Genshin Impact: A Fool

An: I will assume that Lyney and Lynette were 17 in the game (When Aether does shit and all, you know). I will also assume that Focalors was still isolated, suffering continual trial from the Oratrice and would die when the twins were at that age. Why am I telling you all this? I... have a plan. Insane, but a plan nonetheless.

As the weeks turned to months, a certain rhythm and routine settled over the House of the Hearth, with one notable exception.

Every night, long after the other children had drifted off to sleep and the orphanage lay still and silent, a figure would slip out of the shadows to meet Heins in a secluded training yard. The same place where Heins trained himself before.

The agent, a skilled and battle-hardened warrior named Raven, had been tasked by Arlecchino herself to work privately with the young boy, honing his natural talents and helping him to overcome his weaknesses.

It was a secret mission, known only to the three of them, and one that Raven approached with a mixture of curiosity and growing respect for the enigmatic child.

Night after night, they would clash in the dim light cast by a single lantern, the scrape of metal on metal and the soft thud of practice blades meeting flesh filling the air.

Raven watched in amazement as Heins fought with a ferocity and instinct that belied his young age, his movements fluid and precise even as he struggled to master the more refined techniques of hand-to-hand combat.

But it was in the moments between sparring sessions, as they caught their breath and reviewed the lessons of the night, that Raven began to see glimpses of the true Heins.

Gone was the foolish, carefree exterior that he put on for the benefit of his peers, and in its place was a boy who was as sharp and cutting as the blade he wielded.

Heins listened intently to Raven's critiques and advice, his crimson eyes flashing with a fierce determination that sent a shiver down the agent's spine.

He was a quick study, absorbing the lessons like a sponge and putting them to use with a speed and skill that left Raven increasingly impressed.

But it was more than just Heins's natural abilities that caught the agent's attention.

It was the way he spoke of Arlecchino, of the trust and devotion he held for the Fourth Seat, that made Raven wonder just where his mistress had found such a unique and fascinating child.

One evening, as they sat on a bench beneath the stars, Raven couldn't help but voice his thoughts aloud. "You know, little one," he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful.

"I've been serving Miss Arlecchino for a long time now, and I've never seen her take such a personal interest in a recruit before. What makes you so special, hmm?"

Heins glanced up at Raven, a flicker of something almost like amusement in his eyes. "I'm no different from the others," he replied, his voice as cold and indifferent as ever.

"I'm just a fool, after all."

But there was a weight to his words, a subtext that made Raven wonder if there was more to the boy's story than met the eye.

He had a feeling, a gut instinct honed by years of service to the cunning and enigmatic Arlecchino, that this was no ordinary child.

No, Heins was destined for something greater, something that even he himself may not yet fully comprehend.

And so, as the nights wore on and the training continued in secret, Raven couldn't shake the sense that he was witnessing the birth of something remarkable - a bond between a mentor, Arlecchino and her protégé, a boy named Fool, forged in the crucible of blood and sweat and tempered by a loyalty that would one day prove unbreakable.

He had a feeling, as he watched Heins move with increasing skill and grace beneath the moonlight, that this boy would one day stand tall and proud, a champion and a friend to the Fatui and a thorn in the side of their enemies.

And he knew, with a certainty that settled deep in his bones, that Arlecchino had seen it too - and that was why she had taken such a keen interest in the young fool, molding him and shaping him for a destiny yet to unfold.

A new year came about, but in Snezhnaya, seasons are very flat, since it was the land of ice and snow.

But from December, the winter would be especially strong, casting snowstorms to the land of the Cyro Archon.

It was the mark that Heins has been in the House of the Hearth for a full year, since Arlecchino found him in the woods when the winter was strong.

As of now, Heins boyish face, due to Arlecchino's teaching through her trusted confidant, Raven, lost a lot of fat, showing a hint that he will be certainly a very handsome man with striking appearance in the future.

He was still a fool in the orphanage, but a fool he was, he was still very handsome.

Lyney, who was training his marksmanship with a bow, grunted, disgruntled, as he saw Lynette blankly staring at Fool. He said, "Sister, that boy is a fool, named Fool, and act like a fool. Don't be deceived by his... Er, moderately attractive look. Don't be so fickle!"

Lynette, who blankly stood in her stance as she wield her wooden sword, snapped out of her trance and looked at her brother flusteredly, "What? I-I was not staring, and I am not fickle!"

Arlecchino stood at the window of her private chambers, gazing out at the swirling snowstorm that raged beyond the glass.

The winter in Snezhnaya was always brutal, a relentless onslaught of ice and snow that seemed to leech the warmth and color from the very air. But this year, the cold was particularly fierce, a bitter reminder of the passage of time and the changing of seasons.

As she watched the storm, Arlecchino's mind drifted to the boy who had come into her life a year ago, a lost and freezing child who had captured her attention and her heart in a way few others ever had.

Heins had grown and changed in that time, shedding the rounded softness of his youth and revealing the chiseled, handsome features of the man he would one day become.

A small smile played at the corners of Arlecchino's mouth as she remembered the secret training sessions, the long nights spent honing Heins's natural talents and sculpting him into a warrior of unparalleled skill.

Raven had reported back to her with a mixture of surprise and admiration, marveling at the boy's progress and the fierce determination that burned within him.

But it was not just Heins's physical transformation that had caught Arlecchino's eye.

It was the way he carried himself, even now, in the face of the other children at the orphanage.

He was still the same fool, the same carefree and eccentric boy who had first captured her attention - but there was a new depth to him, a hidden strength and resilience that shone through even his most foolish antics.

Arlecchino's smile widened as she heard the raised voices of Lyney and Lynette drifting up from the training yard below.

The twins had taken a liking to Heins, in their own way - Lyney with a grudging respect that bordered on jealousy, and Lynette with a more open and admiring gaze that had not gone unnoticed by her perceptive brother.

But even as Arlecchino listened to their bickering, she couldn't shake the sense of pride and possessiveness that swelled within her.

Heins was hers, chosen by fate and circumstance to be her protégé, and she would not have any of her precious children doubting his worth or his potential.

With a soft chuckle, Arlecchino turned from the window, her mind already racing with plans and possibilities for the coming year.

She would continue to guide Heins, to mold him and shape him into the weapon she knew he could become - and she would do it with the same unwavering dedication and fierce devotion that had marked the past year of their secret bond.

The storm raged on outside, but within the walls of the House of the Hearth, a new chapter was beginning - one where Heins would take another step closer to his destiny, and Arlecchino would be there to watch him soar.

The night of the 1st January, Heins, who trained with Raven in the same place he trained with him this whole time, suddenly came to a trance.

He instinctively wielded it, grasped it, this relentless feeling that came from his will.

He knew what he was fighting for as he relentlessly trained himself to the brink with Arlecchino's trusted confidant Raven, and he knew that he would not stop at anything in order to fight those who will threaten them.

As his wooden sword clashed against Raven's, his crimson eyed widened as a burst of purple currents explode from his eyes, as if his will was manifesting, into a more solid form that could aid him in the future trials he must face.

Arlecchino stood in the shadows of the training yard, observing the sparring match between Heins and Raven with a critical eye.

She had been watching them for weeks now, when she was not constrained by her missions, marveling at the progress her young protégé had made under the tutelage of her most trusted confidant.

The boy was a natural, his skills growing by leaps and bounds with each passing night, and Arlecchino could not help but feel a swell of pride at his accomplishments.

But as the clock struck midnight on the first day of the new year, marking the official end of the old and the beginning of a new chapter, something extraordinary happened.

Heins, in the heat of battle and the throes of his own unyielding determination, suddenly stiffened, his body going rigid as a surge of energy coursed through his veins.

Arlecchino's eyes widened in shock as she watched a burst of purple energy erupt from Heins's crimson gaze, the crackling currents of Electro power manifesting in a way she had never seen before in one so young.

Raven stumbled back, his own sword falling from his grip as he stared at the boy in disbelief, his mind racing to comprehend the incredible sight before him.

"E-Electro... Vision?"

For a moment, time seemed to stand still, the swirling snow and the howling wind fading into the background as the world narrowed down to the singular point of Heins, illuminated by the dance of Electro energy that played across his skin.

Arlecchino's heart raced in her chest, a thrill of excitement and anticipation coursing through her as she realized the true potential that lay before her young charge.

She stepped forward, her heels clicking against the icy ground as she approached the stunned pair.

Arlecchino placed a hand on Raven's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze as she met his gaze with a look of awe and wonder.

"It seems our young friend here possesses a hidden talent," she murmured, her voice low and filled with a newfound respect.

"Electro, you say? How fascinating."

Turning to Heins, Arlecchino approached him slowly, her eyes never leaving the dance of purple sparks that still played across his skin.

She reached out, her fingers hovering just inches from the nearest flare of power, feeling the heat and energy that radiated from the boy's body.

Heins stood frozen, his eyes wide and uncomprehending as he stared at the crackling currents that had manifested from his own will.

But as Arlecchino drew closer, he seemed to come back to himself, his gaze snapping to hers with a new intensity and focus.

Arlecchino smiled, a slow and enigmatic curve of her lips as she leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"It seems, my dear Fool, that you are destined for even greater things than I had initially thought," she murmured, her breath ghosting across his cheek.

"With power like this flowing through your veins, I have no doubt that you will one day become a force to be reckoned with - a true champion of the Fatui."

She straightened up, her hand coming to rest on Heins's shoulder as she turned to Raven with a new sense of purpose burning in her eyes.

"I want you to continue training him," she commanded, her voice brooking no argument.

"Push him harder, faster, until he has mastered not just the basics, but the very essence of Electro power. And when he is ready..."

Arlecchino paused, a fierce and determined smile playing across her face. "...we will put his newfound abilities to the test, and see just how far he can go in service of our glorious Tsaritsa and the Fatui."

In the days and weeks that followed, Heins's life took on a new rhythm, one marked by the relentless pursuit of mastery over his burgeoning Electro powers and the arcane secrets of the visions that had manifested within him.

Arlecchino, ever the devoted mentor, had tasked Raven with delving deep into the mysteries of the visions, going far beyond the cursory lessons and surface-level explanations that the orphanage had once provided.

Heins found himself ensconced in a hidden study, its walls lined with ancient tomes and scrolls that spoke of the fundamental nature of visions and the electro element.

Raven guided him through the intricacies of the archons' blessings, explaining how the seven visions were not merely gifts, but the very essence of the archons' power, imbued into the world and those who proved worthy of wielding them.

Day by day, Heins immersed himself in the study of electro, learning to harness the raw power that had once burst forth from his eyes.

Raven taught him to channel the lightning through his blade, to make it dance and crackle along the edge of his sword, and to strike his foes with devastating precision and force.

But more than that, he learned to control it, to bend it to his will and shape it to his needs, until the electro energy became as much a part of him as the blood that flowed through his veins.

As Heins's understanding of electro deepened, so too did his appreciation for the true nature of the visions themselves.

He learned of the archons' roles as the maintainers of the world's elemental balance, the guardians of the natural order and the caretakers of the world's creatures.

And with that understanding came a new sense of purpose, a burning desire to one day stand alongside the archons as a protector and defender of the realm.

Late one night, as the snow swirled outside the window and the fire crackled in the hearth, Heins turned to Raven with a look of fierce determination in his eyes.

"I want to be an archon," he declared, his voice ringing with a newfound conviction.

"I want to stand against the darkness and the chaos that threatens the world, and to be a beacon of hope and light for all who follow."

Raven smiled, a rare and genuine expression that lit up his stern features, and clapped Heins on the shoulder with a sense of pride.

"Then that is the path you must walk, young one," he said, his voice filled with a new sense of respect.

"But know that the road ahead will be long and fraught with peril - to become an archon is no small feat, and one that few have achieved before you."

"After all, what you wish to become is a person who stood at the peak, and I hope you can endure it."

Of course, most of the words from Raven were encouragement, that's all. Archons... They are no longer in the scope of mortals, but something much, much higher.

The firelight flickered across Heins's face, casting shadows and highlights that spoke of the man he would one day become - a man of unyielding determination, fierce intelligence, and unshakable conviction. Seeing this, Raven couldn't help but continue,

"But with Arlecchino's guidance and your own indomitable spirit, I have no doubt that you will one day take your place among the archons," he continued, his gaze never leaving Heins's own.

"And when that day comes, the world will be all the brighter for it."

There is a chance. Perhaps it was one in a billion, but that's still a chance.

Heins nodded, a new sense of purpose burning within him as he turned back to the pages of the tome before him, ready to continue his studies and his training with a renewed sense of focus and dedication.

Heins suddenly showed a smile, "I know... It's quite a foolish thought. Me, an archon? But I don't think there's anything strange with this audacious dream. After all, I am Fool, and it is only right for me to dream a fool's dream."

Raven froze, and he couldn't help but smile wryly, "You got me, young one. However, I wish you would not give up yet. There's still a chance. It's not much, but it's still a chance."

In the months that followed, Heins's reputation as the orphanage's resident fool only grew, fueled by his relentless and often bizarre declarations of his desire to become an archon.

The other children would often point and laugh, their mirth echoing through the halls as they mocked the boy who dared to dream so far beyond his station.

"Did you hear Fool talking about archons again?" a girl would say, her nose wrinkling in derision. "As if a silly thing like him could ever hope to stand among the great ones."

Her friend, a boy would snicker in agreement. "He really is a fool, isn't he? Talking about archons and dreams, when he should be worried about his life after we got sent out there."

Even the orphanage's caretakers would shake their heads at Heins's audacious claims, dismissing them as the ravings of a boy who had lost touch with reality.

To them, Heins was a curiosity, a living embodiment of the folly and naivety that they had come to expect from the children of the House of the Hearth.

But as the nights grew longer and the snow fell harder, Heins's training only intensified, pushing him to the very limits of his physical and mental endurance.

In the secluded clearing behind the House of the Hearth surrounded by bushes, hidden from the prying eyes, illuminated only by the faint moonlight that filtered through the canopy of branches above, Heins would stand alone, his body crackling with the energy of his Electro Vision.

Raven watched in a mix of awe and trepidation as Heins's form blurred, his speed and reaction time enhanced to inhuman levels by the constant surge of power coursing through his veins.

The boy moved like a living lightning rod, his every action accompanied by the snap and pop of electro energy, the air around him practically singing with the force of his fury.

But the toll on Heins's body was immense, his skin flushed and his muscles trembling from the strain of withstanding the relentless pressure.

Raven would often find himself stepping in, pressing a vial of glowing, viscous liquid into Heins's hand with a sigh of concern.

"Drink this, Fool," he would say, his voice heavy with a mix of pride and worry.

"It will help your body heal, help you to recover from the punishment you put yourself through each night. But promise me, little fool, that you will not overdo it - that you will listen to your body and know when to rest."

But rest was a foreign concept to Heins, a luxury that he could not afford in his single-minded pursuit of power and perfection.

And so, night after night, he would push himself harder, faster, until he collapsed from exhaustion, his body wracked with pain and his mind burning with the heat of his ambition.

One particularly cold and blustery night, as the wind howled and the snow swirled around them, Arlecchino herself appeared in the clearing, her white and crimson robes billowing in the icy breeze.

She took one look at Heins's battered and exhausted form, his skin reddened and his breath coming in ragged gasps, and felt a flicker of concern that she could not quite suppress.

"Little Fool," she said, her voice softer than he had ever heard it before, almost gentle in its concern.

"You must stop this madness, child. You cannot push yourself so hard, so relentlessly, without regard for the consequences. You are not a machine, but a living, breathing being, and your body has its limits."

But Heins merely looked up at her, his crimson eyes alight with a feverish, almost manic intensity, and shook his head with a rueful smile. "I am Fool, Miss," he said, his voice hoarse and ragged from the exertion.

"And a fool does foolish things in pursuit of his foolish dreams. I can no more stop now than I could stop the rising of the sun or the falling of the rain."

Arlecchino's eyes narrowed, a flicker of something dark and unreadable passing behind them, and she seemed to struggle for a moment with some internal debate.

But in the end, she simply sighed, a sound of both exasperation and grudging respect, and shook her head.

"Very well, then," she said, her voice taking on a note of grim determination.

"If you insist on this path, then I will not stand in your way. But know this, little fool - the road ahead will be long and hard, and it will demand sacrifices that you cannot even begin to imagine. You must be prepared to give everything, to strive with every fiber of your being, and to never, ever give up."