DISCLAIMER: Genshin Impact is the intellectual property of Hoyoverse. I only own the OCs in this story. Any copyrighted material will be used for transformative and entertainment purposes.
WARNING: This story is rated M for sensitive topics such as: depression, trauma, grief, addiction (alcohol and drugs) and discussions on mental health, alongside disturbing imagery, violence, and morally dubious actions. On a lesser note, this also contains crude language/humor, angst, headcanons/fanons and spoilers for the game (currently, until Sumeru) and other related media. Please read with discretion.
CHAPTER 1
Amissam Fictor
Memories were the backbone of our identities.
It's the foundation built by our experiences, the crux of our personalities, and the essence of who we were. Mistakes and joys aplenty, big and small. Not many could remember it all in the grand scheme of things, but their importance will always remain.
It was all I had.
Swimming, floating, or perhaps just being. This was my existence. Or not? It was hard to tell.
Time wasn't a thing here, nothing was. Maybe I was simply deluding myself into thinking anything mattered at this point. Yet here I remained, conscious enough to muse for as long as whatever entity had put me here wished.
This purgatory of mine, content in its viewing, ever-so-silent. A lifeless expanse that did not deign me the ability to dream. The contrarian to the peace that I sought, mocking me for my acceptance and silly little hopes. Too late, what were you thinking, fool?
I wanted it to stop.
I'd long embraced death, even before the misstep at the highway. It was a quick affair, a couple seconds of mortal agony that slipped into a strange calmness. I had a moment to even laugh, wondering if I'd be graced by some magical entity entrance into another world.
By all accounts, this technically counted as 'another' world. Perhaps I should have been more specific? Please almighty deity, reincarnate me into XXX world and give me reality-breaking powers? Let me have the power of God and anime on my side?
If they heard me, they'd be rolling their eyes at the words. Or would they answer me back? What expressions did they wear?
Happiness, exasperation, fondness, disgust, confusion. Those seemed right.
… right?
My certainties were as lost as my own body.
There's one thing, however, that's true. It's fading, those memories of mine.
Sights and faces once so crisp and clear turned foggier, voices I knew by heart distorted, the smells of even my favorite candles melted away into the darkness. Despite gripping at it with all my might, the purgatory would take. Bit by bit, everything would surrender to it and it didn't matter how.
Of course, simply being contemplative of the what-ifs and hows-its would have landed me faster into the depths of insanity. That was to say, I could already be mad, but submitting to my dreadful warden was adding salt to injury.
I'd long been past the point of high emotions. Even before, anger only led to misery even after release.
No use for them with no feedback.
So I recounted all the stories I'd read, those distractions that aided my ignorance of time. All the games, anime, movies, shows, comics, and others I'd gotten my hands on were a wonderful journey to worlds unknown.
That in mind, while not the best, I'd also fancied myself an aspiring writer. Sure, I'd started off with some self-fulfillment fantasies and the like, but who didn't at some point? Whenever I'd lose sight—not that was possible in here, ha—of the original plot, I either followed the natural progression or changed it to my whims.
A wonderful idea, that was.
Why hadn't I..? Ah, right.
A dreamer who didn't want to wake.
Maybe that's why this was my chosen destination. It'd be ridiculous to ask for a redo now, only left to cobble the many possibilities not taken instead. I would have chuckled, but well, you know.
.
.
It's gray.
I'm not quite sure when, but my purgatory turned lighter. It was strange, but not unwelcome. Surprisingly, small blobs of light the size of dust bunnies floated in the distance. I thought it was just me seeing things, it wouldn't be the first time.
Maybe I wasn't alone after all.
Even stranger however, was the fact that these lights were in different colors—heck, being able to distinguish them knocked the proverbial wind out of me. Most of them were in white, speckled with dots that swirled lazily in the void. Others sparkled brightly, taking from every combination of the rainbow palette and standing out from the rest with an almost ethereal quality to them.
A sea of multi-colored stars.
My siblings… my younger sister especially would have loved this. My best friend would have been a close second, she'd always been in touch with her magical side.
Their names tickled against my consciousness. I was losing them soon.
My own, will that be gone too?
I couldn't find it in me to mourn again.
It's too late for regrets, but it'd be nice. I could have done so much more if I hadn't wasted it. Even when I did, I always backed out because there was someone who did better in less time and effort. They'd given me space, their support, the tools and I repaid them with nothing.
Pathetic.
Ah, my warden, how straightforward of you. No, I still don't accept the offer. I'm very fond of my ability to rationalize and reminisce, thank you very much.
Besides, there's nothing that can be done anymore. Who knows, this starry landscape could one day reveal that Earth could be beneath. Being part of the universe my family and friends could see was an appealing consolation.
Mentally sighing, I looked back at the 'sky' around me.
It was beautiful. I was grateful for the change, repeating conversations and stories was getting rather stale. I could make shapes by connecting some of them, which was a sobering thought. That one looked like a leaf, a bit to the left was a bird, next to it was crown. Constellations, I think they were called.
Wait.
A constellation flickered, and searching through my cobweb-laden inner thesaurus told me it was a compass. It descended, leaving trails of light like a meteor shower before fading into the background.
Then another followed.
Another.
I could only count them dwindling. A small section of the 'sky' had gone dark, minor considering how vast this place was, but what the fuck?
My gaze darted to one dimming. Alike those before it, the globe-shaped constellation fell from its station. Six stars in a brilliant shade of greens and blues being culled by the void. Warning signals blared in my technically non-existent brain, helpless as this one entered my general vicinity.
One star remained, a violent little thing that seemed to grow more desperate as it quivered.
It's… dying. They all were.
A familiar, ugly energy condensed within, sharp and seething in venom. It was natural for the world was unfair—I too, once accepted it—but that thought merely stoked the fire raging in me.
Fight back!
As if responding, the light froze. Before I could react, the gray receded, bursting into a blinding white.
.
.
A gargled scream jarred me into reality.
Wrong. I shouldn't be hearing anything.
It was a mercy all on its own that the girl then choked on her saliva, ending the weak sobs coming from… me? Furiously blinking out the spots, I tried to adjust to the disorientation. Out of sync like I was a second behind, watching this body move on its own.
Yet it was mine. Hers. Ours?
My head throbbed, and my whole body ached and trembled terribly. There was a squeezing in my lungs, and a gaping hole in my chest from the void.
How did I get here? Why am I like this?
No, no, one thing at a time.
Under the remains of what appeared to be a traveling cart, I'd curled up against the torn tarpaulin. Multiple crates, both broken and not, were haphazardly stacked by my feet. What little room I had was stifling, dirt and dust clouds causing my sinuses to itch.
Between my sweating palms was a small drawstring bag exuding cold air. My fingers were chilly, and daintier than what had been. Her dress was sooty and torn from when the vehicle toppled. Hair tickled my nape, loose from its braid.
His hands had last ruffled it, before charging out with his old sword in hand. Yet where was he. That couldn't be him, he couldn't be d—
Too much.
I craned my neck to the side, a bit too fast that a dizzy spell nearly caused me to double over.
Sight, smell, touch.
The taste of dirt and metal on the tip of my tongue. It's all there. All except him, come back—
"Please don't leave me alone!"
My skull was—splitting—stop, stop, stop!
Tears sprung at the onslaught of her years playing in reverse, impossibly fast to fully comprehend, and I gritted my teeth. My own banged at my forehead insistently, disorganized in its act. Her wounds were raw, resonating with my own and sneering at the aftermath.
Even then, something slotted into place. The world became focused, correcting into defined colors and forms I hadn't noticed. The little girl had all but completely faded, lingering in her final moments in distress. Carefully, I sucked in breath, ignoring the prickling in my esophagus. One more for good measure.
My ears strained for any noise that could potentially cut all of this short. Shouting and fighting from outside my little barricade, punctuated by explosions and an ungodly roar which gave me goosebumps. She'd been asked to stay here and only run when the fighting stopped or if the fire kept spreading.
Yet, the pain was razor-sharp at this point. I couldn't stay, not like this.
Another wave of nausea surged at my attempts to get up. Wheezing, I'd flopped back into another crate. My vision swam in turn, bile threatening to climb up my throat. She'd broken something inside when they were attacked, a rib likely from the way breathing hurt.
"If I had a Vision, I wouldn't be so useless," she cried.
Familiarity wormed its way into my brain.
They… they'd been on the road with a caravan of… merchants? Maybe tourists or scholars? The information was far from reach, jostling about in her brain like a frenzied antelope. She hadn't paid close attention at that time, begging for her Father to come back.
Whatever the case was, time was running out. The sounds were getting louder, and the rate of survival was dwindling. My heart pounded at my ribcage as another scream pierced through the night.
For a moment, all went still.
The creature's deafening screech sent me straight to the ground. My nails dug into skin, covering my ears barely helped. The crates tumbled and the ground reverberated, my whimpering lost in the howling winds. The metallic taste turned prominent as I prayed for it to end.
A snap.
The sounds muted, trailing off into an bearable volume that didn't shake me down to the bone. Something warm dribbled down my arm. I blinked. Numbly, I managed to prop myself up into a squat. Red covered my hands, and accompanying the killer headache were the needles stabbing the back of my ear.
Well, shit.
Winds picked up even more outside, and I faintly saw the outline of a large reptilian monster fly off. Its black scales reflected purple in the light, wings blotting out the sun. Smaller, almost humanoid figures trailed behind it, far too distant to be properly detailed.
Still. A fucking dragon.
The rampage had stopped, but thickening smoke entering my hiding place hadn't. No time to gawk.
Biting down the urge to scream, my eyes darted left and right. If I recalled correctly then…
Aha. Snatching the girl's backpack, I hefted it on my shoulder. The weight was more than I expected, but if they traveled often it made sense.
I squeezed past the crate that was behind me. Blackness crawled at the edge of my eyesight. I shuffled by a large barrel and peered from a hole in the tarpaulin. It seemed like the cart landed near some bushes and tall grass, a few meters away from the lines of burning trees. To my right was a cart fully ablaze, bodies littering the front of it.
Her father was right there, beyond recognition.
I swallowed thickly.
It was hot, tiny hands practically steaming at the unforgiving temperature. Ozone and ash hung in the air like a death knell. The only saving grace was the drawstring bag I'd almost forgotten was in my white-knuckled grip.
I pulled out the cold object from it, enraptured by the nearly imperceptible thrum between my palms. A flower bud encased in ice, faintly shining blue. "A Mist Flower," she whispered. The term rang common to the girl, but I ignored it in favor of holding it tighter. It stung a little, but the ice was helping the air become less cloying.
Inhaling shakily, I mustered all my leftover strength and ran out. That was the plan at least, standing already disoriented me. The extra weight didn't do me any favors, knocking me back into a box.
That could have gone better.
I shook my head lightly. One foot after the other, it should be easy.
The world spun on its axis before I lifted my leg, forcing me to recoup. A harsh, wet cough escaped my lips, both from the smoke and my stomach swirling unpleasantly. My arms were like lead. Grunting, I pushed my elbow into a splintered piece of wood support, carefully putting the flower against my forehead. Its effect was honestly slow, but at least I wasn't seeing triple anymore.
I tried again and this time, my feet were a bit more firmly planted in the ground. These baby steps were arduous, but balancing and center of gravity were concepts I'd thought I could no longer enjoy.
A laugh subconsciously passed my lips, cut short by the irritating smoke.
Focus. The dragon or something else might show up for leftovers.
There were more trees and remains of carriages on fire, eagerly being consumed by the flames. Bent, broken, and discarded weapons haphazardly decorated the area, coated with a sickening black substance. Off to the side was a hunk of pulsating flesh even taller than me, barely visible purple veins sending alarm bells. Imprinted into the cracked land were writhing figures, circled around a large crater. The blast zone was at least a hundred meters wide, leaving nothing in its wake.
"They're gone."
A gut punch which almost left me reeling backwards, mingling with the scene of a faraway carefree life ripped away. It gnawed at the empty void inside, and my ears rang louder. I scrunched my eyes shut, suppressing the wail.
It'll be okay, kid. The sentiment was fragile, held by a thin veneer of bravery. We'll find someone to help. This won't be for nothing.
The girl went quiet.
Come on, come on, come on… there!
Hopping over bits of wood and charred remains, I bolted for the woods.
.
.
It didn't take long until I found a stretch of forest that wasn't scorching, but I went onwards. My weary legs tripped over brambles and stones more times than I could count, but I hadn't face-planted yet. I swatted at branch that almost hit me in the face.
A machete or even a knife would have been useful.
Not that I could risk going back for one now. If her father and the other people didn't stand a chance, I'd be an ant trampled underfoot. Besides, that black tar was a biohazard waiting to get worse.
I eventually stopped by the foot of a tree, spotting a hollow recess inside. It'd been about sunset when I ventured into the unknown, and the full moon was high up in the sky. I might miss a food or water source treading in the darkness. I couldn't rely on my messed up ears to know if there were any babbling brooks or the soft splashes of a river. That's not even getting into the possibility of hostile wildlife, especially when their territory's messed up by predator even humans failed to go up against.
Mind made up, I scampered in. It was roomier and the ground softer than I expected. My feet and lungs were just grateful for a break. Setting aside the Mist Flower and the backpack, I took a moment to just sit there.
God, I'm actually…
Just.
Breathing. Hurting. Alive.
The laugh escaped me before I could stop. It continued, hands muffling the sounds choking on air.
This wasn't the purgatory playing tricks on me. My mind couldn't produce scenes like these as it used to. The pull of each muscle, the faint blue cast upon the coarse ground, the smoke clinging on to ash-stained clothes: details once lost to the void which ate all.
Ha.
And yet, the girl never responded again.
Only her memories vied for my attention. They were still in a tangled mess with mine, but I'll be untying the knots soon enough. As it was, I had a slow stream of information flowing in, and what I saw a bit concerning.
I stared down at the glowing flower.
It was a gift from one of their traveling buddies when they parted ways. Extinguished, but still effective to stave away the blistering heat as they crossed the borders of Sumeru. It'd been quite the treat, seeing the jagged stone peaks of the Chasm and being rid of the sand in every crevice. She'd almost pleaded to her father that they extended their stay, considering that the Lantern Rite in Liyue was nearing.
Those were settings from a game I'd obsessed over long ago.
Genshin Impact. A story of mortals and gods, and the impact of those who could even ascend to godhood. Coinciding with the disaster of a year that was 2020, it'd been easy to get immersed. Honestly, it was among the shortening list of things I'd entertain myself under my warden's company.
Was it coincidence, luck, or pity? Either way, ending up here was a better alternative to other, less forgiving fantasy worlds.
Teyvat was a colorful world disguising a dark truth, one only partially revealed in the many destroyed civilizations nuked by its divine watchers. It allowed the audience and the chosen protagonist to slowly unravel the tragedies of its inhabitants as they searched for their missing twin.
Grimacing, I rummaged through the backpack. Just as her memories told me, there was food in the form of squished sandwiches and a half-full canteen. There's more items and trinkets as well, which I'd go through later.
I peeled away the wrapping paper, admiring my first meal in all its glory. It wasn't much but the first bite, the grease and the taste of mayonnaise and eggs bits made my eyes water.
Her father could never replicate mother's special way of making mayonnaise spread. He kept at it though.
It'd been tradition since her death two years ago.
Viewing their relationship in first-person only served as a mocking echo of what you foolishly let go. Ma had her way of doing it in an almost similar fashion, and we'd never got her to spill what secret spice she'd add for the extra kick.
Where did it all go wrong?
It'd only been a week since they'd been admiring the sights of the floating Mingxiao Lanterns. Nothing seemed wrong with the world then as she wished for family to be reunited once more. Her mother may be gone, but her old home was bound to hold answers. Although their final destination seemed to be in the middle of a crisis, the scholars they'd gone with had waved it off.
"The blasted dragon appears quite scarcely in the region as of late. I heard the knights have taken extra measures. A blessing from Lord Barbatos, surely!"
Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, ruler of one of the seven nations. Mondstadt was the starter city which the mostly absentee god watched over, and it was the protagonist's home base.
Yet, they were being terrorized. That meant Barbatos—Venti as he'd called himself in his bard persona—was asleep. He'd been the weakest one since he didn't directly govern his city, which meant recovering took years and even centuries of napping.
That hadn't narrowed the time-frame in the slightest.
Her father had been reluctant to go after hearing the news. On the other hand, she'd been eager to finally get to Mondstadt and the man didn't have the heart to say no.
You should have listened to your gut. The thought came unbidden. I wiped away the tears. How are you supposed to protect her when you're gone?
Left behind as I did them. The irony of the situation was not lost on me, and my warden's presence loomed. Biting down on my lips, I quietly sniffled. I couldn't risk attracting any animals.
Come on, deep breaths—inhale and exhale.
I needed to find the city first. Put away all of it until it's safe.
Scarfing down the food, I settled into the corner, using a jacket I fished out of the backpack as a pillow.
Maybe tomorrow, the pain would abate.
.
.
"Where are we going, Father?"
His sigh was faint, but heavy. Shoulders slack, and a back weighed by an unknown burden. "… We're going back to your mother's birthplace."
She perked, almost bouncing on her feet. "Really?!"
"Yes." Hands readjusting his grip on the backpack, he briefly turned his head in her direction, unkempt black hair swaying at the action. A five-o-clock shadow that made way for a half-hearted smile. "You'd love it there, sweetheart. The place grows lots of flowers too."
"That's so cool!" She failed to suppress her squeal. Shyly, she pressed her hands together. "Will we be there for long?"
Two seconds passed. "We'll stay there for a while. Maybe a year or two at most."
The girl nodded. When Father didn't elaborate, she fidgeted, running a hand through her thick hair. "You said I have an auntie there, right?"
There was a hitch in Father's footsteps. "Yes. Your Aunt Etoile, but I'm not sure if she's around or if she went to Fontaine. She's... a busy woman."
"Oh." Try as she may, she couldn't mask her disappointment. "I hope she's there then."
Father said nothing, but there was an uneasy air about him now.
Fiddling with the dandelion charm on her pack, she looked down at the dirt path. For some reason, Father and Auntie didn't seem to get along, and the former always deflected any questions. Mother never talked about her side of the family either, only that they practiced some kind of water magic.
None of the kids she played with believed her at first. They kept arguing that Visions were needed to use the elements. The Adepti of Liyue and the Youkai of Inazuma begged to differ, and to that, her playmates considered her a 'lame-o' who aimed low in life.
Honestly, their loss.
Thankfully, the children from the nearby Sumerian elementary school accepted her words. In fact, a couple researchers were actually attempting to create a device to gain 'Elemental Sight'. Mother taught her briefly about the Sight, it let people see element-imbued objects. It had connections to the Ley Line particles flowing in the air and a step below understanding elemental manipulation, the semantics of both were reserved for advanced learning.
Base point was, the Sight relied on being attuned to it through constant meditation. Something about focusing on the experience of it, even if the wording seemed odd to her.
She hadn't fully succeeded, but she swore that the chair she tried it on the other day glowed a faint green.
How cool was that?!
Pouting, she squinted her eyes at the landscape around her. The chances of fully unlocking the Sight were rather low, given the lack of guidance, but she wouldn't give up yet.
It took a second, but an idea sparked in her head. Mother advocated for knowledge, it was the reason why she and Father had gotten together.
"Father?" He hummed under his breath, so she took the chance. "Do you think Aunt Etoile would be willing to take me as her apprentice?"
Father stopped in his tracks. He turned, brows furrowed and those red eyes so intense they seemed to pierce at her soul. "Sofia taught you the basics of the subject, yes?"
Wordlessly, she nodded.
"Unfortunately, your aunt's specialty requires advanced knowledge on multiple fields, one of which being runic formulas that even your mother struggled to grasp and explain to me." He rubbed a hand against his forehead, deep in thought. "That will be difficult to negotiate with your aunt. As I'd told you, she's a busy woman and last I heard she'd not been searching for a pupil."
It wasn't an outright rejection, but it might as well be.
She forced a smile. It was a good thing she hadn't brought up the little gift she'd snuck along. "Alright."
His expression softened. "I…."
"It's okay, I don't want to be a bother." The man's face fell, and she mustered up an even wider smile. "That means I have more time to explore and study with you. Oh, do you think the story of the Dandelion Sea is true? Maybe I can find it if I climb the Archon Statue!"
Father mussed her hair. "I don't think they'll let you, sweetheart. How about you leave the searching to your dad instead."
"That's a promise?"
Her father's eyes brightened, glimmering with the unspoken apologies she'd long known him to usually do. "Anything for you, Layla."
.
.
(Then why didn't you stay?)
.
.
.
An unbearable headache greeted me when I next regained consciousness. Grunting, I'd attempted to feel out my surroundings, only to encounter resistance in my aching muscles. My eyelids were heavy. I licked my dry lips, nose scrunching at the sourness lingering at the tip of my tongue. The air itself didn't taste acrid, more cold as if in the aftermath of rain, yet imposing all the same.
I sighed. Of course it wouldn't be some vivid nightmare, because why would anything be simple?
Layla.
I'll keep your name close.
I flinched at the wet sensation ghosting my cheek. Instinctively, I wrenched open my eyes, wriggling back as much as I physically could.
Large eyes stared back at me.
A soundless greeting passed my lips, but the little guy hopped to the flower I'd placed near the backpack, seemingly transfixed. After a few minutes, I deemed it harmless. I begun scratching at my head. Dried flakes of blood accumulated under my nails, scraped away from my chin. My hair to the right side were all clumped together, smelling horrid and dyed black in a couple spots.
My eardrums itched, a sign they're infected. I didn't want to risk dunking my head in water to clean up, and that meant a weeks-long adventure deaf to the world.
Fantastic as the blue slime that bobbed happily near the Mist Flower. It was the size of my torso, which wasn't exactly little by conventional standards, but it definitely wasn't one of those that could shield themselves and had extra moves. Not only that, ice crystals were forming between it and the flower, leaving a sheet of pure white ice.
Wait.
That's an Elemental Reaction. Huh.
In typical RPGs, depending on the depths of their magic system they'd showcase above a dozen or so special abilities. Genshin had seven at its core: Pyro (fire), Hydro (water), Cryo (ice), Electro (lightning), Dendro (nature), Geo (earth), and Anemo (wind).
One of the game's unique features was highlighting how the elements interacted with each other, which would affect the formation of your four-man band of characters. At most, a player would utilize the strength of two or three reactions at the same time, producing either status ailments or outright nukes. Environmental and weather conditions were also factored in, which made battles slide between outrageous or a walk in the park.
Place Pyro and Electro together? Get Overloaded and juggle the poor fools in a series of explosions.
How about Cryo and Electro? Have a helping of Super-conduct, and shred their defenses against a bludgeoning.
Cryo and Pyro, or Hydro and Pyro? Both pack one hell of a punch, let them be Melted or Vaporized out of existence.
Hydro and Cryo? Enjoy the Frozen sculptures until they're dead. Even better, hit them with a heavy weapon and Shatter them completely.
Anemo was a special case in this regard. On top of being able to crowd control, it would Swirl the elements and amplify the reactions. Geo was its opposite, Crystallizing the element it reacted with first and providing a shield against said element.
As for Dendro, truth be told, the game had put off introducing this element. Theory crafting coined it as the debuff element with new types of status ailments, but I wasn't able to stick around long enough to see it implemented. They only had one sub-type introduced since Dendro Slimes were scattered around the world. When combined with Pyro it induced Burning, which as the name suggested, ate away at your health at an alarming rate if you didn't put the flames out.
That being said, the inverse where enemies used reactions against the player applied. It was part of the gameplay that really fascinated me, even when it was a bit overwhelming to understand at first. It was hard to forget too, being a system with logical outcomes.
Now the questions was, how fast do reactions happen?
Hesitating, I tried to focus on the slime. A Hydro Slime judging by its interaction with the Mist Flower, meaning I was dealing with potential of frostbite.
I reached for the flower, and the slime merely watched my actions. I picked up the jacket—frowning at the stain on the front—and placed the flower on top. The slime trained its gaze on it, once again jumping closer. For a moment, I marveled at how jiggly and clear it was.
My breath came out in wisps of cold air immediately. Just one second.
So how did it affect the human body then?
Frowning, I groped for the strap of my backpack. The thick book should be enough if the slime decided to attack.
This is stupid.
Testing it now would save me the trouble when I ran into more dangerous things later though. Game mechanics didn't immediately translate to the real world. The laws of Teyvat still obeyed physics in certain areas, no matter how much Vision bearers and other beings loved to break them.
Before I could think too much on it, I laid my hand on the Hydro Slime. It almost felt like one of those water beds, springy and lightly cool to touch. Subconsciously, I started rubbing it. It tilted sideways, as if expressing confusion, but otherwise stayed still.
You and me, buddy.
I twitched when a build-up of moisture tickled my skin. The faint sparkling crystals that had been merely aloft around my fingers converged. A gasp was stuck in the back of my throat. There was an extremely thin layer of ice surrounding my hand, goosebumps forming on my arm. Counting up to a minute, I started to feel pins and needles.
That's interesting. Terrifying, but interesting.
Wiping the frost off, I shifted back. Condensation to solidification in about twenty-five seconds from skin contact. Its potency was not as bad as I'd expected since I still had all of my fingers, unlike in the game where even stepping on a puddle could turn you into an ice statue. An innate resistance also indicated that turning into a human popsicle won't be feasible unless there was a highly concentrated blast.
Or so I'd like to think. If one were to compare it to Earth, that was still ridiculous.
Perhaps it was because of the Ley Lines. They were not only a network of elemental energy, but also memories. The Mist Flower had been extinguished, but the introduction of condensed Hydro must have triggered it to temporarily revive, thus creating a stronger Cryo aura.
Layla had been close to understanding this as she'd learned to use the Sight. She'd mistook it for just feeling when it should have been about the entire memory.
You were almost there, kid.
I blinked when something bumped into my knee.
The slime looked at me straight in the eyes. I raised an eyebrow at it, only for the little guy to nudge itself at me again.
Uh?
Uneasily, I lifted an arm to ready myself, only for the little guy to follow.
Huh.
With deliberate slowness, my palm found itself on the slime once more. This time, its expression visibly changed to one of pleasure, practically leaning into my caress. A giggle bubbled out of my lips.
I guess even a being created of pure elemental energy couldn't resist the power of pats.
.
.
Extra Notes: Greetings! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. This is not my first fanfic on this site, but getting a clean slate to test my admittedly rusty writing skills is a good exercise for me. The self-insert trope has always been a personal favorite of mine despite its controversial status. Doubly so for first person narration, which gets a ton of flak for a number of reasons.
For this fic, I'll be focusing on the theme of healing and by extension, doing a bit of character studies. Despite the many concerning warning labels, this story's main purpose is the showing of 'hope in the darkest hour' because goodness gracious, therapy is apparently underrated in this world and child abandonment goes rampant. My secondary aim here is to hopefully deliver a cohesive, entertaining story, and I would appreciate it if any of you share your thoughts on it!