Chapter Text
You had always hoped to have a quick and painless death. Perhaps you would fall asleep and never wake up or get into a car crash at such high velocity that you don’t even realize you are dead by the time it’s over. Unfortunately, like the cruel bitch she is, the universe decided you wouldn’t get your hope. No, here you are lying on the ground warming the concrete with your blood all because you wanted a little after-work treat.
It was a long twenty-four hours. With your car breaking down and your boss berating you for problems you can’t solve, you thought the divine ambrosia aka a Baja Blast would be a great way to end the stressful hellscape of a day. You were confident in your ability to reach the corner store safely. After all, you’ve walked these streets for a few years now and nothing bad had happened before so imagine your surprise when a hand shot out of the darkest alleyway on the block, and within seconds your body had a few more holes than it started with.
You didn’t even see the face of the person who turned your torso into a knife block so attempting to place a curse on them is out of the question. Who just stabs a stranger and runs away!? What a coward! They didn’t even steal anything! You’d feel a little better if there was a clear reason for the attack but it eludes you. Anger wells up in you for a fleeting moment before the hopelessness sets in.
Don’t panic! You need to think rationally. When a person’s life is in survival mode it will prioritize the vital organs. First, the body pulls blood away from the extremities which explains the bone-deep chill setting into your arms and legs. Then respiration increases as your body attempts to reclaim the lost oxygen. Your heart beats erratically within your chest. You are going into shock you realize through your lightheadedness. It’s like you’re floating and weighted down at the same time. Your body is so heavy but your mind feels light as a bird.
The tears that roll down your face sting in the autumn air. In its soaked state, your hoodie does little to keep your body heat in. You tune out the police operator who is desperately trying to get you to respond from the speaker of your phone. They won’t make it anyway. You can’t even feel your hands at this point.
You can’t help but think about your life. Was everything you’ve ever accomplished really leading up to this? Dying in some dingy alleyway just out of sight from the yellow glow of the street lights you once considered safe. All those sleepless nights and shitty jobs you pushed through and this is the thanks you get? It wasn’t all bad though. You had some amazing times with your friends and family. You even enjoyed plenty of time alone. Others may have considered them a waste but you wouldn’t trade away those hours you spent enjoying video games for anything. What you wouldn’t give to play those games like it’s the first time again. You really hope someone clears your browser history before your family sees it.
You sluggishly close your eyes for a moment and feel yourself falling. It’s like that out-of-body feeling you get when you fall in your dreams. Despite the weight of your eyelids, you open them again determined to stay awake as long as possible. All hope isn’t lost just yet.
The stars are beautiful tonight…..wait a fucking second. The stars?! Thanks to light pollution you can’t see the stars from within the city. The buildings seem to have disappeared as well leaving you to gaze into the tapestry of the sky. The concrete is replaced by much softer grass that tickles the skin you still have feeling in. The sky is a watercolor of blues and purples dotted by millions of stars. You’ve only ever seen this many stars in the countryside miles from civilization. It’s so beautiful that if you weren’t already crying you would have started.
Maybe this isn’t so bad. It certainly could be worse, you could have died on the toilet. The bugs and frog sing you an elegy. It’s peaceful. As your eyes become heavier and heavier you suddenly hear the sound of someone running in the grass. The blades crunch under their heels alerting you of their impending arrival. You would turn your head but your body doesn’t want to obey you anymore.
“A person?”, you hear a masculine voice exclaim to himself before yelling, “Are you alright?!” You try to look at the man but the darkness behind your eyelids has already taken you. That voice sounds strangely familiar in a comforting way. Before you fully slip away you feel a surprisingly warm hand grab your limp arm.
You feel weightless, not unlike the feeling of sitting at the bottom of a pool. The pain is gone and so is the cold. It’s an endless blackness surrounding you like a world stripped of light. Is this purgatory or perhaps the afterlife? You were certain you would go to hell with all of the strange fanfics you read.
A heaviness makes itself present in your hands. A book has appeared illuminated by a hidden light source. It’s a tome of sorts. The kind of shit you’d expect a wizard to be toting around. You’re dead and they’re making you read? What the fuck. The tome is bound in aged leather with gold embellishments adorning it. The book flips open on its own and the pages flutter before landing on a blank yellowish canvas. Spontaneously ink appears like it’s leaking out of the pages themselves forming words.
Congratulations! You are not dead!’, it callously reads in a font you don’t recognize. What is this magic shit? Your jaw hangs open at the words. It certainly feels like you’re dead. The words morph into new ones.
‘I am the SYSTEM and welcome to Genshin Impact. I will be guiding you on your journey through Teyvat. Although this will be the only time you can directly ask me questions’, the ink spells. Did this magic book just say Genshin Impact? Like the hit game Genshin Impact? You must be hallucinating. This has to be some kind of before-death dream or something like that. You are a person of science. When something doesn’t make sense you attempt to use your knowledge to explain it away but this time you don’t have any idea what’s happening. The world of the living has never been able to figure out what happens in the world of the dead.
‘You are not dreaming! This is very real. Teyvat may not have a consciousness but it likes you. Why did you think your avatar was always at the center of major world events? When you were dying your soul called out and Teyvat answered,’ The book can read your mind! You can’t believe this situation but playing along will be the best bet for now or at least until your brain decides to stop blue screening at the information. You furrow your brows.
“So this is some kind of isekai situation? What role do I play?”, you inquire aloud. Your voice does not echo off of anything making it feel like your ears are clogged.
‘If that helps you understand the situation then yes. You are still the Player and will be able to do the same things you could while playing the game just from within the world this time. There will be a trial period before the traveler appears to explore Teyvat and get used to living in this new world.’ You almost drop the book at the words and sweat a little at the implications. It sounds nice but you’ve seen enough media to know that there is a catch.
“This isn’t some kind of self-aware au is it? A creator au or some shit like that?”, you hastily ask, bringing the book closer as if it will speed up the response.
‘No. Nothing has changed except you are now inside Teyvat. Although, this world is your game but rewound so that you can experience it from the beginning. As such there are some minor….. problems that could arise. For example, some characters who you had high friendship with or who are very powerful might feel a pull towards you or even feel like they have met you before. Similarly, the traveler will have a strong connection to you that will bring you two together even if you don’t actively seek him out.’
“Dead ass?”, you monotonically blurt out.
‘What does this have to do with a deceased donkey?’ You shake your head at the words.
You suddenly think about all of the things that could go wrong because of the connection. You were an adventure rank 60 player. Most of your characters had maxed friendship and let us not forget all of the non-humans on your roster like Zhongli or Neuvillette. Hell, even Kaeya can cause you significant trouble if he thinks there is something off about you.
You wonder which traveler it will be. The SYSTEM said this is your genshin world so maybe Aether since you picked him? Also, the traveler being drawn towards you means you can’t escape the main story which is fun until they make you fight literal Gods. You are so swapping out travelers' dull blade for something better. It’s best not to get hung up on specific details if you want to stay sane. You tend to spiral when too many options present themselves.
“How will I use the Player abilities and should I worry about changing the plot too much?”, you shakily ask. This is getting to be a little out of hand for you. I mean, suddenly isekai-ing into a game you love after being turned into a human pin-cushion. This is the kind of shit you read about in fanfiction not experience in real life. You’re either the luckiest person alive or fucking doomed. The game wasn’t complete when you died so you only know information up to 4.2.
‘This book will act as your menu. The tabs are the same as in the game. The only thing that changed is that there is no longer any wishing-’, damn it there goes your gambling addiction, ‘- This journal will also be unreadable to others.’ That’s not gonna be suspicious, you think sarcastically before you nod indicating the book to continue.
‘As I mentioned Teyvat itself likes you so it will write you into its story. Some parts will change due to your presence but the overall plot will not. So it is advised not to worry about changing the story.’ You let out a sigh of relief at the news. If you had to spend the whole time worrying about creating a worse timeline you might just implode.
“Why was I brought here? Like me specifically?”, your voice. The words take longer to appear this time almost as if in thought.
‘Luck. Sometimes universes get close enough that they can overlap for a moment. At the time of your death, Teyvat was close enough to drag you in. Unfortunately, you cannot return to your world as only your soul was transferred. The body that you will wake up in is a near perfect replica created by Teyvat. However, there will be some changes to fulfill your role.' So you really did die, huh. Not as bad as you thought it would be to be honest.
Also, changes? That doesn’t sound good. Perhaps the changes are related to your player abilities like a stamina upgrade? Speaking of player abilities, will Celestia hunt you down for knowing so much about Teyvat? You weren’t a hardcore lore player but even just experiencing the Archon quests gave you knowledge beyond what most people within Teyvat have on their world. Before you can express these thoughts aloud the ink morphs.
‘With Teyvat itself on your side not even Celestia can touch you. When you encounter something new I will give you a tutorial but for now, the Question and Answer portion of our time is over. Try to have fun and remember that Teyvat has its own laws.’ Your eyes widen at the words as the ink fades away leaving a blank page once again.
“Wait! No! No! I still have more questions!”, you yell but the darkness is already fading away.
The feeling of falling returns. Like returning from astral projection you land into your very achy body. Without the adrenaline of being stabbed, you can feel all of the damaged tissue. The pain isn’t as bad as you thought it would be though. Teyvat is a bitch for replicating your injuries. Though you can use it to your advantage since people are more likely to dote on someone who is injured.
Before opening your eyes you lay there taking in the stimuli. You are on something warm and squishy which could perhaps be a bed or couch. Your body is heavy but you can feel all of your extremities which is better than before. Even without doing anything your body may feel exhausted from working to heal you. Something tight is wrapped around your torso which using deductive reasoning you conclude to be bandages. You can hear the crackling of fire somewhere to your right but otherwise, the room is quiet.
Working up the strength you peel open your eyelids. The room is dark only illuminated by the glow of a fireplace. The walls are white with a dark wood trim. The floor is alternating wood stripes with a red and brown carpet covering the middle of the floor. You look down to find you indeed are resting on a bed. A very comfortable bed at that. Maybe dying was worth it if you get to relax on something of such high quality. You miss your weighted blanket though. The room also has a standing wardrobe, a wooden desk, and two doors leading to who knows where. The single window in the room reveals a sky full of stars but at your vantage point you can’t see much else.
Is it the same night? The aesthetic of this room is rather familiar as well. You think back to the voice you heard. It can’t be the Dawn Winery right? The voice sure sounded like Diluc but would he leave a potential threat alone in his manor? The reality of the situation hasn’t quite set in yet.
Isekai is a nice thought but the logistics of entering a fictional world escapes you. As much as you love Genshin Impact you also love the modern amenities which it lacks. You doubt you could cook accurately with a wood-burning stove. Albeit if all of this is real then you can answer all of the many questions you have. Well, not all but the small ones that are so mundane the game wouldn’t care to explain. You might even get to take a bite out of the tasty characters that your bank account holds a personal grudge against.
Your spiral of thoughts is interrupted by the sound of footsteps and the door opening. You turn your head towards the noise and see a maid walk in. She carries a bucket with water and a rag. Her outfit is a sophisticated yet frilly black-and-white thing you’ve only seen in media. She has a short brown bob with eyes of the same color. She doesn’t look at you immediately but rather keeps her eyes on the bucket trying not to spill it. As she gets closer she finally meets your eyes and jumps a little in surprise sloshing the water around.
“You’re awake”, she blurts out in surprise before setting the bucket down near the wall.
“I’ll be back in just a moment”, she hurriedly announces before speed walking out the door. Running would probably seem unprofessional. You attempt to sit up but find you can’t. The stabbing must have damaged your abdominal muscles. Is this how women feel after having a C-section? It’s so odd not being able to do something you’ve done since you were a baby. If you weren’t dead your boss would probably still make you come into work, you grimly think.
After a few moments, the door bursts open. You jolt at the loud noise and then stare wide-eyed at the man walking in. It’s Diluc. You aren’t sure how but you can tell instantly that he’s not a cosplayer. You silently thank Teyvat for not making the world in an anime style like the game.
Your mouth opens slightly in shock at the living work of art in front of you. Diluc is wearing his classic outfit sans his coat and with the sleeve of the undershirt rolled up to his elbows revealing his scarred and muscular forearms. Even in the low light his scarlet hair almost glows like flames. Maroon eyelashes frame his molten eyes. If Diluc told you he is the pyro archon you would believe him. He looks like he was forged from the core of the Earth.
His face is scrunched in suspicion. If Diluc was the pomegranate Hades offered you would gladly spend your life in the underworld for a taste. Though, you should probably gawk at him when he’s not looking at you like he’s thinking about cleaving you in two with his claymore.
Diluc meets your gaze before grabbing the chair situated at the desk and pulling it to your bedside. He sits down and hits you with that melting gaze. You nervously smile attempting to diffuse the tense atmosphere. You love Diluc but right now he’s a stranger willing to kill for the sake of his country. Besides his murderous justice, Diluc is one of the best people you could have run into. He has a kind heart and if you prove to be more of an asset to Mondstadt than a danger he can even be charitable. However, proving your innocence will not be easy considering your situation. You’re sure telling him ‘I’m dead and this is a fictional world’ wouldn’t go over very well.
“Who are you and why are you here?”, he starts in that dark tone he only directs at his enemies. Now is a pivotal moment in which you decide whether to lie or not. It would be hard to keep up a large lie for a long time so acting like an amnesiac is out of the question. Diluc is also a well-traveled man with connections to many nations so if you claim to be from Teyvat he might ask questions you can’t answer which will only make you more suspicious.
You have to act clueless at first and allow Diluc to come to the conclusion that you’re from a different world on his own. You absolutely cannot allow them to know your connections to Genshin Impact. The characters didn’t blink twice when the traveler mentioned they weren’t from this world so it could work. After all, the best lie is a half truth.
“I’m (name), and I’m not really sure where here is”, you make a sweeping motion with your hand when saying the word ‘here’, “Though I do have to thank you for saving me. I’m not sure where my wallet is or how much cash is in there but you can have it”, you pump your words full of sincerity. It’s easy considering that you truly are grateful for Diluc saving you. Diluc’s brows furrow even more.
“I have no need for your money but I appreciate your gratitude. I am Diluc the owner of Dawn Winery although you looked like you recognized me”, he interrogates looking you up and down like it’s a cheat code for your secrets. Shit he noticed that. Of fucking course he did you didn’t hide your expression at all. Time to put on the acting performance of a lifetime if you don’t want to experience death twice.
“The Dawn Winery doesn’t ring a bell to me. I also looked like that because-” you hesitate and look down blushing in embarrassment, “You’re very handsome. It caught me off guard.” Diluc hums at this, likely used to compliments. With Donna around he’s probably heard every word of praise under the sun.
“We are in Mondstadt”, he adds hoping to see some recognition but you just stare blankly at him and wordlessly shake your head.
“Where are you from then and how did you get here?”, his tone is less dangerous but still far from convinced of your innocence. He seems to be buying your act.
“I live in America. Chicago to be more specific. I also don’t know how I got here. I was attacked suddenly while walking home and then woke up here injured”, You doubt Diluc knows what a convenience store is so you change the details slightly. Diluc squints at you for a moment.
“Interesting. I have never heard of America or Chicago. Moving on, care to explain this?”, his tone is commanding. Your eyes swiftly move to watch Diluc pull out your Green Hunter x Hunter wallet from his pocket. He opens it before handing your driver's license to you. It’s just like you remember it, mug-shot-looking pic and all. Can Diluc read English? Probably not since the common language in Teyvat looks nothing like anything you’ve seen before. Does that mean you’re functionally illiterate in Teyvat? That would fucking suck.
You take a look at the ID then shrug at Diluc. With a tone full of confusion you state, “It’s my driver’s license. What’s so strange about it?” Diluc looks perplexed. You don’t blame him, a driver’s license would look very strange to someone who has never even seen a car. Do they have carriage licenses here and what do the gliding licenses look like?
“I have never seen anything like this before. The language is also foreign to me”, he then pulls out some dollar bills, “and what about these?” You look at the green image of George Washington.
“It’s a dollar bill”, his confusion doesn’t leave his face at your words, “Money?” You emphasize the last word.
“You don’t use mora?”, his tone had dropped all of its suspicions and adapted to being completely stumped. You match his furrowed brows and shake your head. Diluc sighs heavily before changing the subject.
“How do you feel? You have been asleep for a whole week”, his tone is softer. Seems like he doesn’t want you to die just yet. Your jaw drops again.
“A WHOLE WEEK”, you blurt out in shock. That explains why your body is so sore. The body is not designed to stay in one position for long periods of time. Continuous pressure on your back can disrupt the blood flow and can cause bedsores to form from the tissue literally dying. Grunting slightly in pain you roll onto your side quickly hoping that the damage is minimal.
“I apologize for raising my voice. I was just surprised. It felt like just a few moments since I passed out from blood loss”, you add politely. You’ve been dead in your home world for a week. Actually, has it been a week? The time difference between Teyvat and your world is pretty severe. A full day in Teyvat is only 24 minutes in your world. If the time conversion is still the same then it’s only been about 3 hours in your world. Diluc notices you getting trapped in thought and snaps his fingers near your face. Noticing he now has your attention he speaks.
“It’s alright. I’ve had someone with a hydro vision come and heal you so you should be much further along in recovery than you remember”, he adds dryly. You wonder if Barbara was the person who healed you, though surely there are more hydro vision users in Mondstadt than the game showed.
“What’s a vision?”, you ask innocently like a child asking what a vagina is. This seems to have been the final straw for whatever conclusion Diluc had come to as he nods to himself. Diluc then pulls the glowing crystal from his belt and holds it up.
“This is a vision. It allows us humans to wield the elements. It’s a gift from the Gods to reward us for our ambitions. Visions are a light in the sea of darkness that surrounds those who have lost their way. But for those who have faith, they are little more than badges of conviction”, you ‘ahh’ at his words. You fight the smile on your face as he says his voice line. Diluc is so badass. The red crystal in his hand resembles a ruby but emanates an otherworld glow. You can imagine the warmth of the item. Diluc stands from the chair.
“Can you sit up on your own yet?”, he questions you. Flopping back into a lying position you try but the result is the same. Zilch.
“I’ll help you. It was recommended that you get moving after you wake up.” You sigh knowing that he’s correct but the bed is just too comfortable. Moving the soft comforter from your form you notice that your clothes are different. It makes sense but is nonetheless jarring. The white night clothes barely fit you being clearly designed for someone larger. White pants tied with a drawstring and a loose white shirt adorn you.
“I was unsure of your gender so one of the maids dressed you. I can assure you they were respectful. We also had to discard your previous clothes. They were beyond saving”, Diluc interjects, noticing your expression shift. You preen a little at the mention of your androgyny before quickly mourning your comfy clothes. There is a zero percent chance you’ll get another ‘I love MILFs’ shirt here in Teyvat. Thank goodness that English is far enough from the common language for the people here to have read your awful shirt.
You slide yourself to the side of the bed with your legs hanging off and reach your hands out to Diluc. The redhead gets the memo and grabs your hands effortlessly pulling you to your feet. His hands are much warmer than the average person’s likely due to his vision. Your legs shake underneath you but you don’t fall. At your great success, you shoot Diluc a triumphant smile. Everything hurts though. A dull pain echoes through all your limbs as you stretch out causing everything to crack.
“Please follow me downstairs for dinner”, Diluc waves you along. The manor looks just like it does in the game, just slightly more lived in. The game made it look a little barren. Lots of paintings depicting Mondstadt litter the walls. These must be the ones Diluc mentions belonging to his late father.
“I’m neither by the way”, you cryptically start. Diluc looks back with furrowed brows.
“Pardon?” You put on your practiced smile to hide your nerves. Customer service taught you how to hide your weakness well.
“My gender. I’m neither. I identify as non-binary and my pronouns are they/them”, you explain while watching his facial expressions.
“I see”, is all he says before turning to face forward again. You wait for more of a response but are denied. He doesn’t look surprised, confused, or disgusted which are the three main emotions you come across when explaining your identity. You guess that in a world with Gods and monsters a queer person isn’t all that unusual. It’s nice. You only hope everyone else will be just as accepting.
The walk to the dining table is not very far. As you look around you can see Diluc watching you from the corner of his eye. You had max friendship with him so maybe he’s trying to figure out why you seem familiar? Though it's more likely he’s making sure you don’t steal anything.
If the pain wasn’t here you would think you are dreaming. The long dining table is set for two people. Diluc takes the head of the table as you sit to his right. The smell of a mouth-watering meal greets your nose. You recognize the meal as a sticky honey roast. A bed of carrots sits under a pot roast drenched in a sweet sauce. The meal looks so good it almost appears fake like the food you see in magazines and commercials.
“Would you like some wine? It’s our specialty.” Diluc offers breaking you from your staring contest with the meat. You turn to him smiling nervously trying to keep up a good attitude despite the anguish creeping into you.
“No thank you. I don’t drink…. I don’t like the way it feels in my mouth”, you steal Diluc’s words from his voice line. The more alike you are to a person the more likely they are to trust you. Your plan works as Diluc seems pleased though it’s hard to tell with his stoic demeanor. Adelaide begins cutting the roast into several slices before distributing it.
“How about some grape juice?”, you nod enthusiastically at his words. You finally get to try Diluc’s famous grape juice. After obtaining some for that one event you’ve been dying to taste it. The drinks and food are served. They use fina china which your grandma would never allow to get dirty. Who knew dying was all it took to be eating good food with a hot man? Too bad this isn’t a date.
You watch which silverware Diluc uses and how he eats his food. You follow his lead trying not to make a fool of yourself in front of nobility. A shaky hand raises the food to your mouth and the flavor bursts instantly. It’s a far cry from the instant food you had come to rely on after moving out from your parent’s house.
Tears silently fall as you eat and the realization that all of this is real sets in. The feeling of chewing the meat, the sweetness of the meal, and the undeniable feeling of the food traveling down your esophagus drives home that fact. Lucid dreams cannot mimic eating to such a degree.
Neither Diluc nor any of the maids speak up while you silently weep over the meal. It reminds you of the home-cooked meals your parents used to make. Which makes you think about their reactions to your death. How can you enjoy a new life in Teyvat when you are still mourning the old one? You need time to grieve for what you lost but the situation hardly allows for that. You don’t even know how much time you have before the main story starts and things get hectic.
You don’t stop eating despite your tears seasoning the food. It’s just too good to put the fork down. It doesn’t take long for your plate to be finished. You take deep breaths trying to calm yourself or at least to stop sobbing. Adelaide hands you a high-quality handkerchief which you thank her for.
“I’m not going home am I?”, you ask aloud. The question isn’t pointed at anyone in the room but more a vocalization of your sorrows. A thought too profound to be kept inside so it clawed its way out of your throat making itself heard. When it was just a little whisper in your mind it could be contained but now it lingers in the air unavoidable.
Despite being emotionally stunted from his own trauma Diluc answers your question.
“No. I don’t think so.” The words hit you like a freight train but the majority of your feelings had already been cried out. An emptiness makes itself home in your chest. If you looked into a mirror you expect your eyes would be as dull as Childe’s.
“Thank you for the food”, you whisper in a raspy tone with your head hung low.
“You are welcome. The Dawn Winery is here for you until you fully recover. You should rest now”, Diluc curtly answers, most likely uncomfortable with your display of emotions. You return to your room and ponder life. Things are going to be much different from now on.