Down the Same Path [(Y/n) x Genshin Impact] (Prologue!)

Chapter 1

  "Get out of my sight at once, you dirt
Khaenr'ian! You should have died along with the rest of your damned people!"
  I flinched at the harsh words, unshed tears brimming in my eyes. Memories of the curse flooded back to me, leaving a sting in my heart. I didn't want to have to think about that, but it seemed that everywhere I went, I was reminded of my blood.
  Upon moving to Liyue to escape the unending curse that had slowly devoured the last of my kind, we were taken in by who we thought was a friend. Naive as my mother was, she had told her of our ancestry, and the reason why we had moved here, only to be betrayed and exposed to all of Liyue.
  "Hey! Did you hear me? I said get lost!" I flinched as the man raised a hand to strike me.
  "Mr. Judd! Need I remind you of your manners?" A voice boomed, causing the both of us to look up.
  Walking toward us was a tall, lean man, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in a piercing gaze.
  "She's hardly worth the trouble of using manners on! Didn't you hear? This piece of scum and the rest of her family are from Khaenr'iah! Escaping their rightful punishment is hardly something commendable!" He spat at me, eyes filled with anger.
  "Is that so?" The man spoke again in a deep, husky voice, an unreadable expression on his face. He raised his dark brows in curiosity, studying me for a while."It still doesn't give you the right to talk to her like so. She is a Khaenrian, but a human being before that. Treat her as such." He concluded in a harsh, lecturing tone.
  "I apologize Mr. Zhongli. I didn't mean to bring such trouble to a beloved customer such as yourself." The man gave a polite bow, burning eyes still glued on me.
  Before the two could utter another word, I ran off, face burning and heart trying to understand two contrasting emotions at once.

  "(Y/n)! Are you listening?" A voice squeaked out, interrupting my thoughts.
  "You've been acting weird." My older sister commented, before returning back to hanging up the wet laundry.
My siblings and I had gone out to bask in the morning sun, while our sister Aster was hanging up the load of laundry she had just washed.
I blushed as I snapped out of my thoughts, turning back to Johanne. I was supposed to be teaching him how to read as best as I could. The unfamiliar symbols still took much concentration to understand.
"I apologize, Johanne. Shall we start from the beginning?"
  The little boy looked up at me, giggling in a teasing manner.
"You were probably thinking of a guy!" He pointed, turning to Aster. "Did you hear that, sis? I think she's thinking about guys again!"
"You're being ridiculous!" I barked back, face flushed from embarrassment. The truth was, my mind had wandered back to the mysterious man from yesterday. Rarely had I seen someone actually treat me like a human being. But this man- he helped me even after knowing my heritage.
  Those deep knowing eyes the color of fresh honey. Dark brows overshadowing his wise face. Soft lips pressed firmly into a line. A body that looked like it belonged to an archon. Who was he, and why had he helped me?
  "(Y/n)!" This time it was Aster who spoke. "What's gotten into you?!"
  "Would you believe it if I told you someone was nice to me, even after knowing our blood?" I responded softly, hoping to get more clarity from her.
  "He must have been quite uneducated." Dahlia, my other sister, mused.
  "He wasn't!" I barked back, unusually offended. "He seemed very well versed in our history."
  I regretted the outburst immediately. Dahlia and Johanne looked to me with teasing eyes and mischievous smiles.
  "You guys are the worst!" I got up, irritated by their misunderstanding. "I'm going for a walk!"
  Aster drew her attention back to me when I said that. "Remember what I said! Keep to the alleyways and don't forget your hood!"
  I waved off her warning and grabbed a ragged red hood from where I had been sitting. Although it the sun still scorched everything it touched, I slid the hood on and left, winding my way towards a cool alleyway.