Chapter 1: Echoes of an Idol
The sun was setting over Mondstadt, painting the sky orange and pink as the crowd slowly left Barbara's concert. Her voice still echoed in the streets, soft and sweet, like it was clinging to the air. Albert was in the middle of it all, his face lit up with pure excitement, like he'd just seen something magical.
Walking back with his friends, he couldn’t stop talking.
“Did you guys hear that last song? I swear she was looking right at me when she sang it,” Albert said, grinning like an idiot.
His friends just laughed, shaking their heads. They were used to this. Albert always thought Barbara was singing just for him.
Later that night, Albert sat by his small window, a bottle of cheap dandelion wine by his side. He was tipsy, his thoughts floating like clouds. He stared out at the city lights, blurry and soft.
“Tomorrow,” he mumbled, half-drunk, half-dreaming. “Tomorrow I’ll talk to her.”
With that thought tucked into his mind, he fell asleep, dreaming of Barbara’s smile.
Morning hit Albert like a slap. The sunlight was way too bright, his head was pounding, and he regretted that last glass of wine. Still, he dragged himself up and got ready for work. Being a waiter at Mondstadt’s busiest tavern wasn’t exactly thrilling. The morning rush was always the worst—cleaning up leftover messes from the night before, balancing trays of sticky mugs, and pretending to care when customers complained about their lukewarm cider.
Albert went through the motions: wiping down tables, dodging drunk adventurers still lingering from the night shift, and dealing with the cook yelling about late orders. His mind wasn’t there. Every time someone said “Barbara” in passing, his ears perked up. He spilled a drink once just because someone hummed one of her songs.
After what felt like forever, his shift finally ended. He practically sprinted out the door, heading straight to the Knights of Favonius headquarters. His plan was simple: find out where Barbara was.
After pestering a few guards, one of them shrugged and said,
“I think she’s outside the city today… not really sure what she's up to though. Maybe doing some of her usual charity stuff?”
That was all Albert needed to hear. Without wasting a second, he was out the gates, heart racing. The wind felt good against his face as he rushed down the path, thinking only one thing:
“I’m going to find her.”
Albert followed the winding path out of Mondstadt, his heart pounding with excitement and nerves. The breeze carried the faint scent of wildflowers mixed with the earthy aroma of the nearby woods. As he ventured deeper, the sounds of the city faded, replaced by the rustling of leaves and distant chirping of birds.
Then he saw her.
Barbara stood at a small clearing, her figure bathed in soft sunlight filtering through the trees. She was reaching up, trying to pick some Chili Fruit, her expression focused. Albert froze, his breath catching. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for.
He took a hesitant step forward, heart racing, just about to call out her name…
Suddenly, a large Water Slime burst from the bushes, catching Barbara completely off guard. Before she could react, the slime lunged, its gelatinous form engulfing her in one swift motion. Albert's heart stopped.
“Barbara!” he shouted, sprinting towards the slime as it began to bounce away, dragging her with it.
Without thinking, Albert chased after them, dodging tree roots and leaping over rocks. The slime slid into a dark cave, its wet trail glistening under the faint light. Albert didn’t hesitate. He plunged into the cave after it, his legs burning, his mind screaming one thing:
Save her.
Inside, the cave was damp and cold. Barbara was trapped inside the slime, struggling, her face pale as she fought to breathe. Panic surged through Albert. He didn’t have a weapon, no fancy vision, nothing. Just pure, reckless desperation.
With a wild yell, Albert launched himself onto the slime, punching and clawing at its slippery surface. The impact caused a strange reaction—the slime trembled violently before exploding in a burst of water and steam.
Darkness swallowed him.
When Albert finally regained consciousness, he was lying on the cold cave floor, soaked to the bone. His vision was blurry, but he could hear water dripping somewhere nearby. His head throbbed, his body aching.
“Barbara…?”
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