Unfortunate.
That's the only word the Abyss can describe the current situation.
Only a couple of days ago, the Abyss had been rapidly pursuing its goal with full-fledged force, its plans having been almost fulfilled. With Alberich and the remnants of Khaenri'ah seeking vengeance at the helm of its forces, it had begun expanding its influence throughout the world slowly.
Inch by inch, it had crept past small cracks within the boundaries of the world, worming its way toward the beacons of celestial oversight. Strangely enough, the Abyss' encroachment had not elicited a response from the God-king occupying the thrones of heaven, its taunts only being met with silence.
It was unusual to say the very least.
Almost five-hundred years ago, Celestia had wreaked havoc upon Khaenri'ah, bringing about destruction on an unprecedented scale upon traces of festering corruption embedded deep within the nation. The Abyss' encroaching influence upon humankind had been thwarted, its efforts of finally turning humanity directly against its divine creators having been dismantled by divine intervention.
Now, to be met with quietness when an even greater catastrophe was looming upon the horizon was quite… unexpected.
Yet, even amidst the progress the Abyss made in the past few decades, recent setbacks had proven quite costly. The destruction of the Loom of Fate by the combined forces of the Abyss Princess' sibling and the rogue Bough Keeper represented a major blow to the Abyss' operational capacity. Further hindrance in Mondstadt, imposed by Alberich's crafty son, had caused more trouble in the northwestern front, smaller plots that would have eventually cascaded and formed a cornerstone of the Abyss' plans delayed or destroyed even before they would reach relevancy.
After decades of wasted planning, reconstructing those schemes would require far too much time and manpower, something the Abyss could not afford during these opportune circumstances. Despite their overwhelming numbers, the Abyss Order was stretched dangerously thin, the recent operation having cost them a large number of resources and forcing them to rearrange their troops.
Additionally, trusting Alberich to resolve the unfortunate situation in Mondstadt would be haphazard. Although there was a rift growing between him and his son, the blood relations they shared would only cloud his judgment and throw the Abyss' plots into jeopardy
There was only one direction the Abyss could progress from here. An unorthodox one perhaps, but an effective one.
Bridging a gap between Teyvat and another world.
While it would take an extraordinary amount of power to breach the very fabric of reality itself, it would be a worthwhile investment, one that would irrefutably change the course of this world's fate itself.
Peering in the distance, the Abyss attempts to find an appropriate conduit, something appropriate that could easily absorb and utilize its power without hassle. Mere moments later, it takes notice of the first Abyssal monster passing through its vision, a lone Abyss Herald making its way across the borders of Mondstadt.
A prime target.
Reaching out toward the creature, the Abyss exerts its influence, a series of dark, swirling coils of corruption manifesting within the night air. With a swift motion, they embed themselves within the unwitting creature, overpowering any remnants of mental defenses persisting even after Celestia's curse and its influence.
Whispering harshly into the creature's ear, the Abyss further dispels the limited sense of panic and fear emerging within the creature, its sense of struggle against the force seizing its autonomy fading away into nothingness. For a moment, the monster stands still, the eerie sight further compounded by the reddish-black flames flickering in the air near its fingers.
Commanding the Herald to raise his hand, the monster complies without hesitation, the smooth movement barely taking any willpower for the creature to execute. Moments later, dark power, one of the many sinister reminders of the Abyss' corrupting influence, swirls from the creature's hand. With a gesture of his hand, the dark power, once lazily suspended in the air, expands laterally before mostly fading away, leaving nothing but a rift in its wake.
The remaining haze that continues hanging in the air becomes drawn back into the herald's fingers, coalescing into a small object, one barely noticeable in the gloom of the night. If one looked closer, they would find themselves noticing a sigil attached to a silver chain, dark runes etched into its surface humming with ominous power.
Fully controlled, the Abyss Herald cocks its head slightly at the rift in front of it, feelings of intrigue spreading across its face. It wasn't certain what this expenditure of power promised, but even a couple of feet away, he could feel the raw strength emanating from the opening between two worlds.
Leaning closer, the Herald takes another look through the rift, encountering intense pulses of power that send shudders rippling throughout its body.
Ah, this one was powerful.
From his initial judgments, this world was strong enough to almost rival, even surpass its own strength. A promising opportunity for reinforcement, one that could assist the Abyss in its efforts for the time being provided its cooperation.
It was a shame that such an event had come to fruition from both necessity and desperation, yet it was something the Abyss did not regret.
It was the start of something new.
—-
It's been weeks, maybe months? Talulah can't tell, the time having been blended together by her experiences of walking through the endlessly white Ursan tundra for hundreds of miles. All she knows is that it's been ages since Nine broke her out of Rhodes Island, where she had been imprisoned in a room enclosed by three imposing grey, reinforced walls and a clear glass panel separating captivity on one side and freedom on another.
But now, she's free.
Behind her, hundreds of miles away, Rhodes Island continues on toward wherever destiny would take them. And in front of her, merely less than a hundred miles away, he awaited.
Kashchey.
The infamous Ursan noble, the immortal god that had forcefully taken Talulah away from home and ripped her childhood away from her, the despicable person that had manipulated her to fulfill his own goals. The ground, once white and covered in snow, begins to turn brown as the snow retreats in the presence of higher temperatures, the unwitting activation of Talulah's Arts having heated the surroundings.
Thankfully, she had been provided with this chance to confront him after almost one and a half years of imprisonment. To be honest, she still couldn't fathom why Nine and the remnants of Reunion broke her out of her prison. Not after whatever she had done to the Reunion movement. Not after she betrayed their ideals, and sent hundreds, no thousands, to their deaths in the violent uprising in Chernobog and Lungmen.
Still, she couldn't blame Kashchey entirely. Was he someone she despised passionately? Yes. But whatever she did, it was entirely of her will. One could say that the Ursan noble had simply pushed her, and influenced her to pursue a pathway. Following through on that pathway was a decision she voluntarily chose to make.
Yes, Talulah had made mistakes. Ones that couldn't be reversed no matter what she did. Regardless of whatever actions she promised herself to do in the future, nothing would scrub away the permanent stains of sin that she carried with her nor the memories of her loved ones' deaths.
But this, this was the opportunity to finally break away from Kashchey, sever the last ties and remnants of history that she shared with the bastard. To eliminate someone that would only bring more chaos to an already unstable Ursus, creating more monsters that painfully reminded Talulah of what she had been in the past.
She was going to kill Kashchey.
