A light drizzle fell that morning as Ningguang went up the path to the cemetery. Droplets pattered her umbrella, an endless buzzing drone. It was so much like that one day so long ago.
She emerged around the mausoleum and found the tall, blue-haired woman standing before a tombstone. Fists in her pockets, Yelan stared at the stone, paying no attention to the raindrops falling upon her cheeks.
"Here again, Yelan?"
The archer didn't respond. Ningguang went over and shared her umbrella. Her eyes fell to the tombstone. Here rested one of Yelan's old partners. Ningguang knew he was more than a partner; this man was Yelan's first love. Time, it seemed, had not dulled the heartache.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Me too," said Yelan. "We shouldn't have involved ordinary folk in what we do."
Those were the same words Yelan had spoken back then. Seemed her friend was still confined to her solitary road. Oh, she could work along the extraordinary: Aether, Keqing, Xiao, Yanfei, Shenhe…but her road remained a lonely one.
Ningguang studied the dark clouds which showed no sign of abating.
"How long did you plan to stay here?"
Yelan shrugged. Long minutes passed in silence. The drizzle grew into a dense storm, pattering down the umbrella and coating the cemetery in a gray veil. Still, Yelan did not budge. Ningguang settled herself in for what she realized would be a long wait.
"You always visit him before you explore the Chasm," said Ningguang. "Does it make you feel any better?"
"Hard to say."
"Then, why do you always stay here so long?"
Yelan closed her eyes. "Every time I visit, I remember our mistakes; an apology just doesn't do enough."
The rain poured down heavier than ever. Ningguang felt Yelan shudder. The strong woman wore a somber expression tinged with regret. Ningguang rested a hand on Yelan's shoulder.
"You're no longer alone," she said. "Remember that."
"I know," said Yelan. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep Liyue and my new partners safe."
The rainstorm slowed to a light drizzle. When at last the rain abated, Yelan took her hands from her pockets. Nodding gratefully to Ningguang, she turned. Moments later, she crossed between the mausoleums and melted into the shadows.