Ryen had never considered himself a noble or righteous person.
He was not Zhongli, not a god with love etched into his very bones.
He was just an ordinary man—one who happened to wield terrifying power, burdened with human selfishness and a thirst for vengeance.
To him, the world was his greatest treasure. His friends, too..
A creature of emotions, the most unpredictable of all beings.
Even gods had their moments of fury—so how could anyone expect a mere human to always uphold the so-called greater good?
That would be the height of hypocrisy.
Just as he had said before, he didn't care whether the sages lived or died, nor did he concern himself with the fate of Sumeru.
At least for now, in this land, there was only one thing that mattered to him—Nahida.
Sumeru, tranquil and undisturbed for centuries, was now trembling beneath a single strike of his fist.
Not even during the great battle of Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago had the Akademiya suffered an assault of this magnitude.
Just as Ryen had predicted, the scholars had grown complacent beneath the protection of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
Threats? She had always dealt with them.
Knowledge? She had always bestowed it.
Now, faced with catastrophe, they were lost.
Their wisdom held no answer to a crisis of this scale. The Greater Lord was gone.
And the only one who could protect them from a calamity of this level—their so-called "Little Lord Kusanali"—had been imprisoned by the very sages they placed their trust in.
Ryen had no idea how many would truly awaken from this ordeal.
In a world teeming with gods and divine beings, a nation without sufficient power to defend itself was nothing more than a feast waiting to be devoured.
Humans could not stake their peaceful existence on the assumption that all gods would harbor goodwill toward them.
Perhaps this punch would be the spark that ignited Sumeru's awakening.
But that was no longer Ryen's concern.
With the Akademiya in ruins, Sumeru's entire armed forces had mobilized.
Mercenaries from noble families, the elite Matra…
Even the temporarily stationed Eremites had joined the charge toward the Akademiya.
The city had been left nearly empty.
Ryen and Xiao descended from the skies, moving against the tide of fleeing civilians, making their way toward the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Nahida was still asleep there.
It was time to wake her up.
Suppressing the impatience surging within him, Ryen advanced steadily.
He could have simply obliterated the Sanctuary of Surasthana with a single punch, breaking Nahida free from her prison in an instant.
That would have been violent—and admittedly, quite dramatic.
But that place wasn't just a cage.
To Nahida, the Sanctuary of Surasthana was perhaps the only space in all of Sumeru that truly belonged to her.
Memories of their dream flooded his mind.
"I am the God of Beautiful Dreams, Nahida!"
"Ryen! Push me higher!"
"From now on, we're best friends!"
"Ryen! The entrance to the Sanctuary of Surasthana has a pointed arch, not a round one!"
"Ryen! I'll be waiting for you to come back…"
Her radiant smile never ceased to echo in his thoughts.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally arrived at the gates of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Two guards stood at their posts.
Even with the chaos erupting at the Akademiya, they remained restless but unwavering, unwilling to abandon their duty.
"Heh… How commendable," Ryen chuckled, his tone unreadable.
"Halt! This is the Sanctuary of Surasthana—the residence of the Little Lord Kusanali! No one is permitted entry without authorization!"
One of the guards stepped forward, his expression stern as he blocked Ryen and Xiao's path.
Ryen considered knocking them out—just lightly.
His grudge was with the sages and the God-Creation Project, not with these soldiers who were merely following orders.
But then again…
How much force should he use?
What if a single punch reduced them to pulp?
As he hesitated, a gust of ominous wind surged forward.
Before either guard could react, they collapsed unconscious.
Xiao withdrew his trident, speaking in a low voice.
"Ryen, I will stand guard here for you."
"Much appreciated."
Ryen nodded, stepping forward and pressing his hands against the massive doors of the Sanctuary.
A faint divine energy sealed the entrance, but to Ryen, it was laughably insignificant.
Taking a deep breath to ensure he wouldn't damage the sanctuary itself, he pushed the doors open with controlled strength.
At last—
In Teyvat's reality—
He finally saw her.
Nahida.
Suspended in midair, curled into a small, fragile ball, emerald divine energy forming a barrier around her.
But it was not her own doing.
She was no more than an abandoned kitten, trembling in solitude, helpless and forsaken.
A fresh wave of fury surged through Ryen.
For a moment, he was tempted to level the Akademiya with another punch.
But instead, he stepped forward, assessing the situation before leaping into the air.
With a single grip, he crushed the devices that had been suppressing her divine power.
The energy barrier shattered.
Nahida drifted gently toward the ground.
Ryen landed with effortless grace, reaching out to catch her in his arms.
She showed no sign of waking.
Just as Ryen had suspected, she had imprisoned herself.
A deep sense of tenderness welled up within him. He reached out and gently poked her cheek.
"Five hundred years… It's time to wake up, Nahida."
"Mm…"
His presence seeped into her senses, surrounding her from all directions.
Nahida stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she gazed at him in a daze.
Then, a hint of confusion flickered in her large, emerald eyes.
"Mm… Did I set up a second dream for you, Ryen? Or… did I dream this up myself?"
As she spoke, she reached out and pinched Ryen's face.
The warmth of his skin made her eyes light up with delight.
"It's warm! So real!"
Excited, she poked him again—this time in a different spot.
"How long do you plan to keep touching me?"
"...Eh?!!"
Nahida's eyes widened in shock, staring at Ryen in disbelief.
"I told you, didn't I?" His voice was soft, carrying a hint of a smile. "When I came back, I was going to find you."
His arms tightened around her ever so slightly as he murmured,
"So, tell me—should I call you Nahida, the God of Beautiful Dreams? Or Little Lord Kusanali? Or perhaps… Lady Nahida?"
"I… You… Ryen? What is…"
Nahida was completely flustered, stumbling over her words, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"You've been asleep for five hundred years," he said with a chuckle, his voice low and coaxing.
"You promised me, remember? When I came back, we were going to build a flower carriage together."
"I've prepared all the materials. Everything is ready. The only thing missing…" He gazed into her eyes.
"…is you."
"The Sanctuary of Surasthana, the garden…"
"The stories from before, and the ones happening now—I have so much to tell you."
"The time in our dreams… was never enough."
Nahida took a deep breath, placing a hand over her chest.
The emotions she felt now were the same as when she had been with him in the dream.
No, perhaps even stronger.
Her heart urged her to say yes—to go with him.
But she was the God of Wisdom.
"Ryen, I… I'm grateful to you, but Sumeru…"
"Sumeru still has the Akademiya, doesn't it?"
Ryen smiled, his voice gentle.
"They said they didn't need you. That they could manage Sumeru just fine on their own."
"They consider themselves the wisest of all, don't they? Even daring to deny the wisdom of a god."
"If that's the case, what else is there for you to worry about?"
Nahida bit her lip, forcing herself to suppress the rising emotions.
"But… I…"
"But you also promised me that we would build a flower carriage together. Are you going to break your word?"
"No!"
Nahida cupped Ryen's face in her hands, her voice soft and earnest.
"I will definitely build a flower carriage with you—a carriage that we can ride together. But… it should be in a dream…"
"But I don't like dreams."
Ryen shook his head with a smile.
"I'm human. Compared to an illusion, I prefer something tangible—something real."
"Humans are greedy. If we have a beautiful dream, the first thing we think about is how to make it come true."
Nahida's gaze dimmed slightly. Her voice was tinged with sorrow.
"Ryen, I know… You must have worked hard to find me. I already sensed the chaos at the Akademiya."
"If you did all of this for me… there was no need. This was my people's choice."
"And it was my choice, too."
"Ryen, I can't leave with you… I am the Dendro Archon. I carry the responsibilities left behind by the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
"I…"
Ryen interrupted her, his expression calm.
"So, you're refusing?"
Nahida froze.
For the first time, she was truly afraid.
Ryen was her most special existence—the one who had accompanied her through her five-hundred-year-long dream.
Her best friend. Perhaps… something more.
No matter what, she didn't want to lose him.
Tightening her grip around his neck, Nahida buried her face against him and whispered,
"I'm sorry, Ryen… I can't leave."
"But I don't want to lose you. Please… Let's keep meeting in our dreams, okay?"
"We can travel together, see pandas, visit snow-capped mountains…"
"It will be just the same… exactly the same…"
Ryen let out a quiet sigh.
"I see. I expected this before I came."
Nahida's body stiffened.
But she only held him tighter, as if the moment she let go, he would disappear.
"Since that's the case… there's only one solution."
Ryen let out a soft laugh.
He held Nahida close and whispered against her ear,
"From this moment on… you're my hostage."
"You belong to me now."
"I will consider your opinions on everything—except one."
"As your captor, I forbid you from dreaming any longer."
Nahida's eyes widened in shock.
She looked up at him, utterly speechless.
Ryen grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
"There's no need for you to argue."
"My power is more than enough to take you by force. No one in Sumeru can stop me. And that, too, follows the laws of this world."
"As for the responsibilities of the Dendro Archon…" He tilted his head slightly.
"You don't even have your Gnosis anymore."
"Most of Sumeru's people don't even acknowledge you as their god."
"So, at best, you're merely the God of Dreams and Flora."
"With that in mind… your absence shouldn't really affect Sumeru's operations, should it?"
"So now, we can leave."
"I want to see how much Sumeru is willing to offer to get you back."
Nahida opened her mouth, but after a long moment, all she could say was—
"A hostage… doesn't have the right to resist, right?"
"That's exactly right."
Ryen smiled smugly.
Holding Nahida close, he turned and left the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Then, as if remembering something, he asked in a playful tone,
"By the way, from now on, should I call you Kusanali or Nahida?"
"Mm…"
Nahida puffed up her cheeks, pouting as she muttered,
"You already know the answer! You're teasing me on purpose!"
"Of course not! I'm just respectfully asking my hostage's name."
Ryen barely suppressed a chuckle.
"When did you find out? Did Lord Morax tell you?"
Nahida looked up at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Ryen thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"How should I put it…? The moment I saw you, I just knew."
"Wha—!!! That's so mean!"
"You just let me embarrass myself this whole time? You really are the worst, Ryen! A truly wicked kidnapper!"
"I won't deny that." He smirked. "But you can complain later. Right now, I need to take my hostage home."
"Home…"
Nahida huffed. "Kidnapper, you're really making decisions all on your own."
"That's one of my best qualities. And as my hostage, you should at least show me some respect."
Their voices grew fainter as they disappeared into the wind.
Only the empty Sanctuary of Surasthana remained, as if a quiet sigh had been left behind.
"Nahida… Safe travels. I hope you'll understand someday…"
A hazy voice echoed through the fading divine power, vanishing without a trace.
The flower carriage swayed gently.
Nahida opened her eyes.
A five-hundred-year-long dream had come to an end.
And now—Ryen was taking her to build the garden they had once dreamed of.
~~----------------------
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