Solar Eclipse [xiaother]

chapter 7

"This place made me completely crazy". That's what Xiao kept telling himself over and over again. He felt like he was losing his mind, like he was forced to solve a puzzle, like it was a revenge, like it was from his karma. He felt like he was in a dream he couldn't escape from. With his dirty and bloody clothes, broken vision, no weapon and few scars since he got in there, the Adeptus slowly started to accept the situation.
He remained down for so long near a big rock. It felt comfortable for him...somehow. Reminded him of...the Statue of the Geo Archon...where, you know, he used to rest. And with this thought in mind, a sad smile showed up on his soft lips. Just like that, after a very long time, Alatus fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
After closing the door behind him, Aether jumped into his small bed, feeling almost dead.
"I'm pathetic, am I?"
A: Why was I so rude and cold to him at the end?!...
He let out a scream exactly when his little friend came in.
P: What happened, Aether?
A: I messed up, didn't I?
He avoided the pain caused by Alatum's touch. Not even Paimon knew about the crystal, nor about Aether's identity.
A: This is how I pay him back??
P: Calm down!! Maybe you should talk about that with him instead of blaming yourself for nothing...
A: * sighed *
P: Also...Paimon still doesn't understand what happened to you back then all of a sudden...
A: I was just...tired.
He turned around and slowly closed his eyes while the flying girl was already leaving, heading to her bed.
"Great, all of them are asleep."
The enemy was standing right in front of the gate between Teyvat and the cruel world.
"There is no way they could survive down there."
They? Other than his brother? Yes.
Remember that blonde figure Xiao saw before? Who could it be?
Indeed it was a puzzle to solve, but not by those who were captured. Somehow. Instead, the puzzle was "solving them", deciding which one gets out of there...alive. Now's the question. Xiao or the mysterious person?