Jin remained standing in silence, his gaze fixed on the single remaining spider lily.
Its crimson petals trembled faintly in the night wind of Natlan, glowing softly against the blackened earth—then, as if answering an unheard call, it dissolved into particles of shadow and vanished.
Jin turned away.
He began to walk.
The volcanic plateau was quiet now. The heat of Natlan still breathed from the ground, carrying the scent of ash, sulfur, and scorched stone. In the distance, lava veins glimmered faintly like dying stars beneath the cracked earth, while the night sky stretched wide and clear—deep indigo, scattered with sharp, unfamiliar constellations.
Footsteps rushed behind him.
"Jin!"
Kachina ran toward him, her eyes locked not on his face—but on his shoulder.
"Jin, your shoulder—you're injured. Please, come with me. Let us treat it."
Jin stopped.
He did not turn.
His voice was calm, unhurried.
"…Fine. I'll accept that."
Kachina let out a breath of relief—
"But," Jin continued, "I will pay. And I insist. Do you understand?"
Kachina stared at him, stunned.
"Pay? You saved us! We're not going to take your money—do you really think this is the right time to talk about prices?"
Jin finally turned his head slightly, crimson eyes meeting hers.
"And do you think," he replied evenly, "this is the right time for charity?"
Kachina frowned, opening her mouth to argue—
But footsteps approached from the side.
Kinich and Mualani arrived, both slowing as they took in Jin's condition.
Kinich studied him carefully, eyes sharp, voice low and composed.
"I don't know who you are," he said, "but thanks for taking down the Abyss creatures. Whether you did it for us or not, the result is the same."
He sheathed his weapon slightly.
"Consider the treatment our way of saying thanks."
Mualani leaned closer, tilting her head, eyes bright even in the dark. The faint glow of Natlan's ambient heat reflected off her skin as she smiled.
"Well, well… who would've thought Kachina had a friend like you?" she said lightly.
"Still—what was that black stuff you used? It didn't look like any element I know. Was it some special technique, or…?"
Jin looked at the three of them in silence.
He realized, belatedly, what he had already suspected.
There was no Dark element in Teyvat.
Not here.
He exhaled slowly, then gave a small nod.
In truth, his thoughts were elsewhere.
I'll repay them, he decided. One way or another.
He did not accept things for free.
That was something Naoko had carved into him long ago:
> Never make yourself indebted. Everything has a price.
You owe no one—except those within the walls of House Rotchy.
Sion.
Shizana.
Zakaros.
Rena… was Rotchy now. By marriage. By bond.
Elizabeth and Tishara—recent additions. Complicated.
His thoughts were cut short by Mualani's voice.
"So," she said, curious rather than intrusive, "your name is Jin, right? I'm Mualani, from the Onasa of Spring. You're not from Natlan, are you? A traveler?"
Jin looked at her calmly.
"Yes. I'm not from Natlan," he said.
"And yes—you could say I'm a traveler."
Kinich's gaze sharpened with interest.
"My name is Kinich. baskets of the Shadowed Canopy," he introduced himself.
"I didn't expect that kind of strength… especially against the Abyss."
He paused, then added frankly,
"And you took their attacks head-on. You've got resistance—some kind of immunity, maybe. That black substance… it consumed the Abyss."
His eyes met Jin's.
"What is it?"
Jin was silent for a moment.
He considered explaining it in detail.
Then decided not to.
"It's the Dark element," he said simply.
The reaction was immediate.
Kachina blinked.
Mualani froze mid-smile.
Kinich frowned slightly.
"…Dark element?" Mualani repeated.
"There's no such thing. I've never heard of an element like that."
Kachina nodded quickly.
"Yeah—fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice… but darkness?"
The night wind swept across the plateau, stirring ash and heat alike.
Jin's crimson eyes reflected the glow of distant lava as he answered calmly,
" Okay, I understand. There is no element of darkness in this world. "
The stars above Natlan watched in silence.
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Heat: Thank you very much for reading.