Fu Hua's brow furrowed as she felt the subtle vibration of Fenghuang Down. She picked up her pace toward the small grove, thoughts racing.
Who could it be? And why is there another feather here? No one else at this school should have one.
On guard and confused, she stepped into the trees.
Almost immediately, the unmistakable feel of the feather's power washed over the clearing, deepening her bewilderment.
"How…?"
An illusionary space, spun from the feather's essence, replaced the familiar woods. Mist coiled around her feet. Golden light spilled over banks of white cloud. Above was a clear, endless blue sky, below, a shimmering sea of gold—like stepping into some peaceful, impossible heaven.
Instinct took over. Fu Hua dropped into a ready stance, every muscle tense.
"I am not your enemy."
A calm, eerily familiar voice came from the mist ahead. The clouds parted, and a figure walked forward.
"!"
For a second, Fu Hua's composure broke. Shock, then complete disbelief flashed across her face.
"Hello… me of this world."
Xia Qi stood before her as the Fenghuang of Vicissitude, meeting her gaze with a steady, unreadable look.
"Me… of this world?"
The shock faded fast, replaced by sharp focus. Fu Hua's eyes narrowed as she studied Xia Qi, her wariness palpable. This wasn't some memory left in a feather. This felt like a living, breathing version of herself—with all the power and presence that came with it.
"Are you from a parallel world?" Fu Hua asked, her voice level. She'd lived too long for the idea to be foreign.
"Yes."
"Why have you come here?" The question was pointed, deliberate. "Why have any of you come?"
"Because the world we belonged to… it's gone." As Xia Qi said it, a hollow emptiness flickered in her eyes. Her tone was flat, but it carried a weight that felt heavy, almost choking.
"Gone?" A cold shiver ran down Fu Hua's spine. "Did you escape? How many of you are there?"
"No… we didn't escape." Xia Qi shook her head slowly, her gaze never leaving Fu Hua's. "It's that the world itself… vanished. Like it never was. We have memories. We remember our lives, every moment. But none of it… was ever real. Do you understand?"
It was too strange. Their memories felt sharp and true, yet they had no origin. So, simply put, their world wasn't there anymore. It wasn't a lie.
"…"
Fu Hua listened, and through her deep link to the feather, she sensed no deception. A colder chill settled in her chest. She almost wished it were a trick.
"Share your memories with me," Fu Hua said, her voice a bit rough. "I need to know what I'm facing."
"I can't." Xia Qi shook her head.
Fu Hua's guard shot up. Between two versions of herself, both sworn to the same cause, why keep secrets? The refusal felt deeply wrong.
"It would affect you," Xia Qi explained, her tone firm. "I can't risk any… accidents. So I can't share them."
"Oh?" Fu Hua's eyes narrowed. The distrust grew.
After a tense pause, Xia Qi spoke four quiet, heavy words: "Because of the Honkai…"
"…"
That gave Fu Hua pause. Because of the Honkai. It would affect her, yet this other self was standing here, alive. It had to be tied to the Honkai.
Inside, Xia Qi was thinking of something else entirely—she couldn't risk messing with the birth of the Herrscher of Sentience.
Fu Hua was quiet for a long moment. "Have you already faced the Final Herrscher?"
"Yes."
"Was it because of Finality?"
"Not… exactly."
"Did you overcome the Honkai?"
"In a way, yes."
"…"
Fu Hua fell silent again. A deep unease took root. She wanted to demand details—how, after overcoming the Honkai, could a whole civilization just disappear? Even if this was another world, what guaranteed their own would be any different?
But looking into Xia Qi's eyes—confused, tired, but resolved—she knew this other her wouldn't budge. Maybe they didn't have all the answers themselves.
"When did you get here?"
"The day before yesterday."
"Is Kevin here?"
"No."
"How many of you are there?"
"At least twenty-six. Those who were supposed to come, did. Those who shouldn't have…" Xia Qi suddenly stopped, her own brow furrowing.
"Twenty-six people?" Fu Hua pressed, her expression tightening. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Xia Qi shook her head, but her mind was racing. She'd just realized something she'd missed until now, triggered by that question.
Why… can I still turn into Fischl?
"Let's stop here for today," Xia Qi said abruptly, turning to leave.
"Wait!" Fu Hua reached out, but the mist of the illusion was already thickening, swallowing Xia Qi's retreating form.
"Stay on the path you're on. The future isn't bad—not for the next three years, anyway. And don't tell Otto what you learned today. Otto can't be trusted. It could ruin everything."
With those final words, the illusion shattered.
Fu Hua stood alone in the grove again. She could have tried to force Xia Qi to stay, but it would have meant showing her own hand. And this other self seemed at full strength, unharmed. The risk wasn't worth it.
Now… should she report this to Otto? Her thoughts spun as she stood there, perfectly still.
---
Having successfully sent Fu Hua down a carefully misleading path, Xia Qi slipped away from the grove, hiding her presence as she headed for the Valkyrie dorms.
But one question nagged at her, pushing everything else aside:
Why can I still turn into Fischl?
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A/n: New content and Story posted on my patreon go check it out!
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