Adventures of XIAO [Genshin Impact]

Guilt: Xiao's Side

"I've done things you don't want to know about." The Adeptus looked sadly into your teary eyes. "I've killed innocent people without the blink of an eye. I'm scared to tell you this. There isn't a day when I wish I could change my past."

You already knew some of this stuff from watching MiHoYo's videos. There were many theory videos out there for Xiao's past and you already got the jist of it.

"It wasn't until Rex Lapis that I had snapped out of my senseless slaughtering." Xiao went quiet as you lifted your head to caress his cheek. "Rex Lapis is a Geo Archon in my world. He became an Archon by fighting in the Archon War. During that time, I was under a different god. It was when Rex Lapis made a contract with them that I was free. Since then, I had eradicated monsters at the command of the Geo Archon."

"It wasn't your fault those many people died. You were being forced. You had no choice."

"But they had died by my hands. I couldn't even save my own comrades from dying. There were four others with me under Rex Lapis. Together, we hunted down monsters after the Archon War. Some were corrupted, some went mad, and they even turned on each other." You could see sparking tears form at the edge of the boy's eyes.

"Hey, we don't have to talk about this if you're not ready to." Giving him a comforting smile, you embraced the Adeptus.

"But I want to. I need to." Xiao paused before continuing. "Three had... passed. While the fourth one had vanished."

"Do you wish to find them?"

"I do, but I don't know what to say or do when I find them." There was another long pause before Xiao asked you a question. "Would you be afraid if I had told you I was once on the verge of corruption?"

"No, why would I?" Shaking your head, you rested it on top of Xiao's.

"If not for the Dihua Flute, I would have been a danger to Liyue. To you. I want to escape this. The voices of all those I've killed... they echo in my ear." The boy's arms around you tighten as he buries his head into your chest.

"I'll be here for you. Whenever, wherever you need me." Gently stroking Xiao's hair, you felt him let out a sigh.

"Thank you." You heard him mumble as the both of you drifted off to sleep.

. . .

The next morning, you woke up a lot earlier than you're used to. Beside you, Xiao was sleeping, but not as soundly as you'd hoped. You could see the male twitch in his sleep, brows furrowed, and teeth tightly grit together. Beads of sweat formed at his forehead as he tossed and turned. Quickly, you got up from the bed and grabbed a cold, wet towel. Gently, you dabbed away at the sweat. Suddenly, Xiao's hand had shot out to grab your wrist. Letting out a yelp, the towel landed on Xiao's face.

It took Xiao a moment to open his eyes and recognize who he had captured. Opening his hand, the Adeptus used his other one to examine your wrist. You had stared at the male with concern as the towel fell from his face. 6:41 AM, the clock read. Your parents were already at work thankfully. Sitting up, Xiao couldn't look you in the eyes. He kept his golden orbs trained on the blanket beneath you.

"Are you okay?" There was a long silence before you had spoken. Without words, the boy had just nodded. "Are you sure? Was it a nightmare?" You had knit your brows together and peered into his face. It forced Xiao to look at your (E/C) eyes with a faint blush on his face. It caught you off guard when the Adeptus gave you a quick kiss and hugged you tightly.

"I am now. Now that you're here and safe." Xiao's voice was muffled by speaking into your hair. "It's cold, come here." Pulling you into the sheets, you giggled as Xiao tucked the blankets into your sides. It took a while for the male to start talking again.

"It was a terrible nightmare." You didn't speak. "The voices were yelling at me, crying at me, begging me to spare them. I couldn't stop it. I had killed them again. Then you were there. My old master had captured you. They said I needed to become his puppet again if I wanted you safe. By the time I had done all his jobs, you were gone and they had sent someone to kill me. (Y/N), I was so scared." Water started to form in Xiao's eyes again.

"Shh, shh, I'm here now. No one is going to hurt us. You don't have to kill anymore." You felt pained to see Xiao in such a state. His eyes held more torture than you had ever known. You knew it ate at him every day, thinking of all the lives he took in the commands of his old master.

"I don't want to leave you. What if something happens after I leave? Could I bring you to Teyvat with me? We could live at Wangshu Inn or find a place in Liyue." The Adeptus' eyes searched yours. As much as you'd love the idea of spending life in Teyvat, you couldn't abandon your life here as well. There was no telling what would happen if you crossed worlds. You were no Adeptus or Archon, nor were you like the Traveller and their sibling. You were just you. Just another plain, ordinary mortal who happened to fall in love with an Adeptus.

"Xiao... we both know that isn't possible." There was a silence between the both of you. "Don't worry, no one will get me. As long as you're safe, I'll be safe. When you find a way to get back to this world, we'll meet again. Even if one of us forgets, we'll remind each other again. Remind each other of our true hearts. I'll love you until my lungs give out." You giggled to yourself at how cheesy that sounded, but it was true.

"I understand. You must still be tired, sleep some more." Pulling you closer, Xiao attempted to get you to sleep again, but you shook your head.

"You get some sleep. I'll be reading. I promise I'll watch over you. Now, get some rest."

"I love you."

"Yeah, yeah, sleep, Xiao."

"Say it again."

"What?"

"My name. Say it again."

"Xiao, I love you."

"That's not it."

"What's not it?"

"My name. It's not really Xiao. That's just a name given to me by Rex Lapis."

"Oh? What's your real name then, Mr. Mysterious Adeptus?'

"Alatus."

"Alatus?"

"Say it again."

"I love you, Alatus

With that, the Adeptus drifted back to sleep.

So, I said it would relate to the story chapter, but not really. I have the memory of a goldfish and already don't remember much from the Xiao story quests. I was so SHOOK when I found out Xiao's true name. Alatus, I love it. The spring break's been pushed back to April and I really needed that break😫. But, I'm not the one deciding this so... I guess I'll just deal with it. I got most of this chapter's content from the Adepti video MiHoYo released on their YouTube a while back, so go check it out if you want more back story! (If I yell out ADEPTUS XIAO will Xiao appear in front of me like he said he would to traveller?) Anyways, take care of yourselves, dear readers!! It's important to drink water and relax from time to time. Don't overload yourself with work all at once!! With that being said, have an amazing morning/day/afternoon/evening/night!!