In Chen Xiyao's live stream:
"So that's what happened. All our previous theories were wrong. Silaya had been working behind the scenes all along, doing so much without our knowledge. If her plan had succeeded, she could have saved the Rukkhadevata without anyone getting hurt! Hisss..."
After the initial shock, Chen Xiyao's remaining emotion was pure sympathy for Chu Xi:
"Now I understand why Silaya asked us to stop Chu Xi from uncovering the truth about the Vision. But... it seems we failed. Chu Xi learned everything after all."
The chat was flooded with messages of sympathy:
[ My poor Chu Xi baby has already suffered enough! Why do they keep doing this to her?! ]
[ Imagine discovering that your best friend sacrificed her chance at life because of you... It's heartbreaking! ]
[ Knowing Chu Xi's personality, she'll definitely blame herself for Silaya's death... ]
[ Sigh... In the end, no one was truly at fault. Silaya, desperate to survive, ultimately gave up her own life for Chu Xi. And Chu Xi remained completely unaware... ]
[ A reminder to everyone: if you're feeling angry but don't know who to direct your anger at, trust me—aim it at Mihoyo! It's always a safe bet! ]
In Chu Xi's usually clear eyes, rationality had vanished, replaced by overwhelming panic and fear. The weight of the shattering revelation left her gasping for breath, her mind spiraling into panic.
If I hadn't existed... if I hadn't gained consciousness... if I hadn't met Silaya... Silaya would have continued with her plan.
Silaya had left, Yuna had left, and now Chu Xi herself had become an obstacle to Silaya's resurrection...
I craved power, so I made a pact with a tiger, collaborating with the Doctor. That's why my body is in this state—a shattered husk, with only my head still truly mine...
Chu Xi stumbled backward several steps before collapsing onto the ground.
The black fog seeping from her head gradually enveloped her, obscuring her form completely.
"What do we do, Lumine?! Think of something!" Paimon frantically spun in circles, wanting to rush in but too afraid.
Lumine, equally helpless, turned to Rukkhadevata for guidance.
Rukkhadevata raised her hand, and a radiant green light surged toward the black fog, slowly pushing it back. The green light then merged with the black fog, eroding, and ultimately obliterating it.
"Forbidden Knowledge—the key lies in the word 'forbidden.' I have battled it for five centuries and know well its tenacious nature. Five hundred years ago, 'she' extracted the negative effects of the irremovable Forbidden Knowledge, leaving only its raw energy. She then used this energy to create Chu Xi..."
"Even if Chu Xi's core essence is merely the energy of Forbidden Knowledge, it still is Forbidden Knowledge. Now that Chu Xi has learned her origins and realized she comes from Forbidden Knowledge, this 'sense of belonging' has drawn The Forbidden back to her, manifesting as the Black Fog swirling around her body."
Lumine asked, "But wasn't Forbidden Knowledge completely purged?"
Rukkhadevata explained, "'She' sent the unpurgeable portion of Forbidden Knowledge back five hundred years. Over time, that ancient Forbidden Knowledge flowed back to her, creating a closed loop that should have completely purged it. However, the anchor point she left within the temporal paradox allowed that final, ineradicable fragment to persist. Influenced by Chu Xi, the 'source,' it has resurfaced."
Lumine didn't fully understand, but she grasped the key points: Chu Xi was in grave danger, and this additional fragment of Forbidden Knowledge posed no threat to Teyvat.
"What should we do?"
"I will use my divine power to suppress the Forbidden Knowledge's corruption of Chu Xi," Rukkhadevata said. "Your task is to awaken her desire for a good life—her hopes and dreams. As long as the negative energy in her heart doesn't overwhelm her, we will have succeeded."
In other words, they needed to make Chu Xi optimistic. Easier said than done. How could they possibly make her optimistic in her current state?
It would be incredibly difficult, but Chu Xi was Lumine's dear friend. For her sake, Lumine would attempt anything, no matter how difficult.
Rukkhadevata channeled a surge of energy toward Lumine, who immediately understood and closed her eyes.
-
When Lumine opened her eyes again, she found herself in a pitch-black space.
She was familiar with this situation. Back when she and Paimon had deliberately gotten themselves captured and locked in the Confinement Room to rescue Nahida, they had used the same method to awaken Nahida in that environment.
Lumine was certain she could do it again!
Scanning her surroundings, she spotted Chu Xi ahead.
This Chu Xi was no longer in her mechanical body; she had reverted to her original form, wearing the same clothes she had worn when they first met in Liyue.
Seeing Chu Xi like this made Lumine's mind reel for a moment.
The stark contrast between her past and present self made it clear: the Chu Xi she once knew... could never come back.
Suppressing the surging hatred for the Doctor in her heart, Lumine rushed forward. As expected, a wall blocked her path.
She pounded on the wall with all her might, but no sound escaped.
"Chu Xi!"
"Chu Xi! Look at me! Silaya gave up her chance to return just so you could live! You have to think about her!"
"Don't panic yet! There's still a chance to change things! If you collapse here, you'll lose all hope!"
Lumine shouted at the top of her lungs. On the other side of the wall, Chu Xi sat huddled with her knees drawn to her chest, her face buried between her legs, utterly silent.
Lumine clenched her fists, took a step back, and slammed her body against the wall.
The wall remained utterly impassive.
"Chu Xi!!!"
Still no response. Lumine couldn't even hear Chu Xi's thoughts.
Just as Lumine was about to try another method, a masked figure approached Chu Xi from behind, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Doctor! Damn it, what's he doing here?"
Lumine pounded frantically on the wall, but the pair on the other side remained oblivious, as if she didn't exist at all.
Lumine's face flushed with anger. Why is the Doctor on the other side of the wall while I'm stuck here? Is that fair?! And why is this wall so thick?!
Since those on the other side couldn't hear her, Lumine naturally couldn't hear them either.
Since Lumine didn't understand lip-reading, she couldn't decipher what the Doctor was saying. But after about two minutes of his monologue, Chu Xi, who had been silent and unresponsive the entire time, finally raised her head.
Alarm bells blared in Lumine's mind.
Don't trust him, Chu Xi! He betrayed you before—have you forgotten?!
But her desperate pleas couldn't reach across the wall. Chu Xi ultimately stood up and followed the Doctor, her figure receding further and further away from Lumine.
"Aaaah, Chu Xi, get back here, you bastard!!!"
Whoosh—
Lumine was forcibly ejected from the space.
"Doctor!!!"
Lumine seethed with fury!
The instant Lumine was kicked out, Chu Xi abruptly stood up, the Energy Core in her chest humming violently.
Rukkhadevata: Still a failure, it seems...