From inside the portal, an object slowly slid outward.
An envelope appeared, intact, floating briefly in the air before gently falling to the ground, right in front of them.
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The portal closed immediately, leaving behind an even heavier silence than before, as if the cavern were holding its breath.
Kael: "...".
Kael slowly approached the spot where the envelope had fallen. Around them, the cavern seemed to breathe, as if the rock itself were watching their every move.
The old, abandoned structures were outlined in the gloom: broken walkways, collapsed pillars, scaffolding eroded by time and cold.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
The blue glow in the center of the cavern pulsed softly, casting shifting shadows on the uneven walls.
Kael bent down, hesitated for a second, then finally grasped the envelope.
Kael: "The texture of the paper is strange."
He spoke with a frown.
And the letter, it was cold to the touch, almost icy, and traversed by fine veins of abyssal energy that pulsed faintly, like a sleeping heart.
Kael: "…This thing isn't normal."
"It clearly comes from the Abyss."
He straightened up and turned to the others, holding the envelope between two fingers, ready to drop it at the slightest sign of danger.
Bram: "If it's made it this far, it's meant for us."
"But that doesn't mean we should open it."
Lyra: "Look around us…"
"This place has already seen too much death."
"If it's a trap, opening it could awaken something."
Eron: "The energy it gives off is stable."
"Not aggressive, at least not for now."
Venti watched the scene in silence, his gaze shifting between the envelope and the blue glow in the center of the cavern.
He sensed a strange resonance in the air, as if the dungeon awaited their decision.
Venti: "Whatever's inside, the Abyss knew we'd end up here."
"The real question is... do we want to know what it has to tell us now, or later?"
A heavy silence fell.
The soft dripping of water from the stalactites punctuated the waiting.
Kael lightly gripped the envelope, aware that this simple piece of paper could contain a truth capable of changing the course of their expedition.
Kael: "So... what do we do?"
"Do we open it here, or do we keep going before making a decision?"
All eyes turned toward the abyssal envelope, suspended between their choices and the dungeon's buried secrets.
Bram: "Open it."
Bram: "Open it."
Kael and Bram looked into each other's eyes for several seconds, but Kael had known Bram for years and knew that even though he was a joker, he knew when to be serious.
Kael: "Okay, I'll open it."
Lyra: "..........."
Eron: "..........."
Venti: "..........."
Kael opened the letter and read it aloud:
Letter contents:
Greetings to the five adventurers, I don't know if you've managed to survive this far, but know that before you, a total of 216 adventurers tried to finish this dungeon and all died.
Currently, you are the ones who have gone the furthest, and all that remains is for you to defeat the two bosses.
And since I'm feeling generous, I'll tell you: they are a Cryo Hypostasis and a Cryo Regisvine, and they are both level forty.
Know that if you die, it would be an honor for me to devour your corpse to become stronger.
Anyway, good luck, and I hope you die, but good luck anyway.
Signed: Abyss Herald
End of letter:
Kael: "......".
Kael slowly folded the letter after finishing reading it.
A heavy silence immediately settled over the cavern, broken only by the faint sound of water dripping somewhere in the darkness and the cold breath that seemed to emanate from the bluish glow in the center.
Bram: ".........".
Bram clenched his fists, his jaw tightening, while his eyes remained fixed on the envelope, as if it could still spit out another provocation.
Bram: "Two hundred and sixteen adventurers... all dead..."
Lyra swallowed hard and glanced around them.
Lyra: "...........".
The abandoned, half-collapsed structures suddenly took on a completely different meaning.
They were no longer mere ruins, but the silent remains of those who had failed before them.
Lyra: "So… all these places… these corridors… and that frozen skeleton on the steps…"
Eron: "This dungeon is like a graveyard for adventurers."
Kael took a deep breath, trying to remain calm despite the tension gripping his chest.
He examined the letter one last time before carefully placing it in his satchel.
Kael: "Cryo Hypostasis and Cryo Regisvine… level forty."
He now knew the two bosses they were about to encounter.
A Cryo Hypostasis
Archive: Code name: Daleth.
A high-purity Cryo entity.
Research suggests that there are subtle differences between elemental hypostases and other elemental life forms in terms of their physical composition.
Perhaps these differences can account for their high level of homeostasis and their almost mechanical movements.
Kael: "......".
And a Cryo Regisvine
Archive: A monster formed from a vine imbued with the essence of biting frost within the ley lines.
Some studies suggest that plants are like the organs of the world, harmonizing the turbulent elemental energies of the ley lines.
Concrete examples of this phenomenon are Mist Flowers, Whopperflowers, and the like, which brim with elemental energy.
Under certain circumstances, certain plants will transform into creatures of monstrous size and intent, such as the Cryo Regisvines, over the course of many years.
Kael looked up at the group.
Kael: "These are not enemies we can take lightly."
"Especially after everything we've already been through."
Venti, who had been silent until then, let out a soft laugh, more nervous than amused.
He turned slowly, observing the cavern:
- The walls covered in frost.
- The broken pillars, the collapsed platforms.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
And, in the center, that pulsating blue glow that seemed to breathe, almost alive.
Venti: "The Abyss really loves a bit of showmanship…"
"An invitation, precise figures, and even a little note of encouragement for our demise."
Eron frowned and placed a hand on the hilt of his weapon.
Eron: "He's toying with us."
"He wants to make us doubt… make us believe our end is inevitable."
A shiver ran through Lyra as an icy blast of air swept through the cavern.
The blue glow in the center seemed to shine a little brighter, casting distorted shadows on the walls.
Lyra: "It doesn't matter what he wants…"
"We've already gone too far to turn back."
Venti looked at each of his companions.
Despite their fatigue, despite the invisible wounds accumulated throughout the dungeon, he still saw the same determination in their eyes.
Venti: "Two bosses or not… level forty or higher…"
He smiled confidently.
Venti: "We didn't become the first to go this far by chance."
Kael closed his hand around the satchel containing the letter.
Kael: "Then we continue."
"We observe."
"We prepare."
"And when they show themselves…"
He paused briefly.
Kael: "We'll take them down."
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
The group slowly resumed their march toward the blue glow, each footstep echoing in the icy cavern.
Now they knew exactly what awaited them at the end of this path… and yet, none of them considered turning back.
As Kael gave the letter a final once-over before putting it back in his satchel:
Flop
The sheet of paper slipped out of the envelope with an almost inaudible rustle and came to rest on the damp stones of the cavern.
Kael: "Hmm?"
"What's this?"
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
The bluish glow in the center of the vast chamber pulsed slowly like an ancient heart, casting distorted shadows on the abandoned structures surrounding the group.
Broken pillars emerged from the ground, eroded by time and frost, while collapsed walkways bore witness to a bygone era, when other adventurers might also have believed they could conquer the dungeon.
Eron leaned forward and carefully picked up the small piece of paper, as if it might crumble between his fingers.
Eron: "Kael, I think it just fell out of the envelope."
The paper was stiffer than he had imagined, cold to the touch.
Turning it over, he immediately understood that it wasn't just a simple written message.
The surface revealed a frozen, ancient image, captured by a process he had only seen in a few rare books: a film, a daguerreotype.
Author's Note: For those who have forgotten, in Genshin Impact, daguerreotypes are the cameras used throughout Teyvat.
You receive one at the beginning of the game, and different types were available during events.
Eron: "WHAT?!"
The piece of paper that had fallen from the envelope was a photograph, but not a typical one.
In the image, Lyra appeared on a sun-drenched beach, the sea shimmering behind her.
She wore a simple, unadorned swimsuit and laughed, looking off-camera, as if someone had called her at that precise moment.
The scene was neither aggressive nor provocative.
It was more like a stolen, intimate memory, snatched from a moment of tranquility that should never have left the memory of the one who had experienced it.
Eron: ".......... "
Eron felt a shiver run down his spine.
He slowly raised his eyes to Lyra, then to the others.
The atmosphere in the cave seemed to grow even colder.
Lyra: "...What is it?"
Eron: "......."
Eron hesitated for a moment, then silently handed the sheet of paper to Lyra.
Lyra: "...........".
Upon seeing the image, Lyra paled slightly.
Her fingers tightened on the edge of the paper, and her gaze hardened, shifting from surprise to cold anger.
Lyra: "HOW... HOW COULD THEY HAVE ABOTAINED THIS !"
Bram frowned, glancing around them as if he expected something to emerge from the shadows.
Bram: "This dungeon is mocking us... by digging into our lives."
"First it's our names, and now this."
Kael gritted his teeth, his scouting instincts on high alert. He observed
the walls, the broken arches, the blue glow in the center of the cavern, searching for the slightest sign of movement.
Kael: "It's either a provocation."
"So, this means the Abyss Herald is a pervert."
Venti: "..."
Venti, silent until then, stared at the image for a few more seconds before looking away.
An unpleasant sensation settled in his chest, as if the dungeon had just crossed an invisible boundary.
Venti: "He wants to destabilize us before what comes next."
Around them, the cavern seemed to listen.
The nonexistent wind, however, made a distant whisper, and the blue glow pulsed a little stronger, projecting the silhouettes of the five adventurers onto the uneven walls.
The abyssal portal, now closed, left behind a heavy silence, thick with barely veiled threats.
Eron clenched his fists.
Eron: "So they made a mistake."
"Now, it's personal."
Lyra: "He's cute when he's angry."
Without another word, Lyra carefully folded the film and tucked it away.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
The group resumed their march toward the blue light, slower, even more cautiously.
Each footstep echoed through the cavern, and each of them now knew that the dungeon would test not only their strength… but also their wits.
One minute later:
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap
The group resumed their march toward the blue light, slower, more cautiously.
Each footstep echoed through the cavern, and each of them now knew that the dungeon would test not only their strength… but also their wits.
Each step made the pebbles crunch under their boots, and the uneven ground forced everyone to remain alert.
Ancient stone structures loomed around them:
- Broken pillars
- Collapsed arches
- And what once resembled platforms or walkways, now eroded by time and frost.
A thin, cold mist hovered close to the ground, clinging to their ankles.
The blue light cast distorted shadows on the cavern walls, giving the impression that the walls themselves were slowly breathing.
The further they walked, the more Venti felt a familiar pressure, like a silent presence watching them.
Venti: "Members of the Abyss… I find it hard to believe there's only one spy."
"This photo can't be here by chance."
He glanced again at the roll of film Lyra still held in her slightly trembling fingers.
Venti: "Lyra, tell me… when exactly was this photo taken?"
Lyra: "…"
Lyra took a deep breath before answering, her eyes fixed straight ahead, as if the blue glow could prevent her from meeting their gaze.
Lyra: "Two years ago."
Kael: "…"
Kael instinctively slowed his pace, while Bram stopped joking, realizing the situation was more serious than it seemed.
Lyra: "The Adventurers' Guild had organized a female daguerreotype contest."
"It was supposed to remain strictly confidential."
"Only the jury members and the central guild had access to the photos."
Eron frowned, his jaw clenched.
Eron: "So someone lied."
"Or a member of the Abyss had access to this information."
Venti nodded slowly, thoughtfully, then turned slightly toward Lyra.
Venti: "And... why were you in a swimsuit?"
Lyra: "..."
Lyra paused for a moment before continuing on her way, her face slightly flushed despite the chill.
Lyra: "The theme was 'summer and adventure.'"
"The photo was taken on a beach after a mission."
"I didn't see anything wrong with it at the time."
Bram coughed, uneasy, while Kael kept his eyes fixed on the surroundings, as if he feared another abyssal portal might open at any moment.
Kael: "What worries me isn't the photo."
"It's the message behind it."
"They want to show us they know."
"That they have information about us."
A heavy silence fell as they drew ever closer to the blue glow.
They slowly resumed their march toward the bluish glow, their footsteps echoing faintly in the immense cavern.
Venti: ".........".
The ground was becoming increasingly uneven:
- Angular stones jutted out here and there
- Fragments of rock crunched under their boots
- And sometimes wide fissures forced the group to slow down to avoid stumbling.
The walls, high and deformed, seemed to have been sculpted by time and by something even older.
Traces of frost clung to the reliefs, forming whitish patterns that caught the blue light and reflected it back in cold glare.
Venti: "The further we go... the more I feel like we're being watched."
His gaze lingered for a moment on the shadows cast by the abandoned structures scattered throughout the cavern:
- Broken pillars
- Remnants of collapsed walkways,
- And even what looked like old adventurers' camps, now frozen in silence.
Everything suggested that others had tried to venture here… and had never left.
Lyra walked nearby, still holding the photograph in her hands before carefully folding it, visibly troubled.
Venti, for his part, couldn't shake the feeling that the Abyss had observed far more than they had imagined.
Venti: "If this photo is two years old… that means they've been watching the guild for a long time.
Perhaps there are even still spies out there."
Chapter 40: Daguerreotype and swimsuit
The End