Final Episode: Eternal Afterglow of the False Stars

There once lived a man named Diluc Ragnvindr. His was a mostly peaceful, but exceptional life. By day, he ran his family's cherished wine business, passed down to him by his late father. By night, he protected his home country of Mondstadt, no matter the cost. It seemed like that sort of life was his destiny, an immovable fact.

But one particular sunny day, as the warm breeze signaled the arrival of spring once again, Diluc Ragnvindr remembered the truth.

It wasn't a complicated process. He didn't have to attain enlightenment, or sell his soul to some malevolent god. That truth simply materialized out of nothingness, filling his mind with an impossible, yet inescapable reality. And once he knew that old truth, older than even time itself, his peaceful everyday life couldn't possibly remain the same.

Because in this world, she still existed.

Opening Theme: FELT - START

Across the plains of Liyue, a solitary man walked. His steps were firm, confident, and purposeful. This wasn't a man who was out for a casual morning stroll. This was clearly a man with a destination of utmost importance.

Every step he took was filled with nostalgia. It hadn't been that long since he had witnessed a similar scene, pulled from the depths of the past to live once again. This journey wasn't quite the same as the one back then, though. This time, there were no losses, no sorrows weighing on his mind.

The only thing he felt now was anticipation.

Gripping a familiar necklace in his right hand, he replaced it inside his inner jacket pocket and continued on.

Rounding the final corner of that familiar road, Liyue Harbor came into view. Despite his countless trips to this place, this one felt fresh and new. He couldn't wait to set foot on those wooden docks again.

Through lively streets and past loud vendors he hiked, his mind dead set on his destination. He passed by the inn that he had never stayed at before in this timeline, feeling nostalgic for all the days he spent there, days that no longer existed.

Strolling through the gate, he walked across the boardwalk over the pond with a little more haste. This place held so many precious memories, and none of them were lost on him now. However, those memories were no longer bittersweet. Now, if his hunch was correct, the two of them could make plenty of new ones.

He climbed the staircase towards the square at Yuehai Pavilion, catching his breath briefly at the top from running too fast. He was so eager now he was almost shaking.

Pushing the front door open wide, he was met with a familiar face behind the counter - a face that made his heart grow warm.

"Ganyu!"

"Eep! Y-Yes? What can I do for… Ah…"

Realization crossed her face as her memories were stimulated by the sight of the red-haired man. Months worth of joy, pain, grief, and acceptance passed in an instant, and she looked up at him with wonder in her eyes.

"No way… You…"

"Yeah, it's me, Diluc."

"I know! How could I not know!" she replied, almost in tears already.

"I wasn't sure if you would remember or not. Don't worry, everything is fine now. We got our second chance," he said softly, with a kind grin spread across his face.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Ganyu smiled brightly and nodded.

"Mm!"

After delivering his "cool" lines, Diluc looked around nervously, peering around corners, trying to catch sight of a certain someone.

"Ah, Lady Keqing is in her office. Normally I would say she's too busy for visitors, but…" Ganyu trailed off with a sniff and a cheeky smile.

"Thanks, Ganyu, for everything."

Diluc thanked her with a wave as he sped towards the hallway where Keqing's office was. Ganyu waved until he was out of sight, then brought her hand to her chest. With a tiny smile, she whispered words that no one else could have heard.

"Thank goodness."

Diluc's nerves were shot by the time he got to Keqing's office door. Swallowing them, he reached for the door with his hand balled into a fist, and knocked.

"Yes, who is it? I'm quite busy right now!" someone yelled from inside.

That silken voice was so familiar, so nostalgic, that Diluc had to hold back tears right then and there. He squeezed his eyes tight until the threat was past, then replied.

"It's someone important."

"Eh…?" came a tiny squeak from behind the door.

For a disconcertingly long time, it was completely silent within. Diluc almost pushed the door open himself, but he somehow held back. After what felt like several minutes, he heard rushed footsteps heading for the door. It creaked open suddenly, leaving him defenseless against the sudden attack.

And standing in the doorway, as beautiful as the day they first met, was Keqing.

Her delicate eyelids were slightly red for some reason as she stared up at Diluc. Their eyes met, and an impossible amount of feelings were transferred between them in mere seconds. At last, Keqing gave in first, closing the gap between them in an instant.

She jumped into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck tightly. He caught her, using his strong arms to support her behind.

Without even saying a word, the two hungrily sought out each other's lips. Their reunion kiss was neither obscene nor sensual. It was a pure, loving embrace that clearly articulated what words never could. After fully explaining how they felt about this reunion, the two parted from their kiss, and Keqing rested her head on his shoulder.

"Diluc, this… This is real, right? Please don't tell me this is some sort of dream…"

Her tender whispers melted Diluc's heart as he held her in his arms.

"This isn't a dream. And if it is, don't ever wake me up," he muttered in reply.

"But how… how is this possible? I… I died… didn't I?"

"So you remember that much."

"Y-Yeah, and I remember you coming to find me… but that's all I remember," she said softly.

"I see."

"What in the world happened…?" she said, pulling back to look into his eyes.

"It's a long story."

She pouted, unsatisfied with his short answer.

"You'd better tell me."

"I will. There's no rush, we have all the time in the…"

He trailed off, struck silent by the meaning of his own words. He smiled with a distant look in his eyes, then glanced out the large window near her desk. Outside, beyond the tiny, budding cherry blossoms, the sky was the perfect shade of blue.

That night, after Keqing had finished her work for the day, the two wandered the streets of Liyue Harbor together. The familiar orange glow of lanterns guided their steps, and above, the stars shone down on the city, twinkling jubilantly.

"This feels so nostalgic," Keqing sighed, tightening her grip on Diluc's right hand.

"Yeah," he muttered in reply.

It almost seemed too good to be true. His soulmate was alive again, and by his side, with memories intact. This was almost certainly a devil's bargain. Something had definitely been sacrificed to attain this, but the cool night air and her soft, warm hand told him to relax and enjoy this miracle for everything it was worth.

And so he did.

They walked all around the city, finding memories around every corner. They reminisced, smiling and laughing when they remembered that night they bumped into each other on the bridge to Chihu Rock. And Keqing cried when she gazed up the path leading to the place she died.

As they passed by the peaceful pond near Babu Pharmacy, the floating lanterns glowed with an orange light, just like they had on the night they became a couple.

"I still can't believe you confessed to me so soon," Diluc said with a chuckle as they walked hand in hand on the boardwalk.

Keqing pouted, poking her cheek out.

"Listen, I was just following my heart. Forgive me for being honest I guess."

"I'm glad you did, though," Diluc said with a warm smile. "I never would have realized my true feelings otherwise."

Keqing smiled affectionately at him in return, her cheeks slightly red.

"Damn it, I love you so much…" she muttered under her breath quietly.

They neared the gate leading back into the main square, when a familiar figure caught Diluc's attention. At the same time, the figure looked up, and a look of recognition spread across his sharp face.

"Ah, Diluc. And… Keqing?"

Normally calm and composed, Zhongli couldn't hide the surprise he felt upon seeing that girl again, especially since his newly-discovered memories were conflicting with what his eyes were seeing.

"Hello, Zhongli," Keqing greeted him politely.

"I see… so that's how it is…" he muttered under his breath, prompting another blush from Keqing.

"Y-Yes, that's how it is!" she spluttered.

"Huh? Ah, that's not what I intended. But yes, I can see what you mean, Lady Keqing."

She blushed even deeper, and Diluc had a hearty laugh at her expense. Then, he stepped forward, bowing to Zhongli politely.

"Thank you for everything, Zhongli. I wouldn't have made it here without you."

The dark-haired man looked a bit taken aback, but smiled kindly.

"It was my pleasure."

Summing up everything in those few words, he walked away, waving his hand in farewell.

"I wish you both the best."

The couple watched him leave, and Keqing turned to look at Diluc questioningly.

"I didn't know you knew him."

"Well, yeah. That's another long story."

"No time like the present," she said, grinning.

As the two meandered down the quiet streets, Diluc told her everything about that mysterious man and his involvement in the events of that past world. For what felt like hours, they discussed everything they could think of; that old world, the events that led to the end, and the new chance they had before them.

As is typical, though, the night ended much too soon, as the clock drew near to midnight before they knew it. Diluc had come without lodging reservations of any kind, so he pointed out that fact to Keqing, who promptly told him he could stay at her place.

"Really? Jumping into bed with me already?"

"No need to act surprised this late in the game. You already took my virginity once, you can take it again," she replied, giggling.

"Wha-?!" Diluc choked, completely taken aback by her sudden crude words.

But then again, we are lovers. This is only the natural continuation of our relationship.

Regaining his gentlemanly composure, he took her hand firmly in his.

"Then let's go. I'm going to make you mine all over again," he whispered gruffly, directly into her ear.

And that ear instantly turned red, along with most of her face. She looked up at him with mouth gaping and eyes wide, completely out of sorts.

Didn't think it'd be that effective… Was that crude act just for show?

He chuckled to himself at that thought. Even after everything that had happened, she was still a mystery - one that he promised himself to spend a lifetime unraveling.

When they reached Keqing's place, they quietly slipped inside. Her modest, but fairly roomy house was cozy at first glance - a two-story affair with a small footprint. Diluc stood inside the door, taking in another aspect of his soul mate that he didn't get to see before.

"Well, you just gonna stand there? Come in," Keqing's pretty voice rang out, interrupting his musings.

"Ah, yeah."

Diluc took a seat on a small sofa, relaxing his tired feet. He wondered how many miles the two of them had walked that evening.

"Want to take a bath? I'll run the water, you can go first," Keqing said from upstairs as she headed to her room to change.

"Hmm, yeah. Probably should after that long excursion."

After the water was heated up, Diluc stripped down in the small bathroom, and slid into the surprisingly roomy bath.

At times like these, his mind would always wander to deeper thoughts. Now was no different, despite the unfamiliar setting.

I guess this is real after all. Even Zhongli remembered me…

The small, nagging worry at the back of his mind began to fade away as the hot water embraced his tired muscles. His eyes drifted shut, taking in a few moments of much-needed rest.

"Hey…"

That small voice aroused his drowsy mind from the edge of slumber. Then, the door to the bath slid open. He looked up to see something that made his chest burn with desire.

Keqing was standing there, completely nude with the exception of a small towel that barely covered her most important bits. Her pale skin glowed through the haze of steam that filled the room, giving it an entrancing, dreamlike quality.

"Shouldn't you knock before entering?" Diluc said, somehow managing a snide remark.

"This is my house."

"Still, common courtesy and all."

"…Sorry. I… just wanted to be with you."

Diluc's tired eyes widened a bit. Her blunt, honest feelings struck him with perfect precision.

As she came closer, she dropped the towel, revealing that figure that had been burned into Diluc's mind since that night at the inn so long ago. Her breasts bounced subtly with each step she took, and her pink nipples were poking out eagerly.

"How could I say no to that?" he said, smiling as he took in the astounding beauty of the woman he adored.

She slipped into the bath opposite of Diluc. As she did, she revealed a glimpse of her womanhood, already glistening before it had even hit the water. She took her seat, her face as red as a beet.

"Missed me, huh?" Diluc smiled at her.

"Yeah. In so many ways…"

Diluc clearly understood her feelings. In fact, it was almost as if she had reached out and touched him with her very own heart.

"Me too. I waited so long to see you again, but it was worth it."

Her blushing face spread out into a sweet smile.

"Diluc… please, never let me go. Please… love me…"

Her upturned amethyst eyes pleaded with him, and he wasn't stupid enough to deny that request.

His right hand met her face in a tender show of affection. Then, he pulled hers closer to his, leaning forward to bridge the gap between their lips once again.

That kiss went on and on, melting away any rationality they might have had left. In that steamy bathroom, as the clock neared 1 a.m., their walls came tumbling down.

Diluc's hand fell from her cheek, tracing the lines of her small collarbones, then softly embraced her breast. It still fit perfectly in the palm of his hand, a fact that made him smile. As his fingertips teased the supple pink nub at the center, she let out a little yelp.

"Mmh!"

That voice she let out was like a spark to gasoline. Up until now, Diluc's motions had been very gentle, but her sultry voice and her demure demeanor triggered something feral in him.

He lunged forward, meeting her mouth again, this time much more aggressively than before. And to his surprise, she reciprocated almost as aggressively.

Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders, with much more force than he had expected. In response, he embraced her even more firmly. His left hand reached down to the small of her back, just above her plump cheeks, and pulled her in. She slid along the bottom of the bath until her crotch was almost in contact with his. That distance was still too far for Diluc's liking, but it was much better than before.

"Mm… a… Ah!"

Little moans of pleasure escaped her lips, interspersed with smacking sounds as they obscenely kissed over and over. Just when the wave seemed to be coming to an end, they drew in for more, insatiably lusting after each other, wanting to somehow get even closer than they already were.

Diluc's hand found its way down to her vagina, which was wet in an entirely different way than the rest of her body. The slimy, hot feeling of that fleshy opening made Diluc throb in anticipation. He caressed it gently, then slipped a finger inside.

"Ohh?!"

Keqing's voice rose an octave, mixed with pleasure and surprise. But Diluc wasn't done yet. His lips returned to hers, and as they kissed again, his left hand supported her back. He pushed her backwards, until she was almost laying down. Underneath him, she blushed profusely at this new submissive position she found herself in.

At the same time, he slipped another finger inside her. It went in easily, as if her body was welcoming him home. He reached for that familiar spot at the back, and began to caress it. Simultaneously, he palmed her breast, squeezing her nipple and rolling it around between his fingers.

He kept those motions up, and Keqing's voice became sweeter and sweeter.

"Ahh?! Oh… wow… hah… that feels good…!" she moaned between gasps.

The pleasure built and built, until she could no longer restrain herself. Her moans became yells, as wave after wave of intense gratification embraced her tingling body. She looked up at Diluc desperately as the pleasure reached the verge of being overwhelming, and he offered her a gentle smile of reassurance.

"Mmh… I… ah… love you! I love you! I love you so much! Ahhh!"

His fingers began moving faster and faster, up and down, as he brought her to the very edge of orgasm. The bath water sloshed around wildly, and she grabbed his shoulders with her hands, digging her nails into him as she screamed, completely out of control.

At last, she ascended the highest peak.

She squealed, her voice uneven and raw. Her hips buckled, and her legs began shaking uncontrollably as the immense pleasure completely removed any hint of rational thought from her mind. The pale skin on her chest was red, and a few tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. All the while, Diluc watched over her as he kindly guided her to ecstasy.

When the waves of pleasure finally subsided, Keqing was left breathless and dazed.

"Wha… what… was that?" she muttered in confusion.

"I take it you were feeling good?" Diluc said with a grin.

"You don't say…" she replied softly, and a bit sarcastically.

She moved to sit up, finally regaining some of her faculties. She immediately kissed him again, cupping his face in her small hands. That intimate moment was so beautiful, so ephemeral, that Diluc almost teared up. She pulled back, and spoke softly, meeting his eyes with hers.

"I'm more than ready. Please… do me."

And so, he did. His manhood was so hard it was almost painful by now, and he quickly guided it into the place it was meant to go. It slipped inside, until it reached the wall that separated him from her womb. He inhaled sharply as she tightened around him, gripping him like a vice. It felt good. At the same time, she groaned, her voice tinged with pleasure.

He picked her up from her reclining position once they were connected, and pulled her into a close embrace on his lap.

"I love you so much, Keqing."

With those simple words of affection, he started moving.

For what felt like hours, they made love, until the bath water went lukewarm. Those precious moments of indescribable pleasure would last forever in their memories, as they made the absolute most of their second first time together. Diluc quickly lost count of how many times he had emptied his seed inside her, not even considering any possible consequences for a single moment. Disregarding anything else, they became one again… and again… and again… until their bodies finally screamed at them to get some rest.

Floating along in the dreamy afterglow, they stumbled upstairs to Keqing's bed, and fell into sleep's embrace some time just before dawn.

The next day, as the morning sun shone down on them, the two walked proudly to Yuehai Pavilion hand in hand. As they strolled through the front door, a familiar white-haired woman turned around and spotted them.

"Oh my, Keqing, how bold! Who is…"

"Yo, Ningguang."

"D-Diluc…?" she said questioningly as her memories returned. "I… I see… so that's how it is…"

"Good, looks like I won't have to explain anything," Diluc said sarcastically.

But a scary look came across Ningguang's face.

"No, I think you will have a few things to explain, actually," she said in a low voice.

"Oh? I'll have to get back to you about that later," he said, sneaking towards the door.

"No, I'm very free right now."

Diluc sighed, knowing he wasn't getting out of it that easily. Keqing looked at him apologetically, then headed down the hall to her office, prying her hand from his with some reluctance.

"Fine. What can I do for you, fine madam?"

"You can stop talking like a prick, for starters. Let's go outside."

Overlooking the city, the two stood side by side once again as spring's warm breeze tousled their hair.

"First of all, it seems I owe you some thanks," Ningguang began unexpectedly.

"What? Had a change of heart already?"

She glared at him suspiciously then continued.

"Look, I don't know what the hell you did, but I definitely have some pretty awful memories floating around my head now, and it all started when I saw you. Care to explain?"

"I could, but I don't think we have time. Suffice to say, those memories are probably true. But what we're experiencing now is real, as well."

"So she did die, then?"

"Yeah. And I couldn't leave it at that."

Ningguang raised an eyebrow.

"I get you're trying to be cool, but you just sound like a madman to me."

Diluc threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"Maybe I am. But here we are. We have this second chance, and I won't leave behind any regrets this time."

Ningguang stared at him for the longest time, as if she was trying to find an answer written on his face. Finally, she sighed and spoke.

"You'd better make sure that girl doesn't have any either. Or else."

Despite her fearsome appearance, Diluc smiled at her and responded kindly.

"I promise."

Several days later, the weekend arrived. Diluc had managed to convince Keqing to accompany him back to Mond for a short while. There were a lot of things he wanted to settle, and he needed her by his side.

So, the two made a quick trip, and arrived at Mondstadt before noon. Stepping through the great gate of the city, they made a beeline for the Knights' headquarters first of all.

"I'm home!" Diluc yelled as he opened the door.

Standing inside was a flashy blue-haired man, trying to deal with a lively little girl with pointed ears as she jumped up and down. His head whirled around on a swivel, and his face showed annoyance when he saw Diluc.

"What kind of bullshit greeting was that? At least try to stay in-character," he said snidely.

But his eye widened when he saw the girl standing beside Diluc.

"What in…"

"Hello, Kaeya. Long time no see," she said, spreading her skirt and bowing with the utmost manners.

Kaeya just gaped at the two, his jaw almost hitting the floor. After a few seconds of that, he ambled over to Diluc and put his arm around his neck.

"You bastard, so you did it!"

"No, we did it," Diluc replied with a half grin.

Just then, Jean poked her head out of her office, and was just as shocked by what she saw. Her hands flew over her mouth, and she rushed out to greet them.

"Keqing! I'm so glad to see you!" she said, hugging the purple-haired girl tightly.

Diluc could only watch uncomfortably. He knew Jean must be feeling a plethora of emotions. Her memory had just returned, after all. She certainly remembered everything that had happened in the last loop – even their ill-advised tryst that had ended so prematurely… But somehow she still put on a strong face and greeted Keqing with kindness - a true testament to her character. That fact stung him even now.

Hearing the commotion, Lisa poked her head out of the library door. Upon seeing what was going on, she slipped out, sneaking up behind Kaeya.

"Hey, is that the girl?" she whispered in his ear.

Kaeya almost jumped out of his skin, then sighed deeply, catching his breath like a man who almost had a heart attack.

"Yeah, that's her."

"Ooo, quite the beauty. It seems good taste in women runs in the family."

"Shut it woman. Don't get too conceited just because we did it a few times," he snapped, but his face showed kindness in contrast to his words.

As he turned around to watch the three catching up, Lisa put her chin on his shoulder and watched as well.

"Seems like happiness wasn't so far out of reach after all," she said softly.

Kaeya knew she was absolutely wrong about that. Getting to this point had required so many sacrifices and so much suffering. Even now, he questioned if this wasn't some sort of cruel dream of false hope that they would wake up from one day. And still, many questions tortured his mind - questions that he might never be able to answer now thanks to Diluc's decision. However, he spoke of nothing of the sort, instead deciding on something simpler - and more hopeful.

"Yeah, maybe you're right."

Diluc and Keqing spent the rest of the day announcing their relationship to everyone Diluc was close to. He made sure there was no ambiguity this time, proclaiming his love for her openly and loudly, much to the annoyance of Kaeya and a few others.

But this was no time for holding back, and they all knew it. They had been granted a second chance at life, something that was unprecedentedly miraculous. The least they could do was respect that fact and live life to the utmost.

Questions remained, but perhaps everything didn't need explaining in the first place. To truly live happily, some things might need to be overlooked. Diluc understood this now more clearly than ever. To continue seeking the truth was a fool's errand when happiness was already within his very arms.

He would hold on to this love with all his might, forever.

And perhaps, someday, far off in the future… after they had grown old together… he might see that place again.

And so, with the love of his life by his side, Diluc settled into his new life. Time - fickle as it is - can slip away so quickly when you're not paying attention. Just like that, the days began to fly by. Spring turned to summer, and the warm sunshine tanned her soft, pale skin. Summer turned to fall before they knew it, bringing hearty, cool breezes as the trees shed their leaves. Then, the first snow of winter blanketed the world in white.

When the snow thawed again, a year had flown by in the blink of an eye. How many times had this pattern repeated? It had always done so, and it would forevermore, until the final page snapped closed on the story of that world.

As Diluc made his way up the steps of the Favonius Cathedral with his brother by his side, faraway thoughts like those filled his mind. Normally, a man would be nervous on a day like this, but not him. This felt like the most natural thing in the world now, and he couldn't be happier to finally seal the deal.

The first stars had just begun to twinkle in the dark blue evening sky as he reached for the door. For some reason he looked up, drawn to their distant, unattainable beauty.

"You just gonna stand around all day? It's almost time," Kaeya said from inside, holding the door for him.

He smiled, with just the slightest hint of bitterness painting his face, and looked away from that ephemeral sky, pushing the door open wide.

Half an hour later, he stood alone at the end of the long aisle. He adjusted the lapel of his suit, making sure it was perfectly in place. He wanted to look his absolute best when that long-awaited moment arrived.

The Cathedral was far from empty tonight. Familiar faces were everywhere, even some from as far away as Liyue. Every single one of them had gathered to celebrate only one thing.

As the back door cracked open, Diluc strained his eyes to see what he had been waiting for all this time.

There she was.

Clothed in the most beautiful, pure-white dress, a purple-haired young woman nervously stepped inside the Cathedral, followed closely by two other familiar ladies.

Diluc's heart leapt with joy as she made her way down the aisle, her face tinted a pleasant pink color underneath the glow of chandeliers. Their eyes met, and she smiled joyfully, her face as radiant and bright as the sun.

This was it. Nothing else mattered. Regrets, sorrows, painful memories… they all seemed as distant as the stars in the sky above them now. This world would continue on, and in it, he would find all the happiness he had missed out on before. With her by his side, he knew it would be possible.

When Deaconess Barbara asked the question to end all questions, Diluc stared deeply into Keqing's sparkling amethyst eyes, desperately hoping she could feel the depth of his love for her, and spoke. With a perfectly even voice, he promised forever.

"I do."

Ending Theme: Elements Garden - Together, Walking Side by Side

Final Arc: END…?