Dottore backstory part 2
Warning:- inserting my oc, zandik character is maybe a bit out of the character, my au,some parts are cannon, and some are not
*β .β β§ The outcast cradle *β .β β§
The story continues from when zandik is kicked out of his village and meets crystal(my oc)......
Ten-year-old Zandik and Crystal are nothing more than forgotten street urchins, hiding in the damp, shadowy crawlspaces beneath the roots of the Divine Tree. Cast out by society at an age when they should be at play, the two children must scavenge for discarded Zaytun Peaches and dodge the harsh scoldings of the Grand Bazaar merchants. To the Akademiya guards, they are just minor nuisances, but to each other, they are a lifeline. They survive by combining Crystal's fragile hope with Zandikβs oddly sharp, chillingly pragmatic mindβa brilliant but dangerous intellect already adapting to a world that does not want them.
Zandik: Keep your head down, Crystal. The Enforcers just passed the main intersection.
Crystal: Iβm trying. My boots are slipping on this wet trash.
Zandik: Take my hand. Step over that puddleβitβs leaking battery acid from the scrap heap.
Crystal: Thanks. My stomach won't stop growling. Did you find anything edible near the market?
Zandik: Only stale ration bread. Itβs hard as stone, but it beats eating nothing. Here, split it.
Crystal: It tastes like cardboard, but I don't even care. What's our plan for shelter tonight?
Zandik: The old ventilation shaft behind the foundry. Itβs warm, dry, and hidden from the sweepers.
Crystal: Isn't that sector heavily patrolled after midnight?
Zandik: Yes. We move exactly at twilight when the guards switch shifts.
Crystal: Okay. I trust your timing. Letβs get off this open road before the streetlights kick on.
ββ β Two orphans lunder a cold sky ββ β
Scholar 1 : (Holding a glowing Dendro lantern close to a deep stone alcove) , hold your stride for a moment. Look down there, right against the foundation of the library.
Scholar 2 : (Sighs, clutching his heavy stack of reference books) , it is well past midnight. If we do not submit these star-charts by dawn, the Akademiya will cut our funding. What is it?
Scholar 1: (Kneeling on the damp cobblestones) Itβs two children. Theyβre fast asleep, huddled together under a single piece of torn canvas to keep out the night chill.
Scholar 2: (Stepping closer, his expression softening into deep concern) By the Archons... they can't be more than ten years old. They look so peaceful, yet look where they are forced to rest. No pillows, no blankets, just the cold ground.
Scholar 1: (Gently pulling back a corner of their makeshift canvas cover) They don't even have shoes.
Scholar 2: Wisdom grows in the most unforgiving soil,. They are sleeping soundly now, but we cannot leave them here to wake up to the cold or the harsh scoldings of the city guard.
Scholar 1: (Hesitant) But the sanctuary rules... the Sages strictly forbid bringing unregistered vagrants into the inner campus without a permit
Scholar 2: (Lifting the sleeping girl gently into his arms, careful not to disturb her deep slumber) Let the Sages cite their bylaws. The Akademiya was founded to nurture intellect, not to let it sleep in the gutters of Sumeru City. Pick up the boy, Carefully.
Together in Sumeru
Crystal and Zandik spent their youth navigating the bustling, green-canopied walkways of Sumeru Akademiya. By the time they reached 18 years old, the ancient stone halls felt more like a home than a school. They were an inseparable but contrasting duo, easily spotted among the sea of scholars by their intense focus and divergent interests. While other students lounged by the glittering fountains of the Razan Garden, these two spent their days buried under heavy scrolls and glowing Akademiya projections.
Dottoreβs Ambition :-
Zandik, who would one day be known across Teyvat as Dottore, focused his razor-sharp mind entirely on the mechanics of life. He obsessed over the hidden blueprints of human and creature biology, dissecting text after text to understand how the physical form could be altered, repaired, or enhanced. His ultimate goal at the time was to become a doctor capable of transcending traditional medicine. He viewed the living body not just as flesh and bone, but as a complex machine waiting to be optimized through ruthless experimentation.
Crystalβs Innovation:-
Crystal took a completely different path through the Akademiya, driven by a passion to become a pioneering scientist. Instead of focusing on organic life, Crystal studied the great minds of the past to master the art of developing advanced technology. Crystal spent late nights in the workshops drafting schematics, forging mechanical components, and engineering innovative devices that pushed the boundaries of current science. While Zandik sought mastery over human flesh, Crystal aimed to reshape the future through machines, automation, and technological breakthroughs.
Sohrehβs Unrequited Interest :-
As their reputation grew within the Akademiya, a student named Sohreh took notice of Zandikβs brilliant mind and intense demeanor. She found herself deeply drawn to him, often engineering excuses to study near him or join his research circles. Sohreh tried repeatedly to strike up personal conversations, offering compliments and gentle smiles to catch his attention. She hoped to break through his cold exterior and form a meaningful bond with the talented young researcher.
Zandikβs Absolute Indifference:-
True to his cold nature, Zandik completely ignored Sohreh's existence and chose not to acknowledge her feelings at all. In his mind, emotional attachments and romantic relationships were entirely useless distractions that only served to slow down his work. He never spared her a second glance, looking right through her as if she were a blank wall. While Sohreh quietly pined for him, Zandik remained ruthlessly focused on his notes, viewing human emotion as a weakness to be discarded.
To be continued......
Hope you enjoyed
