The group remained fixated on the projection.
Fortunately, it now displayed only the happier moments of Etoma's life—her first meeting with Diluc, then skipping ahead to when she met the rest of them.
A collective sigh of relief filled the room. The worst of the anguish seemed to pass, and faint smiles returned as they watched her bright, untainted smile on the screen.
But then came the moment they had all been waiting for.
The reason for her disappearance.
The projection shifted. Etoma appeared, asking a butler about Diluc's whereabouts. After a brief exchange, she mentioned she would be staying at Eula's residence for a few days before heading out.
Soon, she was skipping cheerfully down the street, on her way there—
Until someone suddenly collided with her.
And just like that, the projection revealed, in painful detail, everything that had happened before her disappearance.
.
Eula shot to her feet, summoning her claymore.
"E-eula?" Amber flinched beside her.
"Don't stop me Amber." Eula's voice contain coldness that she never shown before. "Don't worry, I won't kill them. At best, they will only end up with missing limb."
"Count Paimon in! Paimon will show those ungrateful citizens how scary she is!" Paimon declared, throwing punches and kicks into the air.
"I..." Jean hesitated. Torn between turning a blind eye or stop the two before another tragedy happened.
Kaeya rose as well, tightening his glove. It seemed blood would be spilled today.
"Calm down, all of you." Lisa's voice cut through the tension.
All eyes turned to her.
"Miss Black Hair," she said smoothly, addressing the mysterious woman, "could you rewind the projection to when those citizens were shouting at Etoma?"
"Of course~ That's well within my power."
The projection rewound to the exact moment the crowd began shouting.
"And zoom in on their eyes," Lisa added.
The image sharpened, focusing on their faces—on their eyes.
A ripple of shock passed through the group.
"There you have it," Lisa said with a small chuckle.
"Their eyes... they're glowing purple?" Jean suddenly spoke.
"It seems there's more to this than we thought," Kaeya said, now leaning casually against a nearby pillar, his earlier hostility subdued.
"At least now we know," Diluc added. "Please continue."
The mysterious woman only smiled in response.
The projection resumed.
.
Etoma stumbled through the forest, her steps uneven and weak. The sight immediately weighed heavily on the group once more. Their relief had been short-lived.
She walked for hours, limping, until exhaustion forced her to collapse beneath the shade of a tree.
Not long after… she began to cry.
"Why... hik*"
Her trembling voice, broken by soft sobs filled the room.
"Why is this happened to me... hik*" she curled into herself. "I didn't do anything wrong..."
"I just wanted to have fun. Is that so wrong? hik*"
She wiped at her tears with her sleeve, trying desperately to hold herself together.
"Please... hik* someone... tell me... what did I do wrong... hik*"
One by one, tears began to fall among those watching.
"Diluc-nii... where are you, It's hurt..."
Diluc's hand rose instinctively to his chest, fingers tightening against the fabric as though trying to suppress something clawing its way out. Eyes squeezed shut as he endured the pain.
"Eula-nee... I want your hug, it's cold here..."
Eula's composure shattered as both hands flew to her face. Her shoulders trembled.
"Kaeya-nii... everyone is bullying me, help..."
Kaeya turned his head sharply, jaw tightening.
"It's hurt... hik*" Etoma's voice had grown softer now, thinner, like a thread about to snap.
She slowly lowered herself onto the grass, as if even the act of lying down required effort she barely had left. The wind stirred gently, brushing through her hair.
For a fleeting moment, it almost looked peaceful.
"Venti, I want to play music with you again..."
Venti bit down on his lip. His hands trembled at his sides.
"Amber, I want to patrol with you again..."
Amber wiped at her face frantically, but the tears wouldn't stop.
"I'm here…" she whispered, though Etoma couldn't hear her. "I'm right here…"
"Grandmaster Jean, I miss your scolding..."
Jean's composure finally cracked. Her hand rose to cover her mouth as her tears overflown.
"Lisa-nee, I miss your teasing"
Lisa lowered her gaze. "…I'm sorry," she murmured under her breath.
Lumine... Paimon... I want to have pajama party with you guys again..."
Paimon immediately darted straight into Lumine's arms, burying her face as her small body shook. Lumine held her tightly, her own tears falling freely now, silent but unstoppable.
Etoma's breathing steadied. Her body relaxed, finally surrendering to the exhaustion it had been fighting for so long.
With no one there to answer her…
No one to hold her…
No one to tell her she hadn't done anything wrong—
She closed her eyes.
And fell asleep.
.
"Hm… should I continue?"
The mysterious woman paused the projection, glancing at the group.
They were a mess—tears, silence, grief hanging heavily in the air.
She briefly wondered if she should buy a mop later.
"Don't worry about us," Diluc said, his voice strained but firm. "Please continue. I need to know where she is."
She nodded.
.
The projection resumed, skipping ahead to evening.
Etoma awoke and continued walking, dragging her feet until she reached an abandoned marketplace. Though most of it was in ruins, a few stalls still stood.
Using what remained, she built herself a small shelter and settled in for the night.
The next day, she walked again. Her feet had improved slightly, allowing her to move faster.
She found an apple tree. Carefully climbing it to avoid further injury, she gathered as many apples as she could carry—enough for the next couple of days.
Time passed quickly as the projection fast-forwarded.
Then—
The next day. Etoma was running. Her injuries had nearly healed, but now she faced a new danger. Treasure Hoarders.
"Don't let her get away!"
Fueled by adrenaline, she ran for nearly an hour before ducking into a cave.
"Huff… huff… damn it, she's fast!"
"W-wait… I'm out of breath—"
"She must be nearby. Split up!"
Etoma covered her mouth, eyes wide with fear.
Moments later, one of them approached the cave entrance.
"Is she inside…?"
He stepped closer.
After few seconds of thinking, Etoma gritted her teeth and finally decided.
A faint sizzling sound broke the silence.
"Hm?" He turned.
"Dynamite?! What idiot—!"
He bolted just as the explosion went off, sealing the cave entrance.
"WHO THREW THAT?!" he shouted from outside.
Inside, Etoma could barely hear him. She exhaled in relief, then looked around.
Darkness. Endless darkness.
She shook her head and gave a faint, sorrowful smile.
"So… this is my curtain call… It's been a good life…"
She lay down.
And the projection ended.
.
Diluc stood immediately.
"Jean, increase Mondstadt's security to maximum. Whoever orchestrated this is waiting for the right moment. I'll leave things here to you."
Before anyone could respond, he dashed out.
Eula, Venti, Kaeya, Amber, Lumine, and Paimon followed close behind.
Only Jean and Lisa remained.
"…I wanted to see the little one too," Lisa muttered, puffing her cheeks.
Jean shook her head. "Mondstadt may soon face a crisis. Without us, it would lose its pillars. We can meet her later."
"Fine, fine~"
"We also have Lord Barba—" Jean stopped abruptly.
"Lord Barbatos?" Lisa raised an eyebrow. "The Anemo Archon?"
"L-let's return to the office and begin preparations immediately!" Jean quickly grabbed Lisa's hand and pulled her away.
Leaving the mysterious woman alone.
.
"My, my… such impatience~" she hummed, closing the door behind her as she drifted toward the floating sphere.
She reached out—gently.
And crushed it.
No hesitation. No sound but the faint crack of something that shouldn't have been so fragile.
"The stage is set. The curtains have already risen… though no one noticed when."
Tilting her head, she rested her cheek against her palm. Her bangs shifted just enough to reveal a single eye—glimmering with colors that refused to stay still.
Her smile deepened, quiet and unreadable.
"The feast has begun…"
A soft giggle slipped through.
"Fufu~"
.
.