The Traveler: Mondstadt (Genshin Impact)

Chapter 30

- Irma - 

Cursed...it really looks that way doesn't it?

This morning I was approached by a small group of people. Mostly parents or lovers of people that died during the battle. In all the books and movies that I've read the heroes are approached by relatives to thank them for their hard work and sacrifice. Some crazy part of me expected to receive recognition knowing very well I didn't deserve it.

You can say it was unexpected when an older woman smacked me right across the cheek. Even now her palm still stings on my skin. Not as much as the look she gave me. She really believed in her heart that this was somehow my fault. Here I was limping my way to the Cathedral and this woman blamed me for the death of someone I didn't know.

An outrageous accusation by normal means but I knew that she was right. All of them were right. I might have not driven a blade into the dead one's hearts but I still had a hand to play in all of this. So I let her slam her hands into my chest and pull at my clothes.

I'm just sorry I couldn't hear what she was telling me.

Red streaks of blood stained the cement underneath us. Blood that was split because of me. There must've been something I could've done to save these people or at least lessen the damage. If only I were stronger, braver, and smarter I could've found a way. There was always a way.

Even without that the destruction of Mondstadt was at fault to people like me. People who didn't even belong in this world. Had we never been brought here then the story would be on track. The Traveler would continue journeying the world, solving whatever problems came their way with caution.

Humans are so hungry, so greedy, and so reckless. We never look at what we're destroying to get what we want, do we? You give us power and the first thing we do is destroy a city. We destroy its people.

"I SAID ENOUGH!"

Jean's voice brought me back to my senses. When did they step in front of me? A small group of Knights were doing their best to hold back the crowd from harming me. On closer inspection I can see they've armed themselves with stones and clubs. Would they kill me? Why did I hope they would?

I almost lost it when Eula stepped forward. Using the word 'she' to describe Amber. I had forgotten that those two had a close bond. Does she hate me too? In the end, I took someone very important from here, didn't I? Didn't we?

I was going to make my way into the Cathedral but for some reason my hands weren't able to open the doors. As I turned back to the crowd beneath me, the massive weight of it dragged down my shoulders.

When I first arrived here I was so excited, so happy. Never once did I ask myself if this was right? Instead, was it real? A part of me refused to believe that such a wonderful gift could be handed to someone like me. I was right, a gift like this shouldn't have been handed to be. It shouldn't have been handed to any of us.

Experiencing cold river water slip through your hands during a drought lets desperate thoughts into our hearts. In the real world we lack so much power that we indulge ourselves in our stories, in our games, our shows, and plays. We imagine ourselves staring at our reflection in the river bank and forget to ask ourselves why we're like this in the first place.

It might not be directly our fault but by nature humans are greedy creatures. We may be smart compared to Sumpter Beasts, the birds, and the fish but at the same time we're just as dumb. Always, we ask what innovation can do to make our lives easier without first daring to do that work ourselves. Innovation is good but innovation coming from a lazy man equals nothing.

It's the same thing. This world is a blank canvas and instead of enjoying the truth of it, people like The Phoenix decided to claim it as their own. Making changes to what should've been left alone. Heck, I know because I would probably start thinking the same thing at one point or another.