𝕴𝖓 𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝕯𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 | Xiao x Reader

Prologue

A/n: I will be providing visual representations sometimes to show the scene better and avoid confusion. Do keep in mind though, that my drawing skills aren't great.

Also those NPC's wouldn't leave so I had to scribble over them so sorry if that looks super ugly.

..........

"The reason behind our dreams is unclear. Some people believe dreams are a way of processing events that have happened; they allow us to relive memories of our past. Others say they show visions of the future and help us predict what is coming next. Others still will tell you our dreams are entirely random, having no rhyme or reason to them in the first place.

As for me? I believe our dreams are whatever we are. They come from within, so of course they would mean different things to different people. They are a part of oneself, which is why I believe they can be anything we need them to be. After years of researching this topic, I have concluded that it is necessary to-"

"Excuse me, miss?" A man's voice interrupted, pulling her from her work. She looked up from the papers she had been reading, a few strands of her light brown hair falling into her face. Brushing them back in place, her baby blue eyes wandered over to the table across from her own, where a dark-haired man was sitting, calmly drinking from a small cup.

"Yes?" She tensed up slightly under his gaze, having not realized anyone else was around before. Usually, Third-Round Knockout was deserted at this time, allowing her to work in peace while enjoying the night life of the city. It had easily become one of her favorite places to sit and work on this project. The man's amber eyes softened as he looked back at her.

"Might I suggest a shorter thesis? In order to get your point across and capture your reader's attention, you may want something a little more concise." Her eyes widened and her ears began to turn red.

"Ah- I apologize. I didn't realize I was reading aloud..." She replied softly, slightly embarrassed that the stranger had accidentally listened to part of her report. It was still in the drafting stages, too, and definitely wasn't ready to be viewed by others...

"It's quite alright," the man smiled back, "the topic was unexpected, but intriguing nonetheless. Are you perhaps a researcher?" Clearing her throat, the girl nodded back.

"I am," she admitted, "I have been attending the Akademiya in Sumeru for a few years. I'm currently working on my final paper now, and as you heard, my topic is dreams." She began to relax as she talked about her work. It was something she valued greatly and enjoyed telling others about. At least, if they were willing to listen.

Thinking back to all the people in her home nation that had insulted her and her choices of study, she sighed, trying to clear the memories from her head.

"I see," the man replied, "I have heard the people in Sumeru do not dream. Is that, perhaps, why you have chosen to come to Liyue?" She nodded, a smile forming on her face.

"It is. I was hoping to be able to gather some better information here since the Akademiya has so little about it," she cleared her throat, "But where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Aphra."

"I am Zhongli," the man replied, eyes seeming to shine in the moonlight. For someone she had just met a few moments prior, he seemed very inviting. Finally, she stood up from her table and made her way over to his own.

"May I?" She questioned, gesturing towards the chair across from him. He nodded, picking up his teacup once more and bringing it to his lips. She took a seat, gathering her papers and placing them carefully into her bag. Zhongli watched her carefully before speaking again.

"If I may ask, what sort of field are you planning to go into with this dream research?" Aphra smiled confidently before replying.

"Healing," she explained, "but specifically with dreams and sleep." When he raised an eyebrow in confusion, she continued. "In Sumeru, there's an old story of a doctor who once saved someone from the brink of death through dream healing, a process involving putting a person to sleep and entering their dreams in order to heal whatever ails them."

"I see," Zhongli replied softly, "Do you have any idea how this dream healing originated?" Sighing, Aphra shook her head.

"I don't, but I have been practicing the art myself in the hopes of bringing it back one day. If it can be effective enough, it would help so many people!" Her eyes sparkled at the thought, and he could sense how passionate she was about the topic.

The two ended up chatting late into the night, and it was nearly dawn by the time they parted ways. As Zhongli traced back to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he recalled the story Aphra had told him.

Apparently, the doctor she spoke of had left very few records behind involving their practices. Especially for someone in Sumeru, the nation of wisdom, this was most unusual.

In addition, he, a former archon, had never even heard of such a thing as dream healing. On top of that, something about Aphra felt off to him. While she was very kindhearted and clearly passionate about her work, there was an energy about her that he just couldn't put his finger on. Everything about their interaction had felt so mysterious.

Quite frankly, he found it enjoyable that, even after living for thousands of years, situations such as this one could still come up and catch him by surprise, showing him something new and different that he had never known before.

"Healing through dreams, hmm?" He whispered softly to himself, looking up at the sky, which was now turning gold from the morning rays, "I suppose it is worth a try." With that, he crossed a crimson bridge and turned left to enter the parlor. He would have to let Hu Tao know he would be making a trip out to Dihua marsh that day.

For a night he had expected to be lonely and quiet, as they always were, it had yielded many interesting developments.