Chapter Text
Ember of Memories
Erithu stood upon a cliff overlooking the charred remains of what once was an emerald valley. Falling into his knees after a long fight, his face burned, clothes charred.
The winds whispered faint echoes of bygone laughter, a cruel mockery of what had been lost. In his grasp, the masterless Pyro Vision of his fallen friend glimmered faintly—a ghost of its former brilliance.
“Thou, hast lived an ever-burning life," he murmured, his voice trembling against the somber winds. "Thy passion has singed my heart with memories of thee."
The Vision felt heavy, not just in weight but in sorrow. It was said that a Vision was a divine contract, a spark of celestial purpose. Yet, for some, it was a curse—an impossible burden. The gods of Celestia demanded proof of worthiness, and those who faltered were left hollow, their spirits consumed by despair and madness.
Teyvat was no stranger to hardship. The Archons, divine shepherds of the elements, were as capricious as they were powerful. Erithu had seen their influence warp the lives of many. He had once believed that wielding a Vision marked someone as chosen, but now he saw it differently. To bear a Vision was to court suffering.
Erithu's friend, Kael, had been a Knight of the Pyro God, a man of unshakable resolve and fierce devotion. But when his daughter fell to an illness no healer could cure, Kael's fire dimme, Kael succumbed.
Erithu fought when Kael turned hollow. Flames consumed him—not the steady blaze of a Vision bearer, but a chaotic inferno that spoke of anguish and rage. Kael had become a beast of fire, his humanity lost to the void.
"I remembered thy love for her," Erithu whispered, tightening his grip on the Vision. "No father deserves to watch his own kin die. It was enough to make thee hollow."
He placed the Vision on a rock before him and raised his Geo-imbued hand. The power of the earth surged through him, raw and unyielding. With a single motion, he struck the Vision, shattering it into countless shards of glass and embers.
"May the Pyro God find a new knight," he said, his voice resolute.
The curse of hollowing was not well understood, even among scholars. To lose oneself was to be consumed by one’s hardships, to let the burdens of life strip away all sense of self. Hollowing was not unique to Kael; it was a growing plague in Teyvat, whispered about in hushed tones. Vision bearers, once hailed as heroes, were now pitied, even feared, fearing the hollows their life were after.
Erithu looked to the horizon, where the ruins of Kael’s village he smoldered and where he put an end to him. He could still see the blackened frame of the Pyro shrine where Kael had once prayed. The Archon had done nothing. What good were the gods if they left their chosen to rot?
Erithu turned and began his descent from the cliff. His journey was far from over. He had comrades still alive, but he feared what awaited them at New Liyue. Every Vision bearer carried the risk of hollowing, and Erithu vowed that he would not let another fall.
As he walked, he felt the ground beneath his feet, steady and unyielding. His Geo Vision was a reminder of his own resilience, but it also served as a warning. He, too, was not immune.
In the distance, the shadows of his companions awaited him. He could see their silhouettes against the setting sun, each carrying their own burdens. And yet, as he approached, he wondered: how many of them would endure, and how many would hollow?
"If the gods will not save us," Erithu thought, "then we must save ourselves, Morax taught me that."