𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧

23 - grief

As Y/n and Venti stepped out of the dark and gloomy prison, the weight of the oppressive atmosphere seemed to linger in the air. Y/n's once cheerful facade shattered away like broken glass.

"So, what have you been up to for the past thousand years?" Y/n asked.

Venti's response was simple.

"I slept."

Y/n nodded in understanding. "Same," she said with a wistful sigh.

"Well- mostly," Venti added. "I did hang out with Xiao and Dvalin though."

A gust of cold air whipped past them, carrying with it the scent of freedom and the unknown. Y/n turned to Venti, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Wanna go to Starsnatch cliff?" she asked, a faint smile creeping onto her face.

Venti's face lit up with joy. "Of course! It's been so long since I've seen the stars," he exclaimed.

"Jarvis, are you alive?" Y/n asked.

"Yes, master. I see you finally remembered me." The AI replied.

"Is the motorcycle still operational?"

"Yes. It was abandoned at the ruins, but I have retrieved and repaired it for you," Jarvis replied.

"Excellent," Y/n said with a nod as she summoned her motorcycle.

**********

The Assembly was in ruins, shattered stone and debris littered the ground. Y/n stumbled through the wreckage, the acrid scent of smoke and blood choking her lungs. She searched frantically for Guizhong, her heart pounding with fear. And then, she saw her, petrified and motionless, Morax looming over her with his spear held high—

It felt like a nightmare, but it was all too real.

She tried to push the memories away, but they kept coming back, haunting her every thought. Y/n felt like she was suffocating, trapped in her own mind with no way out. She tried to keep her composure, but she could feel herself slipping, losing control.

Y/n was good at hiding her emotions, but even she couldn't keep it from showing in her eyes. She sat on the cliff with Venti, the wind howling around them, and her mind in turmoil.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Venti's voice was gentle, his concern evident as he looked at her.

Y/n shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She didn't want to relive the horror of that moment, to feel the weight of her grief and anger crushing down on her.

But Venti was persistent. "It's okay to talk about it, you know," he said gently. "Sometimes it helps to get things off your chest."

Y/n sighed heavily, still not looking at him. "I don't know what to say," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the wind.

Venti reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "You don't have to say anything," he said softly. "Just know that I'm here for you."

Y/n felt a small wave of comfort wash over her at his words, and she looked up at him for the first time since they had arrived at the cliff. "Thank you," she said, her voice trembling.

Venti smiled kindly at her. "Would you like a hug?" he asked.

Y/n nodded, and Venti wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace.

For a moment, Y/n felt safe, protected by his gentle touch. She clung to him desperately, trying to find some solace in the warmth of his embrace. For a moment, she forgot about everything else, lost in the simple comfort of another person's touch. But then the memories flooded back, and she felt herself shaking with rage and grief.