(Kazuha x Tomo) Ephemeral Autumn Leaves

11. Song of the Depths

As Kazuha wandered aimlessly through the ruins of Dunyu, he feared that he would become lost. On top of that, he had no idea where exactly he was supposed to find the Priest. Was he supposed to simply wait at the entrance of the ruins, or journey through its depths? If he had to turn back now, he wasn't sure he'd be able to find his way...

Luckily for him, he soon learned that he'd made the right decision coming in here. The ominous strum of a stringed instrument suddenly reverberated off the walls of the chamber. It was faint, undetectable for average human ears, but Kazuha noticed it instantly. At first, he wasn't sure if he was hallucinating it or not—a few notes were struck, but then the instrument fell silent, with only its haunting echo remaining. After a short while, however, the tune picked up once again. He followed the direction which it seemed to be coming from, and the nearer he got, the more it increased pace.

Tama was growing uneasy at the music. She soon leapt from Kazuha's shoulder onto the ground and refused to go any further. Kazuha was conflicted. On the one hand, he didn't want to leave the cat behind, but on the other, this might be the only chance he'd have to get answers. He had to go on.

"Wait here, Tama. I'll be back soon, I promise."

He paused after he said that. Tomo, too, had promised to return, but he never did. Kazuha shook that thought out of his head. This was no time to linger.

Hurrying forth, Kazuha arrived in a large chamber deep within the depths of the ruins. The roof of the chamber sloped upwards, forming a dome that stretched high above. Vines, ferns, flowers, and countless other types of plants covered every inch of space, crawling up the walls and even hanging down from the ceiling. Several waterfalls poured down from overhead, coalescing into a pool that took up the center of the chamber. In the midst of this pool sat a massive lotus flower which seemed to sprout out from the water itself. Kazuha was unsure as to whether this flower was a real lotus or an artificial construct—its leaves were a shimmering white, yet translucent at the same time. The plant shone so brightly that he couldn't completely make out its features, though he noticed the figure of a person hidden within its petals. The tune which resonated throughout the entire ruins originated from here.

Cautiously, Kazuha decided to approach. The figure within the lotus, though it appeared to be facing his direction, made no indication that it had noticed his presence, and continued strumming out the same melody. As his feet reached the edge of the pool, however, the lotus slowly began to rotate, its petals opening up to reveal the person contained within. His long, black hair floated up from gracefully behind him, while the large sleeves of his robe fluttered as if being blown in the wind, despite the stillness of the air throughout the chamber. His eyes were initially closed, but as he lowered his instrument, they slowly began to open.

The Priest had a handsome, refined appearance. His eyes were warm, though his gaze distant as they rested upon Kazuha. He stretched one foot out over the pool, and a small lotus bubbled up to the surface. Miraculously, it managed to support the Priest's weight effortlessly as he began to make his way across the water. Another flower appeared, allowing him to take another step in Kazuha's direction. One by one, more flowers bubbled their way up to the surface, providing the Priest with a path that led straight towards the Inazuman boy.

Kazuha timidly took a few steps back, unsure of the man's intentions.

"You need not be fearful," he assured. "Not just anyone can endure the resonance of these strings. You must be one who is pure of heart to have withstood it."

Kazuha was unsure of what etiquette he should take in addressing the Priest. This was a person, a being whose power rivaled that of the Archons according to Mr. Zhongli. How was he, a mere mortal, supposed to act in the presence of the divine? His only encounter with gods had been his brief intrusion at Tenshukaku when he snatched Tomo's Vision away before the Raiden Shogun could have her hands on it.

"I was told you might be able to assist me," he explained meekly. Averting his eyes from the Priest, he pulled forth the Masterless Vision from his waist. "Do you know of a way to rekindle this?"

The Priest eyed the Vision but remained silent for a long while. Kazuha was worried that he might have said something to offend the man, but finally, he spoke. "Is it the Vision you wish to rekindle, or is there something else that you desire?"

Kazuha hesitated. "I...I wish to keep my friend's ambition alive..."

I want to know if there is a way to bring Tomo back, he thought to himself. I want to know if that Seelie which has been following me around is really him. Though he wanted to say these things out loud, he found himself unable too. Perhaps he was simply too afraid to hear what the Priest might say.

"I sense that his ambition already lives on," the Priest noted simply. He poked a finger gently into Kazuha's chest. "Herein lies your ambition, yet there is the faintest trace of the ambitions of another. Intertwined with yours, the two have now become one—they are no longer separate."

Kazuha didn't understand what he was saying. "If I hold Tomo's ambition, then why hasn't his Vision been rekindled? Is it because I am already in possession of one?"

"When the time is right, a spark of life will reignite it. A Vision becomes masterless when it is separated from the one who wields it. However, nothing ever is truly lost. When one dies, the soul ascends to the stars. Yet even the stars can fall back upon this world."

This ignited a glimmer of hope in Kazuha's heart. "The souls of the dead can be brought back to life? How?"

The Priest could sense the desperation in Kazuha's eyes. "Perhaps you have heard stories of how I emerged from the fallen star which created the Chasm. Indeed, it is within my power to tether the souls of the ascended back to mortal flesh."

Kazuha held his breath. Bring him back! He wanted to shout. He would do anything to see Tomo again, even for just a moment. Yet at the same time, he was apprehensive at this thought. Is that what Tomo would really want?

The Priest quickly continued before Kazuha could make a decision. "However, it appears that the soul of this Vision's former master has not ascended. At least, not yet."

"What?" Kazuha gasped. "How...?"

The Priest closed his eyes and tilted his head attentively, as if he were listening to something that Kazuha couldn't hear. "Mhm...it seems that his soul is trapped between two realms—this realm and that of another." He reached out to place a finger on the Masterless Vision clenched in Kazuha's hands. "I see...so this is how he met his demise. While one piece of his soul maintains its attachment to you, the other has been sealed away...by her. It abides in her Plane of Euthymia. So this is where she keeps the souls of those whose lives she has taken—locked away with her in the Plane of Euthymia for all time. I suppose it is fitting for the God of Eternity..."

Kazuha felt his knees growing weak. "Trapped...? Tomo is..."

"I'm afraid I cannot return a soul to mortal existence if part of it is trapped in another realm. It is outside of my capabilities. However, if one were to break through into that other realm, and return the souls of those trapped there to this world, then it would be possible."

Breaking into the realm of the Raiden Shogun? That would mean that Kazuha would have to confront her again directly. Would he be able to face her after what she did to Tomo? And if she were to unleash the Musou no Hitotachi, would he be able to withstand it? There was only one way to find out. The Alcor would be returning to Inazuma in a few days. Though when he'd first set out for Dunyu Ruins, he had no plans on returning to his homeland any time soon, now he had a reason to.

After his resolute decision to return to Inazuma and face the Raiden Shogun, the Priest bid Kazuha well, playing him one final tune on his stringed instrument before disappearing in a flash of light. Kazuha stood awestruck as a flurry of lotus flowers burst forth from where the man had been standing only moments before. They fluttered down, some landing on the surface of the pond, others at Kazuha's feet, and one single flower gently resting upon the stringed instrument. Kazuha reached out to take hold of it, and strummed his fingers across its surface. It seemed the Priest had left this behind for him to take.

Turning back towards the entrance of the ruins with his new possession in hand, he eventually was able to locate Tama once again, and together, the two set out for Liyue Harbor. If they could catch Beidou before she set sail on the Alcor, he would be on his way to Inazuma in a few days. Emerging from the depths of the ruins, the sky was painted with a deep violet hue as the moon lowered on the horizon. It would soon be dawn.