Serenity || Genshin Impact

'Acceptance...yeah.'

The second time he woke up, the headache, clogged sinuses, and sore throat were much more endurable than before. He rubbed his temples, his mind clearer than previously, where noises were determined to make him go insane. He got up and looked around, seeing his clothes washed and hung. 

The realisation soon settled.

This was indeed Alhaitham's home.

And he was in Teyvat.

Inside a game.

Perhaps Zavian thought he had gone delusional, insane, or was having a hyperrealistic dream, but he pinched himself. Both fortunately and unfortunately, he was still sane (?), not delusional, or dreaming.

There were many questions regarding his appearance in this world, why, how, who, etcetera, though he couldn't give a shit at this point. He just wants to go back. There were far too many things he needed to take care of back in his world that it hurt his head to think about, yet were obligatory. After all, he didn't only live for himself.

But first...

He looked down at his sweat-stained body and clothes that had been imprinted with the shape of his wet boxers.

'Let's change. haha. hahaha... I don't think I'll keep my sanity for long....'

He peeked in each room to discover the bathroom, where hygiene necessities were cleanly lined up against a shelf. He pondered what to wear since he couldn't possibly use their clothes without permission. Both of them seemed to be out too, possibly attending to compulsory duties. Shrugging, he just decided to wear his dirty clothes (without that wet underwear) for the moment.

'What do you even do in this situation? Where you fall into a world you know and you get saved by characters you know?'

Whatever the case, he was still a decent human being. As he stepped into the shower, he thought of how he should repay them. Many jumbled thoughts came to mind, such as earning mora, or doing household chores for the both of them.

'If I want to earn mora, then that means I need to start studying. I played Genshin Impact, so I am by no means athletic. I can't take on commissions, and becoming an adventurer is a dangerous and unstable job. But is it safe to join the Akademiya right now? I saw the two of them still wearing their Akasha terminals, so this is before the Sumeru archon quest. Ah, but I should at least cook and clean for them, right? It's the least I could do. I hope Alhaitham spares me and allows me to stay for a while before I properly become independent...' Zavian sighs and turns off the water, clutching his head. 'I'm talking like I'll stay here for the rest of my life. I still have to go back. I can't leave her...'

Suddenly, a knock at the bathroom door broke him out of his reprimanding thoughts.

"I've left a change of clothes in front of the door. Finish up whatever you need to and come out. We'll have a talk," a stoic voice said, and he instinctively felt a chill sent down his spine. Confrontations are what he hated the most. His head was already throbbing at the thought of how to explain who he was, or whether he should just create an alibi.

He slowly opened the door, peeking to see no one in the living room. He grabbed the clothes that were placed neatly on a stool and quickly changed into them. It was baggy, and the pants kept on slipping down, yes, but who could complain? Certainly not him. He cautiously walked into the study, whose door was left open as an invitation for him.

"Take a seat."

Doing so, he met the taller's green eyes, which seemed to be studying his very existence. He had files in his hands, most likely doing his duties as the Scribe.

"Would you like to explain your origins? Of course, this is not a choice."

Zavian nervously fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "It's a long story. I'm..." Giving up on thinking, he blurted out the truth. "I'm not from this place."

"I could see with your strange attire." His flat voice seemed to denote that it was an obvious thing that shouldn't have been said.

Zavian tried to elaborate because perhaps he wasn't getting his point;"As in, I'm not from this world."

"Yes. No region has clothes that are similar in fashion to yours."

He paused. So he knew all this time, yet he was acting so nonchalantly. "Are you not curious?"

"In the city of wisdom, who would be a fool to pass on the knowledge of another world?" He stacked the papers in his hands, occasionally scribbling things down. Zavian was a little jealous of the fact that he could multitask. "The place you're from, the strange energy that seems to surround you, and the fact that you recognised me, despite my first time seeing you."

Nothing appeared to escape under the watchful eyes of Alhaitham, but 'strange energy'? That was something he was unaware of. "What do you mean by 'strange energy'?"

He raised his eyes from the pile of papers and looked at the man curiously, before going back to work. "So you don't know either."

"No... In my world, there were no such things as visions, monsters, archons, or anything fascinating like that. It was just a... world. There were good people, but also horrible, corrupt and inhumane humans."

"Hm." Alhaitham noticed a hint of gloom and contempt in his eyes. "Well, isn't it all the same? You may think there are many differences, but human nature will never change."

Zavian couldn't tell if he was trying to comfort him or just stating facts, but he took the more positive-sounding one. "You're right. And, about my stay here... I'll do everything, from cooking to cleaning, so could you please let me stay for a while? I'll find ways to earn Mora, so..."

"For now, just rest. Think about that when you recover. I'm not as heartless to make a sick man work."

Zavian picked himself up and bowed. "Okay. Sorry, and thank you..."

"It's fine."

He groggily placed himself on the sofa again, mind convoluted, and fell asleep.