Novalunosis | Wanderer x Reader | GENSHIN IMPACT

23 - A Parade of Providence

You and the others arrive at Mawtiyima Forest. There's a small, wooden platform type thing set up at the beginning of the path, with two people sitting at a table.

"We're here!" Tighnari hollers.

The two commenters turn their heads. You see one familiar face. Alhaitham. And there's a girl sitting next to him with red hair.

"Early. You guys are the first ones here." Alhaitham says.

Cyno crosses his arms and quirks a brow. "Or maybe we're on time and the others are late."

"It doesn't matter! The last round will start when everyone arrives!" The red haired woman smiles.

Without a word, you sit on the edge of the platform, and Tighnari joins you.

"Watch me win." He grins.

You smirk. "I'll be rooting for you."

Distant laughter and footsteps in the dirt makes Tighnari's ears perk up.

"They're here." The man says.

"About time you showed up." Alhaitham says when he spots Kaveh dragging his feet.

The blond rolls his eyes. "Didn't know we had to be right on time."

"These youngsters are quite slow for their age!" A woman with light blue hair exclaims.

Your mouth falls open when you see the others. Specifically, one of the people in the group.

He makes eye contact with you, and he can't help but smile, relief washing over him. You two stare at each other for a long moment before you snap out of his alluring trance.

"Nobody told me Yurushi would be here!" You shout quietly, squeezing your hands into fists.

Tighnari hums from beside you. "Right..."

"Oh, whoops." Cyno grins, shrugging.

Idiots! You glare at both of the men.

Alhaitham sighs, sitting back down. As the contestants walk by the platform, your eyes follow Yurushi's, which don't drift away from you as he passes by.

So you move to sit on the stairs, which are in front of the table where Alhaitham and the woman are sitting at to keep an eye on the man. Mixed feelings bubble in your chest, but you can't draw your eyes away from Yurushi. It feels like forever since you last saw him. There's a weird tension, though.

The group stands in front of a podium which has a small cushion on top.

Alhaitham begins speaking. "Listen up. In this round, contestants have to go into the forest, find the diadem, bring it back, and place it on the stand. The first person to do this gets four points."

Then the woman, Nilou, says, "Depending on whoever gets the points could mean they win the contest overall!"

You see the hint of determination flash through most of the contestants' eyes, minus Yurushi and Layla. The man is staring at you, with a faint pink hue on his cheeks, while Layla looks like she'll drop any moment now from tiredness.

"Is everybody ready?" Nilou asks.

Most of them get ready to run, or fly, or do whatever to get away fast.

"Go!"

And they're off in a heart beat. Yurushi rises into the sky and zooms off, while Kaveh, Tighnari, Cyno and the blue haired woman begin running away. Layla begins walking, drooping her head down low.

It'd be interesting to see who finds it first, or to follow them and watch from a distance, but you'll stay put. You don't want to interfere the game.

So instead, you stay put on the stairs, laying your chin on your hands.