Chapter 12

Wanderer soared through the skies, relishing the feel of the wind against his skin. The soft hum of air rushing past his ears and the endless stretch of clouds beneath him made him forget the world below. Up here, he could breathe, free from everything.

Moments like these were rare, and he savored every second. He briefly mused about reading a book mid-flight, but quickly dismissed the thought. Too much wind for a book, and using a phone didn't appeal. Maybe a tablet next time?

His phone buzzed, shattering the tranquility. With a resigned sigh, he descended slightly to avoid the wind, pulling the device from his pocket.

"Wanderer," he answered, his tone neutral.

"Sir, you need to return to the office. Someone's here to see you," came Manami's familiar voice on the other end.

He raised an eyebrow. "Where's Faruzan?"

"She's out for lunch with Himiko," Manami replied.

Wanderer frowned, adjusting his trajectory toward the agency. "I don't recall any appointments."

"Um… it's a little girl, sir. She said she needs to speak with you."

"A child?" His frown deepened as he sped up. "Where are her guardians?"

"I'm not sure, sir. But… do you know anyone with white hair and green eyes?"

Wanderer's breath caught, his eyes widening. "I'll be there in a minute. Send her directly to my office," he said sharply before hanging up. His pulse quickened, and he immediately dialed Faruzan.

She picked up after two rings, her voice casual. "What is it? I'm on break."

"Drop whatever you're doing. Get to my office now. It's urgent," he snapped, his voice leaving no room for questions.

"What's going on? Is something wrong?" Faruzan asked, the sound of her chair scraping against the floor in the background.

"We have a special guest," he replied urgently, increasing his speed as the agency's rooftop came into view.

===========================

Wanderer strode into his office, the soft click of his boots muffled on the carpet, with Faruzan and Himiko quietly following behind. The room, usually a sanctuary of solitude, now held an unexpected guest.

In one of the guest chairs sat a petite figure, delicate and jolly—the Dendro Archon, Nahida. Her usual white dress was replaced with a crisp white button-up shirt and a modest black skirt. Despite the change, her gentle aura was unmistakable. She brightened as she saw Wanderer. "Fujin!" she called, her voice full of warmth.

Faruzan and Himiko exchanged glances, puzzled by the unfamiliar name. "... Fujin?" they echoed in unison, looking to Wanderer, who simply stood with an unamused expression, arms crossed.

Nahida blinked in confusion at their reaction. "Wait… you didn't tell them your name?" she asked, her head tilting slightly.

"No, I didn't," Wanderer replied with a sigh, a faint irritation in his tone. He turned to Himiko. "Himiko, go find Manami. Faruzan and I need to speak with Nahida." He waved her off, his tone brokering no argument.

"....Sure thing, Uncle Fujin," Himiko teased, a mischievous smirk tugging at her lips. She skipped toward the door, her laughter lingering behind her as she left.

Nahida's eyes followed her departure before drifting back to Wanderer. Her brow furrowed slightly as she noticed Faruzan's raised eyebrows. "Are you embarrassed by the name Traveler gave you?" she asked, a hint of genuine curiosity lacing her voice.

Wanderer brushed past her question, moving to sit behind his desk, as though he was trying to shake off an unpleasant thought. "Why are you here, Nahida?" he asked, settling into his chair with a sigh.

"Can't I visit a friend?" Nahida responded with a soft smile, unfazed by his mood.

Faruzan, standing near Wanderer's side as usual, said in a polite tone. "I think what he means, Lady Kusanali, is how you arrived here, and the reason for your visit."

"Please, call me Nahida," she corrected with a wave. "As for how I arrived, I found the Ley Line that brought Fujin—" she paused, smiling playfully as Wanderer scowled at the name, "—to this world. After some research, a few trusted people and I managed to create a gateway. It was a risky experiment, but it worked. No one else knows about it."

Wanderer nodded, fingers drumming lightly on the desk as he listened. "And you can return?"

Nahida nodded confidently. "I can feel my tether to Teyvat. Pulling on it will bring me back home. But I wanted to see this world with my own eyes before leaving. It's incredible how much technology has progressed here… without the influence of gods." Her gaze shifted toward the window, her smile fading into something more wistful.

Wanderer watched her in silence, understanding the unspoken thought between them. Khaenri'ah—the nation that had thrived without the gods' blessing, only to be destroyed by Celestia. The world they were in now seemed like a glimpse of what Teyvat might have been if things had turned out differently. Though neither of them had been there 500 years ago, they had heard the stories of its downfall.

Faruzan, oblivious to the shared silence, spoke up, her tone light. "I know, right? When I first got here, I was blown away by the technology. Though, they haven't quite mastered robotics. But after watching all those *Terminator* movies with Himiko, I think that might be a good thing."

"Movies?" Nahida asked, her focus shifting to Faruzan.

"Oh, they're fictional stories, told through moving pictures. It's fascinating what people here come up with. Even their books are full of creative stories. Fujin here is reading The Hunger Games, aren't you?" Faruzan grinned, glancing at Wanderer, who let out an exasperated grunt at the name again and folded his arms.

"... Have you gotten to the part where—" Faruzan started, only to be met with a sharp glare from Wanderer that cut her off mid-sentence.

"Right. I'll take that as a no," she muttered, retreating with a sheepish grin.

Nahida giggled, the sound light and melodic. "I'd love to see these movies and read these books you're talking about."

Wanderer raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Don't you have a nation to run?"

Nahida hummed softly, a smile playing at her lips. "I left someone in charge while I'm away. Things have been calm, and nothing pressing is happening. Besides, I wanted to ask if you two had made your decision."

Wanderer leaned back in his chair, his gaze flickering to Faruzan before returning to Nahida. "We've decided to stay. We've built lives here."

Nahida's expression brightened with genuine warmth as she looked between them. "I'm glad you both found something worth staying for."

Faruzan nodded in agreement, her hand resting lightly on the back of Wanderer's chair, as she spoke fondly "I have Himiko to look after. This is home now."

Nahida tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, if you're staying, I'd love a tour of this world."

Faruzan smiled brightly at the idea. "I'd love to show you around, Nahida."

Wanderer cut in, his tone more pragmatic. "You can't just walk around without documentation. If anyone stops you, we'd have a lot of explaining to do."

Nahida tilted her head. "How did you two get your documents?"

Faruzan's shifted to slight guilt, and she coughed. "I got mine through… unconventional means."

Wanderer's eye twitched as he muttered, "I had help from..."

"Nezu!" Faruzan exclaimed, her face lighting up.

Nahida's face brightened in recognition. "Nezu? The principal of U.A. High School?"

Wanderer pulled out his phone, reluctantly dialing. "Yes, and it's time to call in another favor."

===========================

Not long after, Nezu sat in Wanderer's office, sipping tea provided by Faruzan. He studied Nahida with a curious gaze. "I never thought gods existed," he mused. "But seeing one in person does change things."

"If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to see me as a god," Nahida said, smiling. "You can think of me as an immortal being with some… unique abilities."

Nezu chuckled. "I already do."

"The tea is wonderful!" Nahida said brightly, taking another sip. "And you have more flavors?"

As they chatted, Wanderer's eye twitched with irritation. Three people who managed to get under his skin were in the room. He'd rather be out on patrol.

"We need your help getting Nahida documents," Wanderer interrupted, cutting straight to the point. "Like you did for me."

Nezu nodded thoughtfully. "That shouldn't be too difficult. She could easily pass as a seven-year-old."

Nahida beamed. "That works for me!"

"Fine," Wanderer sighed. "Let's go with that."

Nezu grinned. "I'll work on it as soon as I return to my office. In the meantime, why don't you show her around?"

Nahida's eyes sparkled. "I'd love that!"

Wanderer groaned internally. It was going to be a long day.

===========================

Wanderer led Nahida through the bustling streets of the city, their first stop—a bookstore. It was no surprise to him that the Dendro Archon wanted to immerse herself in this world's knowledge. As they walked, Nahida scanned the shelves, gathering books on history and, curiously enough, fairy tales.

"This world is so advanced," Nahida mused, flipping through a thick tome on world history. "Perhaps we could incorporate some of these ideas into our own world… in more subtle ways, of course."

Wanderer adjusted his cap, his attempt at blending in. "You know, you could just use the internet," he sighed, watching her struggle with the weight of the books.

"Internet?" Nahida tilted her head, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Think of it like the Akasha, but without the need for a Gnosis," Wanderer explained with a shrug.

Nahida's face lit up. "Oh! You have to show me that!"

"Be careful, though. The internet's full of information, but not all of it's reliable. People can add whatever they want, so you need to sift through it for trustworthy sources."

Nahida nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Wisdom is knowing where to look."

They made their way to the train station, where they stood among commuters, many of whom were glued to their phones or tablets. Wanderer noticed the occasional glance from strangers, especially women whispering about how cute Nahida looked. Some even cast curious looks his way.

"Is it always like this?" Nahida asked, ignoring the admiring whispers but observing the people engrossed in their screens.

"Yes. People rely on technology for everything—work, socializing, entertainment," Wanderer replied. "It's helpful, but a lot of them get… consumed by it."

"That's unfortunate," Nahida murmured, watching a child more interested in their tablet than in the world around them.

The train arrived, and the duo boarded. Nahida took a seat beside Wanderer, her eyes bright with excitement. "It's like the aquabus in Fontaine!" she marveled.

"Hold on," Wanderer warned as the train accelerated. Nahida gasped as the city blurred past the windows, her childlike wonder only growing.

"Wow…" she giggled, pressing her face to the glass. "This world is incredible."

Wanderer couldn't help but smirk. Even as an Archon, Nahida still had the innocent curiosity of a child. And he couldn't blame her. The first time he'd flown over the city, he too had been in awe of the towering buildings of concrete and metal, creations of human ingenuity.

"Humans are capable of such wonders," Nahida whispered, her voice full of quiet admiration. "Where is this train taking us?"

"There are a few stops before our destination. I'm taking you to a café I like to visit," Wanderer said.

Her eyes lit up. "Do they have sweets?"

Wanderer rolled his eyes.

===========================

At the café, Nahida was immediately drawn to the glass display filled with an array of colorful pastries and desserts. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she pressed her face against the glass.

The worker behind the counter chuckled, looking at the disguised Wanderer. "She yours?"

"No, she's my aunt's," Wanderer said smoothly, his lie flowing naturally.

"Do you have anything with nuts?" Nahida asked, peeking up at the worker.

As Nahida carefully selected her sweets, Wanderer watched her with a mix of amusement and concern. Once they sat down, Nahida nibbled on her treats, savoring each bite.

After a few quiet moments, Wanderer finally asked, "Nahida… how long do you plan to stay?"

Nahida paused, mid-bite. "That's a good question. I arrived about five hours ago… I should probably return soon to check if there are time dilation in between worlds. I'll come back in a week's time, Teyvat time." She resumed nibbling.

Wanderer nodded. "Nezu will have your documents ready by then. Also…" He leaned forward, his voice lowering. "Please refrain from mentioning that name to others."

Nahida looked puzzled. "Why? Do you not like the name Traveler gave you?"

Wanderer's gaze shifted to the side, a silence stretching between them.

"You still don't feel worthy of using it? Even after all you've done here?" Nahida's expression softened, her concern evident.

"My sins far outweigh any good I've done," Wanderer replied quietly, guilt lacing his voice. His eyes remained fixed on the table.

"This world is your chance at a blank slate," Nahida said gently, her voice filled with compassion. "As I've told you before, your past doesn't have to define you. You've done so much good here."

"Not to me," Wanderer muttered. "I chose to keep my memories… to atone. Maybe one day, I'll feel different."

Nahida smiled softly, seeing through his tough exterior. Wanderer she once knew had been cold, distant, and burdened by his past. But here, in this new world, he had grown. He was more open, more human, even if he refused to see it. His actions spoke louder than his self-imposed guilt. He saved people in his own way, despite his internal struggles.

She couldn't help but feel proud of him. For all his sins, Wanderer had changed. And in this world, his deeds shone brightly.

===========================

Wanderer, Faruzan, and Nahida stood in his office, the soft hum of the city outside a constant backdrop.

"Alright," Nahida said, her eyes scanning the skyline. "I should be able to return without any problems. I'll come back in a week—if time dilation allows it." She turned to face them, her expression bright but thoughtful.

Wanderer, hands in his pockets, glanced out the window. "It's been years since I arrived… A time difference seems likely," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Faruzan, standing beside him, tilted her head. "True, but if Nahida's gained some control over the ley line that brought us here, she might be able to adjust it. No time difference at all." Her brow furrowed as she tapped her chin, considering the possibilities.

"The only way to know is to test it," Nahida replied, smiling brightly at both of them. "I'll see you soon." With that, she vanished in a shower of glittering blue light, leaving the office a little quieter in her absence.

Faruzan turned to Wanderer, a glare replacing her usual calm expression.

"... What?" Wanderer's scowl deepened, sensing trouble.

"Fujin?" Faruzan crossed her arms and huffed. "HOW COME YOU NEVER TOLD ME?!"

Wanderer's scowl softened. "I just… didn't want to tell you. Not yet," he admitted, the guilt weighing on his voice.

Faruzan's anger deflated, replaced by curiosity. "Were you planning on telling me at all?"

Wanderer didn't easily admit such things, but Faruzan wasn't just a colleague. She was his closest friend, his assistant who managed everything in his agency, and probably the one person who truly knew most of him. He trusted her more than he liked to say out loud.

"... Yes," he said quietly, almost reluctantly.

Faruzan smiled, her frustration melting away. "I'll make sure Himiko keeps quiet about 'Fujin.' We don't need the public getting any ideas about your past. We're still on mysterious persona and all." She waved her hand nonchalantly as she walked out of the office. "Don't worry! She'll still call you 'Uncle Fujin' when we're alone though!"

Wanderer sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation. 'Oh, great...' he thought sarcastically.