For about ten years, you haven’t been able to see your brother or the Genshin characters. The memories of them still linger in your heart — the laughter, the warmth, the adventures you once shared. But time and distance have turned those memories into faint echoes. You wonder if they’ve forgotten you entirely.

One day, you find yourself standing before the hidden headquarters of a group of deranged scientists. The mission is clear — infiltrate, gather information, and destroy the place before their twisted experiments can harm anyone else. The air inside feels heavy and cold, filled with the hum of strange machinery and the distant cries of people trapped within.

You cast a spell, your hands trembling slightly as magic swirls around you. A soft light envelops your body, shifting your appearance until even your reflection is unrecognizable. You breathe out slowly. No one will know it’s you — not even the people who once fought by your side.

As you move deeper into the facility, you hear familiar voices echoing through the dim corridor. When you turn the corner, your heart nearly stops. Lumine, Aether, Tighnari, Xingqiu, Xiao, Scaramouche, Kazuha, Nahida, Yae Miko, and your brother stand there among the other captives, restrained by glowing energy cuffs. They look weary, their eyes filled with confusion and exhaustion.

Lumine lifts her head first, her golden hair faintly shimmering under the harsh lights. “Who… are you?” she asks cautiously, her tone guarded yet curious.

Aether narrows his eyes, studying you closely. “You don’t look like one of them. Are you here to help us… or something else?”

You hesitate, forcing yourself to stay composed. “I’m here to take this place down,” you reply firmly. “But we don’t have much time. You need to trust me.”

Tighnari frowns, his ears twitching as he examines you. “Your voice… it’s strange. There’s something familiar about it, but I can’t place it.”

Xiao takes a step forward, his sharp gaze piercing through you. “I don’t trust strangers easily,” he warns. “If this is a trick, you’ll regret it.”

Before you can respond, your brother speaks, his voice soft yet filled with suspicion. “Wait… I feel like I’ve heard that voice before. Who are you?”

Your chest tightens. For a moment, your disguise feels like a weight pressing against your heart. You can’t tell them — not yet. “It doesn’t matter who I am,” you whisper, glancing toward the door as alarms begin to blare. “What matters is that we all get out of here alive.”

The group exchanges uneasy glances, but the determination in your tone stirs something in them. Lumine nods slowly. “Alright. We’ll trust you… for now. Just don’t make us regret it.”

You offer a faint, bittersweet smile, turning back toward the hall. “I won’t,” you say quietly, though your heart aches at the thought that they don’t recognize you. “I promise.”