The walk down from the Akademiya was a descent into a world of vibrant, teeming life. Lisa, her hand holding Ren's with a familiar, easy affection, acted as a wonderful guide. She pointed out the winding canals where small boats ferried goods, the entrance to the Grand Bazaar, and the sprawling residential sectors that were woven into the very fabric of the great, divine tree.
Their destination was a quiet, respectable house nestled in the northern part of the city. It was a charming, two-story dwelling, its walls a pleasant, earthy plaster, its windows framed with dark, polished wood. A small, well-tended garden filled with strange, beautiful Sumeran flora bloomed in the front.
"Home sweet temporary home," Lisa announced with a lazy, satisfied sigh as she pushed open the door. The inside was the comfortable, intellectual clutter of a scholar abroad. Books were stacked on every available surface, scrolls were half-unrolled on a large central table, and the air smelled faintly of old parchment, dried flowers, and a hint of ozone.
"It's a modest little place the Akademiya keeps for visiting alumni," she explained, gesturing around. "It has two bedrooms, so it's more than enough space for a little get-together."
Just as Ren was taking in the cozy, lived-in atmosphere, the door opened again. Ningguang swept in, her regal presence a stark, beautiful contrast to the room's scholarly disarray. Cyno was with her, a silent, imposing shadow.
"The car is secured," Cyno stated, his voice the usual, flat, and efficient monotone. He gave a respectful nod to the room at large. "The Grand Sage will likely send for you once he is free, Lady Ningguang. I shall take my leave. Good night." He then vanished as silently as he had appeared, a ghost of judgment melting back into the Sumeran night.
They had a simple, quiet dinner, a collection of delicious, spice-laden dishes that a local restaurant had delivered. Lisa and Ningguang fell into an easy, comfortable conversation, two brilliant, powerful women from different nations, finding a common ground in their shared, affectionate exasperation over the bureaucratic follies of their respective governments.
"The Grand Sage is making a classic power play, of course," Ningguang mused, a small, cunning smile on her face as she delicately picked at a piece of spiced fish. "By making me wait, he attempts to establish a hierarchy, to show that his time is more valuable than mine. It is a tedious, but predictable, opening move."
Ren listened, a thoughtful, quiet expression on his face. Or is it? he thought, his mind, as always, working on a different, more informed level. Ningguang's assessment was a flawless, logical deduction based on the rules of mortal politics. But Ren knew that a far more dangerous, and far more desperate, game was likely being played in the shadows of the Akademiya.
He thought of Dottore, the monstrous Doctor, the spider whose web he had so recently, and so narrowly, escaped in Liyue. If the story was proceeding as he remembered, then the Grand Sage, Azar, was not just having a lengthy meeting. He was likely in the midst of a secret, treasonous, and utterly catastrophic, collusion with the Fatui. He was busy helping create a god.
A cold, familiar dread, mingled with a new, strange sense of confidence, settled in Ren's stomach. Back then, he thought, his gaze turning inward, I was a liability. I had to run. My presence would have not only put Sister Ganyu and Master Xianyun in more danger, but also Liyue Harbour itself, which had just recovered from their God's death.
He remembered the feeling of helplessness, the bitter taste of a strategic retreat that felt more like a desperate flight.
But now… He felt the quiet, immense power that now resided within him. The calm, still, and infinitely versatile Cryo of his sister, and the warm, vibrant, and impossibly powerful, echo of an Archon's Electro. He was not a liability anymore. He was strong. He was confident that, if it came down to it, he could protect himself. He was no longer a piece to be shielded, but a player who could, and would, make his own moves.
The real question, the one that sent a new, intriguing, and slightly worrying, ripple through his thoughts, was the Gnosis. The entire "god creation project" of the Akademiya and the Fatui was predicated on using the Electro Archon's Gnosis to power their new, artificial deity. A Gnosis that was not in their hands, since it had been handed over to the Knave.
So what are they using? he wondered, his mind a whirlwind of new, uncertain variables. Did they find a replacement? Another source of divine power? Or is the project even happening at all? And what about the Balladeer? In the original story, he was the one destined to become the new god. But he had failed to acquire the Electro Gnosis this time. So is he still here, in Sumeru? Is he still a part of their plan? The linear, predictable path of the story he remembered had been shattered. He was in uncharted territory now, a world of new, dangerous, and very exciting, possibilities.
His deep, internal musings were brought to an abrupt, and slightly embarrassing, halt by Lisa's teasing voice.
"So, my little genius," she purred, a foxy, mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. "The hour grows late. This humble abode has but two rooms. I, of course, shall be taking the one on the left. The esteemed Tianquan may have the one on the right." She leaned forward, her smile widening into a playful, teasing grin. "Which leaves you, my dear Ren, with a very important choice. Which one of us will you grace with your adorable, sleepy presence tonight?"
Ren's face immediately flushed a brilliant, crimson red. The sudden, whiplash-inducing shift from high-stakes, geopolitical speculation to this… this was too much. He looked from Lisa's laughing, teasing face to Ningguang's calm, amused, and equally expectant, one.
He didn't even think. He simply, with a small, mortified squeak, bolted. He scrambled from his chair and rushed into the room on the right, the one designated for Ningguang, and practically dove into the large, comfortable-looking bed, pulling the covers up to his nose as if to hide from the entire, embarrassing world.
He heard Lisa's mock-sullen, and deeply amused, voice from the other room. "Oh, how heartbreaking! He chose the powerful, wealthy ruler over the poor, humble scholar. My fragile heart may never recover."
Ren just buried his face deeper into the pillow, a muffled, embarrassed groan escaping his lips. He heard the soft, gentle click of the door to his room closing, and a moment later, he felt a familiar, comforting weight settle onto the other side of the bed.
He peeked out from under the covers. Ningguang was there, her traveling gown replaced by a simple, elegant silk night robe. She looked at him, a soft, maternal smile on her face. She said nothing. She simply lay down beside him, her presence a warm, familiar anchor in the new land.