ARE YOU THERE?
A voice echoed throughout an empty void, as if someone was talking to somebody without presence.
ARE WE CONNECTED?
The voice echoed again, asking a question which nobody responded to.
Suddenly, a scarlet red beam appears, bringing a red heart ❤. The heart began to float as if it were special.
EXCELLENT. TRULY EXCELLENT.
The voice spoke as if confirming his question with just the appearance of the red heart.
NOW. WE MAY BEGIN.
The red beam appears again, but this time, it takes away the red heart. Suddenly the void no longer felt empty but felt as if it was in some dimension.
FIRST, YOU MUST CREATE A VESSEL. SELECT THE HEAD THAT YOU PREFER.
As if imagining, 8 heads appear before the void, the red heart is above the bald face as if this head were what whoever is choosing. The heart moves to the next head, a head with hair and something on its right cheek. The heads disappeared as if someone had chosen the second head without seeing the rest.
SELECT THE TORSO THAT YOU PREFER.
Six bodies appear as the red heart once again appears on the top of a gray sweater with two white stripes. As if by choice or something, the heart went to the second option again, a short-sleeved sweater. As if it didn't have the patience to carefully decide. The torsos vanish like the heads.
SELECT THE LEGS THAT YOU PREFER.
Five seemingly similar legs appear, and like the previous two choices, the red heart went to the second. Not that it matters as they all look the same. The legs too vanished.
Then the whole body appears, the three choices that were made to build the vessel.
THIS IS YOUR BODY. DO YOU ACCEPT IT?
❤ YES NO
EXCELLENT. YOU HAVE CREATED A WONDERFUL FORM. NOW. LET US SHAPE ITS MIND AS YOUR OWN. WHAT IS ITS FAVORITE FOOD?
SWEET
SOFT
SOUR
SALTY
❤ PAIN
COLD
YOUR FAVORITE BLOOD TYPE?
A
❤ AB
B
C
D
WHAT COLOR DOES IT LIKE MOST?
❤ RED
BLUE
GREEN
CYAN
PLEASE GIVE IT A GIFT.
KINDNESS
MIND
AMBITION
BRAVERY
❤ VOICE
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR CREATION? (IT WILL NOT HEAR.)
LOVE
HOPE
❤ DISGUST
FEAR
HAVE YOU ANSWERED HONESTLY?
❤ YES
NO
YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE POSSIBILITY OF PAIN AND SEIZURE.
YES
❤ NO
UNDERSTOOD.
It seems like the voice doesn't care who chooses what they put in the vessel, and the fact that whoever was choosing was quick to answer every question just proves how impatient they are.
NAME YOUR VESSEL.
All the alphabets appear before the void as the heart moves around too quickly to choose a name. Soon a name was given to the vessel as the letter vanished.
WE CALLED IT "SOULLESS." AND WHAT ABOUT THE CREATOR? YOUR OWN NAME.
The letters appear again as a name that was already thought up.
"PLAYER." EXCELLENT. TRULY EXCELLENT. "PLAYER." THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. YOUR ANSWERS. YOUR WONDERFUL CREATION…
Suddenly a different voice spoke.
Will now be discarded.
The vessel vanished, never to be seen again.
No one can choose who they are in this world. This special world in particular. This… It will be very interesting to view. Let us see just how honest you were when answering those questions.
Your name is
"Seelenlos."
A sweet, tender voice, which sounded like a young woman, spoke to someone who appeared to be lying in bed, with the sheets covering their whole body. It obviously seems like a room as there was only a bed, a drawer, a window, a bird cage, and a mirror. The temperature was below what people should be dealing with.
"Time to get up my dear friend. We have a lot to do today, even if it isn't work-related. You promised to listen to me singing in the church."
The young woman moved around in the blanket signifying that they heard what she said. The sweet voice that spoke to them could only smile.
"You know it, only the two of us are here. Nobody else is in here. You can speak to me, like all the other times when it's just us two alone."
"...Sure."
The voice spoke as if it was dull and with a mix of robotic.
The woman let out a kind chuckle as she began to walk out of the room.
"I'll be waiting for you outside, and in case you take longer than five minutes to come out again. Just be ready for me to let out a tune."
She left the room leaving the person still in their bed. Seconds later the person got up and left their bed. They walk strangely as if some movement was…
They walk around the room interacting with the things within the room.
* The bed needs to be cleaned.
* A bird cage has seen better days. Wonder how it became like this.
* All you can see outside is a blizzard.
* A drawer has clothing inside. Would you like to change?
❤ Yes No
* You changed your outfit, check your mirror.
They checked the mirror and all they could see was themselves. A teenager with cream skin, brown hair that covers their eyes. Wearing the silver armor of a knight, shoulder pauldrons, a cuirass, gauntlets, and boots. They wear a navy blue bodysuit underneath the set, and a pink cape drapes across their right shoulder.
* It's only you.
They looked at themselves for a bit until they decided to walk out of their room. Once they exited they turned to see the very person who woke them up.
She looks like a young pale damsel who looks very innocent and naive, the way she is oblivious to her surroundings. Her long black hair with dark pink/magenta highlights, tied into two side-plaits resting just over her shoulders with white ribbon around it in an X-shape. She has several white feather-like ribbons on the back of her head that are reminiscent of dove wings. She wears a white X-shaped lace mask covering her seemingly always-closed eyes.
Her attire has a cloak that looked very important as they saw it in other important people. And that cloak hid what was underneath. What they know underneath is that she wears a black and pink skirt, a white dress, and white gloves. To naive people, she looked very beautiful.
People who look at her couldn't help but be amazed by her looks, the way she acts, and how wonderful her singing is. Some with bad intentions would believe she would be easy to sway, to lure her to do whatever they want with her.
If those kinds of people do that, then they should have run the moment they saw her. Even when she acts unconcern or obvious about anything. Those outside of the Fatui met different ends when trying to do what they wanted with her. She isn't a Harbinger for nothing.
She is Columbina, the Third Habringer of the Fatui, the Damselette. As some would say, a caretaker of Seelenlos.
For some reason, her having her eyes closed reminded Seelenlos of something, but he couldn't understand what it was. It was also suffocating their lungs, but only a little which they ignored.
Columbina seems to sense Seelenlos looking at her as she turns to see them. She smiles as she approaches them.
"Aww. It seems I wouldn't have to sing again. But that's okay, I can still sing at the church. Let us go my dear~"
She walked away as they followed her, in a cold hallway Columbina began to hum. Even when she said she would sing at the church, she would just let out any kind of tune the moment it felt very quiet.
To Seelenlos, it was very calming and reassuring. Even if they don't show or express it much, it keeps them at ease.
For Columbina herself, she saw Seelenlos as a human who needed guidance, from the moment she first met him. They lack direction and a purpose, so she took the role as a guardian. She would be lying if she said she hadn't enjoyed their company.
"The way you walk always reminds me of how we first met. Hehe, you were acting so strangely that it made me wonder if the icicle prison completely prevents your body from fully functioning."
She remembers that when she first joined the Fatui, she noticed an icicle structure in the church. She asked what it was and why it was there. From what she was informed, it was there after the disaster that had shaken Teyvat. The Cataclysm that would have destroyed the whole world.
Nobody remembers when or how it was placed, not even her Majesty, the Tsaritsa, the Cyro Archon, and the God of Love. Rumor has it that she once had a lover, but he died during the Cataclysm.
She wondered if she had truly done something to do with this icicle prison, mainly because on closer inspection, there was an individual trapped inside the ice. But since it had the power of her Majesty the icicle remained there for 400 years. Nobody knew if the individual was still alive inside the ice.
But one day the icicle broke, and the person inside was freed. But the moment it woke up, they fell face flat on the ground. And upon realizing they weren't getting up or moving at all, those who were there helped them get up. That was when everyone realized that this individual had no emotions, expression, or even said anything.
Even when trying to get them moving, they would stand still or walk around like a zombie. Even their face was strange as there was only a mouth and nose, but they couldn't see the eyes with the hair blocking them. What made it even more strange yet curious was that there was no heartbeat, yet they were still moving and breathing.
Nobody knew what they should do with this zombie, and some didn't want them near anyone as the individual was creepy. The Second Harbinger, the Doctor, Il Dottore wanted to research him as nobody else wanted to further aid the walking zombie.
But the Tsaritsa felt something familiar about the individual, especially the brown hair. But unless they got a clear look at their face, all she could do was put him in the care of someone who would be willing to get him to act like a human being should. So Columbina offers to watch over them as her Majesty gives him the name Seelenlos.
With that, Columbina was Seelenlos' guardian and friend. She was what Seelenlos needed to become what they were used to; there were still aspects of the way they acted before, but overall, they improved. It was like that for 50 years.
Seelenlos just nodded as Columbina continued to hum music. They could only look forward as she let them out of the hallway and into the middle of the castle.
You can see people dressed in unique clothing with red, blue, cyan, yellow, or purple. Along with weapons that could instantly kill you if you're not careful.
The two walk through every person within the room as everyone makes a path for the Harbinger.
"Lady Columbina, good morning!"
"Lady Columbina, it is wonderful to see you!"
"Lady Columbina, your graceful appearance! We're not worthy of seeing!"
Everyone greeted the third Harbinger with respect and honor. Some even greeted Seelenlos, but it was merely because they were with Columbina.
The two soon exit and enter another room where someone was just about to enter the room both of them were in. The sight enlightened Columbina.
"Sandrone. How wonderful to see you outside of your lab."
Sandrone, a young pale-skinned woman, with beige-colored hair with a medium-length bob with two long strands framing her face, and blue-gray eyes. Her outfit consists of a long white dress with red ruffles. She sports a black corset showcasing a triquetra symbol in the middle, with ruby-red gemstones in between the spaces. Her dress has short, dark, puffy sleeves, while long white ones appear underneath.
Her gloves are white and form a V-shape at the wrist. Additionally, she wears white stockings with black heels. She adorns a white, black, and gold bonnet on her head, with red lacing and black bows on the sides. Meanwhile, on her neck, she has a black collar lined with gold. In the middle, a pear-cut ruby-red gem is found.
She is the Seventh Harbinger, the Marionette. As the name implies, the robot is a mechanical puppet designed to carry her around and everywhere. The moment Sandrone locked eyes with Columbina, she showed a prideful expression.
"Hmph! Good morning to you, too, Columbina. Ah, good morning to you, Seelenlos."
She greeted Seelenlos as she once saw them as someone strange, yet during the years, she somewhat got along with them. Seelenlos bows to the sixth Harbinger, saying no words. Sandrone let out an expected sigh as she looked at Columbina.
"It's a good thing I ran into you. I have a message to forward to you from the Jester."
Columbina is now intrigued by what her colleague has to say from the Jester. Even Seelenlos is curious as the Jester, Pierro, the co-founder/Director of the Fatui, as he works alongside the Cryo Archon. The very first member when the organization was first created. He was born in a nation that is said to be godless and destroyed by Celestia, the Heavenly Principles, and the Seven Archons.
For Seelenlos, it was like the Jester knew something about them, but at the same time, he didn't. As if he knew them from somewhere but couldn't remember where or why. As if a memory was erased or altered by something. Still, for him to announce something to the Harbingers must be very important indeed.
"The Jester had warned all of us to be aware of any suspicious activity. It turns out someone or something is roaming around the castle. So far, nobody has found anything except for the mess it left behind.
The reason why it hadn't been issued to us, Harbingers, is that he believed our subordinates would handle the pest. But it seems to be evading our search for it. It even causes some disturbance late at night.
Objects are missing from where they were supposed to be. The very objects found in places that anyone or no one would expect. And someone swore they'd heard something erupting from somewhere.
A few of our subordinates got hurt by cuts and scratches. This isn't normal in the slightest. Everyone, including the Jester, is searching for whoever is causing this mess. You haven't noticed anything strange during this week, have you, Columbina?"
Columbina shook her head, expressing that she neither saw nor saw anything out of the ordinary.
"No, I have not. Oh, if you're going to ask my special subordinate, then you don't have to. If he had found something strange, he would have already told me about it."
Sandrone could only look at her coworker and the teen whom she once saw as a puppet with no strings. A bit of her mind wonders if Seelenlos did have something to do with it as they're still mysterious even for themselves. But unless they took the opportunity to leave Columbina's side, which never ever happens, then Sandrone had no real reason to suspect them.
"If you do encounter what we're searching for, inform the Jester. He worries that this would hinder the upcoming plan in a few years to combat Celestia. Everything we plan is to ensure the chances of obtaining the Gnosis from the seven nations."
Sandrone's puppet turns to leave with her, but before the robot puppet can begin walking away. She spoke to Seelenlos.
"My puppet and I are eager to take you for another meet-up in my lab. I do hope you have the time to visit us. Do remember this."
Seelenlos didn't say anything, but to Columbina, it seems they're trying to say something. So she encouraged them to speak, so they did.
"I'll… Be there… Someday."
She nodded before being on her way back to her lab. Sandrone could help but mutter under her breath that she rarely leaves her lab and only leaves when the Harbinger meeting is announced.
"Well, it turns out we won't be able to go to church this time. If the situation is as bad as Sandrome said then we should be aware."
As always Columbina doesn't seem very concerned with the information. But that doesn't mean she isn't interested in investigating this mysterious thing. Columbina believes once they find clues and perhaps the perpetrator, she'll inform the Jester, then perhaps dealing with the intruder will be easy.
"Come my dear subordinate! We must gather clues about where it could be. Let us start by talking with the other subordinates about this individual. Perhaps we can gather what it does, where it leaves its messes often, and maybe even see a piece of it."
Columbina's enthusiasm knows no bounds; out of anyone within Fatui, only Seelenlos can keep up with her personality and attitude. Seelenlos could only stay silent as they walked beside their lady as the two began their investigation of this matter.
Perhaps they'll encounter something that would only be seen… In the dark.