Ryen had no idea how long he had spent in this dream.
But regardless, the Sanctuary of Surasthana was finally complete—at least, in its preliminary form.
Of course, this was only an external replica. Nahida had made sure Ryen didn't recreate the interior as well.
After all, everyone knew that the Sanctuary of Surasthana was where the Little Lucky Grass King resided.
If she allowed Ryen to replicate it one-to-one, she feared he might put the pieces together and realize her true identity.
Even so, Nahida was delighted.
On the thick, sprawling branches of the oak-built structure, she had crafted a lush, green swing.
She sat on it, while Ryen stood behind, gently pushing her forward.
Listening to her carefree laughter, Ryen felt an inexplicable sense of peace, as if his very soul was being soothed.
"Push higher, Ryen!"
"Any higher, and it'll be dangerous for you."
"Mm… it's fine! Don't forget, I'm the Goddess of Dreams!"
"But all I see is a tiny loli swinging on a swing."
"That's so rude! I'm a god! A god, I tell you!"
"Alright, alright."
Ryen chuckled and put a little more strength into the push.
Nahida's laughter beca even more joyous.
Before her stretched an endless sea of flowers, and behind her stood the palace they had built with their own hands.
She felt freer, happier than even when she wandered the outside world by possessing Katheryne.
And looking at that vast field of flowers, she couldn't help but want to dive in and roll around.
So, she did exactly that.
Just as Ryen gave her another push, she suddenly let go—releasing herself into the air and plunging straight toward the sea of blossoms.
"Nahida!"
Ryen instinctively forgot where he was. He forgot about the nature of this dream, and he forgot about her identity.
He leaped forward without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her.
They landed in the flower field together, cushioned by the soft petals.
Ryen held onto her tightly, rolling with her among the flowers.
Their clothes beca covered in the fragrance of blossoms, but there wasn't a speck of dirt to be found.
He didn't bother stopping himself, letting the two of them tumble freely, caught in the mont.
Eventually, they ca to a halt in a small clearing.
Despite their little adventure, the flowers around them remained untouched, as if the dream itself protected them.
Ryen lay on his back, looking up at Nahida.
She was hovering over him, her large, bright eyes filled with an unreadable emotion.
For a long mont, silence enveloped them.
The world around them was so still that they could hear each other's breathing.
Nahida didn't know why, but she felt as if she should do sothing—right here, right now.
A strange, fluttering sensation welled up in her chest, growing harder and harder to ignore.
Her long, delicate lashes trembled, her cheeks turning pink as she slowly closed her eyes.
She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing—she was simply following her instincts.
But Ryen?
To him, Nahida was just an adorable little sister.
He simply reached up and ruffled her hair, thinking nothing of it.
Letting go of her, he lay back down, gazing at the drifting clouds above.
Nahida's heart was racing wildly, but Ryen only assud she was excited from all the fun.
His large hand grasped her smaller one, their fingers loosely intertwined as they sprawled out in the flower field.
After a while, Ryen let out a deep sigh.
"What a beautiful dream," he murmured.
"Mm…"
Nahida's voice was soft, carrying a hint of lingering emotion.
"Ryen's dream is truly wonderful. This world is wonderful. Everything… is wonderful."
"No, what I ant was…"
Ryen continued looking at the sky, his grip on her hand tightening slightly.
"This dream would've been dull and empty—but with you here, Nahida, it beca my most cherished dream."
"Who knows? Maybe next ti you enter my dream, I'll already be dreaming of you."
Nahida's heart leaped.
She turned to look at him, anticipation lighting up her gaze.
"Ryen, does that an… I can co again next ti?"
"Of course!"
Ryen turned to her as well, his expression completely serious.
"This is our world. Without you, it wouldn't be complete."
"…Mm."
Her just-settled emotions surged once more, a tide too powerful to suppress.
She felt restless, as if she had to do sothing—say sothing—to ease the strange tightness in her chest.
But when she opened her mouth, no words ca out.
The two of them simply stared at each other.
The vast flower field blurred at the edges, turning hazy and indistinct.
Nahida could feel it—this dream was beginning to fade.
Her heart sank.
"Ryen… it's ti for you to wake up."
"…Yeah."
Ryen also noticed the dream collapsing in the distance. He was waking up.
"Will I see you again tomorrow?"
Nahida's voice was filled with hope, her eyes locked onto him.
Ryen thought for a mont, then sighed.
"I have things to take care of in the next few days. I might not be in Teyvat."
"…Oh."
Her gaze dropped, her disappointnt evident.
The dream continued to break apart, shrinking until only the flower field remained.
Like shattered glass, fragnts of the dream world reflected every mory they had created today.
After a long pause, Ryen suddenly reached out and stroked Nahida's head.
"Wait for ."
Nahida's eyes lit up instantly.
"When I co back, I'll tell you every story—from the past to the present."
"When I co back, we'll build a flower carriage. I'll take you to see the world."
"When I co back, we can see each other every day."
Nahida's heart pounded wildly.
"Does that an… when you return, I can visit your dreams every day?"
Ryen chuckled and shook his head.
But before she could feel dejected, he leaned in closer, his gaze unwavering.
With a newfound determination, he declared:
"When I co back, I'll find you. In Teyvat, I'll find you."
"And then, in the real world, we'll build the Sanctuary of Surasthana. We'll make the flower carriage, the garden… everything."
"I'll tell you stories from the past to the present. And from that mont on, our story will continue into the future."
"Everything in this dream… will beco reality."
Nahida's emotions surged to their peak.
She didn't want to overthink his words or question their aning.
Right now, she just wanted to make this promise with him.
The dream world crumbled away, leaving only the small patch of flowers beneath them.
Summoning all her courage, Nahida threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Ryen.
Then, with a soft touch, her cool, delicate lips pressed against his cheek.
"I'll wait for you, Ryen… You're my… best friend…"
"Mm…"
With that final whisper, the dream shattered completely.
Both of them returned to Teyvat.
But in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, suspended in midair, locked away behind a magical barrier…
Nahida curled up tighter, loneliness enveloping her once more.
As dawn broke, the morning light stread into Ryen's small house.
He slowly opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling.
Softly, almost as if speaking to the lingering traces of his dream, he murmured—
"Nahida…"
…
After a night had passed, everyone gathered once again at Ryen's courtyard.
However, unlike the usual days when Ryen would greet them with a cheerful deanor and the courtyard would be filled with lively chatter, today, the atmosphere was heavy and suffocating.
Ganyu, Hu Tao, Cloud Retainer, and Xiao all sat restlessly, unable to shake off a sense of unease.
Every so often, their gazes would flicker toward Ryen, who stood a short distance away.
His expression was calm—too calm—but there was an unmistakable chill radiating from him, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface.
It was as if…
He was ready to punch a hole through all of Teyvat at any given mont.
Cloud Retainer leaned closer to Ganyu and whispered,
"Ganyu, do you know what's going on with Ryen?"
Ganyu looked confused and shook her head. "I was at Yujing Terrace last night. I only just arrived this morning. How could I possibly know?"
"Hmm… This one had assud that since you and Ryen are practically inseparable these days, you'd know what had upset him…"
That one sentence made Ganyu's face flush with embarrassnt.
"T-That's hardly fair! You're the one staying at Ryen's place right now!"
Cloud Retainer raised an eyebrow, giving Ganyu a knowing glance before murmuring,
"Oh? Is little Ganyu perhaps feeling jealous? What is there to be jealous of? You'll be the one living with him in the future."
Her words were so bold, so straightforward, that Ganyu's entire face turned crimson. Unbidden thoughts flitted through her mind, thoughts she definitely could not say out loud.
Would that day really co?
Strangely enough… Ganyu found herself looking forward to it.
"Anyway, Ganyu, you should go talk to Ryen."
Cloud Retainer sighed, shaking her head.
"Look at him. He's one step away from sending Teyvat into turmoil. If that happens, we'll all have a massive problem on our hands."
Hu Tao and Xiao both nodded in agreent, their gazes practically pleading with Ganyu.
Having directly experienced even a fraction of Ryen's power, they alone understood the true horror of his strength.
If Ryen really were to unleash a punch in his current mood…
Teyvat itself might not survive the impact.
Ganyu opened her mouth, hesitating.
It wasn't that she didn't care about Ryen—she did. A lot. And she knew he cared about her, too.
But right now, his mood was clearly terrible.
She didn't want to disturb him.
What if… What if he was upset with her?
But before she could decline, Cloud Retainer added,
"Ganyu, you don't want to see Ryen like this either, do you?"
"..."
Ganyu fell silent.
After a brief mont, she finally stood up and walked toward Ryen.
She moved carefully, deliberately, before sitting down beside him.
Tentatively, she reached out and gently took his hand.
"…Ryen?"
Her voice was soft, hesitant, a careful call to bring him back from wherever his mind had wandered.
Ryen blinked, as if pulled from deep thought. Then, without hesitation, he turned his hand over and clasped hers in return.
"What is it, Ganyu?"
His voice was as warm and gentle as always, but she could feel it—an undercurrent of frustration, of barely restrained anger.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the others inching toward the doorway, clearly trying to give them space.
Taking a deep breath, Ganyu gathered her courage.
She wrapped her arms around Ryen's and leaned into him slightly, her voice soft yet firm.
"…You don't seem to be in a good mood. Did sothing happen?"
"If it's too much, we don't have to go to the lower world today."
Ryen was quiet for a mont before shaking his head.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking about sothing unpleasant. But we'll go as planned—there's no reason to change our schedule."
Ganyu didn't press further.
She noticed that the courtyard was now empty. Everyone else had discreetly left.
Her heart pounded, and with no one watching, she found the courage to act.
Slowly, hesitantly, she leaned forward—
And pressed her lips softly against his.
"…It's okay."
Ganyu whispered against his lips, her fingers tightening around him.
"No matter what's bothering you, I can help you through it…"
"If there's anything weighing on your heart, you can tell . No matter what it is. As long as it makes you feel better."
Her lips were warm and timid, yet unwavering in their sincerity.
Ryen's mood softened.
He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as he murmured,
"…Thank you, Ganyu."
She let him take the lead, yielding to his touch without hesitation, responding to him with gentle acceptance.
She didn't resist.
Didn't reject anything he wanted to do.
No matter what, she would always follow his heart.
They lost themselves in each other, ti slipping away unnoticed.
Until Ryen's sharp senses picked up approaching footsteps from outside the courtyard.
Judging by the pace—
It was Ningguang.
Ryen sighed, releasing Ganyu and giving her waist a light pat.
"Ningguang is here."
Ganyu, her face flushed, took a mont to collect herself.
She quickly pulled away, adjusting her clothes and trying to regain composure.
Almost imdiately after, Ningguang entered, accompanied by Cloud Retainer and the others.
Her sharp eyes landed on Ganyu first.
Ganyu, still blushing, avoided her gaze, looking anywhere but at her.
Ningguang frowned slightly.
She didn't like it.
But she pushed those feelings aside and turned her focus to Ryen.
"Ryen, Cloud Retainer ntioned that you seed troubled."
Ryen lifted his gaze, eting hers with a calm, unreadable expression.
"…I'm fine."
Then, after a brief pause, he added,
"Actually, I was just waiting for you. There's sothing I need your help with."
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