Late night in the Mondstadt wilderness
It was very quiet here. No chirping insects, no sudden monster attacks. Just a dying campfire with its last few embers glowing weakly.
Beside the fire stood the warm tent Noelle had set up. It looked sturdy, sturdy enough to block the wind and rain.
Everything here felt pleasant. It was a shame no Lamp Grass grew nearby. If it did, the night would have looked even more beautiful.
---
Inside the tent
"Huff..."
Noelle, exhausted after a long day, was enjoying her rest. She was currently being held in her sleep by a woman several years older than her.
But Noelle had no idea about this woman's true age. She never asked. A woman's age was a private matter.
Still, sooner or later, this innocent girl would be shocked by Bonanus's real age. It was over a thousand years old.
Noelle was sound asleep, but Bonanus didn't seem as comfortable. Her expression looked very troubled.
Her closed eyes twitched slightly. She bit her lip, as if enduring something. Her rapid breathing suggested she was having a nightmare.
"Ah!"
Just as expected, Bonanus suddenly sat up with a startled look. She sucked in a sharp breath and quickly scanned her surroundings.
"Where am I?" she muttered to herself. She still hadn't fully woken up from that vivid nightmare.
She shook her head hard and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Only then did she notice Noelle beside her. Seeing the girl helped her slowly piece things together.
She held her breath, then felt relieved.
At least her sudden movement hadn't woken Noelle. Otherwise, she would feel terrible for disturbing someone's sleep.
"Another nightmare..." Bonanus frowned. She quietly stood up and crept out of the tent like a thief. A cold wind hit her, sending a chill down her spine.
She took a deep breath of the cool air, rubbed her throbbing head, and sat down by the dying campfire.
Thankfully, the fire hadn't gone out completely. She could still toss in a few more sticks to keep it going. Otherwise, all that would be left were some sparks.
Even as an adeptus, Bonanus couldn't start a fire. She didn't know any wilderness survival skills. The thought of sitting through a freezing cold night was terrifying.
The flames continued to burn, bringing light and warmth to everything around them. In the deep of night, that small fire stood out.
"I've been having nightmares ever since that stranger stabbed through me..."
Bonanus muttered quietly. She propped her head on her left hand while her right hand rummaged through her space.
She had nothing else to do. She might as well snack on some Qingxin flowers. She still hadn't tasted the ones she picked with Yanfei.
"Hey, system. Come talk to me."
With no one around and Noelle fast asleep, Bonanus didn't need to speak in her mind.
[System online. How may I help you?]
The system's voice echoed in her ears. She just shrugged.
"I've been having nightmares lately. Is there something wrong with you? In some stories, nightmares mean something bad is about to happen."
Bonanus asked, confused. The burning fire made her unease very clear on her face. She was worried and scared.
[Can you describe the nightmare to me?]
Hearing this, Bonanus rubbed her chin and thought for a moment. She tried to remember the details of the dream. Some parts were already fuzzy.
While thinking, she naturally brought a Qingxin flower to her mouth. Her subconscious had turned the flower into a snack.
The bitter taste spread quickly across her tongue. It wasn't unbearable, but Bonanus didn't like it.
In her previous life, she had hated bitter melon and bitter vegetables. Bitter medicine was even worse. That was a childhood trauma.
"Bleh! That's disgusting!"
She immediately spat out the Qingxin flower. Her head had been foggy, but the bitterness woke her right up.
She stuck out her tongue, hoping the cold wind would blow the bitterness away. It was horrible.
Come to think of it, how did Ganyu eat so many Qingxin flowers without changing her expression? She didn't understand. Did they have different taste buds?
[Hehe, dear host, you haven't answered my question.]
The system's voice was mechanical, but Bonanus could still hear the suppressed laughter.
"You laughed just now, didn't you? You definitely laughed!"
Bonanus was annoyed at the system for enjoying her misery. Was this what they called "my happiness is built on your pain"?
Even though she thought that, the bitter taste was still making her uncomfortable. Luckily, there was leftover trail rations and drinking water by the fire. Saved!
After rinsing her mouth, she muttered to herself about her bad luck, then lazily answered the system's question.
"Ahem... bleh. The dream... how should I put it? It's always the same scene, the same conversation."
"It's like I dreamt that Xiao found out who I really am, and he looked at me with disgust... then left without looking back."
Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. She hugged herself. The dream had felt so real, as if it had just happened.
She was afraid of losing Xiao. But she knew that no matter how good she was to him, she was still a stranger. Still a thief.
This had been bothering her for a long time. There was no good solution. The system had no advice either. She felt lost.
Just as her thoughts were spinning out of control, the system spoke again.
[Host, is it possible that these nightmares are caused by your fear of being exposed? You think about it during the day, so you dream about it at night.]
"I don't know. Right before I woke up, I remember the nightmare ending with..."
"I was surrounded by some very powerful people. I couldn't see their faces. When I looked up..."
"Their faces turned into black holes. It was terrifying." Bonanus took a deep breath. When she first woke up, she hadn't thought much of it. Her mind was blank.
But now, remembering the details, she felt a chill.
The system was silent for a moment. Then it responded.
[The system has noted the details. Please allow me to look into this. In the meantime, you should rest.]
"Heh..." Bonanus closed her eyes and shook her head with a bitter smile. She had thought the system would give her a straight answer. Instead, it needed to go look things up.
Thank you, system. You took my already confused and scared heart and made it even more confused and scared.
"I can't sleep. Go do your research. I'll sit here alone for a while."
The system didn't respond. It must have gone to look things up. What kind of research could it even do? Psychology?
Heh. The system was really unreliable at times like this.
She sighed helplessly and looked up at the night sky, her thoughts a tangled mess. This nightmare was truly tormenting.
When you have too many worries, you start losing the happiness you once had.