Aether lifted his foot and stepped inside, only to frown slightly upon entering.
This place didn't match his memories from last night at all. There was no dust—everything was clean. Medicinal herbs lay on the counter, and the strong scent of medicine filled the entire room. The spiderwebs that had once covered the corners were now gone...
It was as if a lifeless village had suddenly, in the blink of an eye, become vibrant with signs of life. What's more, lying on the bed was a Hilichurl.
This was simply too... unbelievable.
"You're from Khaenri'ah, aren't you?"
Suppressing the eerie feeling welling up inside him, Aether looked at the man, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
"Hah... do you believe in the gods?"
The man didn't turn around. Instead, he stared fixedly at the Hilichurl lying before him, an air of sorrow radiating from him.
"I don't believe in gods. I'm friends with some of them."
Aether answered truthfully, but the man seemed to only hear the first part.
"My name is Eide. I always thought those who didn't believe in the gods had long gone extinct. It seems I was too prejudiced."
Aether sat on a chair, lifting his gaze to observe the Hilichurl on the bed. It was resting quietly, completely motionless.
"My child... my illegitimate son, Caribert."
Ed glanced at Aether, noting his lack of surprise, and thus gained some understanding of this unexpected guest.
So he began recounting the origins of this Hilichurl.
"I was once a noble of the Khaenri'ah court. Among the common folk, I met a beautiful woman—she had Mondstadt blood. I was certain she was my true love..."
Thus, Caribert was a mixed-blood child. But how could a mixed-blood child from a foreign land ever be accepted by the nobility?
Aether didn't need to hear the rest to guess what happened next.
"Later, when Caribert turned into a Hilichurl, I realized how much I had failed him. Now, at last, I can stay by his side."
A long sigh escaped Ed as his weary figure returned to the counter where he had been grinding herbs. Apparently, the noise from earlier had come from here.
"I've always wanted to find a way to cure Caribert..."
Aether shook his head imperceptibly. Back in The Chasm, he had already learned that the curse was irreversible. Even his sister Lumine, using a device, had been unable to undo it—let alone these crude herbal remedies.
But faced with a father's love for his child, Aether couldn't bring himself to shatter Eide's futile efforts.
A silk scarf was tied around Caribert's arm in a bow, adorned with some indecipherable patterns.
"Let's step outside. My child needs a quiet space."
Ed stopped what he was doing, sighed deeply, and cast one last look at Caribert before walking out the door.
"Only when someone you care about most is taken from you do you realize how cruel loss truly is.
Time is the one thing I have plenty of. I can wait—ten years, a hundred, even a thousand."
Ed clenched his fists tightly, slamming them against a nearby tree in a fit of rage fueled by years of failure.
"Wait a moment, Mr. Eide. Look over there."
Aether spotted a strange Hilichurl.
Ed turned to look and noticed its odd behavior as well.
Its footsteps never faltered. Even when it sensed the gazes directed at it, it didn't stop—as if something ahead was calling to it.
Eventually, it passed by Aether and Eide without sparing them a glance, walking straight onward.
Eide frowned slightly before relaxing. He decided to follow the Hilichurl.
"The more I understand about Hilichurls, the better. Perhaps there's hope yet."
The two ventured into an unfamiliar cave. After walking for what felt like ages, they finally saw a glimmer of light.
"This place... I've never discovered it before."
Aether stroked his chin, surveying the surroundings.
Judging by the architectural layout, it seemed to be some kind of ruin—and the materials used felt familiar somehow.
Looking deeper, thick fog obscured the view, occasionally revealing an eerie atmosphere. Scattered rubble on the steps bore witness to numerous footprints that had recently passed through.
The further they went, the more Hilichurls they encountered. Strangely, many of them took a few steps before kneeling, their postures almost reverent.
This was too bizarre!
Aether instinctively drew his Dull Blade, closely following the Hilichurl's path until they arrived at a mechanism.
At the center of the floor was a raised triangular structure with three indentations matching its shape.
This was no challenge for Aether. Soon, he found three energy blocks and placed them into the slots.
The triangular mechanism opened, revealing a descending passage.
Gliding down with his Wind Glider, Aether looked up—and finally realized why everything felt so familiar.
The door before him was identical to the ones in The Chasm.
As if sensing their presence, the door slowly creaked open, and an Abyss Herald emerged.
"Halt, humans. You are not permitted to seek fate here."
Aether said nothing, simply pointing his blade at the Abyss Herald. After all he'd been through, he'd long since learned not to waste words on enemies.
...
"This mechanism seems to have been activated long ago."
Rover leaped down, landing in a long corridor. Though the dust stirred up by his landing swirled in the air, it didn't hinder his vision—at least, he could still see the sword marks on the walls.
A fierce battle had taken place here, judging by the depth of the slashes.
"You said you woke up and found yourself in this strange place. Can you recall anything before that?"
Caribert nodded, speaking timidly:
"I... I was an illegitimate mixed-blood child. My father hid me away, and I've always lived in the shadows... until that disaster came. After that, I lost consciousness and woke up here."
Along the way, Rover had pieced together Caribert's story. But one question lingered in his mind.
From what he knew of The Chasm, the curse befell every citizen of Khaenri'ah—pure-blooded nobles were cursed with immortality, while those who didn't believe in the gods turned into monsters like Hilichurls.
This doubt stemmed from Caribert's own account... How did a mixed-blood child like him end up cursed with immortality?
Rover remained cautious. Though the boy before him seemed harmless, it never hurt to be careful.
With that in mind, Rover stood up and examined the stone door before him. It was slightly ajar, leaving just enough space for a person to slip through.
Beside the door lay a shattered stele, its inscriptions unreadable to Rover—but Caribert recognized them.
"Time... the end of time... fate's... destination."
Caribert stammered through the translation. Rover narrowed his eyes, reached out, and pushed the stone door open with force.