1 Children Shouldn't Play with Blades

A world full of enchantment, ancient legends, and striking dualities, where the most intense emotions intertwine.

Teyvat is a place where the boundaries of imagination are surpassed. However, we often waste precious moments in this mysterious and unknown reality, without even recognizing its importance.

In the midst of the deep spaces of this world, something was finally regaining its vitality and now only awaited a glimpse to be revealed.

Who knows how many captivating outcomes and surprising twists await us? Destiny remains an enigma to be unraveled.

For now, we will leave this mystery for later and return to the true point of this chessboard...

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"The "Nightmares" are recovering…"

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Windrise, Mondstadt

In the midst of the vast plains of this enchanted place, a majestic oak tree rose towering in all its grandeur.

Its powerful roots intertwined through the green grass, as if they had a life of their own, forming an intricate tangle that seemed to pulsate with energy.

The massive and robust trunk conveyed an unparalleled sense of solidity.

Its leaves, of an intense green, shone like precious emeralds when touched by the rays of sun that pierced the almost cloudless sky, creating a magical encounter between solar brightness and the infinite blue of the firmament.

It was as if the sky and the sun, after a long period of separation, were finally reuniting and celebrating their union in a spectacle of colors and shine.

But what truly could be called interesting was happening in the crystalline lake just behind the immense oak tree.

Slowly but surely, the clear and fresh water seemed to stir.

At first, it seemed that this movement was caused by water droplets falling from sharp rock tips or even by the peaceful movement of fish swimming through the lake.

However, as attention was directed towards this natural wonder, it became clear that something was happening. The lake seemed to come to life on its own, with small ripples turning into rhythmic whirlpools.

With this, the fish in the lake began to move their fins rapidly, in a frantic attempt to escape from this strange phenomenon.

After a few minutes, slowly but surely, the water began to regain its original tranquility, but not before expelling something unusual onto the lake's edge.

An exceptionally strong ripple of freshwater formed and rushed towards the shore, near the grass.

After reaching the edge, the ripple quickly returned back into the lake, disappearing as if it had never existed, leaving something on the shore... Or more precisely, a boy (teenager).

His body was completely soaked by the lake's water, his clothes consisting of a short male shorts that barely reached his knees and a long-sleeved shirt, both in a black tone, and lastly, a dark brown boot.

His face, with slightly childlike features, remained closed as in a deep sleep. His skin was fair, however, it showed a paleness.

His platinum hair and lashes were wet and fallen, further highlighting the striking features of his face.

He rested peacefully, as if in a deep sleep, completely unconcerned with the water that occasionally brushed against his knee.

But what would really catch the attention of anyone nearby was the presence of some kind of weapon that the teenager held protectively over his chest, as if he were embracing it.

A katana, whose arms of the boy were protected by an elegant black scabbard.

The hilt of the sword had refined details in white and deep blue, while its guard was made with a golden material that resembled the splendor of gold.

Unfortunately, the peaceful sleep of the boy seemed to turn into a nightmare...

"Cough! Cough!" He Suddenly, the began coughing, interrupting the peace that had once reflected on his face. His features started to tremble and he tightened his arms around the katana even more firmly...

Then, drops of sweat started to accumulate on his forehead. A strange noise, coming from somewhere unknown among his deep memories, entered his ear, 'S-'

'Stop! Stop immediately!' His eyelids began to tremble frantically, his lips slightly parted, revealing a row of tightly clenched teeth.

A terrifying scream reverberated through his mind, unearthing sensations of deep discomfort that ran through his body.

His hands began to tremble involuntarily, accompanied by intense vibrations in his eyelids.

The teenager's eyelids opened abruptly, revealing wide eyes overflowing with liveliness.

Quick breaths escaped his nostrils, while drops of sweat dripped down his cheeks, witnesses of the palpable fear that surrounded him.

His eyes continued to move frantically, as if exploring the infinite blue sky, free from any clouds. However, they were interrupted by the sunlight on his face.

"What?" He whispered, confused by the bright blue sky.

'... How am I seeing!?' The boy blinked several times, unable to comprehend.

He squinted his right eye and raised his right hand, trying to shield himself from the sun's rays.

However, something seemed to stop him, his own hand.

"..."

He looked perplexed at his right hand. Then, the teenager closed and opened his fist again.

'The burns... They're gone.'

"How?" He then slowly lowered his gaze to his right arm, rotating it a few times.

"...What's happening?" He muttered, no longer caring about the sun on his face. He closed and opened his right hand several times, it seemed real.

Then, he raised his left hand and pressed it against the side of his right arm. His pupils remained wide open. He closed both hands and then opened them again.

Next, the boy's left hand descended towards his left thigh and began to massage it. And there it was... Whole, without any toughened skin or scar tissue.

"!?"

"..." After a few seconds of strange silence, he noticed some kind of liquid on his legs. He tried to lift his upper body, now also noticing the discomfort on his chest.

"???" He blinked in confusion and raised his upper body with more speed.

Now sitting, he finally managed to look at the katana, he blinked a few times in confusion.

"Huh?" But what really caught his attention was the lake in front of him, just above which was a huge oak tree.

'Wet...' he thought, looking at his soaked clothes, still trying to stand up from the ground.

However, he soon ignored this and started to observe the place he was in.

"Where am I?" Questioned the young man as he stood up and held the katana firmly by the scabbard. His eyes began to meticulously explore the environment around him.

"How strange..." thought the boy as he stopped and observed an unusual butterfly floating calmly over the lake in front of him.

For some reason, this butterfly seemed strangely familiar...

"Am I dreaming?... the nurses went overboard with the medication...?"

Before even being able to comprehend this strange insect, his attention was immediately captured by the shimmering lake in front of him, which the butterfly was floating above...

"Hm?"

Curious, the teenager's head lowered towards the boots on his feet, which were at the edge of the lake. He blinked a few times and then crouched down slightly to observe something strange in his hair.

The boy remained silent, gazing at the reflection of a young man with platinum hair looking back at him with equally wide and confused eyes...

He raised his free hand to his cheek and squeezed it tightly. "Is... that me?" He continued gazing at the water that reflected his current appearance, slightly distorted by the movement generated by his feet.

"...?" The free hand released the cheek and then moved towards the strand of platinum and straight hair, pulling it with a little force...

Then, he lowered the free hand a few inches from his face. Without hesitation, he clenched it into a fist and delivered a punch with all his strength against himself.

"... It hurts," muttered the young man, feeling the pain and burning sensation on his cheek, unfortunately, he was still not sure.

"..."

He lowered his hand and looked at the katana in his other hand. The boy sighed deeply, "This is madness," he thought as he stood up and walked towards the green grass surrounding the lake.

Stopping in an open place without water, the teenager reached out his free hand toward the hilt of the katana. After gripping it, he began to pull slowly.

"..." The boy looked at the blade of the katana in its entirety and then threw the scabbard on the ground, never taking his eyes off the blade.

His eyes, once brown like most people, were now a almost opaque crystal blue, reflected by the blade...

"Even my eyes look strange," the boy complained with strangeness. Moreover, his hair had also changed color.

"...This must be just a very vivid dream," thought the teenager, extending his free hand forward, appearing calm and somewhat expressionless.

"Nothing like a little pain to wake up from a probable dream," before the teenager could raise the katana to cut himself, something seemed to approach him walking in his direction, or more precisely, someone.

The teenager blinked a few times and unconsciously turned his face towards that someone.

"Hm?"

"Children shouldn't play with blades, little pup."

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Tip for readers who are on current chapters; the "Nightmare" are related to the whispers that Urizen sometimes hears…

[Note to Author: we wrote to many "the teenager"💢]

[A/N - Whistling*]