The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the window, casting warm patches of light across Amber’s cozy little home.
The faint aroma of Good Hunter’s delicacies still lingered in the air.
“Have a seat, make yourself at home!”
Amber led Skirk into the house, a relaxed smile of being home on her face.
“I’m going to change into some more comfortable clothes first; I’ve been wearing this knight uniform all day.”
She pointed to the soft sofa in the living room, then hummed a light tune as she walked into the bedroom.
The door closed gently.
Skirk stood in the small but well-organized living room, curiously observing the actual living space of this character who had been her first ‘White Moonlight’ crush.
As expected, it was a style full of youthful energy!
The walls were a warm beige, adorned with several sketches of Mondstadt landscapes.
In the corner stood a half-person-tall, adorable Baron Bunny plushie.
Books and files were neatly arranged on the bookshelf, and on a small round table nearby sat a vase with several Small Lamp Grasses, emitting a soft glow.
Everything reflected the owner’s enthusiasm, tidiness, and love for life.
Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the crack in the slightly ajar bedroom door.
Curiosity was like a kitten’s paw, gently scratching at her heart.
She tiptoed to the bedroom door and peeked inside.
The bedroom was equally compact and cozy.
A single bed with pale yellow floral sheets was pushed against the wall.
On the small desk beside the bed, a compact lamp emitted a warm light.
But what caught Skirk’s eye the most was a weathered hardcover notebook lying next to the pillow.
A diary!
Skirk’s heart rate instantly accelerated.
Reason told her this was very impolite and an invasion of privacy.
But another, stronger emotion—
Her affection and curiosity for Amber as a character, along with her desire for the ‘real’ Amber’s life—
Drove her footsteps forward.
She slipped into the bedroom like a thief and gently picked up the diary.
“Just one look…
just the cover…” she struggled internally, yet her fingers uncontrollably flipped to the first page.
On the yellowed pages was handwriting that was slightly childish but very earnest:
[Mondstadt Calendar Year XXX, Month X, Day X, Sunny]
[Grandpa…
left today too.
He left me his most precious goggles and this Favonius Warbow.
He said a knight of the sky must always protect the wind of freedom in Mondstadt…
But, I’m the only one left at home now.
It’s okay!
I’m Outrider Amber!
I have to be strong like Grandpa!
Today, I learned how to build a fire and cook, although I almost set the kitchen on fire…
(A small crying face was drawn next to it)]
Skirk’s fingers trembled slightly.
She flipped through quickly; the childish handwriting gradually became smooth and powerful, but what was revealed between the lines was the strength and hardship of a young girl facing loneliness far too early.
[…Failed again!
The clues for tracking the ‘Raptor’ always go cold.
Senior Kaeya says I’m too impatient, and Sister Lisa tells me to read more…
But I really want to help and prove myself!]
[…Today I helped an uncle hunter from Springvale find his lost prey, and he gave me a piece of raw meat!
I made steak for dinner…
eating alone is a bit quiet.
If only Grandpa were here.]
[…Joined the Knights of Favonius!
Finally became an official Outrider!
Though the training was hard and the exams were tough, I did it!
Grandpa, did you see?
(The handwriting on this page was exceptionally forceful, even smudging the ink a bit)]
[…Eula…
she said ‘vengeance will be mine’ again today.
Actually, I know she’s not a bad person…
it’s just that carrying the Lawrence name is too heavy.
She’s so strict when she teaches me swordsmanship, but she’s very earnest too…]
As she turned the pages, the background stories that were just passing mentions in the game transformed into real, delicate words, carrying Warmth and even tear stains as they were presented before Skirk’s eyes.
Amber’s optimism, strength, occasional loneliness, her longing for her grandfather, her dedication to her duties, and her cherishing of her friends…
all leaped off the pages with incredible vividness.
Her nose suddenly stung, and a strong sense of sourness rushed to her eyes.
The Amber in the game was always so sunny and cheerful, the Gliding Champion of Mondstadt, the guide who lit the way for novices.
But every little detail in this diary revealed the hardships she had walked through alone behind her smile.
Losing her only relative, living alone, working hard to prove herself…
that strength now seemed so heavy and heartbreaking.
“Amber…” Skirk’s heart was filled with indescribable sympathy and pity.
The background stories that were glossed over in the plot were her very real early life.
The ‘knives’ that only existed in the character profiles now broke through Skirk’s heart’s defenses.
Just then!
Two warm hands, carrying the clean scent of someone who had just changed clothes, suddenly reached out from both sides of her body!
Like a gentle trap, they encircled her waist from left and right, then accurately grabbed the wrists holding the diary!
“You—can’t—peek—at—other—people’s—diaries—you—know!”
Amber’s smiling, intentionally elongated voice, accompanied by her warm breath, blew gently and ticklishly against Skirk’s sensitive earlobe!
A tingling sensation instantly surged from her ear throughout her entire body!
Skirk’s body stiffened, and her cheeks were instantly dyed crimson.
But this time, the expected panic, water-spraying, or jumping away didn’t happen.
The strong pity welling up in her heart because of the diary outweighed her instinct of shame.
She didn’t even try to break free from Amber’s encircling arms.
Instead, within the small space carved out by Amber’s arms, her body moved with a strange compliance and softness, gently and slowly turning around to face Amber directly.
The distance between them became extremely close, close enough to see her own slightly red eyes reflected in Amber’s Amber-colored pupils.
Amber still had a mischievous smile on her face, ready to tease this ‘peeping tom’ a bit more, but she was caught off guard as she met Skirk’s purple eyes, which were shimmering with water and filled with heartache and sadness.
The emotion in that gaze was so intense and pure that the smile on Amber’s face faltered slightly.
In the next second, Skirk made a move that Amber completely didn’t expect.
She leaned forward slightly, reached out her arms, and gently yet with an undeniable firmness, hugged Amber’s waist, burying her cheek in the crook of Amber’s neck.
It was a silent hug, full of comfort and heartache.
Amber was stunned.
She could feel the slight trembling of Skirk’s body and a tiny bit of wet, warm contact against her neck.
This hug came so suddenly, yet felt so natural, carrying an indescribable weight.
“…” Amber opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but felt her throat tighten.
She looked at the silver crown of the head in her arms, feeling that silent sorrow and heartache, and a soft spot in her heart was gently touched.
She raised her hands, not to push her away, but with a knowing tenderness, she gently returned the embrace around Skirk’s back, while her other hand, like soothing a startled small animal, gently patted Skirk’s back through her long hair.
“It’s okay.”
Amber’s voice was exceptionally soft, carrying a sun-like Warmth, as if she were comforting Skirk rather than herself, who had lived through everything in that diary.
“Look, I’m living very well now!
I have my comrades in the Knights, everyone in Mondstadt, and reliable friends…
Every day is very fulfilling!
The past is in the past!”
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”