Back at the Palais Mermonia, Furina sat in deep thought. There must be a way to break the prophecy… one that doesn't require sacrifice.
Then it struck her.
"I should start with Egeria—the former Hydro Archon."
The next morning, Furina barged into Neuvillette's office without knocking.
"Neuvillette! I need to ask you something!"
Neuvillette frowned slightly. She's at it again…
Furina rushed to his desk, breathless, palms pressed against the table.
"Tell me everything you know about Egeria—the previous Hydro Archon."
Seeing her unusually serious, Neuvillette nodded. "Very well. Come sit."
He guided her to the sofa and took a sip of his coffee.
"Lady Furina, I don't know much about Egeria. But I'll tell you what I do know."
"That's fine. Just tell me everything you've got."
Neuvillette began:
"It's said that Egeria, Fontaine's first Hydro Archon, wasn't born a god. In the beginning, the Sovereign of Life used something native to Teyvat to create the Heart of the Sea. That heart… was Egeria."
Furina interrupted, "Wait, I thought the Heart of the Sea was the original Hydro Dragon?"
"You're referring to the primordial Heart of the Sea. Egeria was the new one. When Celestia descended and waged war against the Seven Dragon Kings, the original heart—the Hydro Dragon King—was removed. One of Phanes' four shadows, the one responsible for creating life, forged a new heart to replace it. That heart was named Egeria."
"…I see." Furina fell silent. She had never paid much attention to Egeria's history, and this revelation left her stunned.
Neuvillette continued:
"Later, the god Remus came to Fontaine and ruled as its divine king. But his obsession with eternal civilization led to the downfall of ancient Fontaine.
Humanity still needed a god. So Egeria, as the Heart of the Sea, was granted a fragment of the Original God and ascended to godhood—becoming the first Hydro Archon. What happened after that… I'm not certain."
Furina added:
"Egeria heard the wishes of her pure water spirits—her beloved kin—who longed to become true humans. Out of love, she fulfilled their wish, using the power of the primordial sea to transform them. But Celestia found out… and punished her. That punishment became the prophecy."
Neuvillette nodded solemnly. "So that's the origin of Fontaine's 'original sin.' Then came the war with Khaenri'ah. Egeria, under Celestia's command, traveled to Sumeru's Dewflower Sea… and perished there. Her body became the sea itself."
Furina leaned forward. "Neuvillette, if we want to stop the prophecy… what can we do? Don't hide anything from me."
Neuvillette looked at her—this version of Furina felt unfamiliar. But he answered:
"If the prophecy stems from original sin, then there are two possible solutions.
First: the Heart of the God(Gnosis). It's a product of Celestia and may hold the power to nullify the prophecy. But you'd need more than just the Hydro Archon's gnosis—at least four of the seven Archons' gnosis, I believe.
Second: I could reclaim the full authority of the Primordial Dragon. With it, I could command the original sea and absolve Fontaine's sins. But…"
He paused.
Furina finished his thought:
"But that would mean I'd have to shatter my divine seat and return the power to you. And I… would die, wouldn't I?"
Neuvillette said nothing.
Furina smiled. "What's wrong, Neuvillette? Afraid to lose me? Don't worry—we still have the first option. If it fails, I'll return the authority to you. It was yours to begin with."
She stood up. "Anyway, I'm heading to Liyue. It's a secret trip, so keep things tidy while I'm gone. Don't let anyone find out."
After Furina left, rain began to fall over Fontaine. Neuvillette stood by the window, gazing into the distance.
He whispered one word:
"Furina."