By the time they reached Petrichor, it was noon. This isolated island's waters were different from the Great Lake of Fontaine; they were the natural waters of Teyvat, where Vision holders couldn't breathe freely.

They met with the town's governor, who was overjoyed to see them after Clorinde revealed her identity. He led them to the place where the disappearances had occurred. It was an open-air pool, surrounded by signs of a struggle and, most notably, stone statues.

"So, this is the place..." Clorinde said. "Mr. Tiepolo, I'd like to ask, did you investigate this place before we arrived?"

"Of course," the old man nodded. "We organized a search party and even tried to dive into the water, but the strong currents and pressure forced us to give up."

"From the tracks here, I can tell the person ended up in this pool. To find them, we have to go in," Clorinde said. "Leave this to us. I've checked, and the water in this pool is the same as the Great Lake of Fontaine. Vision holders like us are better suited for this investigation."

"Of course," the governor said gratefully.

"We can help," Lu Li said with a smile. "By preparing a huge meal for us when we get back!"

————

After the old man left, Clorinde asked, "So, what's your plan? Or do we just dive in?"

"That's the only way," she said, tapping one of the statues. "This is just an ordinary statue, no signs of life. But its appearance confirms my suspicions. This is indeed the type of intelligent, non-human monster the Champion Duelists have hunted for generations."

"Lu Li, I'd like to hear your thoughts. You said you could confirm something when you got here?"

"Mm... I do know a few things," he said. He remembered that Petrichor was a map from a later version of the game, with a long world quest. The underwater world was called the "Faded Castle," and by solving puzzles and playing music, you could open a deeper passage to the "Sea of Bygone Eras."

He explained the secrets of the town and the underwater world to her.

"If that's the case, then we have a lead on the missing person and why these statues are here. But... the ruins of King Remus?" This piqued her curiosity.

"In any case, according to your intel, we have reason to believe we know where the missing person is. Lu Li, let's not waste any more time. We should go now."

"Alright, let's go—"

Just as he was about to take off his clothes by the pool, he felt a foot kick his rear, sending him straight into the water.

"No need to take off your clothes," Clorinde said as he surfaced, looking at her with a stunned expression. "We don't know what lies ahead. Our clothes offer some protection."

He could only nod helplessly. She jumped in after him, and they both dived down. They felt a strong current pulling them towards another cave entrance and swam through it, arriving in a deeper area. They saw an air pocket above and the architecture of an ancient civilization. They had arrived at the Faded Castle.

-------

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