Escape Our Fate (Xiao x Lumine)

Chapter 1: Fates Intertwined

"Haah..." A certain illuminated beast huffed as he ran, the rain stinging every wound and scar on his body.

"Ack-" he stumbled and collapsed onto the damp floor, his wounds were too severe and he felt like a thousand needles were stabbing his body. Just what did he do to deserve this? What did the gods have against him?

When he was enslaved by an evil god due to them finding out his weakness, he was forced to slaughter and consume dreams on their behalf, while also having to obey the god's every command. No food, no water. He ate snow to survive and covered himself up with leaves in the harsh weathers of winter. He drank mud water to fulfill his thirst and scavenged the leftovers of Hilichurls in order to not starve.

Should he just, give up?

Would death be more soothing than this hell?

No... he thought to himself.

I can escape my fate, I can escape this cruel life...

I can survive.

Getting up, the beast continued running to a place even he didn't know of. He just kept running, hoping that one day, he could be free, that someone could save him.

Running and running, he finally stopped at a dead end. He was too tired to even think and his vision was starting to blur.

No!

I can't just- die now...

The last thing he saw was a blond haired girl sprinting towards him.

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Lumine dried her hair and laid down the mysterious boy that she found collapsed. He was malnourished, thin, and looked sickly, but he had a fit body with muscles.

His dark hair and turquoise coloured under streak were also extremely dirty, like he'd never taken a bath in his life, how could a teenager be in such a state?

She took out some herbs from a bag and started crushing them, then spread them out on the boy's wounds and bruises. Lumine knew it wasn't enough, but it was the least she could do with his wounds. Throughout her years, she only learned about a few healing herbs. In scenarios like this, she wished she learned more.

"Urgh..." the boy woke and groaned, wincing with pain.

Lumine calmly laid the boy back down, "Please, be still, you are still hurt."

He looked at her like everything was normal for him, that the countless scars in his body were no more than an everyday occurrence.

"Where am I? Who are you?" His voice was coarse and raspy.

Lumine started boiling some water and cutting carrots, but took the time to clearly respond, "My name is Lumine, and you are in my temporary home. I found you collapsed near here with quite a few wounds, are you perhaps a child soldier?"

The boy laid silently for awhile, but Lumine waited patiently while stirring a pot full of water.

"Child? No, and I am not a solider. I'm an illuminated winged beast that serves a god, though I am nothing more than that god's slave."

The words "god's slave," rung through Lumine's ears. The gods once again showed no mercy or empathy towards even their own servants. They ruled everything without a shrewd of thought for the people while destroying everything in their way, and Lumine knew that all too well.

She grabbed a small bowl and poured some hot soup in for the boy.

"Here, eat up," she warmly smiled.

The boy looked astonished at the meal, "What is this... is it food...?"

Lumine couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the boy's curious eyes, "Yep! Carrot soup has lasted me for.... quite some time now."

With one look at the soup and back at the girl, he took a small and cautious sip.

Warmth.

For the first time in decades, he felt warmth.