Even Eula, lying on the bed, seemed to be holding her breath, her eyes fixed on Aether with an intensity that was a mixture of hope and worry.
Aether, meanwhile, had just jumped up from his chair.
The wood creaked slightly with the movement, breaking the fragile calm that had settled.
His hand left Eula's, but the warmth of their contact still lingered in his fingers.
Paimon blinked, floating slightly higher, clearly lost.
Paimon: "Wait... wait... what?!"
"A plan?!"
"Since when do you come up with plans so quickly?!"
Aether didn't answer immediately.
He looked away slightly, as if trying to gather his thoughts, but his expression was triumphant.
A smile played on his lips, revealing that he had a plan.
Eula noticed it immediately.
Eula: "...It's not a simple plan, is it?"
Aether took a slow breath.
Aether: "No... not really."
Xianyun, who had remained slightly apart, observed the scene intently.
Her eyes behind her red glasses shone with an analytical glint.
She had already grasped part of what the traveler had in mind... but she was waiting for him to say it himself.
Paimon crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks.
Paimon: "Okay, are you going to explain or are you going to remain mysterious like this for hours?!"
Aether gave a faint smile… but it vanished almost immediately.
Then he raised his head.
Aether: "Shenhe hasn't just become stronger… she's become unstable."
Eula frowned slightly.
Eula: "We've all noticed…"
Aether: "No… I mean… completely unstable."
"She doesn't think like she used to; her emotions take over every moment."
He paused.
Aether: "That means we can't beat her in direct combat."
Paimon: "We already figured that out..."
Aether: "But it also means... we can manipulate her."
The word fell heavily in the room.
Eula narrowed her eyes slightly.
Eula: "Manipulate... Shenhe?"
Aether nodded slowly.
Aether: "Not her... her emotions."
Xianyun smiled slightly since Aether now understood the principle of ropes.
Xianyun: "Interesting..."
Paimon: "Huh?!"
"But how can you manipulate someone whose emotions change so rapidly?!"
Paimon's question made sense; she hadn't witnessed the fight herself, but she knew it would be extremely dangerous to attack Shenhe in such a state of mind.
Aether slowly turned his gaze toward her.
Aether: "Exactly."
"That's our advantage."
He took a few steps around the room, thinking aloud.
Aether: "If we can provoke a strong enough emotion... just one... then we can temporarily stabilize it."
Eula: "...And which one?"
Aether hesitated.
Then he replied, more softly:
Aether: "The one she feels the most..."
A silence.
Then Paimon's eyes widened.
Paimon: "...Oh."
Eula looked away slightly, understanding as well.
Eula: "Love..."
Xianyun nodded, satisfied.
Xianyun: "Exactly."
She crossed her arms, explaining calmly:
Xianyun: "Of all her emotions, this one is the deepest."
"Even without her red cords, it doesn't disappear."
"On the contrary... it becomes more intense."
Paimon: "So... if we use this..."
Aether: "We can prevent her from becoming completely uncontrollable, or even better, we could calm her down by putting the red cords on her as well."
"Although I don't think it would work."
Eula lightly tightened the bedsheets.
Eula: "You mean... you're going to use her feelings to get closer to her..."
Aether didn't answer immediately.
But his silence was an answer in itself.
Paimon: "Wait... wait... wait... you mean you're going to... play with her feelings?!"
Aether shook his head.
Aether: "No."
He looked up.
Aether: "I'm not going to play with her."
His voice became firmer.
Aether: "I'm going to calm her down."
Eula stared at him for a long moment.
Then she looked away slightly.
Eula: "...It's risky."
Aether: "I know."
Eula: "She could hurt you."
Aether: "I know."
Eula: "But could she kill you?"
Silence.
Then Aether replied without hesitation:
Aether: "She won't hurt me."
Paimon clenched his fists.
Paimon: "Are you serious?!"
"It's completely dangerous!"
Aether gently placed a hand on Paimon's head.
Aether: "We have no choice."
He then looked at Eula.
Aether: "And in the meantime..."
He paused before continuing.
Aether: "We need to repair the red ropes."
Xianyun nodded immediately.
Xianyun: "It can be done... but not here."
Paimon: "Why not?"
Xianyun: "Because I need peace and quiet... time... and specific materials."
Aether: "In the Serene Teapot."
Paimon blinked.
Paimon: "Tubby..."
Aether nodded.
Aether: "Yes."
"Over there, space is different."
"We'll have a better chance."
Eula raised her head slightly despite the pain.
Eula: "And me?"
Aether: "You stay here."
Eula immediately frowned.
Eula: "Absolutely not."
Aether: "Eula."
Eula: "It's my fault."
Her voice was calm.
Eula: "I'm not going to lie here while you risk your life, even if you think it won't hurt you."
Paimon: "But you're injured, and even if Baizhu said you'd recover quickly, you still need to rest a bit after this fight."
"Besides, your body is still cold!"
Eula: "So what?"
She tried to sit up, wincing slightly in pain.
Eula: "I can still fight."
Aether gently placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
Aether: "I know you can still fight, but it's still a no."
Eula looked up at him.
Aether: "This time... you trust me."
Their eyes met.
The moment seemed long and intense, and neither of them wanted to look away.
Then Eula looked away slightly, barely blushing.
Eula: "...Very well."
Paimon sighed in relief.
Paimon: "Phew..."
Xianyun, for her part, slightly adjusted her glasses.
Xianyun: "The plan is risky... but it's the only viable one."
"Anyway, with someone like me, we'll succeed."
She looked at Aether.
Xianyun: "Are you sure, traveler?"
Aether took a deep breath.
Then he nodded.
Aether: "Yes."
Silence.
Then Paimon raised his fist.
Paimon: "Good!"
"Then let's do it!"
Eula gave a faint smile.
Eula: "You'd better not die…"
"I'm telling you, it won't happen."
Aether smiled slightly.
Aether: "I'm telling you, it won't happen."
But deep in his eyes…
There was still that flicker of worry.
Because he knew something the others barely understood.
This plan… rested entirely on a single variable.
Shenhe.
And in her current state… she was no longer truly predictable.
Not at all.
The wind blew softly outside, making the bedroom curtains flutter slightly.
Like an omen.
As if something were approaching.
Aether clenched his fists slightly.
Then he almost murmured to himself:
Aether: "Wait for me, Shenhe…"
One hour later:
The soft afternoon light streamed through the narrow windows the wooden cabinets of the Bubu pharmacy cast golden reflections on the walls adorned with shelves filled with dried medicinal herbs.
The air was thick with the soothing scent of herbs and roots, a subtle blend of wild mint, white Qingxin flower, and other ingredients whose secrets were known only to the healers of Liyue.
In the small room at the back, the calm contrasted sharply with the chaos that had occurred a few hours earlier on the Guili Plains.
Eula lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
The white sheets were slightly wrinkled beneath her clenched fingers.
Even though her wounds had closed with impressive speed thanks to her endurance and the care she received, her mind remained agitated.
Eula: "What should I do…"
Her voice was low, almost a whisper.
Eula: "What is it "What I have to do..."
She repeated the phrase, as if the answer would appear on its own simply by saying it.
Eula: "What I have to do..."
With each repetition, a slight tension appeared in her eyes.
She wasn't one to remain inactive, especially not when she knew someone's life was at risk.
And this time... it was her fault.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
In her mind, images flashed by:
— The moment she revealed the truth to Aether
— Shenhe's gaze
— The fight with Cryo elemental energy
— The sound of the red strings snapping
Eula clenched her teeth slightly.
Eula: "I caused this..."
Foush
Beside her, floating peacefully in the air, Paimon circled, his hands behind his head, as if she were Deep in strategic thinking… except that—
Paimon: "Hmmm… maybe we could have some more shrimp like yesterday…"
She stopped, crossing her arms.
Paimon: "Or… some nicely grilled meat with vegetables…"
She nodded to herself.
Paimon: "Yes… that sounds good…"
A silence fell.
Eula slowly turned her head toward her, one eyebrow slightly raised.
Eula: "…Paimon."
Paimon: "Hm?"
Eula stared at her, clearly perplexed.
Eula: "How can you even think about eating… in a situation like this?"
Paimon blinked, as if the question genuinely surprised her.
Paimon: "Huh?"
She placed a hand on her chin.
Paimon: "Well… because thinking on an empty stomach is even worse!"
Eula remained silent for a moment.
Eula: "...That's not what I meant."
She sighed softly and looked away.
Eula: "Shenhe has become uncontrollable... Aether and the mysterious woman with black hair, are in the teahouse... and you're thinking about dinner."
Paimon froze for a few seconds.
Then, gently, she lowered her head slightly, muttering with a smile:
Paimon: "You know..."
She looked up at Eula.
Paimon: "It's precisely because the situation is serious that I'm not worried."
Eula frowned slightly.
Eula: "...What?"
Paimon crossed his arms with a small, confident smile, his cloak billowing as he floated in the air.
Paimon: "Because Aether is here."
Silence.
Eula: "..."
Paimon: "You don't know him well enough yet."
"Even though you met during a mission given by the Knights of the Order of Favorius, you met formally."
She began to float a little higher, adopting a formal, almost proud expression.
Paimon: "But Aether... he always finds a solution."
Eula remained silent, but her gaze showed that she was listening attentively.
Paimon: "In Mondstadt, he faced a giant dragon."
Eula: "...You're talking about his first exploits."
Paimon: "Exactly!"
"And not just that!"
She raised a finger.
Paimon: "He helped the entire city when no one else knew what to do."
A second finger.
Paimon: "In Liyue, he faced an ancient god."
Eula: "I just heard about a monster emerging from the water... Aether actually faced it."
Paimon nodded vigorously.
Paimon: "And he survived!"
A third finger.
Paimon: "And in Inazuma... it was even worse!"
She adopted a dramatic expression.
Paimon: "An entire nation under a decree... an Archon... a war..."
Eula remained motionless, but her eyes drifted slightly downward.
Paimon: "And despite all that..."
She placed her hands on her hips.
Paimon: "He didn't abandon anyone."
Silence fell again in the room.
The sun's rays had shifted slightly, now illuminating part of Eula's face.
Eula: "...He didn't abandon anyone..."
Paimon: "So, Shenhe?"
She shrugged.
Paimon: "She's just a friend in trouble."
Eula lightly gripped the sheets.
Paimon: "And Aether would never abandon a friend."
Eula closed her eyes.
Eula: "Even if that friend tried to kill me..."
A faint shiver ran through her.
She still remembered that aura... that crushing pressure... that look.
Eula: "It wasn't Shenhe anymore..."
Then...
Another thought crossed her mind.
Eula: "And yet..."
She remembered his words.
Shenhe: "If you hurt her... you'll regret it."
Eula slowly opened her eyes, a smile spreading across her face.
Eula: "She really loves him..."
Eula slowly opened her eyes.
Eula: "She really loves him..."
A silence followed, then she added softly:
Eula: "...And if Aether fails?"
Paimon blinked.
Paimon: "Huh?"
Eula looked away slightly.
Eula: "If... this time... he doesn't succeed?"
Her voice was lower, more serious.
Eula: "If Shenhe is too dangerous..."
Paimon remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she slowly approached the bed.
Paimon: "So..."
She placed her hands on her hips.
Paimon: "We'll help her."
Eula glanced up at her slightly.
Paimon: "All together."
Silence.
Paimon: "That's what being her friends is all about."
Eula remained motionless.
Then, slowly… she sat up slightly on the bed, despite the lingering pain.
Eula: "…You're really strange. No wonder Aether often compares you to Emergence food."
Paimon: "Hey!"
Eula gave a very faint smile.
Eula: "But…"
She looked ahead.
Eula: "You might be right."
She placed a hand on her still slightly sore shoulder.
Eula: "I can't stay here… the second I feel I can get up, I'm leaving this room and going straight into the teapot."
Her gaze hardened slightly.
Eula: "I can't ignore this."
"Not after what I've done."
Paimon looked at her curiously.
Paimon: "What are you thinking about?"
Eula didn't answer immediately.
Then
Eula: "The only thing I can do now."
Paimon tilted his head.
Eula slowly lifted her legs out of bed.
Paimon: "Hey!"
"You shouldn't move!"
Eula: "I'm fine."
Even if that wasn't entirely true.
But it didn't matter.
Eula: "I won't stay here while they risk their lives."
Paimon looked at her for a few seconds... then sighed.
Paimon: "You're so stubborn..."
Eula: "...I'll get my revenge for saying that."
"But I'll take it as a compliment."
Then there was a brief silence between them.
Then Paimon smiled slightly.
Paimon: "Well..."
She sat up.
Paimon: "Then we'll go join them."
Eula nodded slightly.
Eula: "Yes."
But deep down...
Eula: "Aether..."
Her expression became more serious.
Eula: "This time... I won't run away."
Tap
The room fell silent as the two girls began to look at the Serenia Pot, which was floating in the air in the middle of the room.
Eula: "..."
Paimon: "..."
They both continued to look at the teapot for a few seconds.
Eula: "How do you get inside?"
Paimon: "I forgot."
"Usually, Aethet takes care of it."
Meanwhile, inside the Serenia Pot:
The artificial sky, painted in soft shades of blue and gold, gave the impression of an eternal twilight.
A light breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, arranged with almost perfect precision, as if every element of the landscape had been carefully placed to soothe the minds of those within it.
In the center of this peaceful space, a small wooden table stood on a raised terrace, surrounded by a few simple yet elegant chairs.
Seated around this table, Aether and Xianyun faced an object that contrasted sharply with the serenity of the surroundings.
A fragment of red rope.
Placed in the center of the table, it seemed almost… alive.
Fine pulses of energy emanated from it, as if the emotions it contained were still trying to express themselves despite its breakage.
Not far from them, Tubby stood motionless, his blue feathers trembling slightly.
Tubby: "…"
Even without speaking, it was clear he felt the gravity of the situation.
Aether, for his part, had his elbows on the table, his hands clasped in front of his face. His gaze was fixed on the rope, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
Aether: "Is it going to be that complicated to repair the rope?"
His voice betrayed a worry he no longer even tried to hide.
Xianyun, sitting opposite him, delicately held the fragment between her fingers, her red glasses slightly reflecting the ambient light as she examined each fiber with almost scientific precision.
Xianyun: "Honestly..."
She turned the piece slightly.
Xianyun: "I overestimated the difficulty of the task."
Aether raised his head slightly.
Xianyun: "In the end, it will only take a few minutes."
A silence.
Then
Aether: "...Huh?"
He blinked, visibly surprised.
Aether: "A few minutes?!"
Xianyun nodded calmly.
Xianyun: "Yes."
Chapter 21: Chapter 21: An Agreement of Trust
The End