Night had fully fallen over Mondstadt.
After dinner at Good Hunter, everyone naturally went their separate ways. Kairo and the others walked Barbara back first.
Barbara stood on the stone steps of the Church of Favonius, fingers gathered in front of her, the warm light from the cathedral spilling behind her. Her eyes lingered on Kairo just a heartbeat longer than usual.
"See you tomorrow, Mr. Kairo."
Her voice was soft and gentle — but there was a tiny heaviness under it. She knew: tomorrow she could still see him, the day after tomorrow she could still see him… but the day after that, once he headed to Liyue with Lumine and Paimon, there might not be a "see you tomorrow" anymore.
Kairo smiled. "Mm. See you tomorrow."
He watched her walk into the cathedral until the door closed and her silhouette disappeared into the light.
After that, Lumine and Paimon went back to the quarters arranged by the Knights of Favonius. Klee was picked up by the Knights, bouncing away with her little backpack.
In the end, only one person stayed behind at the corner of the street.
Fischl.
She stood beneath a streetlamp, her black-violet dress swaying gently, golden hair caught by the night breeze. Her amethyst eyes reflected the stars above Mondstadt. Oz hovered beside her, wings beating quietly, just watching.
Kairo turned to head home.
Fischl watched his back grow smaller and smaller. She bit her lip.
"Oz. Go back first."
Oz tilted his head. "Your Highness?"
Fischl drew a slow breath. This time she didn't put on her usual "Prinzessin der Verurteilung" theatrics. She said it very honestly, almost like an ordinary girl:
"He's leaving. If I don't talk to him tonight… I might not get another chance."
Oz was silent for a second, then bowed in the air. "I understand, Your Highness."
He flew back toward the city.
Fischl gathered her skirt and hurried after Kairo.
…
Kairo pushed open his door and had just stepped inside when he suddenly stopped.
Someone was walking up from the street.
A familiar, beautiful figure in a dark-violet, ornate dress. Golden hair fluttering in the night wind. Violet eyes, bright even under starlight.
"Kairo."
Before he could even speak, Fischl threw herself into his arms.
He was caught off guard and took half a step back. A warm, soft body pressed against him. The girl wrapped her arms around his waist and held on very tightly — like if she loosened her grip, he'd vanish.
Her forehead rested against his chest. Her fingers were trembling, just a little.
"Don't go… okay?"
Fischl's voice carried a bit of a pout and a bit of pleading.
"I don't want you to leave Mondstadt…"
She lifted her head. The usual proud, dramatic glow in her amethyst eyes was gone. What remained was very real, very plain expectation — and reluctance.
Right now, she wasn't the self-proclaimed princess of a fallen realm.
She was just a girl who didn't want someone important to walk away.
Kairo looked down at her — and just then, right in his vision, a golden system panel unfolded.
He actually froze for a second.
Even this can trigger a choice?
[System Prompt]
Because you accepted the Trailblazer's invitation and chose to board the Astral Express as one of the Nameless, the girl Seele learned you were leaving and could not bear it.
Facing your imminent departure, the girl finally revealed the feelings she had always hidden. Seele hopes you will stay in Belobog and help Bronya rebuild the city.
As long as you stay, Seele is even willing to have a child with you, and — under Bronya's witness — hold a grand wedding blessed by the whole city.
Facing Seele's plea, you choose…
Option 1: Stay Forever.
You decide to go back on your promise to the Nameless, give up boarding the Astral Express, and stay in Belobog with Seele, helping Bronya rebuild this reborn city. From now on, you will no longer be a drifting traveler but Belobog's hero and Seele's beloved. Your wedding will be held with the city's blessing, with Bronya as witness.
Reward:Seele's Path-Power Branch Ultimate — "Butterfly Break." Upon use, immediately enter an enhanced state, become a blur of afterimages, and deal 255% ATK as Quantum DMG to the target.
Option 2: Refuse Gently.
Even though her request makes you reluctant, you know your journey is not over. There are still so many worlds waiting for you to trailblaze. You decide to say goodbye to Seele and promise that, if there is a chance in the future, you will return to Belobog.
Reward:Astral Rail Pass. After locking on to a target's trail, instantly appear within 1 km of that target. If you're lucky, you appear right beside them. The pass has enough energy to reuse. Go where you want, see who you want, leave the memories you want.
Option 3: Go to the Stars Together.
Facing Seele's plea, you decide to persuade her to leave Belobog, leave Bronya, and board the Astral Express with you to become one of the Nameless. From then on, you will roam the galaxy together.
Reward:Seele's Scythe. A Path weapon infused with the Hunt. Never dulls, always sharp. Exact effect: test it yourself.
Kairo narrowed his eyes.
Option 1 was sweet — but it clashed with the choice he had just made.
Option 3 was tempting gear-wise, but it was unrealistic to pull Seele away from a still-rebuilding Belobog when she wanted to stay and help Bronya.
Option 2, though…
A reusable, person-locking pass?
That was perfect.
Perfect for Mondstadt girls who said: "You have to come back every day."
He looked down at the girl in his arms.
"Don't worry," Kairo said softly, hand lifting to rub her hair, "I may be leaving Mondstadt… but you can still reach me."
Fischl's body trembled.
She looked up, violet eyes suddenly full of hope — but that hope was quickly mixed with a little grievance.
"You're lying," she muttered, cheeks puffed, eyes just a little red. "You are leaving. How am I supposed to reach you?"
Kairo smiled. "I can come back anytime."
"Eh?"
Fischl blinked, clearly not following.
Kairo didn't explain.
He simply took hold of her wrist — and activated the Trailblaze Path he had unlocked earlier that night.
A vast, star-filled power descended out of nowhere.
Starlight swallowed the two of them.
When Fischl opened her eyes again — the world had changed.
Gone was the warm night air of Mondstadt. In front of her was a frozen valley. Ice-blue crystal growths shone faintly in the darkness. The air was so cold it felt thick. Frost still clung to the ground.
This was the same frozen canyon where the Cryo Regisvine had been.
"W-what?!"
Fischl stared wide-eyed. "We were just at your house… how are we here?!"
Kairo looked very satisfied. "This is the power I just got."
He looked around as he spoke, testing while explaining:
"Some of the places I've been, I can return to directly. Some I can't. I think it's tied to Teyvat's ley lines. If I set an anchor with Trailblaze power, I can force a route. But places with strong energy — like here — I can jump right back."
This was his first real test of the Trailblaze Path.
Fischl just stared, brain two steps behind.
Then — like she suddenly remembered how tired her legs had been these past 15 days — she puffed her cheeks again.
"Kairo!"
"You could do this already, right?! Then why did we have to walk back every day?!"
Kairo laughed and rubbed his brow. "No. I really only just unlocked it. I couldn't do it before."
Fischl "hmph"ed, clearly not 100% convinced.
But when Kairo added, "So even if I leave, I can still come back," her eyes softened again.
Right then, another line glowed across his vision.
[System Prompt]
You chose Option 2: Refuse Gently.
Congratulations — you obtained the reward Astral Rail Pass.
Use it to follow a locked target's trail and instantly appear within 1 km of that target. Reusable. Go anywhere you want, see anyone you want, leave the memories you want.
Got it.
Kairo's eyes curved.
With this, even if he was too busy to go to someone — they could come to him.
Fischl, however, wasn't done.
"Since you can do this now," she said, face a little pink, tone halfway between shy and bossy, "then you have no excuse not to come back. You'll go off to other nations… and you'll forget Mondstadt… and you'll forget me…"
"So you have to come back every day. Did you hear that?"
Kairo blinked. "And if I really don't have time?"
"You're lying again!" Fischl glared. "You literally just teleported across Mondstadt — how could you 'not have time'?!"
Kairo said slowly, "If I don't have time to come back… you can come to me."
Fischl froze.
Then she actually made a clear little "?" face.
"How am I supposed to do that? I don't have that power!"
Kairo smiled.
He lifted his hand.
A soft, pale-blue starlight gathered in his palm — like a tiny, folded space-tunnel of the Astral Express. The light spun, compressed, and took shape…
…until a crystal-clear ticket appeared in his hand, casting a faint starry glow.
Letters shimmered across it:
ASTRAL RAIL PASS — HOLDER: FISCHL
Kairo handed it over. "Here."
Fischl stared. "Th-this is…?"
"A pass," Kairo said. "As long as I'm somewhere this thing can track — you can jump to me. Not always right beside me, but close enough. Within a kilometer."
Fischl's violet eyes lit up.
"R-really?"
"Really. And it's reusable."
Fischl grabbed it like a little dragon grabbing treasure, hugged it to her chest — and for a moment her eyes even got a bit misty.
Then she immediately put on her proud "royal" expression again, lifted her chin and hmphed:
"Hmph! Since that is the case, I shall permit you to step upon foreign rails! But—"
She stared straight at him.
"You must come back. If you don't… I will come and drag you back myself."
Kairo laughed. "Alright. I'll come back."
Fischl finally, truly relaxed.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, fingers clutching the pass, like she'd finally found proof that he wouldn't just disappear from her world.
Kairo, meanwhile, made a mental note:
Trailblaze Path — working.
Anchor points — available.
Astral Rail Pass — obtained.
From now on, even if he was in Liyue, Snezhnaya, or on the Astral Express itself — he could still see the people he wanted to see.
Which meant…
Even after he left, Mondstadt's girls could still find him.
And as for Seele in Belobog…
He could keep that promise, too.
Because with this pass and this Path…
He could finally do what most travelers in Teyvat couldn't do:
go wherever he wanted — and come back to whoever wanted him back.
Just as he was about to take Fischl back to Mondstadt with another jump, though…
a faint pulse rippled through the Trailblaze connection — like the Astral Express had just switched tracks, and someone on board had noticed that another Trailblazer was now linked in.
Someone… who shouldn't have known he had already chosen to board.
Kairo raised a brow.
"…Huh?"
To be continued.
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