𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀 ✮ 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐄

20 ✧

"What else do you have planned?.." (y/n) whispered to herself, before following his footsteps. "Wait," Childe quickly placed his arm to his side, blocking her path. He ducks down beneath a huge pillar, and she copies his heedful actions. A few meters away, he had spotted a single hilichurl, accompanied with a small campfire. Summoning his bow with a single swish of his wrist, he leans back, as he draws weight upon it. (y/n) watched the attentiveness transform his face, only a few minutes ago he had been so lenient. Well, this is the duality of the harbinger.

"This one's for you, (y/n)."

He quietly states, before releasing the bow from his long-held grip. They both watch on with intensity, Childe certain his marksmanship would pay off. Except it didn't.

(y/n) gave him a winced look as the arrow plunged into the tree behind the hilichurl, completely missing it. So much for that. Now because of his mistake, the hilichurl was alerted, scampering in a crazed manner in their direction. "Idiot!" she shouted at the harbinger, her hand reaching for the hilt of her sword.

Just as the hilichurl pounced, (y/n) had already intercepted their attack, whipping out her blade to perform a lightening-speed strike, cleanly slicing it's body in half and letting the remains fall into nothingness. Childe was left on the ground with his mouth agape, staring up at (y/n) as she artfully placed the sword back in its sheath. He could not help but stare.. her expertise seemingly placed him under a trance - to the point he would not even try and fight the hilichurl.

"Beautiful..."

He mutters under his breath, while getting to his feet. The way her body quickly acted on an impulse, or her eyes smiled in triumph... it bonded the gap of his icebound heart. "I think we're really close to the temple now," (y/n) turns to him, as they trudge through a crevice, the harbinger accidentally slamming into the wall as he pays little to no attention to her words.

Once they're out, they enter a large opening, and desolation was an understatement. Besides the fact that there was some monsters seen in the fog, (y/n) and Childe were the only other living beings present.

They nod to each other, taking out their weapons, more careful than ever as they neared the great doors of the temple.

"It's not going to budge with normal strength,"

She pressed her palm against the iron doors that stood shut against her. A bronze glow burned from behind the doors, reflecting off both their faces, illuminating them in their dusky surroundings.
"An elemental reaction?" Childe suggested, placing his palm onto the door also, which was now gloved with his water element. Opening her palm to the sky, her hand began to charge with purple bolts, her hair thrashing about despite there being no wind to carry it.

"Here," she grabs Childe's wrist which triggered an electro-charge, causing his and her body to jolt unexpectedly. She lets go of his wrist almost instantly, panting. "Ajax?" she spoke his name, who was unresponsive as his body was no longer present, the ground beneath her shaking as a glorious sight stood before her.

A bitter cold feeling overtook her emotions, as she leered at the figure in front of her, which seemed to be Childe. A long purple cape majestically flowed from behind, and the harbinger's slender figure was replaced with a huge, buff body, dressed in black attire - large black boots that reached to his knees, and glove armour that enhanced the fingertips with short talons. His crimson collar was extended outwards, with the new addition of a fur ruff. The mask that was usually hung at the side of his head had now swathed his entire face, excluding the misty blue orb placed in the middle of it all that acted as a small window.

She had seen something like this before...

"Ajax?" (y/n) called out his name once more, and this time he noticed, walking to her.

"Don't touch me."

His voice spoke through the mask, though it was the dulcet tones that caught her offguard. Fairly surprising for someone who was used to hearing his silvery voice. But upon hearing his words, (y/n) pretended not to hear them, for she was afraid she would say something wrong.

The foul legacy Childe laid his palm against the door, praying that this new transformation might add some luck. With just placing his hand there, the iron doors flung open, (y/n)'s gasp echoing into the walls within. "We should have done that from the beginning," she turned to Childe, who returned to his normal form, leaned onto the huge door frame, grasping his fatui uniform. "It's tiring... that form of mine," he wheezed, coughing into his elbow.

"Thank you."

She expresses her gratitude by reaching her arm out to his shoulder, gently caressing circles with her thumb. "Let's go," she murmurs, and with his remaining energy he hoists himself upwards, lumbering deeper into the temple. By the time they reached the middle of it all, a low rumbling emerges from the edges, and out of the shadows and onto the floor, countless ruin hunters and ruin guards rise from the debris, (y/n) and Childe's presence must have awakened them.

"Shit... run!" Childe shouted at her, and they turned towards their one and only exit, the great iron doors closing in on them. "No!" (y/n) shouted at the door like it would listen, the harbinger was in no state to transform nor fight, both of them knew that, as their escape route seemed to feel getting farther and farther away. At this point they'll die here... almost forgetten just like Lan's brother.

An impact from behind propelled her onwards at a breath-taking speed, and just when she thought it has come to an end, (y/n) soared through the closing doors, and back outside, landing gruffly on her (still intact) two feet.

"Ajax!"

She sighed his name, her expression lightened as they finally got out in the nick of time. She spun around to where he was expected to stand, to discover that, he was still inside the chamber.

Already staring at her.

The monsters looming up behind him, In this moment, time had slowed down, for all he could recognize was her terrified expression.  All this time he has haunted her, and countless others. A monster. Deep inside Ajax, there was an adolescent boy, experiencing trauma at fourteen, he became a weapon of war, losing himself to bloodshed, causing others to misinterpret him when he was just taken amiss.

Yet it did not cover up for all the slaughter he caused. Someone had to repent for his sins, and Ajax was ready.

Succumbing to his fate, he gave her one last smile.
Through her eyes, it wasn't hopeless or rueful, but instead it was much like the sun, brightening the room, she felt the depth of it, the depth of his mangled soul, how hard he tried to reach out to her with just facial expressions. His childhood innocence radiating to her.

The smile of a young boy.

hey... good luck to those rolling for zhongli and yanfei !