one last time

chapter 5

the next day, you and Childe headed towards the town in disguise. you walked around the libraries looking for books and papers while Childe asked the locals about Mazu. you and Childe soon reunited at the end of the day with very little information in hand. "She is apparently famous around the fishermen" Childe said as you both walked towards the inn you were staying in . "The fishermen pray to her before they sail so that they don't anger her and don't have to go through a ship wreck" you sighed.

"what's that over there?" you asked Childe as he looked at the direction you were pointing in. "its apparently a festival among the fishermen. it happens every 6 months , do you wanna go see?" 

you nodded your head in a childish manner and went towards the loud music and cheering in a hurry like you were missing your ship. 

"cute" Childe laughed as he ran to catch up to you.

you both were now in the middle of people dancing and singing . "hello miss do you wanna try this" said every shopkeeper present there and you walked towards them and tried everything they had like a little kid as Childe paid for it.

"have you never been to a festival?" Childe laughed as you stared at a kid with a firework stick. "uh huh" you said without moving your eyes away from the kids firework. "are you serious?" Childe asked in a surprised tone now. " what? " you raised your brows at him irritated for ruining your firework observation. "come here" Childe grabbed your wrist and led you to a shop .

"5 firesticks please" 

you sat in a bench looking at all the people dancing and singing. Childe came towards you with two firesticks in his hands. " woah where'd you get it" you jumped up your seat and snatched one from his hands. " careful it'll burn" Childe sighed. 

in Childes perspective you always had this aura around you that screamed 'don't come near me i bite'. he thought how he could have never guessed a firework would be enough to get your guard down. 

suddenly there was a chill in the air. You could feel it , so could Childe. "Childe" you warned him. "we have to get out of here" Childe took your hand and started walking away from the festival. you could tell something was here , someone dangerous. your vision started blurring and all the sound of the people dancing and singing were now nothing but mumbles.

Childe noticed. "y/n? what is it? y/n?" he called for you. you suddenly had no control over yourself you couldn't hear what he was saying. 

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"get out"

"what?"

"get" "out"

you were in a room or a house , you couldn't tell , it was dark. "who are you" you asked.

"you will die" the voice spoke . "i am not scared of that" you said, no hesitation. You could tell now that this wasn't an actual place . you were in someone's mind. "i can break out of your mind in a second , tell me who you are " you commanded rather than asking. "my mind?" the voice chuckled. "you think this dark place is mine?" the voice said. "stop playing games it wont work on me , are you Mazu " you said again with a warning tone in your voice.

"you certainly are a poor soul" the voice sighed

"this place , you aren't inside me, i am the one in you. This darkness.. i haven't seen such a clouded mind in ages" the voice chuckled again.

Then , the voice showed it to you. the blood , the blade , your hands and

his lifeless body.

you were getting frustrated. "i am not going to fall for it. you'll be the one seeing death. not me"

"get out before you take the boy with yourself too" the voice spoke. 

"get out get out get out get out" the voice kept screaming. you tried to break out but it was a futile attempt. "stop" you screamed as you clutched your ears and shut your eyes trying to break out of it. "Stop it!" you screamed and suddenly you felt your self clutched by something warm.

"y/n?" "what is it?" "y/n!" 

"Childe" you looked at him. there was life in his eyes. he wasn't dead. Childe sighed in relief. "are you ok?" he asked concerned. "y-yes I am, are YOU okay?" you cupped his face in concern. Childe was confused. "I am not the one who passed out" Childe joked. you sighed in relief. "what happened to me?" you asked. " you suddenly passed out in the middle of the festival. I carried you here, now what happened to YOU?" Childe asked in confusion. "she was here. Matsu she trapped me in her mind and she kept telling me to get out , of Liyue probably and-" you stopped as you remembered the images she showed you of the lifeless body of Childe, the blade in your hands and the.. the blood. "and?" Childe furrowed his brows. "and I tried to break out but couldn't for some reason" you sighed. 

lets go back to the inn. you said. Childe had carried you to some place dark and away from all the people. "what were your intentions carrying me to such a secluded place?" you smirked. "oh shut up" Childe laughed. " I am glad you aren't dead" he said. you smiled at him.

"the fireworks are about to begin" he pointed towards the sky. the fireworks began, lighting up the sky in a beautiful array of sparks. Purple, pink , and red filled the sky above Liyue covering everything in the most beautiful manner. but Childe could care less about the fireworks. his eyes couldn't look at anything else but you . your eyes reflected the light of fireworks lighting up your eyes with beautiful colors . the spark in your eyes the color of your clothes , your hair..you

Childe took a mental picture of you, he couldn't tell if the hotness in the wind was from the fireworks or from the blush in his cheeks. he could not hear the fireworks, only your giggles and the flutter in his heart. "look at that one!" you laughed as you pointed towards the sky . "its beautiful" Childe said without taking his eyes off of you. "that ones prettier!" you looked at Childe , smiling and noticed he was looking at you. "what?" you furrowed your brows. " its pretty" Childe said. "what?" you blushed. "the fireworks" Childe looked at the sky and closed his eyes as he leaned on the wall. 

"Ohh the fireworks.." you said as you turned towards the sky again.