Chapter Text
“...It’s for your own good.”
His voice that time was calm and even, but carried an edge of iciness —
“....Leave. Now.”
— as he turned his back to them and disappeared.
From then what stuck with her about Xiao on the balcony in Wangshu Inn was the quiet sadness she always saw beyond his piercing gaze.
A scar running as deep and long as the history of this world Teyvat she saw reflecting back at her. One that told her about all the sufferings and darkness the yaksha had to bear.
He was all - the Bane of All Evil, the Demon Conqueror, the Vigilant Yaksha - a force known not to be messed with by those who knew about him, but these titles rooted down to one thing — one lonely, suffering spirit bearing all the weights of his endless duty and the repercussions which came with them.
Xiao was far more than a mystical being she met in her journey across Teyvat. She couldn’t quite place a finger on why there was an ache gnawing at her to dig deeper and understand the yaksha behind his glaring eyes, his mask, and the wall he built around himself.
But maybe Xiao was right.
Leave him alone, Lumine reminded herself. She let her eyes wander briefly to a certain balcony towering over them as they passed by Wangshu Inn.
Her lungs felt like they were on fire as she tried to breathe. And so were her legs.
They barely managed to defeat the two abnormal Hilichurls she dubbed “Dark Hilichurls” in her head - they were stronger and more aggressive than the typical Hilichurls she had fought.
Paimon and her had their suspicions about the adeptus they met near the Wangshu Inn.
"Starsnatcher" - one who granted wishes with a price.
As much as she wanted him to find Aether for her, the alarms going off in her head held her tongue. So here they were, on their way to Wanwen Bookhouse to learn more about the Yakshas.
She'd never even thought she would meet anyone or much less more Dark Hilichurls on her way to Liyue harbor, especially on a quieter route where the tall grass tickled and bumpy boulders made the soles of her feet blister.
Two were enough to make her breathe hard and her arms sore. Fighting five of those Hilichurls in one go would be suicidal.
She could hear their growls and snarls behind them.
“Hurry hurry, Lumine!”
Her chest heaved and fell in desperate attempts to replenish the oxygen in her lungs as her tired gaze landed on Paimon in envy.
“Ea-Easy for you to say, Paimon!” Oh, why couldn’t she just float like Paimon? “I’m running as fast as I can— ah!”
She felt her right leg hook onto something sharp and that was the only warning before she hit the ground hard, her breath knocked out of her like a rude awakening.
A hiss of pain sifted through her teeth as her vision swam. Wh…What was that? She slowly pushed up herself to sit on her bottom
Her wincing gaze drifted her bent knees before her to where she felt a burning sting to find— Lumine heard Paimon gasp above her— a bloodied cut big enough for trickles of blood to stain her shoe.
How...
Her next breath shuddered out of her. ...What did this?
Her eyes found themselves on a thorny bush right at where she felt the graze, her gaze lingering on the stray branch sticking out from it.
Running footsteps tugged her gaze to find the pursuing horde on the path behind them.
Shit.
“Yi-Yikes!” Paimon’s eyes grew wide as the fairy held her hands up to her face in horror, “Lumine, Paimon thinks that wound looks painful but we’ve gotta run!” Paimon flapped her arms helplessly.
With gritted teeth, Lumine tried to lift herself off the ground but a harsh jolt of pain down her leg tore a cry from her throat like the heat of a wildfire. The bright burst of pain she saw behind her eyes made her giddy.
“I can’t…” Her knuckles turned white to her tightening fists as she fought to tide through the pain ripping into her senses, “M-My leg, it hurts…!”
The pain seemed to sear into her skin - it was hard to breathe. ‘Poisoned’ was all that came to mind as her vision wavered.
She sensed more than saw the Hilichurls approaching dangerously close, and when she did turn her gaze up to see their snarling figures, she felt her heart drop.
Panic in the midst of her struggle through the pain made her think of one person.
She didn’t know why or how but as if he could hear her think—
Go on.
— a jaded voice passed her like a frosty breeze.
Say it.
It urged her on as the Hilichurls reached them. ...call my name.
Desperation gripped.
"XIAO!”
Then the world went black.