A few days later,
A young girl with blue and white hair, her hair like a small jellyfish, slowly opened her eyes and groggily got up from the ground. "How long have I been asleep...?" Furina rubbed her eyes, her mind a chaotic mess, filled only with the prophecy of Fontaine being submerged by water.
Furina looked ahead and saw a mirror. She walked towards it, and Focalors appeared in the mirror.
"Furina… Furina…?" Focalors called out Furina's name with a gentle tone.
"Who's calling me...? Where are you?" Furina was startled, her voice trembling slightly.
"Don't be nervous, and don't be scared. I'm right in front of you. Come, look up," Focalors comforted her.
"Are you... me in the mirror?" Furina asked.
"Hmm... a rather novel way to put it. Then I am 'you in the mirror'!"
"You in the mirror, what do you need me for?"
"Do you know the prophecy?"
Of course, Furina knew.
"All people of Fontaine will dissolve into the sea, with only the Hydro Archon weeping on her throne. Only then will all the sins of Fontaine be washed away." Though she didn't know its origin, this sentence was deeply ingrained in Furina's mind.
"Will the prophecy truly come to pass?" This was the question Furina most wanted an answer to right now.
"Unfortunately, yes, it will."
Focalors answered first. "That's also why I came to you."
She told Furina that there was still a chance, but it would require her to endure some suffering.
Upon hearing this news, Furina finally relaxed. She didn't dwell much on the suffering she would have to bear, but simply to ensure all the people of Fontaine survived, she accepted Focalors' proposal.
"Idiot... What an idiot... Faced with such a choice, you agreed without even thinking?" An unknown voice echoed within Furina's mind.
This voice came from another soul within Furina. Her attire and appearance were extremely similar to Furina's, but her red eyes indicated her uniqueness; she wore a silver-white crown, with a dozen extended branches forming a circle that constituted the main body of the crown; a dark blue leg band was tied to her left thigh, and a vibrant red platycodon flower adorned her waist. Her hair, however, was identical to Furina's—like toothpaste, it seemed to be carved from the same mold as Furina's.
Fuyana frowned, looking rather angry at Furina's actions. However, she didn't react much, instead quietly listening to the conversation between Furina and Focalors.
"I need you... to play the role of the 'Hydro Archon'."
"Play... a god? Is that real?"
"Yes, you must act, keep acting, and not let anyone discover your identity. As long as you persevere, I will find a way to save Fontaine; but once you are exposed, the last hope will vanish."
"But... how can I play a god? I'm just a human."
"Little fool... you have me, you know. My strength is not weak. To fool those humans... as long as 'divine power' is displayed, everyone will be bluffed." This was Fuyana's silent reply in her heart.
"Your task is to portray the image of a god in people's hearts. Remember, exploring divinity is not the difficulty you need to solve; only confronting humanity is what you need to strive to overcome." This was Focalors' answer, and she then added, "This period of playing the Hydro Archon will be a very long, very long time. Until everything ends, you will maintain your current physical condition. Only when everything culminates in a grand, theatrical trial will you be freed, and everyone will be saved. This is my promise to you."
"Good luck, my Furina. One day later, Fontaine will send someone to pick you up." After saying this, she vanished from the mirror.
On the other side of the mirror, Focalors, who had just finished speaking with Furina, looked distressed. She forced a bitter smile and said, "This isn't just 'some suffering'... Loneliness is your greatest enemy. How wonderful it would be if someone could accompany you through this long time."
She shook her head, realizing it was time for her to fulfill her own responsibilities. She transformed into a pillar of water and rushed directly towards the Court of Fontaine, entering the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale, her "home" for the next five hundred years.
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Switching back to Furina's perspective.
The person in the mirror was gone, leaving only Furina... or was it?
"Ah, that woman finally left." Fuyana, who had been watching their conversation for a long time, finally spoke.
Furina was startled, her voice trembling slightly as she anxiously asked, "Who are you...? Where are you...? Did you just hear our conversation?"
Furina was very flustered now, cold sweat already trickling down her back. She feared that their conversation had been overheard, causing her mission to fail before it even began.
"Don't be nervous, don't be scared. Close your eyes and feel carefully; I'm right in your heart." Fuyana's somewhat alluring voice came, giving Furina a jolt and a shiver, but she obediently closed her eyes, concentrated, and quickly located a small room within her heart.
The room wasn't large. Inside, there was a clearly divided long sofa, half pure blue and half pure red; two comfortable armchairs, with the same color scheme as the sofa; a plain wooden desk with a pen and some notepaper on it. This was the inner space of the two Furinas.
What? You want to know where the inner space came from? Don't ask, just assume elemental power can do anything (not really).
Furina entered the space, her mouth first slightly agape: "This... this, this is my inner self?" After a small gasp of surprise, she slowly approached Fuyana, her eyes sometimes darting away, sometimes firm, unsure if she was wary, scared, or perhaps both.
"Finally, you're in? I've been waiting for ages." Fuyana's tone seemed to carry a hint of resentment, and perhaps a touch of jealousy.
Looking at Fuyana, who was extremely similar in appearance to herself, even identical, Furina was directly shocked: "An... another me?"
After a moment of surprise, Furina calmed down and slowly began to speak: "I... I don't know why we look alike, but did you hear my conversation with 'me in the mirror' just now?" The fate of Fontaine was at stake, and she couldn't help but be anxious, her words carrying a slight accusatory tone, but as a defenseless human, she was still a bit timid.
"Of course... I heard everything! Fontaine is going to be destroyed!" Fuyana wanted to tease Furina, but it was also half-truth; she had indeed listened to the entire conversation between Furina and Focalors.
"It's over." Furina's eyes went dark, her voice suddenly sinking, with a hint of a sob: "What will happen to the people of Fontaine...?"
Seeing Furina like this, Fuyana also got a little anxious and stopped teasing her.
"Alright, alright, little fool, you don't look like the Hydro Archon when you cry." Fuyana slowly walked towards Furina: "I am the other Furina residing within you. We are originally one. Now that you know this secret, isn't it the same as me knowing it? In a sense, we are the same person, so no one else will know this secret."
"R-really?" Furina's mood seemed to have eased a bit. "But, I still can't trust you. However, I still have to continue playing the Hydro Archon. Only this way is Fontaine's only hope right now."
"Alright, alright, if you don't believe me, then don't. You can continue playing your Hydro Archon." Fuyana's tone was light and airy, as if she didn't care at all.
But in her heart, it was a different story. "Furina... Actually, we can keep this secret together, and play the Hydro Archon together. You can come to me for help. You have your responsibility, and I have mine. Saving Fontaine isn't just your mission..."
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Setting Supplement:
Fuyana knows quite a bit of information. The two Furinas are twin entities. Normally, Furina has control over the body, but when she wishes, Fuyana can take control. However, Fuyana can also actively seize control of the body, though she generally won't, as she respects Furina's wishes.
Fuyana's strength is roughly between Adeptus and Archon level, but some layers of her power are quite high. (This part of her power was mentioned earlier in the text.)