Corrupted Love| XIAOVEN

Chapter 12: a bitter truth

Venti looked at him sadly and murmured, "I've been feeling sick for weeks. I hardly sleep, dream terrible things, and I keep seeing him. Everywhere I go. It hurts." 

Zhongli was silent. He had already thought as much and after hearing that Xiao was also constantly plagued by his deceased loved ones, he understood Venti's suffering due to his dead Bard friend. 

Although Zhongli had never met him, he knew the story of how a child and some others had fought against the power of the Storm God. In that very battle, the young bard had died and the wind spirit of that time had taken the form of the child. 

This legend was already ancient and at that time Venti had been neither a god nor an archon. Zhongli had also lost loved ones, so he too knew this pain and of course, such constant grief would also drive him crazy.

 "I know it was not right what I did that night. No matter how I felt mentally." Venti muttered and looked over at Xiao. , "He had nothing to do with any of this. "

He was silent for a while, 

"I don't know why, but when I'm...well... a little out of my mind... I see...him when I look at Xiao. I can't explain it, it's like looking at a mirror image, only you know there shouldn't be a mirror there. When I see the Yaksha, a part of me thinks that I finally have my friend back.

 But the remaining part of me can still distinguish that it can't be the bard, which is why there's just a huge amount of feelings coming up inside of me that I have a hard time placing.

 At that moment I can't even tell whether I truly love the person in question. Sometimes friendly, often romantic. Dreams and realities mix in my head and what remains is always an uncontrollable need for the other. 

Well, I don't know why, but when I see Xiao, I am most reminded of my old friend, which is why the feelings are strongest then. That's why...the kiss."

 Zhongli looked at him for a long time and eyed him anxiously. Finally Venti had told him the full truth and now he understood a little better. 

"Feelings? That is what controls you so much?" Venti nodded, "It's more than just a feeling. It's an uncontrollable need to love the other, almost an addiction." 

He was silent.

 Zhongli looked at him for a long time, "What about others? I mean, don't you notice this phenomenon only in individuals? How do you behave towards other residents?" 

Venti's face was darker than ever. Zhongli looked down at him with concern. "Well..." Venti said slowly, "since I feel this affection only for individuals...I feel more of a need to..." Venti was silent again, 

"Yes?" asked Zhongli, 

"I'm Afraid I'm going to hurt them!" cried Venti suddenly in a panic, burying his face between his legs. 

Again his body began to tremble and quiet sobs drifted through the wind. Zhongli looked down at his friend seriously. The situation was probably even more difficult than he had thought, and since the Fatui were in the city, he was running out of time.

 "What do you mean by harming them?" he said sternly. Venti still didn't seem to look up.

 "Barbatos!"

Venti flinched and looked at the other with red eyes. "If...if I am not crazy in love with them then...my head sees them as enemies to those I love. That is, if I feel feelings of deep affection for your yaksha, all others who come too close are immediately enemies...that I must....destroy."

 Zhongli looked at him with hallowed eyes. "Does that mean everyone in Mondstadt is in danger if you lose your mind again?" Venti shivered, 

"Everyone who doesn't happen to be uncontrollably loved by me at that moment." 

Zhongli's gaze darkened. His eyes grew cold and his breathing rapid, "Stay here." He then said grimly and walked away to his two Adepti.

The three of them were now standing far enough away so that Venti could not hear them, "You two listen. Zhongli said seriously, "I misjudged the Archon's condition. It's probably more difficult than I thought." He was silent for quite a while.

 "I have decided that the best thing to do at the moment is to get him out of the way." , "Get him out of the way?" asked Ganyu, startled. Zhongli nodded. 

"I came here to help, but for now, I am running out of time... I came as a friend and I want to spare him the suffering of involuntarily killing his people. At this point, I have no choice but to protect him from himself," Ganyu looked at him, concerned, while Xiao looked as cold as ever,

 "What are you going to do, Rex Lapis?" she asked, worried. Zhongli looked sadly at the sky. His eyes were closed and he sighed for a long time. 

"The same thing I did to a good friend all these years ago. Now Venti will have to experience the same fate. I wish it were different and I hate to admit it, but once again I lose a friend. Friendship can be as fragile as glass and sometimes it has to be broken to get repaired again."

 He looked both his Adepti in the eye, "I'm going to lock Barbatos up. I will need the most powerful Seal I have ever created, which is why I will request Buer and Beelzebul for help. It will surely take a few days for them to arrive here, so in the meantime, you must be careful that Barbatos doesn't do anything wrong and endanger anyone." 

Both Adepti looked at him speechlessly, "How are we supposed to control an Archon?" Ganyu asked in amazement. "Well, not you both. Xiao will take care of that." 

The Yaksha looked at him with open eyes, "With all due respect...an archon? I am in no way strong enough to stop him in an emergency.", 

"That's right." Zhongli said tersely, "But...I'm sure he won't hurt you. Trust me. And should you stand by him, he will surely listen to your words and no one will get hurt." 

Xiao still looked at him in bewilderment, "I don't understand.", "Just trust me, I know if you stay together, nothing can happen for now." Xiao nodded in confusion, but he didn't understand Zhongli's thoughts. , 

"It's only a few days. By all means, don't let him out of your sight, and stay together. Ganyu and I will prepare the sealing ritual and once the other two archons are here, we will temporarily lock Venti away. 

It will be very lonely for him after that, so give him some quality time and don't tell him anything, will you? If everything goes according to plan, the problem will be solved in a few days and we'll have new time to figure out how to cure him." 

Xiao and Ganyu looked at each other briefly, but obviously, they would be following Zhongli's instructions.