As Alexander transitioned through a wall of viscous fog, leaving behind the wind-swept mountain peak.
With his new [Witcher Sense], Cloud Retainer's abode felt awe-inducing. The scent of ozone, cold stone, and a thousand unfamiliar, subtle minerals assaulted his nose. While his hearing picked up on countless sounds of mechanisms working in perfect, distant sync.
Unable to stop and look around, he followed the majestic crane through a shimmering, mist-like path. His arms, locked in a cradle carry, were full of a warm, sleeping weight. Yae Miko did not stir, her breath a soft, steady rhythm against his neck.
Finally, they emerged into a vast, open pavilion that defied mortal understanding. Structures of polished dark wood and smooth white stone seemed to grow organically from the mountain itself, connected by bridges that arched over bottomless mist. A gentle, warm light emanated from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Cloud Retainer gestured with a wing-tip towards an open doorway. "There. Place the youkai within. The facilities are self-evident."
The guest chamber was a testament to efficient, elegant design. Alexander carefully laid Yae down on the silky bed. She sighed in her sleep, curling slightly, her tail wrapping around herself like a pink furry blanket.
He turned to find Cloud Retainer standing in the doorway, her head tilted in a manner that was purely analytical.
"The cranial fracture is a clean, radial pattern emanating from the point of impact above the left temporal bone," she stated, her voice crisp and devoid of bedside manner as she studied his head.
"Hmm, a standard injury for the stimulus. The anomalous data point however, is your regenerative function." she took a pause, considering something in her thoughts, while Alex was in a stupor about what to do or say.
"The inflammation has already receded by forty-seven percent. The bruising is consolidating at a rate fifty times faster than a baseline mortal. Your constitution is… an efficient piece of engineering." she finally finished.
"I've always been a fast healer," he said, the half-truth feeling flimsy under her piercing gaze.
"An understatement that borders on the fallacious," she retorted, not missing a beat. "We shall quantify the precise limits of this accelerated homeostasis later." Her gaze then flicked past him to the sleeping Yae, "as for the youkai, her physical vitals are stable. This One cannot help but comment, however, that emotional volatility is a superfluous variable that disrupts the harmony of the environment."
She turned and began to walk away, her claws clicking softly on the stone. "Rest. Do not attempt to operate any machinery you do not understand. Your continued, stable functionality is the current priority."
As the majestic figure vanished from view, Alexander was left standing alone in the serene, humming silence of the adeptal abode, scratching the back of his head with a wry smile.
'What a tiring day, even my shoulders feel heavy…' he couldn't help but complain in his head.
His companion was now sleeping, while himself felt no fatigue, however in an unfamiliar environment he didn't know what he could even busy himself with, especially after the crane's comment on touching the intriguing machinery.
So, leaving the guest room, he opted to simply observe.
It felt weird, seeing such magical architecture and furniture, with complicated mechanisms and huge exposed cogwheels mixed together.
Weird, but highly interesting.
And so, time passed, unfortunately there were no clocks around to check the time, but Alexander could say for certain hours had gone by.
He went around the area, studying mechanism until his senses picked up the soft rustle of silk, the almost imperceptible sound of Yae's feet touching the floor. So, once again, he went inside the room.
She was standing by the bed, her back to him, already smoothing down her kimono with a practiced, elegant efficiency. Her posture was ramrod straight, a far cry from the curled, vulnerable form of a few hours prior.
"You're awake," he said, "How are you feeling?"
Yae didn't turn. Her hands stilled for a moment on the fabric of her sleeve before continuing their precise adjustments. "Perfectly adequate," she replied, her tone polished and cool.
"It seems we have incurred a significant debt to an adeptus. How… inconvenient." she added after taking a look around.
Alexander felt the shift instantly. The distance between them, which had all but vanished on the mountainside, had snapped back into place with an almost audible chill. It was a regression to their very first interactions, a stark and painful contrast to the colourful month they had shared.
There was no gratitude, no shared relief, no acknowledgment of the raw, desperate intimacy they had experienced earlier today.
He opened his mouth to speak, to bridge the sudden chasm, but the sheer, dismissive finality in her posture and the icy calm of her voice stopped him. He felt a knot of frustration tighten in his chest, but decided that perhaps some time was all they needed.
'No need to push her, I should also think about our future for a bit alone.' he concluded in thoughts.
Thankfully, the awkward silence was shattered by the rhythmic beat of powerful wings. Cloud Retainer descended into the pavilion. She landed before them, her sharp eyes scanning them both in a single, comprehensive glance.
"One's internal chronometer indicates a period for nutritional intake has commenced," she declared, "You will partake. Sustenance is a non-negotiable variable for stable biological and cognitive function, especially for a system under repair." Her gaze lingered on Alexander's temple.
"And for a system operating under emotional load," she added, her glance flicking to Yae, "it can prevent catastrophic logical errors."
She then led them to another small, open pavilion where a low table was set with simple, yet exquisite-looking dishes.
Steamed buns that gave off a subtle, warming aura, and a clear soup that smelled of rare mountain herbs.
The meal was a study in tense silence. Alexander and Yae sat across from each other, the space between them charged with unspoken words. Where there would usually be teasing remarks about the food or playful bickering, there was only the careful, quiet sound of eating.
Cloud Retainer observed it all, her head tilting.
"Previous data suggested your interactions were characterized by frequent, often superfluous verbal sparring. This new silence has a 94% correlation with inefficient conflict resolution protocols. It is an illogical method of problem-solving."
Yae's chopsticks stilled for a fraction of a second. Alexander kept his eyes on his bowl.
"Furthermore," the adeptus continued, her analytical gaze settling on Yae, "the youkai has maintained a minimum distance of 1.8 meters from the mortal at all times. A statistically significant increase from your previously documented proximity-"
Yae's retort interrupted the crane's musings, "My, how observant you are. Perhaps some things are simply not meant to be dissected like one of your machines."
"Nonsense," Cloud Retainer countered. "All systems, social or otherwise, operate on principles of cause and effect. Your current behavioral parameters are suboptimal and generate measurable dissonance. It is inefficient."
Her blunt analysis hung in the air, somehow making the chasm between them feel both absurd and more real than ever.
It was Yae who masterfully steered the conversation onto safer, more formal ground, placing her chopsticks down with a quiet, final click.
"A most insightful, if unconventional, perspective," she said, her voice smooth and diplomatic. "Thank you for the meal and your hospitality, esteemed Adeptus. Forgive our rudeness; in the wake of recent events, we have neglected proper introductions. How may we address you? And more pressingly, how might we begin to repay your kindness?"
Cloud Retainer seemed to appreciate the shift to pragmatism. She gave a short, approving nod.
"This One is known as Cloud Retainer. And the repayment is straightforward. The mortal's anomalous physiology presents a series of compelling research questions." she answered curtly.
"How long are we talking about, Lady Cloud Retainer?" Alexander, who had been quietly absorbing the exchange, finally spoke up.
He was not averse to staying, especially if it's to stay with Xianyun, her character was especially interesting to him and she remained one of the more memorable characters from the game.
"The duration will be determined by the acquisition of sufficient data. The initial phase will focus on establishing baseline metabolic rates, stress-response thresholds, and the upper limits of your regenerative capabilities. Preliminary projections suggest a period of no less than one lunar cycle."
'A month…' Alexander pondered.
It was rather fair and lenient, perhaps because Cloud Retainer was primarily an engineer and architect.
He was actually quite baffled by her interest in his bio- and physiology. But then again, she trained Shenhe and Ganyu in martial arts, with Shenhe being quite special in that regard, so that could answer that question.
"And what would data gathering entail, exactly?" he asked, needing to know the bounds.
"Non-invasive monitoring. Physical stress-testing to calibrated parameters. Analysis of tissue samples, should your regeneration permit it. And cognitive assessments to determine if your accelerated biology extends to neural plasticity," she listed off, as casually as someone reciting a grocery list. "You will also describe, in precise detail, the sensations and processes you experience during recovery. Your subjective account is a necessary data point."
…
They all took a pause in silence.
"The primary methodology will be structured physical training," Cloud Retainer added, perhaps sensing his hesitation at the passive nature of being a test subject. "This One shall provide the instructions to maximize the gained boons and observe the resultant data."
On the other hand, Alexander only seemed hesitant, as although it sounded exhausting, beneath the clinical language, he saw an opportunity. This was a being of immense knowledge, offering to train him.
He believed his Body Perk, as well as weapon masteries would soar with her instructions. And her mastery over the Anemo element was also second only to its respective Archon's.
It felt too good to be true, he was supposed to repay her kindness with these tests, but in the end, he would gain massive boons from her tutelage…
"Thank you for your guidance, Lady Cloud Retainer," he said, with a respectful nod of acceptance. "I agree to your terms."
"Satisfactory. Your training commences at dawn."
And so it began. The following days fell into a grueling rhythm. Dawn until dusk was dedicated to Cloud Retainer's "calibrated parameters" which turned out to be a euphemism for physical trials that would break a normal man.
He ran obstacle courses of her own design, scaled sheer rock faces under timed conditions, and sparred against animated stone constructs that adapted to his fighting style. It was meticulous, exhausting, and profoundly effective.
Alas, there was bad news as well. With Yae Miko taking a distanced approach to their relationship, often secluded in her own thoughts, silent evenings spent together became deafening.
No longer letting time waste away all the progress he made with her, even if simply to remain as great and close friends, he tried countless times to break away the ice. Unfortunately, Yae was having none of it. Her thoughts and feelings plagued by a fear of loss, she wanted nothing to do with such attachment anymore.
Alexander felt powerless, but accepting of the outcome, it wasn't the first time a person left him behind, not the first time he felt like he lost a friend…
.
.
.
Days, upon days passed and during a rare moment of rest, watching Cloud Retainer make a minute adjustment to a complex mechanism with a few precise taps of a tool, Alex decided to take his mind off physical work.
"Lady Cloud Retainer," he began, his voice cutting through the hum of machinery. "This training is pushing my body to its limits, for which I am grateful. But during our rest periods... would you object if I observed your work here? The principles behind these mechanisms... I find myself curious."
"This One does not mind," she stated, her tone as measured as ever. "On the condition that you are able to complete a quiz after. Observation without comprehension is a pointless exercise."
Soon Alexander's world, once dominated by the strain of muscle and the whistle of wind during his trials, now held a new, compelling dimension.
His "rest periods" became sessions of silent observation. He watched the flow of molten alloys, noted the precise workings of gear teeth, and traced the channels of elemental energy that powered it all.
But he soon realised that he was truly interested in metallurgy, not simply busying his mind watching an Adeptus work, followed by completing quizzes, but actual curiosity in the way metal bended, cooled and tempered into equipment.
The gaze of an eager learner would never escape a seasoned master, so Xianyun offered to show Alexander how her automated smithies worked.
Soon, the young man transitioned his focus from simply watching Cloud Retainer to actively participating in her workings everywhere when smithing was involved.
Some weeks had already passed and a full month was soon to follow, but Alexander had fallen into a great rhythm.
With his mind and body busy, he had forgotten all about the ice between him and Yae, opting to treat her like he always did during their fun travels, even if she no longer reciprocated.
Xianyun in turn had also welcomed the changes in her home, no longer believing their dynamics were so awkward, letting the young man put his mind to good and beneficial work.
From the solitude of her chosen perch, Yae Miko watched the scenes unfold. She saw Alexander hunched over scrolls, his brow furrowed in concentration, his hands sketching diagrams with a startling precision.
But his character had not changed even for a second. Still so scatter brained, promising to travel the world, yet falling into pit of knowledge that halted the dream.
He still cooked the same delicious food. He still talked to her with the same enthusiasm and warmth like he always did.
The one who changed, was her…
One part of her, the part that still remembered the warmth of his embrace and the terrifying, beautiful synchrony of their heartbeats, ached. It ached with inexplicable emotions and reasons.
He was right here, waiting for her, being with her. But he felt so far away. And that was the point, wasn't it? This was the proof her fears demanded.
He was resilient, adaptable, and brilliant. He would be fine. He would live his mortal life and she would be a footnote, a bittersweet memory from his youth.
But for her? Letting this attachment deepen into a love that would inevitably be severed by the cruel passage of time? It was an agony she refused to endure. It was better to be a clean, surgical cut now than a slow, mortal decay.
She would leave for Inazuma. No longer could she be with him on this beautiful journey of growth.
Packing was a simple affair. She had little with her. As she folded the last of her garments, her gaze fell upon a simple, unadorned hairpin he had gifted her in Liyue Harbor, a silly trinket bought with the first Mora they earned together. Her hand hovered over it. Then, with a quiet, final sigh, she turned away, leaving it on the smooth stone desk.
It was better this way. A clean break. No goodbyes, no lingering looks. Just a silent disappearance, allowing the mists of the Jueyun Karst to erase her from his story. It was the only way her heart, destined for eternity, could possibly survive the memory of his fleeting, mortal light.
"This One is not surprised at your decision."
The voice, crisp and calm, came from the doorway. Cloud Retainer stood there, her avian form elegantly silhouetted against the soft light of the pavilion. Her sharp eyes took in the scene: the neatly folded garments, the deliberate absence of personal effects, and the lone hairpin left behind on the stone.
Yae did not startle. She merely finished her task, her movements losing none of their grace. "Oh? And what decision is that, esteemed Adeptus?" she asked, her tone light but layered with a defensive brittleness.
"The decision to flee," Cloud Retainer stated, stepping fully into the room. "To preemptively sever a connection to avoid its inevitable natural conclusion. It is a common, if flawed, logical pathway for long-lived beings when confronted with mortal attachment."
Yae's smile was sharp. "I prefer to think of it as pragmatic self-preservation. Something you, of all beings, should understand. You've seen centuries turn to dust. You must have learned to stop picking up pretty, fragile things you know will break."
"One has," Cloud Retainer acknowledged, her gaze drifting towards the distant hum of the forges where Alexander was undoubtedly immersed in his work. "And in doing so, One has curated a museum of silent regrets. You mistake the nature of the lesson, kitsune. The point is not to avoid the break, but to find value in the resonance the object produces while it is whole."
She turned her piercing gaze back to Yae. "You focus on the terminus—the death, the silence. It is an inefficient allocation of attention. You are disregarding the entire dataset of the present: the shared meals, the collaborative problem-solving, the simple, illogical comfort of proximity. This One has observed him. He offers you his present with unwavering consistency. You are rejecting it based on a future variable that has not yet, and may never, manifest in the way you fear."
"He will die," Yae whispered, the words a raw admission she had never voiced aloud.
"All systems eventually cease function. That is a universal constant," Cloud Retainer replied, her tone not unkind, but relentlessly factual. "But to devalue a system's entire operational lifespan because of its predetermined end-date is to reject the data it generates. His life, however long, will be a story. You are choosing to close the book at a thrilling chapter because you are afraid of the final page. It is… a waste of a compelling narrative."
Xianyun took a final step closer, her voice dropping slightly. "This One has let many things go. But the memories this One remembers with clarity are not the partings, but the moments of connection that made the parting ache. That ache is not a flaw; it is proof of a system that functioned as intended. To feel nothing would be the true failure."
She looked from the abandoned hairpin to Yae's conflicted face.
"The choice remains yours. But ask yourself if the silence you are crafting for your eternity is truly preferable to the temporary noise of a mortal's heart."
With that, the adeptus turned and left, leaving Yae alone in the quiet room with the ghost of a future regret and the tangible weight of a hairpin on a stone desk.
…
Hours later, Alexander entered the same room, planning to call the usual resident to go eat, but all he saw was an empty room. He glanced at the stone desk, feeling something should be there.
But nothing, every item inside disappeared with the person.
The truth, cold and absolute, settled over him. The distance, the polite silence, it hadn't ever been a phase. It was a slow, deliberate retreat, culminating in this final, silent exit. She was gone.
She had left without a word.
He stood there for a long moment, the hum of the adeptal machinery suddenly feeling hollow and distant. A single tear rolling down his cheek.
It hurt deeply, it hurt like betrayal.
.
.
.
Later that evening, Alexander found Cloud Retainer observing the celestial movements from a high balcony. He didn't need to ask.
"The choice was hers." the words were confusing without context and the young man was the only one of the two who was unaware of why.
Why she had left.
Alexander leaned on the railing, looking out at the sea of clouds below. "She didn't even say goodbye."
"Some partings are too heavy for words. They require silence to bear the weight." There was a rare, almost imperceptible softness in her tone. "Do not mistake her departure for a devaluation of the time shared. Often, the connections we flee most fiercely are the ones that mattered most."
"That no longer matters does it? She left without a word, that's the only memory that will matter to me most about her…" he couldn't help but say, the words harsh.
Xianyun didn't comment, but an imperceptible nod spoke volumes about her own thoughts. The thoughts of a being well past their thousand.
Alexander looked from the empty, cloud-wreathed horizon back towards the warm, humming glow of the workshop.
Perhaps the heat of the forge and anvil would help him get over this cold void inside his heart…
Without another word, he turned his back on the empty sky and walked back inside, the echo of a silent farewell giving way to the steady, predictable ring of hammer on steel. The adeptus followed inside, her presence providing support both morally and physically.