Genshin Impact One-Shots

~ A Contract of the Heart ~ pt 1

A Zhongli short story.

"Thousands of years ago, the adepti and I fought against the turmoil that plagued every corner of this land." Zhongli started explaining as Paimon and I took a look around us. Guyun Stone Forest hit differently from the high altitude we were located at, at the moment.

"Guyun Stone Forest, where I sealed many Gods with my spears..." he continued and I observed the odd formation of the rocks around me a little more. While he talked I was trying to proceed that all these rock formations were once his weapons. What happened at Sal Terrae ruins just hours earlier along with the story he shared seemed to have affected him more than he expected. I turned my gaze back to Zhongli looking at him from the side. He seemed... lost in his thoughts.

It was odd seeing him like this. He had always been so capable of controlling his emotions, a fact proven by the way he would handle various, weird and complicated situations in the passage of time. And this kind of attitude matched with everything about him, even the greatest details. His intimidating presence that only the strongest of Gods would be able to pull through efficiently, the aristocratic way of walking, even this deep, raspy tone of his voice. Everything on him screamed self-command, control, humbleness, danger, knowledge, respect. But now, he was different and as he was about to speak again I tried to breathe quieter, in fear he would remember he wasn't alone.

"After so long, naught but folktales remain. Osial... you and I were foes... But our ancient grudge is but a memory now."

Holding Havrias salt chalice and ruler in hand, I took some steps forth and stood next to him with Paimon silently following my lead. He made clear earlier, that those relics would be best to be out of the human range and my gut said that now was the time for me to hand them over.

"May that which Havria has left behind be yours to subsume." Saying these final words he turned to me and an orange aura gave out from his body as if he was the source of a big earthly type flame. He elegantly stretched his hand towards me making the relics fly away from my embrace and with a smooth motion of his palm, I saw the chalice and the ruler flying far away until they met with the surface of the sea and got lost in its depths.

When I looked back at him again, his aura was gone but the look of nostalgia never left his face.

"Thus another spark of divinity departs from Liyue. My legacy shall now be left to those who come after to debate..."

******

Returning to Liyue always felt like homecoming even though I spent most of my days in Monstadt. The smell of glaze lilies, silk flowers, and local cuisine scents filled the air bringing up memories that caused all types of emotions inside of me. Oddly enough, almost every single one included Zhongli even though he wasn't the one I spent most of my time with while being here.

"How come every time I set foot in this land, everything reminds me of Zhongli?" I mumbled, only thinking out loud but Paimon heard.

"It took you longer than usual to bring him up this time." Paimon teased and only took a glare of mine to shut her up. She sighed and answered my question "Well I don't know, maybe because he is the maker of it?"

Even though she had a point we both knew that this wasn't what I meant. Especially this time since I made the trip to Liyue without an actual reason.

"Care to tell me why we're here again?" She asked.

"I told you I just missed this place. We haven't been here a while." I answered shrugging and I saw Paimon with the corner of my eyes rolling her head.