"We last left off with ancient Liyue, and today I will delve deeper into the history of Wuwang Hill. If either of you has taken the time to traverse the terrain, you may have realized that light does not reach Wuwang Hill's eerie nature." Professor Morax paced across the lecture floor. "Regardless of the time of day, Wuwang Hill is cast in a state of perpetual darkness. There are no notable lifeforms in this area, besides the occasional monster, and that is due to the unseemly demise of Wuwang Hill's residents."

A few days had passed since my fishing trip and rescue commission with Childe. I hadn't gotten the chance to speak with Kaeya yet since classes were back in session. Since we planned to meet over the next weekend to continue our hunt, I could speak with him then about the unusual forest and Katheryne's reluctance to give information. But because it was about monsters, I was anxious to speak with him sooner.

"A sea monster lured the children to drown in Bishui River, lulled by a whale-like song," Professor Morax paused. "The elderly passed on naturally afterward. Though Wuwang Hill's atmosphere is most certainly dark, there are some pockets of light scattered about. Some have described them to resemble bright, blue orbs that glow and fade with the wind."

Wait, glowing orbs? Professor Morax's words tickled my brain, and I thought back to a similar phenomenon I witnessed in the forest. Could what I saw be related to what's on Wuwang Hill?

"Legends say these bouts of light are spirits. Ghosts. The souls of those who have been unable to find their peace. And so, they lead wanderers and travelers alike into the depths of Wuwang Hill—ultimately to their own deaths."

Oh.

"Of course," a note of a smile crossed his lips. "This is not factual—a simple legend. But remember, there is often truth in these fabrications, is there not? Ah, this reminds me of another myth that is widespread across Teyvat, not concentrated in any particular region."

There he goes again, off on another tangent.

"Seelie have a similar appearance to ghost spirits. But their connotations are largely different. They are remnants of a bygone race lost to time, beings that once held immense beauty, power, and wisdom. As you may have come to realize throughout the course of this class, no demographic is exempt from the ruins of calamity. The Seelie eventually found themselves lost, merely fragments of themselves, and set to wander the lands of Teyvat."

Rather than the ghost spirits of Wuwang Hill, it was more probable that what I saw in the forest was a Seelie. If I remembered correctly, Timmie had even mentioned something about seeing a Seelie and being drawn further into the forest. His mother had disregarded it as a baseless fairytale, but if Professor Morax had knowledge on the subject, then perhaps there was more to it.

I raised my hand.

"Lumine," he called on me.

"What would happen if one were to come across a Seelie? Assuming the myth is real, would they also lead you to your death as the ghost spirits would?"

"An excellent question. On the contrary, Seelie are said to lead one to what which their hearts most desire. This can be a material item, such as treasure or a lost loved one, and also intangible dreams. A successful journey, closure on unresolved troubles, or even the road to fame. Where a Seelie leads you depends on who is being guided."

Treasure or a lost loved one. I tried not to put too much faith in the idea, especially if Seelie truly were fictional, but now I'm certain of what I saw that day in the forest. If it were a Seelie, it was something that could take me to what I desired most. Aether.

And, if I brought Kaeya along with me, it may just lead us straight to the treasure he's been seeking. Finding the Seelie again might be difficult, but I'm sure the search for a glowing orb in a dark forest would be far easier than chasing assumptions and hypotheticals. Hope sparked within me, and I fought to keep my attention on the lecture.

Eventually, Professor Morax circled back to pertinent historical events in Liyue, but the class was soon over after that. With this new information on my mind, I quickly packed my things and rushed to Horticulture on autopilot. Not being late to class was second nature at this point.

Out the lecture hall. Exit the building. Cross the courtyard. Go with the flow of foot traffic. Pass under the open hallway. Get intercepted by a mysterious woman with a strikingly cold presence.

Wait a minute.

"Well, well," the unknown student assessed me. "If it isn't the Visionless upstart."

She was taller than most students here, and I'm sure the stiletto heels added to that. Her platinum-blonde hair was twisted in a loose half-up half-down style that cascaded down one shoulder, and a tiara-like clip sat on her head. It was dark and intricate, much like the lacy mask that covered her right eye.

"Who are you?"

"Hmph," she narrowed her eye. "I expected my name to be known to all of the first-years by now. As ditzy as this year's batch is, it is still disappointing to see how far Celestia Academy's standards have fallen since my own acceptance. You would do well to remember who I am from here on out, for I am La Signora."

Oh, so this was her. The ringleader of the Twin Mages and an apparent thorn in my side. What did she do again? Order her minions to belittle anyone without an appraisable amount of power? Intimidate and discourage people from trying their best for no good reason?

"Good to know," I muttered and tried to sidestep her. Keyword: tried.

She blocked my path.

"I wasn't finished with you."

Seriously? Whatever she wanted to say to me could wait until after classes were done for the day. There was just one period left, after all. I couldn't risk being tardy to Horticulture, though I'd made good time so far, idle chatter would be pushing it.

"My little mages have told me about you," she said. "A stubborn bug who refuses to acknowledge her place in the world. Her rung on the ladder. Her level on the pyramid. Her—"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, yes. I haven't bent over backward at the Twin Mages' request despite being so-called powerless. I've heard this all before. There's a class I need to get to, Signora, but I'll spare my time to tell you this: I don't care what your name is, where you come from, or how powerful you are."

A wall of ice shot up from behind her, indefinitely blocking my path, and I nearly cried out in frustration at the glow of her Cryo Vision. Was this really necessary? It was now just Signora and me in the outdoor corridor. The rest of the students had probably made it to class already. On time.

"How impudent," she growled. "You're even worse than I thought. And to think you have Tartaglia wrapped around your finger is ridiculous. Getting to your juvenile class on time should be the least of your worries."

"What do you want from me?"

If looks could kill, she would have impaled me with Cryo daggers shooting from her eye by now.

"Initially, I was interested in adding to my following. I saw potential in you, rat. My mages were sent to recruit your presence, yet you rebuffed the opportunity for greater power."

Right, I remembered my first night at the dining hall. Cici and Cicin had approached me and asked if I wanted to sit with them right before insulting all of the student population who haven't been granted a Vision.

"What of it?" I crossed my arms. "I'm doing just fine without a Vision."

And I'll be doing even better once I fully harness my new Anemo powers.

"Strength means nothing if its wielder is a witless twig," she spat. "Visions aren't the only gift of power, not anymore. If you knew any better, you would have accepted our proposal. We could have offered you access to power via an apparatus akin to that of a Vision, if not superior."

"I don't need a bug lamp."

"The Cicin Lantern is child's play. Your peabrain would hardly be able to grasp the immense capabilities of a Delusion. I would fault myself for even attempting to make you understand, but I have no flaws."

"I don't need a Delusion, either." Whatever that was. "If anything, I'd say your whole philosophy on life is rather delusional. What could have possibly triggered this level of a superiority complex that you don't see your fellow students as, well, fellow students? You're no better than the rest of us."

"You will not speak to me in such a way." She jabbed a finger at me. "I am an upperclassman."

"And I'm late to class," I fumed. "You and your whole posse make me sick."

"Is that so? I'm sure Tartaglia would be most stricken to hear of that. Though, that would be unsurprising since he is most weak-minded."

What did Childe have anything to do with her antics, besides them both originating from Snezhnaya?

"Oh?" she snickered. "Did you not know? You two spend a disgusting amount of time in each other's company. Was he not also goading you into joining our affiliation? He has a Delusion, you know."

"I don't care." Lie. My very minimal interest in Delusions has significantly increased. Was Childe really complicit in her schemes? I would have to have a conversation with him later. Depending on his answer, our relationship may be on the line, and I was dreading the confrontation—he'd grown on me.

She assessed me. "Stubborn till the very end." Signora gracefully waved her hand to the side, materializing what looked like a catalyst floating above her right shoulder.

"What are you—"

My question went unfinished as I caught sight of a stream of deadly Cryo daggers shooting at me from her catalyst. In rapid succession, they smashed into the stone floor where I had barely managed to dash away. Cryo shards spilled onto the floor, and a frosty draft breezed over my body.

My gaze darted back to her icy glare. "I'm unarmed."

"I know," she smirked.

"This isn't a fair fight."

"Against me, there is no such thing."

Despite the drastic drop in temperature, I began to sweat. If she was serious about fighting me here and now, there was no way I was coming away unscathed.

Another round of Cryo daggers flew at me, this time from two directions. I dodged the row that came at me directly, but I wasn't fast enough to avoid the attack that curved behind, aimed at my back. Bracing myself for the pain, each Cryo dagger smashed on impact like the sound of shattered glass.

Not a single one had struck me.

I heard slow footsteps approach from behind, but I didn't dare turn around to see who it was. Signora was proving to be most unhinged, even more so than Childe, and I couldn't afford to take my attention off of her.

"Oh, so sorry." A smooth, familiar voice entered the scene. "Have I interrupted something?"

My stomach fluttered, and a wave of relief came over me.

"Kaeya," I kept my eyes trained on Signora. "Someone's upset I didn't want to join her fan club. Unsolicited attacks on other students during school hours has got to be breaking some kind of rule, no?"

He brandished his sword. "Time to fight back, I s'pose."

happy lantern rite everyone! i hope this event continues to be recurring—it's so heartwarming to see all the liyue characters having so much fun :') i also hope they bring back windblume festival and maybe create something fun for inazuma ((if anything, inazuma needs joy and cheer the most, yeesh))