A/N: soon guys... soon....
Morning arrived gently over Mondstadt.
As always, Lumine was the first to wake.
Still half-asleep, she slipped out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, letting the quiet routine clear the last traces of drowsiness. When she returned, she turned toward the bed, ready to wake Paimon—
…and stopped.
Etoma had somehow slid completely out of bed—headfirst.
Her upper body rested on the floor, while her legs remained tangled in the blankets above. Her pajama top had shifted just enough to reveal her midriff. Meanwhile, Paimon clung to her feet like a lifeline, fast asleep and drooling shamelessly onto her toes.
And somehow—impossibly—
Etoma looked perfectly comfortable.
Lumine closed her eyes for a brief moment, then sighed.
"…How is this even possible?"
She nudged Paimon awake, and the two quietly slipped out, leaving the bizarre scene undisturbed.
An hour later, Etoma stirred.
She stretched lazily, as if waking from the most peaceful sleep imaginable, then wandered into the bathroom without a second thought.
By the time she stepped out, freshly bathed and humming to herself, the earlier chaos was already forgotten.
"Diluc-nii~"
She pushed open the office door—
Empty.
Again.
Her shoulders slumped just slightly.
"…Busy again, huh…"
With nothing else to do, she headed out for breakfast.
.
.
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon were busy alongside Diluc, Venti, and Jean, searching for Dvalin's tears. The task proved far from easy.
What began as a simple search stretched into an entire day—and then another. Eventually, the group split up, agreeing to regroup at Dawn Winery.
Rather than return to Mondstadt, Lumine and Paimon rested in the wilderness. The next morning, they made their way to the winery.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by Venti's cheerful voice. Soon after, Diluc and Jean joined them.
One by one, the group handed over the teardrops they had gathered. Lumine purified each of them. With the restored tears, Venti was finally able to repair the Holy Lyre der Himmel.
Now came the next question—
Where to summon Dvalin?
After some discussion, they settled on Starsnatch Cliff. Though it would take the others a full day to reach, Lumine had a shortcut. Having previously activated a nearby teleport waypoint, she and Paimon could arrive there in mere moments.
Realizing the others would take time, the pair decided to return to Mondstadt for lunch. They stopped by Good Hunter, enjoyed a quick meal, then headed to Etoma's home.
But she wasn't there.
They checked the usual places—
Eula's residence.Amber's.Sucrose's lab.The Cat's Tail.Even the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
Nothing.
Scratching her head, Paimon guessed, "Maybe she's off doing another weird job… like cleaning sewers again."
With no better leads, they returned to Starsnatch Cliff.
By evening, everyone had gathered. Venti raised the lyre and began to play. Dvalin answered the call. But instead of peace, he brought fury. To their shock, a Cryo Abyss Mage clung to his back, manipulating his emotions.
Before they could act, Dvalin lashed out and fled, the mage disappearing with him.
In the aftermath, Venti finally revealed the truth:
He was Barbatos, the Anemo Archon.
Only Paimon reacted with shock. The others had already suspected as much. They soon discussed their next move. Diluc stepped forward.
"I'll use my connections to track the Abyss Mage."
The others agreed, thanking him. With a plan set, they returned to Mondstadt to await news.
Night fell. Diluc had already returned home.
His coat was taken by a servant as he sat down, reviewing paperwork. Soon, a cup of freshly brewed coffee was placed before him.
"Where is Etoma? Has she gone to sleep?" he asked.
"Miss Etoma is not in the house, Master Diluc," the butler replied.
Diluc paused.
"Where is she?"
"The last we saw her was yesterday morning. After learning you had not returned, she said she would stay at Lady Eula's residence for a time. We have not heard from her since. Shall we call her back?"
Diluc was silent for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"No. Let her be. I'll be leaving again tomorrow—it may take some time."
"Understood, Master Diluc."
And so, the night passed quietly.
Morning came again. Diluc's investigation led him to a breakthrough by afternoon. The group reconvened at Dawn Winery, where they uncovered a lead pointing to Stormterror's Lair. They set out immediately.
After a full day's journey—and overcoming the mechanisms guarding the ruins—they finally confronted Dvalin.
The battle was fierce.
But in the end, they succeeded. The corruption was cleansed. Dvalin was freed.
Victorious, they returned to Mondstadt. With the Knights spreading the news, peace was finally restored to the city. The long-standing threat of Stormterror had come to an end.
But—
A new problem arose.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT THERE?!" Diluc's fist slammed against the table. The subordinate delivering the report visibly trembled.
After returning, Diluc had ordered Etoma to be brought back from Eula's Residence.
But she wasn't there.
In fact—
She had never arrived.
Eula confirmed it herself. She hadn't seen Etoma at all, assuming Diluc had taken her along during his absence.
The realization hit hard. Immediately, Diluc mobilized his network. Search parties were formed. Orders were given.
"Etoma… where are you…" he muttered quietly. "Please be safe…"
.
.
Meanwhile…
Somewhere in the wilderness—
"Hm? What's this?"
Inside a small makeshift shelter, Etoma sat idly, eating fruit when something strange appeared before her eyes.
A translucent screen.
[Loading...]
[Loading completed!]
[Hello, host. Welcome to the Tears Collecting System!]
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A/N: welp, that's all for the prologue guys. It is time...