Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

The golden light of dusk painted the ruined city in a soft, hazy glow. Inside the derelict building, Raven remained unconscious.

Kiana sat huddled against the wall, her arms wrapped around her knees, silent and still. The fading sunlight illuminated her profile, highlighting the azure of her eyes, but the light within them seemed extinguished, replaced by a hollow emptiness.

Time passed, the sun sinking below the horizon. Ren, leaning against a pillar in the shadows, watched her.

Beep.

His communicator chirped. It was the twentieth incoming call, but Ren silenced it without a second thought. Schicksal's experiment was imminent. His absence would undoubtedly make Otto nervous, but as long as his tracking signal remained within Nagazora, they wouldn't launch a full-scale search.

The plan couldn't be altered, no matter what.

This was true for both Otto and Ren.

"I'm sorry," Ren murmured, his voice heavy with weariness. An apology for what, he didn't say.

"I have to go." He stepped out of the shadows, fastening his star bracelet around Kiana's wrist, then turned to leave, heading towards the Schicksal warship.

But a hand clamped down on his wrist, stopping him. He turned, seeing Kiana, her eyes red-rimmed, her expression filled with anger.

"You're not leaving! You promised! You said you wouldn't leave again!"

"But that was after everything was over. This time, I just—"

Kiana cut him off, stepping closer, her gaze unwavering.

"Like before? Watching me from the shadows, protecting me in your own way? You did it in ARC City, and now you're doing it again here. I can feel you nearby, but I can never find you."

"I don't need your protection! I don't need your sacrifices! I just want you by my side."

Ren lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. "It's not that simple. I have my reasons. I can't stop."

"But there's a better way. My teacher once said, when caught in a blizzard, the best thing to do is huddle together for warmth. When lost in darkness, share your flames." Kiana's voice cracked, her words tinged with sadness as she recalled Himeko's teachings.

"She taught me that, but she still chose to sacrifice herself, to pass her light on to me. Now, I've found a new flame, a new chance, and you're walking the same path. I don't need your sacrifice. We can move forward together. We're friends, partners."

With each word, Kiana stepped closer, until they were almost touching.

The intensity of her gaze, her closeness, stirred something within Ren, but he knew the emotions he was experiencing were manufactured, a carefully constructed illusion. He couldn't move forward with Kiana. He couldn't simply abandon everything and stay by her side.

In the silence, they could hear each other's heartbeats.

Ren gritted his teeth, taking a step back.

But with each step he took, Kiana followed, until he stumbled against a fallen beam, landing on the ground, Kiana hovering over him.

She braced herself on his shoulders, trapping him. Her white hair cascaded down, obscuring his face. He waited for her to speak, but all he heard were soft sobs.

Tears fell, warm against his cheek.

Her tears seemed to melt the icy facade he had carefully constructed. He sighed inwardly, giving up the struggle.

"I've made so many mistakes. My hands are stained with blood. She… they… and those children today… they all died because of me. It's my fault. Everyone I care about gets hurt."

"In ARC City, I wanted to end it all, to escape the nightmares. You pulled me back. You gave me the courage to face my mistakes."

"Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, World Serpent… there's no place for me in this world. They're all trying to use me, to capture me. This is my burden to bear, not yours. I don't want you to get hurt because of me again. Leave with me."

It was the first time Ren had truly listened to her, truly felt her emotions, amplified by the Herrscher of Dominance's power, resonating within him.

For a moment, he wanted to tell her everything. But the safeguards he had put in place before enacting his plan reminded him that this connection, this vulnerability, was an illusion.

They remained like that, locked in silence, until the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the ruins. Durandal landed on the floor below, seeing them on the ground.

"What's going on here?"

Bianka, having searched for Ren, frowned, approaching them cautiously.

Kiana's tears stopped. She quickly stood, shielding Ren from Durandal's gaze.

"You're not taking him."

Durandal ignored her, her puzzled gaze fixed on Ren. Her expression quickly hardened. "Ren, the experiment begins tomorrow. Let's go."

Ren, relieved to be pulled from the precipice of revealing too much, hesitated, looking at them both.

The experiment had to proceed. If Otto didn't find a way to resurrect Kallen, there was no telling what he might do. It was a dangerous variable, one that could unravel everything Ren had worked for.

But his carefully constructed rationality wavered. Kiana's words, her plea, made him hesitant to continue the deception.

"The children you asked me to rescue… they're safe. They're on a Schicksal transport ship. They'll be moved to a secure location at dawn."

Kiana stared at him, then turned to Bianka. "The children from the Nest… they're alive?"

"Of course. I may not be the strongest, but evacuating survivors isn't difficult." Durandal was unaware of the explosion. The charred bodies had been mannequins, placed there by Ren.

"I thought…" Kiana's expression was complex. Schicksal's betrayal had shattered her trust, and Durandal's role in taking Ren away had solidified her animosity.

But the news of the children's safety brought a wave of relief, even a flicker of gratitude.

"Schicksal's initial rescue efforts were… inadequate. We will ensure the children are properly cared for. And based on our intel, it's likely World Serpent deliberately left them behind. We suspect they intended to use them for further Stigmata experiments. They're safer with Schicksal."

Despite her gratitude, Kiana didn't trust Otto.

Bianka met her gaze, her expression sincere. "Then come with us."

"If you don't want Ren to leave with me, come to Schicksal. After the Overseer's experiment is complete, you can both leave together."