Eula lifted her gaze toward the direction of the thunderous sound. Her eyes narrowed, expression tightening as ripples of unease spread through her heart.
"This sound… that explosion?"
She murmured under her breath, her brows knitting slightly. At first, she'd thought it was thunder, or perhaps a natural rockfall echoing through the hills—but the rhythm was too dense, too violent, the shockwaves too fierce to be natural.
And it came from the direction of Starfell Lake—a place that was normally serene and calm.
Eula's lips pressed together as she gathered her thoughts.
As the captain of the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance Company, one of her core duties was to investigate any abnormal disturbances within Mondstadt's borders—especially those possibly tied to the Abyss Order.
And now, these continuous explosions could never have come from an ordinary accident. The sheer force alone gave her a faint sense of danger.
"What in the world… happened at Starfell Lake?"
Her voice was low and steady, but her tone carried weight. She raised her gloved hand to touch the blue-and-white cape draped over her shoulder. Beneath the sunlight, her knight's uniform gleamed faintly, and the Vision on her chest flickered with a shard of cold, blue light—resonating with the tension building inside her.
Taking a deep breath, Eula started forward with long, graceful strides toward the direction of the blast. Her heeled boots struck the gravel path with crisp clicks, the metallic spurs at her heels chiming softly with each step.
"These explosions… they're too frequent, too powerful. Something serious has happened."
Her mind raced as she analyzed the possibilities.
A monster riot?
A large-scale elemental reaction gone wrong?
Or… an Abyss Order experiment?
Whatever it was, she needed to verify it personally before things spiraled further out of control.
The narrow mountain path below Starsnatch Cliff twisted sharply downward. On both sides, jagged cliffs loomed, draped with dense undergrowth. The tremors beneath her boots grew stronger with every step.
"If this level of detonation continues, not only Starfell Lake—the whole area's ecosystem might collapse."
Her expression hardened further. One hand slid instinctively toward the hilt of her sword, Favonius Greatsword, ready to draw at a moment's notice.
The lingering echoes of the blasts carried on the wind, stirring her cape behind her. Eula's eyes gleamed with steely resolve.
"Please… don't let me be too late."
She whispered the words almost like a vow, her silver-blue hair catching the sun as she moved faster.
When she finally crested the ridge, Starfell Lake spread out before her.
And she froze.
The once-tranquil lake was now a scene of devastation.
Water still rippled violently across its surface. Huge patches of grass lay flattened and charred. In several spots, thin plumes of smoke curled into the air.
Even the rocks along the shore were fractured, covered in spiderweb-like cracks—like they had just endured an earthquake.
Eula walked forward slowly, her gloved hand resting lightly on her sword hilt, eyes sharp and wary.
The smell of burnt earth and scorched air lingered thick around her. Dead fish floated at the surface—some stunned, others torn apart by sheer force.
But what truly caught her attention was the strange, lingering aura in the air.
"…What kind of power is this?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper as she crouched down, brushing her fingers over a scorched rock. It was still warm to the touch, the residual energy pricking faintly against her skin.
"This feels like… Pyro energy?"
Indeed, the area was saturated with traces of the Pyro Element—hot, volatile, raw. Whoever caused this had clearly used Pyro-based attacks.
But a frown deepened across her face.
Because beneath the Pyro residue, she sensed something else—something darker, heavier, far more destructive.
A power cold and merciless, like the concept of Destruction itself. It was raw chaos, burning without heat, consuming without limit.
Even with her Cryo Vision, Eula felt a pressure in her chest—an instinctive warning that this was no ordinary elemental force.
"This isn't… just Pyro."
Her ice-blue eyes sharpened. "What kind of energy could this be?"
She rose and scanned the surrounding terrain for more signs. The destruction spoke for itself.
This wasn't the work of monsters. Nor could any ordinary person—no matter how skilled—wield such terrifying power.
Whoever did this had unleashed something entirely unnatural.
"This must be reported to Acting Grand Master Jean immediately."
Eula made her decision without hesitation. She reached to her waist and pulled out a slender silver whistle—one issued exclusively to the Knights of Favonius Reconnaissance units for rapid communication.
Lifting it to her lips, she blew a sharp, clear note.
The sound pierced through the air.
Moments later, a sleek gray falcon soared down from the distant cliffs, circling once before landing gracefully on her arm.
"Message for Mondstadt," Eula said calmly. "Deliver it to Acting Grand Master Jean."
She took a slip of parchment from her pouch and swiftly penned a concise report:
"Traces of a powerful explosion discovered near Starfell Lake. Unknown energy detected—appears more dangerous than Pyro. The situation requires immediate attention. —Eula."
She rolled up the message, tied it securely to the falcon's leg, and raised her arm.
The bird spread its wings and launched into the air, slicing through the wind before vanishing into the horizon toward Mondstadt.
Watching it disappear, Eula exhaled softly and turned her gaze back to the ruined lakeside.
"If the residual energy is still here… then whoever caused this can't have gone far."
Her eyes hardened, determination glinting within them. "I can't allow something this dangerous to roam Mondstadt's lands unchecked. I will find out where it came from."
Straightening her posture, she adjusted her cape and began walking along the shore once more.
The faint traces of burnt earth still stung her nose, and that destructive aura flickered faintly through the air, unsettling and alien.
Eula crouched to inspect every clue—every footprint in the dirt, every ripple on the lake's surface, every stray scorch mark on the stone.
"I'll keep watch here for the next few days," she murmured under her breath, her voice steady and resolute.
The lake appeared calm again, but she knew that peace was only a fragile illusion.
And as a knight of Favonius—Eula Lawrence would never allow such a threat to remain hidden on Mondstadt's soil.
As those thoughts settled in her mind—
Elsewhere, events were already beginning to unfold.