The Eclipsing Star glided effortlessly through the upper currents of the atmosphere, a streak of obsidian and gold against the fading afternoon sky. Below them, the lush, verdant canopy of the Avidya Forest had long since given way to the rolling hills and grassy plains that marked the borderlands. The air outside the climate-controlled cabin grew drier, crisper, carrying the faint, familiar scent of stone and sun-baked earth.
Ningguang sat at the controls, her posture relaxed yet attentive, guiding the machine with a casual grace that belied the complexity of the vehicle. She glanced over at Ren in the passenger seat. He was looking out the window, watching the landscape shift from the vibrant green of the Dendro Archon's domain to the comforting, amber hues of the Geo Archon's land.
"We are crossing the border," Ningguang noted, her voice a smooth, low murmur over the hum of the engine. "We shall be in Liyue airspace shortly."
She turned her head slightly, her amber eyes catching the light. "Tell me, Ren. Did you enjoy your time in the City of Wisdom?"
Ren turned from the window, a bright, genuine smile lighting up his face. "I did. It was… amazing. The House of Daena, the forest, the festival… even the scary parts. I learned so much."
He paused, his expression turning thoughtful as he looked at the woman beside him. He thought of the mountain of paperwork waiting for her, the trade disputes, the Qixing meetings she had skipped to be with him.
"But… did you enjoy it?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "I know you said it was a vacation, but… you must have so much work piling up back at the Jade Chamber. I kinda dragged you away from running a whole country."
Ningguang let out a soft, elegant laugh, the sound vibrating warmly in the small cabin. She reached over with one hand, briefly leaving the steering wheel to ruffle his hair.
"Oh, Ren," she said, her voice dropping to a tone of affectionate intimacy. "Do not trouble yourself with the woes of bureaucracy. The work will always be there. But moments like these?" She looked at him, her gaze soft and unguarded. "They are rare. Truthfully, I enjoyed it immensely. But not because of the scenery, or the food, or even the satisfaction of outmaneuvering Azar."
She squeezed his shoulder gently before returning her hand to the wheel. "I enjoyed it because I was there with you. Watching you debate scholars, seeing you explore the forest, witnessing you change the world… that was the true vacation. To see the world through your eyes is a luxury no amount of mora can buy."
Ren felt a warmth spread through his chest that had nothing to do with the car's heating system. "Thank you, Lady Ningguang."
"Besides," she added with a playful smirk, "leaving Keqing in charge for a few weeks builds character. For both of us."
They fell into a comfortable silence for a few miles, the familiar peaks of Mt. Tianheng beginning to rise in the distance. Ningguang's eyes drifted to the backseat, where a substantial stack of heavy, leather-bound books was piled next to Ren's travel bag.
"I must ask," she said, nodding towards the pile. "What is with the library you seem to have smuggled out of the House of Daena? I thought we were done with paperwork."
Ren's eyes instantly sparkled, the fatigue of travel vanishing. He twisted in his seat to look at the books, running a hand over the spine of the topmost volume.
"Oh, these aren't for paperwork!" he exclaimed, his voice bubbling with excitement. "These are from Madam Faruzan. They're all about the technological advancements of King Deshret's civilization!"
He pulled one of the books onto his lap, opening it to a page filled with complex geometric diagrams and runes that looked vastly different from the Liyuean script.
"It's incredible, Lady Ningguang," he explained, pointing at a diagram of a floating triangular structure. "Their understanding of light refraction and energy projection was centuries ahead of anything we use today. Faruzan explained how they used Primal Constructs for everything—defense, construction, even terraforming."
He looked up, his mind racing with possibilities. "Lumine told me about her adventures in the desert. She described huge, invisible walls, elevators that worked on light beams, and machines that could turn invisible. I was especially interested in their consoles—the interfaces they used to control the machines. It's a completely different logic from our elemental switches."
Ningguang listened, fascinated not just by the topic, but by his passion. "King Deshret… the Scarlet King. His legacy is usually associated with madness and sand. It is rare to hear it spoken of in terms of engineering brilliance."
"It's both," Ren said seriously. "But the machines… the machines survived. That means the engineering was sound."
He reached into his bag, digging past the clothes and the souvenir snacks. "And… Madam Faruzan gave me this. To study."
He pulled out a small object and held it up for her to see.
It was a pyramid, no larger than an apple, made of a strange, reddish-gold metal that seemed to hum with a faint, dormant energy. It consisted of several triangular segments that floated independently of each other, held together by an invisible magnetic field. It looked like a miniature version of the terrifying Primal Constructs that roamed the desert ruins.
"A construct?" Ningguang asked, eyeing the device warily.
"It's a model," Ren assured her. "Like Karkata, the crab Tighnari has. But smaller. Faruzan already removed its weaponization modules. It can't shoot lasers or turn invisible."
He tapped the apex of the pyramid. The device gave a soft, mechanical chirp. The segments spun and reoriented themselves, the pyramid hovering a few inches above his palm, glowing with a gentle, amber light. It bobbed in the air, rotating slowly, looking like a curious, geometric pet.
"It mostly just floats and follows a heat signature," Ren explained, watching it spin. "But look at the joints. Look at how the pieces don't touch but still transfer energy. If we could figure out how to replicate this suspension field… we could make the hovercar's engine half the size. We could make floating cargo pallets for the docks. The possibilities are endless."
He carefully deactivated the device, the pieces settling back into a solid pyramid shape, and placed it back in his bag.
Ningguang shook her head, a smile of genuine amazement on her lips. "You went to Sumeru to patent a heater, and you returned with the secrets of a lost desert civilization. It seems you have your homework sorted for the next few months."
"Years, probably," Ren grinned. "Master Xianyun is going to flip when she sees this."
The conversation drifted to lighter topics as the landscape below became undeniably Liyue. The golden leaves of the ginkgo trees, the towering stone karsts, the winding wooden walkways—it was a sight that filled Ren with a deep, abiding peace.
By the late afternoon, the Eclipsing Star began its descent. The sprawling, magnificent vista of Liyue Harbor came into view, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun. The ships in the harbor looked like toys, the people like specks of dust.
Ningguang guided the car towards the floating palace that hung above it all. The Jade Chamber grew larger, its green roofs and golden ornaments gleaming. The landing gear of the car deployed with a soft thud.
They touched down on the main platform with a gentle grace, the engines winding down to a silent stop.
The moment the doors hissed open, they were greeted by a wall of sound—or rather, a wall of relieved sobbing.
"Lady Ningguang! You're back!"
"Oh, thank Rex Lapis! The tax reports form the Feiyun Guild are overdue!"
"The Ministry of Civil Affairs needs your seal on forty different documents!"
Baishi, Baiwen, and Baixiao—Ningguang's three trusted secretaries—were standing there, clutching stacks of paper to their chests, tears of pure, unadulterated relief streaming down their faces. They looked like they hadn't slept for weeks.
Ningguang stepped out of the car, instantly composing herself into the perfect image of the Tianquan. "Calm yourselves," she commanded gently, though her eyes held a hint of amusement. "I am here. The city did not burn down in my absence, did it?"
"It felt like it might!" Baishi wailed.
While the secretaries swarmed Ningguang, Ren hopped out of the passenger side. He stretched his legs, taking a deep breath of the salty, familiar air.
"Ren!"
The cry was soft, but full of emotion.
Ganyu was standing near the entrance to the pavilion, her hands clasped over her heart. Beside her stood Keqing, looking impeccable as always, though her arms were crossed and she was tapping her foot with a rhythm that suggested impatience mixed with relief.
Ren didn't hesitate. He ran across the platform.
Ganyu met him halfway, dropping to her knees to envelope him in a hug that lifted him off his feet. A warm, solid, welcome-home hug. She smelled of sweet flowers and ink.
"I missed you," she whispered into his hair. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too, Big Sister," Ren said, squeezing her back. "I'm home."
Keqing walked over, a small, rare smile breaking through her professional mask. She placed a hand on Ren's head.
"Welcome back, our little national icon," she said. "Was the trip productive?"
Ningguang, having extricated herself from her weeping secretaries, joined them. "Productive is an understatement," she said, smoothing her dress. "All patents are finalized. The trade agreements are signed. Our relationship with the Akademiya is… complicated, but advantageous. And," she gestured to Ren, "he managed to save the Dendro Archon and overthrow a corrupt government. Just another Tuesday, really."
Ren blushed furiously, hiding his face in Ganyu's shoulder. "It wasn't… I didn't do it alone."
"Of course not," Ningguang teased. "But the bards will likely forget that part."
She looked at the group—her most trusted allies, her family in all but blood.
"Ren," she said, her tone shifting to one of gentle instruction. "You should go home. Relax. Have a good meal and a long sleep in your own bed. The travel has been long."
She glanced at Keqing. "We can have a full debriefing tomorrow morning. You can tell them all the details—the parts you left out of your letters and calls."
Ren pulled back from Ganyu slightly. He looked at Ningguang, then at Keqing, and finally at his sister. His expression grew serious, the playfulness of the journey fading. The memory of the void, of the mirrors, of the voice of Nicole Reeyn… it was heavy in his mind. He couldn't keep it a secret anymore. Not from them.
"Tomorrow morning," Ren said, his voice firm. "Yes. But… I want everyone there. Not just for a debriefing."
He looked at Ganyu. "Big Sister… can you contact Master Xianyun? Tell her to come to the Jade Chamber tomorrow. It's important."
Ganyu saw the look in his eyes—the look of something deep and serious. Her smile faltered slightly, replaced by a look of concern, but she nodded immediately. "I will. I'll use the sigil tonight. She will be there."
Ren turned back to Ningguang and Keqing. "I have… things to tell you. Things about me. About where I come from. And about what happened in Sumeru that I didn't inform you all before."
He took a deep breath. "I want to tell you everything."
The women exchanged glances. They sensed the gravity of the moment. This wasn't just about inventions or politics. This was about Ren.
"Very well," Ningguang said softly. "We will all be there. We will listen."
Ren nodded, grateful. He felt Ganyu's hand slip into his, a warm, reassuring anchor.
"Okay," he said. "Then… I'll see you tomorrow."
He waved goodbye to Ningguang and Keqing. Hand in hand with Ganyu, he walked towards the lift that would take them down to the harbor, down to Feiyun Slope, and finally, back to the safety of their home.
The sun had set, and the lanterns of Liyue were flickering to life, a sea of warm stars welcoming him back. He was home. But tomorrow, he would open the door to his past, and he hoped, he prayed, that his family would still be there when he stepped through.