Cold Blooded

Out of the Nightmare

Chongyun was drowning. Something was pulling him down and he didn't have a reason to fight it. Threads of darkness were coiled around his body and slowly pulled him further and further into the darkness.

A thin thread of light reached out and tried to pull him up, but it wasn't enough. Chongyun was drowning.

It was in these final moments that Chongyun remembered everything. He remembered every time he and Xingqiu raced along on some wild goose chase. He remembered the Karlin, Hisaya, Gisei, and the rest of the crew. He remembered every agonizing moment in Dottore's lab; Zandik, Dottore, Three. He remembered the time in Ajax's home and his times with Teucer. He remembered going back to the lab, Ajax had betrayed them and so many suffered because of it.

Chongyun saw through the eyes of the monster inside him. He felt the hunger of that beast that was now consuming him. He remembered the days of dreaming with Misses and her kindness within this beast .

Chongyun remembered all the people that had sacrificed so much to save him. Gisei had given his life for Hisaya and him. And yet, all of this... wasn't enough.

Chongyun was being dragged into the darkness and there was no one left to save him now.

Chongyun was completely alone. Since he was a child, Chongyun's strength had really come from his friends. He trained day and night, but through it all his friends had supported him and he had been there to support them as well. Now... he was alone...

The thin strand that uselessly tugged at Chongyun suddenly strengthened. The sudden tug was so strong that Chongyn's eyes snapped open. Surging through the darkness was Xingqiu.

His best friend through thick and thin was there. He felt Xingqiu's arms around him and the darkness shriveled away. The light slowly burnt away the darkness and all that mattered was that he was in Xingqiu's arms and Xingqiu was in his.

They were together again. He was there for him. Chongyun slowly looked around and he was surrounded by everyone. Mr. Zhongli, Xiangling, Hu Tao, Hisaya, Ajax. They were all here for him.

-<>-

"Morax..." Zhongli turned around and there she was. Right in front of him. Guizhong, after all these years, still smiling.

"Guizhong... It's you..." Zhongli barely managed to whisper the words.

"I don't have much time..." Guizhong whispered, slowly reaching out and cupping Zhongli's face. "I need you to make a promise to me, okay?"

"Anything."

"Take care of the boy for me," Guizhong whispered. "He has seen so much darkness in his few years. Take care of him and never let him feel alone. Protect as you would me."

"Of course," Zhongli reached out towards Guizhong but she was fading away.

"Thank you." Guizhong closed her eyes and she disappeared with a warm smile on her face.

-<>-

Saya looked around as the darkness faded away, her face was wet with tears. Gisei had been there, but he hadn't really. It had been fake. He was gone, and it was time she accepted that he wasn't coming back.

Saya turned around and in a disheveled pile was the remains of Three. He lay there on his back with a smile on his face. He was nothing more than scraps now, but it was the first time Saya had seen him that he looked so peaceful. He didn't look broken and torn now. He was gone, but he was finally whole.

Saya turned and saw Chongyun. Fully grown once again, he held Xingqiu tightly in his arms and a slow stream of tears rushed down his cheeks, but he was smiling. He was happy.

Saya didn't have any proof of it, but just looking at him, she knew he was whole again. He would never be that naive smiling boy Saya had met the first day he stepped onto the Karlin, but he was no longer trapped in a monster. He was smiling again, and that was enough.

Chongyun slowly rose to his feet with a smile on his face. Xingqiu braced him on one side and Ajax rushed over to support his other side. With a billion unspoken words, the whole group slowly made their way out of the cavern to the afterlife and out of this nightmare.

~author's note~

Heyy... Soo sorry I haven't updated in literally forever. I had some stuff go down in my family and haven't had any will to write lately, but now I'm back! I'll posting regularly again, so sorry again this took so long. Thank you for sticking with me, I'll try to update regularly again.

chapter art by aliciarose