After everyone had left, only Venti and Rola remained.
"Lord Barbatos, shouldn't we go help?" Rola asked.
Venti gently shook his head, his face a mix of confusion and worry.
This is strange... It shouldn't be happening.
Even with Rola's weakened soul, the body he and the Old Man had crafted should have been able to sustain her for a full day.
But why...?
Even after eating three fish, this shouldn't be happening.
At this rate, Rola's soul might dissipate before the day's end, returning to where it belonged.
Venti knew how deeply Rola cherished this world and understood what these dwindling moments meant to her.
Besides, Rola's final wish hadn't been fulfilled yet. How could she leave so soon?
Silently, Venti channeled his divine power, restoring the time Rola had so painstakingly whittled away.
Yes, the missing time Venti sensed was precisely what Rola had deliberately destroyed. As for her reasons...
She wanted her final wish to remain unfulfilled, to leave with a lingering regret. This would ensure that not only the people of Mondstadt, but also the players and viewers beyond the game, would contribute a surge of Emotional Feedback.
Having experienced the wondrous utility of Emotional Feedback, Jiang Mumu treasured it above all else. After all, her primary objective was to harvest this very resource.
She hadn't anticipated Venti's keen perception, nor that he would quietly restore the stolen time.
Though he had restored only a sliver of time, Venti must have exerted considerable effort, judging by his visibly strained expression.
Determined to remain human, Rola refrained from tormenting Venti further at that moment.
-
In the Knight Order's office, Jean was still working.
Hearing a knock, she casually called out, "Come in."
Kaeya pushed the door open and entered.
"Kaeya? You're still here so late? Or is there something you need my help with?"
"Jean..."
Kaeya briefly explained Rola's situation to Jean.
Jean put down her work and sighed, a heavy weight settling in her heart.
"Rola... Is she... doing alright?"
Kaeya shook his head. "It's hard to say. Her time is running out, Grand Master Jean. I'll leave Lisa to you. We must fulfill Rola's last wish!"
Jean stood up solemnly. "I understand. I'll inform Lisa, and then we'll meet you at the Statue of the Anemo Archon."
Kaeya bowed to Jean and left the Knight Order's office. He still had to notify the others—there was no time to lose.
-
In front of Rola's house in Mondstadt was a small, open plaza.
At this moment, in this small plaza, Noelle was swinging her massive Claymore again and again.
After Rola left, Noelle often returned to clean here. They were very close friends, frequently staying over at each other's houses. You could almost say this place was Noelle's second home.
After another swing, Noelle put away her Claymore and gently wiped the sweat from her face.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared before her.
"Mr. Diluc?"
Diluc nodded to Noelle. Without wasting time, he told her about Rola's situation, omitting the matter between him and Malice.
"Rola... is she really still in Mondstadt?!" Noelle clenched her small fists, her voice a mix of excitement and anxiety as she pressed Diluc for confirmation.
"Yes. If you want to see her, go gather at the Statue of the Anemo Archon."
"Yes, yes!"
Noelle haphazardly wiped the sweat from her face and sprinted toward the Statue of the Anemo Archon.
Only one day left—though now it might be just half a day. Noelle just wanted to hurry, to see Rola as soon as possible!
-
Dawn Winery.
Lumine and Paimon rushed inside, encountering a young maid. After asking for Adelinde's location, they immediately hurried to find her.
"Adelinde! There you are! Come with us quickly! We have an urgent matter to discuss!"
"Please, ladies, no need to panic. Is there anything I can help with?"
Unlike Paimon, Lumine remained calm and quickly summarized Rola's situation for Adelinde.
When Adelinde heard that Rola had only a short time left and that her final wish was to see her friends and family again, and to witness one last sunrise, tears welled in her eyes.
"Ladies, we mustn't delay! Let's go at once!" Adelinde exclaimed, clearly desperate to see Rola again and embrace her one last time.
Lumine and Paimon led Adelinde outside Dawn Winery. Paimon called out into the sky:
"Barbatos, we're here!"
Before Adelinde's astonished gaze, the three of them soared into the air.
Adelinde was beside herself with excitement. "It's the Anemo Archon! Lord Barbatos himself!"
As they flew toward the Statue of the Anemo Archon, Lumine overheard Adelinde's fervent prayer to Venti:
"Lord Barbatos, please protect Miss and keep her safe. Lord Barbatos, please protect Miss and keep her safe. Lord Barbatos..."
Lumine shook her head helplessly.
If the Anemo Archon could save Rola, he would have intervened long ago. Even as an Archon, Venti was powerless to do anything but watch silently as events unfolded.
-
Venti had already brought Rola to Starsnatch Cliff.
The sunrise from this vantage point was breathtakingly beautiful, full of poetic atmosphere.
"Rola, wait here for a bit. I'll be right back, okay?"
Once he was sure Rola couldn't see him, Venti donned his Divine Regalia and soared into the sky.
Thick storm clouds blanketed the horizon, threatening rain.
"Disperse—!"
He summoned a raging gale, tearing through the gathering clouds and revealing the stars above.
On Starsnatch Cliff, feeling tired, Rola sat down.
As she watched the clouds being swept away, a gentle smile bloomed on her lips.
"Thank you, Lord Barbatos."
Having dispersed the clouds, Venti left Starsnatch Cliff and quickly returned with Adelinde, Diona, Lumine, and Paimon.
Seeing her familiar friends and elders, Rola leaped to her feet.
"Sister Adelinde! And little kitty Diona!"
"Miss..."
Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Rola again, Adelinde gazed at her with tear-filled eyes.
"Sister Rola!"
Diona, small and wide-eyed, blinked back the tears welling up in her eyes.
"Don't be sad," Rola said gently. "I'm just grateful I could see you all one last time."
In mere moments, Venti had brought everyone to Starsnatch Cliff, filling the cliffside with people.
Among the crowd, Rola was the first to rush to Noelle, sensing the younger girl was on the verge of breaking down if she didn't embrace her soon.
"Noelle!"
"Rola! I've missed you so much!"
The sudden loss of her closest friend was a devastating blow to the innocent Noelle.
Jean and Lisa watched the two embrace, their hearts heavy with mixed emotions.
Jean felt particularly guilty. As Acting Grand Master, she had failed to protect Rola. If Grand Master Varka were still here—and Rola was a protege he deeply valued—she would never have been harmed under his care...
"Jean, don't blame yourself. This wasn't your fault," Lisa said, gently patting Jean's shoulder, trying to comfort her friend who tended to dwell on such things.
After releasing Noelle, Rola moved on to greet the others.
"Amber, it looks like I won't be able to learn Baron Bunny's crafting techniques from you after all. I really should have been more diligent earlier; I would have learned them by now... Oh, and you really need to be more careful when flying in the future, or you'll lose your flight qualification again..."
"Acting Grand Master Jean, thank you for always looking out for me. I understand why you didn't let me join the Knights of Favonius—it was to protect me..."
"Sister Lisa, hee hee, you won't be able to make me read books anymore..."
"Bennett, you absolutely have to be careful! I heard you got hit by a Ruin Guard last time. Your luck is already terrible; if you're not careful, things could get even worse!"
"Little Amy, I won't be able to come play with you as often anymore, but you can go visit Noelle instead..."
"Mona..."
"..."
Rola spoke to each of them, as if deeply concerned for their well-being.
But how could they not worry about her? She was already at an age and had a personality that made them anxious, and now she was facing such a terrible situation.
Finally, Rola turned to her brother, Diluc.
To her brother, Rola had no instructions to give:
"Brother, will you watch this final sunrise with me?"
"Mm-hmm!"