Bound by Contract || Childe x Zhongli || Genshin Impact

Ch. 1 We Meet Again

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Tartaglia. He mulled over his new title, having fun accentuating the T at the beginning and middle and spitting out the 'ta' after, the name butchered by his Snezhnayan accent. The name of a fool, he thought to himself as he clenched his Electro Delusion tightly, nightmares of 'that' place resurfacing. Ajax, now known as Tartaglia, was now the Eleventh of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. Gongzi or Childe is what his subordinates now call him, as he now held a position of both immense power and wealth.

Stuffing his Delusion into his pocket, Childe walked to the mirror of the room he was staying at in Wangshu Inn in Liyue for his first major assignment. Pulcinella, that bastard. If Pulcinella had introduced him to the Tsaritsa and she hadn't promised endless battles for Childe, he wouldn't have agreed to serve her. To Childe, what he needed was battle after battle; because the blood of one fight was never enough. Childe had to get stronger for Anthon, Tonia, and Teucer. Most of all, he had to get stronger so that one day, he could go back to the abyss and behead that shithead that almost took his life.

And, of course, for that man too.

He stared intently at the shiny mirror, his face harboring no scars in contrast to his battered body; his blue eyes were no longer able to retain the shine they had long ago unlike, the eyes of his siblings. Every time Childe lost control in battle, he slashed a wound into his body afterward, deep enough to leave a permanent scar, to reassure himself of his humanity and mortality. The first time he lost control multiple times after a fight, Childe could only grimace at the contact of his hydro spear and flesh, biting into his lower lip as tears flowed down his face. He had killed a family of five, who were much like his own, mother, father, sister, and two brothers.

It was raining, and Childe was at the edge of the Luhua Pool, sixteen at the time, and had recently joined the ranks of the Fatui. He clenched his spear as he staggered towards the Geo Archon Statue to meet up with his co-workers southwest of where he was. He couldn't tell who was crying harder, he or the rain that poured down at him, soaking him as droplets of blood-muddled water dripped from his wounds.

When he arrived at the statue, he couldn't see any of his superiors nor co-workers anywhere as the sky roared above him. He looked at the depiction of Rex Lapis looming above him, the geo cube in his hands illuminating the bright yellow of gold, down to rock-hard abs-wait, no. Childe's vision began to sway as he put on hand on the statue for support. He had given himself ten gashes, two for each of the family members that he had lost control over and killed. Soaked in rain and blood, he slid down from where he was standing. He needed to rest. At most, he'll get a fever because he was Snezhnayan, after all. Or maybe if he died from blood loss, his death would be justice to the family he killed.

As Childe rested his head on the cold stone pillar of the archon statue, he caught a glimpse of an 18/19-year-old boy in a leather coat with a slim dark brown ponytail whose ends hinted at an amber-orange approaching him as he slumped onto the statue.

"Are you okay?" The boy in the leather coat asked, walking closer until Childe could get a clear view of the boy's face. The older boy had thick eyebrows that arched up, giving him a solemn look. But what caught Childe's attention the most was the boy's eyes. They were bright golden pupils, richer than Mora, and more piercing than any gaze he had ever received.