𝐤𝐨𝐢 𝐧𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐧.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟑

Heizou was in the middle of a conversation with (more like being chastised by) Kano when two shrine maidens suddenly rushed past them. With an arched eyebrow, his curious gaze followed their figures to the shrine, and his cousin, noticing his diverted attention, decided to explain before he goes running off to satiate his own curiosity.

"Lady Guuji is tending to the two people found unconcious in front of the shrine this morning. I heard that they're in pretty bad shape," she said.

Heizou hummed, his eyes returning to her. "Do you know what happened to them?"

She shook her head. "It could be that they were attacked by bandits last night... Oh, but I was told that one of them is a noblewoman. I don't know anything more than that."

The last detail caught the detective's attention. The head shrine maiden should know the prominent members of most, if not all of the clans in Inazuma - so if Kano wasn't told the noblewoman's identity, either Yae Miko doesn't recognise her or is trying to protect her from someone. Heizou subconsciously shifted his gaze to the shrine. If it's the latter, then there's a possibility that the noblewoman is who he suspects her to be.

"Hey- Heizou!" Kano called out when she saw him striding towards the shrine, "What are you going to do?"

"A little investigation. I have some questions that need answers."

Inside the shrine, Yae Miko sat in seiza next to (y/n)'s futon. Her calculating purple hues gazed down at her pensively as a myriad of thoughts seeped into every corner of her mind, much like the growing unrest that's gradually spreading throughout the islands of Inazuma.

It's not possible.

She knitted her eyebrows together.

It just doesn't make sense.

"What, or rather, who brought you back here, my lady? Your soul has yet to fully heal from the wounds of the past," she murmured, slowly reaching out for her face. Yae Miko's hand hovered over (y/n) for a moment. "But still... I never thought that it was possible for someone to live three times."

A purple glint from the corner of her eye drew her gaze to (y/n)'s waist, where she saw an Electro Vision attached to her obi. Her eyes widened.

"An Electro Vision?" she mumbled, cupping her chin. That's not right - she remembered (y/n) possessing a Hydro Vision in the previous timeline. If such an important detail has been altered, then what else has changed? And what exactly is causing the changes in this timeline? "Are you trying to change your fate...?"

Outside, by the doorway, Heizou was silently listening to the head shrine maiden mumbling to herself. He strained to hear her quiet utterances but he was able to make out the words "Electro Vision" and "fate". Is there a significant link between those two subjects and (y/n) herself? Taking a deep breath, he peeked around the corner and spotted (y/n) lying on a futon. Yae Miko was sitting beside her with her back turned to him, as if she was unaware of his presence nearby.

Suddenly, his vision distorted and the room became dark. In front of him, (y/n) was still lying on the futon but with a bloody white cloth covering her face. Shocked, Heizou immediately slapped a hand over his mouth before stumbling away, and out of the shrine.

Kano was surprised when Heizou rushed past her and hurriedly bid her goodbye. She didn't miss the expression he wore as he left the shrine, making her wonder what had happened.

The detective ran along the path spiralling down Mt. Yougou. He only made it halfway before he had to stop to catch his breath, and leaned against the wall as he clutched his chest. What was that he saw earlier? He didn't remember witnessing such a scene - and one that would emotionally shake him. Clenching his jaw, he screwed his eyes shut when a sharp pain pierced his head, another unfamiliar memory resurfacing from the depths of his mind.

Heizou sprinted forward, his hand catching the woman's elbow before she could walk to her death. He immediately yanked her towards his chest, away from the cliff edge, his hands moving to hold her shoulders in a vice-like grip. Pulling her back slightly, he then looked at her incredulously.

"Lady (y/n)! What do you think you're doing? That's a thirty metre drop you're facing!" he exclaimed, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Release me this instant! You don't understand- I have nowhere to go," (y/n) sobbed, trying to wrench herself free, to no avail, "If I leave, the laws of this country will kill me. But if I stay, my mother will kill me. This is the only place I can think of!"

He gazed into her eyes, despair and resignation sheening them. Glossy streaks ran down her cheeks as her eyelashes caught tiny droplets of her tears. While he couldn't understand the mental pain she's going through, he couldn't bear the thought of losing another precious friend - not when it was something he could prevent, not when he can help her.

"You have saved so many people, so why are you not trying to save yourself?" he asked, making her falter, "The world may see you as their enemy, but these hands-" He gently clasped her trembling hand; "-have saved countless lives. You saved Konda Village when their wells were poisoned. You saved the boy who was being fed salt every night by his mother." Heizou wasn't sure if (y/n) comprehended his words when she responded with silence, but he continued anyway. "Trees don't break their own branches. But humans break the hearts of their loved ones, and even their own. Lady (y/n), don't break yourself. You're not someone who breaks people, you save people."

(Y/n) bit her bottom lip, and he felt her squeeze his hand, causing a small smile to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"Please live," he quietly implored, reciprocating her gesture, "You'll probably save a lot more people in the future, and maybe then you'll learn how to save yourself."

Heizou drew in a sharp breath when he was able to pull himself back to reality, his eyes snapping open. The memory sunk in his mind again, and he held his head as he tried to make sense of it. He was sure that they were still strangers to each other, and he would definitely remember if he had stopped (y/n) from jumping to her death. He hit the side of his fist against his forehead and let out a sharp sigh.

Instead of getting the answers, he just got more questions...

❀

It felt like she was floating, cradled in the arms of the wind. Her body felt weightless, as if the burdens she's had to carry on her shoulders never existed in the first place. Although (y/n) couldn't see or hear anything, it felt soothing - comforting even. The strange familiarity of the situation tamed the panic that would churn inside her chest, suffocating her until she finally forced her eyes open. As her body continued to sway in the seemingly endless space, she suddenly registered the patch of warmth at the back of her left hand.

Her body came to a standstill. Then, her eyelids flew open as she gasped loudly, causing a warm pressure to engulf her hand.

"(Y/n)!" Tomoaki's voice brought her attention to him and the moment their eyes met, her erratic breathing began to calm.

"T-Tomo..." she hoarsely whispered, attempting to move her arms.

"Don't strain yourself, you're still healing from your injuries," he gently said as he helped her sit up. Picking up the glass of water beside him, he then pressed the rim to her lips. (Y/n) downed the contents of the glass within seconds, finding relief in the cool liquid running down her throat. "How are you feeling?"

"Kazuha... Where's Kazuha?" she asked, shakily gripping his upper arms, "Y-you have to make an abdominal incision. If pus comes out, it would mean that his intestines are rotting-" She stopped mid-sentence when the rounin embraced her abruptly. Her eyes widened, unsure of how to respond as she awkwardly held onto his shoulders.

"He's okay. Thanks to you, he'll live," he told her, "I'm... I'm glad you're alive." His arms that had settled around her waist tightened, but not to the point of causing her pain. When Jin had informed Tomoaki of his friends' imprisonment, he set out to rescue to them the following night - only to discover that they already escaped. He tried to track them down and eventually found them in Chinju Forest, where they were cornered by Tatsuya's samurai. As he was about to step in, Tsukuyomi intercepted their enemies, allowing (y/n) and Kazuha to escape safely. Tomoaki then joined Tsukuyomi much to the latter's surprise, helping him incapacitate the samurai before one of them suddenly dropped dead. Tomoaki thought that the retainer had killed him but when he noticed Tsukuyomi's equally shocked expression, he realised that another party made an unprecedented appearance.

It didn't take him long to figure out who it was when he spotted a bloody kuda-yari under the moonlight.

"Is she finally awake?"

Yae Miko's voice cutting through the silence prompted him to pull away from an embarrassed (y/n), who then looked at the head shrine maiden curiously when she gestured for Tomoaki to leave the room with a flick of her head. He did so without question, and once he was out of sight, the pink-haired kitsune knelt beside (y/n) with her hands neatly folded atop her lap. The women stared at each other for a while, and Yae Miko then spoke.

"You were brought in with your servant-"

"He's my friend."

"-your friend by one of the shrine visitors this morning, Lady (y/n)," she began, "The state you both were in and the time you were found suggest that you had run away last night. What happened?"

(Y/n) visibly stiffened at her question. "I... I have to go." Throwing the blanket off her body, she then pushed herself to her feet with a wince and took one step.

"Stop right there."

The abrupt firmness in Yae Miko's voice made her stop and tense up once more.

"I'm sure you've realised by now that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to change your fate, your death is inevitable."

Her words made (y/n) spin on her heel with an incredulous look. Yae Miko rose from the tatami and turned to face Onigasaki's heiress with an unreadable expression.

"This world is constantly trying to set you on the 'right' path. Try as you might, you cannot escape your fate."

(Y/n)'s mouth opened and closed as if she was trying to say something, but no words came out. She swallowed thickly, unable to comprehend yet somehow understanding what Yae Miko was hinting at.

"Wh-what... what do you mean...?" she hesitantly asked.

The kitsune let out a muted sigh. "Tell me, is the name you share with the only daughter of the Onigasaki Clan a mere coincidence? The feelings you must have felt when pieces of her memories returned... have they never felt too real to just be the memories' influence?"

(Y/n)'s throat went dry. She could only stare at her, unable to respond.

"The Electro Vision you have now is a warning from Celestia. If you continue to resist, you'll-"

"NO!" (y/n) exclaimed, falling to her knees. She grasped her hair, fingers digging painfully into her scalp as her eyes burned behind her eyelids. "I won't die! I can't- We're not the same-"

"Wake up. You are Onigasaki (y/n), condemned to spend the rest of your life as the most evil villainess of Inazuma," Yae Miko firmly interjected with a frown, "They've made great sacrifices to save you. Don't let their efforts go in vain."

Slowly opening her eyes, (y/n) raised her gaze. "What are you talking about...?"

Yae Miko lowered her eyelids halfway. "They wanted to live in a world where you're alive, even if it meant losing their memories. I wouldn't have performed the space-time breaking rituals if it weren't for their strong resolve to change your fate. So find out who they are and let them save you instead." She folded her arms over her chest and shifted her weight onto one foot. "Unfortunately for you, I don't remember who you should find or much of what had happened in the previous timeline, only the rituals that I performed for your sake. One approached me to send your damaged soul to another world to heal, and another wanted to reverse time to right their wrongs."

"That's... just crazy," (y/n) mumbled. This was too much for her to absorb within a day. She couldn't change her own fate? How is she even going to figure out the identities of the people who went through hell and back to save her? Her brain was already struggling to comprehend all the new information, and she wasn't sure if she could handle more truths if Yae Miko continued. However, the head shrine maiden wasn't finished yet.

"Your soul was supposed to return once it has fully healed. It was expected to be next year, but someone forcefully brought you back," she said, kneeling down to (y/n)'s level, "Because of that, you've returned with only bits and pieces." She then paused to guage her mood. "It's a slow process, but you will eventually remember everything."

(Y/n) closed her eyes, feeling somewhat resigned. Her story was beginning to turn out as tragic as Romeo and Juliet - but she didn't want Juliet's ending, she'd rather have Cinderella's.

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟓

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟐

Tap...

Tap...

Tap...

(Y/n)'s eyelids flew open as she awoke to the sound of approaching footsteps. Without getting up, she slowly turned her head just enough to catch a glimpse of a woman with long pink hair, the soft hue of her tresses reminding the heiress of the sakura blooms scattered around Narukami during spring.

"Food for the prisoners," the woman said as she slightly extended her arms towards the guard.

(Y/n)'s eyes lingered on the servant as she watched the guard examine the tray of food and water that was going to be served to her and Kazuha; when the woman's gaze suddenly shifted to meet hers, (y/n) quickly looked away, hoping that she didn't notice her awake. She laid as still as she could with bated breath when she heard the cell door unlock, and subconsciously pulled Kazuha closer in a protective embrace.

The maid entered the cell and knelt down to carefully place the metal tray on the floor beside (y/n). She didn't move from her position for a few seconds before her soft whisper brushed past the heiress' ear, carrying with it a hopeful cadence.

"Should you wish to see the moon," she began, "he will find you."

... He?

Her cryptic words perplexed (y/n), and her eyes darted around the darkness as she tried to decipher the hidden meaning of the maid's words. The sound of the cell door slamming shut halted her train of thoughts, the receding footsteps telling her that the maid had finally left. Loosening her grip on Kazuha, (y/n) retracted her arms and slowly propped her upper body up on her elbows. She eyed the tray cautiously for a few seconds and then dragged it closer by the edge, causing a sharp scraping sound to resound through the small space. She then picked up the cup of water and sniffed it, took a sip, before deeming it safe enough to drink. Turning to Kazuha, (y/n) gently shook his shoulder, making him stir awake with a soft groan.

"Kazuha, you need to hydrate yourself," she murmured, wrapping her left arm around his shoulders. Being mindful of the wound on his back, she carefully lifted his upper body and brought the edge of the cup towards his lips. He slowly drank the water and when he turned his head away, (y/n) downed the rest of the contents, quenching her own thirst.

With a muted sigh, she laid Kazuha on his stomach again before sitting back on her knees.

Escaping from this prison was her top priority; she wasn't sure if Kazuha could hold out until somebody saves them, and she certainly wasn't about to risk waiting around for someone to when his life was literally in her hands.

But how will they escape?

As if the world knew of her plight, slivers of sunlight filtered inside the cell and from the corner of her eye, something glinted. Turning her head, she spotted a slender silver object about the length of her hand in a corner. Curious, she quietly crawled over and found a metal hook. A loud, drawn-out yawn and the soft jingle of keys drew her attention to the guard; eyeing the keys and then looking at the hook once more, an idea popped into her head.

It's risky but worth trying.

(Y/n) patiently waited until midnight. As she peered up at the guard's sleepy expression from where she's kneeling, she softly hummed a lullaby she remembered. With the metal hook in hand, she extended her arm through the bars of the cell and carefully reached for the keys hanging by the guard's hip. A bead of cold sweat rolled down her forehead, her arm shaking slightly when she successfully hooked onto the keys' ring. Slowly, she began to retract her arm-

"Urgh..."

Her breath hitched in her throat and she paused when the guard stirred. She analysed his expression with wide eyes before letting out a bated breath, realising that he hasn't woken up... yet. As she continued to hum, she finally brought the keys over to her side. With a triumphant smile, she quickly and silently unlocked the cell door, allowing it to swing open without alerting the guard. Her gaze then fell on Kazuha who appeared to be semi-conscious; crouching to his level, she gingerly lifted him off the straw bedding and wrapped his arm around her neck before standing up with him.

"(Y/n)...?" he mumbled, opening his eyes halfway.

Stepping out to freedom, (y/n) whispered to him, "Don't worry. We're both getting out of here alive."

❀

"THEY WENT THIS WAY!"

The thudding of hooves resonated across Chinju Forest as (y/n) attempted to lose her pursuers. With Kazuha securely tucked between her arms, she urged the horse she had managed to steal from an unsuspecting merchant earlier to go faster, uncaring of the stray branches catching onto her skin and weaving red lines on her cheeks. She had no destination in mind, spurred on by the single thought of escaping somewhere safe.

An arrow suddenly whistled behind her and struck the horse's rear, throwing it off balance. Coiling her arms around Kazuha instinctively, she then landed on her back, cushioning his fall. She wheezed, feeling the air knocked out of her lungs, and laid still for a moment to catch her breath.

"H-hold on, Kazuha. Hold on..." she muttered, sitting up. Hearing heavy footfalls heading in their direction, she scrambled to stand up only to stumble back when an arrow lodged itself on the ground beside her feet. A sharp whistle followed and before her mind could process what was happening, she felt herself being pulled to the ground as someone moved on top of her. The dull thud of an arrow landing on something made her look up, and her pupils dilated.

"No... No, no, no, no- Kazuha, why would you-?" (y/n) asked, shakily raising her hands.

Clenching his jaw, Kazuha remained in position as he gazed at her. Despite his injuries, the feeling of her hands on his face soothed the pain racking his whole body, and he gave her a weak smile.

"I... promised myself to protect you..." he quietly replied, his eyes never leaving hers.

(Y/n) didn't have any time to react as she heard the shouts of their pursuers drawing near. Sliding out from underneath Kazuha, she tried to pull him up when a samurai suddenly emerged from shadows, illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the gaps between the leaves above. Kazuha grunted, realising that he won't have enough time to draw his sword to block the incoming attack, and immediately hugged her with the intention of shielding her with his body once more.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. As the samurai's blade came slicing down, a shadow jumped in between them and blocked his sword. The echoing splash of water caught (y/n)'s attention, and over Kazuha's shoulder, she spotted an unfamiliar man with light blue hair tied in a low ponytail.

Who...?

"Go," the man spoke, snapping her out of her thoughts, "I'll buy you time to escape."

Although she was puzzled as to why the stranger was helping her, she decided not to waste this opportunity and quickly shifted Kazuha's position so that he was leaning against her. Keeping a secure grip around his torso, she then draped one of his arms over her shoulder before tottering away as fast as she could.

He waited until he could no longer sense (y/n) and Kazuha, and proceeded to summon his water blades. His moonlit eyes stared at the men before him with contempt; he abruptly swung an arm to his side, throwing a water arrow that struck a samurai trying to sneak up on him right in the solar plexus.

"None of you will escape Mikazuki's revenge tonight," he uttered. Without another word, he lunged towards them.

❀

(Y/n) carefully laid Kazuha on his side against the cave wall. She was forced to find shelter when it started pouring and luckily came across a small cave on the way up to the Grand Narukami Shrine. She let out a muted sigh, hearing the rain get heavier; as she turned her head to the cave's opening, a flash of lightning lit up the sky, and it was followed by the rumbling thunder.

"Where do we go now...?" she whispered to herself. She couldn't possibly go home in this state, especially knowing that Tatsuya has eyes and ears in her home. Going to the Kamisato Estate wasn't an option either as she couldn't risk getting Ayaka and Thoma involved in her clan's issues, and going to Yoimiya for help would have been a viable option if Naganohara Fireworks wasn't all the way in Inazuma City.

"(Y/n)..."

(Y/n) was drawn back to reality when Kazuha hoarsely called out to her. Eyes flickering back to him, she shuffled closer.

"Kazuha? How are you feeling?" she softly asked, eyeing the arrow sticking out of his back. She knew better than to pull it out as the arrowhead was the only thing applying pressure to his wound. Grabbing the shaft of the arrow, she then broke off a part of it so the arrow wouldn't shift around.

"Cold..." Kazuha mumbled, making her eyes widen. She immediately pressed her palm against his forehead and discovered that he was burning up. Chills... Fever... Those are the severe symptoms of an infected wound, with the infection having spread beyond the wound site.

As panic began to settle in, she threw another question at him, "Are you feeling nauseous?"

He shook his head, but that did nothing to alleviate her stress. Letting out a distressed sigh, she allowed her head to fall on his shoulder.

"Why... Why choose this obvious path to death instead of choosing to live...?" she whispered, feeling her eyes burn with tears, "I can't... I don't want to lose you..."

Lightning flashed in the sky. For some reason, it looked brighter than before... (Y/n) jolted when the thunderous symphony shook the earth, and when she directed her gaze to the cave's entrance, there was a crackling, purple Vision. She stared at the glowing Vision, her jaw going slightly slack. She could hardly believe her eyes; was she really experiencing the pivotal moment of receiving a Vision?

But why Electro?

Was it because she's different? Or... was it because her beliefs have been shaken?

Rising to her feet, she left Kazuha's side and cautiously reached for the Electro Vision. The moment her fingertip touched it, a series of moving images flashed through her mind.

The villainess standing before Tenshukaku, challenging the Raiden Shogun to a duel.

The defeated villainess kneeling before the Raiden Shogun, desperately reaching out for the Hydro Vision being taken from her.

A distressed Sara standing in front of a frowning Yae Miko, clutching an empty Vision in her hand.

With a loud gasp, (y/n) stumbled backwards, holding the Electro Vision against her chest whilst heaving.

What did she just witness?

The more she tried to make sense of the visions, the crazier they seemed to her. What she witnessed was clearly during the time of the Vision Hunt Decree, which was still months away... She closed her eyes briefly. She'll think about those strange visions later and focus on getting herself out of her plight. When she returned to where Kazuha was resting, he suddenly grabbed her hips before pulling her against him. She squeaked in surprise and soon realised that he was searching for warmth. Biting her bottom lip, she pushed her embarrassment aside and hesitantly untied her obi. She then loosened her kimono, sliding her arms out of the sleeves and allowing the top part to bunch around her waist. Kazuha instinctively buried his face in her chest, mumbling about how warm it was.

Sighing, (y/n) brought her arms around his head and carded her fingers through his tresses, hoping that he'd remember none of this later.

The following morning, (y/n) decided to go to the Grand Narukami Shrine. Objectively speaking, it was the best place to hide as it's a sacred place, and the shrine maidens serving there are more likely to help them, especially since Kazuha's wounded. After redressing herself, she made sure that Kazuha was well enough to move around before beginning their arduous trek to the peak of Mt. Yougou.

Every step she took up the stairs felt heavy, as if there were lead weights attached to her limbs. Having not eaten or rested properly since yesterday, (y/n) was surprised that she's able to last this long. The morning sun beat down on her from above, causing beads of sweat to dot her forehead; even when she's on the verge of collapsing, she did not succumb to her exhaustion until they both reached the torii lining the path up to the shrine. As the world around her spun, she finally collapsed on the ground with Kazuha.

Ears picking up on the odd sound below, Shinobu peered over the edge of the mountain peak, her sharp purple hues scanning the area for the source. Itto, noticing her abrupt behaviour, sauntered over to see what she was looking at.

"What are you tryna find?" he asked, an eyebrow quirking quizzically.

"I heard something," she replied, gaze finally locking on a mop of (h/c) hair, "Is that..." Eyes widening in alarm, she immediately jumped down a level, surprising the oni, and was shocked to find two wounded people. "Hey, call for a shrine maiden and get down here! These two need medical attention immediately!"

"Wh-what? Okay, gimme a minute-!" Itto didn't know what was happening, but he trusted Shinobu enough to immediately act upon her instructions. After calling over the first shrine maiden he found, he rushed down to where Shinobu was with her in tow.

"L-Lady Guuji!" Shinobu exclaimed, having not expected him to bring the head shrine maiden here.

Yae Miko let out a dramatic sigh. "This better be an actual emergency-" She suddenly faltered, her eyes widening when they landed on (y/n). "... Impossible."

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟒

Kaveh was flabbergasted. Gobsmacked. Stupefied. Bamboozled.

If The Scream existed in Teyvat, that's what Kaveh looked like at the moment.

Since when was Al-Haitham dating you? He doesn't even look like the type to be romantically interested in someone!

Dropping his glass of wine, the architect staggered over to you and clamped his hands down on your shoulders with a disturbed look, beads of cold sweat rolling down his forehead.

There has to be a logical reason behind you, the sweetest angel in Teyvat, dating his sociopathic roommate.

"Are you being threatened?" he asked, puzzling you, "Or... do you have Stockholm Syndrome?" His mind was a whirlpool of unlikely hypotheses, and you swear you could see the spirals in his eyes. "If you need help, you can always come to me."

"Oi."

Tighnari laughed at the news and patted your shoulder as he congratulated the two of you. He knew that Al-Haitham had been secretly crushing on you for the past six months, and was glad that the Scribe actually took his advice after the latter sent him countless letters asking for tips on courting you, including letters detailing how he screwed up pathetically on some attempts.

What is he, a love counsellor?

Tighnari let out a muted sigh, shaking his head at Cyno and Kaveh badmouthing Al-Haitham to you right in front of the man himself, who looked less than pleased by his friends' behaviour.

Although he's happy to see you and Al-Haitham together...

His smile suddenly became strained.

He definitely thought that you could do better than this.

I was busy being our favourite feeble scholar KEKW