[Genshin Impact] Teyvat Through Your Eyes

[Main story complete. Bonus chapters will be updated from time to time, and I’ll patch up any plot holes I didn’t get to address earlier.] Compared with long-lived elemental beings, human lives are far too short. To avoid the pain of parting, some long-lived beings silently keep their distance from humans. They aren’t gods who were born knowing how to love. They don’t have to stay close to humans. Even if humans are tiny, hopping and bouncing around, making all sorts of strange garbled noises, and offering heartfelt affection to those who help them… Even if humans are a bunch of adorable little things… Parting is still too painful. Even solid rock that never changes in the face of heaven and earth collapsing can sometimes grow tired. Zmei cast her eyes over the newly appeared humans, then closed them again. She did not wake from her long slumber until fate drew the twin stars down from the sky. Her brother said to her, “Look. Dvalin fell asleep in the ruins to protect humanity. After a thousand years of hard work, Morax sealed Azhdaha away. Apep was tricked by King Deshret and left howling. Neuvillette works year-round in Fontaine without a day off… Now tell me, Zmei, what should you do?” “…Stay away from the Seven Archons, or you’ll end up unhappy?” “Exactly. So stay right here at home and don’t go wandering off. The gods and people outside are all bad. They just want to lure you out, roast you into a dragon roll, wrap you in a little pancake, and eat you…” “But, Brother, the food at home is so bad.” But, Brother, I want to go outside and see those new lives. I want to see what human life is like. So Zmei ran away. On a quiet night, by a campfire in a valley, she met the golden star fate had led her to find. When the Traveler found Milo, she was drooling over a pot of dark green soup cooked by Hilichurls. She looked just like a fool so famished she’d lost her mind and would eat anything. “How can you eat that? I’ve got Sweet Madame. Here, eat it while it’s hot.” The kind-hearted Traveler handed her some food and shared the soup she had cooked. Milo was deeply moved. “It’s delicious. I’ve never tasted anything this good.” On a slightly chilly night, when your stomach is empty, a bowl of hot soup and a serving of meat are enough to make anyone who has been helped feel endless gratitude. From Milo’s calm explanation, the Traveler imagined an orphan with no parents who had endured hardship alongside her brother. The Traveler wiped away a tear, and Paimon was already sobbing. Even after they learned that Milo was no ordinary person, the Traveler duo never entirely shook that first impression. In fact, because she knew so little about the world, they kept her safe, taking her by the hand as they traveled far and wide. Their journey unexpectedly gained a new companion. The fate woven high above began to change in subtle ways, and this world gained another traveler, who watched the world ruled by the gods with her lightless black eyes. Milo, what does Teyvat look like in your eyes? Some fellow spoke in an eerie, mysterious voice: “According to the prophecy, a golden-haired stranger will ascend to the divine throne and bring salvation and good tidings to the mortal world. A pitch-black dragon, meanwhile, will gnaw at the roots of the World Tree and hasten the world’s end… I’m curious about your future. So run, run toward your unfortunate fate.” Her brother covered Zmei’s ears and said with a smile, “My little Zmei doesn’t need to be afraid. Just go boldly forward. Your brother will take care of everything, as long as you listen to him.” My little Zmei, will you like this new world, pure and unblemished? [Reader’s Guide] 1. There are no romantic pairings of any kind or direction. Everything can be explained as a close friendship. 2. The Traveler is Lumine, and Aether is the Abyss Prince. 3. This is not a wish-fulfillment story. I’m working on my writing, and I have a bit of a weakness for tragic endings. 4. The story is full of headcanons. Any out-of-character writing is my responsibility and has nothing to do with the characters. 5. The heroine is not human, so there will be some strange descriptions from a nonhuman perspective. Theme: Life should strive forward and never give up