Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

60: When Chalk Pursues Gold

Talent.

Was talent a gift or a curse?

When you are gifted, you are expected to stand above the rest. You become the symbol of standards and the target of jealousy. You are expected to uphold perfection and to be the finest of the lot.

The best of the best. That's what you must be if you have talent.

But if you stand above the rest, you can never be like them. You can't understand their perception and they, in turn, can't understand yours.

What is common will be foreign and the simplest joys of life becomes meaningless to you.

Conversation with others becomes a difficult task and even emotions become an oversight and a hindrance to you.

The pedestal you stand on will be too high up for you to step down. You either face a painful downfall or continue to suffer the cold heights where are forced to live in.

Talent makes you exceptional. But that exception is what will divide you from the rest of the world.

You are forced to live alone because no one can understand you.

So what is talent?

Was it a gift or a curse?

Soleil did not know the answer. Talent could be a gift, a curse, or a mix of both.

Perhaps talent was just an illusion made by your mind as a defense mechanism–To shield yourself from the standards you couldn't meet and give an excuse for your shortcomings.

Soleil did not know what 'talent' really is. But to Kaeya's father, she was the representation of the word itself.

After all, she was able to master the crafts and technology of their nation in just a few years. Who knew that such a young body could house so much intellect?

Day and night, Soleil would read over the scriptures she got her hands on. She focused deeply on embedding the sacred knowledge in her mind. Kaeya's father couldn't have been any prouder.

But young, little Kaeya, on the other hand, felt concern. That burning light inside Soleil's eyes was not ordinary for a kid at the age of eight.

He and Soleil used to spend time by talking together about things they laid their eyes on and huddle together in the night to protect each other from the nightmares trying to eat them alive.

There was a tragic reason why Kaeya and Soleil were both good with conversations and words. This was the only way to keep themselves distracted from the harsh problems they deal with every single day.

They couldn't play and they couldn't stay idle. So they kept themselves busy by talking about the smallest things they could find.

But even that began to fade bit by bit when Soleil began to ask about Khaenri'ah and its wisdom. She kept herself busy with studying.

Study, study, study. If Soleil wasn't helping out Kaeya and his father, she would keep to herself while she mastered all the knowledge Khaenri'ah had to offer.

Kaeya saw her slowly distancing herself from him and began to selfishly wish for her to have difficulties in her studies.

He would even steal away the scriptures and tools when she fell asleep so she would spend a long time looking for it.

He did this as many times as he could to distract her. That way, she could stay longer.

But reality was never kind. Soleil's intellect allowed her to master everything she needed in two years. Kaeya's fears would come true.