It was now two hours since his talk with Kairos,

And yet Venti couldn't help but still wonder about what she told him...

*There was just so much new information, including the fact that his life was manipulated...

...

Though the extent of it he still didn't know,

Were those just a few small instances or was it all of it...?

...

...

Still, he didn't feel any hate for her, no matter how much he could have tried,

Both due to the fact she was reluctant to do what she did, only doing it due to not having another choice...

*Feeling quite guilty that to give Teyvat and himself a future, she also had to let him and others suffer to ensure it...

...

And the fact that even if the events in his life were manipulated,

Everything he had now, his friends and family...

...

He was truly grateful for it all,

And wouldn't exchange it for anything...

...

...

But still, to think that the "unnamed island" would turn out to be so important...

*And yet, its importance was completely forgotten by everyone, himself included...

"...It was our special place, once upon a time.

But you had to forget, Barbatos. It was for your own safety."

...

"THEY are not after you particularly, but THEY might target you due to the connection we share."

...

...

All this time, he was secretly protected and didn't even know it...

*By his mother, who he didn't even seem to remember...

"Once upon a time, you were my child. The "vision" you recently heard is a memory of your "current birth". That small lost soul whom I took in as my own."

...

That "Vision", that "memory",

It was truly her voice, he heard in the past...

*But how long ago was it, exactly...?

...

All this time, he thought he was a little more than 2600 years old,

But thinking of it now, could he actually be even older than Morax...?

*This was really surreal to think about, being way older than that blockhead,

And yet...

"...But back then, even I didn't anticipate what would happen. How wrong and messed up Teyvat's fate itself would become. I tried to make it right once more. I looked through the different possibilities and secretly helped push it to the right course. And yet, THEY made it THEIR goal to try ruining the progress made at every turn.

As such I needed allies, willing or not. Slowly but surely, pushing them to change their own fate and of those around them. Which includes the Traveler from the stars...And you too, Barbatos."

Just how long ago did this all start to happen...?

*And thinking of the possibility that the world might really get destroyed...

...

...

"You might call me "Kairos", this name should be safe to use. It's the same name I was safely called by before, after all. Both by the citizens of Enkanomiya and by you and your people, Barbatos. Back then, you forgot about our familial relationship and mostly saw me as a dear friend. I truly did not mind it, as long as I could stay close to you.

...You surely don't remember it now, but I was here with you during and after the establishment of Mondstadt. Until THEY noticed and in order to spare you and our people, I had to "disappear" from your lives and memories. Yet, somewhere in the back of your mind you still remembered: 500 years ago when I was caught, surrounded, weakened and about to..."

The small information of their past that she gave him,

One that he just now started to slowly remember...

...

...

So, then, if you put in the names...

*With the addition of what he found out before and just recently...

"Say, Barbatos, do you think alternative realities actually exist...?"
...
"...Alternative realities…?"
...
"Alternative realities, alternative timelines. Brought about by seemingly small changes. Changes that can affect fate itself, your own and of those around you."
...
"... Kairos, what do you mean…? Why are you suddenly saying this…?"
...
"...Say, if I were to suddenly disappear, this change and its consequences...Will you accept them...?"
"Kairos! W-what are you…?!"
"Don't worry, Barbatos, you won't be alone. Our people, they would never desert you. Even if I am gone, there would still be people who care for you. People who…"
"Kairos, I...We are supposed to be together! Aren't we friends…?! A-and now you are…!"
"...worked too well. I was able to save you, but now...I am not sure what will... This time might be our last one together. Soon, we both will have the memory of each other sealed...But before that, Barbatos, promise me that you will live. For both of us."


"...I...I promise, Kairos."

...

...

So this was actually the message, the memory shared between them…

*One he still didn't fully remember and neither the moment it was said...

...

But even then, somehow, he could still feel so much sadness...

...

...

"Stories brought on the wind will bloom into legends in due time."

...

Wind and Time,

He and his mother...

...

...

Of course, this Power of Time he could use,

All along, it came from her...

...

"I shouldn't continue, not when the "Equivalent Exchange" is still in effect. I might not been the best mother or even a friend in the end, yet I don't wish for you to die, Barbatos.

...As such our talk here should also come to an end, at least for the moment. I realize that you must want to know more, but I would rather not draw THEIR attention here. We can always talk later, preferably when the power I left you grows a little more.

Take care until then, alright, Barbatos...? Don't forget that you are still my favorite child."

...

...

For all this time, even after he forgot all about her,

She never stopped loving and taking care of him in the background, did she...?

*The woman from his dream that he couldn't even fully see...

...

...

"Ŧยɭɭ ๏Ŧ ๓ץรՇєгץ, ๒๏гภ Ŧг๏๓ Շђє ๒гคภςђєร ๏Ŧ Շเ๓є,

ค ђเรՇ๏гץ ๏Ŧ ﻮɭ๏гץ คภ๔ ร๏гг๏ฬ, คภ๔ ฬเՇภєรร Շ๏ Շђє ๔เงเภє"

...

...

"Born from the branches of time", huh...

*He was never a normal wind elemental, was he...?

As a "small lost soul" his mother found and turned into a Wind Spirit...

...

"Witness to the Divine"...?

*Celestia...?

...

...

Just what was he here to do...?

...

...

J̶̭͈͍͈̻̥̹̣͇̀͒̀͋̒́͆̇̓̊̆̎̊͜͠͝u̴̧̝̻͙̥̰͈̪̭͕͕͔̠̼͙͒͂̊͊s̷̡̨̡̪͙͖̙̫͖̣̙̬̹͔̫͌t̷̢̛͎̲̤̮͖̱̭͍͚̅͛̂̋͐̓̂̈͝ ̸̛̩͚̉̾͋̆͘͜͝ẅ̷̧͈̹̟̳̩̦̹̮́̑̌̀̄̿ͅͅh̷̛̳̱͚̣̜̬̱̳͎̟̞͍̑́̈́͑̉̚͜͝ą̵̹͚͎͕͕͓̙̠̥̜͍͍̖̈́̅͊́͗̀ͅṱ̶̣͖̼͉̖̖̿͐̍̀̆͌̄̏̾̕,̷̛̙̐͂̏̾͜ ̴̨̩̭̝̜͇̝̖̲̞̾̌͒̀́̒͘̕͜t̴̯͉̺̼̯̫̝̲͉̳͗̀̾̍́͒̓o̵͉͙͙͈͚̠̰̲͑̀͐̅̎͝g̴̨̧̹̻̝͚̬͕̘͓͈̘͈̦̋̐̆͑͋̓͛͑̈̀̆̓͆̅͠e̴̝̓̌̾̀̒̎̏͘t̴̪̎̃̓̉͐͐̕h̵̤̥̜͍͆̈́̆͗̊͂̕͝ͅe̸͙̖̙̱̮̝̥̳̱̫̯̒̓̄ȓ̷͋́̋̾̉͗̓̃̅͛̀͝ͅ ̵̢̛̛̲̪̱̺̀̀̀͋̈́̐͋̒̽͒̈́͠w̵̢̢͈͉͎̮͕͓̆͐̓i̴̳͉̟̼͖̩̤̩̫̹̼̲̜̮͐͒̍̅͊̑͋́̕t̵̟͐̀̇͐h̸̨̨̨̨͚̖̰̱̲͗ͅ ̶͎̱͎̹̹̙̭̮̳̩̰̈́͒̃̓̒̎̀̓͗͑̽̂͘t̶̡̗̥̱̣͕̠̩̠͈̰̭̞̦̞̑͂̑̊̓͌̈͘̚͝h̶̢̨̙͕̰͎̮͖̬̆͆́̔̑̄̑̃̀̑̇͜͝ȩ̸̥̙̠̻̟̬͚̻̬̿̿̈́̽̈́͝͝ ̷̡̘̙͚͊̚͘T̴̨͓̭͎̲̗̉̈́̊̎͋̒͠r̷̢̼̘͂͂̎̓͗̓̊͆́̇a̵̰̦̥̜̹͉̟̯̬̒̉̈̇̆̾͝v̸̡̧̤̼̦̮̣̈͆e̸̠̗͈̲͇͈̳̭̿̍̓ļ̶̾e̸̳̓̎͠r̸̨̨̤̫̞̥͎̲̯͌̅,̸̢̩͇̙̺̭̗̬͚̠̩̲̘̒̄̀̓̒...

...

W̶̨̥̹̭̖̰͇͍͚̬̲̱͊͒̃́̒̂͊̍̓͗͒͂̋̕͠à̷̡̬̭͚̝̭̯̙̖̼̑̆̕͘s̴͍̤̙͓̩̝͖̜̞̽̇̃̅̈̅̋̏̄̓͛̅̋̌ ̴̪̐h̸̨̳̖̝̟̫͎̟͔͈̟͕̤̪̺̆͠e̷̛̟͔͇͉̠̼̒̌̌̒̊̋̈́̊̀̂̓͗͑ ̵̻̭̜͍͒͑̔̌̕s̴͕̬̭̘͉̹̑̋̃ͅų̸͈̳̱̻̣͇̥͉͓̟̼̹͙̄͐͐̑͂̽̏͐̾̿̎̀̊͝͠p̸̡̟̠̦̺̣̫̘̯̮̝̹̯͔̍̈͛͂́̈p̷̭̮̯̺͔̎̍̏̐͗̒͛̀͘o̵̳̯̝̣̫̜̭̥̳͍̍̌͗̿̊̇͝ͅṡ̶̢̢̠̝̣͓͔͚̬̣̯̋̉̉̈́̾̔͌̒̚͠ȩ̵̛̼̟̤̬̭͎̙̯̙̬̙̺̪͛̄͊͋͐̔͑̓͋͑ḑ̷̹̜͓̣̘̜̬͉̈́̆͌ ̸̠̘͚̟̩̗̼̥̗̦͕͉̃͌̋́͛̈̓͒͝͝ţ̵̛͓̮͉̣̦̬̞̱̜͋̓͐͜͠ͅǫ̵̢̙͈̖̤͍̹͋͐͆̀̐̔͂̽̏̇̔͜ ̴̧̛̬͈̪̖͇͎̰͚̠͔̩̼͉̌̀͌̍͒͆͂̿̏̄͜͝͝d̶̨̢̛͇̖͚̩̗̞͖̳̯͐̃͊̀̎̑̈̈́̈̓͐͌͝ơ̸̛͔͎͎͍͐̓͝.̷̡͇̥̘̖̣̯͓̝̺̯͔͓̱̂̀̈.̴͉̹̪̯̝͔̞͇̞̝̫̳̬̘̼́͛̒́̈̈́͊͗.̶̨̢̛͖͕̤̬͍̺̍̑́͂͌͑͑̋̆?̸̝̥̤̰͙͉̲̥̄͌́̈́̚̕


Albedo was currently having a dilemma,

As he was passing around the lab, wondering what to do...

...

After successfully managing to infuse the Holy Lyre der Himmel with the Crystaltears,

He promised to infuse Der Frühling and the Vayuda Turquoise Gemstone brooch, as well...

...

...

But how could he tell Venti that they do not have enough Crystaltears for that?!

It would be seen as if he is hinting for the Archon to cry and make him more tears!

*Especially when things were going so well for the Archon during these past few days,

As he was having so much fun enjoying Jubiläum and playing with the children...

...

And after hearing of the current situation in Sumeru from the Traveler,

Should not Mondstadt's Archon have some...?

-I am not fully certain what you seem to be worrying about, "dear brother", yet I know for sure that you are in fact blowing the issue out of proportion. -His thoughts were soon interrupted by a familiar voice from nearby, as a thoughtful looking Emilia soon walked towards and stopped before him, before proceeding to look towards the items laying on the table. -...But seeing that familiar lyre and an equally familiar brooch...Are you perhaps worrying about how to tell Venti that the rest of the Crystaltears were stolen during Jubiläum...? -She suddenly asked, which took Albedo off guard for a few seconds, a reaction his "twin" clearly noticed. -...So I am right, after all. -She noted, before crouching by and looking more closely at the items. -...To think they would be so inconspicuously stolen and right before you could even begin their use. Not many would be able to do something like this. Whoever did this, must have either known how to teleport or had a special gadget they used to do so.

She continued in some more thought,

Wondering just who could have done this and why...

*The same thing as Albedo was now wondering about as well...

-Not many even know what those "Crystaltears" are, the fact they came from Venti and our recent discovery that they also hold the Power of Time within them. -He soon admitted, in the same thoughtful voice as the other. -...Other than a few select of the people of Mondstadt, no one else should...-His voice suddenly broke off and his eyes widened, as he just remembered something crucial. -...Emilia, do you remember the time when you officially joined Mondstadt...? During that time, Venti was kidnapped by some cultists, who are Starfell and Dadaupa villagers now. -He soon added, his expression turning serious this time. -...They are normal people and used certain "Special Gadgets" in order to kidnap and hide our Archon. Gadgets they somehow managed to "steal" from a certain Harbringer's lab. The Harbringer in question's name is Il Dottore.

-...And considering the news from Sumeru we were informed about...Particularly the fact that there is not enough energy in order for the Sages and the Fatui to create a god...-Emilia continued for him, looking as thoughtful and slightly serious now, as well. -...This "Il Dottore", do you suppose he "sent" someone here to steal them or did so himself...?

-...I can not say for certain, but it does seem like they are in his possession now. -Albedo admitted, sounding and looking a little concerned now. -...Scientific discoveries aside, there is always a line you should never cross. And from what we already know, this "Doctor" already crossed it long ago.

-...Which is more reason to inform Venti and the others of the theft. -His "sister" said moments later, as she finally got up and turned towards him. -..."Creating a god", are you certain this is truly all he is going to use the Crystaltears for...? His scheme might not end there...The same way as "Extracting the Archon Residue from Collei" did not end at just that. -She gravely added, looking her "brother" right in the eyes now. -...With those Crystaltears now in his possession, who can anticipate what else he will do…?

She ended, with them both quietly looking into each others eyes,

As if trying to ascertain what the other person is currently thinking...

*But Albedo also soon realized that it was not simply that,

Emilia was not giving him a suggestion, but a silent order for him to follow...

...

And as much as he might not have liked it, he could not fault her for doing so...

...

-...I understand. My dilemma was needless from the very beginning. -He finally said, before deeply sighing, as his expression soon turned a little sad. -...I understand that I should inform others of this, which includes the Archon and our colleagues...But if Klee were to only ask about what happened, I am not certain I would be able to keep this secret from her...

He admitted in the same amount of sadness and some guilt now, as well,

As he remembered the last time he told Klee of a serious issue...

*When he told Klee about the reason why Amber was not in Mondstadt during Jubiläum...

...

Klee did not take the news well and even bombed the drinks table,

Before promising to make a huge bomb to "blow up all the baddies with"...

*A bomb which turned out to be as big as herself...

...

And this was when she found out about Collei's kidnapping,

If Klee were to also know about the recent "news" he still didn't tell her...

...

...

Klee was quite similar to her mother, miss Alice,

So it might not end well if she becomes enraged...


-Based on the latest news from Sumeru, the Traveler's group decided to continue exploring the desert in hopes of unraveling its mysteries and gathering more allies for the possible war to come. In the midst of it all, Outrider Amber came with a new determination: Find a way to find and save Collei. -Jean informed, looking and sounding quite serious, yet there was also some sadness in her voice. -...While I am glad to say that Amber is not giving up on her friend, I am at a loss about what can be done to successfully revert Collei's current "condition".

She soon admitted, the sadness in her voice rising,

As she couldn't help worrying that all of Amber's efforts might ultimately fail and then...

...

No, it wouldn't do to give up so easily on Collei,

No matter how much time and effort it takes, they will surely be able to save her...

*And she, Jean, would help them in whichever way she possibly can...

...

This was one of the reasons she asked Venti for the Dodocomunication device, after all,

The other reason being to spare him the worry, letting him fully enjoy the approaching Lantern Rite...

*The same way he could enjoy his time during Jubiläum and especially after, when he left her the device...

...

When he was there with the children by Cider lake,

As they helped Lily to overcome her trauma, by having her feed the ducks...

*It was so nice to see everyone having such a great time, as well as the child slowly but surely getting better...

...

...

Having seen them all so happily enjoying themselves,

Jean was truly glad Venti agreed to give her the device...

*If anything, she would rather be the one shouldering...

-Acting Grandmaster Jean, I request for you to let me hold onto the "Dodocomunication device". -Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the familiar voice of her mother, who looked serious, yet slightly concerned. -Seeing as you would be joining the group visiting Liyue, you wouldn't be able to focus on answering the Traveler's sudden calls.

-Mother, what are you...?! -Jean couldn't help but blurt out, looking and sounding very confused, as her words suddenly cut off. They were at an official meeting at the moment! She had to act firm and proper! -...I apologize for my sudden outburst. But I have to know, when was it decided that I would be joining the group? -She soon amended, trying to look and sound calmer, yet there was still some confusion in her voice. -Seeing as Lantern Rite is fast approaching, as well as the fact that Miss Vennessa already left for the Abyss in order to help Miss Alice, getting there in time would only be possible by riding Dvalin, who could safely fit up to 8 people on his back. So then, implying that I would be joining the group...

-I agree with Alder Knight Frederica about you joining the group. -Seamus interrupted her this time, looking mostly calm and serious, yet also slightly concerned. -After all your hard work for Mondstadt, Dandelion Knight Jean, you are more than deserving to take a break and enjoy the upcoming festivities.

-Yes, leave the formal matters to us, Jean and have some fun~ -Lisa soon added in some reassurance, as well as amusement. -...Even Grandmaster Varka is going to pull his weight this time, right...? -She added in the same amount of amusement, as well as some threat towards the grandmaster in question. -Isn't that right, Alder Knight Frederica?

-...Precisely so, Librarian Lisa. -The other soon answered her, with a similar amount of amusement, as well as a slight warning towards Varka. -Seeing how he is the GRANDMASTER of the Knights of Favonius, we are going to make sure he does ALL of his duties.

At these words, she squinted her eyes even more,

With previously said Grandmaster starting to become visibly uncomfortable...

*As Varka couldn't help but realize that he was utterly "fucked", especially with Jean soon...

-Since our cute Archon, adorable Spark Knight and dutiful Acting Grandmaster are joining in the group, with our lovely Deaconess surely joining with them, how about we decide on its other members...? -Kaeya suddenly said, pretty much breaking the previously tense atmosphere. -I nominate Master Diluc! You surely noticed how "done with everything" he was by the end of Jubiläum. A small but necessary break will do him wonders~

He added soon enough, trying to sound as cheery as possible,

Yet also still feeling guilty for the events of that time…

He was so focused on the photoshoot, that he didn't notice Diluc's breakdown,

With his brother gradually reaching the breaking point as more time went on…

*And with himself being one of the people who drew Diluc up the wall...

...

If he was more sensible to his brother's feelings and wasn't acting so silly at the time...

"We apologize for interrupting you so suddenly, but Chief Alchemist Albedo is on the way to share an important matter with you. One which he had quite the dilemma about just a while ago...", the Winds suddenly said, sounding quite serious, before there was a short silence, "...Neither he nor Alchemist Emilia needed our help and realized everything by themselves..."

They soon mumbled in annoyance and slight begrudging,

And not even a moment later, there was knocking on the meeting room's door...