NOCTURN BRIDE • genshin Impact | ✓

CHAPTER TWO.

her smile mended painful scars, but her mind held them high.

"now barbatos, i suggest you to take care." the apostle sighed, before tossing the poor archon aside. she gracefully bowed before her god, at least, honouring the poor lord. "till we meet again."

casually waving her hand, her face lit up with a pseudo-smile; it was as if she regretted something, reminiscing about a nostalgic utopia nowhere to be found. as if one with the wind, teal powerful swirl embraced the girl, and in a blink of an eye, she was gone.

ah, the poor anemo archon — barbatos — in flesh, was utterly humiliated, defeated, powerless, left all alone. no, he shouldn't have helped her back then.

he should have left her alone during the war.

he should have let her die, rather than granting her powerful omens — the anemo vision — supposedly a gentle gale that was meant to breeze thoroughly. not a harsh and spiteful storm that turned its back on him.

for the first time, the wind raged in a battle of swords.

"keugh..." he coughed out blood, an unsightly sight indeed. he wondered if other archons had seen him in his current state, would he be ridiculed, or pitied? alas, it was a disgrace as a god himself getting his gnosis forcefully stolen.

now, barbatos couldn't bare to despise the girl; (y/n) (l/n), the piety apostle, the benevolent adeptus of liyue, and an acquaintance with the fatui?

she was his first disciple, his first lover — he wouldn't dare to hate her.

"may the wind be with you."

and his world slowly turned into a night without the stars. without her, his world was nothing but an eternal darkness.

now, the little apostle couldn't let her emotions get over her. those fickle nuisances, it would be better if they were buried deep within her memories.

emotions were the weakness of everyone.

duck, slash, kick.

don't think too much. don't think too much. and just dance with the wind.

cut, slash, twirl.

her movements with the sword was one with her body, an epitome of a perfect synchronisation. she was one with the sword — she made herself a sword. a human weapon that held powers even god envied.

slice, turn, pivot.

again, the apostle chanted to herself. again and again, repeat it all over. she was far — she needed to be strong, stronger, the strongest.

gash, slit, oblique.

"again." her mind slowly clawed her soul, tainted her imperfections into perfections. once more, another round, over and over again.

oh those poor hilichurls, experiencing the wrath of the jester. her blade raged with various emotions, hatred, regret, sadness.

to master chivalry with her double edged sword, a blade of steel crafted with the finest elixirs found within teyvat. jagged with a light hint of a cryo that yielded within the sword.

"en garde." she mumbled, as she flipped her ornamental blade that flowed in the air. almost with consciousness of it's own, the sword swirled above the girl's head, with a cryo breeze clashing against the harsh gale. "valse."

there are many types of creatures, no, monsters that lurk within the shadows. monsters within oneself, hidden and concealed — monsters that dwell in the past, regret, sorrow, mourn.

ah, the poor apostle was that monster itself.

"danse," her blade split the air in half, the atmosphere froze, hydrogen and oxygen compressed within a thin, slanted angle. she tilted her fingers, adding in a hint of cryo residue. "macabre."

mercilessly, the apostle shot a beam of rapid phased light that dangerously slit through the air. she squinted her eyes, looking intently at a shadow that loomed nearby.

"come out."

"you're here." the trees hidden by windrise slowly rustled, as an entrancing entrance was made, simple but yet, the little anemo fairies would float by his side. "you remember this place."

"what are you doing here, barbatos." ignoring the anemo archon's words, the girl clicked her tongue in annoyance as she unsheathed her sword.

"you remember." the god repeated, as he made his way to the girl. silent gospels filled the gap between them, a discerning reunion — a proper one at least. "you didn't forget."

"those mere memories aren't worth the time." scoffing, the apostle rolled her eyes. flicking her blade back onto her back, she turned her back on him. "it was the past."

"we'd used to count the stars together."

"stop deluding yourself with the past."

"we made a promise under the stars-" he reached out for her, grabbing onto her wrist. desperation intoxicated the archon's mind. don't leave, don't leave, don't leave.

"don't touch me!" she flinched, flicking her wrist away from him. looks may be deceiving — indeed, although barbatos's human form didn't seem so masculine, his grip increasingly tightened, preventing her from freeing herself.

"please, stay." barely letting out an audible whisper, the archon leaned his head against the apostle's shoulder. "stay a little longer."

"leave me alone-"

"i told the stars about us." there was a pause — a prolonged silence as the neither of them complained. there was only the rhythm of their hearts, thumping against each other; one, two, one, two. it was like a masquerade ball, where a pair of strangers would gracefully waltz together in the grand hall.

although they weren't strangers, it was for the best.

"i told the stars about you." barbatos continued, as he caressed her hair, gently embracing the apostle within his arms. wind sylphs surrounded the pair of star-crossed lovers, as they guided along the strides on the gust.

she was a dream that he didn't want to forget, nor dare he let go off.

"i told them about my love for you."

━━━━

( CHAPTER  II )