To Kill a Star

X

Σ（・□・；）。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

  i am an assassin.

  it wasn't a choice i made on my own, obviously. though, i can't imagine myself doing anything else. killing things does truly seem to be my talent, after all.

  i'm known in the business as the adeptus, well, one out of 5 adepti. i am known as the conqueror of demons. oh, right. my real name is xiao alatus. i am an assassin in liyue, specifically, i reside at the wangshu inn, as they have chosen to harbor me despite my identity.

  i'm notorious for my kills, only one attempt needed. nothing can soothe me, nothing can break me out of the bloodlust that surrounds me when i make a kill.

  well, nothing accept for one thing.

  it's a fuzzy memory, one i'm not even sure is real. all that is in that memory is a clifftop, a severe bloodlust about to consume me, but suddenly, a flute, and a feeling of peace. i've never felt peace before, besides in that memory, that memory that may not even exist.

  maybe it was something out of a past life.

  so, here i am. meeting up with a shady guy offline who wants to hire me. i honestly hate having to kill, they all say i kill bad people, "the demons", but does that make me a good person? i don't think so. i'm just as bad as those lives i've taken.

  i arrive in said shady alleyway off of liyue harbor, a far too public place for my liking.

  "hey, you." i turn my head, and there is indeed a shady-ass person in a black hoodie. i say person, because i cannot tell the slightest thing about them, they must be taking this 'anonymous' thing pretty seriously.

  "what." i reply, best to keep it short and simple in situations like this.

  "adeptus xiao." that's the code all my clients must speak, so that i know it's my actual client.

if you awake to a knife at your throat
if monsters dig their claws into you
if death comes knocking at your door
call out my name
adeptus xiao.

  "alright. who do you need and when." i cross my arms, "and i won't agree to any assassination before i do a background check." i made sure to add that in, this guy doesn't seem like the type to spill the beans on whatever grudge they have against the target.

  "i expected that." they answer blankly, before handing me a file. "here's the target, and pictures of the target, along with personal info." i blink, depending on the info, this won't be much help. guess i have to do the hard stuff.

  i open the file, seeing...

  a popular idol, he went by anemo. i knew that much, and apparently that's most of what this guy knows, too. inside were strange side shots and professional photos of anemo, i doubt they took any of these themself.

  huh. that's a pain. i don't like killing famous people, causes too much stir.

  "3 billion mora." my eyes widen, 3 billion..?

  "3 billion..." i repeat, and they nod.

  "i want him dead. 3 billion." as much as i like to do my research thouroghly before the assassination.. we're all allowed to be greedy sometimes. as long as i stick to the contract i make.

  i shake his hand.

  i am an assassin.

  an assassin hired to kill anemo.