cursed wings of grief | genshin impact x f.reader

𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 (𝟐)

The feared and the dangerous
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The forest had grown quieter since the last festival. The air, once filled with the laughter and music of the Qiong Qi, now hung heavy with a stifling silence. The songs, the dances, everything they once shared so openly, were now secret, reduced to quiet whispers in the depths of their forest. The festival had been banned, and with it, something vital in their hearts had been taken away.

Y/N sat at the edge of their village, her tiger-like ears twitching at every rustle of the tree leaves. Her wings, small but growing, were folded tightly against her back. Her mother had instructed her to keep them hidden, even here, deep in the woods. The days of showing them proudly were over.

Her feet dangled over a small cliffside, where the trees opened up to reveal a distant view of the sea. The air was cool, but she barely noticed it. Her gaze was locked on the horizon, where Liyue Harbor shimmered in the distance like a beacon of life and activity. A life that, for them, was becoming increasingly out of reach.

"Thinking about them again?" a familiar voice asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

Y/N turned to see her brother Zhen walking toward her, his wings half-spread, a faint smile on his lips. His feline ears twitched as he crouched beside her. Zhen was older, stronger, and his wings had already grown to their full span, shimmering in the light like bronze-hued feathers.

"They've forgotten us, haven't they?" Y/N asked quietly, her voice tinged with sadness. "The people in Liyue."

Zhen's smile faltered, and he let out a long breath. "Not forgotten. Not yet. But they're afraid of us now."

Y/N felt a pang in her chest. It hadn't always been this way. Once, the people of Liyue had treated the Qiong Qi with awe and respect, viewing them as protectors of the forest, an ancient race blessed with wings and fire. They were adepti, after all. They were different, yes, but they had shared the land peacefully for centuries. Now, it seemed that all the trust and admiration had burned away in the flames of fear and misunderstanding.

"I don't understand why," Y/N whispered. "We helped them put out the fire. We've never hurt them."

Zhen's wings shifted uneasily, a subtle movement that Y/N recognized as frustration. "Sometimes, people fear what they don't understand," he said, his voice soft but firm. "They don't see us the way they used to. Now, they see our wings and claws and think of monsters. Of demons."

Y/N stared at the ground, her hands clenching into fists. "But we're not demons."

"No," Zhen agreed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We're not. But that won't change their minds if they've already decided otherwise."

For a moment, the two sat in silence, listening to the gentle rustle of the trees and the distant calls of birds. The forest had always been their refuge. But now, even here, the weight of the outside world pressed down on them.

Y/N's thoughts drifted to the festival, the last one they had been allowed to hold. The memory of it was still fresh in her mind: the fire-dancing, the music, the warmth of being surrounded by her people, their wings glowing in the firelight. It had been a night of joy and celebration, a reminder of who they were.

But it was also the night the fire had started.

It hadn't been their fault. The fire had sparked in the distance, near the edge of the forest, far from the festival grounds. But it had spread quickly, and by the time the Qiong Qi and the liyuan villagers had put it out, the damage was done. Homes had been lost, the forest blackened by flames. Though the Qiong Qi had helped save lives, the rumors began almost immediately: whispers that the fire had been caused by their pyro, by the same flames they danced with during the festival.