How long had it been since he first arrived in this world—centuries, perhaps?
Time had become strange, elusive for one blessed with a long lifespan.
Something he hadn't truly considered before, how easily the years could slip away like water through his fingers.
When he was human—or when he still felt human—time was sacred. Precious.
To him, it was the great equalizer, the one thing all humans shared. No matter how poor or rich, all met the same end: death.
Now unbound by time, he had wandered to countless worlds over the centuries—and still, he could not find his way home. Back to his sister. Yet, when he closed his eyes, he could feel her presence, faint but alive. Even after all these years.
He looked up at the stars—silent witnesses to the endless time he had spent in service to Phanes. The Primordial had shown him much… perhaps everything there was to know.
And yet, he could recall every task he had carried out in Phanes' name—even the destruction of civilizations.
That left him in a strange place. What would his parents think of him now?
Deep down, he knew the truth—they wouldn't recognize this version of him.
"Fenrir, the God of Chaos. The harbinger of destruction, executing the will of the Heavenly Principles." He muttered.
He knelt, letting his fingers sink into the soft sand, watching as it slipped gently through his hand.
And still, he chose to return here—because in some strange way, this place had become a kind of home.
Yes… this was the very beach where he had last seen her.
Egeria.
A radiant goddess, exquisitely formed—created by Celestia hands.
He hadn't been present at her creation, but on the one occasion they met, she had left a lasting impression. She was kind, clever, and carried herself with quiet grace. He had grown fond of her.
So when the news of her reached him, disappointment weighed heavily on his heart.
Though he could not change the judgment passed upon her, he had been allowed to offer his counsel on her punishment.
He remembered the day he met her on this very beach, calm and composed, accepting whatever punishment awaited her.
In his heart, he knew her actions weren't truly wrong—she had only listened to the pleas of her familiars, moved by compassion.
Yet he couldn't understand why they wished to become human.
He knew all too well what it meant to be one.
Watching his loved ones die… the endless nights spent in hospitals—it was far from life to envy.
Either way, she had created a new human race without Celestia's permission—a defiance that ignited their wrath. Not enough to demand her death, but enough to seal her fate.
With the fall of Remuria and its god, and the Archon war drawing to a close, Phanes chose to extend a rare mercy—granting Egeria her freedom and appointing her as an Archon to govern this land.
And now, Fenrir waits for her return, the Gnosis in hand, ready to bestow her purpose.
There, he watched as a goddess emerged from the waters below.
Clad still in her flowing white dress, her eyes—brilliant with the colors of the ocean—met his with quiet intensity.
She stepped toward him.
"Are they still fated to dissolve?" she asked, her voice gentle, yet laced with sorrow.
Ever devoted to her people.
Fenrir extended the Gnosis to her.
"Yes," he replied. "They are."
"So… you will not help alter their fate?" Egeria's voice was soft, like the whisper of tides, yet tinged with sorrow.
She already knew his answer, yet still, she had to ask.
Fenrir wished he could say yes—truly, he did. But even he knew some lines could not be crossed.
"I cannot intervene," he said, his tone low and resolute. "But… if the time comes, I may choose to look away.
Her eyes shimmered with surprise—never in all her years had she believed any of the Shades capable of empathy. They were forged by his will, bound by unshakable loyalty. And yet… one would choose to look the other way.
"Thank you," she said softly, offering him a graceful bow.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he gave her a nod. "Now, don't keep your people waiting"
Her blue hair danced in the wind as she smiled softly. Then, without another word, she turned and walked toward the land that would one day be known as the Nation of Justice.
As he watched her figure vanish into the distance, Fenrir rubbed the back of his head with a groan.
"All this time in this world… and I still haven't gotten laid."
He scoffed at himself. A literal god—surrounded by beautiful goddesses in Celestia and down here on Teyvat—and still no luck.
"Honestly, at this point, it feels like a war crime."
Maybe he was just waiting for the right person.
Who was he kidding? He was terrible at romance—even back home.
He sighed.
With his task complete, and with the whole Archon affair drawing to a close, perhaps it was time to visit another world.
The last one he explored had been overrun by a zombie apocalypse. Grim, sure.
Honestly, there was something he enjoyed about it—traveling between worlds, seeing how each one differed wildly from the next.
But no matter how far he wandered, his end goal never changed: to return home.
Before long, he vanished from the beach, making his way toward Snezhnaya.
High in the icy peaks, hidden from human eyes, lay his home.
It was a luxurious retreat—spacious, well-crafted, and equipped with everything he needed… except entertainment.
Settling into his office, Fenrir pulled out a worn journal and opened it in silence.
He sat there, jotting down his experiences from the last world—a place overrun by fast-moving, relentless zombies. Strangely, some worlds seemed like mirrors of one another, sharing familiar landscapes but altered by fate. One was consumed by the undead, while its counterpart had been turned into a wasteland by humanity's own hands.
These worlds didn't just share landscapes and names—they also bore striking similarities in technology, with some more advanced than others.
Could this be a hint of something greater?
As he brought one journey to a close, Fenrir paused in thought. It felt like time—time to step into a new world.
In the quiet of his private sanctuary, he summoned a gate. Two elegant white doors emerged, parting slowly to reveal a soft, radiant light. Without hesitation, he stepped through. The doors shut silently behind him.
But before he could even take in his surroundings, a horrific sight greeted him—a man devouring another alive.
What in the hell…?
—————
If you're interested, Chapter 11 of Marechaussee Hunter has a scene before Egeria was imprisoned