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When Collei and Ramin first saw each other, they were both about to begin the Teyvat Herbal Studies course at the Akademiya.
Neither of them could have ever imagined that that seemingly ordinary morning would become such an important memory in their lives.
Ramin had arrived a few minutes early and was carefully arranging his workstation. He had already laid out his notebooks, pens, and a few plant samples he had collected during one of his study excursions. Focused on his preparations, he was waiting for Professor Fahrad’s lesson to begin when the classroom door opened.
That was when he saw her. Among the students continuing to file into the room, his eyes immediately landed on a girl with green hair and a gentle demeanor.
Collei was looking around, clutching her books to her chest, perhaps searching for an empty seat. The light filtering through the large classroom windows illuminated her face and her shy smile, and for a moment Ramin even forgot what he was doing. It felt like he was witnessing one of those romantic scenes described in novels. He was not the type to fall in love at first sight, or at least that was what he had always believed, yet he couldn’t stop looking at her.
Collei, meanwhile, had also noticed the young student sitting alone near the window. Unlike many students at the Akademiya, who often tried to appear superior or particularly brilliant, he seemed calm and sincere. There was something about his manner that put her at ease. She observed him for a few seconds, trying not to be too obvious. She noticed his olive complexion, his bright green eyes, and his dark, curly hair falling slightly over his forehead. He had sharp facial features, softened by an incredibly kind expression. He was tall, with a sturdy build that gave him a reliable and reassuring presence.
Collei felt her heart quicken slightly. After a few moments of hesitation, she gathered enough courage and walked over to the empty seat next to him. It was not like her to take initiative so easily, especially with a stranger, but something told her that it was the right choice.
They both tried to hide their initial embarrassment, but only a few minutes of conversation before the start of the lesson were enough for them to realize they shared several interests.
For Collei, that simple morning was enough to develop a real crush. Ramin seemed different from the other students at the Akademiya. In an environment where many acted arrogant, competitive, or overly confident in their abilities, he appeared genuine, helpful, and respectful. He did not try to impress anyone, and perhaps that was exactly what made him so special in her eyes.
Collei had her first impressions confirmed a few weeks later, when she and Ramin went out together for the first time. It was not yet a real date, at least not in the romantic sense. One afternoon, at the end of a particularly demanding lesson, Ramin had simply asked if she would like to meet up to study together in preparation for the end-of-semester exam. Collei had agreed almost immediately, though trying not to seem too enthusiastic.
On the appointed day, they met in a quiet study room at the Akademiya, far from the noise of the busier classrooms. Collei, who initially feared she might be distracted by the simple excitement of spending time with him, soon realized that Ramin took studying very seriously. And, in fact, they really did study. For hours, they compared notes, texts, and annotations collected during Professor Fahrad’s lectures. Ramin had an extraordinary memory for details: he remembered scientific names, botanical classifications, and even the most marginal observations written in the margins. His notes were orderly and precise, almost impeccable.Collei, on the other hand, possessed a different but equally valuable quality. She was very intuitive and could connect seemingly distant concepts. She often found associations that other students completely missed, naturally understanding the link between plant properties, the ecosystems they came from, and their possible medicinal uses. The more they studied together, the more they realized they complemented each other. What would take other students long hours of revision turned into an engaging and interesting discussion for them.
From that day on, their study meetings became more and more frequent. Sometimes they met in the library, other times in the Akademiya gardens, surrounded by flowerbeds of rare plants used for research. They often started by talking about medicinal herbs and ended up discussing completely different topics: their dreams for the future, the books they had read, the places in Teyvat they wanted to visit, and the small experiences that had shaped their lives. Little by little, their friendship grew deeper. Collei learned to appreciate the patience with which Ramin listened to others and his ability to always find something good in people. Ramin, in turn, admired the strength Collei hid behind her gentle personality and the way she never gave up, even in the face of difficulties.
They became best friends long before becoming lovers, just as often happens in real life. When their feelings finally began to turn into something deeper, they had already learned to know each other, to respect each other, and to rely on one another. Love did not replace their friendship: it was born from it, slowly growing on the solid foundation they had built together. There were no sudden declarations or storybook-style love-at-first-sight moments. First came the endless conversations, the shared laughter between pages, the trust built day after day. Then came their first kiss.
Collei had never kissed anyone before, but it was everything she had ever dreamed of: under the stars, hand in hand with him, alone on a branch high above the City of Sumeru.
«I would like you to meet Master Tighnari» Collei had told him during one of their study meetings, while enthusiastically flipping through notes full of annotations and diagrams: «He has taught me a great deal. It’s thanks to him that I was able to enter the Akademiya. He is a wise man, and he played a fundamental role in inspiring my admission thesis. Maybe you could exchange some scientific ideas—I'm sure he would be happy to help you!»
Collei had said it with the naturalness of someone who simply wishes to share something important from their life. In her eyes, that meeting was an opportunity to introduce two people she deeply respected. Ramin, for his part, had agreed with a polite smile and a nod. After all, if someone as serious and passionate as Collei cared so much about introducing him to her mentor, he must be someone truly interesting.
Never, not even in the most chaotic hypotheses or the worst imaginable scenarios, could he have predicted how that next evening would unfold.
The news arrived on an entirely ordinary day.
Collei reached Tighnari’s tent in the late afternoon, when light filtered through the trees of Avidya Forest and everything seemed suspended in an almost unreal calm. The air smelled of medicinal herbs, paper, and ink, with that constant undertone of living nature that never seemed to fade. Tighnari was sitting at his makeshift desk, surrounded by notes, botanical observations, and essays written by other students. He was reading attentively, mentally correcting errors and adding marginal remarks with the precision of someone who leaves no room for approximation. His gaze was focused, his ears slightly tilted forward, a sign of total immersion in his work.
Collei stood at the entrance of the tent for a few moments without speaking. Her fingers were clasping one another, a gesture that was no longer pure nervousness but a kind of emotional habit. She wasn’t trembling, though. And that was already different from usual. Normally she would start with broken sentences, half-formed words, glances that fled immediately after gathering courage. This time, instead, she seemed to have decided not to run away.
She took a breath.
«Master Tighnari… I would like to introduce you to someone.»
Tighnari’s pen stopped mid-annotation.
«Someone?» he repeated, without looking up from the page.
The question immediately tried to sort the information into a logical category: a student? a forest resident? a diplomatic mission? some medical issue? some potential threat?
Collei nodded. «Yes, he is… someone very important to me. We’ve been studying together for a few weeks and… I really care about him. I would like to invite him to dinner tomorrow, if possible…»
This time the silence was not long, but it had a strange density, almost physical, as if the air inside the tent had suddenly grown heavier. Tighnari finally looked up. His eyes settled on Collei. Those who knew him well understood what it meant: mental processing in progress. For a few seconds he said nothing.
Not because he had no words, but because he had too many. And they were all overlapping: Who is this person? How long have you been together? Are they reliable? Are they a forest resident? Do they have proper training? What do they study? Do they know how to act in emergencies? Do they treat my Collei well?
Meanwhile, Collei stood still. She didn’t add anything. She waited.
Tighnari exhaled slowly.
He placed his pen down with millimetric precision, and finally smiled at the girl:
«I’ll organize a nice dinner, then. Do you have any specific requests? If I’m going to meet this person, then it’s important to do it properly: in a controlled environment, with good and safe food!»
«No intolerances, no allergies! Thank you, thank you, Master Tighnari!»
Collei kissed her protector’s cheek, joyful. In love.
Tighnari began planning the dinner for the next day as if it were a mission of extreme importance. After all, it was a boy Tighnari did not know, a boy who hugged his Collei—and who knew whether he truly knew everything about her, or whether he was pretending for some dirty, vile purpose! Not with Collei. Not when it came to her.
At first, he had thought of keeping the news from Cyno and the others, but the secrecy lasted very little. Because Collei, inexplicably to anyone who did not know her well, was happy. And Collei’s happiness was something that did not go unnoticed in Avidya Forest. And so the word spread.
Thus, Tighnari found himself facing a conclusion he had not planned: he could no longer handle the situation alone. He was forced to confide in others. He summoned three people with the expression of someone about to announce an environmental crisis.
«Guys, I need your help: an unfortunate event has occurred…»
Kaveh sighed: «I already told you that that fungus isn’t illegal, we can smoke it…»
«Collei has a boyfriend…»
Kaveh stopped mid-breath.
«…What?» he said slowly, as if the sentence needed to be translated into a more comprehensible language. He literally lost his breath, placing a hand on his chest as if struck.
Alhaitham, who had until that moment remained leaning with apparent disinterest, slowly raised his gaze. For a few seconds he said nothing, as he was verifying whether the statement was “reliable information” or not.
«Are you serious?» he finally asked. Tighnari nodded once, and that was enough for the scribe.
Cyno’s reaction came shortly after. And it was immediate
«And you only thought to tell me now!?» he asked, throwing his precious playing cards onto the floor. Even they had been unable to calm the Mahamatra’s anger: «Collei has a boyfriend! Who is this Casanova? Is he from the Akademiya? Does he study? Is he a student? What’s his name, tell me, I’ll do a quick search… Maybe he’s a criminal, maybe he’s that thief we’ve been looking for for days who managed to get close to my family! I swear I’ll break his neck if I find even the smallest thing he has hidden from Collei!»
Tighnari held his head in his hands, exhausted: «All we know is that he’s a student in her courses, so he must be around her age… Cyno, please calm down, I need to think about tomorrow’s dinner…»
«I’m coming too!» the General growled.
«That doesn’t seem appropriate, I only told you because you needed to know, it wasn’t an invitation…»
«I’m coming too!» he repeated through gritted teeth. He found support from the architect and the scribe.
Alhaitham nodded. And that alone was enough for him to express his consent to show up uninvited. Kaveh, meanwhile, chuckled: «I really want to see what kind of guy managed to win our Collei’s heart… I won’t come empty-handed, I promise, it’ll look completely casual!»
It did not seem casual at all.
The sweet little couple arrived precisely on time. Collei was the first to enter, then she invited Ramin to follow her in. After an entire day spent mentally preparing himself to meet the master, the student found himself, to his great surprise, facing the Light of Kshahrewar, the Akademiya Scribe, the Chief Officer of the Forest Rangers… and the General Mahamatra himself. All in the same room. And the scene was terrifying, as was the realization that Collei knew all of those people, who had likely come there out of curiosity to meet the “boyfriend” of their sweet ward…
For a few endless seconds, Ramin remained frozen on the threshold, unable even to remember how breathing worked. His brain, already strained by the anxiety accumulated throughout the day, simply decided to give up. He had imagined a calm meeting. Maybe tea, a few polite questions, perhaps the master sharing some anecdotes about his young student. He had not imagined a gathering of some of the most influential and feared people in Sumeru.
Ramin went pale and for a moment hesitated, but Collei took his hand and led him inside to introduce him to those present.
«He is Ramin.»
Four pairs of eyes simultaneously settled on him. Ramin felt a shiver run down his spine. Tighnari was the first to smile—purely out of courtesy.
«Welcome, Ramin. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, sit down, there is some good hot tea…»
The hot tea was a test. Ramin knew it because Collei had told him: the hot tea would help prepare his stomach for a substantial meal. So the boy agreed, and Tighnari happily handed him a cup. Beside him, the General Mahamatra sat composed, arms crossed and gaze unreadable. He said nothing.
After the hot tea, they all sat down at the table. Tighnari felt more at ease because he knew the others would take over the conversation and ask the kinds of questions he could not pose politely. It was important for Tighnari to maintain his moral integrity. Indeed, Kaveh was the first to break the ice:
«So, Ramin, which Darshan are you in? The same as Collei?»
Before answering, Ramin straightened his posture—despite already sitting perfectly upright—and looked at the girl in a way that did not escape Tighnari’s notice: respect, admiration, perhaps even love were all present on his face.
«House of Rtawahist.»
«Oh, really? You study the stars? Fantastic! And how did you meet our Collei?»
The girl blushed with an embarrassed laugh while squeezing her boyfriend’s hand, whom she looked at again before he answered:
«During the course Lunar Cycles and Ecosystem Dynamics, a class that explained the various phases of the moon and the way they influence nature: the effects of nocturnal luminosity on indirect photosynthesis, rare plants sensitive to lunar cycles, the influence of lunar phases on seed dispersal…»
«How romantic!» Kaveh immediately commented.
«It’s not particularly romantic» Alhaitham observed in a neutral tone.
«Of course it is! Two students meeting while studying the mysteries of nature and the night sky? That’s very romantic!»
«It happens in a normal academic course.»
The architect turned toward his roommate, then shook his head: «You’re impossible.»
Cyno remained seated with his arms crossed, motionless like a statue, eyes fixed on the young man. He still did not speak.
The scribe continued: «A combined course between Rtawahist and Amurta, then.»
The boy nodded: «Yes.»
«Interesting…»
Kaveh immediately sensed the scribe’s tone: «Oh no.»
«Oh no what?» Tighnari whispered.
«He’s about to do that thing…»
«…What thing?»
«What is the central hypothesis of your project?»
Ramin took a sip of water: «Whether and to what extent the intensity of moonlight influences the opening frequency of nocturnal flowers belonging to the Silver Padisarah species.»
«…“Intensity”?»
Ramin took a second to understand the question: «As in luminous intensity measured in lux through standardized observation instruments.»
«What independent variable did you use?»
«The lunar phase.»
«Dependent variable?»
«The percentage of flower opening observed.»
«Control variables?»
«Temperature, humidity, altitude of the observation site, and presence of precipitation.»
«Mm.» Alhaitham was satisfied.
Kaveh had never seen him so… fulfilled. So content.
«Perfect. Now we can talk about normal things… Ramin, what are your hobbies?»
«Oh… well, I observe the sky: it definitely helps me study, but it relaxes me a lot. I draw maps, sometimes I paint…»
Kaveh’s eyes lit up: «You paint? Oh, I thought you were a sensitive soul… I’d love to see something!»
«I’m not very good, I often paint the same things and they’re very boring…»
Collei interjected, hiding Ramin’s hand in hers in a reassuring squeeze: «That’s not true, I really like your mirrors…»
She continued: «Ramin paints mirrors to play with reflections, and he’s very good, attentive to every detail.»
«I often get the light position wrong…» Ramin added in another act of humility.
Kaveh smiled at him: he had completely understood why they had fallen in love. So he switched sides, exactly as Tighnari was already doing, noticing every glance the two lovebirds exchanged.
«That’s a nice challenge, working with reflection. If you want, I can recommend a book full of examples. I’d be happy to lend it to you—I often lend books to Collei…»
«Oh, thank you! Gladly!»
At the end of the first rich course, Ramin asked where the restroom was, and Tighnari pointed it out. Ramin stood up with a calm he did not remotely feel and walked away from the table, trying not to look like someone fleeing an emotionally unmanageable situation. Once outside the main area, the sound of conversation faded into a distant murmur. The evening air was cooler, and for a few seconds he felt like he had survived.
He went to wash his face and spoke to his reflection.
«It’s going well, it’s going very well, come on,» he told himself. «Anything for Collei…»
He left the restroom tent. The night air suddenly felt heavier. He had barely taken two steps when he stopped. In front of him, motionless as if he had always been part of the shadow itself along the path, stood a figure.
Arms crossed.
Red eyes, fixed.
The General Mahamatra.
In the time it takes to blink, and with the same precision with which he had appeared, Cyno made a slight lateral movement and vanished behind the restroom structure, as if he had never been there.
Ramin remained frozen. Then he returned toward the main tent with slightly faster steps than before.
He walked back to the table in a controlled manner, trying to appear like someone who had not just experienced a paranormal event. The murmur of conversation welcomed him again. Kaveh was gesturing animatedly while explaining what romance was to his roommate, despite the latter’s obvious lack of interest. Collei smiled immediately as soon as she saw him return, and Ramin forgot he had been distressed.
Kaveh’s loquacity helped the boy calm down a little more, even though Master Tighnari’s watchful gaze reminded him that he was there to get to know him, not to freeload a dinner from Collei’s family. Tighnari was certainly an affable and helpful man, but that did not mean he would overlook the safety of his young ward: he would never leave her in the hands of an inexperienced, insecure young man who might end up standing beside her like a burden. Collei, his Collei! had to spread her wings, gain experience, climb to the top of the Tree of Wisdom, and live a peaceful and joyful life.
Ramin realized this over the course of the evening, when he noticed how little Tighnari had spoken since the start of dinner. And yet, he did not seem to want to actively participate in the meal so much as observe - observe him and Collei interacting, especially when they thought they were not being watched. But every time Tighnari nodded, Ramin knew he was doing or saying the right thing, even while feeling under scrutiny. Fortunately, doing the right thing came naturally to him.
And Collei…
Collei was very happy.
Cyno was drunk, perhaps.
No one had proof until he finally spoke, asking Ramin: «Do you play Genius Invokation TCG?»
Ramin was almost surprised that the statue could speak, but he answered politely: «Yes, my friends and I hold real tournaments twice a week…»
The answer caught everyone at the table off guard, while Collei smiled because… well, she already knew that.
«Cyno, why don’t you ask Ramin something more personal?» Kaveh interjected, before the General Mahamatra could bury the conversation in the various attack and defense techniques of a card game.
Then Cyno asked. He blurted it out suddenly:
«...Have you already had sex?»
The dinner ended hastily because it was clear that it needed to end. To avoid general embarrassment and the risk of the evening devolving in the worst possible way, Tighnari dismissed Collei and Ramin -but not before speaking to the latter privately. It happened so suddenly that the boy did not even realize the maneuver.
While saying goodbye affectionately, Tighnari placed a hand on Ramin’s shoulder. Collei was hugging Kaveh and would not notice how an apparently harmless gesture had already turned into a threat.
«Listen to me, Ramin. You are a good boy, and I understood that immediately. I don’t know if you know about Collei’s past, nor if you have any idea how she was raised by myself. One day you will know it, you will understand it, and you will decide whether it is worth accompanying Collei in the course of her bright future. I am convinced you could also be a valuable friend to her, because you are an ambitious person with complex interests. But let me tell you this before you think of taking her away from me forever: if Collei shows even the slightest sign of distress because of you - because of something you said or did - do not think there will never be consequences. I gave her an extraordinary life. She will not end up in the hands of a small man who parades her around or thinks he is worth more than she is. Collei is much more than you think: she is talented, curious, brave. Nature is what makes her feel good, and it is where she will always find her refuge. Do not tear her away, Ramin. Do not tear her away from her refuge, because my fury will be worse than a sandstorm in the scorching desert or a summer storm in the forests of Avidya. If Collei were ever to return to me with a broken heart, do not worry about what the General Mahamatra could do to you. The last thing you will see will be my face…»