Liyue Harbor was as busy as ever; only, today seemed to be the busiest night of the year. Kids shrieked with joy as they weaved through the crowds. Others gathered around the edges to cherish the moment. There was no one in Liyue that didn't look forward to this day--the first and grandest night of the Lantern Rite Festival.
First, the fireworks went up.
Then came the food and the operas, plays, and other entertainments.
And finally, once the fever calmed and the moon shone at its brightest, the lanterns were sent out.
The lanterns were the most important part of the night. Though it was a way to honor the deceased heroes and the Adepti, each and every lantern signified a wish. A wish to be healthy, a wish for money, a wish for a lover, a child, a happy family. The night was quiet as everyone gently lifted their lanterns toward the ocean, toward the sky where the gods may hear their prayers.
Xiao sat at the edge of the cliff, a short distance from the harbor. He admired all the glowing lanterns as they floated away, letting himself relax and absorb the beautiful scenery. It wasn't every day that the Adeptus sat and marveled at the magnificence of Liyue rather than solely protecting it. Perhaps that was why he never thought twice about the shooting star streaking across the sky.
"How nice," he thought, "to see a miracle on this night."
But that "star" was far from a miracle. The mysterious glowing orb contained a body of a strange being, crashing through the atmosphere at a terrifying speed and heading toward a desolate ruin not far from the harbor. The orb ripped away, slowly, painfully, as it burned through the horizon until only the body was left to fall through the sky.
Seconds before they hit the ground, however, they slowed and descended gently until they hovered only a few inches from the grass. A glowing clock rewound sporadically behind them.
Tick. Tock.
Tick....tick tock.
Tick.
Tock.
The person opened their eyes drowsily. Their irises glowed a soft (e/c) as they gazed at the ashes beneath their feet, the trampled grass, and the river close by.
"....Where...?" they murmured breathlessly. But before they could finish their question, they fell onto the floor, unconscious.
And that was how the miracle fell upon the world.
YOU ARE READING
𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 ―𝐠. 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭
Fanfiction❝ Though you aren't the miracle I thought you'd be, you are a miracle nonetheless. ❞ ⤷ 𝘟𝘪𝘢𝘰 𝘹 𝘨/𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 When (y/n) opened their eyes, they didn't expect to find themself in the middle of a desolate grassland face to face with hilichurl...
