Undercover in Snezhnaya, My Teyvat Spy Life [39]

Eula had forgotten how to cry.

She just stared, stunned, at her [Vision]—now lifeless and hollow.

Artem Vetrovski rubbed his eyes hard, making sure he wasn’t seeing things.

A [Vision] that had already awakened… could it really go dark?

This was a first, even for him.

“Is… is this…”

“Is this the gods’ punishment for me?” Eula whispered, her voice full of bitterness.

In Teyvat, everyone knew—or believed—that a [Vision] was given when the gods set their gaze upon someone.

It was said to be a mark of divine recognition.

Now, her [Vision] had gone dark.

A [Vision] only extinguished when its bearer died, and yet here she was—alive, but her [Vision] was dead.

“If I’ve turned my back on Mondstadt, does that mean the gods have abandoned me too?”

Eula’s face twisted with pain, but this time, there were no tears left to fall.

It was as if, deep down, she’d already prepared herself for this.

“Let me see,” Artem said, gently taking Eula’s [Vision] to examine it.

Where it once gleamed with icy brilliance, now it was utterly dull—no trace of light, not even a glimmer of the Cryo motif.

Only its Mondstadt shape marked what it once had been. It was just a shell—empty, devoid of any element.

He turned it over in his hands, thinking it through.

“I think I get it,” he finally said. “It’s your wish.”

“Your [Vision] faded because your wish faded.”

“My… wish?” Eula echoed, staring at Artem in disbelief.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “The Fatui have done extensive research on [Visions]. One lunatic even traveled all over the continent, collecting hundreds of case studies from [Vision] holders.”

“After all that, he came to one conclusion: [Visions] are undeniably tied to people’s wishes.”

“But that’s as far as he got. There’s no pattern to when or why [Visions] appear—even with that many samples, no one’s figured out the true mechanism.”

“Some people spend their whole lives working and never get one. Others just mutter, ‘I wish I had a [Vision],’ and suddenly, one appears out of thin air.”

At this, Artem couldn’t help but grimace.

Because of that research, The Doctor began massive human experimentation—trying every method to stimulate people’s deepest, strongest desires, hoping to mass-produce [Vision] holders.

Every single experiment failed.

So he changed tack—switching to creating [Vision] substitutes.

[Delusions].

The earliest [Delusions] could channel elemental power just like a [Vision], but their backlash was so deadly that using one once meant certain death.

To equip soldiers safely, The Doctor started a two-pronged project.

On one hand, he worked to improve [Delusions], lessening the backlash.

On the other, he pushed for body modification, making Fatui soldiers physically tougher to survive the [Delusion’s] side effects.

Years passed, countless lives were lost, and only then did Snezhnaya gain the military might it boasts today.

All of this was openly displayed in Fatui halls—The Doctor even treated it as his life’s greatest achievement, calling it a man-made miracle.

Those who died in his experiments? He called them sacrifices for a glorious cause.

That’s why every Fatui soldier knows the truth about [Delusions].

It’s no secret.

So, seeing Eula’s situation now, Artem easily guessed her wish was the problem.

If he remembered right—

In the original timeline, Diluc’s [Vision] went dark, too—after his father’s death and the Knights’ betrayal, his wish was shattered. He voluntarily abandoned his [Vision], and it faded.

But later, his old wish reignited, and he awakened his Vision again.

According to The Doctor’s theory, Cryo [Vision] holders all experience extreme contradiction and unsolvable cycles—yearning for something, but forced to act against their true wishes, maintaining what they love in ways they hate.

Eula had always wavered between the Lawrence family’s old hatred and her desire for acceptance in Mondstadt.

In the end, she’d chosen her own path—her own brand of “vengeance”—and the moment her conviction solidified, she’d gained her Cryo [Vision].

But just now...

Eula had lost all hope in Mondstadt.

She’d given up on her dream of coexisting with its people and moving past vengeance.

Just as she said:
If Artem hadn’t exposed the secret behind the Lawrence clan’s curse, her dream would’ve gone on—and her [Vision] would never have faded.

After Artem finished explaining all this, Eula sat in long, silent reflection.

Her wish was gone.

And she felt lost.

Artem was from Snezhnaya.

Being with him was almost a betrayal of Mondstadt.

The moment she made her choice, the faint sense of belonging she’d felt toward Mondstadt was severed.

So Artem’s explanation made perfect sense.

“Your [Vision] may light up again one day,” Artem said, seeing her so crestfallen.

“I’m fine,” Eula replied softly. “I just feel kind of… empty inside.”

She gently took her [Vision] back, sitting beside the fire and staring into the flames.

You say you’re fine, but your body says otherwise…

Artem shook his head with a silent sigh.

Then he looked at her, voice earnest. “I’m not lying to you.”

“I’ve actually seen a [Vision] go dark—and then reignite.”

At that, Eula’s eyes brightened, but she quickly looked away, a wry smile on her lips.

“No need to make up stories to cheer me up.”

“I’m an adult. I know how to tell truth from lies.”

“If the gods have given up on me, how could there be any hope of reignition?”

Artem smiled, moving to sit beside her, and began telling the story of Diluc’s [Vision]—the one he abandoned, and then reclaimed.

Of course, he swapped out the roles: the Knights became the Fatui.

When the story ended, Eula’s expression was clearly lighter.

She leaned her head on Artem’s shoulder, gazing out at the stars beyond the cave mouth.

She didn’t ask about the Vision again. Instead, she murmured, “Do you know why, when you told me you liked me, I said yes without even thinking?”

“No idea,” Artem answered honestly. “I thought you’d draw your sword on me, honestly—not agree right away.”

Eula giggled at his candor.

Still smiling, she said quietly, “Because, besides Amber, you’re the only person who didn’t look down on me the first time we met.”

“Remember our first meeting?”

“We fought so much, and you even insulted me.”

“I was angry, but also happy—because, for once, I saw fairness in someone’s eyes.”

“When you learned I was a Lawrence, you didn’t shun me like the others, or mock, or blame me for my bloodline.”

“The only things you ever criticized were the Knights themselves—not the so-called ‘sinner’s blood’ in me.”

“I could tell—you didn’t care about the Lawrence name at all.”

“And besides… you’re relentless when it comes to showing affection. What girl could resist that?”

“So, I figured it out.”

“If Mondstadt won’t have me, and my family doesn’t want me either—then as long as you’re sincere, what does it matter where you’re from?”

She laughed again, the moonlight making her tear-stained face seem all the more beautiful.

“Oh? So you’re not afraid I’m just lying to you?”

Artem teased.

Eula pointed to her eyes, smiling softly. “I have a good eye for people, you know.”

Her smile took on a touch of bittersweetness. “As a Lawrence, I’ve been looked down on my whole life.”

“I’ve seen enough people to know—who’s real, and who’s just telling me what I want to hear.”

“Other than Amber, you’re the one who’s treated me best.”

“I trust my own eyes.”

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T/N: sigh i hope Eula finds a new wish, but hmmm the thing is from what I know it has to align to why she got the vision in the first place, like how Kazuha reignite Tomo's vision by trying to block or beat the Mushou Isshin

This is a fan translation of 提瓦特之我在至冬做臥底 by 曉風殘月聽荷 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!