Chapter Text
In the world of Teyvat, the inevitability of death looms over all, regardless of age. It is a universal truth that even the young must one day face.
However, in the passage of time, the living find a way to carry on. In the vibrant city of Fontaine, amidst the dawn of a New Year, a festive spirit fills the air as a grand celebration takes place.
Among the revelers are Lumine and Paimon, strolling through the Court of Fontaine, taking in the joyous atmosphere.
"Can you believe it's already been a year since the prophecy was fulfilled?" Paimon exclaimed, her tiny form buzzing around Lumine like an excited firefly.
"Hmm. Some things have changed since the last time we have been h..." Paimon trailed off, noticing that Lumine had abruptly stopped walking and talking. Curious, she turned around to find Lumine gazing solemnly at a statue.
It wasn't just any statue, but one of the Seven, once revered and majestic. However, now they stood defiled, their once-proud visages marred by splashes of paint bearing cruel words like 'Fraud' and 'Liar.'
The vandalism extended beyond the statues, with all things related to Furina bearing similar marks of disrespect. The sight left a bitter taste in their mouths, a stark reminder of the changing tides within Teyvat.
The citizens' voices rose in a chorus of condemnation, branding her a fake, a liar, a fraud, and a good-for-nothing. The extent of the backlash caught them off guard; they had intended to send a message to Furina about the seriousness of their discontent, but it spiraled into something far worse.
The accusations stuck, and to this day, Furina remains tainted by the shadow of fraudulence. Those who had conspired against her have mostly turned a blind eye to the aftermath. She vanished without a trace, leaving behind a mystery as to her whereabouts, shrouded in the whispers of a tarnished reputation that refuses to fade.
A few people expressed concern for Furina, while others were outraged that she had left Fontaine without facing any consequences for her actions.
"Lumine..." A soft voice emanated from Paimon, prompting Lumine to close her eyes and briskly move away from the defiled statue.
The walk between them was quiet until they reached the Court of Fontaine: Vasari Passage. There, amidst stalls and a joyous atmosphere, children ran and laughed.
"Hey, look!! Isn't that Navia and Clorinde!!" Paimon exclaimed. Lumine turned to see the individuals Paimon had mentioned.
Paimon flew towards them, with Lumine following at a slower pace.
"Enjoy it while you can," a hooded figure remarked as they passed Lumine, sending a shiver down her spine. When she turned around, the figure had vanished.
"Hey Partner!! Over here!!" Navia called out to Lumine, who then turned back and approached her friends.
"Hey Navia, Clorinde, Charlotte. It's been a long time," Lumine greeted them with a small smile.
"Yes, it has. I hope your journey has been going well," Clorinde replied.
"Things have been okay, but we haven't been able to go to Natlan," Paimon added.
"Oh, what do I see? The elusive Lumine and her companion Paimon," a voice sounded from behind them.
Navia, Clorinde, Paimon, and Lumine turned to see Lyney and Lynette walking towards them. Paimon waved happily towards Lyney and Lynette.
"Lyney, Lynette!! It's good to see again, said Paimon.
Cheerful voices surrounded the group as they caught up with one another, but the joyous atmosphere came to an abrupt end as several explosions echoed from the Court of Fontaine and nearby buildings. Lumine, Paimon, Clorinde, Navia, Lyney, and Lynette rushed to the Court of Fontaine, only to be met by billowing black flames. Despite the efforts of many Gardes, Gardemek, and Marechaussee Phantom, the flames only grew fiercer.
Neuvillette attempted to quell the flames to no avail. Paimon swiftly flew towards him and exclaimed, "Monsieur Neuvillette!"
Turning to see Paimon, Lumine, Navia, Clorinde, Lyney, and Lynette, Neuvillette responded, "Paimon, Lumine, everyone... What happened here, Monsieur Neuvillette?" Navia inquired.
Neuvillette sighed deeply, his voice filled with distress. "I have to be honest, I don't know. It happened so suddenly. The worst part is that several buildings are also engulfed in this disaster."
Amidst the chaos of the explosion, several civilians and Melusines were injured by a sudden sword slash.
"What... what just happened?" Paimon exclaimed.
Clorinde shoved Neuvillette aside, intercepting a sword attack from out of nowhere. Revealed to be a silver-haired individual wearing a similar Garde uniform and wielding dual swords, she exhibited immense strength as she pushed Clorinde away. Before she could strike Clorinde, however, she found herself fending off attacks from Lumine and Lynette.
The silver-haired girl engaged in a fierce battle with Lumine and Lynette, sensing an impending attack from behind. Whirling around, she caught sight of Navia taking aim at her, only to be blindsided by a kick to the back of her head from a white-haired girl, who swiftly unleashed a sword slash towards Lyney. Disarming herself, the silver-haired girl grabbed Lumine and Lynette by their scarves, knocking them unconscious by bashing their heads together. She then swiftly retrieved her dual swords and stood alongside the white-haired girl.
"That's enough!" Neuvillette commanded with authority, tapping his cane. "Who are you?" he demanded.
Instead of providing an answer, both girls exchanged a glance and nodded before swiftly leaping away from the Court of Fontaine. Before Neuvillette could pursue them, a cry pierced the air. Freminet raced towards the group, his breath ragged. Lyney hurried to his side.
"Freminet, what's wrong?" Lyney inquired urgently.
After catching his breath, Freminet addressed Lyney. "Lyney, the... children... they're gone," he said hoarsely.
"What... how, when?" Lyney assisted Freminet to stand.
"When the explosion occurred, a water mage suddenly appeared in front of us. I tried to intervene, but she received assistance from two girls who seemingly appeared out of nowhere," Freminet explained.
"Can you recall their appearance?" Lyney pressed.
"Yes, one had silver hair and wore attire resembling that of the Gardes. The other had white hair and donned similar clothing to the silver-haired girl," Freminet recalled.
As the group pondered Freminet's revelation, Navia proposed splitting up.
"Lyney, Lynette, Freminet, and Lumine will search for any remaining clues at the scene," Navia suggested. "Meanwhile, I'll head to Poisson to rally members of the Spina di Rosula."
"Miss Navia, it's safer if you take Miss Clorinde with you. We're uncertain if the perpetrators might return," Neuvillette advised. "Paimon, accompany Clorinde and Navia. I fear the danger may escalate when we visit the House of Hearth, as Lumine suggested."
"Alright, Lumine. Paimon will join Navia," Paimon affirmed.
With that, they dispersed, leaving Lumine, Lyney, Lynette, and Freminet outside the House of Hearth. Opting to investigate, Lumine activated her Elemental Sight.
Sighing, Lumine rose and approached Lyney. As Lyney turned, he noticed Lumine's somber expression.
"Any luck?" Lyney inquired, to which Lumine sadly shook her head. Lyney slumped to the ground, and Lynette and Freminet rushed to his side. Lumine moved to console them, only to be interrupted by Paimon's urgent cries. Rushing, Paimon informed Lumine they needed to head to Poisson. As they hurried, they encountered Neuvillette.
"Lumine, what's happening?" Neuvillette questioned. Before Lumine could respond, Paimon interjected, insisting there was no time to explain and urging them to hasten to Poisson. Arriving, they were met with a harrowing sight: Navia weeping inconsolably, while Clorinde attempted to offer solace.
Drawing closer, Lumine witnessed the devastation: Poisson's inhabitants lay slain, the once vibrant village now a grim tableau of despair. Among the carnage were the children of the House of Hearth, innocent victims of unspeakable violence.
As they absorbed the scene, Lumine's instincts tingled. Glancing around, she spotted three shadowy figures watching from a distance, their presence ominous in the midst of chaos. With a sinking feeling, Lumine realized they were being spied upon, adding another layer of urgency to their plight.
Overwhelmed with shock and sorrow, Lumine vowed to seek justice for the slain, determined to uncover the truth and hold the perpetrators accountable.
Amidst the three spies, Erina, a blue-haired girl clutching a Grimoire, beamed proudly as her masterpiece unfolded before the eyes of those below.
"Erina, let's go. We still have a lot of work to do," urged the white-haired female beside her. Revealing Erina's name, she attempted to move her from the spot. Erina resisted, her scarf caught in the grasp of the silver-haired girl, who dragged her away from the scene.
"Felicity, hold on, the best part is yet to come," Erina protested, struggling against the tightening scarf.
"What 'good part' are you referring to, Erina?" questioned the silver-haired girl, casting a dark glance. Catching Felicity's nod, she released Erina's scarf with a sigh.
Erina pouted, then explained that she had left two surprises for their targets.
"Just wait and see, Iris," Erina declared, returning to her spot. Iris and Felicity exchanged glances before joining Erina, anticipation brewing.
Soon, they witnessed a pink-haired girl and others with cameras rushing toward Lumine and her companions below. Confusion reigned until the arrival of loud footsteps from behind—the reporters had arrived.
"What on earth happened here?" exclaimed Charlotte.
"Who are these people?" questioned Paimon.
"Someone sent an anonymous letter warning of trouble in Poisson. Almost every journalist received the same letter," Charlotte explained.
"It must be the work of the three girls who attacked the Court of Fontaine, kidnapped the children from the House of Hearth, and caused the massacre in Poisson," Neuvillette concluded.
"But... why Poisson? Why?" Navia lamented, her voice filled with anguish.
Before anyone could respond, strange water began to seep from the cracks in Poisson, gradually increasing until it burst forth. Upon contact with the eerie water, the bodies vanished without a trace.
"Isn't that the Primordial Water? Wasn't it supposed to be sealed away?" Paimon frantically exclaimed.
"Everyone, we need to evacuate quickly," declared Clorinde.
Navia remained on the floor, overwhelmed with despair as her father's efforts vanished before her eyes. Before Navia could resign herself to fate, Clorinde intervened, pulling her to safety to prevent her from meeting the same grim end as the others. As the evacuation of Poisson commenced, Erina reveled in the chaos, relishing the distress and hopelessness etched on their targets' faces.
"Erina, what have you done?" Iris demanded.
"Oh, just sent out an anonymous letter to lure journalists and spread fear of their nation's doom, and this time the Hydro Sovereign Dragon won't be able to save them," Erina admitted with a smirk.
"Are we finished?" Felicity inquired.
"Yes, we're done. It's time to report to our Master about the situation," Erina declared, rising from her seat.
"Finally," sighed Felicity.
"Open Gate," Erina commanded, and a purple portal materialized before Iris, Felicity, and Erina. Iris entered first, followed by Felicity, with Erina bringing up the rear. Just before stepping through the Gate, Erina delivered one final message.
"Enjoy it while it lasts," she said, a wicked grin spreading across her face. With that, Erina vanished into the portal, which closed behind her as if it had never existed.