Author's Note: Got a bit of a free time. Anyway, here's an early reveal to help address several issues in the story. Also, I added a bit more detail to compensate for the inconsistencies with the cannon. Some details were supposed to be given only after the Epilogue of the first volume, but... well, I guess I can only blame myself for that~

Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to miHoYo; Honkai: Star Rail belongs to miHoYo; Worm belongs to Wildbow.

Proofreading and Editing by QAI521.

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Origin of The End

Of Fools and Madness (I)

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Fun? What is fun?

Some said it was a mirage, a trick of the light. You thought you had it figured out, and then—

*Snap*

—it was gone, like a wisp of smoke curling through the air.

Everyone had talked about it, wanted it, but who could say what it really was? A rollercoaster ride, a quiet night with a book, a chaotic party? Or was it the rush of adrenaline, the soft comfort of camaraderie, the sharp thrill of danger? Maybe all of these, perhaps none. Nothing more than a fleeting fancy, because fun — true fun — was a feeling, a sensation, a burst of pure, unadulterated joy that cannot be pinned down. It was the giggle that escaped at the most inappropriate moment, the belly laugh that left you gasping for breath, the grin that stretched wide for no reason. All of it... chaos in its purest form.

It danced in the face of definition, mocked the confines of language. It was a paradox, a conundrum wrapped in a riddle. To define it was to cage it, yet at the same time, the concept itself cannot be caged. It existed everywhere and nowhere at once. No rules, no guidelines — the wild card in the deck. Some would argue that it was akin to the trickster of emotions. The jester in the court of the mind. And who was to say they were wrong? One moment, it was the exhilarating leap off a cliff; the next it was the peace of a sunset.

Could you ever truly capture it?

What made you laugh until your sides ached might have been the very same thing that left someone else groaning. It was subjective and inconsistent. Maddening. How could something so fundamental be so poorly defined? What you felt, what you experienced; by and large, no two people had the same definition.

Of course, the elusive delight only became much more brilliant when contrasted against its cold, dreary counterpart — that gray void that sucked the color out of life, the endless, yawning vacuum that was boredom; it stifled the soul, drained the spirit, a monotonous march towards oblivion — every step a mere repetition of the last.

... how dreadful; how utterly mundane.

To one particular being, however, nothing was more boring than a story whose past and future followed a predetermined script, confined by dull imaginations. It was like a worn-out record — skipping on the same tired tune, devoid of surprises or deviations. All in all, something akin to a monotonous existence lacking any real sense of excitement... which was exactly the reason why THEY kept doing what THEY did. A little nudge here, a seemingly innocuous change there; nothing truly invasive on its own. But when the pieces fell together? Chaos ensued. Lives were set ablaze with unpredictable twists, fates altered in unexpected ways. It was changes most rewarding, the kind that brought a twinkle to the eye and a smirk to the lips.

"Ahahaha~! Did you see that~!? DID YOU SEE THAT~~!!??" Echoes of laughter reverberated off the unseen walls, a maniacal chorus that seemed to stretch and warp the very fabric of the space. "She just goes boom! Bam! Crack! And whoosh! Aha, ahahahahahaha~!"

", . ... ."

"A farce? A FARCE!? Ahahahahaha~! Is that what you call it~!? A farce~!? You know, I'd be insulted if you hadn't given me all these new toys for me to play with~!" THEY danced on the spot, twirling an oversized, glittering staff like a baton. It spun in the air, flashing brilliant arcs that seemed to cut through the dim haze. "Besides, just look at them~! That illusion of grandeur, the sweet sting of disbelief~! Aren't those the best parts~? Did you see the way their faces twisted? The shock! The horror! What joy~!" Sifting through the myriad of angles, THEY marveled at the beauty of it all, eyes honing on one particularly ragged and bearded individual. "Especially that man~ A magnificent fool, desperate to be something — anything — all so he could put some semblance of worth to his short, insignificant existence~! Too blinded by his own hubris to ever grasp the truth behind his power~! Ahahaha, ahahahahahaha~!"

", . . ."

"And a charade is one of the highest forms of art, don't you think~? Every piece meticulously placed, every move calculated yet brimming with spontaneity. Though I very much prefer bedlam~ Bedlam, I say! BEDLAM~!"

" , ."

"But isn't it just divine? The chaos, the unpredictability, the sheer audacity of it all~ It's all so... perfectly imperfect~" Leaning back, THEY grinned, teeth glinted like shards of light under the bleak, crimson glow. The staff settled into a lazy spin in THEIR fingers, voice carrying a sense of exhilaration bordering on the edge of madness. "Everything just as it should be~ See~?"

" , ? , ? ?"

"Oh? Tell me, then; does it not amuse you to see them crack? To unravel their facade and expose the turmoil beneath~? Such revelations would be most delightful~"

", ? ; . ."

"And isn't that the crux of it all~?"

" , . , ? . ."

"Oh no; it's not about the 'who' or the 'what'. It's about the 'how'~ The 'why' and the 'what ifs'~! Or maybe not~ After all, I did do the opposite, didn't I~? Painted the canvas with the opposite colors~" THEY twirled, pirouetting on the invisible stage — hand gesturing toward the smoke that coiled and writhed at THEIR side. "Take the girl, for example," a figure appeared from within the swirling mass, eyes slightly hollow and sunken as she reached for a fedora. She looked lost. Adrift. Pliable. Like a ship with a broken rudder, the individual in question stumbled before she stared into a cracked mirror, movements jerky as if fighting off waves of exhaustion. "Took a little, tiny, teensy bit of an effort, mind you~ Nothing more than hues of confusion and splashes of doubt; a push, a flick, and YET! Behold~ A masterstroke~! She didn't even see the sign! A cheater bound by her own folly~! Ahahahahahaha~!"

And what a delightful symphony it had been; the crescendo of her downfall, orchestrated with such finesse, every note a perfect strike of madness.

Indeed... messing with her head had proved to be... predictably easy. The girl had been certain — so assured in her ability she never even suspected the strings pulling at her every move. Each feeble attempt to regain control only tightened the noose; the more she struggled, the deeper she sank, ensnared by the very shadows she tried to outrun...

... foolish, naive little pawn.

Manipulating her had been, in essence, a rather simple game of make-believe. What started as a mere seed of doubt, germinated into a forest of delusion and paranoia. It required no grand gestures, no overt actions — only the subtle art of suggestion, the gentle nudge toward the abyss.

Take her attempt with the empty, little doll, for instance...

Not only did her efforts fall flat, they backfired quite spectacularly. What should've been a convincing argument to a fairy fell into disarray — causing nothing but problems and fostering both suspicion and mistrust. Again and again, the girl tried to mend the rift. And when that didn't work? She attempted to bulldoze through the problem, resorting to empty threats and turning a potential tool into an adversary. All because of misplaced confidence, gross miscalculations that disrupted her finely-crafted steps — things that could've been averted had she just been a bit less... reliant on her power.

A whisper here, a fleeting glimpse there... bending her perception just enough to alter her understanding when it came to certain matters. Ensuring that she heard the wrong thing at the right time; feeding her carefully curated half-truths and conflicting information. And when these approaches began to produce a less-than-satisfactory result? Then THEY switched to another avenue.

After all, the girl herself might not be as susceptible to THEIR influence, but the instruments with which she did her task?

All too easy to manipulate...

In the end, the doubt took root, and like a creeping vine would an abandoned house, it grew — twisting and turning into a labyrinth of her own making, where every shadow whispered lies and every light was but a mirage.

It was almost disappointing, really.

Such a dull existence.

" , , . , , ."

"My, you always have to bring that up, don't you~? Just because you prefer that, doesn't mean the rest of us do~!" A wave of THEIR hand and the smoke swirled into intricate patterns; it whispered tales of forgotten realms, each curl teeming with tiny constellations and vanishing faces — eerie landscapes blooming and fading before dissipating entirely. "Besides, it's all in the spirit of fun~! Imagine their reaction~!"

" , ."

"Oh, do lighten up~" THEIR voice dripped with exaggerated mirth, the ethereal stage beneath THEIR feet shifting and forming with it a stair of illusions — laughter of invisible specters echoing in the void. "You may call it cruelty, but I call it creativity~! That's the crux of our differences, isn't it~? Still, I suppose you do have a point; we can't all be devoid of a sense of—"

*Scchrinnkk*

A sudden noise pierced through the air; it rang clear and true, like the toll of a bell in a silent night. THEY froze, eyes locking to the crystal that now encapsulated THEIR arm — prismatic light refracted wildly in a thousand different directions.

"Hmm?" Rough yet slender digits traced at the translucent edges, a sweet, sonorous chime resonating with a flick of THEIR finger. "Ooohh~ Now, that was quick~" Like a sculpture of old, THEIR limb turned and crumbled into sands, the grains cascading with the telltale signs of starlight. "And what's this~? To think that something so simple would have merited me a personal visit~ Why, it's almost an honor; perhaps I'll do it more often, hmm~!?"

*Toot-toot*

THEY blew into the gilded horn that suddenly manifested in THEIR hand, glittering coins falling from a rip in the space as though conjured from a magician's trick. Jingling and sparkling, the ephemeral treasures danced before settling into a luminous pile.

"... ' ."

"So soon~?" Pouting, THEY feigned shock with an exaggerated flair, leaning in just enough to catch a fleeting glimpse of disdain on THEIR partner's face. Without another word, the other presence faded into a nebulous mist, leaving behind only hints of inky black as THEY departed with the sound akin to a yawning beast. "Well, until next time, I guess~"

THEY shrugged before snapping THEIR fingers. Coins flaked and melted, their golden sheen clinging to THEIR form, spreading like wildfire over the vast emptiness of the lost limb. A flurry of light solidified, and an arm — new and radiant — emerged from the gleaming fragments. One second... two seconds... and it tingled with a curious sensation, a chuckle bubbling up from deep within as THEY admired the result of THEIR handiwork.

"Still... a laughter to eclipse all laughter, hmm?" The words flowed from THEIR lips as THEY mused aloud, eyes glinting with a manic delight. "Preposterous~! Simply preposterous~! Ahahahaha~! Ehehehehahahahahahaaa~!" The demented laugh that erupted from THEIR throat grew louder — more unhinged — a symphony of madness that sang of joy and insanity; THEY twirled in place, a wheeze catching in THEIR chest as THEY fell and leaned against the steps — rubber balls and juggling pins mingling with the clutter of circus props. "Hah~ What bliss~" With a flourish, THEY held a pantomime mask to the air, staring into its surface as if seeking answers in its blank gaze. "Mmm... what to do, what to do~ Time's ticking~!"

Bounding to THEIR feet, THEY then proceeded to hop down the stairs with an exuberant leap, each footfall a drumbeat in the stillness. Shadows stretched and swayed, a crescendo of hysteria punctuating the emptiness before a sudden memory caused THEIR eyes to widen, a wicked smile breaking across THEIR face.

"Of course! OF COURSE~! How could I forget!? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!!!" Slapping at THEIR own forehead, THEY paced in frantic circles, hands flailing in a dramatic display before coming to an abrupt halt; a flick of the wrist revealed with it a barren planet, its surface crawling with tiny, skittering forms. "Yes~! I knew I was right~!" Trees long since dead littered the dusty landscape, the sight of countless legs and twitching antennae promising untold mayhem. "But which among you should I choose, hmm~? Should it be you~? Or maybe you~?" THEY continued to peer into the smoky vision, laughing maniacally as THEY pondered and schemed — a glint of pure elation in THEIR orbs of crimson. "Aaah~ So many choices~"

And so began the fifth dance of decisions, a maelstrom of possibilities whirling within the chaotic mind of a being yet to be bound; cold, empty whispers filled the air, the cacophony of thoughts that followed a hallmark of fools and madness...