Chapter Text
Unknown Space
"Where are we? What kind of place is this?”
It was the question that resonated in the minds of everyone present. After all, it is not common that one moment you are focused on your business and then you find yourself in a strange, dark space, barely illuminated by dim flames the next, accompanied by a large group of people, many of whom are highly renowned, such as the Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt, the Tianquan and Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, the Yashiro Commissioner of the Inazuma Triumvirate, and General Mahamatra of the Sumeru Academy, even a member of Snezhnaya's Eleven Fatui Harbingers, to name a few. However, among all these individuals, the most notable were without a doubt Electro Archon and Dendro Archon, who surprisingly, despite the great power they carry, were also involved in this strange situation.
It didn't take long for everyone to decide that the best course of action was to go deeper in search of clues about where they are and how to get out. As soon as they left they returned, and if luck smiled upon them, they’d bring good news with them.
“As far as an escape route is concerned, we didn't get any clues.” Unfortunately, that was not the case, as Alhaitham, scribe of the Sumeru Academy, notes.
“You truly are the heart of the party.” Dehya, the Flame Mane, who was also part of the group who went with Alhaitham, responded sarcastically.
“I simply reveal our discoveries with sincerity.”
“Aha, whatever you say.”
“Judging from your expressions, none of you succeeded, right?” Inquired the Forest Ranger Tighnari.
“Unfortunately you are right,” Replied Yelan, member of Liyue's Ministry of Civil Affairs. The rest of her group confirmed her words by slightly nodding. “We were unable to find information regarding a possible escape route.”
“Same here.” Added Lisa, librarian of the Knights of Favonius. Despite her serene countenance, a hint of worry could be seen on her face.
“This situation is becoming more and more cumbersome,” Kuki Shinobu, second in command of the Arataki Gang, muttered. “This is nothing more than a repetition of the Chasm, but on a larger scale.” lamented the deputy of the Arataki Gang, a sentiment which was shared by all those who were present at that incident, who are also present today.
“Come on Shinobu, don't be so pessimistic! We just haven’t looked hard enough!” Exclaimed the One and Oni Arataki Numero One' Itto, head of the Arataki Gang. “Go ahead Ushi, point me in the right direction!”
“Moo”
“How come you can't!? Don't you always know where we should go!?”
“Moo”
"Do not tell me that…"
“Leave it alone, Bull-Checker,” Paimon, traveling companion of the traveler, Lumine, intervened. “Don't you see that the poor guy is as confused as all of us?”
“Also, while it is true that we have not found a way out of this strange space…” Added the famous traveler, Lumine, before continuing with: “…we might have found something that could be a clue.”
"Oh really? Splendid!" Exclaimed Barbara, deaconess of the Church of Favonius and renowned idol in Mondstadt, who was always with her sister Jean since she appeared there. “Can you show it to us?”
“Of course” Without thinking twice, Lumine took out a crystal from her inventory.
Said crystal was the size of a solsettia, purple in color and seemingly containing the cosmos inside it, which immediately caught the attention of everyone present, especially those with a more academic background.
“Fascinating,” Commented Sucrose, an alchemist assistant of the Knights of Favonius. “The cut of this crystal’s unlike any I have seen before.”
“And the energy it radiates... it is as if the firmament were contained within it.” Added the astrologer Mona Megistus. Judging by the expression of everyone around her, her statement was not that far from the truth.
“May I take a closer look?” Asked Nahida, Goddess of Wisdom and Archon Dendro. Without delay, Lumine handed the crystal to the little goddess, fully trusting in her ability to decipher what exactly it was.
Encapsulating it in a cube of dendro energy, Nahida began to study the crystal very carefully, evidenced mainly by the emerald glow that emanated from her eyes, which greatly impressed all those who were not familiar with the little archon. Her expression changed shortly after, frowning slightly after whatever she had discovered; however, there was no time to ask what it was about since, suddenly, both her eyes and the box began to shine with the same shade as the crystal, which worried the others.
“I-is it normal for her eyes to start glowing like whatever he’s studying?” Amber, the Outrider of the Knights of Favonius, asked nervously, clearly unsettled by the sudden event.
"No, it is not. It is not at all." Answered Phoenix the Wanderer. Without thinking twice, the puppet prototype headed towards the wise goddess, seeking to wake her from her trance. “Buer, come on, wake up!” The ex-Harbinger exclaimed, with less than encouraging results since Nahida didn't even flinch, so he began to shake her lightly. “Buer, do you hear me? Buer!”
“Hmm... this is really strange,” Observed Master Diluc, owner of the Dawn Winery. Placing a hand to his chin, an idea came to mind. "What if...? Traveler, you can purify corrupted objects, can't you?”
"Oh, that's right!" Paimon exclaimed as she turned to look directly at her traveling companion. “That’s how you purified the corrupted tears of Dvalin! It was so long ago that Paimon almost forgot!”
“I won't deny that I almost did too, hehe.” The traveler responded, laughing nervously.
“Then please do something, traveler! Lesser Lord Kusanali’s condition seems to be worsening!” Nilou exclaimed with concern, and it was no wonder, since the archon's expression was monotonous and her arm, previously extended in the direction of the dendro cube she produced, now hung weakly at her side.
“Ah, yes, right away!” The traveler responded.
Without a second thought, Lumine extended her arms in the direction of the mysterious crystal and closed her eyes, concentrating on focusing her energy on it. It didn't take long until a change in the situation became present; the purple glow in the little goddess's eyes began to dissipate, and her posture began to gain strength, unlike the almost zombie-like posture she had when the crystal began to affect her. However, although the improvement in Nahida's condition calmed the nerves of many, the effects she suffered were gradually transferred to Lumine, whose expression changed from one of concentration to one of slight discomfort, in addition to parts of her dress illuminating with the same light from the crystal, which intensified slowly but progressively.
“Lumine…” Paimon sighed, worried about the state of her traveling companion. Venti, Anemo Achon in hiding and renowned wandering bard of Mondstadt, took her by the shoulders, seeking to comfort her.
"She will be alright." The bard stated with complete certainty. “Her will is unparalleled. This won’t be what brings her to the other side.”
On the other hand, Nahida, who had just regained consciousness, was being cared for by Nilou and the General Mahamatra, Cyno.
“Lesser Lord Kusanali, are you alright?” Asked the general, who prevented the wise archon from falling due to lack of balance after the strange experience.
“…I'm fine…you have…nothing to worry about…” Nahida murmured between gasps.
"What happened?" The dancer asked nervously at the same time that Cyno offered some water to the archon, who accepted grafully. After finishing her drink, the resident of Sanctuary of Surasthana turned her gaze to Lumine, who was still purifying the crystal.
"It’s difficult to explain. It was as if… I contemplated thousands of stories simultaneously through someone else's eyes.” She explained, drawing the attention of everyone present, especially a certain High Priestess from Inazuma. “I think… I think there's someone trapped in there.”
Seven words. That was all that was enough to worry and intrigue them all even more. What kind of entity could be contained in a crystal like that? What kind of knowledge would they have that the Goddess of Wisdom herself would be overwhelmed?
They will have to save such questions for later, since their attention was captured by soft whimpers produced by Lumine, who seemed to be resisting whatever the effects of interacting with the crystal were, greatly worrying some of those present, especially Paimon, who rushed to float to his side.
“Lumine! Are you okay!? What's going on!?" The little fairy asked worriedly.
"... Nahida is... right..." Lumine said between gasps, opening her eyes and turning to look at Paimon, thus revealing that her golden eyes had also illuminated with that purple light. “I can feel… a presence… in there.”
“Do you have any idea what it could be, traveler?” Raiden Ei, the Electro Archon, asked inquisitively. “Do you think it could help us get out of this strange space?”
“I'm not... totally sure. It could very well be… a monster… like none we have seen before.” The traveler responded. She then began to put more energy into her current task, to the point where cracks could be seen around the crystal. “Whatever the case… I suggest you prepare.”
And so they did by putting themselves on guard against whatever was happening, which Lumine took as a signal to give one last push and put all her energy into bringing to light whatever was contained in the crystal. With a mighty roar, Lumine purified every last drop of energy, cracking the glass and causing a small explosion, covering the place with a thin layer of purple smoke; fortunately, Zhongli, Ningguang, and Noelle cast shields for everyone present, thus preventing them from suffering serious damage.
“Is everyone okay?” Asked the Tianquan. Some grunted a little, because despite not receiving the explosion face to face thanks to the shields, a small portion of the energy released still hit them. Even so, there were no injuries, so the majority agreed.
“What about Lumine? She was in the front row when the explosion happened,” Collei, a Forest Guard in-training, asked with concern, to which many people turned their gaze to the place where the Traveler was.
Fortunately, despite lying a few steps away from her original position, Lumine was largely intact, if a little exhausted from the way she was breathing. As it could not be otherwise, Paimon was the first to approach her, closely followed by Barbara and Tighnari.
“LUMINE! Are you okay!? You didn’t suffer any damage!?” The little fairy asked slightly hysterically, evidently worried about the well-being of her traveling companion, who was slowly getting up upon hearing her guide's voice, being supported by Tighnari.
“Ugh... I'm fine... I just have a little headache.” The Traveler murmured while rubbing her head. Seeing this, Barbara channeled a bit Hydro energy and began to hum a melody, managing to calm the traveler's small headache. “Thank you, Barbara.”
“No problem, Lumine.” the deaconess responded with relief. “If you have any other discomfort, don't hesitate to come to me, okay?”
“Fortunately, I can confirm after a little check that it will not be necessary, at least superficially.” The forest ranger stated, much to Paimon's relief.
"Understood."
“With that settled, can we focus on what that was?” Paimon questioned, drawing the attention of everyone present. “Lumine, you were at the epicenter. Do you have any idea why it exploded? Does it have anything to do with the mysterious entity you and Nahida mentioned?”
“Ugh…” The sudden whine caught everyone off-guard, with several of the most nervous screaming in fright. Slowly rising from what was left of the smoke, a humanoid being, with clearly masculine characteristics, somewhat slender, and composed entirely of space, made itself known, raising a hand to its head in apparent displeasure. “Ugh...note to self, don't try that again.” Murmured the strange being.
After relaxing a little and feeling observed, the being looked around, noticing the astonished gazes and caution of everyone present. Hastily standing up and dusting itself off, the entity addressed them in a friendly tone with the following:
"Greetings! How are you feeling today?”
…It probably wasn't the best, but it was something.
The awkward silence lasted for a few more seconds after the entity greeted them, during which time the vast majority tried with all their might to process what had happened.
“What…what are you supposed to be?” Ganyu, secretary of the Liyue Qixing, asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.
“Are you the cause of our appearance in this space?” Questioned Xiao, the Bane of All Evil and sole survivor of the Yaksha, with an accusatory tone.
“Ok, ok, let's calm down a little, okay? I will answer your questions one by one.” The entity begged, hands in front in a pacifying gesture. He then turned his gaze to Ganyu. “First of all, your question. My name is X3N0, but you can call me Xeno, I am a Witness.”
"Witness? Witness to what?” Asked Rosaria, a nun of the Church of Favonius. Judging by her posture, it goes without saying that she was on alert to any possible provocation from the newly named Xeno.
“Ah, well, you see… how do I say it in a way that you would believe?” Xeno muttered, undecided whether to divulge the information or not. “Ah, well, I don't see why not. Alright, I know it will be difficult to believe, but in simple terms, a Witness, as its name indicates, is an entity in charge of witnessing, for lack of a better term, and recording the history of the worlds it encounters.” He explained, causing a wave of diverse reactions among the crowd, from astonishment to skepticism. “That would somewhat explain why you suddenly appeared here, since I had a small accident while studying your world. I hope that answer has been satisfactory.”
“Do you expect us to believe you?” Questioned Beidou, captain of the Crux Meridianam Fleet. “You're going to need some really good evidence if you want us to eat that story, mate.”
“You are right, and I can assure you that I have proof…” The entity answered, only to then adopt a somewhat nervous posture when a small detail came to its mind. “…but they are on my ship.” It added, crestfallen.
“Wait, your ship?” Asked Shikanoin Heizou, star detective of the Tenryou Commission. “If what you say is true, shouldn't you be able to fly through the cosmos without needing one?”
That was a question that everyone agreed on, after all, if what the entity said was true, such a task would require a being of great power, and that would include the ability to travel through the cosmos.
"What do you think I am? Omnipotent?" Xeno replied sarcastically. “Do you have any idea how big a universe is? Even we Witnesses have no idea how big they are, and even if we did, the distances that must be crossed are immense! It doesn't help that this universe appears to have an energy that prevents interstellar travel and isolates worlds!” That last detail that the entity confessed left everyone stunned; If true, even if Teyvat one day ventures to explore the stars, the energy Xeno mentioned would prevent them from going far. “That's why I have a ship, it allows me to travel the universe in a short time, cross any obstacle that comes my way and stay off the radar of any cosmic entity there is.”
"Incredible. To think that the universe would be so vast…” Jean, Acting Grandmaster of the Knights of Favonius, murmured in amazement.
“Your story is very nice and all…” Interrupted Rosaria, then adding: “…but you still have to prove the veracity of your claims. Otherwise, you are just spitting out meaningless words.”
“And I plan to prove them, but first I need to get you to my ship. Only then will I be able to show you that I am telling the truth.” Xeno commented. “But first, I must determine where the hell we are.”
Immediately afterwards, a transparent screen materialized in front of Xeno, which began to overflow with tons of information at high speed. Even then, Xeno seemed to be able to process all the information without problem, to the astonishment of many and the suspicion of others.
“Hmm… ok, I know where we are, now I just have to send a message to my ship and it will come looking for us immediately.” The Witness notices after having analyzed the information, and then puts it aside with a gesture of his hand and begins to type on the screen itself. “And that's it, message sent. My ship will be here in… about 2 hours or so, so I suggest you do something to keep yourself distracted while you wait.”
“You better be able to actually get us out of here, because we're not in the mood for games right now.” Dehya warned, generating gestures of acceptance among the most cautious of the group.
“But what are we supposed to do in these hours? We already verified that there is nothing as far as we can see.” Asked Yoimiya, Queen of Summer of Narukami Island and current owner of Naganohara Fireworks.
“I have a Genius Invokation deck.” Cyno commented, adding, “It's big enough for a couple of us to play, though…” Looking around, he grimaced as he realized how many people there were. “…I don't think it's enough for everyone; 6 people at max. Whoever wants to join me, you are welcome.”
“Haha, count me in, buddy!” Itto exclaimed. “Come on Shinobu, it will be fun!”
“Ok, ok, you don’t have to drag me.” The deputy of the Arataki Gang sighed.
“Aiya, there is no other choice. I’m joining too.” Hu Tao, 77th director of Wangshen Funeral Parlor, sighed, a small smile on her face.
"Me too!" Yoimiya and Amber exclaimed at the same time.
“I have a couple of light novels, although they may not be to the taste of many.” Sangonomiya Kokomi, High Priestess of Watatsumi Island, muttered.
"Oh really? I can’t let this opportunity pass me by.” Commented Yae Miko, High Priestess of the Great Narukami Shrine and owner of Yae Publishing House. “After all, appealing to readers' tastes is important for every publisher, hehe. Come on Ei, I'm sure little Kokomi has something that will interest you.”
“W-wait, Miko, what do you think you’re…?” Unfortunately for the Goddess of Eternity, her old friend gave her no chance to object.
“Do you have any that are not so… cringe ?” Collei asked nervously.
“I prefer a book outright, but thanks for the offer anyway, sweety.” Lisa expressed with a gentle gesture, before someone handed her a book. Looking up slightly, he noticed that it was Al- Haitham, who was already reading one of his books, who had offered it to her. "Oh thank you very much." The librarian thanked, receiving a silent nod from the scribe.
“Hmm... well, a little unexpected vacation wouldn’t hurt. I have a couple of verses I could practice in the meantime.” With a simple gesture, Venti summoned his lyre.
“Oh? You don't mind if I help you? I am good with verses myself, they could serve as inspiration for you.” Offered Kaedehara Kazuha, former wandering samurai and crew member of the Crux Meridianam Fleet.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Asked Barbara, who couldn't help but overhear the brief conversation. “I think it would come in handy as inspiration for my next song.”
“Oh? Does our little idol in Mondstadt want to use me as a source of inspiration? It will be a pleasure.”
“Wait, you're the Mondstadt’s idol I've heard so much about?” Nilou asked, drawing the group's attention and making the young dancer slightly nervous. “I just thought you could help me with a dance I'm having trouble with lately. If you don’t mind, of course.” Explained the star of the Grand Bazaar nervously.
“What a way to normalize such a strange situation in record time…” Paimon murmured, slightly amazed at how a large part of the group was coping with the situation.
“I don't blame them, there is nothing else to do and we have a 2 hour threshold before our transportation arrives.” Lumine added calmly, having experienced similar situations with her twin brother Aether in the past. “There's no choice but to do something while they wait, don't you think?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
And so they all continued, some gathering in various groups to pass the time while they waited; others, despite their suspicions, simply resigned themselves to the circumstances, deciding to stay away from the groups that formed, but keeping an eye on them as well as on the Witness, who also stayed away from the group, but always within their field of view as he seemed to play with his holographic screen. Some tried to observe what it was about in order to obtain more information, only to finally give up since they couldn’t discern anything that they could understand.
In the end, a large portion of them came to the same conclusion:
'This is going to be a long 2 hours.'
2 hours later
The 2 hours estimated by the Witness have already passed, and so far, there is no sign of the ship that was supposed to come to pick them up. Some began to get nervous, others' suspicions accumulated at a faster rate, and the Witness himself remained in his position as if nothing had happened, without taking his eyes off his screen, which irritated those who showed distrust of the entity.
"Hey! Didn't you say that damn ship of yours would come in 2 hours!?” Phoenix exclaimed, already fed up with the Witness's apparent indifference, managing to attract the attention of both the Witness and the crowd around him, judging by the startled jump that some, including Xeno, made. “Well guess what? The estimated time has already passed and there is no sign of your ship anywhere! So you better explain what's going on right now or so help me...!”
“Wow, calm your horses! You need to be patient. The ship is on its way, there is no doubt about that.” Xeno commented with an appeasing gesture. “I've been monitoring the route it took, it's just going through a complicated area, but there's nothing it can't get through…” Before the Witness could finish what he was saying, a warning sign appeared on his screen, catching his attention. . Whatever information he displayed, it didn't take a genius to guess that it was good news given his expression. "Speaking of the devil."
"What do you mean?" Candace, protector of Aaru Village, asked. Immediately afterwards, a blinding light shone on them, causing many to cover their faces to look in the direction from which the light came.
“My ship has arrived.”
Indeed, once the spotlight was no longer directly on their faces, they were able to contemplate it in all its splendor as it descended. Standing at an impressive 15 meters tall and around 60 meters long and wide, painted purple with black details extending from the equator to cover its entire outer layer in intricate patterns, and propelled by energy jets being fired in a downward direction from turbines, the ship in question was a visual marvel, like none that the Teyvatians had ever seen in their lives, leaving even the most stoic in awe... except for one person, whose astonishment was directed at something else.
'Aether and I... we are not the only current Descenders of Teyvat.' Lumine thought in amazement as she watched the ship descend. 'And if what he says about recording the history of the worlds he comes across is true... could it be possible that he has information that will help me on my journey?'
Landing a couple of meters perpendicular to them, the roar caused by the ship's engines subsided, letting silence take over the space they were in while the Teyvatians processed what had just happened.
“So, what do you think?” With his hands on his hips, Xeno turned to gauge the marveled faces of the Teyvatians.
"Incredible..."
“This ship… there is no doubt that it is a technological marvel like no other.”
"It's huge!"
“Thank you very much for the information, Mr. Obvious.”
“And to think that something like this exists beyond Teyvat.”
“Haha, thank you, thank you. This ship is one of my greatest prides, so I am flattered that you like it.” The Witness commented in gratitude. Without waiting any longer, the entity prepared to board his ship. "So? What are we waiting for? I said I would bring you home, and it's a promise I plan to keep.”
Neither quick nor lazy, a large portion of the Teyvatians followed him with great enthusiasm, ready to embark on an unparalleled journey through the cosmos; others, even with millions of doubts about the Witness's intentions, had no choice but to follow him. Xeno guided them to what they assumed was the entrance hatch, located almost in the middle of the imposing vehicle and demarcated by yellow paint and black stripes. With a gesture, the Witness brought back his holographic display and, after pressing a couple of buttons, the hatch opened smoothly, allowing them to enter a sterile, metallic room.
“Ehm… fair warning.” Said the Witness. “For health reasons, we will have to go through a short sanitation process. It won't take long, 10 seconds at most. I advise you to close your eyes.”
“ Sanitation? Why?" Shenhe, a disciple of the Adeptus, asked curiously.
“No offense, but I can't allow any germs to infiltrate the ship. Even though I have a medical wing that can take care of almost any existing illness, I prefer to be safe rather than sorry.”
Without warning, dozens of ducts spewed steam, catching many by surprise, who covered their faces in a comically belated attempt to comply with Xeno's warning.
“Sanitation completed.” A disembodied voice commented, this time taking all the Teyvatians by surprise. At the same time, the hatch in front of him began to open, giving way to a blinding light. “ Welcome back, X3N0, and welcome, Teyvatians, to the Imaginarium. ”
With that, the eyes of everyone present adjusted to the brightness and were able to contemplate what layed beyond the sanitizing chamber: a huge room filled with objects and memorials of what they assumed were the worlds the Witness had visited before. From simple things like statues and photographs representing multiple events and individuals, to outfits of all kinds and models replicating cities, vehicles, weapons and more, which ranged from the familiar to the totally alien.
“As I said, my task as a Witness is to witness and record the history of all the worlds I come across.” Xeno added as he saw the surprised expression of the people of Teyvat. “I personally like to keep a part of those worlds with me, which is why I created this kind of museum: to carry a part of them wherever I go. Hehe, I even have a section dedicated to your universe, over there.” The Witness commented with a small chuckle, pointing to his right.
And indeed, a section of the museum was dedicated exclusively to their world and others, most likely hidden within the depths of the stellar ocean that is their universe.
“Wait a minute…” Kujou Sara, general of the Inazuma army, commented when she noticed something that caught her attention. “This young lady here… is it just me, or does she look like the Almighty Shogun?”
A crowd formed around her, and indeed, one of the many people shown in the exhibits had an incredible resemblance to the Electro Archon, with the only difference being that she seemed to be much younger, although she could still be seen in a adult stage, which only reinforced the resemblance she had with the Goddess of Eternity. Said goddess was stunned by such an event, and she was not the only one, since many found other counterparts for a few of those present. Lumine in particular seemed to have suffered a small panic attack upon witnessing the display of a young white-haired woman.
“Yes, that is a peculiarity of your universe that I am still studying: there are several versions of the same person existing in the same universe, which is unusual, because you usually have to go to another universe or timeline to find said counterparts. It is extremely fascinating.” The Witness said, raising the astonishment of those present even more. And to think that somewhere in the immensity of the universe there is an alternate version of them, living a life different from theirs; many wonder what’s happening to these versions of them. “In any case, let's go to the central command. I can chart the path back to Teyvat there.”
With that, the entire group prepared to follow Xeno, to the disappointment of some who wanted to continue exploring the museum and discover the wonders of other worlds, but they assumed that they would have time to do so after the ship got underway, so they resigned themselves to follow him.
A few hallways and a couple of elevator rides later, the group reached the command chamber without any inconvenience, where the Teyvatians were greeted with a sight the vast majority would describe as unusual, from their point of view that is. Almost all the walls of the room were covered with monitors displaying a wide variety of information in a language that none of them were able to decipher, similar to the information displayed on Xeno's personal holographic screen.
“Welcome back, X3N0.” A disembodied voice greeted them, taking the most clueless of the group by surprise, while those who were attentive noticed that it was the same voice that greeted them when they left the sanitation chamber.
Suddenly, a faint beam of purple light emerged from the center of the room, from which a humanoid figure, moderately translucent and with feminine characteristics, seemed to materialize. Unlike Xeno, however, this new entity possessed discernible features, such as a costume reminiscent of circus conductors, long brown hair kept in a ponytail, and what appeared to be circuits roaming all over its 'skin'.
“Akko! How nice to see you again!” Happy to see a friend again, Xeno approached the newly named Akko with open arms, obviously intending to give her a hug. To the surprise of some, the Witness actually managed to hug her, to which the hologram responded by hugging him back.
“Am I to assume that your research in Teyvat is temporarily on hold?” Akko asked after breaking the hug.
“Yes, I had a little setback.” The Witness responded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Ah! Before I forget! People of Teyvat, I present to you the Absolute Kathartic Kollection Orbiter, or A.K.K.O. for short!” Xeno exclaimed as introduction, to which Akko simply smiled as she greeted the Teyvatians with a wave.
“It is a pleasure to meet you in person. I have to say that I consider myself a fan of some of you.” The holographic woman commented, catching the attention of some and making others slightly nervous.
“Oh? Have you heard of us before?” Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knights of Favonius, asked. While it is true that there were a large number of high-profile people in this peculiar group, hearing an otherworldly entity say that she considered herself a fan is certainly a unique experience.
“Not directly…” Akko admitted, to which she added: “…but as I assist Xeno in recording the worlds he has gone to, I have witnessed many of your exploits.”
"I see. Hm, what an interesting development.”
“You don’t say.” Gorou, General in command of the Watatsumi Island army, admitted in a sigh.
“To witness my exploits and proclaim yourself my fans without my consent… Mark my words, vengeance will be mine!” Exclaimed Eula, a descendant of Clan Lawrence and Captain of the Knights of Favonius Survey Company, much to Amber's amusement.
“Hehe, of course it will, Eula, of course it will.”
“Anyway, let's do what we came to do. But first…” With a gesture of the hands on the part of the Witness, the entire room darkened slightly, and later illuminated in a purple light, from which a figure began to form: the ship where they were right now. Surprised, some of the Teyvatians began to surround the room to get a better look at the holographic model, which was slowly rotating on its own axis. “...let me tell you where we are, so that you know the odyssey that awaits you. As you know, due to an incident I suffered during one of my investigations, we were thrown into this completely dark space. Let me tell you, guys, you are very, very far from home. Akko, could you do the honors?”
“It will be my pleasure, Boss.” The assistant AI responded, who began to search through its pockets until she found a small cube, which expanded with a gesture until it was approximately the size of her palm, and then let it levitate to the center of the room, just below the ship projection; once it touched the ground, a hexagon formed, and from it, a leafy golden tree, almost entirely covered by some kind of liquid, began to grow. “What you are seeing right now is a representative model of your universe. The Witnesses know it as the Imaginary Tree. Its branches contain the infinite possibilities that can occur within it, and the leaves are the physical manifestation of those possibilities, whether in the form of isolated planets or enormous clusters of galaxies. As you can see, it is practically immeasurable, infinite.”
As Akko explained, some of the Teyvatians brushed some of the tree's leaves, completely amazed by the spectacle before their eyes.
“Unbelievable…” Kamisato Ayato, Head of the Yashiro Commission, muttered in utter amazement. “I have no words to describe this. It’s just… amazing.” Thoma, Housekeeper of the Kamisato residence, and his sister Kamisato Ayaka, Shirasagi Himegimi, simply nodded in agreement, absorbed by the projection.
“So many worlds… so many possibilities…” Childe, 11th of the Fatui Harbingers, expressed in wonder, his eyes glued to the thousands of leaves above his head. “Just thinking about the number of powerful opponents these worlds host makes my blood flow with excitement!”
“Is this what you often experienced, Lumine?” Paimon muttered, being surprisingly careful not to reveal her traveling companion's secrets to those who don't yet know.
“Similar, but on a much, much smaller scale than this.” Lumine knew that the universe was vast, but seeing its immensity this way, coupled with the stories she heard in certain worlds about beings capable of influencing it in its entirety… it sure put everything she experienced into perspective.
As for the others, the projection left them completely stunned, and the explanation even more so. So many worlds, so many possibilities, all coexisting side by side but ignorant of the vast universe that surrounds them. It is simply fascinating, so much so that few noticed the appearance of a small point of light at a considerable distance from the Tree; so small, in fact, that those who noticed it could barely distinguish it.
“This little dot here…” The Witness pointed out, drawing the attention of those who did not notice the dot, “…is this ship.” The eyes of everyone present widened once they registered what was being implied; faced with the immensity of the universe, the point of light representing the Imaginarium seemed insignificant, and the distance between the vehicle and it was simply unimaginable. “This is what we wanted to get to. The incident I suffered transported us to a space between spaces, far from the limits of the Imaginary Tree. I would be lying to you if I said the trip would be short.”
“And how long do you estimate the return trip will take?” Noelle asked.
“To be honest, even we are not sure.” That answer did not give the group much hope, and some were about to complain if it were not for what the Witness added: “Although the trip from Teyvat to here took approximately 2 hours, that is because this space is relatively close to Teyvat. However, given the nature of the Imaginary Tree, thousands of versions of Teyvat coexist at this very moment, and recognizing which one is yours is an extremely difficult task. For that reason I cannot give you an estimated time of arrival.”
"...Let me get this straight. You’re telling me that even if we reach our version of Teyvat, it is very likely that we will find a Teyvat totally different from the one we remember?” Phoenix asked, incredulous at such a possibility, and he wasn't the only one; some feared what they might find upon returning, while others cast accusing glances at the indirect cause of such a situation. With a contemptuous tone, the Wanderer added: “This must be a joke. If that's the case, why don't you leave us in some version of Teyvat and take the weight off your shoulders?”
“Because I don't like to leave things half done. If I’m going to do something, I prefer to do it right.” Xeno stated, his position on the current situation clear. “Furthermore, while I cannot assure you how long the journey will take, I can assure you, with complete certainty, that all of you will return to the Teyvat you know.”
“And how will you do it?” Rosaria asked, moving until she was face to face with him and crossing her arms, judging him with her penetrating gaze. “How will you get us to the Teyvat we know if even you don't know how long the journey will take?”
Surprisingly for all of them, Xeno did not look at all intimidated by the nun's questions; Instead, his gestures suggested that he smiled confidently, and then he responded:
“It's really simple. You see, whenever a Witness temporarily withdraws from a specific world, time in that world is frozen until they return.”
And he left everyone speechless, even managing to catch Rosaria off guard. Akko, for her part, was simply trying to contain her laughter, hiding her mouth with her hand. After a couple of seconds of silence to process what was previously said, all hell broke loose.
“Witnesses can do what!?”
“What the actual fu…?”
“Impossible… that should be impossible…”
“Ok that's a little scary…”
Dozens of stunned voices echoed in the room, while Akko couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing; the Teyvatians' reaction was simply too hilarious. Xeno simply watched, summoning a microphone from his inventory and gently tapping it with his index finger, making it resonate throughout the room and silencing the scandal that occurred.
"Oh, my God!" Akko exclaimed, calming down enough to form complete sentences after her earlier laugh. “You should have seen their faces! They were simply priceless!”
“I won't lie, it was kind of funny.”
“Well, excuse us for not expecting you to have such ability!” With an indignant shout, Paimon let it be known how offended she was at being laughed at by the Witness and his AI, stomping her feet accordingly. “Now you’ve earned some really nasty nicknames!”
“How will you name us?”
“Paimon doesn't know yet, but Paimon will, you'll see! Paimon will give you nicknames so nasty you can't even imagine!”
"I'm looking forward to it."
“YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE OFFENDED!”
“Pfft…” Now it was Xeno's turn to contain his laughter, and he was not the only one, since there were several who found the interaction between Paimon and Akko to be hilarious. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the Witness proceeded: “In any case, while it is an impressive skill, keep in mind that it is a passive skill. I can’t just snap my fingers…” To illustrate his point, Xeno snapped his fingers as an example, to no effect. “...and stop time whenever I please.”
“Well, at least it's comforting to know that we will reach the Teyvat we know.” Many agreed with Dehya's statement, relieved that was the case. “I hope you have rooms in this junk, because I'm sure not going to sleep next to the spare parts.” The mercenary added jokingly.
“Hehe, don't worry, I got it covered.” Seeing the curious looks some directed at him, Xeno explained his comment: “You are not the first to encounter a Witness. Many people from worlds completely different from yours and even alternate versions of yourselves have come into contact with Witnesses before, so I set up everything I needed to host guests in case the same happened to me. After all, you have to be prepared for anything, don't you think?”
"Totally agree." As the Resistance's chief strategist during the war, Kokomi could not agree more with the Witness' statement. “At least we can rest easy in that regard.”
“But what are we supposed to do during the trip? You're not planning on staying locked in your rooms for however long the trip is, are you?”
They say that a broken clock tells the correct time twice a day, and to the surprise of his closest acquaintances, Itto asked a truly intelligent question. While there were individuals in the group who would be perfectly capable of staying locked in their rooms until they reached Teyvat, the vast majority were ordinary humans, and as such, they needed something to keep their minds occupied during the journey, no matter what.
“What if you join us?” Managing to get the group's attention with her question, Akko explained: “Xeno often revisits the events of worlds he visited when he is not studying a new one. According to him, it's to 'make sure the records are in good shape,' but I know he does it to entertain himself when he's bored.”
“What the-!? Akko! You know that’s not true!” The Witness exclaimed in defense. One look at his AI assistant's mischievous face was enough to drain his conviction. “Erm…ok, you win, I watch the recordings when I'm bored. But can you blame me? The stories we have recorded are fascinating!”
“On that I do agree with you. They are truly fascinating.”
“Aren't you being a bit… frivolous?” Yanfei, Liyue's best legal advisor, commented, a sentiment Keqing agreed with, narrowing her eyes judgmentally at the interstellar pair. “If I'm not mistaken, those records detail real events from other worlds, with real people experiencing their effects before, during and after they happened. Treating them as simple entertainment… is a huge disrespect towards those people.”
“I see your point, and to tell you the truth, I used to think the same way at the beginning of my journey as a Witness.” Xeno answered truthfully. “But then I understood that this is nothing more than an infinite chain of spectators watching each other, and little by little I stopped worrying about it. To make you understand it better, let me just say that you do the same thing every time you read a book or a light novel.”
“But those are nothing more than fictitious works.” Countered Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, putting a hand to her chin. “There is no point of comparison between the events recounted in them and the events that occurred in other worlds… unless…”
“Unless our works of fiction are also real.” Yae concluded before the disbelief of the Teyvatians; a sparkle in his eyes giving away her excitement. “Isn’t that right, dear Witness?”
“Lady Guuji, you seriously can’t be suggesting that…?”
"Indeed." Xeno's response stopped Sara in her tracks, leaving everyone with their mouths open. “There are several worlds in the multiverse whose events are reflected in others as fictional works. I nicknamed that phenomenon as ‘The Bleed’.”
“ 'The Bleed' is basically memories of certain events flowing into the minds of hundreds of people in totally different worlds. These memories, interpreted as ideas or dreams by the recipient individuals, are then shown as books, novels, songs, paintings, games, movies, etc. Even today's events are flowing into someone else's mind and being transmitted as a fictional work right now.”
Silence fell over the Teyvatians, most of them amazed and quite a bit scared by such a revelation. And can you blame them? Saying that works of fiction are real somewhere would earn you a place in a mental asylum, but hearing from an outside interstellar observer that they are indeed real somewhere… well just too much for them. Or maybe it's not and they were just overthinking, only time will tell. There were some who were excited over such an event, such as a certain owner of the Yae Publishing House and a certain traveling bard, who saw in the proposal of the assistant AI an opportunity to obtain a potentially unlimited source of inspiration for new stories and songs.
“Fufufu, you know what? You can count me in." Miko stated without thinking twice. “Being able to see the experiences of people from other worlds, the wonders and horrors that surround them… is an offer that I cannot pass up.”
"I agree." The bard expressed happily. “Stories of brave heroes, terrifying monsters and sweet romances are stories that deserve to be passed down.”
“Being able to read the fate of beings in distant worlds…” Mona murmured, still amazed by the previous revelation. "...It is a dream come true. Oh, if only Fischl were here.”
“As long as there are powerful warriors to behold, I have no problem accompanying you.”
“I agree with the Harbinger.”
And so, more and more agreed until everyone was willing to accompany Xeno to see his recordings of other worlds, although there were still some who were hesitant compared to the rest. Expressing his happiness at the idea of having a large group accompanying him, the Witness set the ship in motion on the way to Teyvat and then directed them to a huge room, mostly covered with seats facing a reflective wall, something that some identified as a screen similar to those used in Fontaine to display films, although in this case, it was much more technologically advanced. Once everyone got in their seats, Xeno stood in front of the screen next to Akko, facing the group.
“Before we start, I would like to thank you again for joining me in this little hobby of mine.” The Witness commented, showing his joy through his gestures. “While I usually watch the records with Akko, I'm glad to have a group with me this time. Don't get me wrong, she is very good company, but doing the same thing with the same person all the time eventually gets monotonous.”
“Hey!”
“The pleasure is all ours!” Amber exclaimed excitedly, giving her temporary host a thumbs up. “You are already doing enough for us by taking us back to Teyvat and giving us a comfortable place to be during the course of the journey. This is the least we can do for you.”
"Indeed! Plus, being able to see other worlds is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that Paimon wouldn't miss for anything!” Added the fairy traveling companion.
“So, Xeno, how do you plan to introduce us to the hundreds of worlds you have recorded?”
Answering Lumine's question, the Witness summoned his screen and connected it to the screen behind him, displaying its contents; a list of emblems and logos, possibly created to distinguish one world from another. From a red and white sphere, to an A enclosed in a circle with an arrow replacing the center line, the amount was simply enormous.
“To tell you the truth, I haven't even decided yet.” The Witness responded nervously. “While I don't mind sharing my recordings with you, this was not in my original plans. So I just thought I’d let you guys choose for now.”
“In that case, how about the one in the upper right corner?” Venti suggested, pointing to the emblem of a shield covered by a pair of segmented wings, one white and one blue, which Xeno selected to display more clearly. “I don't know why, but I feel attracted to that one in particular?”
"Oh, interesting. I see you want to start strong.” Akko commented, putting her hand to her chin as she sent a playful expression to her boss. “This is one of Xeno's favorites. He knows what happens in it from head to toe and he keeps repeating it.”
"What can I say? It’s just epic.” Xeno replied. “And I have the perfect moment to start with in mind.”
“Oh, I can't wait! I'm shaking with excitement!” Yoimiya exclaimed.
Selecting the right scene, the lights in the room were turned off and a countdown was displayed on the screen, which served as the only source of illumination.
3
“Xeno, sweetie, I have a question.”
“Yes, Lisa?”
2
“What can we expect from this first world? Any warnings or recommendations you have to give us?”
“Hmm…”
1
"Just one."
“And that would be?”
“Keep an open mind. And prepare for a rumble.”
0