theory/meta about zzz (plus hsr & hi3) and the honkaiverse.
ok i think professor arche is the Creator, and probably also Carole Arna, and is the source of everything with the hollows and time shenanigans. the ether is a manifestation of destruction/calamity, like the stellaron, honkai, and black tide.
i also think that the hsr coreflames, hi3 herrscher cores, and zzz sacrifice cores are practically the same thing (in function, not in literal lore). all manifestations of finality, meant to connect to the soul of an individual strong enough to withstand their power. when successful, they will bind with their host, become something new, and cause destruction, bringing about finality.
the power of finality is potent and immense. it can be used as a power source, for both good and bad. light and darkness.
honestly, i think that everything in the honkaiverse is made of quanta, and the power of void/death/darkness/calamity/nihility/corruption/etc is not separate from light/life/creation/abundance/etc. it's all about the state of the energy/matter- antimatter or matter. it's just whether or not it has fallen into the sea of quanta, entered the void.
perhaps all fruits are meant to fall from the tree eventually. they don't stop existing, as matter can neither be created nor destroyed. in the end, all will fall into the void and become nihility. finality is the fall itself.
as it's all the same thing, quanta... everything is two sides of the same coin. finality/end and origin/beginning... everything in the honkaiverse is just the universe figuring out what to do with itself, with the eternal push and pull against or toward finality. the core of it all is: what it means to be human. with the existence of sentient beings, things can change and be affected.
(about zzz specifically, i do really love the subversion of expectations and its uniqueness in terms of theme, storytelling, worldbuilding, presentation, and real world commentary. the way zzz explores what it means to be human is very satisfying to my brain. i don't think i'll ever play hsr or gi.)