"Is that Teyvat?" Lora asked, gazing at the sphere of light shining with countless dazzling colors.
"Yes," the voice answered. "It's about to fall into the sea, but for now, it's still relatively safe."
"I'll make it safer," Lora said. "For my children."
"Good! Then keep your promise. Go and create a better world!"
The voice agreed with her, and a strand of golden light fell over Lora, guiding her toward Teyvat.
After that, no matter how many times Lora called out, the voice never answered again.
Without hesitation, Lora ran toward the glowing sphere. As she ran, her figure transformed into an extremely thin stream of water, then flowed into that world.
...
Back then, Fontaine's natural scenery was beautiful.
Back then, Pure Water drifted freely through the sea.
Lora had returned to this familiar place once more, yet everything she saw felt distant in her memories. She had returned to Fontaine in an ancient age, to the era when the first Pure Water was born from the tears of a loving mother.
However, she soon realized she could not affect anything in this world. She could only stand outside the world's fate and watch everything unfold.
Lora was attached to Egeria of this era. She watched as Egeria, surrounded by Pure Water, drew out the power of the Primordial Sea and transformed the Pure Water gathered around her into humans.
The Pure Water, now granted human forms, were overjoyed. They cheered, danced, and praised the merciful, great Egeria.
But Egeria's expression was filled with sorrow.
After that, Celestia delivered its punishment. The Heavenly Principles imprisoned Egeria within the Primordial Sea.
Lora already knew about these events, but now it felt as though she was experiencing them herself.
She was imprisoned in the Primordial Sea alongside Egeria, bound there for hundreds and thousands of years, unable to break free.
Lora did not understand why she had come to this era, much less why she had become a ghost-like existence that could only cling to Egeria's form.
Egeria did not even seem able to sense her.
After Egeria was imprisoned in the Primordial Sea, the Fontainians lost their god. Another ruler rose in her place. Even then, there were still people who remembered Egeria.
They raised the banner of rebellion, hoping to welcome her back.
That ruler overstepped the order set by the Heavenly Principles, and a cleansing flood descended from the heavens, washing over the land of Fontaine.
As the Archon War began, the Heavenly Principles needed a god to serve as the Hydro Archon and govern Fontaine. Thus, after being imprisoned for countless years, Egeria and Lora finally saw the blue sky again, and once more saw their people.
But in this era, the Fontainians no longer knew where they had come from, nor why they carried sin.
After the Archon War ended and the system of The Seven was established, Egeria accepted the Anemo Archon's invitation and went to Liyue to attend a gathering of The Seven.
There, Lora saw the other first-generation gods who had once existed only in her memories.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata greeted Egeria with a gentle smile. These two gods, both rooted in Teyvat's origins, had much to talk about.
But that peace did not last.
Khaenri'ah brought forth the Abyss, and calamity erupted.
The giant beast Elynas crawled out of Tunigi Hollow and headed toward Fontaine. It crossed mountains and seas before setting foot on Fontaine's land.
Egeria's expression grew solemn. She quickly mobilized the full power of the Court of Fontaine to resist Elynas, but she understood that the root of everything lay in Tunigi Hollow. If the problem there could not be solved, then no matter how much strength Fontaine poured into the fight, it would not escape the calamity.
Egeria sat in the Palais Mermonia in silence for a long time. Looking at the crystal light before her, she suddenly asked, "Do you think Fontaine can survive this calamity?"
Aside from Egeria, there was no one else in the room.
Lora, who had already lived through thousands of years, did not react immediately.
Egeria continued, "Can you give me an answer, mysterious young lady?"
"Hm?"
Only then did Lora freeze, realizing that Egeria was speaking to her.
"Are you talking to me? You can sense me?" Lora asked in surprise.
Egeria nodded. "Of course. I can sense your presence. I can also sense your essence, and it is the same as mine. In other words, from a certain point of view, you are another me."
Lora paused for a moment before asking, "When did you discover I existed?"
"When I fulfilled the Oceanids' dream," Egeria said.
Lora was shocked.
Did that mean Egeria had known about her from the moment she arrived in this world?
And yet, through all those thousands of years, she had never once said anything.
Was it only because of the Khaenri'ah Cataclysm that she now had no choice but to speak to Lora?
Was this truly the Teyvat she had once gone to?
Why could she not find any of this in her memories?
"Don't be nervous." Egeria soothed her gently and said softly, "May I call you my other self? You should be another me, shouldn't you? Although I don't know where you come from, I can sense that your existence is the same as mine."
After a moment of silence, Lora nodded.
"You could say that. I am indeed another you."
"Then can you answer my question?" Egeria asked.
After thinking for a moment, Lora said, "Yes. Fontaine will survive this disaster."
"Then... what about next time?" Egeria asked.
Lora knew what she meant and nodded.
"Yes. It will survive every time. The Fontainians will create their own miracle."
"Who do you think can take my place after I'm gone?" Egeria asked again.
Lora answered without hesitation.
"Focalors."
"Ah... as expected of another me. You think the same way I do."
After hearing that name, Egeria smiled, as if she had finally relaxed.
"Focalors, as the Hydro Archon... she should do quite well, shouldn't she?"
Although Egeria did not know where Lora came from, she subconsciously believed Lora would know these things.
Lora answered softly, "She does very well. They all do very well. They are the best Hydro Archons."