To the unknown Future

Chapter 21:

Uriel was a bit upset after talking about the hairpin that she got as a gift from the Anemo Archon. She doesn't want to associate herself with the deities if she's being honest. She learned from the hard way how they were both selfish and cruel in a hard way. 

And as a mortal with a short lifespan and devoted to exorcism, she doesn't want to have any connection with any of them at all. Getting a gift from the Anemo Archon and being one of the "beloved children" of this Archon feels very burdensome for her. 

"Uriel, is something wrong? Do you feel hurt? Is your wound fine?" Venti and Xingqui saw her expression and asked in worry. Uriel took a deep breath and tried to cool down her emotions before she looked back at the two of them and smiled at them.

"No worries, I'm fine," She said to them.

"Hmm, the City is a bit stuffy today because of the people around in the plaza, Why don't we head out and have a breather?" Venti suggested and Xingqui denied his invitation.

"No need, Uriel jiejie could just rest in the inn and not exhaust herself from all the walking and potential threat outside," He said frowning.

"Hey, Xingqui, your older cousin can handle herself, don't treat her too much as a disabled person," Venti said with a frown as well and the two looked at each other like that.

"The both of you, don't push your opinions at each other like the person in question is not around," Zhongli stopped the two all three of them looked in her direction and asked for her decision.

Uriel gave them a helpless smile before answering.

"I wish to go outside on the open fields,"

"To the Windrise it is!" Venti said and they all went outside the City towards Windrise.

The place was calm and peaceful and there were rarely a few monsters around, and the highlight of Windrise is the large tree behind the Statue of the Seven.

They spent an ample amount of time in that place till it was sunset.

"It's time to go," Xingqui said and they all agreed. However, before they could leave, Venti's hat was suddenly blown away by the strong gust of wind.

"Whoa, what a naughty wind," Venti pout while looking in the direction of where his hat was going.

"Venti your hat-" Zhongli said but Venti waved his hand on him.

"It's fine, it's fine, I'll follow it, you guys can go back first," He said and turned around to chase his hat back to the large tree.

Uriel looked at his back before telling Zhongli and Xingqui to go back first.

"But Uriel jiejie," Xingqui was against it and wanted to be stubborn but her words cut him off.

"We'll get in trouble if none of us showed up to my parents, please do me a favor, Xingqui," Uriel said and he begrudgingly did so.

When Uriel run in Venti's direction, she didn't see him anymore. She looked around in surprise and found him climbing up the tree.

"Venti?" She called him as she walk in his direction. She watched Venti stop and look down to meet her stare.

"Uriel? Why are you still here? I told you, I'll be fine, don't worry too much," Venti said to her before resuming to climb up the tree's branches.

"Wait! Be careful!" Uriel said and run below him to catch him if he ever falls down.

Venti arrived at the sturdy branches and looked around for his hat.

"It's on your left side, Venti," Uriel made her voice loud enough so that Venti could hear her and he followed her instructions. 

All the while, Venti was thinking about the ways of telling her about the true power of the hairpin. He doesn't want to be hated by Uriel, not as an Archon as well, but if he could, he will try to lessen his hate for the deities, or at least towards him that is,

"Venti wait!" Venti snapped out of his daze and heard the branch beneath him snap and start to fall down.

"Venti!" Venti looked in Uriel's direction and found her running toward him.

'Now's not the time, just take time to do it,' Venti thought to himself and closed his eyes, the sound of the wind lingered around him as he floated down the ground.

Uriel was in front of him, looking for any injuries. She was too worried to care about his Anemo vision or where his hat landed.

"Why are daydreaming up there?! What if you get hurt falling down?! Venti, seriously you-" Uriel have a frustrated expression on her face and Venti only stared at her.

"You're coping, that's good," He suddenly said that making Uriel confused.

"Huh? What are you talking about? Anyways, let's go back now, the moon is rising and we need to go back to the City," Uriel said seriously and took his hand before going back to Mondstadt.

Venti looked at her back while they were walking, she was still tense and he can see that she was upset.

"Uriel, don't be upset anymore, I won't do it again so... please smile?" Venti stopped walking and pulled her back gently to make her face him.

"..."

"... You're crying again," Venti frowned as he took his free hand to wipe the tears that were running down her cheeks.

"I was so scared! I thought... I thought you'll get hurt!" Uriel said with closed fists. Venti held her hand and open her fists with his hands, holding them to his.

"I'm sorry, I was not thinking straight, please don't cry anymore," Venti tries to console her, but she kept on crying.

"You're my most important person in Teyvat, what would I do if I lose you?" She cried out and look at him with tearful eyes. Venti paused and look at her in surprise.

'What does she mean by her important person? Friends? It's friends, right? Surely she doesn't mean to say-' Venti's thoughts were in chaos and the next words of Uriel made him shudder in surprise.

"I like you, Venti! I like you so much! I don't care about deities or even if the demon himself arises, You're the most important person to me... I don't want to lose you at all!" She said and intertwined their fingers together.

"W-Wait what? When did you- Wait, Uriel, this is so sudden I-" Venti was flabbergasted as he looked at her in surprise.

"I like you ever since... Sure I'm quite a dense person and it took me a while to recognize my feelings for you. My goodwill and friendship are true, but my adoration towards you was far bigger than the rest," Uriel said and took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears first before continuing.

"It was hard to see my feelings for you because I was blinded by my foolish mind about going back to my original world and staying beside my past lord... But now that I'm not tied to the past anymore... Now that I'm a mortal living in Teyvat... I have no more restrictions or worries about the outside, that's why I could recognize my feelings for you," Uriel said and looked at him with a serious look on her face.

She seemed determined, and Venti was nervous deep inside.