𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

33 - an alchemist's guide to time-travel

—Earth, present time—

In the comfortable hub of the L/n family's living room, Xenon found himself locked in an awkward battle with Genshin Impact. His struggle with the game was blatant, much to the amusement of his father, who was just on the brink of bursting into laughter. It is quite obvious that Xenon had no intention of actually playing it for the long term; his time with the game was more of a fleeting amusement than a serious commitment.

Xenon's motley crew in the game was the typical starter team- Traveller, Amber, Kaeya and Lisa, all below level 5 with no artifacts, and armed with nothing but the default weapons at their lowest level. Xenon, however, seemed more intrigued by the narrative and the explorative aspects of the game than actual combat. This focus, or lack thereof, often resulted in his untimely defeat at the hands of the most insignificant enemies, be it a hilichurl or a minuscule slime.

Xenon now found himself approaching the Thousand Winds Temple, the lair of the game's first ever 'boss'. Glaring at the enemy's icon displayed on the screen, Xenon frowned.

"A 'ruin guard'? Seriously?" Xenon queried, incredulous.

Freyr, in his usual laid-back style, simply hummed in confirmation.

Xenon, pushing down the bubbling feeling of foreboding, ventured closer to the ruin guard. Almost instantaneously, he regretted this decision as he was bombarded with missiles, swiftly wiping out his entire team.

The sight was too much for Freyr, who burst out laughing, "Newbies... They're just too precious."

"Shut up," Xenon grumbled, irritation apparent in his tone. "I think it's about time for a change of pace. I'm off."

"Really? Bowing out this quickly? Let me guess, off to the ice rink?" Freyr probed, a hint of jest lacing his voice.

Xenon responded with a nonchalant shake of his head, "Not today. I've got a mission. Recovering a stolen relic, actually."

That piqued Freyr's interest, an eyebrow arching in surprise, "Stolen relic? That sounds rather adventurous. What are we talking about?"

"My hoodie," Xenon replied with an utterly serious expression. "Y/n decided to nab it for her trip to Teyvat. I'm not about to let that slide. I'll swing by the mall for a replacement. Later."

Freyr found himself suppressing another laugh at his son's bizarre quest. "Well, I wish you luck in your noble endeavor. Just don't forget to bundle up, or you might end up catching a cold."

**********
—Teyvat, present time—

In the gentle rocking boat, Phoenix found himself inhabiting a body that was not his own. The salty sea breeze whipped through Y/n's hair, and he found himself taking in the sensations. It was like going from black-and-white to full-on high-definition color.

He caught Venti looking at him – no, at Y/n – with a furrowed brow. From what he had quickly skimmed through in Y/n's memories, Venti was a lot more than he seemed – an ancient god now masquerading as a free-spirited bard.

Phoenix couldn't blow his cover. He had to act like Y/n, and she was the kind of person who could make a rock laugh. Always joking around with her friends, never a dull moment. He had to nail this.