Archons x male reader
Candle lights flicker, rain drops onto the ground.
7 souls captured in the heart of darkness.
The candle, extinguished.
Credit to the artist who drew the art in the story cover.
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The battlefield was chaos incarnate. The air hummed with the raw energy of the archons and gods clashing, their powers colliding with earth-shaking force. Lightning crackled through the sky as Raiden Shogun unleashed her fury, and the ground trembled beneath Zhongli’s unyielding stance. The gods, relentless and merciless, threw everything they had at the archons, determined to end them once and for all.
Y/n sat on the ground, breathing heavily, his body weak from the tension. Around him, the world seemed to shatter with every blow exchanged between these divine beings. But none of that mattered at the moment. His heart was elsewhere—his mind racing, his thoughts consumed with memories of the archons and all the moments they had shared since he first met them.
He glanced at Nahida, who was passed out in his arms, her small body limp from exhaustion. She had fought so hard to protect him, just like the others. She was like a daughter to him now, and the realization made his heart ache. He gently brushed a strand of her hair from her face, his thumb trembling as it lingered on her cheek. She was so innocent, so full of love, just like the others.
His eyes drifted toward the battle again. Focalors was a blur of water and wind, her voice echoing through the battlefield as she screamed in defiance against the gods. Mavuika, fierce and unwavering, was fighting alongside Raiden, her movements precise and deadly. And Zhongli—always the rock, always the protector—stood tall against the onslaught, his golden gaze never wavering.
Tears began to form in Y/n’s eyes as memories flooded his mind.
He remembered the quiet moments with Zhongli, resting against his chest, feeling his warmth, his love, his strength. He remembered the gentle caresses from the Tsaritsa, the way her eyes softened when she looked at him, her touch both possessive and tender. He thought of Raiden’s quiet frustrations, her confusion about love, and how they had shared their vulnerability together. Each moment, each fleeting glance and touch, had built something in his heart he hadn’t fully understood until now.
He loved them.
The tears escaped, sliding down his cheeks as his realization hit him with full force. He loved them more than anything, more than he had ever allowed himself to feel for anyone in his life. They had shown him a kind of love he had never known, a love that made him feel seen, cherished, wanted. And now, as they fought with everything they had to protect him, he wanted nothing more than to save them in return.
A voice slithered into his mind, cutting through the chaos around him.
"Y/n..." the voice whispered, cold and insidious. "You can stop this."
Y/n’s eyes widened as he grabbed his head, trying to block out the voice. It was one of the gods, speaking directly into his mind, its presence crawling over his thoughts like a thick, oppressive fog.
"You know they can't win," the voice continued, mocking and filled with a sinister calm. "But you...you have the power to end this. To save them."
Y/n shook his head, his hands pressing harder against his skull as if he could physically shut the voice out. But it was no use. The god’s words seeped into him, his voice relentless.
