Teyvat High (A Modern Genshin Highschool AU)

Chapter 12: Even Under Lies's Aura

"HOW THE HECK CAN IT BE ALBEDO?!"

"It can't be! He's been here the whole time."

"He's definitely innocent."

Heizou held up a hand to silence the group's complaints. "I get that. But Cyno flipped off the hood of the attacker, and he's sure he saw Albedo. Eula was there, too, and she saw the exact same thing."

"That makes... absolutely no sense," Lumine said, confused. "Unless you're telling me there's two Albedo's."

The door flew open, and in came Yelan, a disheveled Cyno, and a tall girl with yet again, ice-blue hair.

On seeing Albedo's unconscious form, all three suddenly looked alarmed. "Heizou," Cyno practically growled. "Why the hell is he here?"

"Yeah, Heizou," the girl that the twins didn't know said, adjusting her decorated jacket. "Why exactly are you housing a murderer?"

"Wait, they haven't murdered anyone," Heizou said, puzzled.

Cyno shook his head. "No, actually, he-" he gestured to Albedo. "-killed La Signora."

"Who?" Asked both the twins quizzically.

"Later," the unknown girl commanded. "We need to end class right now."

"We can't send them back to their dorms. That would only give more opportunity for the murderer." Cyno grunted. "We need to put the school on lockdown."

Albedo stirred, groaning and rubbing his eyes. "Whmmph hmmpened?" He asked, brushing his hair out of his face. Lumine had to admit at that moment that it was kind of adorable.

Cyno summoned a polearm into his hand and pointed the tip at the still groggy Albedo. "You're coming with me."

"Cyno!" Heizou exclaimed. "It's not him! He's been here ever since the end of lunch!"

"It can't be," the unnamed girl murmured. "I saw him. I'm sure of it."

"Saw what?" Albedo asked, blinking his eyes quickly in an effort to wake up. He noticed Cyno's spear and jumped. "What?"

Both Lumine and Aether jumped in front of the spear. "It's not him," Lumine announced confidently. "He must have some clone or something..."

Cyno's form stiffened until Yelan put a hand on the hand that gripped the polearm. "I think that Albedo needs to do a bit of explaining, them," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Explain what?" Aether said tiredly, angry that they still didn't get the point.

Albedo shook his head. "Let me explain, Aether."

"Wait, what?"

Cyno let his polearm fade to gold particles as Albedo began his explanation.

"I'd, well, prefer if this stayed private."

Everyone in the room nodded, and Lumine pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key as extra comfort for him to share whatever it was.

He took a deep breath. He was looking extremely nervous, perhaps the most emotion the twins had seen on his face other than the pain from the headaches.

A/N The dialogue below has quotes from the event questline Shadows Amidst Snowstorms.

"I am a... synthetic human being," he finally said. None of them reacted, though everyone had the urge to go wait, what? "A human forged by human hand. The one who created me, my mother and teacher, her name is Rhinedottir - a researcher from Khaenri'ah , also known as 'Gold.'"