𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐊 - ★彡[ᴢʜᴏɴɢʟɪ]彡★

18 - 𝕵𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖞'𝖘 𝕰𝖓𝖉

And finally, it was over. Two hundred years of serving for Liyue, two hundred years of being stuck with only Xiao to converse with. Some called it a sorrowful fate for one to bear, but I thought that it was actually quite an honor.

I had learned of Childe's death seventy-two years after my departure. Many people that I had known had all perished, leaving only their children and grandchildren to watch over.

Xiao had changed a lot over the past two hundred years. His aura felt a lot gentler before and he was sometimes genuinely kind. (Sometimes as in once every year.)

"Well, you're free now," Xiao stated emotionlessly, "do you feel elated?"

"Absolutely," I smirked at him which caused a little eyebrow twitch from the adepti. "Aren't you?"

"I'm more than joyous to get you away from me," he grumbled, "I guess you are pretty sensible though. I might miss that part just a little."

"Awh, thanks," I grinned. "I'll visit you all the time, Xiao!"

"Please... don't." he glanced to the side with a tint of red on his ears. "I don't enjoy things like that."

"If you say so," I sighed and twirled my staff in my hands, "but thank you for teaching me how to use this thing. It's awesome!"

Xiao nodded.

"I'll head off then," I turned and walked away, sending him a wave as I went.

Behind me, Xiao smiled softly.

I didn't notice, of course.

Zhongli was waiting for me at Guyun. Barbatos was gently playing his lyre once more, but he was somehow completely out of sight just like the previous time. Guyun looked no different then it had all those many years ago, and neither did Zhongli.

I noticed his appearance was slightly altered due to the passing of time, his hair a bit lighter and his eyes a different shade of yellow. Instead of his formal long cloak that he had worn before he now had a loose buttoned up t-shirt with a cloak draped over his shoulders.

"(F/N)!" he called out, his eyes lighting up when he saw me.

I crashed him in a bear hug and he picked me up and twirled me around in the air.

"I missed you," I laughed as he kept whirling me around in the sky.

Zhongli's hand came up to caress my cheek as he set me down on the ground.

"You look almost exactly the same," Zhongli chuckled and pat my head lightly, "I see not much has happened."

"There haven't been any major uptorrents since Lumine," I sighed while remembering the long fights that had occurred, "so I've had more than enough time to heal since that was more than a century ago."