Dominator Stellae

22 | The Stars' Masquerade (2)

Warmth enveloped my face the moment I woke up. The sun was relentlessly, shining unabashedly through the window I had neglected to close. I, honestly, didn't want to get up just yet but there were things to do and things to be planned. There was a problem, however...I didn't have many clothes that fit in Liyue. Just dark, traveler's clothes. They were light and comfortable but still enough to protect me in fights.

A knock on the door forced me to get up. I threw my clothes on, grimacing at the knowledge they needed to be washed. I opened the door to Lei-li standing outside holding a tray of freshly made breakfast. She grinned and held the tray up. "Breakfast?" It was still hot too.

"Thank you, " I took the tray and set it on the bedside table. "Did you make it yourself?" The pancakes were a beautiful golden brown, neatly chopped up fruit was arranged carefully beside them, and a small container of syrup was on the plate as well. This looked exactly like something Lei-li would make.

She shook her head. "Zhongli had woken up earlier than I had, somehow. When I went into the kitchen he was already in there just staring at the wall silently," Lei-li said, scratching her head. "I asked if he were feeling bad and he brushed me off and shooed me out of the kitchen."

"Unsurprising," I hummed. "...Though I never knew he could cook. I say just don't question him, he'll talk when he wants to."

"That sounds like a good idea," Lei-li sighed. "By the way, can we go clothes shopping soon? I'm in need of clothes badly, heh."

"Of course. It'll probably be today." With that, Lei-li smiled at me and bounded out of the room. I closed the door and sat down on the bed again. Grabbing my breakfast tray, I sat it in my lap and ate. The food was honestly amazing coupled with the gentle quietness of early morning. It's all gone before I know it. Sleeping again sounded like a wonderful idea, but there were plenty of things that needed to get done.

But, I should probably wash my dirty dishes first. I grabbed the tray and headed to the kitchen, pausing in the hallway when I heard Lei-li and Zhongli speaking.

"There is some vital information about what happened to you 4,000 years ago that Cloud Retainer did not know to tell you about. I debated telling you but I suppose now is the time."

This was a private conversation, I should probably leave. Yet I stayed rooted to the spot. I debated for a second longer if I should eavesdrop. It was for the better that I didn't. This was no doubt a conversation left to the two of them. Silently, I headed back to my borrowed room and set the tray back on the side table. With that done, I decided to do something I hadn't done in a while.

It worked better at night when I could see the stars, but daytime scrying was perfectly fine. My cloak is thrown back onto the bed and I sit down with my legs crossed. There was no doubt in my mind that a vision would possibly interrupt my train of thought once I stopped keeping a tight lid on my chrono vision. I hoped it would be a more wholesome vision at least.

My eyes slid closed as I began to focus.

▬

Everything around me seemed to melt away as I'm immediately pulled into a vision.

The sound of bubbling liquids was the first thing that registered in my mind. My eyes snap open and I recognize myself standing in a lab. The ceiling is far above me, stalactites clinging ominously to it, multiple shelves stacked with containers and numerous bottles were scattered here and there, a singular desk was at the center of the cave along with a giant pool of blue water. It might as well have been called an ocean as opposed to a "pool".

This vision was one of the ones that I'd desperately been trying to avoid. I couldn't take the sight and sound of so many people perishing, not again. I turned around just as she walked into the cave. Her blonde hair was tied into a messy bun, a clipboard was clenched tightly in her hand, and her eyebrows were furrowed.