"Why? Why won't you rely on me more? All I said is you had to call my name and I'd be there....so why didn't you?" Xiao, the last Yaksha and Lumine, a traveler not from this world whose very existence defies logic. Their encounter had happened by chance and they knew nothing of the other's own turmoil. He was just doing his duty that Morax held him to. So why was it this woman was such an enigma to him? She was so different from the other mortals. Always showing him kindness, asking nothing in return...so why, why did he feel so drawn to her!? [Heavy XiaoLumi. Set during the Liyue Chapter.] [Some Song Inspirations: "Dark On Me" by Starset, "Demons" by Imagine Dragons] ................................... Wanna read the entire XiaoLumi Fated Encounter Series I've done? Check them out Titles below... And more in the Xiaolumi Fated Encounter Library on my page!!!

"I have... Been through a lot." Lumine frowned. "'A lot' seems to be a gross understatement. You're like a walking ball of trauma. Being enslaved and tortured for decades and then losing your whole family and then fighting this endless war, alone, seems to qualify as more than 'a lot.' Maybe more like 'constant suffering.'" "I have a contract, and it's my duty and my honor to fulfill that contract. Even now that you defeated Osial, it's still my job to defend Liyue from the demons that plague it." Xiao rubbed his Vision between two fingers. "I'm the last defender in this invisible war." "Hm." Lumine sighed and rested her chin on her palm, looking up at Xiao with big honey-yellow eyes. "Then who will defend you?" ◊ An interpretation of where the story of Adeptus Xiao begins, what he went through before our time, and where he will end up. Cover art by @tyabasirakk on Twitter