Jean coughs as she wades what used to be Springvale. Though the village has been completely destroyed, miraculously all its residents escaped unscathed.
Though calling it a miracle would be an insult to Springvale itself. Many of its residents were hunters and scouts, used to rise at the crack of dawn and establishing a rotating guard keeping a lookout for monsters and prey. From preliminary reports by Draff and other hunters, they noticed the oncoming destruction hours ahead, and likened it to a slow-moving rampaging bull.
Which goes against the note Albedo left on her desk before disappearing:
To the Acting Grand Master, Jean
I apologise for what must be a rough awakening. As you already know or will soon know, I am on my way to destroying Springvale. Mondstadt is next. Sitting on your desk right now is my admission of betrayal, and a final request. Opposing me is your only option. Rather than ask why or how, I implore you to take me down as if I was any other Abyssal monster. Regardless of what you think of me, that is your best course of action. Your cooperation is inevitable.
Albedo.
It's a nonsensical note, unlike anything Albedo would write, despite it being in his handwriting. From its contents to its style, none of it added up.
Her suspicions were confirmed when, after giving it a quick look, Kaeya told her to read out the first letter of each sentence.
Upon realisation, Jean grabbed one of the Knight's remaining horses and had it gallop full speed at Springvale, Kaeya and Diluc following after her in their own horses. Sending the Traveller there alone was a huge mistake and she hopes it's not too late.
"There's someone there," Diluc says as he burns through a wall of thorny vines. Beyond them, nestled between broken rocks and upturned foundations, is a hunched figure dressed in brown and gold.
Jean cuts across the rest of the vines and strides at the familiar figure. "Traveller–!"
She stops when she realises he's kneeling over someone, frame shaking. His using his sword as a support and its tip is–
"Albedo?"
Aether lets out a choked sob as he doubles over, nestling his head against the crook of Albedo's neck, one hand resting on his hair. His other hand is clenching a stone – a Vision Jean realises a second later. A cracked, dead Vision, for the gem is a pale, fractured white.
The cracks from where Aether's sword ran Albedo through have spread all over his body, much like the cracked stone they're surrounded by. The cracks ran up to Albedo's head, right across one eye which, like its pair, is wide open, staring at the sky.
Despite Albedo's corpse being nothing more graphic than a broken statue, Jean feels sick to one's stomach. She wonders if this would have happened had she woke up earlier. If she'd asked Albedo if something was troubling him. If she headed out to Springvale immediately instead of standing back.
Jean wonders where it all went wrong.
