Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He simply couldn't accept such a proposal. How could a human being do such a thing to another living being... and especially if that living being was a child.

"I refuse, this idea is completely out of line! Do you realize what you're asking me?!"

Given the nonchalant reaction of Azar, also known as the Grand Sage, his statement had no effect.

Professor Cyrus, unlike most students and teachers at the Academia, cared a great deal about the harmful effects of his research. He was very careful and delicate with his projects, so hearing about the brand-new project the man in front of the professor was offering him simply outdid him.

"I think you're simply having trouble understanding, you can't refuse Professor Cyrus. It will even allow you to attain the rank of Grand Sage of Spantamad. Wasn't that what you wanted most?"

It's true that the man had wanted this position for a long time, and for years he had worked hard to obtain it. Over time, however, Professor Cyrus had found pleasure in teaching his students. His hard work had not been in vain, as evidenced by the marvellous grades of Lisa, one of his best pupils. After enjoying his profession, the idea of becoming Grand Sage of his Darshan had diminished over the years. Now he felt trapped within four walls.

"We've been hunting Hermanubis and any kind of information that might be useful to us about him for almost thirty years. Finding this kid is like handing us gold on a silver platter."

" Grand Sage, we're talking about a child! You're literally asking me to torture a child!"

"You know, science sometimes requires sacrifice."

This man had completely lost his mind. Azar probably thought so because the boy in question was just a child from the desert. People from there were often discriminated against and judged by people from the rainforest. Cyrus, of course, saw no difference between the people of the desert and the people of the forest, and even if he wished to show this worldview, people and especially the Academia were too stubborn and closed-minded to see it. So he abandoned the idea. He had visited the desert on several occasions, and although some of the landscapes were splendid and miraculous, there were not all good things about it. Poverty and famine still ravaged the desert, which was why the people there tried to flee it.

"If you're still not interested in participating in the project, I'll have no choice but to offer it to someone else. Remember professor, not everyone at Academia has a heart as generous as yours."

This bastard was clever at his game. He knew full well that if he refused again, the child would be given to someone else, and probably someone who didn't give a damn about that child's life. What else could he do? Closing his eyes wouldn't make him as innocent as Azar, and if he got involved in this project, he couldn't even imagine the horrors he would witness. With a deep sigh, he finally announced his final answer.

"I'll take the project..."

"Perfect, you've already got the files then-"

"But I'll be the only one involved, I don't want the help of other Darshans or the Academia to complete my research. If I need anything then I'll make do with what I've got. "

It had taken a mere second to analyze all Professor Cyrus's information, but Azar remained satisfied.

"Is that all?"

"I want you to give me as much time as I want to complete the project."

The Great Sage's reaction didn't please him. Azar was uncertain and probably distrustful of him, which was only natural, since he and the other man were each other's opposite. Cyrus saw science and its research as a means of improving the world, while Azar saw only profit and power.

"I don't think I've disappointed you in any of my research, Great Sage, so I ask you to trust me. As they often say, the longer the time, the better the work."

Azar relented and let Cyrus leave with the file. The Great Sage had no idea what the other man's plans were, but he remained vigilant. To be honest, neither did Cyrus. He'd agreed to the project only to spare the child a terrible, pain-filled life. The professor had already suffered a great deal himself, having lost his wife and only son all those years ago. It's fair to say that time had done its work and succeeded in making him mourn. With this experience, he had since refused to harm anyone.

He took the elevator down to the House of Daena. He soon found Lisa, one of his students, sitting in a library armchair reading a book. The man's dark thoughts dissipated a little at the sight of her. If Cyrus had to put all his trust in one person in the whole of Teyvat, he'd give it without hesitation to this student.

Lisa was an admirable and highly interesting woman. She rarely let others influence her or lead her easily. She was both elegant and open-minded. He remembered Lisa once telling the professor that he was like a father to her.

Lisa quickly turned away from her book as she heard her teacher coming towards her. Of course the young woman was aware of the famous project concerning the god Hermanubis, many students were. She wanted to avoid influencing Cyrus in this decision.

"This project is not to be taken lightly, as it involves not only the life of a child and your career. If you want my honesty, don't let Azar influence you too much. Keep following what's important to you."

And so he had. The last thing on his mind was putting the child through all those abominable experiences, he still wasn't sure what he was going to do, but who knows, time would surely tell.

"So, what's the conclusion?" Lisa asked as she stood up to greet the teacher.

"I don't intend to lead this project I'm afraid, but I do intend to do something."

Lisa was puzzled by the man's answer. She found it hard to understand what he was getting at.

"Um... you mean...?"

"I intend to take custody of the child."

-

If someone ever asked him what he loved most, the boy probably wouldn't be able to answer. His only memories were far from happy. Unlike other children his age, the boy hadn't been allowed to have fun. Fortunately, he hadn't been deprived of everything. He had a name, Cyno, and could at least speak. He couldn't say who had named like this the day he was born, as he had no recollection of his parents. Cyno had learned to communicate from the priests at the temple where he was accustomed to live.

Even though it was far from being a home, it was the only place he could call home.

Unfortunately or not, the temple had soon been found by people. These people were very different from him, their skin color was paler than his and they looked very... scary. They had taken Cyno without even asking for his consent. The boy was able to remember the rough, bloody hands that manipulated and chained him. Just thinking about it again made him shudder. It wasn't much different from the temple. The priests constantly locked him in his room and gave him only the bare minimum to eat.

He'd been in this cell for almost three days, the boy knew, thanks to the small window that gave him a magnificent view of an all-green landscape. Unlike his old room, the only thing Cyno could see was the sandy mountains of the desert. It had become a painful landscape to watch over time.

What hadn't changed at all was the food. The men who watched over him certainly gave him many more portions of food than the temple had, but the taste was still bland and lifeless. He'd once seen a picture of a dish in a book, but unfortunately couldn't read the characters. It made his mouth water.

Cyno played with the chains that bound him to the wall of his cell and at the same time observed the sunny surroundings of the rainforest. He sometimes tried to take his mind off things by drawing on the wall with the sharp rocks he found in the small room. His reverie was soon interrupted by the sound of heels walking towards him and the clatter of keys clanging together. Reflexively, the young boy hid in the darkest corner of his cell, hoping not to attract attention.

From his hiding place he could see the silhouette of a young woman analyzing his cell. Cyno was often frightened by the sight of someone in front of him, with all the abuse he'd experienced in the past, but strangely this young woman gave him no chills or uncomfortable feelings. She gave off a sweet rose perfume.

"My little darling, you don't have to be afraid. You're probably tired."

One of the guards opened the fear of the cell and freed Cyno from his chains. The boy remained wary of the woman and she held out her hand to him. He deeply analyzed the young woman's appearance and she was probably the most beautiful woman Cyno had ever met in his entire life. The hand she was holding out was so delicate and her palm felt as soft as silk.

"Oh, I forgot, my name's Lisa and I'll be looking after you from now on. You don't have to worry, I promise I won't wish you any harm."

She also had the most beautiful smile.

Chapter Text

Cyrus observed the documents with great care, not missing a single detail, but the more he looked at them, the more they made him want to vomit. There were photos of the young boy in a sorry state and all the details the Temple of Silence had put him through so that their long-awaited god could possess his body. Rituals of self-mutilation and animal sacrifice. He couldn't believe that human beings could do such a thing to a child, but come to think of it, would it be wise to call them human?

In order to relax as best he could, Cyrus had gone to the bar to read these documents, hoping that the alcohol might drown out the horror of these writings. But his concentration was soon disrupted by an old friend.

"It's rare to see one of Academia's stars out in a bar at night looking so depressing."

Of course who could say such a thing in such a nonchalant way as Taj. The other man settled into the chair next to Cyrus by the bar counter and looked at his comrade rather mockingly.

The two men had studied at Academia together for many years and considered themselves brothers.
Cyrus had always envied Taj for the life he had managed to lead. How could he not envy a man who had successfully completed his studies at Spantamad, married a few years ago and given birth to a young child with a future filled with success. Of course Cyrus have done the same, but he sadly lost everything. He long thought he could fix his life by rebuild it, that he could find love again and the happiness that a family can bring him, but his work as a professor in the Academia pushed him to abandon the idea. And by thinking of it why giving birth to a child when so many were already suffering and didn’t have home to rest.

Just like this child…

Cyrus sighed heavily before smashing his head in despair on the bar counter. Taj noticed his famous display of despair and let out a heartening chuckle. But deep down he was a little worried, a voice in his head telling him that his friend wasn't in this state due to overwork or his students' despairing grades.

"Come on, tell me what's wrong?”

Knowing Taj, if he told him the project he'd been involved in a few days ago, there'd probably be news of Taj Radkani's dismissal because the man had attempted to assassinate the Grand Sage with his fists. Cyrus was exaggerating, of course, but telling him the news would send him into a dark rage.

"I don't want to bore you with my problems..."

Taj tapped his comrade on the shoulder in a friendly manner to wake him up from his depressive attitude.

"Have you forgotten who's worrying about you right now? Come on, don't be childish and tell me what's going on."

It's true, he was talking to Taj right now.

Cyrus took one last quick look at the photo of the albino child before taking another sip of his drink. Taj, for his part, followed his friend's gaze, his attention falling on the documents in front of the other man.

"So you've finally decided to adopt a kid. I thought you'd always be repressed about it!" laughed Taj.

Cyrus had practically spat the liquid out of his mouth upon hearing his friend's remark.

"What are you talking about? I've never been repressed about it! It's just that I'm afraid I'm not fit to have one."

"Stop with that excuse, it's not the Academia that will stop you from being a present father to a child. You'll do anything when it involves the people you love."

When Taj told him of the birth of his son, he jokingly asked him when it would be his turn, and in order to trap him into his friend's own, he replied: "Take a good look at me.” Since then, Taj has never ceased to tease him with this joke. He had once thought of doing it seriously, but some of his classmates at the Academia could only laugh at the thought. Indeed, it would be hilarious to see a renowned professor at the Academia have a child, how could he look after it if he was constantly busy with his work?

"I think I got myself into something I shouldn't have."

At these words, Taj's face had become much more serious than before, and his concern increased even more. It wasn't Cyrus's habit to get involved in dangerous affairs, so what would change his mind?

"Have you ever heard of the Temple of Silence?"

How could he not? The Temple of Silence was a sect created by several priests, each as mad as the next, and their aim was as delirious as they were. For years, they had been pinning their hopes and devotion on the fallen god Hermanubis, hoping to revive his reign. But everyone knew that restoring life to a lost soul was impossible. They had tried millions of ways to bring him back to life, but all had failed without exception. For years, the Matra had arrested them, but each time they managed to escape justice.

"Well, after 70 years of trying to bring their famous god back to life, they've finally succeeded."

Taj's glass shattered on the floor as he heard this. All attention in the bar was now on the two men. The bartender was a little annoyed by the accident and was about to complain to Taj, but Taj had reacted faster than he had. He slammed his Moras on the counter and dragged Cyrus brusquely out of the bar. The professor collected his documents and followed his friend out. Once outside, he gave Cyrus a gentle push without jostling him too much and looked him straight in the eye.

"Don't joke with me, 70 years old, the Matra been hunting them for over 30 years and you're telling me their crap has finally come to life?! Do you realize that Hermanubis was a god of war in the time of the Scarlet King and then just like that, with a few little rituals, they managed to bring that monster back to life?!Why didn't the Grand Sage tell me about this?!"

Cyrus could understand his anger. His friend had once been involved in an affair concerning the Temple of Silence, and when he had returned from that failed mission, a dark, restless rage invaded Taj. He never wanted to be involved in any more investigations concerning the Temple of Silence, where he feared he would lose all his wits.

It was seeing his friend in this state that Cyrus had stopped mistaking the Temple of Silence for clowns with far-fetched ideals.

"I swear I'm not kidding! They did manage to bring that monster back to life, but not the way you think. Hermanubis doesn't roam the desert freely like the wind... in fact... he's with Lisa..."

Taj was simply perplexed, afraid he'd missed some important information due to alcohol. Or maybe it was just Cyrus who had lost his mind and was starting to lose it all.

"Aaah listen that's not how I meant it... Hermanubis is technically with Lisa, but he's currently imprisoned in this child's body."

So the professor showed his friend a photo of the child in question. In the photo, the boy was in bad shape and probably suffering from malnutrition. But what was most disturbing was the look on the child's face. It was as if the pain of the chains he wore around his limbs and the cuts on his body were normal to him.

Taj looked away, he didn't want to see that.

"And this child is now in my custody..."

"Archons... you realize you've completely doomed your life..."

Cyrus knew this far better than anyone else.

—

Lisa was well aware that taking care of a child was difficult, so a child who had lived in squalor all his life was certainly no child's play. But surprisingly, the child was nowhere near as insecure as she thought... at least towards her. Ever since the young woman had held out her hand to get him out of his cell, the little one had clung to her as if she were the only person who mattered. She was very touched and reassured, for she had feared that the child wouldn't even want anything to do with her due to the torture the Academia and the Temple of Silence had inflicted on him.

The child didn't even want to talk or do anything, the only thing he wanted was to be carried by Lisa and only her. When she was released from the Academia prison, she had, much to the child's chagrin, to lay him on the floor so she could write a letter to Professor Cyrus.

Luckily, one of her friends had come to her rescue and was holding the child in her arms. Lisa thought that the child didn't want to be left on the ground because of his injuries or because he thought he was going to be abandoned, but as soon as the young woman with the purple roses let go of the child, he began to tremble violently and little tears could be seen in his eyes.

And it was then that Lisa remembered that this child was the vessel of one of the desert's most powerful gods, known for his unrivalled power. Lisa wasn't afraid of the child, of course, she found him much more adorable than frightening, but she was very wary of the monster inside him.

With that, the young woman asked her friend to write her letter for her and send it to Professor Cyrus as soon as possible. Her friend agreed, without asking too many questions, and set off for the offices. Lisa let out a slight sigh and glanced at the child in her arms. The little one was clinging tightly to Lisa's uniform and had his eyes closed, probably for fear of being scolded or even beaten. To reassure him, Lisa stroked his albino hair and sang sweet words to him.

"Let's go home mmh~?"

Back at her residence, Lisa was reluctant to leave the child on the floor because of the little scene that had occurred a few minutes ago. But there was no one there now, so technically he should be less anxious. She looked around for an idea to temporarily disengage herself from the child so that she could take care of him, then finally found it. Near her window, there was a small space she had set up for her reading moments. Whenever the young woman finally had some time to spare, the first thing she could think of was to prepare herself a little something to nibble on and settle down comfortably in this space with her book.

With that, she quietly made her way to her reading corner and quietly deposited the child in her favorite armchair. The little one soon noticed that he was no longer in the beautiful young woman's arms, but on this comfortable piece of furniture. His curiosity quickly overwhelmed him, and the furniture's fabric was pleasant to the touch. The young man's eyes explored his new surroundings and the books on the shelves quickly caught his attention. Lisa grabbed a book close to her that would probably interest him, and only one with pictures, as she suspected the child couldn't read.

"It's a book about Teyvat flowers. I thought it might interest you to look at since you seemed so dazzled by Sumeru's nature."

Lisa opened the cover of the book to show him how the object worked, and as she had hoped, the child had quickly become interested in the book in his tiny hands.

An expression of curiosity and interest had formed on his face.

Lisa quietly let the little one turn the pages of the book to explore it, taking the opportunity to leave him in her reading corner so she could go and prepare a bath for him. But as soon as she turned to head for the bathroom, something clung to her dress.

It was, of course, the child.

Lisa crouched down to her child's level and stroked his silver hair again. To reassure him, she offered him her sweetest smile.

"I'm not planning to go and leave you, you don't have to worry. I just want to go to another room to prepare some things so you'll feel better."

"You... aren't going to leave?"

Lisa remained shocked... did he understand her? The child came from the desert and had been raised by a cult, so she suspected the youngster couldn't understand her, but apparently he was just about capable. The child's voice was hoarse and weak, probably because he had used it so rarely. But his voice was sweet and innocent.

How could people do such a thing to such a weak, harmless being.

Lisa quickly swept her sad face away with another smile, afraid that her mood might affect the child.

"How about coming with me then?"

Lisa returned to her starting position and held out her hand once more to the little one, and without hesitation the child took Lisa's hand between his little fingers.The young woman guided him towards the bathroom and showed him all the objects in the room to reassure him.

"This is a bathtub I'm going to use to heal and relieve your wounds. You'll feel much better after using it, I promise."

The boy looked at the tub, then at the many objects in it. There were bottles containing all sorts of liquids, and right next to the bottles was a small object that caught his eye.

"Oh this is a joke my friends gave me, I don't really bathe with a plastic duck, but I kept it because I thought it was rather cute don't you think?"

The youngster leaned close to the bathtub in order to reach it. Fearing that the child might fall into the tub or slip on the tiles, Lisa picked up the duckling and placed it in the youngster's tiny hands. The child looked at the object with curiosity as if it were the most mysterious object in his eyes, and well, it probably was, for she doubted the little one even knew what a duck was.

Then the child's attention turned to the objects hanging from the bathtub. He feared the objects were dangerous or threatening because of their silver color; he thought they were meant to harm him. But he wasn't alarmed yet, he trusted the young woman, she had treated him so gently after all.

"You don't have to worry, look."

She activated the bathtub lever and suddenly water came out of the faucet. The boy was impressed by the magic the tub could produce. Lisa for her part laughed at the child's dazzled expression.

"Would you like to try?"

The little one tilted his head to one side as he probably didn't know what she meant, but nodded quietly. So Lisa approached the child and he tried to take off his dirty, worn-out little dress in order to undress him, but the moment the child understood what the young woman wanted to do, he panicked and slapped Lisa's hand away. He squatted in the corner of the room and covered his little body with his arms.

Lisa remained perplexed and feared she had frightened the child; had she been too brusque with him? The child trembled with fear and hid his face out of the young woman's sight, not as if he were afraid, but more as if he were... ashamed?

"I don't want... you to see them..."

Lisa didn't know how to react, what did he mean? Then she finally realized what the child was getting at... a gentle smile spread across her face. She replaced her dress to show part of her left hip to the fresh air and the child's view.

"Hey, look what I did to myself a few months ago."

The boy's gaze finally returned to Lisa. A scar was blossoming on the young woman's flawless white skin, like a star that had formed on her body. Strangely, the child wasn't disgusted by the scar, and then his gaze went back to his own little body.

"If you ask me, I don't think scars are hideous, I think they're beautiful. They may hold painful memories, but at the same time they're proof that our bodies are far more powerful than other people think."

"I... don't understand..."

"I got this scar during an accident in the desert. I was on an expedition with some comrades, but got ambushed by some monsters. Unfortunately, I had to rush back to the Academia to have an operation, and I almost lost the use of my legs that day."

The child was horrified by the news, not sure whether to be sad or terrified. But Lisa remained unperturbed, always keeping that twinkling smile on her face.

"I'm actually proud of this scar because it's proof that despite the hardest times, my body won't break so easily, even when brushing against death."

The young man took one last look at his body and this time let the woman undress him without resistance. Lisa was careful not to make any sudden movements for fear of hurting or frightening him again. And the sight of the child's naked body was probably one of the most horrifying things she'd ever seen.

The child had countless scars that had healed poorly and several bruises that were rotting away on his body. The chains that had clung for many years to his limbs and neck had left irritating marks on his skin, and she feared that some of his wounds were infected by the dirt that had clung to him.

Lisa didn't want to show the boy her terrified expression for fear of worrying him. So she walked over to the bathtub to turn off the water that had been running from the tap all this time, and made way for the child. The boy walked warily and curiously to the bathtub, where he could observe his reflection in the clean water. Lisa would help him into the water, as he was probably too small to enter on his own.

The young woman took one of the soap bottles and threw a small amount into the water. She then took the plastic duck and placed it in the water next to the child. The child watched every move the woman made, curious to know what she was doing. Lisa hummed as she gently rinsed the youngster's body. Her voice was soothing, and at first, the child felt like sleeping. Noticing this, she laughed softly at the youngest's reaction.

"I promise you a soft warm bed awaits you after your bath ."

Two things had caught Lisa's attention as she washed the boy's body. His hair was so long she'd probably have to cut it so he wouldn't trip in his own hair. And the second thing was the strange scar or would she say more tattoo on the boy's arm. She'd research it later, no doubt.

-

Cyrus had promised Lisa he'd meet her at her home so he could meet the child in person. He wasn't going to lie, but he was extremely nervous about it and honestly who wouldn't be. Cyrus's worst fear was that the relationship he was hoping to forge between this child and himself would end up being a mess. The boy undoubtedly feared human beings, so how would he react to another stranger?

However, he hoped Lisa had managed to make friends with the boy; in any case, if she had caused herself any problems by taking the child back with her, he would have been the first to know.

The man walked hesitantly towards his student's lodgings with an annoying anxiety in the pit of his stomach. Finally arriving at the door, Cyrus knocked rather hesitantly, afraid that the report of his presence might frighten the child on the other side of the door. The professor waited at the entrance for any sign of life in the dwelling, then the sound of heels on the floor could be heard. The door opened at last to reveal an elegant student.

"Good evening Professor Cyrus."

The man smiled as his student appeared and she gave him space so that the other could enter the dwelling. Lisa's first reaction was to head for her kitchen to retrieve a glass of water for her eldest, he needed it badly after that terrible evening.

"If you want to ask me how he's doing, well, be surprised by the fact that he wasn't as difficult as we thought. I managed to get him to sleep even though I wanted to make him something to eat first, but he was so exhausted, poor thing."

He was indeed surprised; he hadn't expected the child to trust his student so quickly and so easily. Well, maybe he was still a little wary of her, but it reassured him to hear that the child hadn't resisted Lisa. With that, a long sigh of relief and perhaps a little fatigue escaped him.

"At least that's that..."

Lisa smiled gently at the other man's response and handed him the glass of water. The two sat down in the living room to continue their conversation in a slightly more comfortable place.

"I have the impression that your evening wasn't as easy as mine".

"You can say that..."

With that, Cyrus took a sip from his glass and watched his reflection through the liquid, losing himself in thought.

"I'm thinking about it... but I never asked for the child's first name. Is it written in the documents?"

Could the child understand them too? After all, since birth, he'd had a pretty poor education in communication and the world he lived in. If he could at least understand them, it would probably make his situation easier... but come to think of it better, nothing really changes the reality in which he had miserably stuck himself...

"Cyno... his birth name is Cyno."