𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 [hiatus]

《𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬.》

[ Run forward. Don't turn back to break free. ]

You didn't know how many hours it has been since you escaped from Zhongli's clutches. Hours had passed, and that was all you knew. The sun, originally shining brightly in the sky, had retired, allowing for the moon to take its place, leaving Liyue in darkness.

You left his side when he had dragged you to Yujing Terrace, when you made up the excuse you needed to go to the bathroom. He, luckily, believed you and allowed you to leave his side. You took that opportunity and ran with it, both metaphorically and literally, but now you were more or else defenceless. He had taken and kept your pyro vision, although it was pretty much useless anyways due to the lack of a glow it had.

Your throat was as dry as the deserts of Sumeru and your head pounded. Your chest hurt and you could barely move an inch. Falling down weakly on a surprisingly cool rock, you closed your eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. However, such a luxury was not granted to you as you heard the strange sounds of a machine whirring to life. Forcing yourself up, you looked around you despite the blurry sight, and you found yourself staring at a ruin hunter, sharpening its blade, undoubtedly for its hunt.

Dread crawled its way up your throat and a rush of adrenaline pumped its way through your veins. Feeling the sudden surge of energy, you clumsily pushed yourself off of the rock, running in the direction of Wangshu Inn. Anxiety and fear gripped your very being, its chains slowing you down. The ruin hunter only got closer, yet you only got slower. Rain had started pelting down, each drop feeling heavier and heavier and subsequently more bruising. You hadn't realised, but tears had started to fall from your eyes unwillingly. You were tired, so, so, tired from this nightmare that seemed to never end.

The view of the bridge got closer and closer, but you knew that escaping was a far-fetched dream you could never obtain. You were never meant to be free, if not from his clutches then the world's clutches. One would always come to grab you just as you escaped from the other, and it felt like a never ending game of ping-pong. Your running had slowed down considerably, the adrenaline finally leaving your veins. The ruin guard got closer, but you couldn't find it in you to care anymore. If death was to be your salvation, then who were you to deny it?

You stared up at the dull sky, the rain only getting harsher and harsher while thunder roared, blinding light claiming the skies as its own.

"So this is how it ends," you smiled despite the tears that ran down your cheeks. "I wish-"

Before you could finish your sentence, the drill of the ruin hunter pierced your back, blood spilling out from your mouth and the gaping hole in your body. You fell forward, eyes wide and mouth gaping, blood, your blood, mixing with the rain on the ground. With the last of your strength, you reach a hand out towards the red spider lily that, despite the harsh rain and unforgiving environmental conditions, stood tall and mighty in full bloom. You stared at it enviously, wishing that in your next life, you were to be reborn as a red spider lily. So beautiful, yet so dangerous.

As you closed your eyes and the last of your life left your soul, the sound of the earth breaking could be heard in the distance.