Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

One month later—

Xuan Yue lay on the stone bed, unable to recall what he had been trying to do. Why did he suddenly want to go find Morax? And what was Barbatos doing there?

"What's wrong with me..." Xuan Yue lay on the stone bed, his left hand unconsciously reaching for the empty space to his left. He stared at where his hand had been, as if someone was there...

"I'm so sleepy, I'd better take a nap first." Xuan Yue turned over, stopped thinking, and cleared her mind.

He dreamt of a black realm, an underground city-state, a familiar place, but something seemed to be missing.

He walked to the statue standing there and looked up at its face. The stone was worn down to the point where only the surface outline was visible. It was clearly his statue, but something just felt off.

"Time...is running out..."

(Whose voice is that? Mine? But I didn't speak.) A voice rang out, and Xuan Yue felt that it sounded familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was. Just as he was about to continue to recall, a wave of dizziness came over him, and he opened his eyes on the stone bed.

(...) Xuan Yue looked around. There was nothing strange about his cave or his belongings.

Having finally awakened, he wanted to see the completion of Liyue one last time before the change of dynasty. How to put it? It was like wanting to let go of something, but also like completing some kind of mission.

He flew atop the clouds, looking down at the scale of Liyue Harbor. Although it wasn't large, it was already beginning to take shape.

"How is it? How did it turn out?" Morax appeared behind him, also looking at Liyue Harbor. "When I first came to this area, it was just a small village. Without the protection of the Daedric Prince, we had to hide and live in fear, even when our children cried at night. I stood in front of them and asked if they needed help. Although the villagers wanted me to stay, they said they were doing alright and asked me to help the neighboring village first."

"In the end, you and the nearby villages together established a region called Liyue. It signifies a pure land, a place to walk with the gods." Xuan Yue continued, "You achieved Morax, that's remarkable, unlike me..."

Xuan Yue suddenly stopped speaking. Three memories appeared in his mind, two people: one from Jin Xuan's perspective, sacrificing for the people, and the other watching another version of himself in the sky personally bring down the "divine punishment" on this land. But these memories seemed strange no matter how you looked at them, because everything that happened in the first-person perspective was different from the other two.

What he saw was Jin Xuan's soul being scattered after breaking through the barrier, but in the eyes of another memory, he actually still had a part of Jin Xuan's soul, and he actually had Jin Xuan's memories, which made people think deeply.

Three memories, what does that represent...?

"Haha, old friend, there's no need to belittle yourself. The current system of Liyue Harbor is entirely based on that of the ancient Dragonslumber Valley. It's clear that, barring unforeseen circumstances, with Dragonslumber Valley's resources back then, it would likely have been even more prosperous than Liyue Harbor is now." Morax's laughter pulled Xuan Yue back to reality. Looking at Liyue Harbor, Xuan Yue agreed with Morax's words.

(If Dragonslumber Valley still existed, it would definitely be more prosperous than Liyue Harbor is now.)

"I'm leaving, Morax."

"...Understood. How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know, maybe decades, centuries, or... millennia..."

"So, will you forget us when you wake up? After all, changing times can affect memories." Morax pondered this possibility.

“Then, here you go. You can return it to me next time we meet.” Xuan Yue handed the yin-yang openwork jade pendant from her waist to Morax. “When the order changes, it will be renewed. The one that did not return to the earth’s veins will remain in the world and resonate with the newly born jade pendant.”

Thank you, and please take care.

"the same as you."

After saying goodbye to Morax, Xuan Yue then bid farewell to Liu Yun and the others. They didn't seem too surprised, probably because Morax had already spoken with them.

So, it's time to say goodbye to Xiao and the others.

Xuan Yue flew to Guili Plain and was filled with emotion. Guili Village, which used to be full of blooming lilies, was now a desolate place.

"Lord Heavenly Lord?" Xiao's voice came. Xuan Yue turned her head and saw him holding He Pu Yuan, covered in sweat. It seemed that he had just been training.

"How have you been lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Xie Tianjun. Xiao is doing well."

"So many years have passed, how do you feel about Liyue?"

"Um..." Xiao stammered, remaining silent for a long time. He wasn't usually a talkative person, and Xuan Yue had given him time to think, but...

"Your Majesty, please come with me. I have something to show you." Xiao mustered his courage and said this to Xuan Yue. Xuan Yue smiled and nodded, letting Xiao lead the way.

After walking for a while, a tulip tree, larger than the average tree, came into view. Xuan Yue recognized it all too well.

"Your Majesty, even birds eventually return to their nests. When you're tired, just tear up the talisman; it will guide you home. You once said that if I felt a sense of belonging to a place, I could plant it there. Li Yue, both the Emperor and the Heavenly Lord have been kind to me, and the Fushe people are also good companions. I think… I've found it." Xiao spoke, a slight smile playing on his lips, looking directly into Xuan Yue's eyes. This was the first time he had spoken so much, and the first time he had felt a sense of home…

Xuan Yue nodded with satisfaction, agreeing wholeheartedly with Xiao's words. Looking at the tree, it felt as if he had just been talking to Jin Xuan not long ago, and there was also the He Pu Yuan sword…

Wait, from my memory…

"Then, could you teach us a demonstration of spear techniques?"

"Xiao is not skilled enough and does not possess any exquisite spear techniques."

"...It's rare that this guy is awake. If you don't understand anything, just ask him. Let me tell you, this guy knows a lot about music, not just swords and spears."

Who was he laughing and joking with?

us?

Is there a third person involved?

The first time was a coincidence, the second time was accidental, but the third time...?

His memory is faulty!

Xuan Yue's expression instantly turned serious. As an "Order," his memories had been tampered with. Who had he forgotten, and why had he forgotten him?

Looking at Xuan Yue's expression, Xiao asked with some concern, "Is the Heavenly Lord dissatisfied with the location I chose?"

"...Oh, no, it's easy to calm down under this tree, and many things suddenly become clear. I was just thinking about the completion of Liyue Harbor, and I hope everyone will be safe and sound after I leave."

"Your Majesty... is leaving..."

Xiao was somewhat puzzled. Did the Celestial Lord not like Liyue? Did his choice of location just now put the Celestial Lord in a difficult position? But the Emperor was also very good to him, but he was a member of the Celestial Lord's family. What should he do? Which side should he help?

"Don't overthink it." Xuan Yue could tell at a glance what the silent Xiao was thinking; it was just some random guessing.

"The order has changed, and I must return to my slumber. I don't know when we'll meet again, so I've come to say goodbye. Unfortunately, the timing was unfortunate; I only encountered you. So, please convey my message."

"Yes! Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself."

"Same for you."

Xuan Yue ruffled Xiao Rong's soft hair. It felt so good to touch. If he had more time, he would have liked to take the little golden roc home again, haha.

A wave of drowsiness washed over me, a harbinger of impending sleep, but some questions remained unanswered.

Xuan Yue forced himself to say goodbye to Xiao and left, flying towards the Layered Rock Abyss. There was a path back to the underground, the place where he had come up all those years ago. He had a premonition that the answers to some questions would be there.

The only known location of the underground city-state is that statue. Using the statue as an anchor point, one can instantly teleport there. Therefore, when Xuan Yue returned, the place was exactly the same as when she left a thousand years ago.

He stood beneath the statue, looking up, but could see neither its face nor its reality.

"...Who exactly are you...?"

Xuan Yue was feeling dizzy. He was struggling to stay awake with his willpower because he had a premonition that once he fell into a deep sleep, he might never know anything again.

(Time...is running out...)

The stone at his waist glowed, and a sound came from within it. This was the "ancient name" that Shibarak had given him yesterday; he remembered Shibarak telling him to carry it with him, so he tied it to his body.

The stone floated in his hand, and the light shone on the statue. A projection appeared before Xuan Yue's eyes, with a face identical to his, but those purple eyes were more weathered and colder, proof of the passage of time.

"My time is running out, Xuan Yue. We must part ways eventually, if not today, then tomorrow..."

So, forget about me, and live well...

The projection disappeared

Xuan Yue opened his mouth but remained silent for a long time, tears streaming down his cheeks. In this empty place, the silence was terrifying.

Xuan Yue grasped the glowing stone and merged it into her body. After all, it was also a part of his original form—no, it should be considered theirs.

(Xuanqing, it's so dark here, I'm scared...)

(Honey, I'm here.)

(Xuanqing, Aqing, you big iceberg! You're ignoring me again.)

(Sweetie, stop fooling around, I'm listening.)

(Xuanqing... once you get the items, you have to make it up to me, otherwise it would be too unfair to all my hard work.)

(Okay, okay, good girl...)

(I will take away all the pollution, I will prevent all the filth from getting near him, I will disappear from his memory, and erase everything about me...)

(Please... don't leave me all alone...)

……

"How cruel... Xuanqing..." Xuan Yue had no strength left and lay down in the heart of the black lotus. Sleepiness came over him, and the black lotus closed its petals, protecting him inside.

Xuan Yue gazed intently at the statue until the petals of the black lotus closed and darkness enveloped her, at which point a single tear fell…

(It's so dark, Xuanqing...)

He had a dream in which Xuanqing was reading in a pavilion, and he was messing around with him. Xuanqing was not angry, but just shook his head helplessly, then rubbed his head, tidied up the book he had messed up, brewed a new pot of tea that had been overturned, took his hand, and said earnestly, "In the future, don't be so reckless. What if you get hurt?"

"Please apply the medicine to me."

"What if I'm gone?"

"Why aren't you here? Aren't we one?"

"What if?"

"Hmm... then I won't let myself get hurt. Anyway, if someone bullies me, you'll get revenge for me, right..."

"Yes, I'll always be there for you whenever you need me..."

He laughed and threw himself into Xuanqing's arms, but they were just a swarm of transparent crystal butterflies.

(Liar, big liar...)

(You're gone, you can't come back...)

(You still abandoned me...)

———Boundary line————

Illusory and confusing

Xuan Qing sat high on his throne, his eyes covered by a cloth, and a transparent crystal butterfly flew to his shoulder, bringing news from the outside world.

"Keep staring."

The crystal butterfly received the instruction and gradually turned into nothingness.

(No one can hurt you, so Xuan Yue, don't be afraid, I'll always be here.)