The destination of the journey is the truth—this is beyond doubt. And the detective who seeks the truth becomes the savior.
A hero brings victory to warriors.
A seeker restores truth to the lost.
Then, a detective should unveil the truth to the audience.
When the end is reached, the lies along the way become mockery, and the accompanying deceit turns into farce.
The so-called truth is the cruel reality veiled by justice.
The moment the truth is revealed, the detective becomes the destroyer of worlds.
—Focalors
…..
The wind blowing from the desert carried grains of sand that lashed against the faces of the travelers. The footprints they left sank into the yellow dunes, only to be swiftly buried by the shifting sands.
Rover gazed into the distance, his vision wavering as waves of heat rolled over him like tides.
The endless yellow sea seemed to flow under the scorching sun, swallowing every structure it touched—just like Atlantis, lost beneath the ocean. Surely, within these sands, there once thrived a brilliant civilization now buried under the weight of the desert.
Only now did he truly understand the resilience of the desert's people.
"Looks like we're almost there."
A faint smile tugged at Rover's lips. Aether came to a stop, reaching for the water bottle at his waist. His throat moved as he gulped down the water in one go.
Thanks to precise calculations, they had brought enough water to cross the entire desert. At the very least, Aether could now see the end of their journey through the sands.
The blurred outlines of structures twisted in the heat, but if one stared long enough, it became clear—this was no mirage. It was a city.
At the journey's end, Rover halted. His black cloak, still absorbing the scorching sunlight, fluttered at the edges as if celebrating the travelers' arrival at their destination.
Before them, the golden sea of sand stood in stark contrast to the vast blue ocean ahead. The waters blocked the desert's advance, cutting off its creeping reach. And beyond the waves—
A city forged of steel, its gears interlocking like clockwork, stood tall like a lighthouse, watching over the golden sands.
After half a month, like finding an oasis in the desert, Aether's heart was finally filled with joy. The words were about to burst from his chest—
"Heheh, Fontaine—we're here!"
Unfortunately, it wasn't Aether who announced the end of their desert journey. That small victory went to Paimon, who stood proudly with her hands on her hips, as if she had just conquered a great beast.
"Fontaine, huh..."
Rover studied the city. A nation that prided itself on justice, yet turned trials—solemn and dignified ceremonies—into entertainment within an opera house. Absurd. Theatrical.
He couldn't find any common ground between the two.
But... this time, unlike before, there was no interference from the Abyss. Perhaps the melody would be lighter?
Rover let out a quiet sigh of relief.
By the time they reached the shore, night had already fallen.
"You must be the honored guests from Sumeru?"
A ship captain had been waiting for them. He pulled out a portrait, compared it to the group, then nodded and stepped aside to let them board.
The gentle glow of the ship's lanterns welcomed the travelers from afar. Amid the silent waves, the vessel glided forward, rippling toward the distant steel lighthouse.
"What's this?"
Aether sat to the side, eyeing the departing ship with the uneasy feeling that he had boarded a pirate vessel.
"You've become quite famous, you know."
The old boatman chuckled, steering the ship's wheel.
As it turned out, ever since Greater Lord Rukkhadevata deliberately informed Fontaine's officials of Rover's group's whereabouts, the nation had decided to personally receive the travelers.
Resolving Mondstadt's dragon crisis.
Defeating the invading god in Liyue.
Shattering the conspiracy that sought to destroy Inazuma.
Saving Sumeru's Irminsul...
Unbeknownst to them, their travels had already made them renowned across all of Teyvat.
Countless dazzling titles, envied by others, had been bestowed upon them.
But Rover paid no mind to such empty titles. Or rather, in the distant recesses of his memory—from the world of Solaris—he had once been draped in similar honors.
A sense of familiarity, yet strangeness, kept him sober. He refused to lose himself in the sweet dream woven by praise and cheers.
Rover sat quietly, gazing out at the tranquil sea, feeling the hum of the engine beneath his feet. His thoughts drifted once more into the depths of distant memories.
Humans were a species of miracles. They conquered the seas with propellers, flattened the land with wheels, and even sought to touch the skies—to reach the stars beyond the firmament.
But the deeper he stared into the ocean's abyss, where azure intertwined with darkness, the more Rover wondered:
Were there civilizations buried beneath these waters, just like in the desert?
What thoughts filled the hearts of those people when faced with calamity?
A sliver of unease crept into Rover's mind—an irrational fear, like a premonition of what was to come.
His thoughts wandered aimlessly. He recalled an ancient tale where a prophesied flood drowned the world, leaving only Noah's Ark as the last sanctuary.
Perhaps, optimistically speaking, they had built their own ark to escape this vast sea?
Rover comforted himself, trying to find a place for this inexplicable dread.
As his mind gradually returned to the present, he saw Aether standing on the deck, scooping up glistening seawater. The droplets sparkled under the moonlight—brilliant yet fleeting—before melting back into the embrace of the ocean.
On the calm sea's surface, a tiny speck of light approached the ship at a leisurely pace. When Aether finally looked up, a blue butterfly, glowing softly, had alighted silently on the railing.
Aether frowned. Since when had a luminous blue butterfly followed them all the way here?
As if sensing something, Rover stepped out of the cabin—and his eyes met the butterfly's.
He could tell it was waiting for something.
At that moment, the sun rose over the sea, scattering gold upon the world. Seagulls soared, and the ocean breeze swept past.
The butterfly locked eyes with Rover. He felt as though the soul within it had longed for this very encounter.
For some reason, his heart told him to smile—until the butterfly gradually transformed into a translucent human figure.
Rover wasn't the least bit surprised. Only an overwhelming sense of familiarity.
His stabilized memories trembled once more.
He was certain—somewhere in the distant past, somewhere along the endless river of time—there had been a moment when their paths had crossed.
"Long time... no see?"