The god's last wish (Zhongli/Diluc x OC)

24

"Eat with us, miss Thea, I'll cook your favorie sweet flower glazed steak." The woman kindly offered.

Anthea nodded her head slightly. "Sure. I'll go help pick sweet flowers over there."

"Are you sure? Childe can do that though.."

"No worries. Besides, it was his first  time seeing his son, I want to give all three of you a moment to bond." She replied, turning her attention towards the Harbinger who was happily playing with his son.

"If you say so. But you don't have to pick too many though. Just two or three will do."

Anthea nodded, flashing a smile on her face so that the woman would not worry. "Got it" She said as she walked away.

When she has wandered far enough, she smiled to herself. The Nymph's ability to endure is unrivaled. She was rewarded by another life because of it afterall. But as Anthea collapsed on the grassy field, she wondered if that endurance would also be the one to end her second life like her first.

She whimpered in pain, curling and trembling hopelessly. It had been too painful that even the flowers and the grass around whom her soul is connected to also withered. 

And as she gradually lost consciousness, she asked the Archons if it was really her fate,

to bring a lifetime of happiness to othets but never find hers.

———

Both the Ragnvindr and the Geo lord rushed towards the Nymph's frail body. 

Zhongli was quick to kneel and lay her body on his arms. "Azalea, my love... It's me, Zhong. Wake up.. "

Diluc froze behind them. For a moment,  even when he was deeply worried for his wife, he felt as if he shouldn't step forth any further. As if something inside him spoke, that perhaps he should give them space. His face held no expression, but his heart was crying inside. For he too wanted to wrap his arms around his wife.

The anemo archon landed before Zhongli, he too knelt on the ground, checking the flow of her blood through her pulse. Venti and the two boys soon followed.

"I can feel it." The Yaksha muttered, gritting his teeth.

"What is it?" Diluc asked.

"Poison. A lot of them. I can also feel all the other kinds torture she has gone through. We're too late."  Xiao cried as he trembled from absorbing the sensory memories of his mother.

"Xiao is right. I'm sorry, Master Diluc, Rex lapis, but I'm afraid we're too late.  The least we can do is save the baby inside her." The anemo archon said.

"Baby? She's with child with the mortal?" The Geo Lord asked, his lips trembling from fear of the truth.

From the corner of his vision, Diluc caught sight of a harbinger. Immediately, he rushed towards him and grabbed him by the collar. "It's you! It's all the Fatui's fault! I will make all of you pay!"

Fire burned from his fingertips, and it burned on the harbinger's clothing too.

"Master Diluc, stop please! He's not with them!" A familiar voice of a woman yelled.

Diluc turned his head, only to see a familiar face from Monstadt.

"Alwina?"

"Please don't hurt him Master Diluc. He was the one who took miss Thea away from them. We just reunited. Please don't hurt him." The woman wept, clutching the hem of her dress was a tiny child sobbing from fear. The scared child made Diluc hesitate. But the rage he felt preceded his reasoning.

"How do you know he's not with them? I recall this man's face. I've seen him do Fatui work." Diluc growled furiously , his teeth gnawed.

"Diluc dear, it's alright.." Diluc's eyes widened. With tears on his eyes, he let the harbinger go and rushed to his wife.

Sending the geo archon a glare, he stole her from his grasp. Slowly, the woman weakly opened her eyes. Even through the pain, she forced herself to smile.

With her frail, trembling hands, she slowly reached out to caress her husband's face. Tears poured out from Diluc's eyes as she felt the warmth from her wife's hand gradually turning cold.

"Don't leave me please... "He whispered as he held her hand that was touching his cheeks. 

"We'll be alright..love.. " She spoke before finally closing her eyes.

Diluc embraced her body tightly, sobbing as his face nuzzled on her shoulders.

As he cried, the Geo Archon spoke. "There's still a way to save her.."

"If you approve, I can make her an Adepti.."