Upon receiving Shenhe's reply, Elliot smiled too. It was the answer he had anticipated. She would rather follow him into the underworld than live on alone in this world without him.
He slowly walked out of the house, reaching the edge of Celestia, and looked down upon the vast continent below. People still remained unaware that danger was already at their doorstep. In less than two days, the Abyss would spread across the surface of this continent. Then, evil spirits and calamities would once again sweep across the entire land.
"How long until the Abyss arrives?" Shenhe sensed Elliot's thoughts and immediately asked.
"A day and a half, less than two days."
"So soon!?" Shenhe gasped in shock.
"Yes." As he spoke, he slowly raised his right hand, which soon burst into light.
"Husband, what are you doing?"
"I want them to depart without suffering."
Elliot's words were chillingly cold. For the first time, Shenhe felt she barely recognized Elliot. Though he was right—compared to being infected by the Abyss into monstrous, inhuman forms, or plunging them back into despair, a silent, painless death was undoubtedly merciful—yet this utterly cold, emotionless tone felt strangely unfamiliar to Shenhe.
He who loved the world, loved people, loved everything—now he must destroy it all with his own hands. Though the third-incarnation Elliot hadn't formed deep bonds with many, these were all familiar faces. Jean, Qiqi, Ningguang, Xiao, Morax, Hu Tao, Yura, Amber, Kazuha, Zebul... From here, Elliot could clearly observe their every movement.
"I'm sorry."
"Forgive my inadequacy."
As the light on his right hand intensified, the vast continent beneath Celestia vanished. Not a single blade of grass or tree remained—it simply dissolved into nothingness. In the river of time, all would return to void. Elliot enveloped them all in the power of time, rolling them back ten thousand years. Even Morax, under the influence of time, seemed as insignificant as a grain of sand.
With the continent's shield gone, the original landscape beneath was laid bare. It was an endless abyss. The current Teyvat continent, save for the Celestia, had long been utterly consumed by the Abyss.
"Scared you, didn't I?"
Elliot, having regained his composure, flashed a smile as warm and radiant as ever. Seeing that familiar smile, Shenhe finally snapped back to reality. She suddenly realized. The vibrant, beautiful world she once knew had vanished completely just moments ago. Her master, her dearest friend—everything, utterly lost in that instant.
Shenhe stood frozen in place, seemingly unable to believe it. It had all happened too suddenly. She had imagined the scene after Elliot's failure, the Abyss descending. Chaos erupting across the world, monsters arriving in waves, screams filling every corner, turning the land into a living hell. Yet she never expected that when it truly came, it would arrive so quietly.
So... quietly terrifying.
She recalled their travels across Teyvat together. She knew clearly that Elliot loved this world from the bottom of his heart. Now, he had shattered what he cherished with his own hands. Shenhe understood why Elliot had been so cold just now—so cold he seemed like a different person.
It was like being forced to kill your own family. The father who raised you, the mother who nurtured you, the brothers and sisters you grew up with... All these blood relatives, bound by flesh and blood, would be slain by your hand amidst laughter and joy. And you, you had no choice.
Because if you didn't, they would die anyway—and endure immense suffering and despair before their end. You had no alternative; you had to do it.
Shenhe understood all this, yet one thing remained unclear to her. Why, after experiencing such agonizing despair, had Elliot immediately regained his composure? Shenhe couldn't fathom what Elliot had endured... But she knew one thing for certain.
The path to the pinnacle of the world, to the supreme throne, could never be smooth sailing.
Elliot harbored many secrets unknown to others, but Shenhe never probed them. She understood one thing: whatever Elliot chose to share, she didn't need to ask.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think it through earlier." She realized she shouldn't have judged Elliot like that.
"It's fine. I'm the one who should apologize."
"After making you wait twenty-seven years, this is the outcome I bring you." Elliot laughed bitterly, self-mocking.
"No." Shenhe refuted his words and said earnestly, "You returned safely. That's enough."
"Truthfully, these past twenty-seven years since you left, I've thought about many things." Standing beside Elliot, she gazed into the distance as a gentle breeze brushed past her, carrying a faint fragrance.
"From the moment I first met you, you gave me a different feeling."
"You were gentle and patient. Back when I knew nothing about so many things, you always taught me with endless patience."
"Even when those things seem incredibly foolish now, you never showed the slightest impatience."
"Though I don't know how you ascended to this throne, my husband, I know the journey must have been arduous."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to walk through the most painful, difficult days with you. It must have been unbearably hard for you alone."
"You always bore the pain alone, unwilling to speak of it, but I could feel it."
"Like these past twenty-seven years since you left—you never mentioned them, yet I sensed you must have suffered far more than I did."
"Shouldering the duty to save the world, your burden must have been immense."
"I can also sense that many people admire you."
"After all, my husband is so outstanding and gentle—it's only natural that others would compete for your affection."
"Yet you never made me feel the slightest unease. You always maintained a safe distance from others."
"Even so, I still sometimes felt anxious and restless."
"I feared I wasn't good enough, not considerate enough—that someone might take you away."
"Whenever that happens, you always come to comfort me, telling me you'll never leave me."
"I can also feel how much you love this world—more than anyone else. Now you're forced to bury it."
"Yet you've never spoken of this pain, never complained. You always look at me with the gentlest eyes and speak to me in the softest tone."
"You feared passing these negative emotions onto me, so you chose to bear them alone."
"I feel I've failed utterly as a wife. I'm like a bird kept in a cage, forever sheltered by you."
By this point, Shenhe was already weeping uncontrollably. Accumulated guilt and self-reproach overwhelmed her heart.
Elliot gently lifted her lowered head and slowly wiped away her tears.
"Love doesn't dwell on giving and receiving."
"If I give something, you must repay it—that's not love, that's a transaction."
"Everything I've done is simply to see you happy every day."
"I love you. That's all."