Barbatos was so worried about the future of Mondstadt, even though he seemed to spend the whole day drunk at Angel's Share. The archon, totally upset, decided to go to Morax and complain about his Yaksha.
—“What are you waiting for, Morax?!” —Barbatos yelled at Morax. —“We are losing time, he's becoming stronger everytime he's free”.
—“My Yaksha keeps finding hints, what are you talking about, Barbatos?” — Morax answered to Barbatos' nonsense. He didn't know what Sucrose was doing.
—“Your Yaksha has fell in love with Durin, you didn't know?”
Morax was surprised. He had no idea what was going on. As soon as Barbatos left, Morax called Sucrose. Sucrose knew something bad was going to happen, but she never believed what Morax asked of her. Morax had ended peace with his Yaksha, but he was going to forgive her only if she brought him Durin's heart. If she didn't obey him, she must return to the eternal dream from which Morax rescued her, and she would be paying the karma directly.
Sucrose left the place to fulfill his mission but she didn't know how. Albedo was not a bad person for the sole reason that he has nothing to do with Durin besides his heart. But if she didn't do it tonight, she'd go back to pain.
Sucrose, in desperation, turned to Madame Ping, who wanted her to comfort her. Madame Ping watched Sucrose cry inconsolably. "Why did I have fallen in love with him? Why would I steal his heart if just yesterday he gave it to me?”. She felt that somehow, she would betray one of the two.
Madam ping caressed her head, patting Sucrose and stroking her ears. Sucrose was too scared of what she should do, so madam ping gave her some advice.
She told him that in the evening, she should wait for him to sleep and take his heart, give it to Rex Lapis and bring her the heartless boy. She also mentioned that he wasn't going to feel anyway, but Sucrose remembered what happened that day on the mountain, the pleasant sensations when Sucrose touched him, and that she was the only one that makes that effect on him. If she did, he would suffer, but if she didn't, the one who would suffer would be Sucrose. Someone here would get hurt.
Madame Ping told her that she was able to find a solution, and all she asked was that she take the boy to her. Sucrose was in a quandary, but her hopes were not dead. Will you ever be able to forgive her, Albedo?
During that day, she went to visit Albedo, who was already waiting for her as usual. Sucrose walked over and took his hand. Albedo had removed his gloves, since he preferred that their only barrier was the void between the atoms in his hands. Sucrose was not supposed to say anything to him, so she decided to enjoy this last day by his side.
They both went to the outskirts of the Buried City of Dragonspine, in front of the statue of Barbatos. Albedo was lying on Sucrose's lap, while she caressed his hair. She was deep in thought, and Albedo was deep in sensation. Sucrose looked ahead, and saw the statue of the god who forced her to end with the love of her life. Albedo noticed that Sucrose was uneasy, so he decided to touch her cheek with her knuckles.
—“What's going up, Sucrose? Why is Anemo Yaksha so sad and quiet today?” —Albedo asked while creating Sucrose become a Jueyun chili.
—“I think today is the last day we'll see each other, Albedo” —He said while holding back the tears. —“The task that Rex Lapis gave me will finish today, and I must return to him until another task is assigned to me”
Albedo didn't understand it, and he didn't want to understand it either. If something affected her it totally affected him as well. He only knew that the Yaksha he loved would no longer return to his side. Sucrose, head down, spoke again.
—“Will you forgive me by leaving you alone?” — She said, spilling clear tears while suffering inside. —“You've been so alone until I came here, but now I'm leaving, will you forgive me, Albedo?”
—“I will miss you so much, but your face will appear in my dreams, and I know I will be fine. We will be fine” —Albedo said to her while getting up.
Sucrose was already at peace. At least she knew that whatever she did, he could forgive her. Still, the thought of having to steal his heart killed her.
They decided to lie down in the snow, side by side. Sucrose hugged Albedo tightly, and Albedo hugged her as well. So Albedo decided to give her a little kiss on her hair, and Sucrose's inexistent heart was beating truly fast. Maybe one day they would meet again in Celestia, or maybe his soul would not be able to reach.
Night came, and Albedo was asleep in the camp. The time had come.
Sucrose kicked off her shoes and took small steps with her bare feet so as not to make noise. She carried her spear in her hand, which she held tightly. Then, he uncovered Albedo, who was sleeping on the floor with some blankets as a mattress. He looked so peaceful in his dreams. He was vulnerable, defenseless, and she had to seize the moment to carry out Rex Lapis's order.
Then she began to unbutton the first buttons of his shirt, because she believed his shirt looked good, and she didn't want it to break when passing through the spear. Sucrose got on her knees and she put her spear on top of her chest, but Albedo had moved, and Sucrose realizes he's awake even though he doesn't have his eyes open.
—“I know you are here, Sucrose” —He speaks to her without looking. —“AndbI know why you came to me, because I am the one Rex Lapis is looking for, right?”
Sucrose began to tremble but didn't remove the spear from her hands or his chest.
—“I knew one day someone would make me pay for my sins, and I always wanted you to be the one” —Albedo is still with his eyes closed. —“I love you, and they are words that I never thought I would use again since I said goodbye to my master. But I know that what I feel for you is love, and I want you to be the one to save Mondstadt and take my heart, even though I have already given it to you.”
Sucrose didn't know what to do, so she threw the spear aside and leaned over him, striking the ground with her fists. She was crying, and he held her. “Should I let it live? But he already accepted that he is Durin. Should I condemn myself for making him happy?” was the questions on her mind.
—“Why don't you open your eyes” —She said with her broken voice. —“Why don't you look at me? are you ashamed?”
—“I don't want to see your suffering face as the last thing I see. I prefer our goodbye at the Buried City. I don't want to erase the beautiful image I had of you today, I don't want to see you cry” —He said while touching Sucrose's back. —“Do it now, and save condemning yourself, you deserve to live more than anyone. I am a dragon that will soon destroy the city, so protect you, and protect my sister from me”
—“But It will hurt you, because you can feel my touch.” —Sucrose said. —“You will suffer if it's me, I can't do it”.
—“And I don't mind, so please, end with me now, and live forever, my Yaksha.” —He said while kissing Sucrose's hair.
Sucrose got up, and quickly kissed him goodbye. Albedo was at peace, enjoying his last seconds. And although Sucrose's kisses today were bitter, he enjoyed them because he would probably never do it again.
Sucrose stepped away, took his spear and didn't hestiate. And in his hands he had Albedo's body and in the other hand he had her heart. Albedo's face was neutral, and that was what hurted her the most.
As soon as he left Dragonspine, he brought Durin's heart into the hands of Rex Lapis, who kept it where the dragon Azhdaha lay. When he finished speaking, he realized that Sucrose was sad, so he decided to pat Sucrose on the head to comfort her. She had saved Mondstadt, but what hurt her the most was that she couldn't save him.
Sucrose left, ran to where she had hidden Albedo's lifeless body and took it to Madame Ping's lair. She didn't know if it would work, but Madame Ping is so powerful, that she is capable of create life inside a teapot.
A few hours passed, and Madam Ping left her place. Sucrose was so anxious. “Did he survive?”. Madame Ping whispered to her to enter the lair so she could see it with her own eyes.
Upon entering the room, that man to whom she gave her life, her love and her soul, was alive, and now more than anything, he had something of his own: his heart. Madame Ping had been able to create an object that would bring Albedo to life for quite a while longer.
Albedo was awakening and realizing who was in front of him. —“How could you...?” —He said to Sucrose, who quickly answered.
—“Shhh! Adeptical Magic”