They say ruins hold the echoes of the past. In my experience, they mostly hold two things: traps and trauma.
"I SWEAR I DIDN'T STEP ON ANYTHING!" I screamed as the tenth trap that day triggered and nearly chopped my hairstyle into a mohawk. A mohawk! I mean, sure, I can probably rock it, but I wasn't emotionally prepared for that level of commitment today.
Paimon zipped around me like a worried mosquito. "Shigeru! Be careful! You almost triggered another one—WAIT, NO, YOU JUST DID!!"
Click. RUMBLE.
"...Who put a pressure plate on a pressure plate?! What kind of maniacal design philosophy is this?!" I yelled, flipping backwards as a dozen arrows shot out from the walls like the dungeon itself wanted me dead for lore dumping too hard.
Lumine was dodging everything gracefully like the protagonist she is. While Dainsleif is calmly blocking laser beams with his face probably. And me? Screeching like a chicken in a blender.
"You okay?" Lumine asked, concern in her voice as she helped me up.
I brushed dust off my now half-torn coat. "Physically, I'm fine. Mentally, I'm filing a lawsuit against the concept of ruins."
Eventually—miraculously—we cleared the domain. It wasn't what I'd call swift, but hey, no one died. Which is a W in my book.
Dainsleif dusted his gloves. "No sign of the Herald. Only Abyss Mages."
I blinked. "ONLY Abyss Mages, he says. As if three of them didn't simultaneously try to barbecue me into crisp duck."
Lumine turned toward him. "Then... what really is the Abyss?"
Now, here's the thing.
Dain was about to explain.
But he hesitated.
And that was his first mistake.
Because I opened my mouth.
"Great question!" I cut her off, turning dramatically to face the dimly-lit chamber like I was about to deliver a lecture in front of a confused class.
"Alright, gather 'round, folks! It's time for Professor Shigeru's crash course on the Abyss. Don't worry, there won't be a quiz... or will there? "
Paimon hovered nervously. "Uh-oh."
"So, what is the Abyss?" I spun on my heel dramatically. "Think of it as the universe's garbage disposal, but instead of just food scraps, it's filled with corrupted souls, forbidden knowledge, and a whole lot of bad vibes. Now, let's rewind about 500 years. There was this nation called Khaenri'ah, a place that said, 'No gods? No problem!' They were all about science, alchemy, and probably had the best coffee machines. But then, boom! Celestia, the divine HOA, wasn't thrilled with their independence and unleashed a cataclysm."
"The aftermath? The Abyss Order was born. A group of Khaenri'ah's survivors, twisted by the curse, decided to rebel against the gods. They recruited Hilichurls, Abyss Mages, and even some Shadowy Husks to their cause."
"But here's the kicker: the Abyss isn't just a place or a group; it's a force. It corrupts everything it touches. Remember Dvalin? Big dragon, attitude problem? Remember that guy? He got a taste of Abyssal power and boom—dragon tantrum city."
"So, in summary: the Abyss is a corrupting force born from a godless nation's downfall, now seeking to overthrow the divine order. And we? We're the unpaid interns caught in the crossfire."
Lumine: confused.
Paimon: traumatized.
Dainsleif: mildly impressed.
Dain looked at me, eyebrows raised. "He says it weirdly, and I don't understand most of it... but he's not wrong."
"See? Validation!" I pumped my fist. "Also, the Abyss is hella toxic to elemental beings. Vishaps, dragons, even your favorite Geo Daddy would probably have a bad time swimming in Abyss juice."
He stepped forward, his voice going from monotone to dramatic monologue real quick. "The Abyss is chaos. Destruction. A morass of inconceivable madness. It encroaches upon the world's very foundations. That is why even the Dragon of the East, a servant of a deity, was unable to resist its corrosive powers. The creatures of the Abyss desire nothing less than the overthrow of a world ruled by the Archons."
I nodded like a sage monk. "But... Abyss Order and the Abyss are entirely different, ain't that right?"
Dain gave me a slow, approving nod. "Yes. But that's for a different conversation. For now, let's focus on hunting the Abyss Herald."
Paimon floated between us, utterly baffled. "Wait, wait, wait! Why does he know so much about the Abyss?!"
Ah.
The moment.
The past tapping on my shoulder.
Me and Dain looked at each other. We nodded.
Time to dump exposition like I dump traps in ruins.
"The Abyss and Dain go a long way back," I said, stepping into the light like a soap opera character returning after being presumed dead. "About 500 years ago like I mentioned—before you woke up, Lumine..." I paused dramatically, looking straight at her.
"The destruction of Khaenri'ah..." I whispered. "It wasn't just Celestia. The Abyss played a role too. A big one. Maybe the biggest. Also said that a while ago."
Lumine's eyes widened. Paimon opened her mouth. I raised a finger. "But! Let's put that aside for now. Even I don't have all the answers yet. But trust me—" I looked at her, then at Paimon, then at Dain, then at the camera that wasn't there—"for a curious idiot like myself... and the two of you—well, three, since Dain is an honorary moron for today—we'll unravel it together. Ain't that right, Dain?"
Dain stares blankly.
sighs.
nods.
Validation: Achieved x2.
Dain cleared his throat. "We better head to Wolvendom. Based on the traces I've seen, the Herald might be there."
"Wolvendom, huh?" I stretched my back. "Great. Trees. Wolves. More things to trip over. Let's go!"
And so we left the ruin.
I only tripped twice on the way out.
Progress.
***
Look, I know I've said a lot of questionable things in the past—like that time I called Stormterror "a misunderstood lizard with issues" or when I offered to bribe a Mitachurl with grilled fish so it wouldn't clobber me—but this time? This time, I was serious. Dead serious. Like, Paimon-holding-her-breath serious.
So there we were, walking through Wolvendom, and honestly, the vibes were weird. Like someone had cranked the forest's creep factor up to eleven. You ever walk through trees and feel like something's watching you? No? Well, I have. And let me tell you—it ain't just squirrels.
Then we saw him. Dainsleif. Standing there like a discount forest ranger at a haunted campsite. A dark campfire burned before him, and by dark, I mean literally black flames. Yep. Totally normal. Nothing screams "friendly gathering" like cursed fire pits.
Dain was just staring at it like, "Hmm, yes, my favorite brand of ominous barbecue."
"Hey, uh, Dain," I said, cautiously approaching, "are we summoning demons, or did you just forget how to cook marshmallows?"
He didn't even blink. Just said, "We need to find more of these."
"More of these?" I flailed an arm dramatically. "This thing looks like it's possessed by Satan's stovetop."
Naturally, he ignored me. Guy probably ignores his own birthday.
So he tells us to go find more cursed bonfires in the woods, which is exactly the kind of task I imagined when I signed up for this world-hopping adventure. Yep. Nothing says "hero" like being Teyvat's newest Abyss fire scout.
I blinked at him. "More cursed grills? Is this a scavenger hunt or a barbecue from hell?"
Paimon tried to stay positive. "Maybe there'll be treasure nearby!"
"Yeah, maybe the treasure is a free funeral," I muttered.
So off we went, through bushes, over rivers, and into every Abyss Mage ambush known to man. At this point, I think Hilichurls have a group chat titled "How To Surprise Attack Shigeru."
"Another one?!" I shouted, dodging a hydro ball to the face. "Do these guys ever take a lunch break?!"
"Behind you!" Lumine called.
Too late. BAM. Mitachurl. Big one. With a flaming shield. Because why not? Let's just add lava and heartbreak.
"Okay, buddy," I huffed, raising my sword. "You better be dropping a five-star artifact after this."
I miss the days when I thought grilled fish could solve everything.
After a gauntlet of chaos and regrets, we finally found two more of those cursed campfires. Honestly, I was expecting a prize. A badge. A hug. Something. But nope. Dain looked at them like they were a half-burnt pancake.
"These lack deeper abyssal power," he muttered.
I stared at him. "So... we just got beat up for nothing? Great. I love wasting my emotional stability."
"We must leave now."
I froze. My eye twitched. My soul cried.
"Please don't say it. Don't say where we're going."
"Stormterror's Lair."
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—
Cue internal screaming. Cue PTSD. Cue my soul crawling into a corner and curling up into a dumpling.
"I don't like this place," I whispered as we flew over the ruined cliffs. "It smells like ancient trauma and giant lizard farts."
Gliding through Stormterror's Lair still triggers my flight anxiety. There's no insurance in Teyvat. If I fall, I fall straight into the history books. No glider insurance, no safety net—just me, a sword, and a prayer to Rex Lapis.
Dain, as usual, was unbothered. He pointed toward those stupid light actuator things—the same ones we used to unseal Dvalin's drama cave way back in Chapter 12.
"If the Abyss Order is interested in this location," he said, "they will not neglect these mechanisms."
"Because they never do," I grumbled. "They're like toddlers. See shiny old button, must press."
And of course, more fighting. More Hilichurls screaming. More Abyss Mages teleporting like they're auditioning for a soap opera. And those Mitachurls? Bro. Chill. Take yoga or something.
I got smacked into a wall. Again.
"I swear, these guys are getting gym memberships behind our backs."
Eventually, we cleared the area.
Paimon puffed her cheeks. "So in the end, we still couldn't find that Abyss Herald. Bummer."
Dain gave his usual cryptic stoic stare. "I wouldn't call not encountering that kind of thing a shame. We will meet one eventually."
"Yeah, well," I said, brushing dirt off my coat, "next time you meet one, you can call me after the fight's done. I'll bring snacks."
But then I noticed Lumine had gone quiet. Her eyes were locked on a distant cliff.
"Lumine?" I walked up beside her. "Familiar, isn't it? Didn't I tell you before? Your brother's always watching over you."
She didn't say anything. Just kept staring. Like she could see something none of us could. Dain noticed too.
"We should check it out."
So we caught a wind current and glided over.
We landed near a cliff. There, a single dandelion floated in the wind.
Lumine reached out.
The moment her fingers brushed it, her expression changed. Her body froze. A flood of memories seemed to rush through her. Her brother. The Sustainer. That moment she lost everything.
I reached for her hand. Held it.
"I know it's hard... but don't worry. I swear, you'll be reunited with him again."
Her fingers tightened around mine. There was something heavy in her gaze. A storm behind those golden eyes.
Dain stood a few paces away, cloak flapping dramatically as usual. "This is something you must keep in mind as the meaning behind your journey," he said. "May you find your kin at the end of that journey."
He turned.
"Well then, let us part ways here for now."
Paimon floated up. "You're leaving? Again?"
"Yes."
Then he turned to me. And for once, his voice was less cold, more... personal.
"Shigeru. Traveler from afar... I hope you really are the answer that this world and I need. Take good care of her."
And like that, he was gone.
I looked down. Lumine's hand still in mine.
I squeezed it gently.
And inside, I promised:
I will.
Even if I have to fight every damn Archon and Rulers in Teyvat to make it happen.
_____________________________________
End of Chapter 32
Quest Completed:
*Investigate Abyssal Campfires in Wolvendom
*Search Stormterror's Lair for Abyss Order Clues
*Calm Lumine's Storm of Memories
*Survive Dainsleif's Emotional Mic Drop
Rewards:
*+3 Emotional Damage Resistance
*+500 Adventurer EXP
*+1 Dainsleif Approval
*+10 Lumine Affection.
Achievement Unlocked: "I Promise."-You've sworn to protect the Traveler. No backing out now, simp.