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"This..."
Raiden Ei sifted through her memories of the past few days. A startling fact emerged, one she had previously overlooked.
Su Ran had never actually promised to gift her this dream world. He had merely stated his intention to weave all of Inazuma into it. The dream's true ownership had never been hers to claim. This meant that she held no control over the reality they inhabited.
Why had it come to this? If the dream were truly universal, with no one holding special authority, she might have let it go. But the discovery that someone else possessed such a privilege left her uneasy. What if Su Ran grew bored with this creation one day and simply shattered it? She decided it was time to have a serious conversation with him.
Hidden just behind a wall, Kamisato Ayaka leaned against the plaster, her face pale with shock as she overheard the two gods. A dream? Could it be that this world was nothing more than a fabrication? Why had she felt absolutely nothing? Refusing to believe it, Ayaka pinched her arm. The sharp sting of pain remained. How could this be a dream if she could still feel pain? Yet, she knew the gods would not intentionally lie to her. When, then, had she fallen into this slumber?
She held out her hands, condensing a delicate ice flower. Her ability to channel elemental energy remained intact. Was she truly trapped in a dream?
"No, I... I must verify this," she whispered. Fear began to coil in her chest as she contemplated the implications of a manufactured reality. She made up her mind to confront Su Ran directly. If the dream was already complete, seeking out the Raiden Shogun would be futile. She needed to speak to Su Ran.
Her distress did not go unnoticed. Deep within the room, another figure watched her with a calculated gaze. Yae Miko was quite satisfied with Ayaka's reaction. Even with Ei restored, this world was not reality. Within the dream, one's existence was confined strictly to Inazuma, devoid of the other six nations. Lacking the novelties and wonders of the outside world, Miko could never be truly content. Worse, the dream contained no births, deaths, illnesses, or the slow passage of time. Eventually, humanity would surely grow numb to their eternal, artificial happiness. That was a future Miko refused to accept. Even if Ei had returned, she should not be relegated to a mere figment of a dream.
Miko admitted to herself that she was being greedy. She was happy that Ei was back, but she despised the existence of the dream. If there was a way to have the best of both worlds, that would be ideal. But Su Ran was clearly not a man to be swayed easily. Perhaps she could make use of Kamisato Ayaka. The girl was young, and while Miko couldn't be certain how much of Su Ran's affection for her was genuine, if there were true feelings involved, she might be able to exert a little leverage.
***
In Liyue, a luxurious pavilion floated high above Liyue Harbor. This was the residence of Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing and one of the seven most powerful figures in the nation. Yet, for all her influence and her mountains of Mora, the Tianquan currently stared at a letter in her hands with a pained expression.
The report detailed a matter that had become a persistent headache: the Alcor had gone dark. After Beidou's ship had entered Inazuman territory several days ago, not a single message had returned. If that were the extent of it, she might have assumed Beidou was simply busy with her own affairs. But for the past two weeks, no ships arriving from Inazuma had docked at Liyue Harbor. Even with Inazuma under a strict isolationist policy, there should have been some word. The violent thunderstorms surrounding the archipelago had finally vanished, so it was impossible for everyone to have simply stopped returning.
Ningguang could only conclude one thing: something had gone terribly wrong in Inazuma. The situation felt inextricably linked to another matter. She turned to a display board nearby, which featured a portrait and intelligence gathered from the Fatui.
"A Genius... the Second Harbinger of the Fatui arrived in Inazuma over a month ago, and soon after, the storms vanished."
There had been a brief window after the storms dissipated when refugees managed to flee Inazuma, but that had stopped a week later. For the last half-month, there had been complete silence. It was impossible for Ningguang to ignore the potential involvement of the Fatui. This "Genius" was, by far, the least understood of the Harbingers. The storms had vanished the moment he appeared—was this his doing?
The capabilities of a Harbinger were beyond doubt. Although the Harbinger currently stationed in Liyue was only the lowest-ranked among them, she had never underestimated them. What kind of influence could the Second Harbinger wield over Inazuma? Whether Inazuma remained isolated or not did not concern Ningguang personally; at most, it meant less Mora to be earned. But she could not sit idly by while Beidou remained missing. They were dear friends. If her friend was in danger, she had to act.
"And with the Rite of Descension approaching..."
She was the one responsible for presiding over the ceremony. She was truly stretched thin. She could not abandon the Rite of Descension, yet she could not abandon Beidou either. If she waited too long, the situation might turn fatal.
"I have no choice but to leave the investigation to Yelan."
As a clandestine asset within the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Yelan's competence was something Ningguang trusted implicitly. In all of Liyue, there was no one more qualified for such a task. She could not afford to petition the Adepti, and she certainly dared not disturb the Geo Archon. Only Yelan possessed the necessary skills. Still, conducting operations abroad was fraught with complications. Liyue was not like Snezhnaya, which had embedded the Fatui into every corner of Teyvat.
Nevertheless, for the sake of Beidou and the other Liyue citizens trapped in Inazuma, she had to uncover the truth.