𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐗𝐢𝐚𝐨 ―𝐠. 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭

22 || Forgive Me

The joy of the party quickly soured as streaks of crimson ran past the mysterious mechanism while it accelerated into the sky. Ghouls entered the terrain and pursued the team. Yelan was the first to take action, quickly tying the closest enmities with her dice and detonating them; from the other side of the glowing platform, Lumine slashed apart the remaining ghouls that Yanfei missed with her explosions.

Meanwhile, at the center, Xiao focused on channeling his anemo energy into the Fantastic Compass, maintaining the flow as everyone continued to rise above. He grabbed at his own arm in hopes of stabilizing it under the pressure and trusted that the others would take care of the ghouls.

Yet, despite the growing closeness to the surface and trust of the party, there was an unsettling doom weighing in Xiao's heart. He knew that the others had also taken notice the moment his legs gave out, forcing him to readjust his position with a stumbling step. He gasped for air as his mask broke and disintegrated into the darkness around him.

"You can't keep this up," Yanfei stammered, shaking her head adamantly. "Your strength won't last!"

On cue, the remnants of Xiao's powers were relinquished, and his hand dropped from the center, exhausted and unable to stay up any longer. His heavy breathing slowed as he hunched forward. He looked up at the light; they were near the surface. He looked back down at his hands.

If he were to use everything he had left, perhaps he could at least save the citizens of Liyue one last time.

He took a deep breath.

There was nothing else Xiao could think to do. To die in return for saving others, to die in the midst of a battle-- that was a true death for a warrior.  He hoped that it served enough as an excuse to pass on. His death would be a sacrifice for the continuation of lives more worthy of living. It was honorable. It was fitting for the last true Yaksha of Liyue.

He took no longer to enforce his decision, glancing around to see the faces of his companions one more time. His golden eyes hardened as he conjured Adeptal energy in his hands and dispersed it to everyone except himself. Green light surrounded the rest of the party members.

"Xiao, what are you-"

"No!" Yelan shouted, interrupting Paimon. "Don't do-" She reached out desperately to the Adeptus, her eyes widening with fear and realization and dread. But she was too late. In a flash, everyone vanished from the platform, and Xiao was alone in the hopeless dark.

A relieved sigh escaped his lips.

As he felt the ground beneath him shatter, leaving him with only the light of the surface he could not reach, as gravity let the air scream past his ears and toss him to his death, his mind drifted to the morning he last saw you. The tender smile on your face was etched so vividly in his memories, so much that he could almost see you at that moment. You reached out to him, he recalled, and pulled him into your warm embrace beneath the soft sheets. But all he could feel now were the cold whiplashes of wind as he fell.

"Forgive me, (y/n)," he thought. "I had once promised to appear whenever you called... but it seems that not all promises can be kept."

He reached for the flower tucked into his chest--the very last flower you had ever given him. He made sure that it was still in full bloom as his fingers traced over every vibrant petal. In the back of his mind, Xiao felt content with knowing that you were still walking the living lands, even when he couldn't see you personally. He closed his eyes.

"Forgive me."

His arms gave out as he leaned his head back, accepting his descent into the depths of the Chasm he tried so desperately to leave.