『Her PoV』
For now, this is the place known as the Void.
A place where countless memories are gathered, waiting to be processed into worlds of their own. Those worlds are then sent elsewhere, while the original memories that gave birth to them remain preserved here.
In other words, the Void is neither a beginning nor an end.
It's a storage of memories and the birthplace of worlds, simple as that.
The Void stores His Feathers.
His Feathers store memories.
Memories become worlds.
His Feathers are just one of the many pieces that keep everything running around here.
But...
Every time he arrives here, all of His Feathers resonate softly, like dry leaves brushing against one another in the wind. They create an oddly calming sound, the kind one might enjoy while taking a slow walk.
I think he notices it too yet he simply chooses not to dwell on it.
And whenever he leaves, the Void returns to its perfect silence. Each of His Feathers floats quietly, glowing like fireflies in the darkest night, though no melody remained to accompany their light.
"Since he's left already... might as well take a look. Was it this one?"
I've never been fond of deep, primordial silence.
So when a faint glimmer caught my attention, I reached out and gently touched one of the newly born plume. The moment my fingertip made contact, its soft glow shifted deepening into a darker, blood-red crimson
From that change alone, I could tell the world recorded within this memory remained unstable.
"I'm with him."
Initializing preparatory sequence...
Detecting attempt to breach assorted narratives...
Foreign causality conflict detected.
Identifying source of problem...
"Yup, it's a me. The sauce of problemo."
Interference pattern detected.
Rewriting synchronization parameters...
Local story parameters: Partially compatible.
Warning: Memory fragmentation detected.
"...That was... embarrassing. Forget about it."
Breaching fabricated tale-firewalls...
Foreign gateway synchronization: In progress...
Synchronization stability: 12%
Synchronization stability: 48%
Synchronization stability: 79%
Synchronization stability: Stalled at 79%
"79%… close enough. Proceed."
Penetrating adjacent gateways...
Retrieving embedded package data...
Required conditions fulfilled.
Beginning sequence.
...
....
.....
So that's a mark of time-skip.
Not particularly complicated, just numerous.
"Ah, another one coming."
...
....
.....
"…It really does look like a manga, this place."
Only after taking a moment to look around did I realize where I was standing.
A monochrome world, reminiscent of a manga panel.
A broken land stretched out in every direction, littered with the remnants of destruction. The world was almost entirely devoid of color, leaving only black and white behind… or so it was supposed to be.
Synchronization stability: 83%
Synchronization stability: 99%
"...Was it his doing?"
At first, this world was supposed to be one that he had visited before.
A Genshin-based world that had diverged from the main route, its colors drained into monochrome because of the actions of a creature that had spawned from an ancient, faraway forest.
But the moment I drifted off in thought for a while, the world had suddenly changed.
Synchronization stability: 100%
Full synchronization stabilizer enabled.
The sound of a bell echoed in my mind and everything changed.
In an instant, the world was filled with color and life.
"Honestly, it would've been fine even without reaching 100%."
This world felt completely different from the one I had imagined from his side of story.
"So this is what this world should have looked like all along..."
The ruins still stood where they had been left behind, now far more vibrant beneath the sunlight. The same went for the flowers scattered around with their beauty was now much easier to appreciate.
"Heh, humanity really likes worlds like this. Full of colors."
Yeah, it is nice.
But it's still strange though.
Being aware of what I'm thinking and finding those thoughts dressed in so many words.
"Oh... even a tiny thought like that turns into a whole sentence."
The sound of something splashing into the water soon reached my ears.
Drawn by it, I let these two legs carry me toward the stream and dipped my feet into the current. For a brief moment, I absentmindedly allowed them to merge with the water itself.
Then I remembered.
"...Human bodies aren't supposed to melt, are they?"
I quickly returned them to normal and flicked the water away. But it seemed a few Hydro Slimes were trying to approach me. I guess they thought I was one of their kind, which was obviously not the case, so I tried shooing them away.
Unfortunately, they didn't seem to get the message.
Since they were being rather clingy, I gave some of them a gentle kick.
"Ohh... they splattered evenly."
Seeing the slightly damp edge of my clothes, I was reminded of the first time he gave me this outfit. Just a simple blouse, a medium-length skirt, and a pair of sneakers. Nothing particularly fancy by most humans' standards.
It wasn't my most treasured set of clothes or anything like that, but it was the one that looked the most like what he wears now. It was also the outfit I wore most often whenever I tried to get closer to him back then.
Just imagining him back then brought a small smile to my lips.
"...Hmm."
And once that moment passed, the smile slowly faded away.
Watching the clouds drift by and the birds pass overhead, I could only sit there in a daze, thinking about how strange it felt. I spend so much time thinking about myself, and yet when it comes to actually talking about who I am...
It's surprisingly boring.
If anything, I find myself far more eager to talk about him.
There are simply so many things about him that I want to tell.
"Especially when this story is supposed to be told from my point of view~"
Still, it doesn't really matter.
As I placed one of the cool little slimes on top of my head (the poor thing looking gloomy and trembling after watching its brethren get splattered) it only made me more certain of one thing.
I just like filling my thoughts with him.
"I wonder... what he's doing over there right now. Hopefully those two are still getting along."
After spending enough time playing around with the water and the Hydro Slimes, I decided to take another look around the surrounding landscape while waiting for the person I was expecting to arrive.
No need to go too far. A few kilometers would be enough.
He should be trying to find me as quickly as he can right about now.
Then, after passing by several pieces of fowl and raw meat scattered along the forest path, I came across another resident of this world. Sadly, it wasn't one of the Genshin characters, so my apologies to anyone who might have been expecting otherwise.
"Oh... these are Hilichurls?"
I tilted my head slightly as I looked at them.
"Though if I remember correctly, the Hilichurls here are supposed to be much larger than normal. Could it be that the creator of this world originally intended for it to be some kind of breeding ground for them?"
There were already quite a few worlds like this scattered throughout the Void.
And he should have already known that, despite sealing and resealing his memories.
From what he had gathered, this world hadn't been created with innocent intentions in mind. He even had his own conclusions about its purpose while traveling through it and witnessing Klee's memories.
"Looks like they're cooking something. And there's a woman with them too?"
I narrowed my eyes a little.
"A human one, at that. Ah! I don't think she's an important character either. From what I can tell..."
I paused for a moment.
"She's that purple Electro mage. A Cicin Mage, was it?"
Personally, I think people who create worlds like this are usually driven by the Seven Deadly Sins that humanity carries within itself. They're made to satisfy certain desires, or to serve as an outlet for them.
And because of that, worlds like these rarely end well.
Sometimes, they don't even have an ending at all.
"Somehow... those Hilicurls looks reminds me to a basic theme from back then."
Yeah, for some reason, they brought back memories of the past.
There was a time when things were far more chaotic.
Back then, many world Creators would try to destroy each other's creations. Since the Creators of that era still carried many of humanity's traits, conflict and warfare were practically commonplace.
They used every method they could think of to invade and sabotage someone else's world.
One of those methods was to slip in people who embodied the same kinds of traits as those black-skinned Hilichurls (or "BBC," as they often called them back then) and then simply let everything fall apart on its own.
"Hmm, they thought it was funny back then."
Romance, friendship, school life, pure love, destined couples.
Many stories that originally followed those kinds of plots ended up being twisted into something else entirely such as NTR, blackmail, manipulation, ugly people and all sorts of similar things.
Everything was either destroyed or warped into a completely different genre.
And because there were so many humanoid characters who resembled those Hilichurls, the Creators became increasingly creative with their methods.
Some worlds would barely have time to exist before being invaded by a BBC character who appeared completely out of nowhere.
No buildup. No explanation.
One day, the world was following its intended story.
The next, everything had already started falling apart.
And it kept going.
As a result, more and more canon plots collapsed. Tragedies replaced happy endings. Villains became heroes, while heroes were reduced to little more than punchlines.
And little by little, because it never stopped, it eventually sparked another war.
What had started as little more than a joke, a form of entertainment for some, gradually escalated into conflicts that spread across countless worlds.
Most of those involved had long since perished by now, but if this world had been created by one of those Creators, I wouldn't be surprised.
"Chaos... chaos..."
Countless centuries and eras had already come and gone, so it took quite a lot to surprise me these days. About those System Users, Outer Gods, OTSPs... there had been so many things. I had seen a lot of things over the course of my existence.
Even so, this was genuinely a new experience for me.
"I knew it. This whole thing feels weird."
I looked around for a moment before letting out a small sigh.
"Having every little thing I do or think narrated like this."
Then I paused, as if addressing someone beyond my sight.
"Hey, excuse me? It's okay to skip a few parts and not be so thorough, alright?"
As I tossed a few words toward the vast blue sky stretching overhead, I spotted another green dragon gliding through the air, its wings beating steadily as a flock of birds flew alongside it.
"...If that's how you want to play..."
My gaze then shifted to a massive tree that had long since lost all its leaves, before darting to a wooden log embedded in the ground, then to several other random objects in quick succession.
Deliberately.
"Heh... huh... so that's how it is... huhf..."
I had to suppress a laugh as my eyes continued jumping from one thing to another.
"This is actually pretty interesting..."
After getting tired of fooling around and trying to figure out what exactly was happening to me, I decided to return to the reason I had entered this world in the first place.
But before that, I suddenly started moving a few parts of my body again, striking several unusual poses along the way.
"Ahaha, that's kind of cheating, cutting it short like that. Well, I did tell you to, though."
I spun around once before continuing.
"You see, at first I wanted to fulfill his wish with the Klee of this world. But since his other side seems to have already made a move, I guess I don't need to do that anymore."
I tried to make my body language as cute as possible while whispering those words to the empty air around me. Then again, there wasn't anyone close enough to hear me, so I doubted it would matter.
Unless...
"...It doesn't work, huh? How sad. I wonder what the limits of this narration are."
I let out an exaggerated sigh.
"I thought it'd tell everyone how I twirled on my heels or tilted my head a little."
"You… what the heck you doing here?" (His other side)
A familiar voice suddenly came from my side, appearing the moment I blinked.
I had been aware of his presence ever since I arrived in this world. After he completed the synchronization earlier, I could tell he was here. But I didn't know his exact location so here I am waiting for him.
"You even took that form in here. Did something actually happen?" (His other side)
"Oh, no worries. Nothing's happened so far... yet."
"Uhh, no. Not the 'yet' at the end! Does this have something to do with my other half? Did the Fool side finally stop its cycle? Or don't tell me it's gotten even worse?!" (His other side)
Seeing him already spiraling through every possible worst-case scenario, for some reason, reminded me of a cat screaming while clutching its own head in panic. Needless to say, it took quite a bit of effort not to laugh.
So I gave the side of his cheek a light knock.
Gently, like I was knocking on the door of a neighbor who always shared delicious food.
"Hehe... what a weird comparison."
A small laugh escaped my lips.
"But I kind of like it."
"W-What are you laughing at? And... why are you fisting my face like this?" (His other side)
"It's just nice to see this side of you again."
"You fist poke someone when you're happy to see them?" (His other side)
"...Want me to do something else instead?"
He immediately shook his head.
"Absolutely not." (His other side)
"Then stop complaining."
"I'm not complaining. I'm concerned." (His other side)
"Hehe, such a Human concern."
As for him, this other side of him, that is.
Because of the many bonds and experiences he had built over the years, certain things eventually led him to make a choice: to split off and separate small parts of himself.
In other words, he is one of his different Personas.
By now, plenty of humans are probably already familiar with the concept.
But if I had to explain it in the simplest way possible...
"It's nice to see the other 51% again."
For a brief moment, he simply stared at me.
Then his expression slowly twisted.
"...Why does that make me sound like a tax report?" (His other side)
"Nothing, just nothing."
"Uhh... why are you being creepy all of a sudden? You're even using weird metaphors now. Just act natural, bro. Nobody's going to judge you here besides me." (His other side)
In an instant, I felt my expression freeze.
And no, there weren't any Cryo Slimes around to blame for it.
"...Bro?"
"Oh... would you rather I call you something else?" he asked, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "Ahaha, sorry about that. You're just so close to me that I ended up calling you 'bro' without thinking. Sorry again. I won't do it next time."
"It's... fine. I don't really mind."
Yeah, not really.
"Anyway, you... you're wearing that outfit again, huh? But seriously, you'd better stop abusing the authority you have and barging into whatever Feather you find. Reality around here is still fragile." (His other side)
The man kept going on about how he disapproved of my being here, as if I were someone he'd only met yesterday. So, even when he patted my shoulder and gave it a few shakes, I ignored him completely.
"Oiii~ Why are you pouting now? Sorry if I interrupted your alone time. Though from what I saw earlier, weren't you on your way to see that giant Hilichurl?" (His other side)
"I was."
I crossed my arms.
"Now I'm not."
Then I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
"And stop treating me like I'm your 49% who keeps forgetting things."
With that mouth of his, he kept talking to the person standing beside him.
Perhaps he really was longing for a bit of warmth after all those years of loneliness, because before long, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and leaned forward, resting his chin on top of her head.
Clearly, she wasn't particularly fond of it.
"Sigh... now you're consoling me like I'm your clingy girlfriend."
"Sorry. There's just a lot on my mind right now. This life I've always dreamed of... it doesn't really feel the way I imagined it would, you know? And didn't I put you higher than that? You're as important to me as a brother!" (His other side)
"A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. That's one of your people's sayings, isn't it? Also, you're heavy... have you gotten too comfortable here, fatty?"
Reaching one hand behind me, I felt something soft and round.
It was puffed up like a balloon, though not quite as squishy. When I turned around, I repeatedly greeted the panda-like stomach he had somehow acquired with a few light pats.
"Why are you so savage and philosophical at the same time?! I mean, yeah. If you knew about Klee's wish from last time, then this was bound to happen with all the peace and slice-of-life moments that came with it." (His other side)
"So you really did get to live the kind of life she wanted for you... nice."
I nodded slightly.
"Wow, thanks. That's what I was meant to do, after all." (His other side)
I poked his stomach once more.
"Are you really going to keep this large and well-fed form?"
"Don't worry. I can deflate it whenever I want." (His other side)
"Hmm... I don't really mind."
After all, it was still him in the end.
Looking at him now, so different from his 49% counterpart, I couldn't help but feel that they were gradually becoming different people. Maybe that was the inevitable result of splitting such a heavy burden in two.
Even so, both of them were still moving toward the same destination.
The thing they called happiness.
"And don't worry about those Hilichurls. They're bigger, sure, but I've already reset them to their default settings. No more attacking every female in sight just because they're horny!" (His other side)
"Sshh. You're interrupting a perfectly good narration."
"N-Narrations? Since when were we narrating?" (His other side)
The 49% was like a wanderer who had forgotten the reason behind his journey. He continued walking without ever looking back, bound by nothing and unwilling to bind himself to anyone.
Yet even then, he carried a lantern into every thorn-filled future that awaited him.
"Hello?" (His other side)
The 51%, on the other hand, still held tightly to that reason.
He treasured the bonds he had forged and continued searching for new ones, like a fool capable of finding something worth loving in almost everyone he met.
He sought to mend the mistakes of the past, hoping he would never have to repeat them again.
"Heey~ Is she spacing out?" (His other side)
The real him is somewhere in between.
Someone who keeps moving forward yet never truly lets go.
"So, you want to see Klee? Since we're practically the same person in here, there shouldn't be any errors that need fixing. So... go on ahead by yourself. I need to head to another Feather and run a few more calibrations." (His other side)
"No, it's fine. I'll just take on an identity that matches this body."
"Oh? Planning as a fresh meat?" He grinned. "Hehe! Don't worry about it. Just have fun."
Then he pointed off into the distance, "...Oh, and I have a house in Mondstadt. Just look for the biggest wooden house there and you'll find it. Also, uhmm... be careful when saying my name, okay? Make sure to really remember that."
"Just what kind of mess did you create this time...? Sigh, I'll keep that in mind."
A brief silence followed before I added,
"I'm still in the Void if you come back. Try not to collect too many regrets until then."
"You know, the moment you say something like that, it actually makes it more likely to happen. But even then... I still want to make sure everything shines before I'm done." (His other side)
From the way he spoke, it sounded as though he was already preparing to leave.
Yet he remained where he was.
Instead, he started eating something. An omelet, if I remembered correctly. A Teyvat-charred egg. Then he offered me something as well: Mondstadt grilled fish, held out close to my mouth.
I took a bite.
…It didn't taste as good as it looked.
"Who cooked this?"
"Raiden Shogun." (His other side)
I fell silent.
My words stopped there, but my stare certainly didn't.
"Alright then, I'm heading off! Please bear with my other half over there!" (His other side)
He waved, and I waved back. A Hilichurl in the distance even waved too, before Lumine and Paimon appeared, promptly knocking it off the cliff. The two of them then waved as well.
Only for a Ruin Guard to join in, waving last before it exploded.
"Off you go then. Be careful, Zei."
"Uaaaaahh!!!" 「Lumine」
"Why do they always explode like that?!" 「Paimon」
After watching him leave, my attention drifted back to the aftermath of the explosion. The two of them were still screaming as they were flung off somewhere by the blast. But honestly… who cares?
At worst, they'd just get captured by Hilichurls and used as entertainment for them.
Yeah.
That was probably the worst thing that could happen to them.
"Ah, didn't he say those Hilichurls stopped doing that? Then... safe landing, I guess~"
...
....
.....
Some time after another time skip, I found myself standing before a large wooden house within Mondstadt. Its appearance matched Zei's description almost perfectly.
In fact, the moment I asked the locals about a giant wooden house, they immediately pointed me in this direction. There was little room for doubt. This was definitely the house he had been talking about.
I looked up at the building for a moment.
"...Smaller than expected."
After everything I had seen him do, I had half expected a flying castle.
The building was large enough to be called a mansion. Wood dominated most of its construction, yet that did little to diminish the sense of wealth surrounding it. If anything, the craftsmanship only made it seem more expensive.
Even so, for a place meant for a single person, it felt unnecessarily large.
And for some reason, the texture of the wood bothered me.
"This is birch, right?"
My gaze lingered on the front door for a moment.
"...I wonder how many women he's brought home."
After a brief pause, I shook my head.
"But well, if it's him... probably not that many."
Looking at all of this now, perhaps I should have asked him more about what he had been doing all this time. Then again, seeing something for yourself and merely hearing about it were never quite the same.
So I'll see it with my own eyes.
With every sense I possess and with whatever time is available to me.
"I have a LOT of time in here after all..."
I rested my hand against the door and caught the sound of several voices coming from inside.
Among them was one voice that stood out from the rest. Bright, energetic, and cheerful. It sounded exactly like the little girl whose story I had once read before. As for the others, I couldn't quite place their identities.
Their voices were unfamiliar to me.
"Oh, and pay attention."
A small smile found its way onto my face.
"This is your warning. From this point onward, the story is going to be rather boring. It'll be from my perspective alone, and it'll probably take quite some time in this side. Though, to be fair, it already has."
Gently, I pushed the door open.
It wasn't locked, nor did it make a sound.
"If you're only interested in his adventures, then avoid anything with 'Side Story' in the title. Alright? It'll save you some time. And more importantly, it'll save me from having to talk about myself for too long."
Despite that, the once lively room fell silent as every voice suddenly stopped.
Then a small, familiar voice broke the silence. The voice sounded hopeful, expectant. I listened to the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. And for a moment, I found myself wishing she had been right.
"Onii-chan?" 「Klee」
At the same time, a small arm pushed the door open from the other side.
I thought she would freeze at the sight of a stranger standing before the house. Instead, the blonde-haired girl with pointed ears threw herself at me and wrapped her arms around before she even realized who she was hugging.
If it had been him, I wondered how he would have reacted.
"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! You really came back!" 「Klee」
She rubbed her face against my clothes again and again, the gesture almost ticklish despite myself. No tears fell from her eyes, yet I could feel something else overflowing from her mortal heart.
The simple happiness of seeing someone she thought she might never see again.
That alone was enough to make me let out a quiet sigh.
"...Didn't he say he had already given you the life you wanted, young child of humanity...?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
My hand rose and gently rested atop her head and it was only then did Klee finally notice my face. Her eyes widened slightly before she pulled herself away and stared at me in confusion.
"Onee-chan, who are you?" 「Klee」
"Hello. You could say that I'm... a friend of your onii-chan."
The moment I revealed even a small part of my identity, I noticed several of the others inside react. So this was why he had warned me not to casually mention him. I suppose I understood now.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could do about it anymore.
The cat was already out of the bag.
"His friend... suspicious." 「Diluc」
"Can't say I disagree." 「Kaeya」
As for me, after taking a proper look around the room, I finally realized just how diverse the gathering inside Zei's house actually was. There're young girls, young men, some seasoned adults, and people from all walks of life.
"Oh? That guy's friend? Heh. She looks nice. Maybe I should befriend her too~?" 「Tartaglia」
"I'm rather interested in that idea as well. Let's go, Miss Furina~" 「Yae Miko」
"E-Eh?! Why am I being dragged into this?! Neuvillette! Don't let them drag me away!" 「Furina」
"Huh? I'm not your guardian... Hey, wait. Wrong person. You're grabbing the wrong guy." 「Ororon」
Meanwhile, others merely watched from the sidelines.
Honestly, this looked less like someone's home and more like a tavern.
"Hey, bro. I'm sure it was her. The one I peek— I mean, the one I saw talking to him earlier." 「Lumine」
"Yeah, they have a similar vibe. She even managed to get inside this house without a key." 「Aether」
The two main characters were present at the same time, both looking slightly worse for wear, with several visible injuries on their bodies. I already had an idea of what happened to the girl.
As for the boy... I could only wonder what kind of disaster he had just gone through.
Meanwhile, the one currently using healing light while looking overwhelmed...
"Ah?! Travelers! Please, both of you... stop moving! I'm trying to heal you right now! And why are you even injured in the first place? You were just walking around Mondstadt, as far as I know..." 「Barbara」
"You know, one of them got blasted away by a Ruin Guard. And the other got surrounded by Hilichurls after trying to save a female Fatui mage. Lucky for me, I managed to drag both of them back before things got worse!" 「Paimon」
"Haha... what can I do? She needed help." 「Aether」
"Brother, your sister should have been your priority back then." 「Lumine」
"Stop your sibling fight! And can't you see there is guest watching?!" 「Barbara」
If I looked at them one by one, it would become an endless exchange of faces and voices, each one leading to another. Some of them didn't even feel particularly important at first glance (extras, perhaps) yet they kept emerging from doors and rooms that had once been closed.
Still, I was certain of one thing.
Everyone here had some kind of connection to Zei.
They remembered, cared and missed him.
None of them had forgotten him or at least, not most of them. Perhaps there were many more out there as well. Therefore, His Feather of this World will also come to love him.
"So, Onee-chan, do you know where he is right now? Everyone has been looking for him. Me too, I want to meet him to make sure. This morning, he suddenly said he was going away for a very long time, without any clear reason..." 「Klee」
A small smile formed on my face.
What an ugly, stupid excuse.
And on top of that, he had said it so casually. Like it was some kind of surprise birthday announcement. If I were in her shoes, I would probably chase him across worlds just to beat him senseless.
...Maybe I should do exactly that right now.
"Before that, could you tell me about your relationship with him?"
"Oh! Sure! Of course I can! Onii-chan is technically... my onii-chan?" 「Klee」
"...What a remarkably informative answer."
Klee blinked, I blinked.
"Any more details than that?"
"Ah, but before that, come inside! Since you're Onii-chan's friend, that means you're welcome here too!" Then, she tilted her head cutely. "By the way, what's your name, Onee-chan? Mine is Klee!"
For a brief moment, I paused. Not because I didn't know the answer, and certainly not because I was uncertain of who I was. Unlike him, that question had been answered long ago, and I had long since made peace with it.
"Cera, just call me Cera."