When the Stars Fall [Genshin Impact]

Chapter 22: Lightning's Repose

You were drowning.

Underwater, your eyes stung and your vision blurred. You flailed around, but nothing could propel you towards the surface. You couldn't even see the light anymore. You teetered on the edge of never-ending sleep, the depths of the ocean around you beckoning your succumbence.

You thrust a hand upwards, hopelessly and yet a last ditch attempt for help that you would never receive. Your Electro vision felt heavy on your hand, as if it were weighing you down. You watched some precious bubbles of oxygen float away, up away to the surface you would never again break.

You were out of time, weren't you?

You felt something nudging your right arm. Your sleeve had been torn, and the elemental injury you had was gone. In its place, was a strange Electro symbol. It was almost burned into you. You didn't know when you got it, or why.

You turned to see a… phoenix? Even in the obscuring waters, its plumage was gloriously ablaze, and radiated light as far as your eyes could see. The phoenix dived alongside you, beak pointed down as it glided in the water as if it were flying. You looked at it, and it looked back at you - its carmine, glowing eyes offering something remotely close to hope.

In the newfound light, another figure appeared. There was a ruffling of feathers and coverts of iridescent silver fanned open before you. A peacock.

The phoenix placed its beak underneath the hand with the vision, lifting it up again. You flinched, but you didn't have much energy to spare. It didn't hurt - but then again, you didn’t feel anything at all. The peacock lowered its head, resting on the vision.

Suddenly, its beak grasped the Electro orb itself, and tore it out.

The orb floated upwards, and you let out a desperate yell that was soundless in the disorientating darkness. The last of your air bubbles erupted out and rose, engulfing the Electro vision and its golden wings in little pockets of life. 

The amethyst glare of your ambition was wiped when the peacock turned away from you so that its silvery coverts blocked you from watching. The phoenix left your side, and spiralled upwards, its flaming feathers rushing past your face.

And then there was nothing.

It was dark again, and your vision had disappeared with the bubbles. And your fear and panic dissolved to nothing but numbness. There was a hollow, empty type of sensation in your chest. You didn’t know if it was fear, or pain, or simply the feeling of nothing at all.

And you had accepted your fate, just like that.

You closed your eyes, finally, and waited for whatever came next to whisk you away.

***

Life at the Northland Bank was uneventful.

Lord Scaramouche had sent you on an errand to go retrieve some of his possessions in one of the Fatui camps. He had given you some exciting news - part of the Fatui would be expanding further into Inazuma. He would take his subdivision with him, and that included you.

The borders to Liyue had opened up again with the defeat of Osial and the Qixing’s clearance. You strolled onto a bridge, the wind gently blowing the water lilies floating on the stream below. You saw a Millelith soldier pinning something on the wooden fencing around the bridge.

It was a bounty poster - depicting two unfamiliar men. One was red haired, and the other was tan and had blue hair and an eyepatch. You skimmed over the poster. Both men had visions, a Pyro and Cryo one, respectively. You had a feeling you had seen them before, but when, where and why?