Genshin Impact: Icy Path

"It's finally time!" A young man was running at full speed over the road while wearing a looking forward smile with glinting eyes.

He had an average build and characteristics, being a little less than 1,80 m tall and having the typical black hair with dark eyes with a slender figure. He was Joseph and could be considered your everyday young man of 20 years old that was studying at a technical university.

Today, the boy had been especially anxious during his class, looking forward to finishing it even more than normal and that was precise because today was the day that one of his favourite games, Genshin Impact, started its new version, the 2.0. Finally, continuing the main quest and opening a completely new region for the first time during this almost a year, the Inazuma region.

That's why just as he finished class, he rapidly charged out, running to his residence, wanting to experience the game the soonest possible.

Due to the university being far from his home, he had moved near the university, taking an outside residence with other students, preferring it over the school residence.

"15 minutes!" From the university, an hour walk was necessary to reach his residence, usually preferring the effortless bus over it. But today was different, he wouldn't let anything cut his time. He had prepared a concrete timetable, specifying all his time to exploit his most to experience the new version, completely exploring Inazuma, it was to the point where even toilet stops were prepared.

He wouldn't let the traffic or some change of schedule affect his plans, so he decided to go running. It would then take him less than half an hour and it could go even shorter if he went over the shortcut, crossing a wooden bridge over a little lake, that of course, he took.

Just as he was running across the wooden bridge, his feet bad stepped between the wooden boards.

"Eh?" Joseph's vision spun as his body slipped, losing his equilibrium and falling uncontrollable towards the lake.

"Splash!" It was less than half a meters fall, but nevertheless, a big splash of water occurred as his body fell over the water. Normally, it would have finished there, he would have to swim a little and return to the bridge, but he found his body unresponsive, completely unable to move as he felt himself falling deeper into the water.

It could be for the shock, some cramp or a hidden disease, but in his state, he couldn't even think about it, confusion and fear invading his mind as the surface light seemed to become further

"BrruuUUu!" Bubbles came from his mouth as he tried to shout, uselessly losing the little oxygen inside his body.

As he was losing his final strength, he stopped resisting, his eyes slowly closing as coldness invaded his body, it wasn't from the water, it was the cold of the death.

Sadness appeared within his mind as he realized his own death, invisible tears coming from his eyes that quickly mixed with the lake's water. His parents, his sister, his friends and everyone that he cared about and that he would never be able to see again, their sorrow of losing him.

'I would like to have explored Inazuma' It was his last thought before his eyes completely closed, darkness falling over him as his life finished...

However, he quickly opened his eyes again, new strength appeared over his body that he could feel again.

"AHHHHH!" Joseph pushed his hand forward towards the surface light that seemed nearer, his hand surging over the water, extending over and finally touching something hard, pressing it and dragging his body outside the water.

"Bah! Bah!" Joseph coughed, vomiting the water that had invaded his lungs.

After some time, he was finally able to recover, taking a deep breath again.

"It's very cold" It was the first thought of Joseph. It wasn't the cold of the death that he had previously felt, it was a physical one, showing how low it was the temperature around, freezing his body.

It was strange, it was July, how could be the temperature so low?

He was finally able to look at his surroundings, realizing that he stood over a layer of snow, his hands covered by it. That wasn't all, instead of the wooden bridge that he thought would find, he stood over a hard floor seemingly made of concrete.

"What the...?!" It wasn't only the bridge, he realized that everything had changed, a snow-filled white landscape with a seemingly immense lake over it, being seen until the horizon.

However, his biggest shock came as he looked towards the calm water, seeing his reflection in it. There was no trace of black eyes, instead, deep purple eyes were looking at him. As his reflection, now stood a young boy, seemingly not even 8 years old with light blue hair and pale skin.

"WHAT THE FUCK!"