LIYUE HARBOR - MAIN GATES - LATE AFTERNOON
Jean's horse was lathered and heaving by the time Liyue Harbor's gates came into view.
They'd ridden through the night, pushing horses and soldiers to their limits, stopping only when absolutely necessary. The journey from Wangshu Inn to the harbor—normally a full day's travel—had been compressed into eighteen brutal hours of forced march.
And still, Jean feared they were too late.
The harbor rose before them, massive and bustling even in late afternoon. Ships crowded the docks. Merchants shouted prices. The distinctive architecture of Liyue—all vertical construction and layered terraces—spread up the mountainside like a city built by giants.
But what drew Jean's immediate attention was the crowd gathered near the harbor's edge, all pointing and talking excitedly about something in the distance.
"Master Jean," Eula said, pulling her horse alongside. "Look. There."
She pointed to the outskirts, beyond the main harbor district. Even from this distance, the destruction was visible—a massive crater, debris scattered in a wide radius, smoke still rising from the impact site.
The Jade Chamber. Or what remained of it.
"Barbatos preserve us," Amber breathed. "That's really where it fell?"
"Apparently." Jean dismounted, her legs protesting after so many hours in the saddle. "Eula, Amber, with me. The rest of you—secure the horses, establish a temporary camp outside the gates, and await further orders. We may need to arrange extended accommodations."
"Yes, Master Jean!" The soldiers moved to comply, grateful for the chance to rest.
Jean, Eula, and Amber entered the harbor proper, immediately swept up in the controlled chaos of Liyue's afternoon commerce. But Jean had no interest in merchants or trade goods. She approached the nearest Millelith guard—a young man who straightened immediately upon seeing the Knights of Favonius insignia.
"Acting Grand Master Jean of the Knights of Favonius," she introduced herself crisply. "I'm looking for a child—Klee, age eight, wearing red, carrying a stuffed toy. She's one of my knights and has been reported in Liyue. Where can I find her?"
The guard's expression shifted from professional courtesy to something more complicated—recognition mixed with wariness. "You're here about the cursed child. The one who—" He gestured toward the distant crater. "The one involved with the Jade Chamber incident."
"Where. Is. She." Jean's voice could have cut steel.
"I... I don't know her current location, ma'am. But if you want information about the incident, you should speak with the Qixing. Lady Ningguang is probably still at the impact site, overseeing recovery operations. Or you could check with—"
"The docks," Amber interrupted, her eyes scanning the harbor. "If Ningguang arranged passage to Inazuma, that's where Klee would be. Jean, we should check the docks first."
It made sense. Jean nodded curtly to the guard and moved toward the waterfront, her companions following.
The docks were a maze of activity—sailors loading cargo, passengers boarding vessels, merchants haggling over shipping rates. Jean moved through the chaos with single-minded purpose, her eyes scanning for a small figure in red, or anyone who might have information.
"Excuse me!" Amber flagged down a dockworker. "Have you seen a little girl? Red outfit, blonde hair, really energetic?"
"Lots of kids come through here," the man replied without stopping his work. "You'll have to be more specific."
"She would have been with someone official," Eula pressed. "Maybe Ganyu? Blue hair, qilin features?"
"Oh!" The dockworker paused. "Yeah, saw Ganyu this morning. She brought a kid to The Alcor—Captain Beidou's ship. But that was hours ago."
Jean's stomach dropped. "The Alcor. Where is it?"
The dockworker pointed to an empty berth. "Was there. Left about an hour ago. Heading to Inazuma, I heard. Big black sails—you can't miss it if you look out to sea."
Jean turned toward the ocean.
There, in the distance, barely visible against the horizon: a ship with distinctive black sails, already far from port, heading east toward the open ocean.
Toward Inazuma.
"No," Jean whispered. Then louder: "NO."
She took three steps toward the edge of the dock as if she could somehow will the ship to return. Her hands clenched into fists. Behind her, Amber and Eula exchanged troubled glances.
"Master Jean—" Amber started.
"We're too late." Jean's voice was hollow. "We pushed through the night. Drove our people to exhaustion. And we're still too late. She's gone. She's on that ship heading to Inazuma, and we can't stop it."
"Captain Beidou is reputable," Eula offered. "She'll keep Klee safe during the voyage."
"Safe from external threats, perhaps. But safe from the curse?" Jean turned to face them, and her expression was terrible—fury and fear and helplessness all at once. "Klee is on a ship full of sailors. Surrounded by people. And she wears a necklace that causes catastrophic destruction if anyone touches it. Do you understand what could happen if someone on that crew accidentally brushes against it during rough seas? During a storm? During any of the thousand unpredictable moments that occur on a three-day ocean voyage?"
"Beidou knows," Amber said. "The dockworker said Ganyu brought Klee to the ship. That means the crew was informed. They'll be careful."
"Careful isn't enough. Accidents happen. Especially around Klee." Jean's laugh was bitter. "She's the Spark Knight. Chaos follows her like a shadow. And now she's on a ship in the middle of the ocean with a curse that gets stronger with each trigger."
"Then what do you want to do?" Eula asked quietly. "We can't follow. We have no ship. Even if we chartered one immediately, The Alcor has hours of head start. We'd never catch up before it reaches Inazuma."
Jean stared at the distant black sails, her mind racing through options and finding none that worked. Charter a ship—too slow. Send a message ahead—would arrive after Klee did. Return to Mondstadt and wait—unthinkable.
"Master Jean!"
A new voice. Jean turned to see Ganyu approaching, her expression sympathetic but composed.
"Acting Grand Master Jean," Ganyu greeted with a respectful bow. "I heard you arrived. I'm sorry—if you were hoping to intercept Klee before she departed, The Alcor left approximately an hour ago. Lady Ningguang's orders were to expedite her departure to minimize risk to Liyue."
"Minimize risk to Liyue," Jean repeated slowly. "Not to Klee. To Liyue."
"The curse has caused two major incidents in our territory," Ganyu said, her voice gentle but firm. "A death in Guili Plains. The destruction of the Jade Chamber. Lady Ningguang determined that the fastest resolution was to facilitate Klee's journey to Inazuma, where the curse can be broken with Yoimiya's cooperation. It's the most pragmatic solution."
"Pragmatic for Liyue. Dangerous for Klee." Jean's voice rose. "She's eight years old! She's been traveling alone for days! She's traumatized, cursed, and you put her on a ship heading across the ocean without consulting Mondstadt, without coordinating with her actual guardians, because it was convenient for your nation!"
"Master Jean—" Ganyu started.
"Don't." Jean held up a hand. "I understand political pragmatism. I understand risk management. What I don't understand is how the Qixing—who claim to value order and contracts—could make unilateral decisions about a foreign national without proper diplomatic coordination. Where is Ningguang? I want to speak with her. Now."
"Lady Ningguang is at the Jade Chamber impact site," Ganyu said. "Overseeing recovery operations. But Master Jean, I should warn you—she's injured from the curse trigger and not in the best mood for confrontation."
"Good. Neither am I." Jean turned to her companions. "Amber, Eula—with me. We're going to the impact site. Someone needs to answer for this disaster, and it might as well be the person who literally had a palace fall on her head because she ignored warnings."
They moved through the harbor toward the outskirts, following the increasing density of onlookers and emergency personnel. The impact crater came into view gradually—first just a disturbance in the landscape, then a visible depression, finally revealing itself as a massive wound in the earth.
The Jade Chamber's remains were scattered across the crater like the bones of a dead giant. Jade tiles. Golden fixtures. Shattered furniture. Torn paintings. Everything that had once been elegant and expensive now reduced to debris.
And standing at the crater's edge, directing recovery crews with the same calm authority she'd probably use to negotiate trade deals: Ningguang.
She looked nothing like the composed leader Jean had seen in diplomatic portraits. Her robes were torn and stained. Her hair was disheveled. Bandages wrapped her ribs, and her movements suggested pain carefully controlled. But her eyes were sharp as ever, calculating, assessing.
She looked up as Jean approached, and something like resignation crossed her face.
"Acting Grand Master Jean," she greeted. "I was wondering when you'd arrive. Though I'm afraid if you're here to retrieve your wayward knight, you're several hours too late."
"So I've been told." Jean stopped at the crater's edge, looking at the destruction. "Is this what happens when someone touches the necklace? This is the damage a single curse trigger causes?"
"This is what happens when someone ignores warnings and attempts to analyze an artifact through direct contact," Ningguang corrected. "I made a calculated error in judgment. I paid for it with my palace. And I learned enough about the curse to understand that keeping Klee in Liyue was more dangerous than sending her to Inazuma where the curse can actually be resolved."
"You had no authority to send her anywhere." Jean's voice was cold. "She's a Knight of Favonius. A citizen of Mondstadt. Decisions about her welfare and movement should have been coordinated with Mondstadt authorities—specifically, with me."
"And how long would that coordination have taken?" Ningguang met Jean's glare without flinching. "Days? Weeks? While we exchanged diplomatic correspondence and debated proper procedure, Klee would have remained in Liyue. A danger to herself and others. Each day increasing the risk of another trigger, another catastrophe. I chose efficiency over protocol. I'd make the same choice again."
"Even if it meant sending a child into danger?"
"She was already in danger. The curse ensures that. The question was whether she'd be in danger here, causing collateral damage to my nation, or in danger en route to the one place where the curse can be broken." Ningguang's expression hardened. "I don't make decisions based on sentiment, Acting Grand Master. I make them based on outcomes. And the best outcome was getting Klee to Inazuma as quickly and safely as possible."
"Safe," Jean repeated. "She's on a ship. For three days. Surrounded by crew members who could accidentally trigger the curse at any moment."
"Captain Beidou has been thoroughly briefed. Her crew has been warned. And Kazuha—one of her most capable crew members—has supernatural sensitivity to elemental energy. He'll sense if the curse is building toward another trigger." Ningguang gestured to the crater. "This happened because I deliberately touched the artifact despite warnings. It won't happen on The Alcor unless someone is equally foolish. And Beidou doesn't employ fools."
"You don't know that. You can't guarantee it."
"Nothing is guaranteed except death and commerce, Acting Grand Master. But I gave Klee the best chance I could offer—passage on a reliable ship, with an experienced captain, heading directly to where she needs to go. What would you have done differently? Brought her back to Mondstadt? Locked her away until the curse killed her? Kept her confined while you spent weeks researching a solution that might not exist?"
The words hit harder because they echoed Albedo's accusations. Jean's jaw tightened.
"I would have protected her," she said quietly. "That's my duty to keep them safe."
"Safety and progress are often incompatible," Ningguang replied. "Klee understood this. She chose to journey to Inazuma despite the danger because she knew it was the only path forward. I simply facilitated that choice. If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at Yae Miko—the kitsune who cursed two children for her own amusement. Or be angry at yourself for not recognizing the curse's signs earlier. But don't be angry at me for making the hard decision you were too close to the situation to make."
Jean wanted to argue. Wanted to rage at this cold, pragmatic woman who'd shipped Klee off to Inazuma like problematic cargo. But beneath the anger was a terrible understanding: Ningguang was right.
If Jean had been here, if she'd arrived before The Alcor departed, what would she have done? Taken Klee back to Mondstadt? The curse would have remained. Kept her in Liyue while "proper channels" were followed? More time for another catastrophic trigger. The only real solution was Inazuma. Was Yoimiya. Was breaking the curse through whatever mechanism it required.
Ningguang had done the logical thing. The pragmatic thing. The thing Jean's emotions had made her incapable of doing.
"How long until The Alcor reaches Inazuma?" Jean asked, her voice tired.
"Three days, weather permitting. They'll arrive at Ritou Port. I've provided Klee with a letter of diplomatic introduction—it will expedite her passage through customs. After that..." Ningguang shrugged carefully, mindful of her injuries. "After that, it depends on whether she can find Yoimiya before the curse triggers again. Or before Inazuma's authorities intervene. I've heard reports that the Tenryou Commission is not pleased with recent supernatural incidents in their territory."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning Yoimiya is likely facing her own complications. The curse affects both bearers equally. If Klee caused destruction in Liyue, Yoimiya has caused equivalent destruction in Inazuma. The political situations parallel each other." Ningguang's expression was almost sympathetic. "Your knight is heading into a complicated situation. But she's already survived impossible odds to get this far. Have faith in her capability."
Jean looked at the destroyed Jade Chamber. At the evidence of the curse's power. At the reminder that Klee—small, energetic, bomb-obsessed Klee—had caused this level of destruction simply by existing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I failed her," Jean said quietly. "I didn't see the curse."
"Welcome to leadership," Ningguang said dryly. "The art of making impossible choices and living with the consequences. You'll get used to it. Or you'll break. Most leaders do one or the other eventually."
"Which are you?"
"Neither. I'm a businesswoman. I don't break—I rebuild. I've lost this palace twice now. I'll build it a third time if necessary. That's what survivors do." She turned to face Jean fully. "Your knight will survive too. She's tougher than you give her credit for. And when she returns to Mondstadt—hopefully curse-free—you can smother her with all the protective concern you've been storing up. But until then, trust that she's capable of finishing what she started."
Jean wanted to argue. Wanted to insist that Klee was still a child, still in need of protection, still not ready for this kind of danger.
But Klee had already survived treasure hoarders, two curse triggers, the destruction of the Jade Chamber. Had made it from Mondstadt to Liyue Harbor largely on her own capability.
Maybe Ningguang was right. Maybe Jean had underestimated her.
"If anything happens to her," Jean said quietly, "I'm holding you personally responsible."
"Fair enough. I'll add it to the list of things I'm responsible for." Ningguang gestured to the crater. "Right now, that list is quite long. If you'll excuse me, Acting Grand Master, I have a recovery operation to supervise and a city to reassure that their Tianquan hasn't completely lost competence despite evidence to the contrary."
Jean nodded stiffly and turned away, Amber and Eula following.
They walked back toward the harbor in silence. Around them, Liyue continued its evening routines—merchants closing shops, families heading home, the city transitioning from day to night. The normalcy felt surreal after everything.
"What now?" Amber finally asked.
"Now we wait," Jean said. "We find lodging. We send messages to Mondstadt explaining the situation. And we wait for news from Inazuma." She looked toward the ocean, where The Alcor was long gone from sight. "Three days. In three days, we'll know if Klee succeeded. If she broke the curse. If she survived."
"She will," Eula said firmly. "That child is more resilient than any of us. She'll reach Yoimiya, break the curse, and probably cause a few more explosions along the way. That's who Klee is."
Jean wanted to believe it. Needed to believe it.
Because the alternative—that Klee might not survive, might trigger the curse one final catastrophic time, might die alone in a foreign nation—was unbearable.
"Three days," Jean repeated quietly. "Hold on, Klee. Just hold on for three more days."
The ocean offered no answer. Just the sound of waves and the distant cry of seabirds and the slow turning of the world toward whatever ending waited in Inazuma.
---
THE ALCOR - OPEN OCEAN - EVENING
Klee stood at the ship's railing, watching Liyue Harbor disappear behind them.
The black sails caught the wind perfectly. The ship cut through the water like it was meant to fly. Around her, the crew worked with practiced efficiency, calling out nautical terms she didn't understand, adjusting ropes and sails with coordinated precision.
Beidou had been clear: stay in her cabin as much as possible. Don't interact with the crew unnecessarily. Don't let anyone near the necklace.
But right now, watching her last connection to the continent disappear, Klee needed air. Needed to see the sky and the ocean and feel like she was actually moving forward instead of trapped in a small room.
"Impressive, isn't it?"
Kazuha appeared beside her, silent as wind. He leaned against the railing, his eyes on the horizon rather than on Klee.
"The ocean," he continued. "Infinite. Powerful. Beautiful and terrible. It connects all nations but belongs to none. A perfect metaphor for freedom."
"It's really big," Klee said. "I've never seen so much water."
"Wait until we're fully at sea. When land disappears completely and there's only water in every direction. That's when you truly understand how small we are. How vast the world is."
They stood in companionable silence, watching the sun sink toward the horizon, painting the ocean in shades of orange and gold.
"The necklace," Kazuha said eventually. "May I ask about it? Not the curse—Beidou briefed us on that. But the person on the other end. Yoimiya. What's she like?"
Klee's expression softened immediately. "She's amazing. She makes fireworks—the most beautiful fireworks I've ever seen. And she's really nice, and funny, and she treats me like I'm important even though I'm just a kid. When I was with her in Inazuma, I felt... I felt like someone really understood me. Like I didn't have to pretend to be less enthusiastic or less explosive. She got it. She got me."
"And that's why you're willing to cross the ocean alone. To risk everything. Because she understands you."
"Because she's my friend," Klee corrected. "My best friend. And she's hurting because of me. Because of this curse. I have to fix it. I have to help her."
Kazuha smiled slightly. "That's a good reason. Pure. Honest. The curse will respond to that. When you reach her, when you're finally together, that honesty will be what breaks the binding."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've seen curses like this before. Different specifics, same principle. They're tests. Trials. Forcing people to confront what they might otherwise hide from—their feelings, their connections, their truth. The curse pushed you across Teyvat. It will push Yoimiya too, in her own way. And when you meet, when you're finally honest about what you mean to each other..." He gestured vaguely. "The curse transforms. Becomes what it was always meant to be."
"What was it meant to be?"
"A blessing. A protection. A bond that strengthens rather than harms." Kazuha straightened. "But I'm a wandering samurai and a poet, not an expert on curses. Take my words as guidance, not prophecy. Now—you should get to your cabin. Captain's orders. And the crew gets nervous when our VIP passenger is on deck where accidents could happen."
Klee nodded and headed below deck, Dodoco tucked under her arm.
Her cabin was small but comfortable—a bunk, a small table, a porthole that showed the darkening ocean. She settled onto the bunk, holding Dodoco close.