Kiana woke up sitting in the dark, cold room, hugging herself tightly in the far corner. At first she was confused, then the weight of it returned. This was her life now—in this tower where cruel experiments happened every single day, where she had watched friends, children like her, die one by one. Their screams still rang in her ears, though she had grown numb to them over time.
N-no! This isn't right!! This shoul—
Her thoughts were torn apart by fresh screams. Suddenly she was strapped to the chair, a needle plunging Honkai energy into her veins. She thrashed against the restraints, wrists and ankles bound by cruel metal clamps that bit into her skin. Machines loomed overhead, their arms tipped with needles and blades, humming coldly. Red digits pulsed across displays, counting numbers without care. No warmth. No mercy. Only precision.
Kiana-Sirin gasped, voice cracking. "Stop—please! It hurts!"
But the scientists didn't flinch. Didn't answer. They muttered words like 'subject,' 'control,' and 'potential' as if the children were nothing but test data.
"Add more of it," said one voice coldly. "The subject can still handle it."
"Tsk, another one failed," another muttered from the other table. The child strapped there was motionless… lifeless. "Bring out another one."
Kiana's stomach twisted as she watched them toss the body aside like refuse. The door opened again, and guards dragged in a thrashing child, crying, begging, before strapping her into the same chair.
Kiana leaned forward, trembling, heart hammering at every scream. The space between her and the girl seemed to stretch endlessly, each cry sharper than the last. She couldn't hold back anymore. "Stop it! Stop it!!! She's just a child!" she screamed, voice breaking.
One of the scientists glanced up briefly, annoyed, before turning back to the readings as if her voice were meaningless.
The child turned her head, eyes wide, wild, desperate, and mouthed soundless words:
Help me.
Kiana's breath hitched—then everything was swallowed by darkness.
—--
Elysia sat on the ground, her breath shallow as she watched her friends give everything they had against their last enemy—the END.
Kevin, Hua, Vill-V, Kalpas, Kosma, Mobius, Pardofelis, and Eden had all fought with every ounce of strength left in their bodies, but it still wasn't enough. She saw Pardofelis fall, then Vill-V, Kalpas, and Kosma, each one snuffed out in cruel succession. At last, Kevin unleashed his strongest strike, buying humanity only twelve more fleeting hours.
Her shoulders trembled as she hugged herself.
"Every… one," she whispered, voice cracking. "Why did it end like this…?"
Everywhere her eyes landed was only grief and silence.
Then came the cold, ruthless voices behind her.
"There she is—the traitor!"
"You damn Herrscher!"
"Die, Herrscher! Die, traitor!!"
Elysia turned slowly, eyes wide. Soldiers of Fire Moth surrounded her, weapons raised, faces twisted with hate. This was the curtain fall of her banquet—the night she had chosen to bury the seed for the future.
One soldier sneered, stepping forward.
"Goodbye, Herrscher. Die a pitiful death!" The commander's cold voice rang out as he gave the order to fire.
—-
Khaenri'ah was burning.
Once a proud nation of humanity, its ruins now crumbled under the weight of Celestia's wrath. Flames licked the shattered towers, screams can be heard from every corner, as Celestia rained divine punishment.
Lumine sprinted through the collapsing streets, eyes wide with sorrow. She leapt forward, catching the hand of a child just as she was about to fall into a deep trench. The girl looked up at her with a trembling smile through her tears—half of her body already transformed into that of a hilichurl.
"Hold on! I've got you!" Lumine cried desperately, gripping tighter.
But the ground under them broke. The cliff gave way, and both fell into the abyss.
When Lumine opened her eyes again, she found herself sitting in the middle of a field of Inteyvat flowers. Her hands were empty, trembling as she raised them toward the sky. She wasn't able to save anyone.
Her voice broke. "I was supposed to protect them… I was supposed to be their savior… their princess…"
"And yet, where were you when they needed you most?" A figure stepped forward. Lumine froze—before her stood a mirror image of herself. The other Lumine wore a black dress, a dark version of her usual garb, and a dark crown upon her head. Her golden eyes glowed cold and merciless, her entire presence shrouded in the Abyss.
"You abandoned them to their demise," the shadow spat, voice sharp like a blade. "You chose to flee this world when you failed, dragging your brother with you. And in the end… you failed to protect him as well."
Lumine hugged herself, tears streaming as memories stabbed at her—the divine wrath of Celestia, her brother's fall, the desperate cries of Khaenri'ah's people.
"Stop it…" she whispered hoarsely, shaking her head. "That's not true… I never wanted this…"
Her hands trembled, clutching at the flowers beside her.
"I… I didn't mean to…" she whispered, voice breaking.
"Don't lie."
The other Lumine's voice cut in, eyes glowing with Abyss energy. She stepped closer, her tone sharp and merciless.
"You turned your back on the people who mattered most—when they needed you, you weren't there."
Lumine shook her head desperately. "No… I tried—I never wanted to abandon them!"
The Abyss crept up her legs, winding like black fire across her back and toward her heart.
"Excuses," the shadow sneered. "That's all you have left. You keep running from what you are." She leaned forward, her words like poison. "So sink down, Lumine. Sink into the Abyss—like you always meant to be."
—-
Miss A—no, Alice—stood on the bridge of the Hyperion. In front of her was Noah himself.
"...This is the only way to save those worlds," Noah said with finality, his tone cold and distant.
"That won't save anyone!!!" Alice shouted before she could even think. Her body moved on its own as she stepped toward him. "If you take the Ether Anchor, that bubble world will be destroyed!"
She glared in open defiance, yet Noah only looked back calmly. The cold edge in his gaze made her flinch.
"In order to make the paradise world, we need Ether Anchors to keep it stable," he explained, his voice mechanical, almost lifeless. "The Hyperion can only ferry a limited number of people from every world. To save everyone... we have to make sacrifices."
Alice's breath hitched. "...Why, Noah? Why?" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Why must you sacrifice a few to save more? Aren't their lives just as important?"
"...This is all for the promised paradise," Noah answered coldly, almost like he was reciting a creed.
Her voice trembled. "Then I'm sorry... but I can't stand by your side anymore." She pulled off her badge with shaking hands and placed it on the bench between them. "Goodbye, Noah."
—--
Ten years ago, after the Stellaron incident in Asterisk…
Noah slowly regained consciousness in the hospital room. When his eyes opened, the world around him felt strangely clearer. Every detail was vivid—the footsteps from the hallway, the breeze drifting in through the window, the chirping of birds, the gentle warmth of sunlight. And something faint whisper in his ears, though he could not understand their words.
"How do you feel, my little sun?"
The voice pulled him from his haze. Turning, he saw his grandmother, Hotaru. Her silver-blond hair with green tips flowed down to her waist, adorned with a black ribbon and two green feathers. Her eyes, a striking blend of deep ocean blue and sunset pink, watched him with calmness. Dressed in her green kimono, she looked youthful despite her age. His grandfather often joked that if Grandma Mitsuki was bright and radiant, then Hotaru was her opposite—cool and serene.
Noah blinked, confused, and tried to sit up. Hotaru quickly rose to help him, guiding a glass of water to his lips. After he drank, his thoughts cleared, and the memory of the brown‑haired girl he had tried to protect came rushing back.
"G-grandma! Is there any brown haired girl here? she should be with me before I pass out!"
Hotaru smiled wryly, "Geez, the Alden blood is strong as ever. the very first thing you have to ask me if the girl you help is fine, not even minding your own condition."
"Eh?" Noah blinked in confusion, tilting his head.
"Haa, don't worry about it." Hotaru shook her head with a helpless smile. "That child is fine. She should be somewhere here in this hospital."
"...That's good." Noah let out a sigh of relief. But before he could relax further, he felt a soft hand on his cheek. He looked up and saw Hotaru gazing at him with an expression that was both proud and worried. "..Grandma?"
"What you did was reckless," Hotaru scolded gently, her tone stern but not harsh. "You tried to fight something without proper training, putting yourself in danger."
She paused, then her face softened into a warm smile. "But I'm proud of you, my little sun. You protected someone and didn't back down in the face of danger."
Noah swallowed, guilt and relief mixing together. "I… just couldn't let her be hurt," he admitted.
Hotaru chuckled softly, brushing his hair back with her hand. "You really are your grandfather's grandson."
Noah stayed silent, letting Hotaru's words sink in as her warmth eased in his chest.
"My little sun," Hotaru began gently, brushing Noah's hair aside, "knowing your idiot grandfather and father, you'll probably follow their same ways. Always fighting for the people, protecting them from harm. Even if you have to try again and again. Even if you get hurt in the process, as long as you can help them. But remember—there will always be people waiting for you to come back. That's why, even in the direst moment, when it feels like the end, don't forget to hope. Hope will always be your weapon to carry on."
"I'll remember, Grandma," little Noah nodded firmly. "Just like you always say—"
—
"....I dreamed of a scorched earth."
Back in the present, Noah whispered the words, Nanook's gaze pressing him down. His weapon was broken, yet still he dared—
"...A new shoot sprouted from the earth."
Hope… just like Hotaru said. He wouldn't give up. He couldn't give up. There were people waiting for him. So he would dare to hope.
"It bloomed in the morning sun, and whispered to me…"
Noah adjusted his stance, though his chest still trembled. Even if the present was destined for ruin, he chose to believe. If there was hope, then he and everyone else could turn despair into a daring, grand and romantic comeback.
"Like fireflies to a flame—life begets death!"
His eyes blazed like the sun. The broken sword in his hand shone again, its light stretching like the first rays piercing an endless night. Noah glared at Nanook and stepped forward with determination.
"If END blocks the way before me, then I'll challenge it again and again. No matter how many times, I'll fight it… until the future finally opens."
He gripped the broken greatsword tighter, compressing every flame into its broken blade. With a single, decisive slash, he shattered Nanook's image and the despairing future. The illusion broke apart like glass. And through the falling shards, a melodic voice reached him. familiar, beloved, yet sounds older, confident… and lonely.
"Heh… as expected from you, Captain. You'd never fall for something like this."
Noah lifted his head toward the voice, and there she was—the woman he loved, Kiana Kaslana.
"...Kia...na?" His voice trembled in confusion. The Kiana before him was a little different from the one who traveled with him. Her long white hair was tied in an ornate ponytail, its tips now streaked with purple. Her once-blue eyes glowed with hints of violet and bright pink. She wore a flowing white dress, a metallic crown resting on her head, and from her hips two wings of purple light. Noah could feel it with her, alongside the power of Trailblaze, she also carried the power of Finality.
Kiana leaned forward slightly, hands tucked behind her back, a teasing smile on her lips. "Hehehe… it's been a long time since I saw that silly look of yours. Far too long."
Noah's eyes widened at her words. "Kiana… What do you mean? What happened to you—"
Before he could finish, she gently placed a finger on his lips. "Shhh."
Her smile remained, but Noah could see the exhaustion, the emotions she fought to hide within those tired eyes. "As much as I want us to talk again, we don't have much time. So let me tell you one thing, Captain."
Kiana stepped forward and took his hand, holding it tightly. Her eyes gave Noah a nostalgic expression.
"Captain, no matter how difficult the future looks, please keep believing in the path you chose. Have confidence in your way of Trailblaze," Kiana said softly, her voice full of warmth. She added with a small smile, "If you ever stumble, if you feel like your light can't break through the dark… I'll be there to push you forward."
Kiana gently took his hand to her cheek. The warmth against his palm was the only proof Noah needed that this wasn't an illusion.
"I will be the fire that lights your way. Just like I promised from the very beginning."
Noah's eyes widened in panic as Kiana's body shone and turned into drifting moths of light. "Kiana, no!!" he cried, reaching out.
"Hehehe, don't worry, Captain. I'm with you. Always. Forever and ever."
[Access Permission received.] Noah heard Void Archive's voice. [Access to the Key of Radiance has been granted by key holder KIANA. Radiant Flame has been loaded and added in the arsenal. Would you like to proceed to mimic the key of Radiance, Solgratia (Kiana's Heart)?]
Noah bit his lips as he tried to stop his tears. "..Yes."
[Order received.] Void Archives' golden cube form materialized before Noah. [Mimicking the Divine Key of Radiance, Solgratia.]
A golden greatsword took shape. The moment Noah's hand touched it, flames unlike Shamash's destructive inferno surged forth. It was protective, warm, carrying not ruin but hope. They promised tomorrow, of turning an imperfect story into something brighter.
"Solgratia—draw." Noah set the greatsword upright against his chest, both hands held on the hilt. His sun‑like eyes, once a herald of destruction, now softened into a glow that promised a gentler, brighter future.
"In this long, long darkness…" His voice rang, carrying friends and foe alike. "…I will be the sun that lights the dawn!"
With a sweeping swing, Solgratia's flame erupted, burning away the abyss that shallowed the world. Gosoythoth's corruption was torn apart, and above them the blazing sun broke through, scattering the dark. Kiana and the others awaken, freed from the nightmare the abyss had forced upon them.
"?!" Gosoythoth was hurled backwards, as Solgratia's radiance tore through the abyss. The corrupted ground melted away, the darkness unable to withstand the flood of golden fire.
Noah balances himself, raising Solgratia high. "This is the light of our promised future,"
The darkness of Night Kingdom vanished as gentle lights rose like fireflies, drifting upward. The sight made everyone pause—Kiana and the rest who fought along with Noah freed from the abyss, and even those waiting far away in Asterisk when the signal finally came through. Awe widened their eyes at the miracle before them.
—--
Kiana reached out as glowing moths of light floated around her. Warmth wrapped around her shoulders, arms she had longed to feel. A soft, familiar voice whispered: "Kiana, Sirin, please always remember—Mom is with you. And I will always love both of you."
Kiana's mismatched eyes, with Sirin's presence inside, widened in shock. Both of them heard it. Their mother's voice—Cecilia Schariac.
"What happened in your past was cruel and unforgivable," Cecilia's voice soothed, tender yet firm. "But now, you both have a bright future waiting for you."
Sirin remembered, in that dream she shaped with the Seventh Divine Key, how Cecilia and Siegfried had treated her as their own daughter. She could still feel how little Kiana adored her like an older sister, and the warmth of Cecilia's embrace in those final moments as the bombs fell.
Kiana remembered herself in the experimental cylinder, when Siegfried and the real Kiana came to take her away. She recalled how Siegfried clumsily called her name for the first time, their days together in that small house, and the warmth of his hand when he gently patted her head.
Tears welled in both their eyes. The arms holding them tightened, a kiss pressed gently to their temples, and Cecilia's soft whisper followed: "Ich liebe dich."
"Hello me," Kiana blinked as she opened her eyes and saw herself—only older—standing before her. In the woman's hands was a crystal‑like core, glowing gently. "I think this belongs to you now. For the promise we made to them and to ourselves."
The older Kiana smiled faintly as she pressed the core against the younger girl's chest. It sank into her body, and flames immediately wrapped around her, engulfing her form and shaping into a burning cocoon.
"Please," the older Kiana whispered, her voice warm as she slowly fades, "be the flame that Captain can always count on." With those final words, her figure dissolved into light.
The cocoon trembled, then shattered in a burst of fire. From it stepped the new Kiana—reborn as the Herrscher of Flamescion. She clenched her fists, eyes blazing. "...Leave it to me."
—-
Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"You stubborn, precious man…" she murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear as she looked toward Noah standing at the center. "But that's exactly why… I like him."
"Ellie." A familiar voice called gently. "Have you found it, the beauty you were searching for?"
Elysia closed her eyes, letting the memories wash over her—Noah's teasing smile, Kiana's reckless courage, Lumine's gentle warmth, Alice's explosive love, and Citlali's tsundere-like affection.
"…Yes," she breathed softly, her voice quivering. "I have."
Her gaze lifted toward the silhouette of Eden, tears fell as her joy broke through.
"I did. In their laughter. In his eyes. In every step we've taken together—I've seen it all."
A radiant pink light burst forth, enveloping her as a crystalline bud formed around her.
"I always knew you would, Ellie," Eden whispered warmly. "Even when your voice trembled, even when sorrow clouded your eyes… I saw the strength in your heart. I never stopped believing in you."
The bud unfolded, petals blooming in dazzling pink. And from its heart emerged the Herrscher of Origin, standing tall in her full elegance.
—--
Images filled Lumine's mind—memories with Noah, Kiana, Elysia, and Alice. The misadventures. Dancing in Mondstadt. Treasure hunting in Liyue. Teasing each other in Inazuma. Singing in Sumeru. Cake tasting in Fontaine. The hot springs in Natlan. Every step of their journey in Teyvat.
She remembered more.
Villagers she had helped. Children she laughed and played with. Friends who walked beside her.
And the people they saved.
Smiles. Thank-yous. Laughter.
She wasn't a weapon meant to defy the gods.
She was a girl—a person—just like anyone else.
Lumine clenched her fist, the image of her abyss self still vivid in her mind.
"You may be me. What could have been me. But you're not my only possibility."
Her sword lit with a golden glow, its true form returning. From her back burst wings of light as the six elements—Anemo, Geo, Hydro, Dendro, Electro, and Pyro—danced around her like petals drawn to a star.
"I will be his guiding star," Lumine declared. "I will shine for those I couldn't save… and for those I still can."
—-
A memory from a not-so-distant event ran through Alice's mind.
"You're watching him again, A," a familiar voice called, snapping Miss A's attention from the glowing screen where the adventures of 'Noah and his unsinkable Ark' sailed across the endless sea of stars.
"N! You're back." Alice smiled at her fellow adventurer and witch, Nicole—or as she liked to call her, N. "Hehehe, it's just… seeing Captain do the impossible makes my blood boil. It makes me want to jump in and meet him as soon as possible!"
Nicole sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know where you even found this screen, but believing in the future it shows… that's not good, A."
"I'll be fine, N!" Alice said with certainty, her eyes never leaving the figure of 'Captain' doing dumb but fearless things with the two boys beside him. "Because my gut tells me the Captain will be the same as the one we're seeing here! And besides—you already said he'll come to Teyvat soon."
"..that is the reason why I think believing in the future that screen is showing, is a bad thing," Nicole let out a long sigh.
"He's coming far too early. His arrival was supposed to be five hundred years later, to face the Abyss Princess, not now, not right after the cataclysm."
Alice only grinned wider, her eyes sparkling. "And that's why it is perfect! It just means we can save Lu-chan sooner. No five hundred years of suffering for her! And the best part? I got to meet him earlier. Sounds like a win to me!"
Nicole glanced at her, a mix of doubt and worry in her eyes. "...But A, what if changing this future costs us more than we think? Will it really be worth it?"
Miss A slowly opened her eyes from the distant question of Nicole, as gentle moths of light from Solgratia floated around the group. Her lips curved into a tender smile, tears trailed down her cheeks. ".....Of course it will be, N. The future we choose together… it will always be worth it."
—
"I don't know how you managed to break the abyss corruption," Gosoythoth growled, raising his pyro and abyss blades high before swinging them down at Noah and the others. "The abyss cannot be defeated! We are the ones who will stand at the END!"
Noah braced himself for the strike, but in the last instant Citlalin and Itzpapa rushed in front of him. Their shields clashed against the descending blades, sparks scattering as the force rattled the ground.
Citlali shouted over the impact, her voice fierce. "Even if I was never meant to be you in the original future—it doesn't matter! I'm here now, and I'll stand beside you!"
Miss A appeared in a burst of flame and laughter, her staff already glowing. "That's the fire I wanted to hear, Itztli!" She launched a Pyro‑charged beam, exploding into Gosoythoth's weapon, shattering its pyro blade.
Lumine landed lightly at their side, her sword glowing with golden light. "Alice and Itztli are right. We're with you, Noah—always." With one swift swing, she cut through the abyss blade, breaking it.
"Go on, Noah. Finish this monster, and then… let's go to the hot springs again. I'm not joking," Citlali panted, her tired voice carrying a teasing edge despite the exhaustion.
Gratitude welled up in Noah's chest at their effort and courage. He chuckled softly. "...Damn, I want to kiss you three so bad right now."
He tried to step forward, but Solgratia felt unbearably heavy in his grip. Then, warm hands covered his own—Kiana in her Herrscher of Flamescion form, smiling with resolve, and Elysia in her Herrscher of Origin form, winking playfully.
"Let's end this, Captain," Kiana said firmly, her flames dancing.
"Yep! Then you can shower us with all the love you want in the hot springs after," Elysia chimed with a grin.
Gosoythoth let out one last roar, opening his maw to fire a massive breath of pyro and abyssal energy. But a void portal opens before Noah, Kiana, and Elysia, redirecting the breath to strike Gosoythoth from behind. The beast staggered as the blast tore into its body.
"Just because I'm not physically present doesn't mean I'm not here!" Sirin's voice cut through, smug and fierce.
Noah tightened his hold, glancing at the friends around him. "...Together?" he asked with a grin.
"Together!" Kiana, Elysia, Citlali, Miss A, Lumine, and Seven's, even Masha and Sylvie in asterisk, voices rang in unison as they stood with him.
"Solgratia! Shine bright for our future!!" They roared together.
"Kaaahhh!!" Gosoythoth tried desperately to shield itself, but the combined strike tore through its defenses. The last thing it saw was Solgratia's blazing blade cleaving down, burning it away in radiant fire.
Thus ended the long war against the abyss.