Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

„Listen to me, listen to me, everyone…Please don’t give me such cold and disdainful looks. What happened just now didn’t prove a single thing!”

As the revelation unfurled, a tempest of gasps cascaded through the hall. The air thickened with a cacophony of disbelief, anger, and desperation. Faces, once upturned in reverence, contorted with the betrayal of trust. Furina stared at the crowd in horror as the seed of doubtfulness was spread among them and started growing. Whispers of growing distrust echoed across the room and Furina could feel how her facade was slowly breaking. All her hard work…all the pain she had suffered over the past 500 years…no it couldn’t be for nothing. This…this couldn’t be the end.

“Think about it. How can you conclusively prove that an Archon can’t also be affected by the Primordial Seawater?”

At this point she was grasping at every straw she could take. She had to. Otherwise…otherwise…

“Also, also! If I was really just a human, why would I dare to just put my hand in that kind of water!?”

Pure desperation came out of her mouth as she tried one last attempt to sway the publics opinion on her. But seeing the expressions on the people’s face, she knew it was too late. Her facade had been broken and there was nothing she could change about it anymore. Tears started welling in her eyes as she realized she had failed. All her effort…all the hard work she had put in the past centuries…it was all in vain. They would all die, and it was all her fault.

“…Please, everyone, anyone, just listen to me. I swear, I really am your archon…”

Sobs accompanied her words as she choked out those words despite knowing that it was hopeless. She saw her reflection in the eyes of the people—those who had sought salvation, now burdened with the disillusionment of a lie. The grandeur of her illusion shattered like glass, leaving behind the fractured reality of a flawed being. In that moment, all she was, was a puppeteer unmasked, entangled in the strings of her own deception. And she was no archon, she never has been. If she was, she would have been able to stop all the people dying in Poisson, if she was, she would have been able to do something. But instead, she failed them all by being completely useless. She had one job, and that…she had failed now.

One last time she tried reaching out for help from anyone but all she got was looks of disdain and disappointment. From the people of Fontaine, from Navia, from Lyney and Lynette, from Lumine and Paimon and even from Neuvilette, the one who had been always by her side those past centuries. Furina felt how her heart began to shatter into tiny pieces as Neuvilette began to render his verdict. The symphony of conflicting emotions and voices surrounding her and inside her were drowning her as her mind began to spiral into an overload. It was over…the prophecy would be fulfilled and there was nothing Furina could do anymore at this point.

‘Oh, mirror-me, please forgive me. I have failed you. I have failed all of us.’ She thought as tears covered her face.

“…guilty.”

That was the last thing she heard before an eruption of endless water masses began to bury the opera under its sheer weight. Paralyzed by her emotions and the consequences of her failure, Furina sat there motionless as the horrifying screams of the Fontainians echoed through the air, drowned out only by the relentless roar of the advancing torrent. The floodwaters swept through the Opera, devouring everyone in its path and finally collecting the debt of the Fontainians sin as the people in front of her got dissolved one by one.

“Hydro archon, for the sins you have once committed against the Heavenly Principles, you and your people shall finally be punished. The balance of nature had been disrupted, and the price of your transgressions must be paid.” a powerful voice roared above her as a glaring light was the last thing she saw as her consciousness faded into nothingness.

“NOOOOOOOOO!”

Furina woke up immediately after that horrifying sequence, tears streaming down her eyes. Her breath still heavy as she struggled to gain control of her body. It took her a couple of seconds before she realized that this was all just a dream. Fontain didn’t drown, the people were saved. It…it was just a nightmare. Oh, thank the archons.

She quickly wiped her tears away as she slowly sat up. Nightmares like these have been frequently plaguing her ever since she had gained her freedom from her duties. After all, everything could have ended differently. Back then she didn’t know whether the revelation of her truth would ultimately lead Fontain to its doom. But miraculously it all worked out. Mirror-me…Focalors, she had saved them. And Furina…she had almost doomed them all. She still couldn’t get the images of devastation and horror after the events in Poisson out of her mind. If only she had been more useful, maybe…maybe those poor people wouldn’t have to die. The guilt has been slowly eating her up lately.

A couple of weeks have passed now since those events. While Neuvilette had offered her to stay at the Palais Mermonia, Furina simply couldn’t accept his offer. Too many traumatic memories still were attached to that place. Centuries of solitude and shouldering the burden of an entire nation had left a scar on her. All she wanted now was to be free, free from all the burden and responsibilities. Free from all the guilt she was harboring inside.

But her freedom came also with confusion. She had spent the past five centuries playing a role of an all-mighty and all-powerful god, deceiving the people of Fontaine with her glamorous and dramatic behavior. Now, that she was free, she wasn’t sure anymore what her purpose in this world was anymore. As cruel, those past centuries had been to her, she at least knew what she had to do. Now that the act of being a deity was not needed anymore, Furina struggled to understand her role in this world. Who was she really? She wasn’t the same person as before her masquerade of an archon started. Pretending to be someone else for such a long time did influence her personality, yet she wasn’t the person she pretended to be either.

Sighing, she slowly got out of her bed, dressed herself and went to make herself some Macaronis. Having be served her whole life, she needed to relearn again, how to live as a regular citizen. And cooking, well, she was learning. For now, Macaronis would do.

Before she could start making the Macaronis, her process was interrupted by the sound of a knocking on the door. Huh? Who would visit me so early in the morning?

Curious about who might be behind the door, she headed there. But just before she was about to open it, she started hesitating. Perhaps it was someone who after the reveal of her true identity was still mad at her for being a fraud. Ever since the truth came out, there have been quite an amount of people who had been showing her the cold shoulder and even behaved vitriolic around her. Not that she could blame them. After all, they had counted on her in times of crisis and she utterly disappointed them and deceived them. Even though it was to protect them all.

Gathering all her courage, her curiosity got the better of her and she opened the door. To her surprise, there was a small girl standing in front of her in a green dress giving her a radiant smile.

“Um…hi?”

She never really dealt with children before since the Palais Mermonia didn’t often had children visiting it, so she didn’t really know how to react. Was the little girl lost? Where were her parents?

“Hi there, are you Lady Furina?” the girl asked in a soft and gentle voice. Furina immediately felt much more comfortable around her despite never having met this girl before. She also had this…quite powerful aura around her that Furina couldn’t explain.

“Um…yes, that’s me. Though you can just call me Furina. I…um…I am not the hydro archon anymore after all.” She replied rubbing her neck awkwardly. Nor have I ever been.

The girl kept giving her a wide smile as if she wanted to cheer her up. “I don’t think being a human disqualifies one from being a nation’s archon. You have showed through your sacrifice, that you truly cared about your people and did everything in your power to protect them. Your humanity, your empathy and your unwavering commitment to justice are the qualities that makes a true archon.” She said softly.

Furina stared at the girl flabbergasted. What the…did I just say that part out loud? The way the girl spoke…it didn’t sound like something a young girl would say. The composition and substance of her sentence resonated with the wisdom befitting a sage.

“Oh no, you didn’t say that part out loud. I am sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” the girl said sheepishly.

Once again, she responded to something that solely crossed the path of her mind and not that of her mouth. That really was creepy…

“Who are you?” Furina whispered not knowing who she was dealing with. This was no ordinary girl, that was for sure.

Once again, the little girl gave her a bright smile. “You can call me Nahida! Yet people know me better under my formal name, Lesser Lord Kusanali.”

L-lesser Lord Kusanali? But…but wasn’t that the…

“The dendro archon?!” Furina cried out astonished. What…what was she doing here all the way in Fontaine?

Nahida giggled at her stunned face. “Yes, I am, but there is no need to be so scared of me. I am merely here to talk to you.”

“T…talk to me?” Was she serious? Why would the dendro archon travel to Fontaine just to have a chat with her? It was not like she was an archon anyway anymore. She was simply an ordinary citizen.

“Yes. I thought we could perhaps exchange our knowledge and wisdom with each other. I heard about what you did the past centuries for your people, and I can really empathize with the pain you had to go through.” she told her softly giving her a sympathetic look.

Her words had hit a sore wound in Furina and her expression darkened at the reminder of this topic. “I do not need your pity.” She spat out feeling irritated. “I have spent 500 years masquerading as someone who didn’t exist. All these times I had no one to confide in with. Every day I got closer to my breaking point. I didn’t even know who I was anymore after all these times. You have no idea what I had to go through, so how dare you tell me that you know what I had to go through!”

Furina might feel useless, and she might feel responsible for the deaths of those innocent civilians but that didn’t mean she didn’t suffer. Right now, all she wanted was to forget about her past and leave it behind. She didn’t need a constant reminder of her pain and failures.

“Oh…I am sorry. I didn’t mean to remind you again of a sensitive subject nor do I pity you. In fact, I deeply admire you for your mental strength through all these centuries. Even many gods would have broken down under the pressure you had to face.” She spoke, her words charged with affection.

Her words surprised Furina. She didn’t expect another archon to admire her actions. “It…it was nothing. I merely did my duty and almost failed in the end. It is nothing worth praiseworthy.” she said flustered. “Besides…why now? Why choose to come to me now when I have just lost all my power and my position as an archon.”

Nahida gave her a slightly sorrowful expression as a response. “Because I myself have been locked away the past five centuries unable to interact with the outside world outside of dreams.” she said softly.

“Wha…what?” The dendro archon locked away? What? How?

Noticing her shocked face, Nahida began to retell her whole story. From her imprisonment to the manipulation of the Akasha, to the betrayal of the sages, to the near creation of another god, the almost destruction of Irminsul and lastly about Lumine’s heroic actions which had saved Sumeru from inherent doom. In the meantime, all Furina could do was listen to her words closely as she grew more and more horrified at the events that had developed.

“I…I can’t believe…I can’t believe they would just lock you away like this. That…that is appalling.” Furina could imagine how lonely it must have been being locked away for so long. After all, she herself endured a form of imprisonment too.

“Is…is this why you said, you could empathize with my pain?” she asked the goddess carefully.

Nahida nodded. “Indeed. I know how it feels to drown in solitude trapped inside a never-ending cycle of loneliness. When I heard about your story…I couldn’t help but empathize with you and seek you out. I really want to help you and maybe…I also wanted to talk to someone who could understand the things I went through in a way.” she said, her words barely being a whisper anymore.

Furina lapsed into a contemplative silence after her words. She didn’t expect any other archon to relate to her. It was somehow comforting knowing that she wasn’t alone…yet

“You are wrong. Our journeys are not similar. I…I merely was…am a powerless human that had to keep up an act. I couldn’t do anything when all those poor women got killed by that crazy bastard Vacher nor could I stop the disaster in Poisson.” she choked out as tears welled up in her eyes. “People admired me, looked up to me and relied on me. But in the end, I let them all down. I couldn’t save all those people and I almost blew my cover.”

She couldn’t hold it anymore. Centuries of pent-up emotions were now released from her body as tears started to stream down her face. All the guilt she kept hidden inside her, were now in full display in front of the dendro archon.

“But you…you managed to help defeat the fake god and save Irminsul even after being locked away for so long. You managed to protect your people…but…but I couldn’t. So even though we both faced the struggle of solitude, our…the outcome of our choices and our abilities couldn’t be more different.” she said managing to get out her words through the never-ending stream of tears and emotions. God, why did she had to be such a mess? Why couldn’t she just for once in her life not be the weak person that she was?

Suddenly she sensed another hand touching hers. She looked up to see, through her watery vision, Nahida who comfortingly put her hand on hers. “You aren’t giving yourself the credit, that you deserve.” she spoke gently. “Even though, you did not possess the power of a deity, you still managed to lead a nation for five centuries and shoulder its burden of the prophecy. Few humans would have been able to withstand the mental distress that it takes to deceive the heavenly principle for so long.”

Furina closed her eyes. She wanted to accept her kind words, but it was hard letting go of that guilt she carried.

“But it was not enough to save the people from dissolving…” she said her voice full of pain.

“You did what you had to do. It is tragic what has happened with those people who had dissolved but sadly there was nothing you could have done. Fate is cruel and without your action, all of Fontaine would have been doomed to experience the same destiny.” Nahida said giving her a smile of encouragement.

At this point all her walls have broken down as Furina couldn’t control the tears from coming out anymore. A mix of confusing emotions breezed through her body as she kept sobbing. She still felt tremendous guilt for not being able to save all those people, yet it felt so comforting to be able to talk to someone about it. It felt so good. She spent centuries alone pretending to be someone else and keeping her mission a secret, that she forgot how it felt to open up to someone.

“May I hug you?” Nahidas tiny voice piped up interrupting her thoughts.

“Huh?!” Furina stared at the dendro archon confused. A…hug? Nobody had ever offered her a hug before. She didn’t know how it felt like…

“You look like you might need one. When people are sad, sometimes a hug…” Before Nahida could finish her sentence, her tiny body was engulfed by Furinas arms as the former hydro archon buried her face into her back and started sobbing uncontrollably. Nahida immediately hugged her back, rubbing Furinas back comfortingly and whispering her soothing words. For the first time in her life, Furina felt the warmth of human intimacy as she was being comforted by another person. She didn’t realize how marvelous it truly felt to finally be heard and able to share her burden with others.

Nahida and she stayed like this after a while, the former consoling the latter as well as she could. After a small eternity, she released the archon from her grasp as she wiped away her last tears.

“I know you have endured a great amount of pain and suffering and also feel guilty about the death of your people, but please believe me when I say that you have been a truly wonderful archon to your people and truly deserve your freedom that you finally have. I cannot guarantee that the path to discover yourself will be easy, but you won’t be going through this alone.” Nahida told her reassuringly.  “When I finally was freed from my chains, I was lucky to have people support me through my journey afterwards. Without them, I don’t think I would have been able to move forward so easily. Even now, I struggle to deal with my trauma sometimes. But I hope I can help you too through your journey. And perhaps, we could even be friends…” she said a bit shyly while still giving Furina a bright expression.

Furina sniffed smiling back at the gentle goddess. “Thank you. And…and I would love to. Be friends, I mean.” she replied softly. Friends…Furina was quite unfamiliar with the concept of it. The closest thing to a friend she had was Neuvilette, and he was more of her subordinate than her friend. But looking at Nahida now…maybe she could do it. Maybe she could leave the past behind her and start again.

And for the first time in ages, Furina felt a spark of hope. Her journey to self-discovery would be a long one, that she knew. But at least she now knew that she wasn’t alone anymore.

Chapter Text

Dear Furina,

I hope everything is going well in Fontaine. Our first meeting was a wonderful experience, and I'm genuinely grateful for the opportunity to connect with you in person. You truly are a lovely person and I hope this will be the beginning of a lasting and enriching friendship.

How have your past days been? Adjusting to a new form of life, must be hard. I remember the struggles I experienced after my release from my imprisonment. Taking on the role as an active archon was quite hard, yet as time passed, I find myself more and more comfortable with my role with the aide of others. I also hope that you will find contentment and comfort in your new life.

Trauma can cast a long shadow, and I want you to know that I am here for you in any way you need. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you want to talk, vent, or simply share a moment of quiet companionship.

It is perfectly okay if not everything works out perfectly at first. These things take time and whatever feelings you harbor right now, those feelings are valid. Healing is a process, and each person deals with it in their own pace.

Remember, you are not alone in this journey. Even if you struggle to see it, there are people who care about you.

I would love if we could meet more often in the future again. Perhaps you could come to Sumeru? I can offer you wonderful delicacies, such as Baklava and Samosas should you come. And we can both watch a dance performance together perhaps. I know how much you enjoy these.

Wishing you all the best for the rest of your journey.

Your friend

Nahida

Furina smiled widely as she read the letter her newest friend wrote to her. Friend. The word felt so foreign to her yet so heartwarming. She was not used to having a bond with anyone. Centuries of mental isolation had robbed her of such experience. And it pained her that only now she got to encounter the pleasure and joy of a friendship.

The time she spent with the dendro archon truly had been magnificent. For the first time in her life, Furina truly felt free in the presence of someone. Being able to share her sorrows with someone else without having to hide behind a curtain of an enactment was a cathartic experience, allowing her to reveal the vulnerabilities she kept guarded for so long. However, those past experiences left an enduring mark on her, making it challenging to feel entirely at ease with showing her true self, despite her best efforts. But as Nahida mentioned, healing is a process that takes time even though Furina did get frustrated at times at her unsuccessful attempts to function as a normal person sometimes.

Putting down Nahida’s letter, her eyes shifted her focus to the other letter she had received today. It was from none other than her former partner-in-crime Neuvilette. She sighed. Ever since she had been released from her godly duties, Neuvilette had been checking on her frequently over letters or even delivering her food through a third party. She appreciated his gesture, yet it irritated her that he never made the effort to visit her once the past few weeks. She was aware that now his responsibilities and tasks have multiplied after her departure, yet she couldn’t help but feel a little bit bitter. Surely, he could spare some minutes for a short visit. After all, they had been working side by side for five centuries now.

She was just about to read his letter when she suddenly heard a few knockings on her door. Who could it be this time? Perhaps it was one of Neuvilettes deliveries to her again. Sighing, she got up from her chair and opened the door slowly, only to be greeted by a young man in green uniform. A breeze of wind collided with her face as she observed the man. Judging from his clothing, he surely couldn’t be from Fontaine.

“Um…with whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?” Furina questioned the man in front of her.

The man chuckled. “Well, I am just a simple bard travelling all the way from Mondstadt to the glamorous nation of Fontaine. I heard rumors of a brilliant performer in this place, and as an enjoyer of art, the irresistible curiosity of meeting such a person compelled me. You may call me Venti though.”

Furina frowned at his words. Was he taking the mickey out of her? While she was known to be a great performance artist, it has been ages since she had been on stage. Not since…well…not since her resignation as the hydro archon.

“I am afraid, I must disappoint you then. My performing days are regretfully behind me, and I do not plan to return anytime soon.” she told him grimacing. As much as she loved performing in the past, she simply wasn’t ready for it right now.

“Oh, is that so?” he asked with an amused expression. “That’s a shame. Your last performance especially caught my attention. Deceiving the heavenly principles for such a long time truly is a masterful performance worthy of praise.” He said chuckling.

His answer caught her by surprise. What the…How could have he known about this?? Very few people knew about the truth behind her act, so how could he have…unless…

Furina studied his statue once again. Even though he appeared as a regular citizen, something about him was different. It wasn’t long ago that she sensed such an aura before…

“You are the anemo archon, Barbatos.” she whispered realizing his true nature. How was that possible? To her knowledge, it has been over five centuries now since the anemo archon Barbatos has been sighted. Why would he choose this moment to visit her, especially after being absent throughout her entire reign as hydro archon? Was there some sort of secret archon group meeting that she wasn’t aware of, and they all decided to visit her now?

The archon giggled. “Yes, indeed I am. You are very perceptive. But there is no need to address me so formally. These days I go by the name Venti.”

“Alright then…Venti. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” she asked him curiously. She had never met another archon during her entire reign and suddenly two of them show up. How peculiar…

“Well, I was informed about your heroic deeds in saving your nation’s people from the prophecy and I wanted to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you. To exhibit such resilience and courage under such circumstances as a human is truly a tale deserving of abundant praise. Of course, I could have just sent you a letter, but I think that such communication wouldn’t truly feel personal, and I do want to get to know the fascinating person behind such an act.” Venti told her grinning.

Furina blushed at his words. She wasn’t foreign to receiving a great deal of accolades, yet those have been directed at her staged persona and not her real self and actions. Talking to Nahida helped a lot relieving the guilt she harbored, yet she still had a hard time processing it.

“I see. But you mustn’t praise me so much. I simply did what I had to do.” she said matter-of-factly. “Moreover, I’m curious to learn about your whereabouts during these past centuries. There has been no sighting of you during this time. Have you really been disguising as a bard all these times?” Furina asked incredulously. His human disguise indeed was quite deceptive. From his appearance alone, few would have guessed that such a young bard could possess such power.

“Ah…ehe…well, you see, I have been sleeping most of the time. I only awoke from my slumber a couple years ago.” Venti said rubbing his neck. It appeared that he was a bit embarrassed by that fact.

“You…you have been sleeping? What?” Furina asked dumbfounded. This was certainly not what she had expected.

“Yeaahh…long story but I usually give the people of Mondstadt the freedom to govern for themselves without the influence of an archon. As the god of freedom, it would be hypocritical for me to reign over them and enforce order upon them. Yet when my people are in need, I shall respond to them. This is why I awoke again. Nowadays, I am just a simple Bard, living among humans. Besides, now I can finally provide people with delightful poems and ballads again and not to forget the exquisite Liquor from the Dawn Winery.” he said his brightening up at the thought of alcohol.

Silence dawned on Furina as she absorbed his words. He left his people to govern for themselves? A mixture of emotions erupted inside her. She understood his need to provide freedom to his people by letting them govern by themselves, yet she felt irritated at how he could just neglect his duties as an archon. Perhaps it was the jealousy inside her that was talking. She spent 500 years trying everything to save her people from the prophecy, rarely ever resting and the anemo archon was just sleeping despite having much more powers than her. How was that fair?

“I sense that my words are giving you conflicting emotions. Do you…want to talk about that?” Venti asked almost awkwardly.

Furina frowned. What should she say? She could not deny that his words irked her a bit yet perhaps she was simply overreacting. She bit her lips thinking of a more constructive answer.

“I…I admit I find it difficult to comprehend how you could simply have left your people behind. It is an archon’s duty to protect and guide one’s people. Being absent means that one cannot fulfil those duties anymore.” she spoke firmly hoping it was not too aggressive.

Her words seemed to have triggered something in the anemo archon. For a brief instant, his expression turned somber as if regret struck him. Furina started to fear that her response might have angered him and that she was about to face the consequences of her words. Yet after this brief scare, the anemo archon fortunately returned to his smiling ways.

“It would seem so, wouldn’t it?” he said chuckling. “Yet, there is no absolute form of governing. Each nation faces its own unique struggles and development of culture. Fontaine is a nation of justice and order. They were exposed to a great danger threatening their existence and were in need of a strong leader. You were that leader and provided them with the necessary comfort and security they desperately needed. Meanwhile the people of Mondstadt have always been very free-spirited people. While they might worship their god excessively just like in Fontaine, they were and are not in need of divine guidance. Had I stepped in and acted as a traditional archon, they would have never developed as well, as they would have now.” he told her with a playful yet thoughtful expression. “I…I have made mistakes too. I am not happy with every choice I made but I do think that it was an important step to let Mondstadt’s people govern by themselves despite the few conflicts they had.”

Once again reticence settled over Furina as his words were processed by her. She still wasn’t fully pleased by his answer, yet it gave her enough understanding that it calmed her nerves. All the input she received the past days from the two Archons have been overwhelming her a bit. It was a lot to take in and she wasn’t sure how to handle such information to be honest.

“I hope I explained that well. The Traveller and Paimon always complain to me that my words are too cryptic. My, how they are hurting me with those accusations. Besides, without a little mystery, it would be quite boring, wouldn’t it be?”

The Traveller and Paimon have met the anemo archon? Why didn’t that surprise her at all?

“I understand that the concept of freedom is probably a bit foreign to you still. Being trapped for five centuries inside this act, I cannot imagine how constrained you must have felt during this time. If I were in your position, I definitely wouldn’t have done such a terrific job.” he told her softly showing a more sensible side of his.

Freedom. It certainly was a foreign concept for her still. Having only recently gained her freedom, she didn’t know what that meant and what she was supposed to do now. Before she at least had a purpose but now…Surely life couldn’t consist of simply eating Macaronis for the rest of her life and doing almost nothing. She had considered returning to the stage since it was her passion after all but the wound was still too fresh. She wasn’t ready for that yet…and she didn’t know when she ever would be again.

“I…I suppose your words have some of truth to it. Ever since I regained my freedom, I don’t know what to do. As much as I love Macaronis, they can’t keep me content forever. And the only hobby I enjoyed, I can’t participate in, since…well since it is too connected to my past. I guess I just don’t know how to handle my freedom yet.” she said grimacing. It annoyed her admitting to this. During her reign, she always yearned for the day of her liberation yet when she finally had it, she couldn’t handle it.

“Ah, but that is the beauty of freedom. The choices are endless. Yes, they can be overwhelming at first but think of the opportunities you have now. You can experience things you have never done before and are not held back by your responsibilities. You can explore endless new topics, activities, and areas. Freedom allows us to unfold ourselves and explore sides of us we weren’t aware of yet. You can for example learn how to cook. Judging from your addiction to Macaronis, it seems, your cooking skills still needs a lot of improving.” he stated with a teasing smile.

Furina gasped at this. “How dare you?! I will let you know that Macaronis require an immense amount of knowledge to cook them the right way. My cooking skills are just fine, thank you very much!” she said crossing her arms while glaring at him.

Venti began to laugh at her statement. “Of course, of course, forgive me for ever doubting your cooking skills. I shall never do that again.”

Furina huffed at this. “You better.”

“But as I said, the world is yours to explore. Maybe there is something you always wished to do but never had the opportunity to pursue?” he asked.

Something that she never had the opportunity to pursue so far? There were a lot of things, she has never done. After all, her time was quite limited when she still was an archon. She had thought about what possibilities she had in Fontaine yet none of them seemed very attractive to Furina so far. Though…

“I have never travelled outside of Fontaine before.” she told him after a short reflection. “I have always heard all these wonderful stories about Sumeru’s Sabzerzuz festival or Mondstadt’s Windblume festival, but I never had the opportunity so far to travel to these places.”

Venti grinned at her answer. “There you have it! Explore the world! Teyvat has so many things to offer and to limit your experience to just one region would be such a shame.”

“But…I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know anyone who would accompany me, and I don’t know anyone yet outside Fontaine.” she said biting her lips. Well…that wasn’t completely true. She knew Nahida now so she wouldn’t be completely alone, at least if she visited Sumeru.

“Freedom is also about taking risks! While the sound of travelling alone to a foreign country, surely sounds scary, it can also be exciting. I do know some people in Mondstadt and Liyue. I can make sure that you won’t feel alone there.” Venti replied encouraging her to take the next step.

An inner conflict was rampaging through her mind. She still didn’t feel too comfortable leaving her Nation yet the idea of visiting other cultures, it was so intriguing. All her life she had been stuck in Fontaine, is it not the time for her to finally come out of her shell and explore the world? Finally, she came to a conclusion.

“You know what? You are right. All my life I have been trapped inside Fontaine and the Palais Mermonia. This was all I had ever known. But now that I am not bound by my duties anymore, I would like to explore other places. If I don’t take this chance, I may never get such an opportunity again.” she said confidently feeling a rush of adrenaline rising through her body at the thought of travelling abroad.

“That’s the spirit!” Venti cried with a big grin plastered on his face. “I say we shall celebrate this occasion with the finest liquor, Fontaine has to offer! Now, do you know where we can get that liquor here in Fontaine?”

Furina scoffed at this. “You insult me. Do you really think that after 500 years of ruling over this nation, that I wouldn’t know where to get fantastic liquor?”

“Well, I wouldn’t know a thing about ruling a nation, now, would I?” he joked.

At this point Furina began to laugh and after a short moment Venti joined in. Roaring laughter sounded through the room as the two of them got entangled in a web of giggles and joyful laughs. It felt good to release her emotions like this and it was something she could get used to.

Venti was right. The beauty of freedom truly was the endless choices one had. Long enough has she been stripped of her ability to choose her own fate. But now that she finally gained her freedom, she would treasure every moment of it from now on.

Chapter Text

“You…want to leave?”

It was rare for Furina to see Neuvillette dumbfounded. The Iudex was in most cases the tranquility personified. Not many things could shatter the hydro dragon’s composure.

“Yes. Not forever of course, but I thought travelling abroad might give me some insight in life in general. I just thought informing you about my upcoming journey before I go.” she told him with a small smile. Despite Furina’s insecurities concerning their friendship, she still considered him to be a very important person in her life.

“I see.” Neuvillette replied seemingly still being perplexed by this decision, yet he didn’t seem to disagree with her choice. “When will you be departing?”

“Tomorrow. I will be heading to Liyue, as it is a nation with a great opera, so I have heard, and you know how much I love opera.” she said grinning. Tales of the prosperous city and its culture crossed her mind thinking about Liyue. Out of all nations, Liyue always intrigued her the most with its rich culture and history.

Neuvillette nodded. “I understand. The extensive time you have spent in Fontaine has sparked a profound curiosity and desire to explore beyond its borders. I am truly delighted that you have discovered something to explore.”  he said giving her a small smile.

“Thank you.” she replied softly. “I hope this journey will help me, discovering myself a bit more. And when I am back, you and I shall spend more time together! No more hiding behind your tasks and sending me solely letters!” Furina said huffing crossing her arms while staring expectantly into Neuvillette’s eyes.

“I…um…yes, of course. I apologize for not seeking your company sooner.” Neuvillette mumbled awkwardly as Furina giggled slightly at his expression. Ah Neuvillette, ever the awkward socializing experience with him.

“It’s all forgiven. Ah well, I should head out then. Still got a lot to pack for tomorrow. It was nice talking to you again Neuvillette.” she told him with a small smile as she turned around to head for the exit. Yet before she could reach it, Neuvillette’s voice interrupted her movement.

“Lady Furina, please wait!”

Furina turned around puzzled at his behaviour. “Yes? And please just call me Furina. I am not your archon anymore.”

Neuvillette nodded. “Very well, Furina. I just wanted to check in and see how everything is going. I imagine it must be challenging to adapt to your new life post-resignation.”  he said concerned.

Furina bit her lips. She didn’t want to admit her struggles she has been facing. Even though she wasn’t playing the role of the archon anymore who couldn’t allow herself to show vulnerability, she still struggled to open herself up, especially to those whom she had known for a long time now. Though Nahida suggested that opening oneself is the first step to self-healing.

“Well, I can’t say it has been easy, but do not worry. Things are slowly turning up and I have faced worse in my life before.” she told him with a small yet slightly unsure smile, as if she were trying to convince herself.

Neuvillette hesitated at her words, but after a couple of seconds he nodded. “Very well, I am glad that you are doing better Furina. Though, I am slightly concerned with your…um…unusual amount of alcohol consumption. I do not mind that you indulge in alcohol, and I am more than willing to cover the bills for your spending—it is the least I can do for your long service to the nation. Yet, the recent bill you sent me is quite…shocking. Are you certain everything is well?”

Realizing the situation, he was talking about, she suddenly burst out laughing leaving the Iudex more puzzled than before.

Liyue was more mesmerizing than she could have ever imagined. From the breathtaking architecture to the vibrant culture, to the majestic expanse of the harbor, it simply was amazing. It was so different to Fontaine with the structure of the city being more ancient and traditional, yet this was what fascinated her the most about this place. While the Palais Mermonia was certainly a stunning construction, the Jade Palace stationed in the majestic skies of Liyue exuded an ethereal magnificence that transcended the architecture structure of mere mortals. Not to mention the food here…when Furina first got a taste of Liyue’s cuisine, it was as if her taste buds were about to implode from the intensity and deliciousness of the taste. And she didn't even get to see the opera yet! Oh, she could really get used to this place.

She had been wandering around the city for a couple of hours now, visiting several majestic sights and relishing in the local cuisine. How could she have missed out on such an experience for so long? Thinking about this made her a little mad at Focalars. Did she really have to sacrifice her whole life and happiness for the greater good? But Furina knew that this was a selfish thought. No…she had to fulfil her part in this plan. Otherwise, she could have never lived with herself anymore. Yet…she wished that she didn’t have to sacrifice her well-being for the plan to work…

Venti has told her to seek out an old friend of him who could help and guide her a bit. She wondered if said friend was none other than Rex Lapis himself. She had heard of his supposed death, yet it wouldn’t surprise her anymore if he actually was alive living as a mortal among his citizens. She had seen too much lately to be surprised anymore.

Venti told her that his friend was currently working at the Wangsheng funeral parlor. Surely an interesting place to be employed at. It took her a bit (with the generous help of the local citizens) to find that place but after half an hour she had finally reached her destination. The first thing she noticed that the location itself didn’t distinguish itself from the other buildings in the city much. She honestly had expected the Funeral Parlor to appear more…gloomy.

As she continued to enter the area, she sighted a young girl dressed in brown robes and a dark hat in front of her. She seemed to be absorbed in a certain document she was reading.

“Um…excuse me. Is this the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor here?” Furina asked as she approached the girl.

Lightning fast the girl turned around and stared at Furina with an excitement that was unparalleled and it kind of creeped Furina out. “Ohhhhh, are you a new customer?! Welcome, welcome! You are indeed correct here. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is always excited to see the arrival of new customers at our service! It is a good day after all to be here. Now what brings you here to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor on this fine day? Wait don’t tell me; have you been attracted by our latest advertisement campaign?! The Millelith always give me a hard time about it, telling me it is making people uncomfortable, but those dummies don’t know the citizens here as well as I do!” the girl asked staring at her excitedly.

Furina backed away a bit getting a bit scared at the girl’s thrill. That girl…certainly was something. She surely was a bizarre person. Was…was this how people perceived her when she still was acting as the dramatic archon? Oh god, just thinking about that, made Furina want to dissolve into the primordial seawater.

“Oh…um, sorry, I am not here for your service, I am afraid. I am here to look for a certain…um Mr. Zhongli. A friend of mine told me he works here.” Furina replied rubbing her neck awkwardly.

Her response immediately dissipated all the excitement the girl had on her face before. “Ai ya, such a shame. Ah well, you can’t win them all I suppose. Though, if you ever feel the need for our service…” she immediately took out a business card. “Wangsheng Funeral Parlor offers you all the kind of service you need. Next month we even have an offer. Two buried for the price of one!” she told her grinning as she handed her the business card.

Awkwardly Furina took the business card. The way the girl just casually talked about funerals and death…it really made her uneasy. “Thank you, I…I will consider it.” she said with a forced smile.

The girl seemed to be happy with her reply as she walked towards the building grinning. Furina took a look at the business card she just received. ‘Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Fun(eral) for the whole family!’ Furina simply stared at the card disturbed at what she had just read. What the…

“Zhongliii! Someone is looking for you! Move your body over here!” she had heard the girl’s voice cry from the building. Her voice was commanding yet teasing.

After a couple of second silence, a tall and handsome middle-aged man suddenly appeared from the building approaching Furina. He was well-dressed with a brown suit, and he sort of reminded her of Neuvillette.

“Greetings, Miss. Director Hu has informed me that you are looking for me?” the man asked with a firm voice. Even the manner of his speech resembled Neuvillette. How interesting.

“Yes, I was. Are you Mr. Zhongli?” Furina asked him.

The man nodded. “Indeed. And you are Miss Furina, I assume?” he asked smiling.

His question caught Furina off-guard. She didn’t expect him to recognize her. “How did you know me? Did Venti tell you about my visit?” she asked.

“Oh, did that bard sent you here? But to answer your question, no he did not inform me about your visit. You are well known, even beyond the borders of Fontaine, Miss Furina, as their former archon.” he told her. Despite his young appearance, his voice was rich with wisdom befitting that of a senior.

“Oh, I suppose I didn’t expect that.” she responded awkwardly. Furina never thought about her reputation and fame beyond Fontaine. It is not that she ever had to think about the affairs of other countries. But now she felt a bit stupid about not thinking of that earlier.

Zhongli chuckled at her response. “Would you like to accompany me for some tea, Miss Furina? The tea here is quite exquisite and conversing over some hot beverage would provide the perfect opportunity for introductions.”

Oh, Wriothesley would have loved that. “I would love that, Mr. Zhongli.” she said smiling.

“Now, I assume you know about my identity already?” Zhongli asked as he poured Yasmin tea in both of their cups. They were sitting in a secluded area of this tea house making it possible for them to talk without being listened to.

“Well…You are the Geo archon, aren’t you?” Furina asked going to straight to the point.

Zhongli nodded smiling. “A very astute observation. Few would have come to that conclusion. Though, please keep calling me Zhongli as I do not hold the title of Geo archon anymore. Mind if I ask how you have figured it out?”

“Not at all.” Furina responded smiling back. His calm demeanor gave her familiar and comfortable vibes. “Well, Barbatos…Venti mentioned that there is a gentleman in Liyue who could help me out with my problems. And since I have already encountered two archons recently, I speculated that this person might also be an archon. There would not be many people who could comprehend the situation I am in, I suppose.” she said.

Zhongli raised an eyebrow at this. “Oh? Who was the other archon you have met with?” he asked curiously.

“Nahida, or I suppose you would know her better by her title: Lesser Lord Kusanali. She was actually the first who had visited me.” A smile formed on her face as she spoke about the dendro archon.

Her words seemed to surprise Zhongli. “Oh, Lesser Lord Kusanali has left Sumeru to visit you? That is quite surprising, I must say. To my information, this must have been the first time in five centuries that she had left her nation.”

Knowing that she had been the first person Nahida had visited outside her nation in centuries made Furina feel warm inside. “I guess I am special then.” she joked.

Zhongli chuckled. “I cannot deny that. I have heard of your achievements in Fontaine. Deceiving the heavingly principles for centuries by assuming the role of an archon, truly an astonishing feed. I want to congratulate you for defying the prophecy that had been threatening your nation.”

Furina blushed at his praise. “Thank you.” she whispered softly. A couple of weeks ago she would have belittled her achievement and while she still felt guilt for not being more active, she accepted that she indeed helped a bit in saving Fontaine from a bigger catastrophe.

Furina could feel Zhongli observing her and it made her feel slightly uneasy. “I can sense that you have conflicting emotions concerning this matter. Perhaps this the reason for seeking me out?”

Being in the presence of an archon sometimes could be really scary. The way they could sense your feelings…It was moments like these that she was reminded of that she was not dealing with mortals.

“Yes…I suppose I am confused about my role now and also whether I fully did the right thing during my reign as an archon.” she said softly looking away from Zhongli’s eyes. “Nahida and Venti have helped me a bit out and I do see the success of my mission, yet I cannot help but feel like I could have done more despite the prophecy being defied. Maybe if Focalors would have chosen a different person for this position, maybe things would have gone different. Maybe nobody would have died.”

Furina closed her eyes as thoughts of the catastrophe in Poisson clouded her mind. She was aware that many of the survivors were blaming her for the disaster and she couldn’t blame them. The days where she would feel guilt about it have lessened slightly yet it would forever remain a stain on her conscious.

“Since you are the oldest of all archons, I guess, I thought you could help me understand all of this. Not only my past but also my present. I…I have an idea who I want to be, but I guess easier said than done.”

Zhongli’s expression softened at her words. “I understand your feelings. Bearing the responsibility for the fate of an entire nation is no easy task. It instills the belief that every mistake and fatality occurring within the nation is one's own responsibility. I am well-acquainted with such sentiments.“

„You are?“ she asked a bit surprised.

Zhongli nodded. “If you have lived through six millennials like me, you will have experienced your fair share of disappointments and failures. Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand that not everything is your fault.”

His words were calming and soothing, yet Furina couldn’t get rid of that feeling of guilt. It was like a parasite crawling up her skin and nesting itself inside the body, refusing to leave its host.

“Do…do you think I could have prevented the catastrophe in Poisson? I suppose you must have heard of that incident.” A shiver went through her spine just thinking about that place.

Zhongli nodded. “Yes, I am familiar with that event. It was an unfortunate tragedy that has taken the life of many, yet I do not think you could have done anything more.”

“Bu…but, there must have been a way! I…I could have done something surely! You can’t tell me that there was no way of saving those people!” she burst out as emotions started to overwhelm her yet again. While there were no tears welling up in her eyes, her emotions were starting to overwhelm her. She couldn’t accept that there was no possibility in saving those people. That…it was simply unfair. Those people didn’t deserve such fate. Just…why…

Zhongli gave her a pained smile. “I am afraid, that you have already achieved the best possible outcome. When Focalors made a contract with you, she had chosen precisely someone who would put the nation’s well-being over her own. Someone who would selflessly sacrifice mental health in order to save the nation. Fate can be a cruel concept and defying it is nigh impossible. Perhaps the rescue of the people in Poisson might have resulted in the failure of your mission and ended up in the doom of Fontaine. By defying the prophecy, you have already accomplished the best possible outcome of your task which was essentially insurmountable.” he said gently. “The loss of countless civilians though remains a tragedy. I understand that your past burdens made you carry this guilt, yet you have done the best you can.”

Silence disseminated across the room as Furina processed his words. A seemingly never-ending conflict inside her was tearing her apart as she struggled to decide whether to accept his words or to reject them. Parts of her wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe him so badly and finally get rid of the guilt she was harboring, yet…was it really inevitable that all those people would die?

“The people of Poisson think otherwise.” she said as she bit her lips. “Many of them blame me for my inactions during the event. They had relied on me as their archon and…and I couldn’t…I couldn’t help them.” she whispered softly. Each reminder of that event felt like a stab in her chest.

“They are not aware of your deeds though, are they?” Zhongli questioned her as he kept giving her a soft yet encouraging smile. “I believe that if they knew about your role, very few would still be able to shift the blame to you.”

“I…” She had considered telling her story to the Steambird before, but would it really make things better? After all the tragedy, the people of Fontaine have gone through, she didn’t want to deflect their attention to herself. It felt wrong and selfish. Yet, wasn’t she allowed to feel selfish once in a while?

“Revealing the truth could provide closure, not only for yourself but also for the people of Poisson. Both you and they are still bound by the guilt and pain surrounding that event. Embracing reconciliation could be the key to unlocking a brighter future for everyone involved.”

Once again Furina lapsed into a contemplative silence as she processed his words. She always thought that by keeping the truth from the public, they were protected from more suffering. Yet, Zhongli’s word enlightened something in her. She never considered that by keeping the truth from the public, she was also obstructing their path for closure. Zhongli was right. It was about time that she told her story. Her people deserved the truth.

Talking to Zhongli really made Furina miss Neuvillette. Despite his tendency to be a bit stiff and too rule-oriented, he had been a dear friend of her the past centuries and seeing the similarities between him and Zhongli, she understood again why. God, she really needed to talk to him again when she got back to Fontaine.

“I…you are right. The people of Fontaine deserve the truth and closure and I suppose I also deserve closure as well. Thank you, Zhongli. You really helped me.” she said giving him a grateful smile.

Zhongli smiled back. “You do not need to thank me. I was merely helping a fellow ex-archon. It is not everyday I meet one, you know.” he said amused.

Furina had to laugh at this. “Indeed. After all there are only two of us in Teyvat.” she said chuckling.

Zhongli also chuckled. “Very well then. I hope you will find your path and that this conversation helped you. Sadly, I must go now. Director Hu will not be happy if my lunch break exceeds the usual amount.”

“Of course. It was wonderful to meet you Zhongli. You really helped me a lot and I am really thankful for that. I hope we can catch up in the future again.” Furina told him with a grateful smile.

“It was my pleasure. I also had a splendid time and I also hope that our paths will cross again in the future.” he said smiling back as he grabbed his wallet and checked the content. He suddenly grimaced when looking inside his purse.

“Um…this is embarrassing, but could I ask you to cover for me? It seems that I…um do not possess any mora currently.” Zhongli said blushing a bit.

Furina raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you the god of mora? How come you have no mora on you?”

Zhongli now avoided eye contact with her. “I may have created it, yet I found no use for it until I started living as a human. I…still have to get used to it, okay?” he muttered.

Furina burst out laughing at the irony of the god of mora not having any more. The archons truly were special people.

She grabbed her wallet as she smiled thinking about her future. The thought of revealing the truth still made her nervous, yet she knew it was the right step forward. The future was looking bright. Hopefully, at least.

Chapter Text

The sea unfolded before her in a more daunting spectacle than her imagination had ever conjured. The vast expanse of the ocean, with its endless depth and width, held a mesmerizing yet truly frightening allure. The thought of being isolated in the middle of nowhere, with no one to turn to in case of an emergency, sent shivers down her spine.

It had been several weeks since she departed Liyue on the Alcor to head to Inazuma to visit the electro archon there. Thanks to Zhongli's assistance, she secured passage to her next destination, though the ship's crewmembers proved to be a peculiar bunch. While she had heard tales of pirates before, experiencing their lifestyle firsthand was a stark contrast to her former nobility and refined interactions. Life aboard the Alcor was liberating, with few expectations or responsibilities restraining the crew. Daily routines consisted of drinking, dancing, and singing—a wild existence that initially felt foreign to Furina but gradually grew on her. For the first time, she tasted true freedom, unburdened by the weight of duties that had defined her previous life.

Standing at the ship's rail, a brisk wind assaulted her, a stark reminder of her current whereabout. Accustomed to the more modest water surroundings within the Capital, the sheer magnitude of the ocean around her stirred occasional waves of terror. Perhaps the specter of the prophecy, still lingering in her thoughts, caused these feelings. Excitement and astonishment had been replaced by a shivering sentiment of fear and reverence causing the former hydro archon to endure small periods of panic attacks. Quite ironic, considering that hydro had been a quintessential part of her life.

But time healed all wounds, they said. While Furina still experienced waves of anxiety, her progress had been steadily rising to the point where she could walk freely around the ship without wanting to curl up in a corner.

“Hey, fancy seeing you here!”

Furina swiftly spun her head around at the sound of that voice. Standing in front of her was none other than the captain of the Alcor: Beidou.

“Finally daring enough to step out on deck, huh? Good for you! I barely have seen you outside so calmly.”

Beidou certainly was a fascinating character. Just as the rest of her crew, she followed a free-spirited life, not caring about the opinion of others. Yet, she didn’t tolerate any nonsense. Not from her crew and certainly not from strangers. Her tall figure radiated an aura of intimidation and toughness though through further observation one could identify her fun and sometimes hidden motherly side. Her usage of language undoubtedly was cruder and more inelegant than she was accustomed to yet that didn’t take anything away from her dominating and fun personality. Beidou was someone who did not care about the origins and social class of someone. If someone acted nice to her, she would reciprocate that behavior. If not, she would retaliate. That was something Furina really liked about her.

“I guess, I have grown accustomed to life on sea now.” Furina said giving Beidou a small smile.

Beidou chuckled. “Well, that’s the spirit! I remember, the first days on this ship, you have been scared like a mouse trapped inside a cage. Honestly was worried that you would not manage this trip. But hey, now you are out here! Quite impressive, not everyone can overcome their fears like that!” she stated giving Furina an encouraging grin.

“Thanks.” Furina replied softly as another breeze blew through her hair. After expressing gratitude, a palpable awkwardness settled between the two characters like a heavy fog. The hydro archon Furina never shied away from conversation, often being the initiator even. But the ordinary citizen Furina at times was lost for words as she was inexperienced in forming bonds with others.

Luckily for her, Beidou took the initiative this time. “You know, Ningguang has told me a bit about you. Said you were the former hydro archon but stepped down after some events revolving around a prophecy. Pretty crazy story. Can’t believe we are honored with the presence of the former hydro archon.” she expressed grinning. “What has happened there and how come you are travelling to Inazuma now?”

Furina pressed her lips together. Despite the progress she had made, disclosing the complete truth still elicited a sense of discomfort.

“I am not the hydro archon anymore, so there is no need for such praise.” Furina told her smiling. “And…it’s a long story. One that I don’t feel comfortable sharing yet, but to why I am heading to Inazuma? I wanted to discover the world outside the boundaries of Fontaine as I never got the chance to do so before. And perhaps I will even discover something about myself.”

Beidou nodded understandingly. “Got it, totally cool if you don’t want to share your story, you know. Sounds like you went to some rough stuff. But hey, if you just vent about some stuff, you can come to me also. I mean I am not that great with emotional stuff, but hey, better to have someone to talk to than no one, right?” she spoke putting her hands gently on Furina’s shoulder, a gesture which Furina appreciated.

“Right.” Furina said giving Beidou a grateful smile.

Beidou chuckled. “You know, your situation sort of reminds me of that of my girlfriend when we started dating.”

Furina raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh really?” She knew that the pirate captain was dating the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, Ningguang. It was quite bizarre for such a high-ranking individual to court an often law-defying pirate like Beidou, yet from the few interactions she had observed between the two of them, she realized that their love was real.

“Yeah! You know she had the same problem as you back then. Being the Tianquan, she was always busy and didn’t know how to really spend her free time properly. Couldn’t really live a normal life. It was honestly painful trying to get her to relax a bit or have some fun once in a while. Her profession was her purpose in life, she had to learn that there were other things to enjoy too. So, I can imagine that you probably feel similar having spent your whole life as archon. Now finding a new purpose is a pain in the ass.” she remarked as she leaned over the railing staring in the depth of the ocean.

Her words stunned Furina. The rapid acumen caught her off guard. While she was aware of Beidou's perceptive nature, the swiftness of it surprised her. It dawned on Furina the reason why the Tianquan was drawn to her — she unveiled a hidden side beneath the noble facade.

“Wow…that was quite accurate…” Furina uttered.

Beidou laughed. “Don’t worry, I am not a mind reader or anything like that. I just got a good understanding of people. Dealt with a bunch of personalities over my countless travels through the nations. You learn how to be perspective then.” she said.

Furina wished she possessed that sort of knowledge. It was truly an admiring and enriching attitude to own.

“Well, don’t worry about it. Things seem hard now, but I can tell you from personal experience that this ain’t the end but the beginning of your journey, so enjoy it.” Beidou added nudging Furina. “How about you join me and the crew for a fun night, today? Perfect chance for you to loosen it up a bit and forget about all your worries.”

Furina smiled grateful for her offer. “Yeah, I would love that."

The rest of the night was spent with thunderous laughter, wild singing, and lots of alcohol where Furina for the first time in forever allowed herself to simply revel in the moment.

Furina couldn’t decide which sight had been more mesmerizing and beautiful, Liyue or Inazuma. The gorgeous architecture of the city, covered in a sea of Sakura trees were truly an eyesight for every travelling person. Its lantern-lit streets wind through intricate, timeless structures while the area constructed an air of mystery only waiting to be explored. Not to mention the captivating statue of the all-mighty shogun that towered above the rest of the city. The city's breathtaking beauty left Furina feeling overwhelmed, unsure of where to begin with her journey here.

After arriving in Ritou, Furina advanced towards Inazuma City with the help of a few citizen who were heading towards the same destination. It was quite fascinating observing the grand landscape of the island covered by large mountains as she passed by several locals, few of them dressed in a traditional Samurai outfit, something Furina only knew from books before. Due to its isolation, Inazuma certainly had developed in their own speed and style, unbothered by any influence from abroad and Furina truly loved it.

She had been wandering through the crowded streets of the inner center for a while now getting distracted every now and then by ether another attraction or the delicious smell of the local cuisine. She was still searching for a path inside the Shogun’s residency yet most citizens she had asked only stated that one had to make an appointment at the Yashiro commission. One troublesome aspect of that was the fact that the headquarter of the Yashiro commission was not located in the Capital. Furina definitely didn’t want to travel all the way there just to make an appointment. Surely, there had to be an easier way.

“Miss Furina?”

“Ahhhhhh!” The sudden interruption of her thoughts through an unfamiliar voice caught her off guard sending her stumbling onto the ground. She groaned as she made contact with the hard floor. “Ouuchh…”

“Oh my god! I am so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you!” the young and female voice cried. Furina looked up from the ground staring in the face of a young woman with two tails attached to her body. In her long lofe, Furina had dealt with various different people before yet someone who had two tails was a novelty to her. It was quite fascinating.

“It’s okay. I…I just was a bit lost in my thoughts.” Furina said giving the young woman a reassuring smile as she stood up and wiped away the dust from her clothes.

“Are you okay? That looked painful.” the girl asked with a worried expression.

“It’s okay. Nothing too bad.” Furina responded with a small shrug. “With whom do I have the pleasure to talk to?”

“Oh, right! My name is Kirara and I work for the Komaniya Express, the local post office of Inazuma. I have a letter for you!” She grabbed inside her small bag and took out an envelope with Furina’s name on it and handed it over to her.

A letter? Who could have sent her one and how did the mailwoman find her all the way in Inazuma. “Thanks…um…mind I ask how you knew where to find me? I am not a local after all, so there is no address to head to.”

“Oh! As a mailwoman, I am well connected inside Inazuma. Usually, I would have travelled all the way to Fontaine to deliver the letter, but I just so happened to have heard that you were currently in Inazuma and were heading towards the capital, so I followed you all the way here and here I am!” Kirara explained grinning as her tails waggled in excitement.

“Oh.” She didn’t expect the Inazuma to have such an efficient postal service. They even delivered outside their borders. Maybe in the future she should make use of such service. Shopping could be sometimes so exhausting, much easier to just let it be delivered to one’s address. “Thanks for your service then.” she said beaming at Kirara.

“Oh, it’s nothing! That’s simply part of my job!” Kirara spoke happily. “Um…could I bother you with a five-star review, by the way?” she then asked a bit shyly as she took out a sheet of paper and a pen.

Furina chuckled. “Of course. Such magnificent service deserves nothing less than 10 stars even!” she stated as she took the paper and pen and left a five-star review on it and giving it back to Kirara. “Voila!”

Kirara grinned from ear from ear. “Great, thanks! Hope you have a nice day then! Gotta head to the next destination!” she said as she put the review sheet back in her bag and took off.

Furina bid her farewell with a wave, then cast a brief glance at the envelope in her hand. Curiously, she unsealed the envelope and took out its content. To her surprise it was from Lumine.

Hi Furina,

how is it going?? I heard you are currently travelling around Teyvat exploring the different nations. I am glad to hear you finally get the opportunity to go to these places. You probably didn’t get many opportunities when you still had the role of an archon. Pro tip: If you are ever in Liyue or Sumeru, try to watch an opera performance from Yunjin in Liyue or a dancing performance from Nilou in Sumeru. Those are extremely well performed, and you would love those!

I really hope you are doing well. I know those past weeks mustn’t have been easy on you, dealing with the fallout of the prophecy and figuring out how to live as an ordinary citizen now. I tried to contact you in that time but for some reason you never were at home. Listen, I am really sorry for what happened back there at the Opera Epiclese. We did what we thought was the best to do in that messed up situation since we were worried about the future of Fontaine, yet we didn’t know what you had to go through all these years. The way we exposed you in front of all the citizens…it was wrong. When you return to Fontaine, I would like to talk to you about that in person, if that is okay. I feel like apologizing in a letter is not the right way to do so.

I really hope this journey you are taken helps you figuring out who you are and helps you deal with the past. And if you ever need someone to talk to, I am there. I know this sounds weird when the last time I offered this, you got thrown into an uncomfortable situation, but I mean it. I meant it back then and I mean it now.

Yours Truly

Lumine

P.S.: If you are in Inazuma, try Dango Milk. Those are delicious (Advice from Paimon).

Furina experienced a tumultuous surge of emotions as she absorbed the contents of the letter. She had been avoiding Lumine ever since the aftermath of the prophecy. It wasn’t that she hated her, far from it. But…the last time they spoke in person, Lumine had offered a listening ear and for the first time in centuries Furina had considered opening up, only to be let down by Lumine and the others. Furina empathized with their perspective; they couldn't have known the truth concealed by her secrecy. However, the pain of feeling betrayed lingered, creating an emotional barrier. This was why she had been avoiding Lumine till now. She wasn’t ready for a conversation with her, fearing that her emotions would overwhelm her. Yet, upon reading Lumine's letter, Furina acknowledged that avoiding the inevitable talk was no longer an option. The time had come to confront her feelings and face Lumine.

“My, my, I did not expect the former hydro archon to visit Inazuma. How interesting.” a sly voice piped up behind her.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” Once again Furina got caught off guard by an unfamiliar voice as she almost stumbled onto the ground again, catching herself before losing balance.

“Do people in Inazuma love to sneak to someone and giving them a heart attack?! Seriously, can you guys not do that??!” she cried glaring at the woman standing next to her.

The tall woman chuckled. “Now, now, there is no need to get upset. It was simply a misunderstanding, nothing worth to get distressed about.” The woman before her possessed a cascade of long, pink hair that gracefully hugged her lower waist. Clad in traditional Inazuman attire, she exuded an aura of elegance interwoven with a subtle, sly, and devious energy, almost as if she was a fox.

Furina huffed crossing her arms. “I stand by my words.” she stated before softening up. “Sorry, just a couple of minutes ago I got scared too by someone.”

“It’s quite alright. I am not someone to hold grudges after all.” the woman said amused by her actions. “Now what brings a former archon to the illustrious nation of Inazuma?”

Furina pondered whether she was also well known in Inazuma, but so far none of the people she met had recognized her. Who was this woman?

“Don’t worry, your identity isn’t known to most people here. I am simply a well-informed person.” the woman said as if she could read her mind. “Perhaps, I should introduce myself. I am Yae Miko, the head shrine maiden in charge of the Grand Narukami Shrine and owner of the Yae Publishing House.”

Head Shrine Maiden of the Grand Narukami Shrine and owner of a publishing house? This woman certainly was someone quite famous. That certainly would fit her devious and dominating aura.

“It’s nice to meet you then. You already know me, so no introductions from my side.” Furina spoke smiling shyly. “And I am here to seek an audience with the electro archon. As far as I know, one must head to the Yashiro Commission to request an audience, but perhaps you know another way? I don’t really want to go the extra miles to their headquarters.” she said explaining her situation to the other woman.

Miko studied her with an amused expression. “Oh, is that so? Well, today is your lucky day. I indeed do know a way to seek audience without the Yashiro Commission.”

Furina’s eyes widened in surprised. “Really?!” she questioned excitedly.

Miko nodded. “Indeed. Do you see this woman dressed in a purple dress across the bridge there?” she asked pointing to an equally tall figure at the other side of the bridge.

Furina nodded as she spotted the other woman who seemingly was engaged in purchasing something.

“Good. She is one of the Shogun’s guardians. She will be your path to your destination. Now, usually, she wouldn’t let anyone meet up with the Shogun, being her guardian and all. But with the right password, you will gain her trust and the entry to the Shogun’s residency. That way she will know that you one of the Shogun’s trusted people.” Miko explained.

Huh? Furina didn’t expect it to be that easy, though… “Where do I get the password?”

“Luckily for you, I do know the password since I have good informants.” Miko mentioned smirking.

“Really?!” Furina asked excitedly. The way the things were going, it was almost too good to be true.

Miko hummed. “Indeed. Now, here is what you have to do. Go to the guardian and say those words: ‘I hate dango milk.’”

Furina stared at Miko bewildered. “You must be joking, right?” Her statement sounded utterly ridiculous. Why in the name of all seven archons, would that be the password?

“Hmmm, why would I joke about that?” Miko replied feigning innocence.

Surely, she was pranking her, wasn’t she? Her whole aura of shrewdness promised nothing but deception and Furina wondered whether she really could trust this woman. “There is no way, this is the password! You are taking me for a fool, aren’t you?” she accused her.

Miko simply shook her head. “Oh my, such an accusation. I suppose if you don’t believe me, you can always head to the Yashiro Commission. I heard especially during this season, it is quite difficult to reach their headquarters. Quite the exhausting trip to make if you ask me.” She said giving her a mix of a smile and a smirk.

Furina gritted her teeth. The audacity of that woman! She knew that Furina wanted to avoid taking a detour to the Yashiro commission and was now manipulating her into following her request. Yet…it was working. Furina really didn’t wanted to go the extra way just to make an appointment…

“Fine.” she muttered as she started heading towards the woman in the purple dress.

As she crossed the bridge, she got a more detailed look at the woman. She possessed purple hair which was styled into a braided ponytail. Unlike Miko, she did seem friendlier, yet an intimidating aura surrounded her. That was further underlined by the vendor who seemingly barely could contain his fear when talking to that woman.

“Um pardon?” Furina asked interrupting the conversation the guardian had with the vendor.

The woman turned around giving Furina a confused look. “Oh? With whom do I have the pleasure to speak to?” she asked curiously.

Furina bit her lips. God, this was going to be so awkward, yet this was her only chance. “I…I hate dango milk!” she blurted out loudly.

She could hear the vendor gasping while the woman simply stared at her in shock. After a couple of seconds of awkward tension and silence, the woman finally spoke after getting over her initial shock. “Now, that is a shame. Dango milk is quite the delicacy. I suppose not everyone can find pleasure in eating them.” she said frowning with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

Now that was not the reaction, Furina had hoped for. Was that another secret code? Perhaps it worked or perhaps that Miko tricked her after all.

“How dare you speak to the Almighty Shogun like that! You have no right to disrespect her like this!” the vendor suddenly intervened as he slammed his hand on the table.

Furina almost fainted in horror as she received that news. Th…that woman was the Almighty Shogun?? No…no, that couldn’t be true. Oh god, did she really just embarrass herself in front of the electro archon? The color of her face immediately started to match that of a tomato as she slowly started to realize the situation, she was in. In that moment she simply wanted to dissolve herself into nothingness, the humiliation being too much for her to handle. In the background she could hear slight giggling coming from a familiar voice. Th…that Miko! If she ever got her hands on that woman…

“It’s quite alright. There is no need get so upset. This person simply stated her opinion even if I strongly disagree. Though, I am surprised by the intensity of her expression.” the shogun spoke raising an eyebrow.

“I…I…” Words failed to be formed by her mouth as her body shook under the overwhelming feelings she was sensing. The embarrassment simply too much for her cope with.

“Hmmm, you seem familiar. Have we perhaps met before?” the shogun asked with a quizzical expression.

Her distress left her in a constant state of paralysis, not being able to move at all. There was yet time to vanish. If she now just ran away and left Inazuma forever, she could at least still leave with a hint of dignity since the Shogun hadn’t recognized her yet. She only needed to control her legs and…

“Oh, now I recognize you! You are the former hydro archon Furina, aren’t you?”

In that moment Furina’s legs gave out and the last thing she heard was screams of concerns as her vision blacked out.

“…an…u hea…me?”

Furina groaned as light infiltrated her pupils once more. Her head throbbed, and certain parts of her body ached, yet the surface beneath her was surprisingly soft. Was she in a bed? Where was she? And what had happened? Looking up she suddenly stared directly into the face of a concerned electro archon.

“Oh good, you woke up. I was afraid, that it was something worse.” the shogun spoke smiling seeing her recovery.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!” Furina screamed and almost fell out of her bed. Oh god no…she remembered everything again. The way she had humiliated herself in front of the Shogun…oh god, she could never face herself again. Now she was certainly going to be punished for her disrespectful behavior.

“Relax, you are safe here. Nobody is going to hurt you here.” the Shogun said in a soothing voice, trying to calm her down.

Furina immediately jumped off the bed and knelt down in front of the archon, desperation etched across her face, hoping her pleads would lead to a lesser punishment. “Oh, Almighty Shogun! I am so sorry! I swear I didn’t mean to disrespect you! I simply wanted to seek audience with you and that Shrine Maiden tricked me into doing this! Please forgive me! I beg you!” Furina cried dramatically, her voice filled with fear and embarrassment. The intricate patterns of the tatami mats seemed to blur beneath her as she kept her head bowed, awaiting the Shogun's response.

She expected to be struck by the divine punishment in any seconds, but to her surprise, she only heard an amused chuckle from the Shogun. “Miko put you up to this, didn’t she? Ah, she always has been a devious one, that Miko. Don’t worry, there is no need to apologize to me. I understand that she had tricked you.”

Furina looked up from her position in shock, hope returning to her. She had heard the terrifying stories from Inazuma’s archon. A divine figure who barely tolerated any disrespect and would strike down anyone who would fall into her disfavor. But this Shogun was nothing like the one from the tales.

“Please, there is no need to bow to me. As I mentioned, it was simply a misunderstanding. How about you stand up and we can discuss the reason you came here?”

Blushing, Furina slowly got up from her uncomfortable position. The shogun’s word did calm her nerves slightly yet feeling of embarrassment continued to stick on her.

“Much better. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? It is quite rare for another archon, even former archons, to visit another one and this is your first visit to Inazuma, if I am correct.” the Shogun expressed awaiting an answer.

Furina, who was still struggle with the feeling of humiliation, rubbed her neck awkwardly, avoiding eye contact with the archon in front of her. “I…um…I am here…cause…um…well, I guess I wanted to…well…to meet the other archons and…well…perhaps a…ask you for advice.” she stuttered.

The Shogun gave her a sad smile which surprised Furina. “There really is no need to fear me. I am aware of my intimidating and terrifying reputation, yet I promise, you do not need to be afraid of me.”

Furina blushed once again. “Ri…right. Sorry.”

A chuckled escaped the Shogun’s mouth. “It’s quite alright. I have heard about your achievements in Fontaine. Defying the prophecy and deceiving the Heavenly Principles, it is truly an astonishing feat.”

“Th…thank you.” Furina said softly feeling pride yet unease at the Shogun’s praise.

“Now, is there anything specific you want to ask me? You stated that you seek advice and guidance.” the shogun remarked.

Furina cleared her throat. “Right. I…I guess I am still figuring out my purpose in this world now. And whether I could have done more in my role as an archon to stop people from dissolving. It…it’s very confusing.” she muttered. “I have spoken to the other archons, and they really helped me a lot, but I figured that in order to understand my situation I need the help of all archons.”

Her words seemed to surprise the Shogun. “Oh, you have met with the other archons? Goodness, I haven’t seen them in centuries now. I am not even sure I have ever spoke to Buer before. I am quite jealous of you now.” she said chuckling.

“Um…thanks.” Furina was unsure how to react at such a statement.

“To answer your questions. There is no definite answer to your purpose in this world. I suppose, your purpose is that what you chose to be. And about whether you could have done more, the prophecy was inevitable. You did the best out of the situation.” she hummed.

Furina sighed. “Yeah, that’s what Zhongli has told me.”

“Zhongli?” The Shogun gave her a puzzled look.

“Oh…Rex Lapis, I mean. He goes by that name nowadays and has been living under humans in disguise for a while now.” Furina explained.

“Huh, Morax has decided to live a life among mortals. I was not aware of that. It seems, that there is still much I need to learn about the other nations.” the Shogun stated shaking her head.

Furina had heard of the infamous isolation and vision hunt decree that took place in Inazuma, yet she wasn’t aware of the full story. Perhaps this was the reason, the electro archon was out of the loop concerning the rest of Teyvat.

“Almighty Shog…”

“Please call me Ei.” the Shogun interrupted her.

“Right…Ei.” Furina said cautiously. It felt weird calling her by that name. “You are the goddess of eternity. Do you think fate is eternal? That there is no way to go around it?”

The question seemed to cause her to ponder thoughtfully as she kneaded her chin. It seemed that no one has asked her that kind of question before.

“Eternity is a complex topic.” Ei whispered softly. “I used to think that stagnation and conservation was the true meaning of eternity and that any progress would hinder my pursuit after true eternity. Had you asked me that question a couple of months ago, I would have agreed with the notion that fate is eternal.” she admitted.

She took a few steps towards the window, her hands crossed behind her back as she stared out in the wide area of Inazuma.

“Yet, a lot has happened since then. The traveller called Lumine – I think you know her – had dragged me out of my delusions. I am sure you have heard about the vision hunt decree. In my foolishness, I let the fatui ravage around Inazuma just in order to maintain my perfect vision of eternity. I feared that visions would disrupt that.” she spat out clearly regretting her decision.

Sighing she turned away from the window again and headed back to Furina. “That decision almost tore Inazuma apart due to a civil war. Instead of me ruling over my nation, I built an emotionless puppet which did the job for me. She was the Raiden Shogun to everyone and one of the reasons I am still feared to this day. People got hurt and terrorized under my leadership while I cowardly hid myself in my Plane of Euthymia. My fanatic pursuit of eternity almost destroyed a blossoming nation and to this day I can’t bring myself to fully forgive myself for my sins nor do I expect to be forgiven by my people.” she whispered softly as she closed her eyes.

Furina stared at the electro archon in shock as she tried to process the overwhelming amount of information she just had received. She had never in a million years expected someone with her reputation to feel such regret towards her past engagements. It was sort of refreshing seeing another archon feeling the same guilt, she went through even though their situations had been entirely different.

“Wha…what made you change your mind?” Furina asked.

A melancholy smile formed on Ei’s face. “After Lumine had defeated me in a battle, she showed me around in the city giving me a taste of the life in Inazuma. The innovations and culture I experienced was truly something that went against everything I had imagined Inazuma to be. The way technology and even food had progressed, it was fascinating. I had learned that despite every challenge one threw at mortals, they would always find a way to develop. It is against mortal nature to stagnate. It was only then that I understood the true meaning of eternity. It was not stagnation and conservation but the continuous progress and development of everything that truly defined eternity. And that progress allowed the people to enrichen the nation with their ideas and talents.”

Ei drew in a deep breath, allowing a momentary pause after her concise monologue, as if the weight of her words demanded a brief respite.

“Do you know why I decided to pursuit eternity?” Ei suddenly asked Furina.

Furina shook her head still being captivated by the fascinating story she was telling.

Ei lowered her head. “I wasn’t always alone, you know. Back in the days, I used to have a twin sister Makoto with whom I shared the leadership over the nation. I would deal with the military elements while my sister would formally act as the archon. Nobody suspected a thing and to this day nobody knows except a few who were let in on it.”

She drew another deep breath, closing her eyes in that process. “Then…about 500 years ago, the cataclysm happened. Makoto went to Khaenri'ah to support the fight there but…she never returned from there.” she whispered her voice cracking as pain filled her tone. A single tear rolled down her face as she told her story.

Furina stared at Ei horrified as she unveiled her past. To lose her twin sister…Furina could only imagine the pain she went through. It was simply a cruel twist of fate. “I…I am so sorry Ei.” she breathed giving her some words of comfort.

Ei gave her a grateful smile. “Her death changed me. I had lost sight of my life and slowly my happiness got drained from myself. In my grief I decided to pursuit conservation for my nation because I couldn’t deal with another loss anymore. In my stupidity, I believed that I was protecting my people from any danger and damage but instead I ended up being one who caused their hurt. To this day, people fear me whenever they see me. I closed myself off from everyone, even my beloved Miko. I am lucky she even wanted to be with me together again after shunning her for almost five centuries. God, Makoto would be so ashamed of me, if she were still alive.” she said laughing mockingly at herself as she wiped away a tear.

Furina was loss words, not knowing what to say. The flood of information she just received was simply too overwhelming for her to form any words currently.

Ei sighed once more. “To come back to your question. No, fate is not eternal. You defying the prophecy is proof enough for that. Yet please do not blame yourself for those circumstances. You truly did the best you could in that situation. I certainly wished that I only could have been a fraction of the leader you were.”

At last, Furina dared to gently lay a hand on Ei’s arm, trying to console the distressed archon. “Don’t say that. It’s true that you made mistakes and that your people have suffered under them. But you are changing and so is Inazuma. You have learned from your past mistakes and are trying your best to be a great archon for your people. Your people…they just need time to get used those new circumstances. I bet the more the see new you, they will grow fond of you. And Makoto would be proud of your progress.” she comforted Ei surprising herself with those words. It was almost as if she gave advice to herself. Time…it was also something that her people needed to see her real self. That and the full truth behind everything.

Ei smiled gratefully at the former hydro archon. “You truly are a gentle and kind soul, Furina. I really wished I would have met you earlier in my life.”

Once more she took a deep breath as if to calm her nerves. “Thank you, I needed that. Can I give you some advice?”

Furina nodded. “Of course.”

“Don’t close yourself off, like I did. I know you wear a lot of guilt and fear opening up to others, but closing yourself off only leads to a path of destruction. I don’t want you to commit the same mistakes as I once did. One can only truly heal when sharing their burdens with others.” she suggested her staring at her expectantly. Seeing the electro archon like this made Furina wonder why she feared her in the first place. She was just like her, another soul lost in the cruel wide world of Teyvat trying to find her place.

Furina pondered over her words. Ever since the flood, Furina had been avoiding any confrontation concerning that topic. She had hoped that she could simply forget about it all yet her inner grief almost destroyed her. There were so many things, she still needed to fix, and she couldn’t run from those forever anymore.

“Yo…you are right.” she finally said after a long and silent pause. “I thought closing myself off would bring others closure and help me forget about it all. But all it did was that I let the grief inside me starting to devour me. I…I need to face my fears and confront my people with the truth and also talk to a lot of people.” As she articulated those words, a soothing wave enveloped her, the realization of truth flooding her with a sense of exhilaration and pride, marking the commencement of a journey on the right path.

Ei beamed at her. “I am glad you agree. You know, I am really glad I got to meet you. You truly are an extraordinary person. You perhaps may not physically be an archon, but you truly possess the mental fortitude of one. Since you are visiting, I would like to introduce you to my nation and spent some time with you. If that is okay with you, of course.”

Furina grinned, a wave of happiness covering her. “Of course, I would love to!” She also was glad she got to meet Ei. She had never expected to relate to her so much. As the old speech went: Never judge a book by its cover.

Ei smiled. “Good. Since this is your first time here, I of course have to present the best that Inazuma has to offer. Though, I do have one question.” she spoke with a slight frown.

Her change of expression worried Furina slightly. “Yes?”

“Do you really hate dango milk? I mean, I of course can understand if you don’t like it. After all, taste is very individual, but…still. How can someone not like dango milk?” she interrogated her, a small pout even forming on her lips.

Furina stared at the archon bewildered before laughing out loud. Those archons truly were something else.

Chapter Text

After an arduous journey that spanned countless days, Furina found herself back in the heart of Fontaine City. As captivating and enchanting as the other nations were, there was an undeniable yearning for her home. The modern marvels of technology, the picturesque scenery, the delicious desserts, and even the hustle and bustle of familiar faces — she had missed it all. The more she ventured away from Fontaine, the more she came to appreciate the unique charm that her city held. Despite its imperfections, Fontaine was not just a place; it was her home.

She had been travelling for almost four months at this point, traversing the lands of Inazuma and Liyue, Furina had delved into new experiences and forged friendships along the way. These months became a transformative period, altering her perspectives on various matters. Returning now, she felt like a different person. Insecurities that once plagued her were replaced with a newfound confidence. While she still yet had to visit Sumeru and Mondstadt, she craved some well-deserved rest after the rigors of such a lengthy journey.

Yet with her entrance in the city, all the gazes staring at her that were absent during her travel returned as people started to whisper around her as she walked through the streets of the capital. This was something she didn’t miss. One thing she loved during her journey was the anonymity she had. Barely anyone recognized her, and she could freely wander around without getting disturbed by some comments or stares. Here she was, as expected, still a well-known public figure; a public figure that once had been their archon and now had been absent for almost four months. Naturally, she would be the main topic of many gossips for today.

She didn’t mind the stares and whispers too much. After all, she was used to them by now. What distressed her were the mean comments about her, she could hear from some spectators.

Finally, the imposter is showing herself again.

First, she deceives us and then she leaves us for four months??

I can’t believe, I ever looked up to her.

Each comment struck a chord deep within Furina, causing her anxiety to surge to its peak. While she understood that they were unaware of the truth, the words stung, resurfacing insecurities she had managed to keep at bay until now. She had been receiving such comments already before her departure from Fontaine but hearing them again, opened up some old wounds.

Not to mention that with her arrival, she was confronted with reality again. While abroad, she could distract herself from all her worries and forget about them for a while. Now that she was back in Fontaine again, she had to deal with all her problems again. She still needed to inform the Steambird about the truth behind everything and talk to Lumine. She also needed to have a talk with Neuvillette. While they had been in contact and spoke to each other occasionally, there was still some unspoken tension between them, and it extremely bothered her.

After some time, she reached her place, determinedly ignoring the hushed whispers and judgmental stares. However, the sight that greeted her at her apartment was shocking. The front door, adorned with red paint, bore the accusing label 'TRAITOR' written in bold capital letters. Furina was used to mean comments by now, but the act of vandalism elevated the hostility to an entirely new level. The thoughts of someone damaging her apartment sent shivers through her spine. If people were capable of this, who knew if she wouldn’t be a victim of a violent act soon. And Furina feared, that if that indeed would happen, few would come to her help.

Panic spread inside her as she processed the sight in front of her. No…surely, this would stop if she just would tell the Steambird her story, right? But there was an uncertainty lingering in the back of her thoughts. What if it didn’t sway the public’s opinion on her? Could she even stay in Fontaine anymore? Was it safe for her then?

Before her thoughts could spiral into a never-ending pitch of darkness, a high-pitched voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Wait, is that Furina?! Furina!”

Furina turned around to see a floating fairy-sized creature along with a blond girl approaching her. Lumine and Paimon. The sight of them did not alleviate her anxiety. She had planned to talk to them but not now! She needed some time to prepare, this was not planned! Especially not after her place had been vandalized!

“Lumine, Paimon! It is a pleasure to see you two! How have the two of you been? It has been quite a while since our last encounter.” Furina greeted them forcing a smile as she tried to cover the paint with her body. She hoped that her nervousness wasn’t too transparent. Seeing the two of them after such a long time again, sparked a forgotten turmoil of emotions inside her again. Her memories took her back again to that moment of them inside that fake room.

Lumine gave her a small smile. “It’s nice to see you again Furina. It has been too long. We are good, just doing some missions as usual. How about you?”

“Oh, it has been splendid! It has been splendid, indeed! You know, travelling around, experiencing new things, just splendid everything!” she cried out while laughing nervously. She cursed herself mentally. Usually her acting skills were impenetrable, but right now, her anxiety clouded her ability to perform well.

Lumine and Paimon looked at each other worriedly, while Furina bit her lips, eying the two of them nervously.

“Um…is everything okay Furina? You look nervous.” Paimon asked carefully.

Furina gulped. She couldn’t involve the two of them. Not yet at least. She still had too much emotional baggage carrying around her ever since they last crossed each other’s paths. This was not an ideal situation to discuss those issues now.

“What? Me, nervous? Nonsense! Obviously, I am simply enthusiastic about my recent journeys! After all, it is not every day, one can indulge in such expeditions, expanding one’s horizon.” Furina expressed dramatically, her chest high as she tried to fake her enthusiasm and confidence.

Paimon rolled her eyes. “Urgh, looks like she is being typical Furina, again.”

Something inside her snapped when she heard those words. Perhaps it was the culmination of everything terrible happening to her today, but those words stung a sore part in her.

“Don’t talk to me like this!” she snapped at Paimon.

“Woah!” Her reaction caused Paimon to back away a bit in shock. Even Lumine didn’t seem to have expected such a strong reaction. Furina immediately blushed realizing what she just had said.

“I…” Furina tried to find an appropriate answer, but she was out of ideas.

“Hey, it’s alright, if you are not okay, you know? You don’t have to hide yourself anymore.” Lumine said softly while giving Paimon a stern look.

“Y...yeah. And Paimon is sorry for her words. Paimon didn’t mean to hurt you.” she spoke sheepishly holding her hands behind her back while avoiding Furina’s eyes.

Furina considered simply telling them the truth, but then remembered the last time again, when she tried opening up to them. Feelings of betrayal and hurt resurfaced again, as she recalled those moments.

“It…it really is nothing. No need to worry! I am the former hydro archon after all! I can deal with such small inconveniences.” Furina remarked attempting to hide her anxiety once again.

However, Lumine and Paimon remained entirely unconvinced, showing no signs of being swayed by her performance. Then, Lumine's expression shifted as she tilted her head to the left. Her widened eyes signaled that she had noticed something, and Furina knew exactly what had caught her attention.

“Furina, did someone attack your home?” Lumine questioned her frowning. Paimon gasped hearing those words.

“Wait what? Let Paimon see!” she cried as she flew towards the door ignoring Furina’s protests. She shrieked as she spotted the scene in front of her. “Oh my god! What happened here?! Why would someone do this?!”

Once again Furina tried to explain but no words came out of her mouth. The exposure of her situation in front of the two of them left her body paralyzed.

“I…”

“Furina, is someone endangering you? If so, we can protect you.” Lumine told her with a worried yet slightly angry expression.

“I…”

“Yeah! And we also have to tell Neuvillette then! He can send you over some guards to protect you!” Paimon chimed in.

“I…”

“Can’t believe, he didn’t send over some guards before. Someone so important as you, obviously will be the target of some criminals.”

“I…”

“Maybe he forgot? On the other hand, Neuvillette doesn’t seem to be someone who would forget about this. Paimon doesn’t know either then.”

“I…”

“Well, he should have thought of that then! Furina’s life is…”

“ENOUGH!!!”

Furina's voice, normally gentle and composed, suddenly boomed through the area, shocking the other two with the intensity of her outburst. Her voice soaring through the streets of Fontaine as the air seemed to hum with lingering echoes of her outburst. Lumine and Paimon fell silent as their expressions shifted from concern to utter surprise at the unexpected volume. Those who had been standing nearby them turned their heads, their curiosity piqued by the sudden interruption and Furina could feel their gazes drilling through her skin.

Furina sensed a heat creeping up her cheeks as her cheeks started to mirror the shade of tomatoes. Her heart quickened its pace and each breath seemed heavier as her anxiety rose to a level of unbearableness. Her legs started to wobble beneath her under strain of emotional turbulence. The concerned gazes of the others bore into her, intensifying the suffocating pressure. God, why did she just do that?

“Furina…” Lumine tried to approach her but before she or Paimon could react, Furina suddenly sprinted away, leaving them behind bewildered. She didn’t look back as she sprinted through the bustling streets of Fontaine, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. The world span around as she pushed herself harder, a desperate attempt to outrun not only her possible pursuers but also the storm of emotions buried inside her.

With each stride, the voices around her grew louder, as the glow of streetlamps casted a flickering and surreal illusion on her path. Furina's vision blurred, not just from the speed of her flight but from the tears that now freely flowed down her cheeks. She had no idea where she was heading towards. All she knew was that she had to escape. She thought she was ready to face her biggest fears, but the second she was confronted by them, she immediately crumbled and fled like the cowards she really was. All those talks with the archons, all her journeys, in this moment, they all felt in vain.

After a while, she darted into an alley leading behind a building and into a blind end. She pressed herself against the cool, rough surface of a building, and sat down on the dirty ground, desperately trying to catch her breath. The sounds of the city, though muffled, still echoed around her, a constant reminder of the world she temporarily escaped. Huddled in the corner, her shoulders trembled with the aftershocks of her emotional outburst, and she grappled with the turbulent sea of feelings that threatened to overwhelm her.

Perhaps no one would ever find her here. Perhaps she could just escape all of it here and pretend everything was okay. It was definitely less scary than dealing with everything right now.

Tears started welling in her eyes as she realized how bad she had messed up. God, what would the others even think of her? It was such a fall from grace. The former hydro archon ending up crying and hugging herself in a deserted corner of Fontaine City.

Furina shook her head. No…she couldn’t think like that. She made so much progress lately. But…right now, her feelings were clouding her mind, making her unable to see clearly.

Furina pressed her face against her legs which were huddled against her, her dress soaking up the tears coming out of her eyes. Why did she had to be so pathetic? Why couldn’t she handle her emotions? Why…

“Furina?”

Furina looked up, hear face still covered in her tears, at the sound of the familiar voice. Through the blurriness of her tears, she saw a concerned Lumine staring directly down at her. Of course, she had to be the one to find her in such a pathetic state…

“What do you want?” Furina muttered, avoiding eye contact with her.

“I…I wanted to check up on you. You just ran away and…Furina, what’s wrong?” Lumine spoke worriedly.

This time Furina gave her a small glare. All her anger, she had been hiding those past months, was boiling up slowly. “Why do you care?” she spat out slightly venomously.

Her answer seemed to shock Lumine whose eyes widened. “I…I care because I want to help you.” she said softly. “You have been through a lot and…”

“Oh, just like you wanted to help me, last time?!” Furina yelled out suddenly surprising herself and Lumine. All the pain bottled up inside was slowly flowing out. For months, she had been pushing those thoughts away, trying to avoid this confrontation with Lumine at all costs, fearing exactly this would happen. Fearing that she would not be able to control her emotions. Fearing that she exposed her vulnerability in front of her yet again. A couple of tears escaped her eyes as those thoughts crossed her mind.

Lumine gaped at her bewildered, guilt written all over her face. “Furina…”

Furina wiped away from tears angrily. “I…I really thought I could trust you, you know. The moment, we were in that room. I…I thought for the first time in forever I could share my burden with someone. I…I thought I could finally be vulnerable with someone after having to hide my true self for so long. But then…” she choked out sniffing. Her words faded as she once again recalled those painful moments after their intimidate moment. The minute the walls fell down, the sudden appearance of them on the stage, the astonished stares of the spectators, the judging glances of Neuvillette, the anxiety that rose inside her and the worst: the realization that she had been tricked. None of them actually cared about her well-being, none of them cared about her. They all just saw a threat in her, a threat to the safety of Fontaine. And, at that point, she was all alone.

She knew it was wrong to blame her. After all time, they didn’t know the truth and believed that time was running out. Yet, she couldn’t help herself. For once, she had opened herself up, only to be betrayed immediately afterwards.

For a long time, none of them made a sound nor a move towards each other. Furina remained curled up on the ground hugging her legs, while Lumine simply stared ashamed to the ground. The tension in the air feeling more and more suffocating as time passed by. Shame engulfed Furina as once again she had been left defenseless and vulnerable in front of Lumine. A couple of her remaining tears dropped down on her clothes as slowly there were no tears left in her eyes.

“Do you remember what I said during your trial?” Lumine’s voice suddenly interrupted the silence surrounding them.

Furina lifted her head, gazing into Lumine’s eyes. To her surprise, tears were welling in Lumine’s eyes too. “You said a lot of stuff. You have to be more specific.” Furina muttered.

Lumine gave her a small but sad smile. “I told you, I wanted to give you a second chance.”

Furina blinked, her puzzled gaze fixed on Lumine, unsure where the conversation was leading. A sigh escaped Lumine’s mouth.

“I…We were desperate back then. The prophecy looked to fulfill itself by any minute and you wouldn’t tell us anything. We thought that perhaps by putting you into a trial in front of everyone, you might be forced to reveal yourself. We…we thought we were doing the best for the future of Fontaine.” Lumine voiced now a couple of tears flowing down her cheeks too.

Furina simply listened to her attentively, unable to find a reply to her words.

“But…when I saw you in Poisson blaming yourself and crying in front of the remaining puddle of the flood, I…I knew there was more to the situation. I knew you needed help and I genuinely wanted to because I didn’t want you to go through all of that later. I thought, if I could figure out how to help you, you wouldn’t need to be forced to go on a trial and we could figure things out together. But…I was too late.”

Lumine fell silent, her emotions seemingly overwhelming her at the moment. Furina wasn’t fairing any better. Her body was shaking due to the sheer weight of emotional burden and memories she was carrying.

Closing her eyes, Lumine finally continued after a couple seconds of silence. “After your trial, I…I somehow ended up in your mind.” she admitted.

Furina gasped. “You…what?” she asked completely shocked.

Lumine bit her lips. “I don’t know how but I suddenly saw your memories as part of a play. And…I saw everything, from the moment Focalors chose you to be the archon, your first days in your new role and all your struggles and pain.”

Furina was left speechless after Lumine’s confession. Panic rose in her as she realized that Lumine had seen all her deepest secrets and fears. Oh god, oh god, she knew of all of it. Her heart started to pound in an ever speeding up pace as she struggled to breath in an ordinary tempo.

Instinctively she immediately hugged her body even closer to her as her mind slowly started to fade into a chaos of emotions. Fear, humiliation, anxiety, everything started to engulf her in this moment. Her environment started to blur as reality became distorted, her panic steadily taking over her body leaving her in a paralyzed state as she started to rock back and forth. The realization that her most vulnerable moments had been broadcasted, was just too much for her to handle. It was just too much.

For a while, all she could feel was her own heartbeat blocking out every other sense around her. Then through all of the chaos and distortion, she felt a touch on her shoulder, accompanied by a gentle voice.

“Hey, slow breaths, okay? You are safe Furina. You are safe.”

Furina’s body relaxed slightly at her soothing voice, yet resistance was still strong. All those emotions inside her were simply too much to bear at the moment.

“Hey, don’t worry. I am here.” Lumine continued with a soothing voice. She then slowly raised her hand and held up three fingers. “Here, how many fingers am I holding up?”

“Th…three.” Furina stuttered through her irregular breathing, her body still feeling tense.

Lumine smiled. “Good, how many hands do I have?”

“Tw…two.” Surprisingly this method did relax her as she slowly was gaining control over her body again.

“And how many Lumine’s do you know?”

Furina let out a chuckle. “One.” she said as her breathing finally returned to a regular pace as she felt her anxiety slowly but surely leaving her body.

Lumine seemed to notice that and gave her a bright smile. “You feeling better?”

Furina nodded, still feeling a bit shaky but much better than before. “Yeah…thanks.” she replied as she slowly stood up. “How…how did you know how to handle this?”

“Paimon sometimes has panic attacks, so I learned how to deal with them.” Lumine told her.

“Oh. That’s actually really sweet of you.” Furina commented feeling slightly glad that Lumine was experienced in such a situation.

Lumine continued to smile before her expression suddenly turned somber. “Furina, I am so so sorry. We should have never had put you into that situation. You…you went through so much and sacrificed so much of your well-being, just to protect your people and your nation. You deserve so much more and I am so sorry for breaking your trust.”

Tears started to flow down Lumine’s cheek once again and Furina could also feel some tears welling up in her eyes too. So long, she had been avoiding this discussion with Lumine but right now, amid all her confusing feelings, she felt deeply touched by her words and a wave of relief being unleased. The archons praising her actions was one thing, but hearing it from Lumine, someone close to her, added a layer of validation she didn't realize she needed. For the first time since their last interaction, the wound that had been left by her ‘betrayal’, was mending a bit.

Furina let out a small laugh, realizing how foolish she had been this whole time. She had feared confronting Lumine so much yet now being in her presence, hearing her apology, Furina realized that Ei had been right. Avoiding her problems, only deepened them. The image she had created in her head had been devouring her from the inside, leaving her in a constant state of anxiety and slight bitterness. But seeing Lumine in front of her and hearing her words, all bitterness and anger she had held instantly vanished into the void.

“I forgive you.” Furina said softly after overcoming her emotional struggle. “You couldn’t have known what I was going through. Like you said, you were simply trying to save Fontaine, just like I was doing. It was simply an unfortunate situation.”

Lumine gave her a weak smile. “We still could have come up with something less humiliating.”

Furina nodded. “Yes, that you could have. It really did hurt being exposed in front of everyone and I think I might need some time to fully be comfortable around any of you again.”

“I understand.” Lumine replied softly looking down at the ground.

A small smile appeared on Furina’s face. “Yet, I am glad we had this conversation. I think I hid myself long enough from everyone and I don’t want to live like this anymore. I hope we can maybe start over again?” she said offering Lumine a hand.

Lumine smiled back at her and shook her hand. “Yeah, I would like that. And in the future, if you ever need someone. I am here for you. For real, this time. I promise.” she told her softly.

“Good, cause I am sick of playing hide and seek with you.” Furina remarked laughing. “I can’t believe I have been avoiding you for so long.”

Lumine chuckled. “Well, you had a good reason.”

“Yeah, perhaps.” Furina responded, also chuckling.

The two of them lapsed into silence once more, yet this time, the atmosphere was saturated with comfort, replacing the awkwardness and tension that had existed before. Most of the burden Furina had been carrying, was finally gone and it simply felt great not to worry for once anymore.

“Furina! Oh my god, here you are!”

The high-pitched voice startled Furina a bit and she turned around to see Paimon flying towards her with an extremely worried expression.

“Oh my god, Paimon is so sorry for what she said! Paimon didn’t know that this would affect you so badly!” the small fairy-like creature cried as she hyperventilated. Furina couldn’t help but feel bad for her seeing her like this.

“Hey, don’t worry. Everything is okay again. I just talked to Lumine and we resolved everything.” Furina informed Paimon with a small smile.

“Yeah, don’t worry. Everything is good now.” Lumine chimed in chuckling.

Paimon sighed in relief. “Oh good, Paimon was really getting worried. Still, Paimon feels terrible and promises in the future to be more sensitive.”

“I will hold you on that promise.” Furina replied chuckling.

“Does this offer also extend to me?” Lumine asked her best friend innocently.

Paimon huffed. “Only if you stop calling Paimon your emergency food!”

Lumine pouted. “But Paimon is emergency food.” she replied teasing her.

Furina smiled at the two of them who continued their usual bickering. Things weren’t perfect yet and it would take some time for all the wounds to heal but for now, she was just glad that this was behind her. There were still some things to fix for her in Fontaine, but this was a good start and Furina was confident that it would all turn out well.

Chapter Text

“Are you certain, you don’t require any protection, Lady Furina?”

Furina was sandwiched between the concerned looks of two of the most powerful people in Fontaine. After another targeted attack at her residency, Neuvillette and Clorinde immediately approached Furina and promised to hunt the delinquent down and protect her from any incoming harm in the future. While Furina had been grateful for their offer, she didn’t want to rely on protection for the rest of her life. There had to be something else she could do. After some consideration, she realized that there was only one thing she could do.

“I am certain. Besides, living life permanently under protection wouldn’t be an enjoyable solution, now would it be? I am a normal citizen now. I don’t want to be treated like some celebrity anymore.”

Neuvillette bit his lips and Furina could sense his disagreement with her choice. Next to him, stood an equally concerned Clorinde, who also didn’t seem convinced.

“Very well, then. Though, if you ever require any help, do not hesitate to contact me or Clorinde. Both of us would happily assist with whatever request, you have.”

Furina gave Neuvillette a grateful smile. “Thanks. Though, I actually do have a request for you.”

Neuvillette raised his eyebrow at her statement. “Oh, is that so? Then, how can I help you?”

“I would like you to promote the next article of the Steambird around Fontaine.”

Both Neuvillette and Clorinde were now staring at her with a puzzled expression. “I don’t think I can follow. Why would you need us to promote an article of the Steambird?”

Furina took a deep breath before continuing. She was preparing herself mentally for the avalanche of questions that would approach her. “I want to tell my whole story to all of Fontaine.”

Silence filled the room as Furina’s words left Neuvillette and Clorinde too stunned to speak. Furina flinched at their reactions. She had expected it, yet when confronted with it, it felt so much more awkward.

God, they must think I am crazy.

“I…Lady Furina. Are you sure you want to do that?” Clorinde asked, breaking the silence around them.

Furina nodded. “I am pretty sure. The people of Fontaine need to learn the truth. Otherwise, they will always perceive me as a fraud and the attacks will only continue. This is the only permanent solution to prevent further attacks and uproar.”

Hesitant glances were cast in between Clorinde and Neuvillette and Furina felt the anxiety rushing through her veins again.

“Very well, then. I shall grant you that wish. I hope you know what you do, Lady Furina.” Neuvillette finally answered.

Furina threw him a wide grin. “Don’t worry, Neuvillette. For once, I do.”

Furina was nervous.

Standing in front of the headquarters of the Steambird, made her realize the magnitude of the task she had to overcome. She had decided that she would tell the newspapers about her story. Long enough, she had shielded the truth from the public to spare herself pain. Yet, seeing how bad things were now, she knew she had to come out with the truth. Not just for her sake, but also for the people of Fontaine.

Yet her body froze as soon she arrived in front of the Steambird. Was she truly prepared to unveil her past to everyone?  It was one thing to confide in someone close…but the whole public? The thought sent a shiver through Furina, her body tensing at the prospect.

No…she had to do this. There was no running away from it anymore.

She tried to take a step forward, but it was as if her body was frozen, each movement was met with resistance, and she could feel how her anxiety was taking over her body yet again. Furina cursed herself. Just why…just why couldn’t she do this? Why was this so hard??

“Furina?”

Furina swiveled her head around to find Lumine approaching her. Biting her lips, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of discomfort. Why was it that every time she was in distress, it had to be Lumine appearing in front of her? Even though the two of them had made up, she still didn’t feel fully comfortable around her. She might have forgiven the blonde girl, but she couldn’t forget the pain she had inflicted her.

“Hello Lumine, what brings you here?” she asked the other girl, forcing a small smile.

Lumine gave her a bright smile. “Oh, I was just out for a walk. Sometimes I need just to get my mind off things, especially when I always have commissions to do.”

Furina nodded. Lumine was known for her status and as a famous traveler and adventurer. Sometimes she couldn’t help but feel curious about what types of adventures Lumine was experiencing every day. “I see. Where have you left your flying companion? Usually, the two of you are always together.” she asked her.

“Oh, Paimon is taking a nap. She gets more exhausted from those commissions than I do even though I usually do most of the hard work and she can even fly.” Lumine replied shrugging.

Furina snorted. Yeah, that did sound accurate. From her observations, Paimon was the one who did most of the talking for Lumine, while Lumine did most of the physical things.

“Anyway, what are you doing here? Are you heading for the Steambird?” Lumine suddenly asked as she turned her head towards the headquarters.

Furina froze upon her question. She hadn’t told anyone yet about her decision to spread her truth through the Steambird. Not even Neuvillette. She had felt like this was something she had to do for herself.

For a moment, she considered simply lying to Lumine but then shook that thought out of her head. If she couldn’t tell Lumine about it, how would she be able to tell the public about her story? Besides she was tired of acting all the time.

“I…I am here to share my truth to the public.” she announced staring directly into Lumine’s eyes.

She could see surprise forming in Lumine’s eyes after her statement. “Oh…oh wow. That’s a huge step. Are you ready for this?” she asked carefully.

Furina bit her lips. She had already made up her mind about revealing her truth, yet the fear of rejection creeped up in her mind over and over again.

“I…I am not sure, to be frank.” she admitted. Her former self would have defected from her insecurities and pretended that everything was okay. Yet, with her growth over the past weeks, she felt more comfortable now sharing her more vulnerable side. “I want to, but what if the public doesn’t believe me and rejects me?”

She still hesitated to fully open up to Lumine about her sorrows, but the sincerity of Lumine's last apology made her feel more comfortable around her. These were small but meaningful steps toward rebuilding trust.

Lumine gave her a comforting smile. “They won’t. Trust me. Believe it or not, despite everything, the people here still adored you and still do. I can see it every day when I walk through the streets here.”

Furina bit her lips. “Not everyone…there are those who hate me and even want to hurt me.” she muttered.

Lumine frowned. “Well, screw them then. You did all you could, so who cares what others think of you? And you got man people who also would do everything in need to protect you.”

Furina knew that Lumine was right, yet there was this lingering feeling of uncomfortableness. After centuries of having received nothing but praise from her people, it was quite a change for her to suddenly be the target of hate. She had despised being put on a pedestal, yet having known nothing else, she couldn’t help but also long for the approval of everyone.

“Well…I guess you are right then.” she muttered, giving Lumine a small smile. “Well…if there is nothing else, I will be going then. Um…bye!” she cried quickly before taking a couple of steps towards the Steambird leaving Lumine behind confused.

But before she could reach the door, her body suddenly stopped in motion. It was as if some force was preventing her from going on further. Once again, her anxiety took over and paralyzed her body. Furina cursed herself for these stupid emotions. She made so much progress over the past weeks, just why couldn’t she just get this behind her and reveal the truth to everyone. What was holding her back?

“Um…Furina, are you okay?” Lumine asked concerned from behind seeing a struggling Furina in front of her.

“I’m fine!” Furina snapped at her turning around.

Lumine raised an eyebrow. “Really? Doesn’t sound like this. If you want, I can accompany you…”

“No!” Furina interrupted her, surprising the both of them. “Um…I mean, thank you for your considerate words, but I am capable of doing this on my own.”

She tried to sound confident in front of Lumine, but Lumine’s raised eyebrow told her everything she had to know.

“Please?” Furina asked quietly, almost begging her.

Lumine sighed. “Furina…I know you want to do this on your own, but you don’t have to anymore. It is okay to seek help, and you are not alone anymore, you know.” she spoke softly.

Furina stared deeply into Lumine’s eyes, her memories driving back once again to that one moment before her trial. Although she had forgiven her, forgetting that moment was harder than she had anticipated.

You are not alone anymore. She has heard this phrase from Lumine in a similar form before. Of course, she had told her in her apology last time, that she would be there for Furina for real this time. But now that she was in a situation where she was actually offered help, Furina couldn’t help but to be reminded of the last time.

But…she wasn’t wrong, wasn’t she? Back in her role as an archon, she truly had no one she could confide in. Now, after all her journeys and progressions in the past weeks, she had people she could rely on. Even if some relationships were still shaky, they were on a good path. She didn’t have to do things on her own anymore.

“I…you are right. I think it might calm my nerves a bit if I have someone, I know with me.” she said softly giving Lumine a smile.

Lumine smiled back. “Let’s go then.”

“I…Wow.”

It was rare to see the usually talkative Charlotte being completely speechless but after Furina had finished her story, the journalist was struggling for words. To Furina's surprise, she had navigated the interview without any major emotional breakdowns. There were moments where she was on the verge of tearing up but she managed to hold herself together. Lumine’s presence indeed also helped her calm her nerves. The reassurance that someone who already knew her story was there for support proved immensely helpful.

“So yeah…this is my whole story.” Furina said with a small smile. She had done her part now. Everything else was left in the hands of the people.

“When you had told me that you wanted an exclusive interview, I had expected a lot, but this exceeded all my expectations.” Charlotte whispered, seemingly struggling to process all this information.

Furina grimaced. “I know this was a lot and I am sorry if I overwhelmed you with all of this information.”

Charlotte shook her head. “Oh, don’t apologize, Miss Furina! I should be thanking you! Not only for this interview but for protecting Fontaine all this time from its doom. Who would have ever guessed that another archon was working behind the scenes while you were protecting the truth. This must have been a lot for you to handle.” she told Furina with her big smile.

Furina blushed at her comments. “Th…thanks Charlotte.”

Lumine nudged her with her arm. “See? I told you it wouldn’t be so bad.” she told Furina gently.

Furina gave her a small smile. “I suppose so. Thanks for accompanying me, Lumine.”

Lumine returned the smile. “It’s the least I can do for you after everything you went through.”

Charlotte grinned at the two of them. “Well, I got everything I need now to print the news for tomorrow. This really is the biggest news I have ever got in all my professional life.” she said excitedly.

Furina chuckled at the journalist’s antics. While Charlotte can be sometimes too stubborn when looking for exclusive news, she was a very fair and balanced reporter. Other journalists might have spun around her story to gain more views.

“I trust you will write a fair article then.” Furina commented.

“Oh, don’t worry, the people of Fontaine deserve the truth and after tomorrow everyone will know about your heroic actions.” Charlotte proclaimed brightly.

Content with her answer, Furina discussed the last details of the article with Charlotte (‘Please no mentioning of flood in the title’) and then bid goodbye to the journalist before heading out the Steambird with Lumine together.

“Well, that wasn’t too bad, wasn’t it?” Lumine said cheerfully as they exited the building.

“Well, it certainly went better than I expected.” Furina replied with a weak smile. “Thank you for accompanying me, by the way. I don’t know if I would have managed it on my own.” she admitted.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Like I said it’s the least I can do for you.”

“Still, I appreciate it.” Furina spoke softly. It really was a comforting feeling to know that she didn’t have to do things on her own anymore. Yet, this was just the easy part…the hard part was still to come. Perhaps she could ask Lumine for help again…

“Hey…is it okay, if I ask you for another favor?”

Furina’s heart was beating at an extremely fast pace as she entered the one place that till this day gave her nightmares. Poisson.

The last time she had been here was shortly after the catastrophe. Back then seeing the aftermath of the destruction almost made her faint in horror. What has used to be a lively area, was now a ghost town. A relic of the past which was erased by the primordial seawater. She remembered the immense level of guilt she had felt back then and the feeling of uselessness knowing she had not saved those people.

Coming back to the place of one of her biggest failures sent shivers through her spine but this time she at least wasn’t facing this challenge alone. Lumine had agreed to go with her and Paimon also tagged along.

It has been a couple of days since her interview with Charlotte and just yesterday her story had been publicized by the Steambird. Word spread around rapidly in Fontaine, after all it was also a nation known for drama as much as justice. Furina had finally gathered enough courage to take the next step and face her biggest fears. But she had yet to formulate a plan for her visit to Poisson. Would she merely observe the ongoing rebuilding efforts, or would she engage with the inhabitants? Regardless, she felt an indebtedness to the people of Poisson, even though she no longer held the title of an archon.

As they entered Poisson Furina could feel the stares of the inhabitants on her. A dark blush appeared on her face as she wanted to disappear into the ground immediately. She could hear the whispers around her. She could not identify whether they were of a malicious, curious or astonishing nature but each sound made her more and more anxious.

“Hey, are you okay, Furina?” Lumine asked her.

“Yeah…I am fine. Just a bit anxious, I guess.” Furina muttered hugging her body a bit.

“Don’t worry Furina! It’s gonna be okay! And you got us, just in case!” Paimon piped up next to her trying to cheer her up.

Furina gave her a small smile. Knowing that she wasn’t alone in this did ease her anxiety a bit. Still, the uncertainty of how the people would react to her, remained a burden on her heart.

As they moved on further, Furina got a better view of the town again. The last time she had been here, almost everything had been destroyed by the flood. Not only had people lost their lives in the tragedy but also their homes. Barely any building had not been affected by the sheer amount of water levels flooding the entire region, which destroyed almost everything in its way.

But now, the place had been completely rebuilt again and looked almost as lively and good as before the catastrophe. It was as if there never had been a flood. Furina stared at the place in awe, astonished by the rebuilding of the town. She knew that Navia and Neuvillette had been working together quite a lot on the rebuilding project, but never in her wildest imaginations had she imagined it would be done so well.

For a short moment she was able to block the whispers of the people around her and indulge in her fascination at the overhaul of Poisson before the increasing volume of the whispers and number of the people surrounding her dragged her back to reality. Each step felt heavier, the more intense the stares and whispers became.

“Maybe this was a mistake.” Furina muttered quietly, her words barely audible.

Paimon didn’t seem to have noticed as she continued to fly on, but Lumine nudged her with her arm giving her a comforting smile.

“Well, if it isn’t my dear partners! And Lady Furina, you are here too!” a voice behind them suddenly popped up almost startling Furina. Luckily, she didn’t make a fool of herself like she did in Inazuma.

As she turned around, her gaze locked with the ever so charismatic leader of the Spina di Rosula. It had been a while since she had seen Navia. She remembered seeing the young woman growing up from a shy young girl into the beloved leader she was now, exceeding every expectation people had on her after she had inherited the position after her father’s death. The two of them never had interacted much, even after her rise to power, but their relationship always had been professional and friendly. She had feared meeting her again after the tragedy of Poisson, but Furina also knew that she was not a person to judge by its cover.

“Navia! It’s been a while! How is everything going?” Paimon said cheerfully, her face brightening seeing the blond woman in front of her.

“Oh, things are going well! Poisson is completely rebuilt now, and the Spina has been taking up several new projects, including a new Aquabus line.” Navia said grinning. She was definitely looking better than the last time Furina had seen her. While she pretended to be happy at their previous encounter, Furina saw through her act. It takes one actress to see through the act of someone else, after all.

“Anyway, what brings you guys here? It is rare for you to visit us, Lady Furina.” Navia remarked. There was no judgement in her words as she stated her observations.

“There is no need to call me ‘Lady’ anymore Navia. I am not an archon anymore. And for the purpose of my visit, well…um…I suppose there are unfinished businesses here that I must finish.” Furina responded with a shy smile. She was glad that Navia didn’t ask her directly about the article and simply treated her normally although Furina had no doubt that the questions would rise up later at one point.

“I see. Is this unfinished business of yours related to the recent article about you and the tragedy of Poisson?” Navia questioned her.

Ah, and there the questions came. Furina, of course, had anticipated them to come but it still made her feel uneasy to be thrust into the spotlight because of this. It was ironic. For centuries, she had basked in the attention of people and being in the spotlight had become a daily occurrence for her. But that had only been an act, a persona. Now that she had embraced her true self once more, the attention really was the last thing she needed.

“Well…” Furina bit her lips as she struggled to find the right words.

“Hey, easy. I won’t judge you, you know.” Navia said noticing Furina’s struggle. “I think you are being very brave for coming here. Not everyone would have done that after everything you have faced through.” she noted giving her a small smile.

Furina returned the smile. No further words were necessary for them to know where each other stood with the other and Furina felt a sense of relief knowing that the leader of the Spina had no lingering resentment towards her anymore; that is if those feelings ever existed.

“Yeah! Paimon agrees with that! Coming here definitely must have taken quite the courage!” Paimon chimed.

“And if anything happens, you still got us.” Lumine added, giving her a comforting smile and it did warm Furina’s heart knowing she wasn’t alone anymore.

“Thank you, everyone. Really. Your kind words and support really mean a lot to me.” Furina said softly giving everyone a grateful smile.

“I should thank you for your service as archon. Only a true leader could have withstood such pressure under this act to protect the truth.” Navia told her grinning.

Furina blushed at her words. “Th…there really is no need for such high praise. But thank you still.” She still wasn’t quite comfortable with the praise she received but she at least no longer denied the important role she played which was a big improvement for her.

Navia chuckled. “I must say, it is good to see you be yourself. Even when you were hiding behind an act, I couldn’t help but wonder sometimes if your personality was real or just for show. Your character was quite…well extravagant, to say the least.”

“Yeah! Paimon remembers that Nahida, the dendro archon, told us once that your personality was quite unique. Paimon can’t say she was exaggerating by our first encounter with you. Though, Paimon admits that your act was quite entertaining.” Paimon added.

Furina let out a small laugh. “Well, I still got that side in me, if you should miss it. When you act a personality as long as I did, that alter ego leaves a mark on you. But I am also glad that I am no longer bound to that act anymore and can finally be myself.”

And she really was glad. Moments like this where she would just let loose and have fun with others were rare back when she still was an archon. She never knew how freeing this could be.

“Well, since you are here, do you want to perhaps talk to some people here?” Navia suddenly suggested.

Furina eyes widened at her suggestion. “Wh…what?” She had expected that she would have to interact with the people here but now that she was confronted by that thought, it suddenly became much scarier.

“Interacting with the people here might resolve any last misunderstandings. It gives the chance for them to see the real Furina and not the one they have in their mind.” Navia commented.

“Yeah! Besides, didn’t you plan on doing this anyway?” Paimon added.

“Oh? Is that so?” Navia asked a bit surprised, looking at Furina. “You seemed surprised by my suggestion though.”

Furina’s face turned red as all eyes were on her suddenly. “I…well…I mean, I did plan that. Just…well…now that I am here, the prospect of talking to the people here suddenly became much scarier.” she stuttered, her voice decreasing with each word. It was moments like these where she wondered how she even managed to play the role of an archon for so long.

Her other companions looked at each other with a concerned expression on their faces. God, she must look pretty pathetic in this moment right now probably.

“Hey, no worries. Like I said, you won’t be alone doing this. You got us in case something happens.” Lumine said, giving Furina some words of comfort.

“And you got the leader of the Spina di Rosula with you. If anyone should mess with you, they will have to deal with me!” Navia added with a wide grin.

Furina smiled at their words. “Thanks. You are right guys. I don’t have to do this alone anymore. Bring it on! There is nothing the brightest star in Fontaine cannot do!” she expressed enthusiastically, feeling a surge of confidence bursting through her body.

Navia laughed at her antics. “That’s the spirit! Now follow me, I can introduce you to some people here.” she said gesturing for the rest of them to tag along.

After a short walk, they encountered a middle-aged woman with her son. The woman’s golden hair brushed just above her shoulders, complementing her flowing yellow dress, while her son stood beside her in brown pants and a long-sleeved shirt, his short brown hair being slightly messy.

“Amélie! It has been a while since our last encounter! How is everything going?” Navia greeted the woman cheerfully.

The woman stopped her conversation with her son and turned around at the group giving them a bright smile. “Boss! It’s always good to see you! I see you have brought some friends with you.” Amélie spoke as she glanced at the rest of the group. Her stare stopped at Furina’s figure, clearly surprised that the former hydro archon was visiting Poisson.

“Oh, and Lady Furina is here too. Certainly, a surprise, though a welcome one.” Amélie commented giving Furina a small smile, yet Furina could sense that she was not feeling too comfortable in her presence.

Before Furina could reply, Amélie’s son suddenly shouted out in excitement. “Woah! Lady Furina is here! Oh my god, that is soooo cool! Could I please get an autograph from you? I am your biggest fan!”

His outburst caught Furina quite off guard as she needed some seconds to process what was going on. It was quite a common occurrence for someone to ask for her autograph. After, she was Fontaine’s biggest star. Yet, under the current circumstances she was in, it was certainly unexpected, to say the least.

“Um…”

“Antoine! Don’t harass Lady Furina like this. It’s not polite to jump on someone like this.” Amélie scolded her son making Antoine look down in shame a bit.

“Sorry.” he mumbled.

Furina chuckled. “There is no need to apologize. I am quite flattered by your admiration.” Furina told the young boy before getting a pen from her pockets. She always had a pen with her, just in case someone asked for an autograph. “Antoine, was it? Where would you like to have your autograph?” Furina asked gently.

Antoine looked like he was about to explode out of excitement any second. His mother on the other hand was biting her lips, as if she was containing herself. She clearly wasn’t too comfortable with Furina’s presence, especially around her son.

“Oh, oh! I got this trading card of yours! Please sign here!” he cried as he got out a card with her picture on it. It was one of those Genius Invokation TCG cards that have been trending over all of Teyvat the past year. Furina had heard of this game before of course, but she never had the time before to play it. Well…nor did she had anyone to play with.

It was certainly an interesting sight to see her own face on a trading card. The Furina in this picture, had been one, still hiding her true self from the world. One disguising her pain and insecurities under a veil of fake confidence and dramatic enactments. It was almost a surreal feeling staring at this version of her again.

Though…even though it all has been an act, this version of her was also a part of her. Her flair for the dramatic, while perhaps not as intense as before, never disappeared and her passion for acting was slowly coming back again.

Gently, she took the card off the young boy and signed it. Though he had signed countless autographs before, this was her first since the truth about her had gotten out. For the first time, she signed not as Furina the Hydro Archon, grand deceiver of Fontaine, but simply as Furina – a normal human.

“Here you go.” she said smiling at the boy as she returned him the trading card.

“Oh my god, thank you so much!” Antoine cried excitedly as he took his card enthusiastically, holding it dearly like a treasured price.

“Maman, maman! Look, I got a signature from the Hydro Archon herself!” He was beaming proudly at his mother as he presented the signature. His mother’s lips curved upward, yet Furina noticed that her smile didn’t seem to reach her eyes.

She must despise me for misleading everyone for so long.

Furina flinched slightly at that thought as the feeling of dread and anxiety engulfed her once again.

“That is nice, dear. But we really shouldn’t bother Lady Furina too much. I am sure, she has better things to do than to talk to some common citizens.” she told her son softly, her voice clouded by a slight judgmental tone.

“Oh, it really is nothing!” Furina stammered, her hands fluttering nervously in front of her face. “I love spending time with my citizens. Besides, it’s not like I have anything else to do. I am not the Hydro Archon anymore, after all. Or well…I never was to begin with.” she muttered meekly.

“To me, you always will be the Hydro Archon!” Antoine suddenly declared loudly, startling Furina who did not expect such an answer.

“But…I don’t understand.” she replied confused.

“You saved us all from the prophecy and protected us for centuries despite being only a human!” He had such adoration in his voice, it melted Furina’s heart slightly. “Without your sacrifice, a lot more of us would have died! Because of that, you will always be the Hydro Archon and my personal hero to me!”

A blush crept across Furina’s face as his words sank deep into her heart, stirring something she hadn't felt before really. Furina wasn’t a stranger to high praise and adoration. When she still functioned as an Archon, she would be basked in endless praise by her citizens on a daily basis. Yet, every praise would feel hollow, knowing they were simply admiring her fake persona and not her true self. But for the first time, a citizen didn’t admire the eccentric archon figure she hid behind, but her true self.

“Thank you, I…I don’t know if deserve such praise.” Furina replied softly.

“You would be right about that.”

Furina swiftly spun her head towards the gruff voice behind her. They were approached by a tall middle-aged man with brown hair and full beard whose well-muscled shape and steel-hard gaze made Furina’s throat go dry. He radiated such an intimidating aura, that Furina found herself wanting that the ground swallowed her completely.

“Remy, it is good to see you again.” Navia replied with a soft, yet slightly forced smile. “Is there anything you want to tell us?”

Remy let out an intense huff and Furina shrank bit by bit under his harsh glare at her. “This woman here is a fraud and does not deserve the title of an Archon! She has deceived us for centuries and almost cost the lives of us all! And now she wants to save her reputation by telling us some fairy tales about her supposed sacrifice. Pathetic!” he accused Furina, pointing his index finger at her.

“Hey! Why are you being so mean to Furina?!”

“None of these things are true! Lady Furina is a hero!”

“Furina would never deceive her citizens like this!”

A blend of outraged cries followed Remy’s words as Paimon, Lumine and Antoine immediately leapt to Furina’s defense, but at that point Furina had already sunk deeply into her own thoughts while gradually blanking out her surroundings. This was what she was fearing before visiting Poisson. That the citizens would hate her. That they would see her as the fraud she was. Someone who mislead nation for centuries. Someone who in the face of approaching doom failed to save her people from their deaths. And now her biggest fears were coming alive.

In that moment all her carefully built confidence over the past weeks shattered like glass, the familiar guilt of letting down her people was crawling up again, drowning her in waves of shame. Her chest tightened as her heart hammered against her ribs like a woodpecker, leaving her in a constant state of an emotional and anxious wreck.

God, she was so pathetic. She had talked to all these archons and gained so much confidence lately, finally starting to accept her role in saving Fontaine from complete doom. Yet, when faced with a confrontation like this, she immediately reverted to her former guilt-ridden and insecure self again. Why couldn’t she be strong for once? Why couldn’t she actually be the great archon that people expected her to be?

Tears started welling in her eyes, the mixture of angry shouting and a flood of conflicting emotions overloading her sensors. What would the others think of her now? Antoine would now see that the one person he admired so much, was really just a coward hiding behind a fake persona.

Through her blurred vision, she could spot the others still being involved in a heated argument. The only ones not participating were Mademoiselle Amélie and Navia. Amélie made no effort to join her son in defending Furina, visibly feeling conflicted over the whole situation.

Navia on the other hand seemed to be deep in her own thoughts, observing the whole thing as if she was scheming something.

“Okay, everyone, stop arguing.” Navia said as she stepped in between the disputing parties using her authority to dissolve the bickering. She spun around to Remy, whose face flushed crimson with anger, fixing him with a sharp, piercing gaze. “Alright, why do you think that Furina would lie about all of this?”

“Because she is saving her own skin! She noticed that people were starting to turn on her and decided to lie once again to the public so everyone can feel sorry for her!” he hissed.

Furina flinched at the venomous tone spat at her. He wasn’t completely wrong. While her story was the truth, she did intend to save her own skin in a way since she couldn’t bear being the target of disdain by her own citizens. Again, guilt washed over her.

Navia raised an eyebrow at his statement. “I can understand where your point of view is coming from. After all it is not easy to believe her story after she pretended to be an all-powerful archon for centuries.” she told Remy gently. “Though, despite all of this, wasn’t it Furina who had been ruling over our wonderful nation those past centuries and brought us a prosperous era? Whether she was truly an archon or not, doesn’t matter in the end. She governed over us, giving everything she had and truly cared for her own citizens. And she did that for over 500 years while being only a human. If anything, this makes her tenure even more remarkable in my view.”

Furina stared in awe at Navia as she ended her short monologue. The ease with which Navia diffused the tension and articulated her argument free of any trace of condescension, was nothing short of admirable. The compliment she received from her sent a gentle warmth through her, feeling deeply grateful for her kind words.

She truly is a great leader. Much better than I ever could have been.

“Yeah! Despite all these challenges, she never backed down and tried to protect us till today! This is what makes Lady Furina so incredible!” Antione added passionately.

“Not to mention that her eccentric persona made the daily lives of Fontanians livelier.” Lumine said with a fond smile. “She always did her best to entertain her citizens.”

“Yeah! Furina gave everything she could to make sure Fontaine stays safe and well-lead!” Paimon also chipped in.

“Guys…” Furina’s cheeks flushed as the warmth of their words wrapped around her heart like a blanket. She really didn’t understand how she deserved all the love she received from them, but she was grateful, nonetheless. Though she had been always surrounded by people in her long life, she still spent centuries in emotional solitude as she kept her secret close to her heart. For so long she had yearned for someone to share her woes with, the magnitude of her task almost burying her under a pile of anxious thoughts. But the sight of all of them caring for her despite knowing the full truth, made her finally understand that she wasn’t alone anymore. She was seen. She was heard. She was understood. She was free from her burden. Tears started to prickle at the corner of her eyes at that thought.

“THEN WHY COULDN’T SHE SAVE THE ONES I LOVE?!”

The sudden eruption of Remy’s voice jolted her back to reality. She turned to meet his gaze, staring at a man who seemed to be on the verge of madness now, his face contorted with barely contained fury. A suffocating silence filled the area as all eyes now turned to him, his composure visibly crumbling beneath the weight of his inner turmoil.

“Sylvie, my wife, and Raphael, my son, they both died on that dreadful day because they didn’t manage to get out in time.” he choked out as tears started to fill his eyes. Furina’s heart shattered at the sight of the completely broken man. “One moment, they were still next to me, chatting and laughing. And suddenly they…they were gone.”

Silent tears streamed down his cheeks now, his breath coming in uneven gaps. His hands started to tremble uncontrollably, the avalanche of emotions threatening to bury him completely.

“I tried to save them, but everything just happened so fast. The flood…it wasn’t like anything I have ever seen before. It swallowed everything that was in its way and in the end, I was powerless against it. I…I had to see my wife and my son dissolve in front of me. Their screams of despair…they haunt me daily. In just a second, I…I lost everything. I…”

He crumbled onto his knees, unable to finish the sentence as he now was sobbing uncontrollably. Furina herself was not incapable to contain the stream of tears flowing down her cheeks anymore. The poor man. He…he lost everything that day. He once had a loving family and in a blink of a moment, everything was gone. And she wasn’t there to stop it. It wasn’t fair…they deserved to live.

Furina looked up to see the others not handling any better. Lumine, Paimon and Navia’s eyes were misty with unshed tears. Antoine stared at Remy in stunned disbelief, while Amélie averted her gaze, her expression showing deep sympathy for the crying man.

Furina’s look once again reverted to Remy. Seeing the broken man in front of her, made her realize the real depth of the tragedy that occurred in Poisson. She had mourned over the loss of the perished and had nightmares of that fateful day before, but seeing someone who personally had lost people during that tragedy being completely destroyed it, stirred up an inner anguish inside her unlike anything she felt before. She did this. She was partially responsible for the lives of these people being destroyed. She might have played her part in preventing the prophecy, but she also had failed to protect her people. This was part of her legacy now.

Furina shook her head. No…this was not the time for self-pity. She couldn’t allow herself to be drown in guilt once again, not when Remy had lost so much and needed help. She came all the way to Poisson to apologize for her inactions and make peace with the past. She let down her people once, she wouldn’t do it again.

Armed with a determined glimmer in her eyes, she strode towards the still sobbing Remy, ignoring the concerned glances of the others and knelt beside him.

Remy lifted his head up to her and glared at her intensely. “What do you want?” he spat at her. “Haven’t you inflicted enough pain to me?”

Furina took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. “I…I know I can’t bring your family back. But…but I want to you to know how deeply sorry I am.” she said softly, tears glistering in her eyes.

A frown formed on Remy’s face. “I don’t need your pity.” he replied, his voice still shaking.

“I know.” Furina’s voice carried a complex layer of emotions—empathy, regret, and an undercurrent of sorrow—as she spoke to him. “Nothing I will say will ever make things right. And I am not going to try that. I…I just wanted you to know that I am sorry. I am sorry for failing you and the others.”

Her lips were now trembling, her vision being fuzzy. “I tried my best to prevent the prophecy from coming true but…it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t fast enough, and the people of Poisson paid the price for that. And for that I am deeply sorry. So sorry.”

A pool of salty tears had now formed below her. Through the waterfall streaming down her cheeks, she saw Remy staring at her with a conflicted expression, torn between shock and anger.

“I don’t expect any of you to ever forgive me. My duty was to protect you all and…and I failed in that regard. I…I just am so sorry, and I will do anything in the future to make amends. I may not be the archon anymore or perhaps I never was, but I will do everything in the future to help you all. Just…I just wanted you all to know, that I am sorry.”

Furina crumbled to the ground, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the ground below her. Her control of her emotions had now fully slipped away as the tide of feelings transformed her into an emotional mess. Despite the anguish she was feeling, it felt like a stone had been lifted from her. She had bottled up all these emotions for so long, now she was finally free from this burden.

For a moment it seemed like time had frozen. In this pocket of suspended time, only the sound of her broken sobs piercing through the void of stillness. Each breath leaving her lips felt ragged and irregular, her body paralyzed by a barrage of prolonging distress. Then…

“Lady Furina, if I may speak.”

Wiping away her tears, Furina looked up to see Amélie standing in front of her staring at her with a gentle gaze.

“I must admit, I was one of those who had doubted your words after that article got published.”

Antoine let out a loud gasp at his mother’s words. “Maman!”

Amélie gave her son a rueful smile. “I am sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have lied to you. I thought I could protect you from disappointment this way.” she admitted. She then reverted her attention to Furina again. “But you probably had the same intention as I did with my son when you pretended to be an all-powerful Archon, didn’t you?”

Furina stared at her with her mouth gaping wide open, not knowing how to respond. “I…”

Amélie threw a gentle smile towards Furina. “When I heard that your tenure had been simply an act, I…I was disappointed. I thought we had been tricked by a con artist. I thought that maybe a real archon could have saved us from doom when the flood arrived in Poisson.”

Amélie closed her eyes, letting her words linger for a moment before continuing. “But that wasn’t the case, wasn’t it?” she whispered softly. “Just like I would do anything to protect my family from any harm, even if it means that I have to lie to them, you did everything to protect us even though you had to lie to us and were simply a human. Despite how lonely you must have been, you always put your nation and your citizens before yourself. And after seeing you express such deep guilt and regret about something out of your control, I realized that you were telling the truth. You truly always were our Archon, powers or not, and for that I am thankful.”

“Mademoiselle Amélie…” Furina was now certain that her tears had flooded Poisson for a second time. Seeing a citizen, who had suffered from the tragedy that had befallen Poisson, thanking her sent shivers through Furina’s body, a deep wave of gratitude washing over her.

Amélie then shifted her gaze away from Furina, directing it toward the cave ceiling with a distant expression. “Though, I don’t forgive you.”

Furina’s face instantly fell at her words. Audible gasps rippled through the area, quickly followed by an uproar.

“Miss Amélie!”

“Maman!”

“Please!” Amélie’s commanding voice cut through the noise, immediately silencing the loud murmurs around them. “Please, I wasn’t finished. As I wasn’t saying: I don’t forgive you, because there was never anything to forgive to begin with. You haven’t done anything wrong, Lady Furina.” she spoke softly.

“I…” Furina was at a loss for words at Amélie’s heartwarming words.

Amélie glanced at Remy who had been avoiding eye contact with the others this whole time, a painful expression gracing his face. “I can’t speak for Monsieur Remy, but in my eyes, you have done enough for us, and I will be always be grateful for that.”

“I…” Furina stared at Amélie touched by her kindhearted gesture. “Mademoiselle Amélie, thank you so much. I…I don’t know what to say. I don’t know if I deserve this.”

Amélie simply smiled at her. “Don’t thank me. I am simply showing you the appreciation you deserve.”

Furina returned her gentle smile. “Thank you for your kind words.”

“Well said, Amélie! I couldn’t have said it better myself.” Navia added looking proudly at the other woman.

“Awww, Miss Amélie…” Furina glanced at Paimon who also was on the verge of tears after listening to Amélie’s warm words of comfort.

Antoine also shed some tears as he ran over to his mother hugging her tightly. “I love you, maman.”

Amélie returned the gesture, shedding some tears herself. “I love you too, Antoine. Always.”

Furina cooed at the heartwarming scene in front of her. In times of grief, moments like these were a sparkling hope for a brighter future ahead of them. She then returned her attention to Remy who still was avoiding everyone’s looks. Furina immediately felt bad for him, remembering the tragedy that occurred to his family.

“Monsieur Remy?”

Remy sighed deeply and turned around at Furina, wearing an exhausted expression. “What is it?”

“I know nothing will ever mend the loss of your family. But I just wanted you to know that if you ever need help in the future, you will not be alone. You have all of these wonderful people here helping through it and a remarkable leader in Navia. And I can even offer you the help of the Iudex if you ever need anything. And…of course I will be there to help too.” Furina was rambling now. “What I am saying is…we are all here for you if you ever need our help.”

A brief silence befell between them, the unbearable tension causing beads of sweat to form on Furina’s brow. Then finally, what felt like an eternity, Remy broke the stillness. “I will consider it.” he muttered.

Furina sent a grateful smile towards him. Not everything was okay, she knew that. It would take a long process for the wounds to heal, but she had taken the first step towards the right direction and for the first time ever, Furina felt unburdened. The future was looking bright.

“You okay, Furina?”

After the probably most turbulent few minutes of Furina’s life, things had calmed down again. Remy had gone back home to work on some things, while Navia and Paimon were chatting happily with Amélie and Antoine. Furina had moved slightly away from the group to catch some breath. For a while, she was left alone with her thoughts before Lumine had approached her to check on her.

“I’m still a bit shaken, to be honest, but it is getting better. Thank you for asking.” Furina said smiling at Lumine.

“I am glad to hear that.” Lumine replied, returning the smile. “I am proud of you, by the way.”

Furina stared at her slightly puzzled. “Really? What for?”

Lumine chuckled. “For the way you handled everything. You were able to face your biggest fears and were able to make peace with the citizens of Fontaine. It takes a lot of courage to do so.”

Furina blushed at her compliment. “I…it was nothing. It was something I had to do after all.”

“Even so. That doesn’t make it easier.”

For a while, both of them lingered in silence, enjoying the tranquility surrounding them. Sometimes Furina wished these moments would last longer. After spending centuries in the spotlight, she savored these rare moments of peacefulness like precious gems.

“What are you going to do now?” Lumine suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them.

Furina nervously fumbled with her hands. “I don’t know yet. Despite all the progress I made recently, all these changes are still new to me. I definitely still have to catch up with some people. Especially Clorinde and Neuvillette. Other than that, I don’t know yet.” she admitted. “I thought about joining a theater group though. Despite everything I went through, my passion for acting has never diminished.”

“That sounds like a great plan!” Lumine expressed beaming at her. She then put her left hand gently on her right one. “Whatever you do, I am here for you, okay?”

A blush crept across Furina’s face at Lumine’s gesture, the close distance between them making her heart throb slightly. God, why did Lumine had to look so cute right now?

“I…thank you.” she replied, gently pulling away her hand away from her before she could suffocate under those foreign emotions she was experiencing currently.

Lumine chuckled. She opened her mouth to respond, but then her glance dropped below Furina’s waist, and Lumine’s eyes went wide with shock.

Furina frowned at her. “Is something wrong?”

Lumine quickly gestured at her waist, the shocked expression remaining on her face. “Furina, look!”

Furina followed Lumine’s gaze. A gasp escaped her mouth when she saw an object with a crystalline core pulsing with elemental energy hanging from her waist. The metal frame shimmered in the day light, highlighting the raw power of the object.

“This…” Furina looked up, locking eyes with Lumine, who seemed to have the thought as herself.

“Furina, you have a vision.”