"Yue, your mother said not to run off too far."
"I know!" the little girl called back, her voice ringing with excitement as she darted ahead.
Y/n trailed behind, her pace steady and calm despite Yue’s boundless energy. She watched the child with a fond smile, though her steps quickened as they neared the lake. The sound of the cascading waterfall ahead was soothing, but the sight of Yue leaping onto the rocks made her heart also leap, but with alarm.
"Yue, don't you dare!"
"Don't worry, jiejie! I know what I'm doing!" Yue shouted confidently, crouching as if to spring onto the first slippery rock.
Before she could make the jump, a firm hand clasped her small wrist, halting her.
"Yue," Y/n said, her voice stern but gentle, "don't make me repeat myself."
The child pouted, turning to face her. "Oh, please, jiejie? Let’s just go! We came out to catch fish, didn’t we? And we haven’t caught a single one!"
"That’s because you broke the fishing rod," Y/n reminded her, folding her arms.
"That wasn’t my fault! I thought I could catch a boar for Mama instead!" Yue protested, her face scrunching up indignantly. "How was I supposed to know it’d be strong enough to break it?"
The two bickered like sisters, their playful argument echoing against the sound of the rushing water. Finally, Y/n sighed, exasperated but unable to resist Yue’s pleading expression.
"Fine," she relented, holding out her hand. "But we’re doing this together. Hold on to me, okay?"
"Kayyy!" Yue beamed, grabbing her hand eagerly.
Y/n stepped onto the first rock, her footing careful. Turning, she reached out to help Yue follow. As they crossed, one precarious leap at a time, Y/n couldn’t help but glance around at the scenery. The cool spray from the waterfall and the way the moonlight glinted off the water reminded her of something, a place, a moment long past.
The place where she had awoken.
---
A heavy gasp tore through the silence of the cave. The vessel bolted upright, her chest heaving as she choked on the water spilling from her mouth. Her hands flew to cover her lips, trying to muffle the harsh, echoing coughs.
Her body trembled, her drenched clothes clinging to her like a second skin. She blinked rapidly, her eyes stinging and blurred.
Where was she?
The memories were faint, like fragments scattered in the dark recesses of her mind. Slowly, bit by bit, they began to resurface.
She looked to the side, catching sight of the lake outside the cave. The storm outside was fierce, the wind howling as it whipped the surface of the water into a frenzy.
'I was in there.' she realized.
She remembered the replacement archon's suffering so well. The begging for her dear twin's spirit to return and take control of the vessel she created for her. The longing of seeing and being with her again.
And then the fifth stage of grief.
Ei accepted that Makoto was gone, and gave up on her experiment.
She threw her away.
Who had pulled her out?
Her thoughts turned to a figure, a tall woman with long, snow-white hair standing in the shadows of the cave.
"..Who are you?" The vessel croaked, her voice rough from disuse.
The woman didn’t respond. Instead, she turned and walked away, her figure vanishing into the storm.
"W-Wait!" The puppet scrambled to her feet, her legs unsteady as she staggered out of the cave. The rain pelted her skin, cold and unrelenting. She leapt onto a rock, narrowly avoiding slipping into the turbulent waters below.
The woman was gone.
Had she been real? Or just a trick of her fogged mind?
"Oh my, are you alright?" a soft voice called.
Startled, the vessel turned to see a woman dressed in crimson garments that resembled a kimono, but..not quite. She extended her hand toward the soaked girl, her expression kind.
"Come now, you’re soaked. You should rest for a while. It’s rare to see a vision holder this far out."
"Vision holder?" The vessel echoed, confused. She glanced down, her eyes catching on the bright blue ornament dangling from her sleeve. Its snowflake-like symbol glimmered under the pale moonlight, radiating a soft glow.
---
"Eep!"
"Yue, what did I tell you?!" Y/n scolded, leaning down to pull the girl from the water as Yue burst into laughter.
"I’m a Hydro slime! Perish!" Yue declared, splashing water up toward Y/n.
The older girl gasped, half-laughing, half-scolding as she backed away. "You better stop if you don’t want me to freeze you solid!"
"Eek! Don’t do that!" Yue shrieked, paddling back toward the rock with a grin.
---
By the time they returned to the small cottage on the edge of the hidden village of this forest, Yue was soaked to the bone, clutching a single red seabass in her hands. She beamed as the door opened to reveal a woman in a red hanfu.
"Yanli, Yue tried to cross the lake," Y/n explained, trying to keep a straight face as she gestured toward the dripping child.
"And failed," Yanli finished, exhaling a long-suffering sigh.
"I caught a fish!" Yue declared proudly, holding it aloft like a trophy.
Yanli pinched the bridge of her nose, though there was a trace of fondness in her expression. She turned to Y/n with a raised brow. "And why didn’t you just use your Vision to freeze a path over the water?"
Y/n faltered, searching for an excuse, but found none.
"..I didn’t think of that," she admitted sheepishly.
Yanli shook her head, motioning them both inside. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you two?"
YOU ARE READING
soulless vessel | genshin impact x f.reader
Fanfiction"i am not and will never be raiden makoto, I know that." the vessel blinked slowly, her eyes devoid of shimmer and her gaze fixed upon the defeated electro archon kneeling before her. the air around them felt thick, oppressive, and the silence hung...
