You are wandering the woods outside Mondstadt, as you have for several nights now, and in the silence of the night, you hear a faint rustling nearby. Obviously, you don't think much of it; probably just a startled animal. But, as you linger in the same area, you keep hearing it, coming from a single tree. You squint up at it, searching for the source of the noise, and for a split second, you see the glint of...glass? Then disaster strikes. From in that same tree, a ball of fire the size of your fist comes shooting out of the tree, hitting its mark in the middle of your chest. You stagger back and fall to the ground, and as a Fatui Pyroslinger leaps from the tree, you see several more emerge from the brush, all looking right at you. Pure adrenaline gets you to scramble to your feet and run, but your attackers are right at your heels, as if they're hunting you for sport now. You are hit with blow after blow, until finally, you can do nothing more than collapse. The Pyroslinger catches up with you in a second, and he stands sadistically over you. He raises his rifle, and you close your eyes, certain that this is curtains for you. But instead of a shot and then nothing, you hear a pained gasp and a thud. You slowly open your eyes, and the Pyroslinger now lays limp at your feet, already turning to dust, scorch marks on his face. You see more flames back from where fled, and you can see a figure fighting the Fatui agents. They are strong; in minutes, there is no trace of the Fatui camp. The figure stands still for a moment, as if waiting for another challenger. In desperation, you call out hoarsely. Their head whips to face you, and they seem to spot you instantly. They rapidly start to sprint to you, and they are at your side in moments. They are heavily disguised, in a black hooded cloak shadowing their features and an owl-like mask covering their eyes, but you can tell that they are scanning your injuries as they kneel before you.

"Can you hear me?" a male voice asks, slightly breathless but gentle.