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

The unfolding events were horrifying. By the time Kiana snapped back to reality, the axe was inches from her face. She barely managed to raise her bat in defense.

But the fire axe was far more destructive than the wooden bat. Caught off guard, even with her best efforts to deflect the blow, the bat splintered under the impact. Wooden shards flew through the air as Kiana braced for the next swing.

At the critical moment, Time Fracture shimmered, ready to pull her from the memory space. It was the power Ren had taken from the Imaginary Tree, a safeguard he had left for her.

But before it could activate, a melodious flute sound drifted through the ruined city. A white shadow flashed, and the descending axe froze mid-air.

[Lamb's Respite]

Bathed in a soft, white light, Kiana felt like she was standing in a vast grassland, following a shepherdess, chasing the morning dew reflecting the dawn's light.

Kiana opened her eyes, surprised to find herself enveloped in the white glow. A strange circular field had appeared beneath her feet, freezing all external attacks.

She now saw the white shadow was a small, fluffy lamb.

As she reached out to touch it, the lamb vanished, transforming into a stream of light that flowed into the markings of the field below. The markings were a spiral of interwoven black and white, extending into an unseen abyss.

You and I, intertwined, wolf and lamb, twins born.

The thought flashed through her mind unbidden. When she looked back at the survivor, they were crumbling into black ash, just like the boy before.

"The hunt is over."

This time, Kiana was certain she'd heard the wolf's howl. But before she could make sense of it, both the lamb and the wolf vanished with the fading flute music.

The music had come and gone in seconds, leaving Kiana alone.

The corpses and blood that had covered the street were now nothing but gray ash, as if consumed by fire.

If not for the burning pain of her own wounds, Kiana would have thought she'd dreamt it all.

"What was that?"

Ignoring her injuries, Kiana traced the markings in the ash with the broken bat, the image of the lamb's respite still vivid in her mind. She desperately wanted answers.

But only the empty street and the ashes responded. The markings seemed familiar, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place them. It was like a phantom memory.

But Kiana trusted her instincts. As a poor student, math problems might deceive her, but her gut feeling never did.

Lost in thought, she suddenly felt a gaze upon her. She looked up to the rooftop of a distant building and saw a retreating figure.

A blurry figure that made her eyes widen.

"Ren?!"

The instant she saw the figure, Kiana gave chase.

It was him. She knew it.

She didn't know why she was so certain, but a voice within her insisted it was Ren, not one of the previous imitations.

"Wait!" she shouted.

But the figure was too far away, moving across the rooftops. With only her normal human stamina, Kiana could only watch as they disappeared into the distance.

She stumbled and fell, scraping her hands on the concrete. By the time she got back on her feet, Ren was gone.

"Ren..."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she knelt on the ground, her scraped hands bleeding.

Ren staying behind in ARC City. Ren sacrificing himself in Changkong City.

She thought she'd moved past the pain, but seeing him leave again brought it all back. The brief reunion, the happiness, shattered by this sudden departure. The fear and uncertainty returned, heavier than ever. The emotional turmoil, coupled with the mental strain from Fu Hua's memories, pushed her to the brink.

"No, I won't accept this!"

Wiping away her tears, Kiana gritted her teeth and stood up.

She had chased him into the depths of Fenghuang Down. She wouldn't give up now.

As she prepared to retrace Ren's steps, the faint sound of a flute reached her ears.

Kiana whirled around and saw a boy emerge from the rubble, slowly walking towards her. He held a black cat in his arms, a lamb and a wolf playfully chasing each other at his side.

"Ren?"

A hopeful smile lit up Kiana's face as she rushed towards him. But as she drew closer, the smile faded.

"What is it, human?"

The boy's voice was calm, detached, as if he'd never met her before.

"Ren?" she asked again, hesitant, unable to believe his cold demeanor.

"...I see. Another one chasing destruction."

A flicker of sadness crossed the boy's golden eyes, as if he'd witnessed this scene countless times. He lowered his gaze, stroking the black cat's fur.

The sadness in Ren's eyes made Kiana's heart ache. He had looked the same way the last time she saw him in this memory space.

But this time, she seemed to have entered the memory earlier. The despair surrounding him wasn't as intense.

"Chasing destruction? No, that's not it. I'm here to find you."

Ren shook his head, unconvinced. He looked up at her, his expression impassive.

"Tell me, what do you want from me?"

His coldness stung. "Do you... not remember me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"..." Ren's silence was answer enough.

Kiana's breath hitched. She wanted to press him, but the wolf at his side growled, baring its teeth, as if ready to devour her if she spoke another word.

He doesn't remember me...

A wave of grief washed over her, a crushing pain in her chest.

But she wouldn't break. Pushing down the sadness, she composed herself. "Can you tell me what happened to this world?"

This was just a memory space within Fenghuang Down. The boy, the ruined city—it was all an illusion. Finding the reason for this world's destruction was more important than questioning Ren's attitude.

"..."

Ren's hand paused mid-stroke. Kiana noticed his body tremble slightly.

He remained silent for a long moment. Just as she thought he wouldn't answer, he finally spoke.

"Loss of control."

"Loss of control? What kind of loss of control?"

"Ren."

Kiana stared at him, bewildered. As the Herrscher of the Void, she had caused a major Honkai eruption just months ago, displacing millions.

But this… this was an entire world scorched to ashes. If this was the result of Honkai energy losing control, it was a disaster on an unimaginable scale.

And those two people she'd encountered... why did they resemble Ren?

As she prepared to ask, the sky above twisted and warped like silk. The gray light faded, replaced by an encroaching darkness.

She glanced at Ren, who seemed oblivious. This was a sign that the memory space was ending.

"What about those people who looked like you?"

"Shadows."

"They craved power, chased desire, nourished the darkest aspects of humanity, and were ultimately consumed by it, becoming nothing but fleeting shadows."

The sadness in Ren's eyes deepened.

"It's my fault. They were… assimilated by me."

"They were chasing my shadow."

"I destroyed everything."

Shadows... Kiana recalled the puppets calling themselves shadows born from human malice. Was Ren…?

She wanted to ask more, but a wave of exhaustion overwhelmed her. The darkness consumed the sky. The last thing she saw was Ren, fading into the encroaching blackness, becoming a part of it.

"No!"

Kiana reached out, but her hand passed through him. She watched helplessly as he disappeared.

Then, her consciousness faded into darkness.

...

In the outside world, Ren, returning from town with supplies, felt a sudden jolt in his heart. He looked up towards Mount Taixu.

At that moment, a figure identical to him blocked his path.