Chapter Text
Gods are rather strange beings. They can be impressive, with their almost infinite powers ; they can be scary, terrifying even, as they could destroy a land entirely, without anyone being able to stop them. But as much as we, mortals, are fascinated by gods, gods are also fascinated by us. No matter if they decide to walk among us, hidden, or if they prefer to maintain the abstract border between the mortal and godly realm, they tend to observe us minutiously, with a particular interest and a lot of confusion.
Some are rather admirative, when they get to witness what one can engender with their creations. The gods provide, whereas mortals use, build, revealing a completely new and different world upon the ones gods design. Gods have unlimited powers, but humans, with their bare hands, sometimes manage to surpass their poor nature and face their divine creators. That is the reason why some, on the other hand, are scared of humans. Scared of what they could do, scared of what they could become, scared that someday the world will slip away from their palms and respond to mortals’ desires solely.
Because even though gods are meant to be superior, they have their own weaknesses, and their nature alone is sometimes not enough to face their biggest fears, their biggest foes, their own feelings.
Liyue Harbor, as always, was quite agitated. Even in the early morning, boats were already preparing to sail, merchants were already restocking their shops, and children were already running across the colorful streets of the city of Morax, the God of Contracts. This early preparation, of course, was no exception for what people knew as the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor whose owner, lady Hu Tao, was thoroughly getting ready for work.
Known for her atypical personality and approach when it came to death, Hu Tao was extremely devoted nonetheless, and kept doing her best to sell her newest coffins, even though the outcome wasn’t really as satisfying as expected. Unfortunately, people feared death to the point they couldn’t even pronounce this word… The only thought of dying sounded utterly sordid, and critically worrisome, which didn’t really help Hu Tao and her business. However, that didn’t prevent her from working, and smiling as always, humming eerie songs that would scare passers-by.Yet, as lady Hu Tao slowly came out of the building, she who would not always look at what was going on before her feet, stumbled upon a body, almost making her fall violently on the floor. A body. In front of a Funeral Parlor.
Hu Tao froze, and looked at the body. This person was actually a man, whose long blond hair was shining as gold under the sun. He was unconscious, but, unfortunately, still alive, as the owner could sense his breath. No new client, indeed, yet the young lady was still rather amused by this man’s presence, therefore she knelt, and tried to shake his shoulder while laughing⋅
“My, my, what do we have here~ Sir, wake up, my shop is not an inn! At least not for those who are still alive!”
Surprisingly enough, this method eventually worked, and the man slowly opened his eyes, Hu Tao’s cheerful voice resonating in his mind. Even though he couldn’t see properly yet, the scent of the place he had landed upon already felt unfamiliar, and the man quickly realized he was currently in a completely unknown place. But what unknown place?
“Ah, finally, you’re awake! How are you feeling, Sir?”
The man stood up with no difficulty. His body didn’t feel painful at all, but rather numb, as if it wasn’t really a body. Otherwise, he felt completely fine, and waited a bit before glancing at the city around him, visibly confused. Where was he? What was this city? He tried to ponder, but no matter how far he would search in his memory, he was certain he had never seen a place like this before.
Lost, he finally looked at Hu Tao. Even her clothes seemed completely unfamiliar… That’s why he sighed, and asked her in a very polite tone.
“Please accept my apologies, madam, it was really impolite of me to sleep in front of your shop. I have to admit I have no idea how I ended up in this city, which is to me completely unknown. May I ask you the name of this place?”
Hu Tao laughed, amused. She didn’t really mind his presence, actually it made her day even more interesting. A stranger who didn’t even know Liyue Harbor? It was quite rare. And she had to admit this man didn’t seem to come from Teyvat at all. However, that didn’t prevent her from responding to his inquiry.
“No problem, Sir. My name is Hu Tao, I’m the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, right there. You’re currently in Liyue Harbor, does this name ring a bell?”
The man thought for a moment.
“... Not at all, I’ve never heard of such a place. What a shame… I can’t remember what happened before I lost consciousness and ended up in front of your shop.”
Hu Tao smiled. She loved mysteries, and she wanted to make sure this one would quickly be unveiled. This man was really polite, afterall, and he somehow reminded her of one of her employees… Especially with his eyes, which looked like two beautiful ambers.
Eventually, the director decided to investigate, and asked the stranger some questions.
“Sir, may I ask your name?”
“Oh, my apologies, it seems that I forgot basic etiquette. My name is Garem.”
“Garem… You’re definitely not from Teyvat, aren’t you?”
“Teyvat? What is Teyvat?”
Hu Tao’s eyes widened: could this man possibly come from another universe? She was amazed, and had to refrain herself from asking a bunch of unrelated questions to this Garem. It felt unreal, surrealist even, that someone from a completely different world had found his way until her funeral parlor.
“Wait, you… Do you, by chance, come from another world?”
“It appears so, but… I fear I’m experiencing some sort of amnesia, as I can only remember my name. I can’t recall the name of the world I come from, but, for some reason, I’m perfectly sure its name is not Teyvat.”
The director was both surprised and impressed. What a shame this man couldn’t remember anything, this would make Hu Tao’s investigation even harder.
To be honest, even she had to admit she didn’t know anything about some sort of other world. Despite her furious will to discover the truth behind this completely unexpected event, she did not have the key to investigate so far, meaning she would have to find a more skilled ally, with even better ressources, and a great knowledge about the world.
Hu Tao pondered. Who could answer such complex questions? It felt so unreal that anyone would know anything about another world. After all, Garem could possibly be a skilled liar. However, she felt like this man was perfectly honest, so honest he even sounded a bit naive somehow. He seemed to be animated by good intentions only, and the director knew her intuition was rarely wrong. If there was any other world out there, she would find one clever enough to share their precious knowledge.
And that is when it hit her. The obvious answer. How could she not have thought about this man first? How could she not realize earlier he would probably know about such a complex thing? When this realization finally reached her, she let out a gasp, and quickly took Garem’s hand, excited.
“Sir Garem, if you really come from another world, I know someone who might be able to help you! Will you follow me, please?”
Garem, in contrast to Hu Tao’s cheerfulness and energy, was extremely calm and collected, hence he simply nodded, still trying to recollect his memories while talking to the director.
“Of course, some help is gladly welcome. Thank you miss Hu Tao, it is extremely kind of you to take some time to help me.”
“No problem, Sir Garem! Getting lost in Teyvat is already bad, so getting lost in another world sounds terrible. We’ll find a way to help you.”
Hu Tao didn’t want to lose any time. That’s why she quickly led Garem inside, and let him sit on a chair. She then ran all through the building, until she finally found the one she was looking for.
Garem had to admit he was rather curious. He wasn’t really anxious, even though the situation sounded scary. However, he had a lot of questions to ask Hu Tao and her mysterious acquaintance: what was Teyvat? He had guessed this was probably the name of the universe he had landed upon, but the question itself was larger than that. Another universe meant another culture, another story, and another system overall.
His first impression was that this universe felt friendly. Of course, each world had its dangers, but Teyvat did not seem like the worst case. He considered himself extremely lucky, as he had even found someone to help him really quickly. What else would he discover about Teyvat, and this Liyue Harbor? Even though his priority was to recollect his memories and try to comprehend how he could ever get lost in another universe in such strange circumstances, he had to admit he didn’t feel the urge to return to his world.
After all, he couldn’t even remember the name of his home. The only thing he could remember was his name, while the rest remained covered with mystery.
“Sir Garem, here is the man who’ll be able to help you!”
Garem turned around, and not only saw Hu Tao, but also a tall man, standing beside her in a really elegant way. He couldn’t help but gaze at him respectfully, feeling his power filling the room. Who was he? Garem, despite having forgotten everything, felt as if he could sense this man’s hidden nature, without being able to interpret it nonetheless. There was something different, and truly impressive about him, something that was yet to be revealed…
The outlander stood up, and joined Hu Tao, ready to greet the man politely. However, as he was about to speak, the stranger took the words out of his mouth, and pronounced his salutations first, as calmly as Garem would.
“Good morning, Sir Garem. Hu Tao told me everything, and I may be able to provide you with some precious information about this universe. I hope we will be able to figure out what happened, and how to allow to come back home.”
“Thank you, Sir, I’m eternally grateful for your kind help. May I ask your name as well?”
“You can call me Zhongli.”
Garem wasn’t one to display his feelings. However, even though Hu Tao thought this man would remain entirely collected and emotionless, she was surprised to witness a small yet honest smile drawn on his lips. Then, both men shook their hands, before sitting down again, in a rather private and elegant room.
As Hu Tao was preparing cups of tea for the two men to drink, Garem and Zhongli faced each other, silently. It was as if their eyes couldn’t stop meeting each other, and both strangers felt as if the one before them could see through their calm facade. Garem knew Zhongli wasn’t a normal person, a simple employee, and Zhongli had already guessed Garem couldn’t be anyone. His aura, overall, was nothing like those of mortals.
That’s why Zhongli let out a smile, before introducing their conversation.
“Sir Garem, Hu Tao told me you were amnesic. Don’t you remember anything about the world you possibly come from?”
“Nothing, I’m afraid. I could only remember my name…”
“That’s strange, indeed… I’m sorry, this may sound a bit intrusive, but I have to admit you don’t look like any ordinary mortal. I wonder what your life may have been like, in your own world. Isn’t there anyone, or anything you could possibly think about?”
Garem felt slightly confused: wasn’t he a rather ordinary person, after all? What a strange thing to say, he thought ; but he had to admit he could not even find the answer himself. The urge to discover the truth about his forgotten past hence became even greater and, trying to force into his mind, Garem slowly perceived a vague memory, which, suddenly, turned clearer, vivid even. A pain pierced through his chest.
Violent images appeared before him. He couldn’t see anything but blood and destruction, and the pain this memory brought him back felt real again. His whole body was numb anew, as if all his muscles had been drained of their energy. The world around him was dark, pitch-black, and the more Garem would drown in this memory, the more everything started to disappear, withdrawn by utter darkness. The only thing that was left, beside blood, was a woman, standing before him, and whose face remained hidden.
Garem shivered, and quickly shook his head, visibly terrified. Zhongli noticed his perturbed state, hence he stood up, and sat beside Garem, gently reaching towards his shoulder with his hand.
“Is everything alright, Sir Garem?”
Garem didn’t answer immediately, having a hard time coming back to his senses. Trying to breathe deeply, he eventually managed to get rid of this terrible memory, and looked at Zhongli, before answering with some difficulty.
“I… I’m fine…”
As Zhongli was about to speak again, Hu Tao suddenly came back, holding her two cups joyfully. She didn’t seem to realize how the aura of the room had somehow changed, now heavier, darker. However, even her excitement couldn’t stop her clumsiness, that’s why she suddenly stumbled while trying to reach the table and, abruptly, let the cup slip away, falling violently on Garem’s arm.
“A-Ah, I’m so sorry, Sir Garem! Are you alright?!”
Garem didn’t answer. Even though the boiling tea had entirely covered his arm, he remained quiet, as if he couldn’t feel it. Hu Tao stared at him, along with Zhongli, both completely fascinated by his pain tolerance. How could one not scream, in such a situation? Zhongli was the one to realize something was definitely wrong.
“... Sir Garem, you didn’t answer. Is your arm alright?”
Garem stared at his arm for a while, before answering with a confused tone.
“... I can feel the tea, but not the pain…”
Everyone was now silent. How could he not feel the pain? Zhongli understood finding out about the entire truth behind Garem’s past would be even harder than expected. This man was indeed full of surprises, but such surprises were both impressive and worrisome… Zhongli, nonetheless, wanted to believe Garem had simply been caught in a complex situation on which he had no control. After all, things that were yet to comprehend weren’t inherently dangerous.
Zhongli sighed. His priority was to help Garem to recollect his memories, that’s why he finally spoke again, calmly enough for the outlander to feel comfortable.
“Do not worry, Sir Garem, we will find out about what happened. For now, I advise you to rest. I may need some time to find possible solutions, that’s why I’ll come back to you tomorrow, and we’ll sort this out.”
Garem nodded. He had no other choice than to trust Zhongli and, honestly speaking, he felt too exhausted to think about it more for the rest of the day. He needed to rest for now ; answers would probably come the next day.
“Of course. Thank you again, Sir Zhongli, I hope tomorrow will finally reveal the truth.”
Even though the two men still had a long way to go, it felt as if their mutual agreements and comprehension made it feel somehow easier. Hu Tao had understood it perfectly : Garem and Zhongli were similar in many aspects, and she believed this whole incident would allow them to become closer, eventually. What if they even happened to become friends?
Hu tao smiled. All she could wish for was for the situation to go well, and she was ready to participate and help as much as possible. What would the future reveal? She was more than excited to find out, and to discover the conclusion of this whole new journey.