𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

Xiao went to swing, yet was trampled by something. He fell dropping his spear. A sharp pain came his leg. He stopped to see what caused it. A brown.. lizard? No! That was a dragon. It barked at him. Childe sighed.
"Mr. Zhongli. Rare seeing you in this form.."
He still was annoyed.. but was he? He still couldn't tell. The dragon sat down. He looked so similar to Rex Lapis. But Rex was gone. Xiao knew it. Who really was this man. Zhongli stood back up and walked again, away from both boys. Then turned human. The pain came back to him. He sighed shakily. Looking back at them. He stood up in his human form.
"Stop fighting you two. It's pathetic." He closed his eyes and turned around. Turning back into the small dragon. He must like that form better now or something.. Childe thought. Xiao snarled.
"Wait! I have a question!" Then chased after the small dragon. Childe stood there, feeling a warm crimson liquid run down his cheek. He dotted it with his fingers. A sting covered his cheek. The wound was minor but it hurt like a bitch. Childe retracted his hand to see the blood on his fingers. He'd just go to Baizhu. He didn't need medication but he could just ask for a cloth. He pushed himself up to a stand. He bruised himself as well. He felt the small sore push on his leg. Eventually, the small dragon came back. Without Xiao. A small beam of light turned him to a human. Childe hadn't noticed it before but Zhongli seemed to be bloody. Most likely from the fight earlier. He had been struck in the side, which was pouring blood. Zhongli put his hand over Childe's face. Childe hissed at the pain of the wound. He realized that there was a cloth in hand for him. Zhongli patted the cut until it stopped bleeding. He let out a shaky sigh again.
"You okay other than that?" Zhongli's eyes set on Childe's. The ginger looked away, avoiding eye contact. He huffed slightly.
"Yeah, besides bruises." He stood up and so did Zhongli. Yet Zhongli's was weaker and less controlled. He swayed when he stood, almost falling down. Childe balanced him a little bit. Then backed off, still not forgiving him. Childe was still in a mental combat. He didn't know if he should forgive Zhongli or not. The man was in awful pain. Yet in the other ear, he could just get hurt more than broken trust. Childe slipped his hands onto his own hips.Childe scoffed to himself quietly.
"Thanks.." he mumbled.
"My pleasure," Zhongli smiled then walked away. He limped as he walked and something swayed from under his suit. A small dragon tail.

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He could hear the voice now. The small little brat was growing. Almost like a shoulder demon.
"He's the one who kicked you ass? Pathetic. That's just a mere mortal!" The voice said. It was the inner core of his anger, his mourn. It was like a shadow version of Morax. It followed him around, almost like a dog.
"Quite pathetic, we are not that weak," M̵̼̮̭̮̮̠̬͈͓̯̫̹̯̜̓̑̈́̈́͊̈́͜o̷̳̬̗̪̻͚̱͍͍͗̏̀͘͜ȓ̶͉̺͇̖̖͉̮̼̖a̷̘͙͂̈́̾̾͛̅͒̋͑͐̐̎͝x̴̢̘̲̮̞̙͙̱̩̫̭̩͓̻͎̃͗́  said putting its hand behind its head. Zhongli scoffed. He hit the fake with his tail.
"When you find another like Guizhong you'll understand," It hurt him to say her name in that example but it really was true. He could barely live without Childe being there. So it'd be his fight to battle, not the dumb fake.

He'd usually get visited by ghosts. They felt and looked like real humans. Yet only Adepti could see them, yet only in dreams. Zhongli could actually spawn them. Of course it was the power of an archon. He usually was met by archons of the past. Raiden hadn't learned yet though. So she was always cold. Zhongli hoped she wouldn't find out. It'd break her even more to watch her sister come and then have to disappear for long times. Usually the ghosts take 6 months to a year to regenerate and come back. Yet this one would stay, since it was part of him. He couldn't see it at first, until now. Now him and other Adepti could see it. Adepti and gods were the only few who could see a permanent ghost. Childe couldn't. Xiao will see him. Yet he'd no longer talk to Xiao. He walked along the dirt trailed road. Until he met the harbor. Xiao never went to the harbor. So he'd stay here. A few Adepti lived here and knew it was a ghost. But Zhongli was just an anonymous man. Nobody knew him. He could pretend he was completely unaware to the ghost. M̵̼̮̭̮̮̠̬͈͓̯̫̹̯̜̓̑̈́̈́͊̈́͜o̷̳̬̗̪̻͚̱͍͍͗̏̀͘͜ȓ̶͉̺͇̖̖͉̮̼̖a̷̘͙͂̈́̾̾͛̅͒̋͑͐̐̎͝x̴̢̘̲̮̞̙͙̱̩̫̭̩͓̻͎̃͗́ began laughing. It was maniac and shaky..
"Nobody replaces my love," it stated proudly.
"Nobody replaced her, but I found one that could help with filling the emptiness," Zhongli whispered. The people around him would find him nuts if he was talking to himself. M̵̼̮̭̮̮̠̬͈͓̯̫̹̯̜̓̑̈́̈́͊̈́͜o̷̳̬̗̪̻͚̱͍͍͗̏̀͘͜ȓ̶͉̺͇̖̖͉̮̼̖a̷̘͙͂̈́̾̾͛̅͒̋͑͐̐̎͝x̴̢̘̲̮̞̙͙̱̩̫̭̩͓̻͎̃͗́ scoffed in response. Nobody seemed to notice the blood pool following Zhongli. He walked up the stairs towards the pharmacy. He would get a few painkillers on tab. Not like he had the money but he'd try. He stood in the doorframe, not tracking blood in the room. He knocked slightly on the door. Qiqi's head peaked over. It'd been awhile since he first met her, it was almost disturbing. Poor child, she had been revived with no memories. Zhongli nodded, "Qiqi, is Baizhu here?" 
She nodded, "I'll go get him.." her head went down. Zhongli layed, pushing most of his weight on the door. He closed his eyes clutching his side to stop bleeding. He cringed slightly. Then he couldn't see anymore, something clouded his vision until all he saw was black.