Stormterror's Lair
"Damn it… did I still get here too late?"
Venti hovered above the ruined spire, heart sinking.
Black scorch marks covered the ground like ink stains. Bridges were sliced apart. The ancient tower was leaning, and nearly collapsed. The lingering currents of wind bore Stormterror's scent—but weak. Recently.
Yet Stormterror himself was gone.
And so was the enemy.
Something did fight here. I didn't imagine it…
But how can a dragon that big just vanish?!
Venti launched upward, rising high enough to see the lands stretching to the horizon.
West—Qingce.
East—Brightcrown.
South—Wolvendom.
North—nothing but wilderness.
Not a single trace of Stormterror's massive silhouette.
"How…? How could he disappear completely?" Venti whispered, unable to comprehend it.
If he hadn't felt Stormterror's fading elemental residue with his Archon senses, he might've believed the dragon had never been here in the first place.
"STORMTERROR!!!"
He shouted with every ounce of breath, hoping for a miracle—
But no wings answered him.
No roar.
No whisper of returning wind.
His last hope surfaced.
The Holy Lyre…
Without hesitation, Venti spun around and shot toward Mondstadt.
Mondstadt — Favonius Cathedral
"Honestly, big sister… why would she go out again when she's supposed to be resting…"
Barbara muttered to herself, turning a hymn book between her hands. Since morning, something felt off. Too many knights had been sent running around for "urgent matters."
Did the Knights lose something important? Should I go…?
Footsteps echoed sharply through the quiet cathedral.
"Jean—? Sister?! What's wrong?"
Barbara stood, startled. Jean marched straight in—but something about her posture felt strange. Too rushed. Too desperate.
"Barbara. Give me the Holy Lyre. Now. It's urgent."
"O-oh! Yes—just a moment!"
Seeing how anxious Jean was, Barbara didn't dare waste time. Whatever she wanted to say, she swallowed back down.
Please let this help… please…
"Jean, I—"
"Thank you. I'll return it soon."
Jean—no, Venti in Jean's form—took the Lyre and bolted out of the cathedral before Barbara could finish.
Barbara sighed helplessly.
"Please… at least take care of yourself…"
Starsnatch Cliff
Pling~ plang~
Venti strummed the lyre, delicate anemo threads spreading out like dandelion seeds.
No response.
He tried again.
Plang~ pling~
Still nothing.
The melody carried far across the plains—yet Stormterror did not come.
His hands stilled.
That letter…
He clenched his jaw and flew toward the Knights' Headquarters.
Favonius Headquarters
Door opens
"Venti—you're back! How is Stormterror?"
Lisa hurried toward him the moment he stepped inside.
Venti didn't answer.
"Where's the citizen who brought that letter?"
"Resting in the next room," Lisa replied. "I already questioned him and wrote everything down."
She held up a sheet of parchment.
Detailed. Thorough.
"I thought you'd want to see this."
Venti took it.
As he read, his expression darkened.
Light green hair.
A strange forehead ornament.
Black-and-white tight dress.
Snake-shaped mantle.
Snake-like pupils.
A little girl's appearance…
Sitting on a floating metal case…
A pool of green liquid used for transportation…
Likely how Jean was taken.
And the lightning earlier—
That same sickly green.
Venti's breath hitched.
This person… She took Jean. And Stormterror…
One phrase on the paper stood out:
"She said she wanted to conduct experiments."
Experiments.
Venti's mind snapped immediately to one name.
"The Fatui Doctor…"
His hands tightened on the parchment.
That monster had once exploited treaties to perform experiments on Mondstadt's children—experiments involving gods and divine energy. He had even tried to kill Stormterror when he was weakened.
This was exactly their style.
Cold.
Cruel.
Scientific.
Venti gritted his teeth.
"These damned Fatui…"
Lisa winced at his tone.
"So, you're thinking we confront them?"
"Yes," Venti said coldly. "We're searching for the Goth Grand Hotel."
Inside the Meeting Room
"But… we don't have evidence," Kaeya said.
"You can't detain Fatui envoys without proof. That's a diplomatic disaster waiting to happen."
"Evidence?" Venti snapped the parchment closed. "We'll find it inside the hotel."
And without waiting for permission, he strode out.
Lisa blinked.
Rita—standing quietly to the side—felt a bead of sweat drip down her cheek.
"…This is going to escalate, isn't it?"
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