Widened Eyes

4

His master had ordered him to stay on the bed...which Xiao, though detesting having been forced to do so, did so anyways. His contract...ripped...torn...Xiao did not know what to feel, or what the most appropriate response to this sort of thing was. It was painful, that he knew for certain. Horribly painful. It felt as though someone had carved out his heart and torn him apart whilst still alive and struggling. He had known that a contract was bound to end at some point in time, but he had allowed himself to believe that Morax would have told him should their contract come to an end. It had been obvious, though, now that Xiao was looking back. His Master had not called on him for quite some time prior to his death, it should have made him realize what was going on. Instead, he had allowed himself the ridiculous belief that his Master would lower himself to bother with such things.

He just...could not handle the thought that Morax would not even reach out to inform him that his contract was to end. According to Rex Lapis, his death had been the starting point of the ending of all contracts that he had previously had with the Adepti. That confused him greatly, however. Master should know, I could feel our contract binding us...naturally, it would have had to be broken in person, or wtih specific intent. Perhaps Master did not know that. I had asked Master Barbatos to take over the contract because there was not an anchor on the other side of the contract binding. Surely...surely Morax knows...

Well, whether Master Morax knew or not Xiao supposed it did not matter anymore. The contract binding was broken with his Master's words. He had no idea what to do, he had known that the breaking of a Contract was painful, especially if done by the Master, but he had not expected it to be so...agonizing. His previous Master had not bothered with contracts, and so he had not really known what to expect. This sort of, blinding hurt and aching was definitely not what he had thought he would weather. It was so much more painful than almost anything he had expected prior. He supposed the wounds that he currently sported definitely did not help. He wished that his Master would have at least provided him with the decency to kill him off, rather than forcing him to continue to deal with this sort of horror.

He had continued to think through everything that he had done in the last century or so, wondering if perhaps he had made a mistake somewhere, done something that he was not supposed to, but...he could not figure it out for the life of him. It would seem perhaps his Master just tired of using him. Which of course is well within Master's rights, I would not deny him that...Xiao reprimanded himself. He had gotten far more willful in his thoughts than was wise, it would seem, during Morax's absence. Master was more than allowed to tire of me, I just...was hoping that perhaps it would not happen. It was bound to. No Master wants to deal with a broken weapon for so long. Master was being kind, even taking me in the first place, I cannot fault him for realizing that I was no longer capable of suitably serving him.

Xiao knew that there was definitely something going on. He heard voices, but Morax had banned him from moving, so he did not dare, not even a centi-meter, not wishing to cause his Master any more trouble, or anger. Xiao would not blame his Master if he was merely attempting to figure out what he was to do with him, considering...things were the way that they were. Morax no longer needed him to protect Liyue, he no longer had to worry about that...and Xiao wondered what would become of him now that he had no Master at all, and no contract to work with, no purpose given to him, no...nothing.

Xiao had no idea what he was supposed to do now. Granted, Rex Lapis had not stated that he removed Xiao from his services, merely that he had removed Xiao from his contract. Then again, Xiao had no idea what was going on in his Master's mind at this point. There was so much that he just...could not understand. He would not dare to presume to understand what Morax was thinking, Rex Lapis was definitely far above him in that regard, but he also could not really help but worry, over what was happening, what was going on...he did not understand anything, and it was really beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Alatus," The first words from his Master were his original name...and something in Xiao hurt at that. He had been given his name by his Master...and it hurt to hear his original name, it caused such horrible memories, and he could not quite help the flinch that he made when his Master once again used it. He had no idea what it meant, but he did know that it hurt, unbearably. He did not dare look at his Master, as tears were already filling his eyes, weak as he was. He heard his Master sigh. "Xiao, please, do not be like this."

Xiao felt some sort of unbridled fury raising into him at his Master's words. How could his Master demand such things of him? He did not understand. He had done everything that he had been told for centuries, and now, now, he is forced to find out that his Master has been tittering away with some Mortal from Inazuma, and yet...and yet...Xiao could not stop the tears of rage that rose in his eyes at the injustice of everything his Master was demanding of him. He had the right to be upset. He had been working for the last few years under the assumption that his Master had died. Left him, alone, to bear the burdens that he was wrought. Only then to find out, finally, that his Master had not died, that it had all been some sort of sick...sick...thing. He did not even know if Morax was about to rip him from his service, and yet he dare ask him to not feel upset?

He did not state any of this, but his mind was whirring, the mentality of the cruel injustice of this situation had Xiao vibrating in fury.