed to be! It's not supposed to be like this! Kael! Kael! Kael!!!"
Her scream ripped from the depths of her soul, raw grief that made even bystanders' hearts ache.
Lisa, standing in the doorway, felt her eyes sting red at the sight of Barbara's torment.
[Jean]
Since Kael's death, Jean had locked herself in her office.
Three days had passed, and her door remained sealed.
Even when Barbara had pounded on it, begging and crying, Jean hadn't opened it.
Lisa, having already seen Barbara's despair, now worried even more about Jean, who was locked inside, neither eating nor drinking.
After knocking several times in vain, Lisa finally used her elemental power to blast the lock and pushed the door open.
The once-bright office was shrouded in darkness, heavy curtains blocking out the light.
"Jean?"
Lisa's eyes searched through the gloom until she found her.
Jean sat curled up in a corner, hugging her knees, her head buried.
Lisa's heart tightened. "Jean, are you okay?"
At the sound of her voice, Jean slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were bloodshot, swollen from endless tears. Her lips were cracked and pale.
One look, and Lisa knew—Jean was at her breaking point.
If this continued, she'd collapse.
Lisa's eyes softened with pity. "Jean, stop torturing yourself. Knight Kael is gone, but Mondstadt and the Knights are still here! We still need you. Please… you have to pull yourself together."
At those words, tears welled up in Jean's eyes again, sliding silently down her cheeks.
"Lisa… I'm so tired."
Carrying the honor of the Gunnhildr name, she'd always borne everything without complaint.
Jean had long accepted it as her fate—no matter how hard, she endured it willingly.
No matter the responsibility, the pressure, she had never once said she was tired.
But this time, she truly was. Endless exhaustion crushed her until she couldn't breathe.
For the first time in her life, she wanted to cast aside the Gunnhildr name. She didn't want to carry Mondstadt's burden anymore.
Love or duty—faced with that choice, Jean had made the "right" decision.
She had protected Mondstadt. But her soul was shattered in the process.
She didn't want to be Jean Gunnhildr anymore.
She wanted to be Jean… only Kael's Jean.
[Epilogue End]