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

The flames of Flamescion flickered, revealing a burning grassland. As the inferno subsided, all that remained was a desolate wasteland.

"Where is this...?" Kiana muttered, her frown deepening.

The familiar sight caused her to pause. She recalled the previous civilization she'd seen in Fu Hua's memories—devastated by more than a dozen Herrschers, leaving behind a similarly scarred landscape.

Yet, even the Honkai-corrupted lands of the past hadn't been as barren as this. All she could see now were ashes and a sea of fire still burning. Not even Honkai beasts could survive in such a place.

Two days ago, the mysterious voice from the black feather had pulled her into a dreamscape. There, she'd found herself in this very place—a shattered city where she had seen Ren weeping.

"Those puppets said this was a vision of the future..." Kiana thought, her heart clenching. "If the world is truly destroyed by Honkai, does that mean Ren is also...?"

The image of the lonely figure on the ruined throne made it hard to breathe.

"No, calm down. Don't fall for their tricks," Kiana muttered to herself, fighting off the rising panic.

She pressed her hand against her forehead, taking deep breaths. The scorching air stung her lungs, but the pain helped clear her head.

"At least I know the previous dark space wasn't the true content of the feather. It was something calling itself the Herrscher of a Thousand, using the feather's power to invade my mind."

"This must be the true memory space sealed within the feather."

She had exhausted her remaining strength fighting the puppets. Now, as an ordinary person, escaping this wasteland wouldn't be easy.

"I need to get out of here, no matter what."

Staying here was pointless. Whether past or future, Kiana had to investigate this herself.

The desolate wasteland offered no landmarks beyond flames and smoke. The sun was hidden behind thick clouds, making it impossible to tell the time.

But, based on her previous experience, finding the city should yield some useful information.

Luckily, after about fifteen minutes of wandering, Kiana found a partially intact metal road sign. Most of the writing was blackened, but the directional arrow and English letters remained.

[ShangHai==>]

"Shanghai?" Kiana thought. A city she had never heard of. Maybe it was somewhere in Shenzhou?

Ignoring the unfamiliar detail, she followed the arrow and came across a melted asphalt road—a main road leading into the city. Reaching the city, even in ruins, was better than wandering aimlessly through this wasteland.

After what felt like an eternity, the silhouette of a ruined city appeared on the horizon. Judging by the height of the ruins, it seemed comparable in size to ARC City.

Kiana gazed at the broken city, worry etched on her face.

"Ren, are you here?"

A conflict raged within her. Finding Ren might reveal the truth about this feather, but a part of her dreaded that possibility. If she found him here, it would confirm her suspicion that this feather was connected to him.

With a mix of apprehension and determination, Kiana approached the city. Abandoned cars lined the main road, alongside numerous charred bodies.

Thankfully, the fires hadn't reached this part of the city. Inside, most of the urban landscape remained intact, though dried blood stained the streets.

"This city must have fallen recently," she observed quietly.

Kiana continued forward, navigating through the ruined buildings. Following her instincts from the previous dreamscape, she made her way toward the city center. Then, a scream pierced the air.

"Someone's alive?!"

Kiana's spirits lifted. She immediately ran towards the sound.

Just as she arrived, a body was flung into the street, blood splattering everywhere.

Kiana's pupils constricted. She quickly grabbed a baseball bat from a nearby sporting goods store. The scene that unfolded before her was horrifying.

Bodies. So many bodies. The street was a slaughterhouse, the air thick with the stench of blood.

Amidst the carnage, a thin figure was on a rampage. The person who had screamed was being dragged from their hiding place, about to become another victim.

Without hesitation, Kiana scooped up a rock with her foot and swung the bat, sending the projectile hurtling toward the attacker like a fastball. Her aim was true.

The rock struck the figure's arm with a sickening crack, breaking the grip on their captive. Kiana seized the opportunity, closing the distance and swinging the bat at the back of the figure's head.

But the attacker reacted quickly. They blocked the blow with their weapon.

Even without her Herrscher powers, Kiana's swing should have packed a punch. Yet, the figure not only blocked it but retaliated with a swift kick, sending Kiana flying.

In the dim light, the killer cast a long shadow, advancing towards her. They wore a blood-soaked hooded cloak, concealing their features. But at this close range, Kiana could make out their appearance.

Gray hair, a thin frame, large round glasses—the figure looked like a young student.

But their crimson eyes held no youthful innocence. Instead, they were filled with overflowing resentment.

"Are you going to bully me too?" a raspy voice emerged from under the hood.

A wave of death washed over Kiana, mixed with palpable despair. Compared to the corpses scattered across the street, the figure seemed more like the one already dead.

As the figure stood over her, weapon raised, Kiana finally saw the face beneath the hood.

It was strikingly similar to Ren's.