Lantern Rite

Prologue

Looking up into the sky, the moon shone bright above a bustling Liyue Harbor. It was the day before Lantern Rite, and everyone was preparing for the five days to come; full of festivals, special treats, and of course - the releasing of the Xiao lanterns. The air was full of excitement and anticipation. After all, this was one of the most awaited events of the year. Mothers and fathers alike were having trouble putting their children to sleep, for they were too excited to participate in the festivities. It was like Christmas Eve, but even better in the eyes of the Liyue people. It was the celebration of the new year to come and of the Adepti that protected their land, so what could possibly be more exciting than that?

To the children, it didn't seem like their could be anyone in Liyue who couldn't like this holiday. But the older people that resided in the harbor knew the Adepti were an exception. Well, it's not that they didn't exactly like it. They appreciated the recognition to some extent, but it's not as if they were keen on taking part in the festivities.

However, one Adeptus in particular had a particularly strong distaste towards the festival. While everyone enjoyed their time during the festival, Adeptus Xiao would be working overtime to protect the people of Liyue in the background. It's a festival to honor him, and yet he would end up fighting day and night to protect his people. Generally speaking he didn't mind doing this, as it's his duty as an Adeptus. This was the task given to him by Morax. But the constant torment and karma ripping through him every second of the festival while he fought was certainly enough to leave him bitter towards the holiday.

There was another reason Xiao didn't like the holiday, but it was something he refused to say aloud. Mainly because it was something that had only come up for him in recent years. But it was just something he would need to learn to cope with, and that was exactly what he had been trying to do. It seemed he was able to push it out of his mind for the most part, but Lantern Rite pulled it right back in again. It felt like he was dissecting his own brain. It was way more vulnerability than he was comfortable with, so his dread seemed to multiply by ten. He just hoped this year would be different. Maybe it wont be as bad. He should be used to it by now right?

...right?