...
I had a dream...
...
It was a very long dream, so much so that I felt like it was actually real. So much so that when I woke up, all my senses were numb and I couldn't get up.
What was that dream?
It was like a scroll of paintings unrolled before me...
And that scroll was a gift to me from someone I knew.
...
It was a bright and windy day.
Due to the efforts of Barbatos, the people of Mondstadt were given the privilege to see continuous tomorrows.
The joyful chatter and lively conversations were never-ending just as the wind will never cease to blow.
Ah, the bright sun...
The only things that shaded me from the gentle yet strong sunlight were the shadows of the turning windmills. I felt very bad...
Gazing down at the hardworking citizens that made use of the freedom given to them by their Archon, and working to keep Mondstadt alive as a city.
I felt very bad just standing here.
Even though I have a fragile body, and I can't even swing a sword without my fingers breaking...
Even though it really is ideal that I don't work and just give others morale support...
I...feel guilty.
But I was reminded of those words. That poem a bard sang to me after a monster's head was brutally shot swollen.
"As long as you feel the breeze caress through your hair,
It means I am thinking about you somewhere.
As long as my wind blows through the fields of reed,
It is your freedom to do as you need."
I thought about those words.
My freedom to do as I need...
My body will fall apart bit by bit every day as long as I work as hard as everyone else. My flesh will tear itself as long as I fight as bravely as others.
But I'm no slacker. At least, I don't want to be a slacker...
"..."
It took me all of my breath to climb up that grand, towering statue of Barbatos and sit on the stone hands.
"...Haha."
But a small laugh escaped from between my lips once the wind began to blow again, carrying my voice in the breeze.
"Ahaha...!"
I laughed as if someone told a very funny joke.
But it was no laugh of condescent, or , nor was it a laugh of negligence. Or at least, I like to think it wasn't.
Just like the citizens of Mondstadt smile because they were gifted eternal freedom by their Archon,
I finally laughed because I was gifted the joy of being alive just for another day.
So, this is "freedom"...
...
But I woke up from that dream, into that of a nightmare in the real world.
"...Huh?!"
I was in a plain, grassy field.
But there was no longer the soft, reassuring breeze.
It's as if the world world went into a stasis without the wind blowing to get things moving.
And when the wind stops, there is only one thing it could mean.
"The person who gifted the winds himself...has stopped too."
There is...no way.
There is no way the wind can stop blowing.
"But it did."
There was a voice that spoke to me again. In a whisper, ever so ominously, yet ever so gently.
It was like the breeze itself. Although, it only echoed without the presence of the actual wind to carry it.
"You can see him right in front of you."
That bard.
He loved to snooze away when drunk, hugging a bottle of wine with him as he went off to write poems even in his dreamland.
But he isn't really sleeping right now, is he?
He stood out from the rest of the unmoving grass in the field, as one lone body, laid peacefully surrounded by his favourite cecilia flowers.
That red stain all over his azure turquoise cape...Isn't actually wine, is it?
"Hey..."
The voice spoke up again.
"He's done the exact same thing to me too, you know?"
"Ah, it's truly a miracle I'm still alive now."
"As long as you exist, the words that he speaks are like bullets that pierce through your vital organs."
The voice spoke as though I knew the entire context...Even if I actually did, my memory is as fragile as my body.
It's a fleeting thing.
"I know your body is like that of a glass cecilia. And that's exactly why..."
"You don't deserve the freedom to ever see this bard again."
A hand grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away from the emerald field, and I didn't have the strength to oppose.
But who exactly are you, sir?
Why don't I remember you at all?
...
It was a gold-tinted evening.
The sun was swallowed into the ocean as the jade moon emerged from below and into the sky.
The day is almost over, but all the merchants are still shouting about.
Pure Cor Lapis ore here! Zhongyuan Chp Suey there!
In the name of commerce and Rex Lapis, Liyue Harbor has no dignity to fall quiet, even under the light of the jade moon.
Just like in Mondstadt, I feel bad...
I don't have the charisma, or the wealth, to own a business. But business is the essence of the Land of Contracts.
Money may not flow like water, but it certainly flows like blood right here in Liyue.
How do I have the right sit here in this renowned restaurant, to eat all this yummy food...
"Don't worry, I will cover the bills."
When I have done nothing to deserve it?
I can see the Jade Chamber looming from above, the only architecture in Teyvat that is worthy to go against the moon itself.
Even the woman that built that floating palace was as unfortunate as I am.
But through intellect and hard work, she built herself an empire, and she now sits on the throne.
Ah...
The way that it watches me from above.
It's so intimidating. It's like it's telling me:
"A person like you...What can you really do? There is no one in the universe who appreciates someone who cannot do a single thing."
That's correct.
But still, there is someone much closer to me than the Jade Chamber. He is telling me something else.
"There is no such thing as worthlessness. If you were truly worthless, you wouldn't be born into this world.
But here you are. Right next to me."
He's right too.
And I smiled.
"Wow...the food tastes really nice, doesn't it?"
There is a very high chance I will die tomorrow. There is a good chance I can die right now, in fact.
Because after my surgery, my body can only be compared to that of glass dust.
Just one puff and,
Poof.
I have disappeared.
But even so, his words gave me a reassurance.
There is a reason I was born, and I definitely have worth.
I may not have found all of it yet, but I can confidently say that at least one thing I can do is,
Keep this lonely man company.
...
But yet again, I woke up.
"...It hurts."
Everything hurts. My head, my arms, my legs, my fingers, my eyes, my chest, my torso, my feet...
They all feel like they could fall off at any second now.
My body is no longer as sturdy as stone. It was never in the first place.
Because I was always leaning onto an actual stone, relying on it for stability. But now I've fallen...
No, it's not because he abandoned me.
"It's because he has broken apart too, isn't it?"
Yes, without my leaning rock, I will fall along with him.
But, sir, why did he fall?
What did you do to him?
"...See for yourself."
I was in what looks like none other than the Golden House. But it was different from my dream.
In my dream, it was this grand building where gold coins were minted and sent to the rest of the world, like it was the fluid in a blood vessel.
But in the real world, as I know it, the Golden House was just that of a dollar printing company. Our currency isn't as gold and shiny as those coins, rather it's just a piece of paper that has been given more worth than it actually has.
The building of the Golden House itself didn't shine so beautifully.
Yes, it was just a place where money was "made" from paper, and nothing more.
But it still meant so much to me.
Sitting on the office desk in the highest room...
Was a figure slumped over...seemingly lifeless.
"By the way, did you enjoy your dinner yesterday?"
The taste of that delightful bowl of Bamboo Shoot Soup and Golden Shrimp Balls lingers in my mouth, unable to escape.
Do I really have time to think of food now?
Does this voice just want me to remember the final time my pillar of stability still sat by my side?
"You enjoyed your dinner, didn't you?"
"But did he?"
Will he really dislike eating the food of a restaurant he frequented for the better majority of his long life?
"It seems you're confused...
Let me break it down for you."
"Bamboo Shoot Soup wasn't what you actually ordered, was it?"
...That's right. The unfamiliar voice is right.
I didn't plan on eating that dish at all. What I originally ordered was...
...I see.
I see now.
In my dream, I heard a woman shout,
"Rex Lapis has been murdered!"
"Didn't you find it strange that he suddenly wanted to swap dishes with you?"
Nobody does that, yes. Bamboo Shoot Soup is his favourite dish. Why would he suddenly want to trade it for what I ordered:
Just a plain Satisfying Salad?
"I think you know the answer already."
"You know, he is just like that bard.
As long as you exist, his actions match the coldness in his eyes."
"Ah, don't you care about me? Are you going to turn a blind eye to what this man has done to me, and many others?"
A familiar hand grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away, outside from the office room, where his lifeless body slept.
"You're so lucky, (Y/N)..."
The lonely man I accompanied was already gone.
There is no more worth for my presence...?
"But maybe you're not lucky enough."
"Come on, lean on me instead."
"There is no one else in the world who needs you anymore...Other than me."
...
But then, I suddenly saw the purple sky.
There is no time of day when the sky is notably purple, except this is the thunderous, tranquil and fleeting land of Inazuma.
The Gods love their nations.
While the Anemo Archon blessed Mondstadt with the gift of freedom, and the Geo Archon served as a pillar of prosperity for Liyue...
Baal wants to protect her country by sheltering the archipelago within a fence of raging storm clouds.
She wants to bless her land with eternity, but try as she may, there is nothing that lasts forever.
Especially this fragile body.
The Vision Hunt Decree was in play. Heroes were stripped of their ambition, leaving only a husk of what's left.
I'm no hero.
I don't deserve a Vision.
But it's precisely because of that that I was allowed to roam freely in Inazuma City.
But that's not what I want at all...
Even if I'm no hero, can I at least...
...Pretend to be one?
That's why the sky suddenly turned dark, as the storm clouds covered the purple sky. Heavy rain poured onto the bodies of soldiers on Nazuchi Beach, whether the bodies were alive or dead.
The Raiden Shogun is watching the battle, I know it.
That's why...
With this fragile body, I offer my short life.
With my death, I'll show her that there is no such thing as eternity. Inazuma is as transient as my existence in Teyvat.
"No, no, (Y/N)."
But a voice stopped me.
This voice isn't the one I recognize I'm the real world.
"You were always wondering what a 'useless' person like you has to do in this world. I only have a part of that answer:
Your purpose isn't to die here."
Lightning struck the battlefield.
The Raiden Shogun herself has appeared and graced the sandy beach with her judgement.
"If you die, it will only prove to her that eternity is something that must be achieved at all costs, in order to preserve lives like you."
"But don't worry,"
"There will always be those who dare brave the lightning's glow."
"The purpose of your life right now is to live and tell the tale of the Watatsumi Resistance who faced the Raiden Shogun head on!"
The owner of that voice flashed me a kind smile, and he stood before the Electro Archon.
...
Kind people like him don't deserve to die.
So why?
Why did this duel end in a tragedy?
I sat in the training dojo, just as many other people. I was there to watch a martial arts tournament.
But now all I see are the corpses of two friends, who fought each other to the death.
I don't know what happened, and I definitely don't know why.
I wanted to stand up and walk towards them. I wanted to touch the palm of his hand, the palm that gripped so tightly onto that katana.
The palm that had to fight one of his closest friends in an unexpected duel of fate.
The palm that had protected me.
But that voice froze me to my seat.
"Don't you worry.
You're so weak. You couldn't have done anything in the first place, so don't blame yourself."
The voice was right yet again.
This dojo was only fit for the strongest of swordmasters to duel in.
Haha...if it were me, the opposer's iron katana would have torn through my flesh like a pair of scissors cutting through crisp paper.
Kazuha, what happened to you?
Why did you bring a lethal blade into the fight, when your friend only had a bamboo kendo stick?
Why did you attack him so unexpectedly in the middle of an official duel?
Why...?
"There will always be those who braves the lightning's glow...what a joke."
"Victory is the only thing that makes you a hero, not bravery."
"He is not a hero."
But he is my hero.
"Heroes do not kill the innocent."
"Curb your naivety, (Y/N). He looks like a heroic martial artist to you, but he is a monster to others."
"Why do you think his friend wanted to attack and defeat him so badly? You can see the pure anger in his eyes..."
That wasn't Kazuha, was it?
"I don't think I need to answer that."
Then tell me, anonymous voice coming from behind me.
Why?
Why did this have to be the real world?
Why couldn't this be a dream?!
"There is no room for your rage, (Y/N). Come, let's go home."
"Though eternity is impossible to achieve...If our lives are everything to us, and if you mean everything to me..."
"Let's stay together for eternity."
But up until now, I still don't know your name.
And yet you dragged me back to a place you called "home".
Where are we going?
"Home is wherever we are together."
...
...
...
"...ey..."
"...Hey..."
"Hey...!"
And I woke up.
That voice sounded so familiar. It was saying the same thing I remember it saying a long time ago.
But this time, I was on no sandy beach.
I was sitting in a chair, in front of a really long table.
All my prior worries had washed away, and now all I feel is a sense of freedom.
Food from different nations were served on the long table, as everyone I ever knew sat along. I was the only one sitting in the front.
It felt like a festival, as the room was decorated generously from the beginning to the end. Music from a familiar friend played through the speakers, the smell of delicacies filled the air, and the lively chatter of the people filled the room.
I don't know what festival this is, but...
"You spaced out for quite a while now. Are you okay?" A bright, high-pitched voice spoke from beside my ear.
"...You are..."
"I can't believe Paimon's voice out of everything, would be unable to grab your attention!"
The little fairy creature.
That's right...I know you.
"You're the star of the festival, (Y/N)! Come on, you're deserving of a nice plate of Sticky Honey Roast!" Another voice said, and I was still unable to leave my seat.
Amber...
"Hey, are you overwhelmed? Don't worry, I sort of am as well..." I keep seeing familiar faces.
"You're...Chongyun."
"And you're Xingqiu,
You're Bennett,
You're Ayaka,
You're the Arataki Gang..."
Everywhere I looked...Everyone I knew was..Alive.
"And you're- !"
I saw a very important face.
As big as this festival room was, and as many figures walked and talked about, it was that one face that stood out.
"Ahh...You looked the best when you were spacing out. I thought I had enough time to sketch your face. Turns out I miscalculated again."
"...You're Albedo."
I really don't know why...
I don't know why is it that once I spoke his name out loud, I suddenly understood everything that was happening. The reason of this strange festival's existence.
"This is my apology,
As well as a gift."
"You might die tomorrow, you might die later today, and you might even die right now."
"That's why, I put every little happy thing you know in this one room. I hope you will enjoy it to the fullest."
"If you die, I will have nothing. Because you're my everything."
"Come,
Let me sketch your face one last time...
I will make sure to let the world know that you're the greatest masterpiece known to mankind."
...
"Rise and shine,
Sunflower pine."
I had a very long dream. It was a pleasant dream.
But eventually I had to wake up.
"You sure slept like a log..."
"I..."
A soft chuckle could be heard from the boy sitting on the side of the bed.
"No need to feel embarrassed. Nothing like that matters to me.
The only thing that matters now is that you're awake."
I felt all the needles and support IVs that were attached to my body.
But this wasn't a hospital.
It seems like I had almost died.
"I promised you I would write you another ending, didn't I?"
"What better time than now?"
Despite that, it seems like...I'm still alive. Not well, but I am alive.
...
"There has been about 1 million reads on this story, (Y/N). Do you know how big of a number that is? A million!"
"Do you know what this means?"
"You've been looking for what you were worth your whole life.
I'll tell you your worth.
You have entertained so many people and kept them company. Despite how fleeting your life may seem...
(Y/N),
Thanks to you, as well as all the people who have read this tale,
The author is happy."
...
Thank you all for 1M reads!!! It means a lot and this book has honestly allowed me to meet so many cool people.
It's thanks to Genshin that I got to write this, and it's thanks to each and every one of you that it got popular enough for me to talk and get to know so many readers and writers alike!!
I'll forever be grateful!!
This is arguably one of the worst stories I've ever written on this account, the plot progression is weird, the dialogue is unnatural etc... But it's thanks to this that I got to improve and now I have the joy of being able to just more or less illustrate a scene with words and share it with everyone.
I also got to learn a bunch about puzzle making and different ciphers, basically this was a mixed bag of random yet useful and enjoyable experiences.
So thank you! I will only keep improving from now on
Please show your support to some of my other books (Especially the Modern Highschool AU trilogy, soon-to-be tetralogy!!) instead rather than this one
I'll cherish it all!
(P.S: I wanted to do this for the 1 year anniversary of this book but I can't find the date anymore)
(P.S: there's also a very simple secret hidden in the text, in true cammshake fashion)