The wind carried a strange melody that morning, soft and haunting, almost like the distant hum of strings being plucked. Hine opened her eyes to the faint glow of dawn creeping across the star-lit plains they had crossed the night before. Her body still ached from the battles with the Night Beasts, but the shard, now dim and resting against her chest, pulsed with a soft warmth, as if reminding her that it was still watching over her.
The Silent Soul was already awake, standing a few paces away, staring toward the horizon where sharp cliffs broke the line of the sky. His presence was quiet but steady, like the roots of an ancient tree.
"You did not sleep," Hine said, her voice still rough with fatigue.
"I do not need to," he replied, turning his gaze toward her. "And even if I did, I would not. These lands are restless. They whisper too loudly to ignore."
Hine stood, brushing the dust from her coat. "Whisper about what?"
He paused, his head tilting slightly. "About her. About the one you seek."
Mavuika.
The name alone sent a tremor through Hine, a mixture of longing and dread. She tied her hair back and fastened the strap of her bag over her shoulder, trying to mask the storm of emotion threatening to rise. "Then we keep moving," she said.
As they packed and began walking toward the cliffs, the Silent Soul finally broke the silence. "There is much you do not know of this world, Hine. Much that will shape the path ahead of you. If you are to seek the Rulers, you must understand the Archons first."
Hine frowned, stepping carefully over the uneven rocks that marked the rise toward the cliffs. "The Archons? The gods of Teyvat?"
"No," he said, his voice carrying an ancient gravity. "They are not mere rulers of elements as many believe. They are threads woven into the very fabric of this realm. Each one bound not just to their people, but to the flow of destiny itself. And your sister, Mavuika… she is tied to them in ways even she might not have understood."
The air grew colder as they climbed, and with every step, the Silent Soul began to tell their story.
"Barbatos," he began, his tone almost reverent, "the Anemo Archon, though mortals call him Venti. He is the wind that sings through the mountains, the laughter that carries over the fields of Mondstadt. Carefree to the eyes of his people, but do not mistake his lightheartedness for simplicity. He was among the first to weave freedom into the hearts of his land, to teach them that chains... visible or invisible... are meant to be broken."
Hine slowed her pace, the name tugging at something deep in her memory. "And what does he have to do with Mavuika?"
The Silent Soul tilted his head. "Freedom is a fragile thing, easily misunderstood, easily lost. Barbatos saw in your sister a spirit unbound, someone who could walk between the worlds without chains. He guided her in silence, though she never knew his hand was there. Without him, she would never have found the courage to seek the paths beyond this dimension."
They paused to rest at the edge of the cliff. The world stretched out endlessly before them... plains scattered with ruins, their shadows long in the early light.
The Silent Soul continued.
"Morax," he said next, his voice deepening as if echoing the weight of stone itself. "To mortals, he is Zhongli, the Geo Archon of Liyue. Unlike Barbatos, Morax carries the burden of time and memory. Contracts and promises are his foundation, and he is unyielding in their sanctity. He taught your sister patience, Hine. He taught her that power without discipline is nothing but chaos. That every decision, every step, has a cost."
Hine let out a slow breath. She could almost imagine her sister standing beside a man carved from earth itself, quiet but steady, learning to listen before she spoke.
"And then there is Ei, the Raiden Shogun," the Silent Soul said, his voice softening as they began to walk again. "Electro. Eternity. She seeks balance in a world that constantly shifts beneath her feet. Your sister challenged her notions of permanence, reminded her that eternity is not stillness but adaptation. Mavuika's boldness struck a chord in her, and in time, Ei came to see her not just as an outsider, but as someone who could teach even gods."
The wind picked up, cold and sharp as they ascended higher. Hine listened closely, every word weaving threads into a tapestry she had never seen before.
"Buer, known as Nahida to her people, the Dendro Archon," the Silent Soul continued. "Young in appearance, but her wisdom is as deep as the roots of Sumeru's forests. She is a scholar of truths, and in your sister she found a question that even she could not answer... the question of why the dimensions diverged. She guided Mavuika through the hidden archives, through the layers of reality, and in return, your sister offered her the one thing even gods crave: companionship without judgment."
Hine's chest tightened. Mavuika had never spoken much about her journey. Now, the image of her sister walking alongside beings older than time itself filled her with awe and an ache she could not name.
"And then," the Silent Soul said, his tone heavy now, "there is Focalors, or Furina, the Hydro Archon of Fontaine. She is water in all its forms... gentle as a stream, furious as a storm. She saw in Mavuika both strength and fragility, and in that reflection, they became mirrors to each other. It was Furina who warned your sister that the deeper she reached into the threads of this world, the more the world would pull back."
Hine stopped walking. Her heart was pounding, the shard against her chest glowing faintly as if reacting to the names being spoken. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked quietly.
The Silent Soul turned to face her fully, his eyes reflecting a calm she could not penetrate. "Because you need to understand what lies ahead. The Archons are not saviors waiting to be found. They are forces — old, patient, dangerous. If you are to reach the Rulers of Teyvat, you will need to grasp the truths that even they struggle to hold."
Hine clenched her fists at her sides. "And Mavuika? She walked these paths before me. She met them. She learned from them. If she could do it, so can I."
There was no hesitation in her voice, no tremor of fear.
For a long moment, the Silent Soul studied her, the wind curling around them like a living thing. Then, almost imperceptibly, he nodded. "Perhaps," he said. "But every path exacts a price, Hine. Every choice leaves a mark. Remember that when you step where she once stood."
By the time the sun rose higher in the sky, they had crossed the ridge and descended into a valley painted with shades of emerald and gold. Strange flowers bloomed along the riverbanks, their petals glowing faintly in the light.
For the first time in what felt like days, Hine allowed herself to breathe deeply, the sharp scent of the blossoms grounding her.
The shard warmed again against her chest, and she touched it gently, her fingers tracing the faint cracks along its surface. "You showed me your power once," she whispered, remembering how it had healed her wounds after the Night Beasts' attack. "Show me more. Show me what you want me to see."
The shard pulsed in response, and for a brief moment, she thought she heard a whisper... a voice so soft it could have been the wind, or perhaps something older.
She looked at the Silent Soul, but he said nothing, only walked ahead, his figure a silhouette against the endless expanse of the valley.
Hine followed, her steps lighter but her resolve heavier than ever. The Archons were no longer distant myths. They were real. They had touched her sister's life, guided her steps, and now they were threads in her own story.
And somewhere, beyond the lands they had yet to cross, beyond the dangers she could not yet imagine, the path to Mavuika waited.
She would not stop until she found it.