Chapter 5: The Fracture Beneath the Calm

At first, I thought peace would last. The Archons were doing their duties well, and the people across Teyvat were thriving. It seemed like everything was in balance.

But after a few centuries, I began to notice things that didn't feel right. Strange dreams started to disturb my rest—visions of darkness, corrupted creatures, and a power hiding beneath the surface of the world. It felt like something old and dangerous was waking up.

I decided to investigate without drawing attention. I traveled across Teyvat quietly, hiding my true identity. I explored remote forests in Sumeru, visited the islands of Inazuma, and searched forgotten ruins.

That's when I found it—the Abyss.

It wasn't a physical place exactly. It was more like a spreading infection. It twisted life, warped the stars, and grew stronger in secret places. It had been around even during Phanes' rule, and clearly, he hadn't been able to stop it.

But when I reached out to it, something surprising happened. The Abyss backed away. It reacted to me like I was something it feared.

That's when I started realizing I was different.

Phanes had been powerful, yes. He created order and gave structure to the world. But he couldn't cleanse the Abyss. I could. Somehow, I was not just the new Heavenly Principle—I had the power to purify the corruption.

Unlike Phanes, I wasn't just meant to watch over the world. I was meant to protect it. I wasn't only the ruler from Celestia. I was its defender.

So, I stopped just watching. I began fixing things quietly.

In Sumeru, I closed a broken Ley Line that was leaking corruption. Near Mondstadt, I removed a strange blight that made flowers rot and regrow backwards. I even stepped into the edge of the Spiral Abyss itself, and the corruption there backed away from my touch.

People began to notice. Scholars and Archons whispered about strange miracles. No one knew who was behind them. Only one being knew the truth—the Sustainer.

She appeared before me briefly, but said nothing. Her expression held no judgment—only silence. She looked at me for a moment, then vanished.

That was all the confirmation I needed. She knew. She understood I was different.

Thaple began to notice. Scholars and Archons whispered about strange miracles. No one knew who was behind them. Only one being knew the truth—the Sustainer.

She appeared before me briefly, but said nothing. Her expression held no judgment—only silence. She looked at me for a moment, then vanished.

That was all the confirmation I needed. She knew. She understood I was different.

That moment made it clear to me: the world didn't just need a protector—it needed change.

The story written by Phanes was no longer enough. The script that held the world together for so long was flawed. The Abyss was not just a threat—it was proof that the original plan had failed.

I had to change the plot. I had to reshape the fate of Teyvat into something stronger, something that would last. Not a cycle of balance and decay, but a future free from the Abyss entirely,

And when the Abyss came, I would be ready.