Furina was not wrong.
The Xia Zhi she saw was indeed the Xia Zhi from the past.
At that time, Xia Zhi was still living in his original world, just an ordinary, utterly unremarkable person whose charm attribute was probably only slightly above average.
But now, Xia Zhi was different.
His charm attribute was practically the highest in all of Teyvat, definitely far more attractive than before.
Xia Zhi nodded slightly and said, "Just like you, I also know you. Your name is Furina, from Fontaine, soon to become the Hydro Archon."
"Hydro Archon?" Furina froze for a moment, then quickly denied, "I'm not the Hydro Archon, I'm just an ordinary person."
Xia Zhi replied calmly, "Of course I know you're not the Hydro Archon yet. I just said you will soon become the Hydro Archon."
"That's impossible, stop joking around." Furina couldn't help but laugh.
Xia Zhi just stared at her quietly with his silent gray eyes.
Being stared at like that, Furina's laughter abruptly stopped.
After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly, "You're not... serious, are you?"
Xia Zhi nodded, "If nothing unexpected happens."
Furina didn't understand, "Unexpected?"
Xia Zhi pointed to himself, "For example, my appearance."
"I-I don't quite understand..." Furina's expression became troubled, and she lowered her head to think for a moment.
"I remember you said earlier... that you're the same as me?"
Xia Zhi nodded, "Yes."
Furina cautiously asked, "Do you mean that... you've also seen my fate?"
Xia Zhi thought about it and said, "I don't think what I saw is fate. It's just a possible future."
"A possible future?" Furina repeated.
Xia Zhi glanced at the countdown timer on the system panel—two minutes had already passed—and replied, "Yes, a possible future. If I hadn't appeared here today, your future would most likely unfold in the direction I've seen."
Curious, Furina asked, "In that case, what would my future be like?"
Xia Zhi gave her a peculiar look, "Are you sure you want to know?"
Furina nodded vigorously, "I really want to know!"
Xia Zhi spoke lightly, "You'd live five hundred years, lonely and in great pain..."
Furina blinked blankly, "That's it?"
Xia Zhi nodded, "Yes."
Furina pondered, "I didn't think I'd actually live for five hundred years..."
Xia Zhi sighed helplessly, "You're missing the point entirely."
Furina looked up, confused, "What's wrong with what I said? Ordinary people living to a hundred is already miraculous—I can actually live five hundred years."
Xia Zhi sighed quietly, "If you could live happily for five hundred years, that would naturally be good. But that's not the case for you. Every day, every moment, every second of your life would be spent in constant anxiety and fear."
"You won't be able to cry when you want to cry, laugh when you want to laugh, rest when you want to rest, or sleep when you want to sleep."
"You won't be able to say what you want to say, or look at the scenery you wish to see. It would be as if you were imprisoned upon the throne of the Hydro Archon, trapped within the shell of divinity, becoming something you're not—a monster."
Perhaps the word "monster" was too frightening.
After hearing his words, Furina fell silent.
After a long pause, she finally asked, "Why would I become like that?"
Xia Zhi glanced briefly at the mirror from his god's eye, and answered, "Because you wanted to save Fontaine."
Furina frowned, "Save Fontaine?"
Xia Zhi lowered his head, his voice somber, "[The Prophecy]... Have you heard of it?"
Furina struggled to remember, "What prophecy...? Wait, I think I do know it. I'm not sure why, but it feels like it's always been in my head..."
Xia Zhi nodded, "That's right. You really do remember clearly."
Furina clutched her head in discomfort, "What's going on? My memories seem hazy and unclear, yet I remember this prophecy vividly... Will the events of the prophecy really happen?"
"Yes, that's also why I came to find you. Fontaine's calamity will inevitably appear sooner or later, and everything will unfold according to that prophecy. But it doesn't necessarily have to end in tragedy; there are still many variables."
Seeing Furina's expression twisted in pain, Xia Zhi reached out instinctively and placed his hand gently on her head, softly massaging her temples.
A Grandmaster-level massage was certainly something Furina had never experienced before.
The instant Xia Zhi's fingers moved slightly, Furina felt an incredibly comforting sensation flow from her head, instantly alleviating her headache.
As his fingers continued to move, Furina couldn't help but let out some strange noises.
She couldn't help it.
It was far too comfortable, completely irresistible.
Xia Zhi was used to this—there was no woman who could remain quiet under his massage.
But Furina couldn't handle it.
She was still an innocent young girl, and making those sounds in front of a young man she vaguely had feelings for made her feel terribly embarrassed.
"I... um..." Furina desperately wanted to tell him to stop, to take his hands off her head and stop massaging her.
But the overwhelming comfort flooding through her body rendered her completely unable to voice any refusal.
After a while, Xia Zhi removed his hands and asked gently, "Feeling better now?"
He's so gentle!
Furina lowered her head, her face flushed, and murmured softly, "Yes, much better. Thank you."
Xia Zhi replied casually, "It's nothing, just a small gesture. Where were we just now? Oh, right—you mentioned your memories seem hazy and unclear, yet this prophecy is exceptionally clear in your mind, correct?"
Furina nodded obediently, "Yes."
Xia Zhi seriously considered, "Perhaps there's a problem with your memories. Or maybe someone else has tampered with them."
Furina frowned, "Someone else?"
Xia Zhi glanced again at the quiet mirror from his god's eyepoint, "Yes, but not necessarily a person."
Furina's face immediately showed fear, "Not a person? Then what? A ghost?"
Xia Zhi chuckled, "Have you considered the possibility of it being a god?"
Furina stared blankly, "A god?"
Xia Zhi nodded slowly, "For example... the real Hydro Archon, Focalors."
The room instantly fell silent, deathly quiet.
Xia Zhi continued calmly, "Aren't you going to come out yet?"
The room remained completely still.
Furina glanced around nervously and asked softly, "Who are you talking to? Focalors?"
Xia Zhi nodded, "Yes."
Furina whispered, "Where is she?"
Xia Zhi replied lightly, "Right behind you."
"Huh?!"
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