A Light To Call Home ☆Genshin Impact☆

Historia Antiqua III

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1st POV: Keres

I was carefully set down onto the cold, uneven ground, my feet sinking slightly into the dust and rubble. I looked up, and there he was. Zhongli, standing tall and resolute, his golden gaze fixed on the looming figure before us. In his hand, his spear gleamed under the faint light, casting a sharp shadow as he took a ready stance, muscles taut, prepared for the confrontation. The air was thick with tension, a tangible weight pressing down on us. This was no ordinary battle.

Before us stood Azhdaha, a creature as ancient as the mountains themselves. His massive, stone-covered body pulsed with raw, primordial energy, veins of glowing amber running like rivers across his hide. Azhdaha was no mere geovishap; he was a force of nature, a relic of a time long forgotten. 

His colossal frame towered over us, each movement causing tremors in the ground beneath my feet. I have seen this thing before, but the sheer power radiating off him was slightly overwhelming, like standing too close to the heart of a mountain.

I glanced around, feeling a pang of annoyance and guilt. 'Ugh... I was in a dormant state,' I thought to myself, clenching my fists. 'I wasn't paying attention to the situation Akemi was in.' 

If I had been more alert, more aware, perhaps things wouldn't have escalated to this...

"What kind of monster is this?!" Paimon's voice rang out, trembling with a mixture of fear and awe as she hovered close by, her wide eyes darting nervously between us and the creature.

At that moment, Azhdaha's deep, gravelly voice rumbled through the cavern, echoing off the stone walls with a power that made the air vibrate. "Morax... Akuma..." he growled, a sinister gleam in his eyes. "You arrive at my doorstep of your own volition." 

With a burst of energy, he shattered the ancient barrier that had held him, releasing a wave of raw, hostile power that washed over us. The ground seemed to tremble in response, dust and pebbles scattering as the weight of his aura pressed down. "Excellent... Taking revenge for sealing me away all this time will be all the easier."

I felt a flicker of annoyance at his words, especially at the way he addressed me. 

Akuma? He had some nerve to use that name, the one meant to strip away my identity and replace it with something monstrous. The disdain in my eyes was unmistakable as I muttered under my breath, "You have some nerve calling me that..."

As I glanced around, I searched for my scythe, but it was nowhere in sight. It must have been left behind, scattered somewhere above ground when we were dragged into this underground domain. I gritted my teeth. 

Forget it. It didn't matter. I was more than capable of fighting without it. I wasn't some weakling who relied on a single weapon. If I were, I wouldn't have survived this long.

Taking a deep breath, I reached up and undid the ribbons holding my hair up in place, feeling the strands fall freely around my shoulders. The hairstyle had been irritating me, blocking my peripheral vision. It was hardly suitable for a battle of this scale. I sighed as I let it down, allowing myself a brief moment of calm before the storm.

"Akemi, are you seriously restyling your hair right now?" Paimon's exasperated voice broke through, laced with confusion and panic.

I shot her a sharp look, my tone colder than intended. "Put a sock in it."

Her eyes widened, a squeak of surprise escaping her. 

Crap...

I immediately felt a pang of regret, realising I had let my irritation show too openly. Pausing, I softened my expression and spoke more gently, trying to ease the tension. "S-sorry, Paimon. The hypnotism... it messed with my head more than I realised." I forced a small smile, struggling to mask the frustration simmering beneath. "I'm myself again. Really."