I took a deep breath.
One... two... and I stepped forward.
A solemn stillness fell over the terrace as the sound of a bronze bell resonated three times. The murmurs ceased. The sun hung high, bathed in amber, while a figure in a long robe with tied-up chestnut hair stepped forward to the edge of the central platform, accompanied by a faint tremor in the earth.
Morax.
Not "Zhongli." Not the elegant consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. The figure standing before everyone was the Archon of Liyue, with his ancient, majestic, and restrained presence. His golden eyes reflected the weight of millennia. The attendees fell into reverent silence, and even the cranes flying over the terrace seemed to veer away in respect.
"Liyue," his voice, deep as a mountain, spoke, "has endured through contract and will. From the days when beasts roamed the land, up to this very moment, it has been protected by those who heed the call of duty above desire."
Other figures began to appear beside him: Cloud Retainer, in her elegant and ethereal human form; Mountain Shaper, stern and stoic; Moon Carver, his face unreadable. Even Madame Ping, with her motherly expression and wise eyes, had joined them.
"Today," Morax continued, "we do not welcome a mere visitor or a passing warrior. We honor one who has demonstrated strength, restraint, and virtue. One who, despite having no blood ties to this land, has chosen to protect it as his own."
I took a step forward, feeling the air grow thicker, charged with the ancient energy of Teyvat. The Adepti watched me in silence, their faces marked not by judgment, but by contemplation.
"Dan Heng. Vidyadhara. Bearer of a lineage that transcends the boundaries of this world. Are you willing to take on this role not as a privilege, but as a burden? To protect Liyue, even when it does not claim you? Even when you may prefer silence?"
Morax's voice did not demand, but it carried weight. An eternal promise lingered in its echo.
"Yes," I replied, my gaze fixed on him. "I accept this responsibility. Not for the title, but for what it represents."
Cloud Retainer raised her staff.
"Let the heavens hear it. Let the mountain spirits bear witness. May this new Adeptus walk in balance, between man and the divine."
A shower of golden petals began to fall from the heights of the Jade Palace, carried by a formation of cranes spiraling downward.
Morax approached and placed two fingers upon my forehead, whispering a blessing in a tongue so ancient I could barely understand it. Something warm and steady settled in my chest—a contract, not of paper, but of essence.
As he withdrew, he spoke with solemnity:
"From this moment forth, you shall be known as 'Inhibitor Lunae.' A guardian, not of words, but of deeds."
The Adepti bowed their heads in unison.
After I spoke my oath, the air itself seemed to hold the world's breath. Morax nodded slowly and took a step back.
The Adepti bowed their heads in unison.
And then, the silence broke—soft applause and restrained cheers rose from the attendees. The ceremony had concluded… yet everything had only just begun.
******
The sky was painted in the amber and coral hues of dusk. The lively clamor of the event had begun to quiet in the moments before the next phase of the celebration. Among the floral pavilions adorned with Glaze Lilies and jade banners, I allowed myself a brief pause.
I stood beside Ganyu at the edge of the main steps. She held a small tray of tea from Qingce Village, clearly using the gesture as a distraction.
"I didn't think you'd stay for the entire ceremony," I said softly, barely turning my head.
"Ah...? Oh, of course I would. It's an important event for Liyue," she replied, not quite meeting my gaze. "Besides... I wanted to make sure everything was in order... as the secretary," she added, perhaps a little too quickly.
I watched as she fidgeted with her fingers on the tray. Her movements were precise, but her nervousness was palpable even amid the subdued bustle.
"And how do you think it's gone so far?" I asked, giving her space.
She hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Orderly... efficient... but also different. It's been a long time since the Adepti gathered for someone like this..."
Before I could say anything else, a clear, pompous voice interrupted like the haughty cry of a crane descending from the heights:
"Oh-ho! What a celestial coincidence to find you both here, so close, so... intimate!"
Ganyu tensed as if startled. I turned slightly.
From an elevated structure, none other than Cloud Retainer herself descended with her graceful mechanisms and calculated steps, her sleeves fluttering theatrically, her eyes gleaming with mischievous satisfaction.
"Young Dan Heng, Ganyu," she said enthusiastically. "What a charming picture you make! The balance between old and new, patience and fortitude, ice and stellar mist... A true symphony of compatibility!"
"Master... it's not what it looks like," Ganyu said hastily, her cheeks flushing.
"Oh? Then what exactly does it look like, my dear disciple? Because from here, I see a very... intimate conversation," she added with a light laugh, clearly enjoying the scene.
I kept my composure, barely glancing at Cloud Retainer, who now observed Ganyu with that expression—half-wise, half-mischievous—that only ancient spirits could perfect.
Before I could add anything, Cloud Retainer continued.
"Young Dan Heng! Do you believe an Adeptus is defined solely by their spear and their battle prowess?"
She paused briefly, her gaze now assessing me as if I were an incomplete calligraphy project.
"Mountain Shaper masters the art of harmonious architecture. Moon Carver composes poetry still recited by the mountaineers of Qingce. Even my dear Ganyu—clumsy with emotions as she is—has an innate mastery of organization and balance..." she declared, puffing out her chest. "And you, young Adeptus? Beyond wielding spears and your purification skills, what else do you have to show?"
The question, though inquisitive, was not mocking. It was a challenge. And perhaps, too, a way to fully integrate my presence into this circle.
I remained silent for a moment, gazing at the sky before looking down at my own hands. There was a song. Ancient and personal. A melody I had never shared with anyone, not even in the modern world, yet it still resonated within me like a prayer without an altar.
(Something I can do... If we're talking about Dan Heng beyond his spear skills, he excels at...)
"What if I sang?" I asked simply, lifting my gaze slightly to meet hers.
Cloud Retainer blinked, visibly pleased by the suggestion though she tried to temper her enthusiasm with measured composure.
"A vocal performance... yes, yes. Singing, as an expression of the soul, is something even the simplest mortals understand. And you, with your celestial peculiarities, could make it... memorable."
"Very well. I expect you to give us a fine performance."
******
The murmurs gradually faded as I ascended the platform steps. The lanterns hanging from stone pillars cast my shadow upon the jade floor, each footstep resonating like the echo of a distant bell. The air still carried the weight of the earlier ritual, and I could feel every eye upon me—from the Adepti to the foreign dignitaries.
I stopped at the center, the night breeze brushing against the hem of my cloak.
"My name is Dan Heng," I said firmly, without needing to raise my voice. "And though the spear has been my means of protection, I also believe a heart that sings can offer shelter. Tonight... I will offer a song."
There was a moment of expectant silence. Then I closed my eyes, and the air around me grew thick with spiritual energy.
I extended my hand, and from behind me emerged soft glimmers—threads of light intertwining and quickly taking shape. Haniel appeared first, floating at my side: the ornate broom with bat-like wings emitted a faint glow from the jewel embedded at its tip. As it slowly rotated in the air, illusions began to materialize around it—a moonlit field under a full moon, silk flowers drifting gently in the wind, and a crystalline lake in the distance reflecting infinite skies. The entire setting transformed with an ethereal beauty, as if we had stepped into another plane of Teyvat.
Then, with a press of my fingers, I summoned Gabriel. The grand organ appeared behind me, hovering in place, its pipes fanning out like celestial wings. Its circular keyboard shimmered with a soft blue light, pulsing in rhythm with my breath.
I gently pressed a key.
A pure, deep, and melancholic note resonated through the air.
"Samudrartha. The river that connects what we were and what we will be."
My eyes slowly opened, and as Gabriel's chords rose in perfect harmony with the illusion crafted by Haniel, I began to sing.
It was like the murmur of the ocean on a windless day, like the sigh of a weightless falling leaf. The notes floated in the air—light yet laden with meaning, resonating with the very stones of Liyue.
My voice joined, not as a booming chant, but as a prayer:
"The tides of the past
Turned my aching scars to hardened scales
My dragon's breath, a coming storm
My bloodline, my roots
Buried deep within, beneath my skin
My dragon's heart, drawing the thunder's hymns"
As I sang, the angels' wings unfurled fully, forming a canopy of light above the stage. The Glaze Lilies in the water began glowing brighter, as though answering the call.
Among the crowd, Ganyu had gone still, unable to look away. Her hands were clasped as if in prayer, her eyes shimmering with a painful nostalgia—as if the song had unearthed something buried in her heart for centuries.
The moment Dan Heng began to sing, the very air of Liyue seemed to hold its breath.
Ganyu, ever poised and professional, felt something strange stir in her chest.
"What… what is this feeling?"
Her fingers unconsciously clutched her dress, slightly crumpling the fabric. The melody was entirely unfamiliar to her, and yet—
"It's as if… as if the sound itself is reaching something inside me."
Dan Heng's voice flowed like the tides beneath the moon—deep and clear, carrying an emotion she couldn't name.
"My bloodline, my roots
Buried deep within, beneath my skin
My dragon's hearts, drawing the thunder's hymns"
Suddenly, she felt a shiver run down her spine.
"Why am I trembling?"
It wasn't from cold. It wasn't from fear. It was something deeper, something she didn't understand.
When the song reached its climax, Ganyu noticed her vision growing slightly blurry.
"Tears?"
She touched her cheek in astonishment as she felt moisture on her fingers.
"But I don't even understand why..."
The song wasn't familiar to her at all, and yet, every word resonated in her heart like an echo lost in time.
When it ended, it took her a moment to find her voice again.
"That song..."
Her voice sounded softer than usual, almost fragile.
"It's... incredibly powerful. I've never heard anything like it."
Her hands were still trembling slightly.
"It makes me feel... as if I've seen something I shouldn't be able to see."
*****
Zhongli had heard countless songs throughout the millennia.
Songs of victory. Of mourning. Of love and betrayal.
But this one...
"Interesting."
His golden eyes, which usually reflected the unshakable wisdom of the ages, flickered slightly when Dan Heng began singing the first words.
"Legends guide and shape me
Forging me in agony."
A phrase that resonated within him like the tolling of an ancient bell.
"How ironic."
He, who had buried so many beneath the sands of time, now listened to a young Adeptus sing of oblivion and remembrance.
When Dan Heng's voice rose in the chorus, Zhongli closed his eyes for a brief moment.
"Centuries ago... another sang something similar."
But that memory belonged to a bygone era. To a contract not even the gods could uphold.
When he opened his eyes again, his gaze settled on Dan Heng with newfound understanding.
"A song of the seas, is it not?"
His voice was as composed as ever, but those who knew him well might have caught the subtle softening of his tone.
"Waves forget, but the ocean remembers. A fitting theme... for one like you."
There was a particular weight to those words. As if he were acknowledging something that transcended today's mere ritual.
Ganyu glanced at him curiously, but Zhongli simply offered one of his rare smiles.
*******
The night breeze brushed against their three faces under the moonlight.
Dan Heng, still feeling the echo of his own song in his chest, lowered his gaze.
"They understood."
Of all possible reactions, this was the one he had least expected.
Ganyu, recovering from her daze, discreetly wiped away her tears.
"I hope... you can sing it again someday. But with a smile."
Zhongli nodded slowly.
"All things come in time. Even peace."
And in that moment, beneath Liyue's starry sky, Dan Heng felt for the first time that perhaps...
(This might be a good place to stay.)