Root of the Nightmare

A sight of unending torment, the flames resounded with the screams of the innocent and the guilty, receiving divine punishment for opposing the heavenly principles. The message from Celestia that the Arrogance of humanity had already crossed the line. Fire spread along with that unholy essence of Celestia, what appeared to be black and red Cubes made with an unknown magic. The royal palace was collapsing, the Cataclysm was merciless and cruel, each of Khaenri'ah's sons was being decimated by the spears, arrows, swords and magic of the Seven Archons. Peasants, nobles, men, women, children, the elderly... there were no distinctions, they were all Khaenri'ah, and Khaenri'ah was to be extinct.

Some tried to save themselves, but in vain. Civilians ran in despair among the rubble, before being hit by cowardly and unfair blows from the skies in the form of arrows and spears. Far from the city center, on the humble outskirts, our fateful episode will take place. A light-haired man, lifting debris with his bare hands, looking desperate. His robes matched foreign fabric with local steel, an unholy agglomeration between divine and human, but was he risking his life for…two people?

Dear, daughter! Hold tight! - Said the man.

Daddy!! Help!!! - A young voice replied along with the cry of despair.

With enough effort, he managed to lift the rubble and two women emerged, a beautiful woman in Khaenri'ahn robes and an infant, crawling and being hugged by the man. Kirhan, Phylia and Ayleen; Father, mother and daughter. Amid the cries of despair, he tried to run with them away, but his escape was interrupted when flaming arrows fell on his back, causing him to fall to the ground still holding his daughter, protecting her. Terrified, the wife tried to get close, but it was too late. Seven shadows broke through, seven people clad in white robes... it was the Archons, coming to finish the job.

Please... I beg you, let them live... they are innoc-

Silence. - Interrupted the man's speech, none other than Morax himself.

Miserable traitor... that calls for justice. - Required Hydro Archon.

The woman's cry of terror continued as she was brought to her knees thanks to Geo Archon's work, using ground modeling to force her to be pinned to her knees. The child was crying, trying to hug the father in her despair, and the man, gathering his strength, tried to stand, facing the mighty commander of all Hydro with fury in his eyes, daring to stand up and put himself between the gods and his family. None of them were innocent of that, neither Barbatos or Makoto. They participated in it, saw it all, and also judged it. His hand materialized that starry scythe, and he held it with confidence and determination, though his body slowly failed to resist.

Stay away... away from my family...

You don't have a family, never had. Its purpose is to ser-

A quick and accurate cut, it nearly took a chunk out of the water god's face, but instead just cut her skin, which he tried to pursue with a secondary attack, but was stopped by Barbatos's violent blast of winds. He was thrown to the ground again, unable to get up from the pain.

Daddy!! Daddy!!!! Get up daddy!!!

The Hydro Archon silenced the child by sending a small wave that carried the smallest one until she was lying next to her mother. The fallen man tried to get up again, brimming with rage.

You... monster... don't touch my daughter with your... filthy waters of rotten spirit!...

Blasphemy. This requires divine judgment.

Looking around and realizing that only the two of them were there of all the inhabitants of Kaenrian'h, she clenched her fist and recited ancient words, a spell. It was happening, the most tragic episode that could be seen in history.

As I command the tides to come and go, my command over you is absolute. You were corrupted by that nation, but you will be cleansed. In the name of the Seven, sever your bond. I order you, kill them.

The order made the arcane lines tattooed on the man's skin light up, eternal remnants of his created nature. He was being commanded, but resisting the order. He would not, would not, surrender to that tyrant's will.

His arms tried to lift his body, but at the same time they were still, not wanting to go on.

No... no... no!! - He exclaimed angrily, fighting his own flesh.

Well, well... he resists. Morax, be so kind.

The figure representing Morax was silent, as were the other five.

The Hydro Archon was growing curious, and angry, feeling betrayed by her colleagues who had sworn not to let any of Khaenri'ah's children live.

Huh... are you betraying your oath? - Said the "Absolute Judge".

W-we never... that wasn't part of the contract! - Barbatos exclaimed.

We cannot leave survivors. They have to die. - Said the Hydro Archon. By the hands of their own husband and father?! Don't you think that's too cruel of a fate?!! - Makoto exclaimed.

Among them, it seemed that Makoto and Barbatos were against the decision, but that wasn't enough for the other archons. None of them seemed to like it, despite the Hydro Archon showing that she didn't mind doing what needed to be done in order to ensure divine justice. Uncharacteristically, Murata was silent, seemed out of place amidst the situation, as if she couldn't do anything about it. It was comical to think that the god of war would have disliked that part of the battle.

It was then that the disaster struck, the unfavorable ones tried to intervene, but they were sealed inside a jade shield made by Morax, now they couldn't do anything but watch. Pyro, Cryo, Hydro, Dendro and Geo joined in their spells, while Electro and Anemo screamed and tried to break the shield, but it was too late. Being forced by the majority, the seal of Morax drained the contrary wills, giving their powers to the rest of the Archons, just for a moment. The man stood up clearly possessed, but he was conscious. He cried and begged, pleading for their lives.

NO! PLEASE SPARE THEM!!! KILL ME INSTEAD! PLEASE, HAVE MERCY!!! - He yelled, still in control of his lines, but almost losing control of his body.

Grasping the scythe, that being raised the weapon before the woman and the child. He tried to resist the will of the Archons, but he understood two things. He wasn't able to fight the Archons' command, he was made to obey their orders. And more importantly, if he tried to resist, the blow would be slow, painful and shaky... it would hurt his wife and daughter a lot, and he could never imagine to bring this torment upon his loved ones. Being forced to exterminate the only people who have become important in his life, with the weapon he was given as a wedding gift.

His muscles wanted to fail, his mind wanted a miracle to happen, for the Archons to hear his anguished and tormented cry.

But they did nothing.

D-Daddy!!!...

Honey... I love you, and I always will...

A single blow that severed the man's ties to that ruined land. A slash of a scythe accompanied by two last breaths. An eerie silence formed as the man's knees gave way and he dropped his weapon to hold his daughter in his arms, letting out his cries, anguished and drenched in screams.

The shield was undone, the opponents silenced. Makoto felt terrible at what she saw, so terrible that she couldn't let the man continue to feel this terrible pain. The benevolent Electro Archon approached, wielding her sword that dissipated sparks and small bolts, preparing a quick and merciful slash. She was right behind the man, with a clear look of pain in her lavender eyes.

I will have mercy on your bitterness, and you will soon be reunited with those you love. Rest...

The man said nothing, he just let his daughter's body rest on the floor, in an eternal sleep. Makoto raised her blade and gasped… only to be slashed brutally in the stomach with the dark claws that emerged from the man's hands. That was the beginning of the Beast, the beginning of Khaenri'ah's curse, desecrated by the anguished cries and tormented souls amidst the Cataclysm. The birth of that curse turned the being created as "perfect" into a monster, whose hands darkened as the ashes of Khaenri'ah and her Inteyvat spread through the chaos.

Baal died there, and she wouldn't be the last.

An unprecedented battle, absolutely all Archons were horribly injured in that brutal confrontation with the beast. Warped roars, macabre attacks, cries of agony and pain, an unholy battle of vengeance and wrath. Weakened by the evil essence of that place, the remaining 6 didn't have an easy time dealing with that man-shaped beast. His perfect face was now a hideous expression. His mouth leaked into fangs, his green eyes darkened and began to emanate an orange light, the color of the flames that burned that glorious civilization in decay. In their efforts, the gods managed to subdue and seal the beast, but they could not simply exterminate the unholy degradation. Made of divine power and tainted by the curse, he could not die at the hands of the Archons, being an eternal omen in their lives. The decision they made was to seal the monster away, so that its tormented conscience would sleep for the rest of eternity, and together, the Archons sent it to an island at the end of the eastern sea of Teyvat, far from their realms.

That same night, after the Archons had left, a person had arrived to help in the battle, too late. A woman with purple hair, oriental clothes, with a spear in her hand. When she saw, in a frightened way, her own sister on the floor, dead, the crying could not be controlled. This was Raiden Ei, the last witness to the cruelty of the gods, and now, Electro Archon.

That's not the end of the story, oh, Traveler. Ages passed after that catastrophe, and with it, the erosion of time also arrived. Celestia was no longer inhabited by the divines, but their crimes were still imputed to them. It was the beginning of a dark period, the Nightmare era. The statues of Barbatos and Baal, in all their glory, looked strange. The people of their respective nations noticed something: Were they both... crying? Dark liquid poured from the statues' eyes, as if they were tears.

Cursed... cursed be... - Said a man's voice, tormented and in tremendous pain.

This voice existed only in a dream, which went on to make frequent visits to the remaining Archons. The sight of a man, kneeling, with the dead girl in his arms, weeping bitterly. Raiden Ei had this dream, but as soon as she approached the man, he got up with a deformed face and ran towards her, abruptly waking her up in the middle of the night. This was the beginning of curses, the beginning of the torment of the gods.

What about the monster, you ask? He still remains, languishing eternally in his madness... and as long as he lives, the gods will always be guilty of the greatest sin a father can commit: forcing him to kill his own family.