Midnight.
Yiliye Island, Lu Jing Spring.
This is a spring where many couples come to seek blessings for their own happiness and for their unborn children.
All the waters of Fontaine flow through here.
Tonight, Fu Ning had been thinking deeply and decided to visit Lu Jing Spring while patrolling Yiliye Island.
Of course, he had his own little reasons as well.
"Oh? It's so late—could there still be someone here?"
Fu Ning looked at the two figures standing near Lu Jing Spring. They appeared to be a couple.
He walked to the edge of the spring and asked, "It's so late—what are you doing here?"
The two people turned at the sound of his voice and looked at Fu Ning.
"Oh! It's Master Fu Ning!"
"Ah, it's like this," said the man, "we're a newlywed couple. Just earlier, my wife found out she's pregnant, so we came here to seek a blessing!"
Fu Ning smiled faintly. "Is that so? Then I wish you happiness. Also, it's quite late—be careful not to catch a cold. It wouldn't be good for the child."
The woman appeared a bit shy. She hid behind her husband and clutched his arm tightly.
It was obvious that the two of them shared a deep bond.
The husband, cheerful as ever, said, "Thank you for your blessing, Master Fu Ning! We'll head home now."
"If our child knew they received Master Fu Ning's blessing, I'm sure they'd be thrilled!"
With that, the two left, full of affection.
Fu Ning watched their retreating backs, then turned his gaze to Lu Jing Spring.
After confirming that no one else was around, he took out a Mora from his pocket.
"Heh… seeking blessings here?" Fu Ning murmured, thinking of Furina. A faint smile played on his lips.
She was so endearing—he liked her very much.
"Single talent—Sequence Twelve."
A ball of gray light formed at his fingertips, condensing into a fine needle that slowly began to engrave the Mora.
It wasn't exactly the way this talent was meant to be used, but… it didn't matter. Who would stop him?
Eventually, Fu Ning finished carving Furina's image onto the coin.
He chuckled to himself. I wonder what Morax, the one who governs Mora, would think if he saw this?
Satisfied, Fu Ning prepared to toss the Mora into Lu Jing Spring—to ask for a blessing for himself and Furina.
Even though Furina hadn't consented…
But who cares?
"It's so long…"
Suddenly, a soft, ethereal voice whispered in Fu Ning's ear.
"What was that?" Fu Ning snapped to attention, summoning his black hole staff with his left hand and scanning the surroundings—but he found nothing.
"What's going on…?" he muttered, frowning as he focused on the sound.
"So lonely…"
This time, the voice held a clear note of sorrow, like someone crying.
Fu Ning's pupils contracted. He looked toward Lu Jing Spring.
Although the voice seemed to echo from all directions, if he listened closely, he could tell it was coming from the spring.
Voices from Lu Jing Spring? That's unheard of.
"How long will it take…?"
"Wait… that voice… that's Lady Furina!"
Fu Ning's eyes widened in shock as he stared at Lu Jing Spring in disbelief.
Lu Jing Spring gathers all the waters of Fontaine, waters filled with countless emotions…
Could this be Lady Furina's emotion?
Why…? Why is Lady Furina's emotion…
So long… so lonely…
Who did this to her? What happened to her?
"Energy talent—Sequence Ten!"
Fu Ning immediately activated his talent and began probing Lu Jing Spring frantically.
The sounds from within the spring were chaotic.
Soon, his mind became overwhelmed by the deluge of sensations, and eventually, he lost consciousness.
Fu Ning's eyes shot open. He raised his head and looked at the vast azure space surrounding him.
"Why am I unconscious? Where is this…?"
Through the blue expanse, he could glimpse flickers of memory.
"Is this a… consciousness space?" Fu Ning murmured.
"Vashey…?"
"Is that you, Vash?"
A voice called out from behind.
Fu Ning furrowed his brows. He wasn't Vash. He was Fu Ning.
When he turned around, he saw a pure Water Elemental.
A pure Hydro elemental?
Fu Ning didn't linger on it. There were more important things to do.
Gathering his strength, he swatted the elemental aside with a single blow, then activated his dual talents.
"Auxiliary talent—Sequence Five!"
"Energy talent—Sequence Ten!"
This was the first time Fu Ning had ever used his two strongest talents in tandem.
He was only at Level Five. Doing this would burn massive amounts of energy—but he had his reasons.
He delved into the depths and found memories belonging to Furina.
Droplets of tears coalesced in the azure space, gathering in Fu Ning's hands.
A century of buried emotion began to flow into him.
So lonely…
Why must I endure this loneliness…
I want to give up…
But I can't give up…
How long must I wait…?
It's been… almost five hundred years…
Will it take another five hundred years…?
At some point, a tear slipped from the corner of Fu Ning's eye and mingled with Furina's sorrow.
Slowly, a faint blue light flickered in his hand, and a deep blue gem emerged.
"This is…"
"The Memory of Furina."
Fu Ning felt something stir. He looked up into the sky. His vision pierced across time and space—and there, he saw his Seat of Destiny.
It was shaped like a figure with its back turned, holding a scepter as tall as a person in its left hand.
At the tip of the scepter burned a black star—like a black hole.
The remaining five stars that formed the figure's body remained unlit.
It was unmistakably him.
Only rulers—or those capable of challenging the world—could see their reflection on the Seat of Destiny.
Fu Ning was no ruler.
But he was someone who could rival the world.
And now, among the five unlit stars, the first one—shaped like the Memory of Furina—began to glow with deep blue light.
The Constellation of Fate, Second Layer: Memory.
When you find your mission, you naturally awaken the first power this world grants you.
Fu Ning instantly regained consciousness. He stood silently at Lu Jing Spring.
Recovery—Level Six Transcendent.
A gentle aura rippled out from him, spreading across the entire Fontaine region.
He now understood what his mission was.
In the office of the Palais Mermonia, Neuvillette looked up, frowning.
If he recalled correctly, Fu Ning had gone to Yiliye Island today.
Fu Ning had grown much stronger—his aura now spanned such distances—but within that aura, there was something else…
Something… sorrowful.
Fu Ning let out a sigh.
"Does the Memory of Furina connect me to all of Fontaine?"
"This 'Constellation of Fate'… what a miraculous thing. It uses my feelings for Furina to link me to the whole of Fontaine… even to Teyvat itself?"
"This world isn't as forgiving as I imagined. It craves all the power it can gather."
"Still… I don't hate it."
Fu Ning tucked the Memory of Furina carefully into his chest, treasuring it.