Once Again | Xiao x Reader

Part 6 - What's That?

☆★☆

A few days later, I already made myself familiar with everything new in Liyue harbor and met some new and old faces. I have reconnected with Ganyu, and some of the other adepti, and met some of the members of the Qixing along with Zhongli's boss HuTao.

A new day meant something new to discover. I didn't want to stay closed inside the house when I still had so much of Liyue to rediscover.

So, I got myself ready, changed clothes, brushed my teeth and hair, cooked, ate, and out the door I went.

I loved going up hills and mountains in Liyue as the view from up there never disappointed. In the past, I would find myself on top of a mountain and would lose myself in the moment for hours until  Zhongli would have to come find me all the time.

A few hours later, I managed to reach the outskirts of Liyue. Along the way, I saw these weird things; I didn't know what they were. As I spotted another one, curiosity got the better of me. It looked like it was made of metal and rock, but I wasn't completely sure. The thing wasn't moving and I've never seen anything like it before.

I approached it and started analysing it. While I was poking around it, I didn't notice the red light coming from it. I staggered back as the thing started moving, watching it, curious of what it was gonna do. What I didn't expect was for it to start attacking me.

I quickly jumped back as it started swinging its arms at me. Once I gained some distance it started shooting something at me. I tried to get my geo wall up to block the attack, but for some reason it wasn't working. In my state of shock, I jumped out of the way just before the missile could hit me.

I tried summoning my polearm and even a meteorite from the sky but neither worked. I frowned. Why is nothing working?

I could feel a headache suddenly creeping up and the sudden intense pain it caused made me stagger back and clutch my head. A few seconds after I could taste iron in my mouth and not too long after I started coughing up blood.

I wasn't paying attention to my attacker anymore at this point. Big mistake on my part. I was thrown into the side of a mountain, more blood coming out of my mouth and my back hurting like hell.

I looked down, closing my eyes. This is it for me, huh? I thought to myself, one tear escaping my right eye. 'If you ever find yourself in trouble, call out my name...'

"Xiao." I whispered weakly.

I could barely hear the fighting going on as my ears started ringing. It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt much longer for me because of all the pain I was currently in.

I felt two arms gently picking me up. Even though my vision was blurry, I knew exactly who it was. He answered my call. He always did.

"I am pathetic." I say to no one in particular.

"Stop talking." Xiao ordered.

"I'm feeling sleepy Xiao."

"You can rest now."

I weakly reach up to his face, my fingers softly touching his cheek. "Be there when I wake up." I tell him. He never replied. I didn't know why I said that, but there was no more room to think as my consciousness faded.