Knowing it was Witch N on the other end, Lumine was eager to ask her questions.
Lumine: "Please allow me to ask: Will the Prophecy of Fontaine come true?"
Witch N: "The Prophecy... yes, it will definitely come to pass. You can think of it as the 'future history' already written."
"How could that be...? Then... is there still any way to prevent it?" Paimon asked, her voice filled with concern. They had so many friends in Fontaine, and so many innocent Fontainians...
Witch N: "People call it 'Fate.' Fate is inscribed in the stars and cannot be easily altered."
Lumine refused to believe it. "So it's that so-called Fate again... Are there no exceptions?"
Witch N: "Hmm, you've thought of it. Just as a Prophecy is typically only the future as seen from a god's perspective, what might be happening in the blind spots of a god's vision? Will what you're about to witness differ from the Fate seen by the gods?"
Lumine fell into deep thought. Did Witch N mean there might be another angle from which to resolve Fontaine's Prophecy?
Paimon was completely bewildered. She turned to Lumine. "Wh-what is she talking about...? These are such profound, grand-sounding, and terrifying words..."
On the table, Witch N's teacup was now empty.
"If it were you, you'd understand, wouldn't you? What's insignificant and what demands your intervention. Regardless of Teyvat's future, Fate alone will guide you. Simply do what you must."
"The tea was excellent. Thank you for your hospitality. Well, today's tea party ends here."
"Wait!" Lumine called out suddenly, stopping Witch N as she prepared to leave.
"Oh? Is there something else you wish to ask?"
Lumine: "My friend Mona can't discern her fate. I was hoping you might..."
Witch N: "Regrettably, I'm not an expert in that area. Her Fate remains a blur to me."
Lumine: "I see..."
She couldn't help but glance at Chu Xi, her suspicions growing stronger.
Witch N: "However, there is something I can share with you."
Lumine: "What is it?"
N: "I happen to have heard of several others whose fates are equally obscured: Rola of Mondstadt, Mu Qingge of Liyue, Kuki Yuna of Inazuma, the one from Sumeru—ah... I can't say—and Fidelle of Fontaine, Ishkab of Natlan... Does this clarify things for you?"
"What?!"
Lumine sprang to her feet, the chair crashing back several meters.
Rola, Qingge, Silaya, Yuna... they're all... all of them!
And Fidelle too. So she was one of them after all. But why... No, none of that matters now. Fidelle has already been... dissolved!
Wait, the consciousnesses of the girls dissolved by Marcel are still in the water. Fidelle might be in there too. We can't let the Abyss succeed.
Lumine had already taken out the flower and was about to crush it when Witch N spoke:
"This flower carries the auras of three Gods. Are you trying to summon them?"
Lumine: "Since you know about Rola and the others, you must also know how desperately the Abyss craves Pure Souls. We can't let them succeed again!"
Witch N: "Oh dear, it's my fault for being so eager to share. I suppose I'll have to tell you one more thing then."
Lumine remained silent, waiting for Witch N to continue.
Witch N: "Fontaine's Prophecy is already unfolding. If you summon the three Gods now, you risk reversing the situation. At that point, the sea dissolving the Fontainians would be inevitable."
Lumine: "Then the Pure Souls..."
Witch N: "Don't rush me. You know what the Abyss did in Mondstadt. The Hexenzirkel members are furious. The Abyss won't be able to steal this girl's soul. Yes, that's all."
Lumine pulled her chair back up, sat down, and asked:
"If you've known their identities all along, why didn't you help them from the beginning?"
N: "While the Hexenzirkel's abilities are indeed impressive, those seven young ones' Fates remained utterly obscure. If not for that ritual in Inazuma... we would never have learned of this. Do you understand now?"
The ritual in Inazuma?!
That damned creature!
Lumine: "So the Abyss already knows about Angie and the others!"
N: "We destroyed that creature last time, and they haven't made a move since. I suspect only it and its master knew, but for some reason, its master hasn't acted immediately—either she can't directly contact the agents who could take action, or she has other reasons for holding back."
Lumine was about to press further, but N cut her off.
"Enough, enough. I've already told you far too much. I must be going now."
With those words, Witch N fell silent, presumably having departed.
Lumine sat at the table, her right hand propping up her chin. Paimon and Chu Xi didn't disturb her.
After a few minutes, Lumine tucked away the flower she had been holding. After much deliberation, she decided to trust N's words for now and refrain from calling Venti and the others.
"Chu Xi... are you truly from Liyue?"
"Yeah."
Lumine still couldn't figure out Chu Xi.
Witch N had said that Chu Xi, like Rola and the others, couldn't see through Fate. But why?
It couldn't be just because of the Doctor's modifications. The Doctor didn't possess such an ability. There had to be something else hidden, something she didn't know!
Still, looking at Chu Xi now—harmless, occasionally sipping from a bottle of dark liquid—Lumine felt it was fine to leave it be for the moment.
The critical matters were Fontaine's prophecy and... the safety of Fidelle's soul!
-
Fontaine, Opera Epiclese.
Furina sat in her reserved seat, resting her chin in her hand. Instead of watching the performance below, her eyes were unfocused, her pupils dilated, clearly lost in thought.
Neuvillette kept trying to ask her for information, but what could she say? She knew nothing!
To avoid him, Furina had fled straight to the Opera House.
During intermission, a middle-aged man in his forties stood up from his seat in the audience. This would have been an ordinary movement, but the man's words and the person they targeted instantly silenced the entire Opera House.
"Lady Furina, rumors about Fontaine's Prophecy are spreading like wildfire. The sea is rising, dissolving countless citizens. This is a grave matter for Fontaine, and every department is working tirelessly to address it. But what are you doing?"
"You show no concern, you take no concrete action. Will you simply stand by and watch Fontaine be submerged by the Primordial Sea, watching all Fontainians dissolve within it?!"
The man's words were sharp and accusatory, his accusations piercing Furina like a sharp needle.
Furina's pupils flickered slightly. She chose to remain silent, pretending that her elevated position prevented her from hearing the man's words.
"Lady Furina, I know you can hear me. We only want an answer: do you, in truth, have any way to counter Fontaine's Prophecy?!"