Limited Time (Xiao x Venti) (soulmate au)

Part One

Xiao's perspective
   No one knows why but there's timers above everyone's head, it's counting down to what most people consider the most important day of their life- the day we all meet our soulmate. From the moment you can talk, people are telling you to be excited to meet the love of your life. At one point I believed I was, but then as life went on and people came in and out of my life in a blink of an eye the thought of being with someone seemed out of reach, and even if I could reach it I would push away.
   Today my timer was nearing its time. There was just a week away till i was supposed to meet my loveperson. I knew nothing about them of course and it was making me anxious, I'm not the kind of person who likes being in the dark. Knowing nothing about a person who you're supposed to spend all your life with was nerve wracking to a point where I felt nauseous. I wasn't ready. I don't want to meet this person.
   The daylight is fading as I get dressed for work. I quit my last job after my coworker and close friend died... just the thought of it made me need to take a deep breath as my jaw tensed.
Come on, that was over a year ago...
   I pull on a heavy jacket that falls down to my knees and grab my keys and black wallet and trudge outside. The sharp wind blows my hair around and I pull my hood up and hail a taxi.
   "Where to?"
   "drop me off by the port."
   "Kid that's just a block down, not that I mind the money but can't you just walk?" the driver asks, looking at me in the mirror.
   "I'd rather not, the walk brings back some unpleasant memories."
   "I understand that." they say though i doubt it, as the short drive starts the driver tries to make conversation. "I see your timer only has 7 days left, you must be excited! I remember the day I met my partner."
   "I'm not really looking forward to it." There's a long moment of silence as they drive, we reach the docks and they finally say something as I get out after paying. "Well everyone has their reasons, but trust me when you meet them your life will change." With that, they drive away and I head to work.
   By the time I get home I'm extremely tired and fall onto my couch not even making it to the bed, instantly I fall asleep into deep dreams.

   It's raining in my dream but I don't know what it was that day in reality. The sky is a deep purple and I'm in the driver's seat. The car swears without me doing anything and I hear screams. There's a sudden stop and I'm fine but a huge black object fell onto the car. I frantically turn around to check if my friends are ok but all I see is the red outlife of their bodies and I hear faint whispers and screams from onlookers.
   "It's all your fault." a voice booms and I jolt awake.

   The next day I woke up with a headache which is common these days. I'm so used to that dream by now. I rub my eyes and make myself a coffee. The number six looms above me as I try to focus on what I need to do for the day. First I get changed and drink my coffee as I check over my planner. The depressing feelings from the dream still lurk in the back of my head but the feeling of being tired and missing them is something I no longer notice, it's just there.
   "It's all your fault" the voice echoes in my head.
   "It's all your fault" I mimic back sarcastically and close my book.
   I go through my normal routine of cleaning my house and then making food for lunch but eventually give up and put the ingredients back in the fridge, i didn't feel like eating. I have been skipping meals a lot, eating food just doesn't appeal to me but the exhaustion is catching up to me. I feel my eyelids go heavy even though I just woke up and my body starts to feel like falling. I drag myself to bed and fall asleep the instant I hit the pillows.
   The rest of my week goes like this. Work, sleep, work, sleep. At some point i must have eaten because my hunger lessened and i must have watched TV because i had a conversation about a show but i really don't remember any of it. The days are a blur to me now, but not today, this morning my timer went from days to hours. 3 to be exact.
   Part of me wanted to stay home, never meet them but fate woulndt allow it i knew. I could hear my heart beating and my head go empty with only terrible thoughts filling it. The anxiety of what happened 5 months ago and then 4 months ago... Now I had to meet someone I was supposed to fall in love with. What if they leave me too? What will I do?