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[Name] took out his pouch bag and opened the familiar book Ganyu had given him as he let Verr sleep on his shoulder.
Because of the previous case, the details faded a little, but as he thumbed through the pages, he came across one that intrigued his interest. The history of Xiao and what they know about him.
'Adeptus Xiao: The Vigilant Yaksha'
Every line he stopped, Name] felt worse for the guy. Dead mates, being treated like a bloodhound, karma, and his devotion to Morax, and now he's dead, perhaps free of all the suffering he's endured, or perhaps not.
He recalled the first time he met Xiao, and how he was comforted by his stern yet welcoming demeanor.
They weren't the same person, but because they shared the same power, [Name] felt compelled to be closer to him.
As soon as the bus comes to a halt, they both exit the vehicle, a moonlight shining over their heads. As the families of those who used to live here grieve, the deserted and devastated village has become nothing but rubble.
The trees that used to provide so much shade had been cut down to nothing but little stumps, and the once-smooth road had become broken with puddles all over it.
"Stay close to me and stay away from any water," Verr said as she held [Name]'s hand.
As the wind pushed their hair back and the twinkling lights directed them, her sweaty hands began to dry. Verr was overcome with a sense of déjà vu as she recalled the stone stairs she takes to every errand.
[Name] gave a nod and took a look around. He was last here when he was around 6 years old and had very few brain cells, skipping around the place and swinging his and Verr's hands. Verr, he had no idea, was nervous at the time and kept forcing a smile at him.
The destroyed burnt wall, broken wells, and spray paint cans. As they continued walking, Verr furrowed her brows in disgust.
They eventually arrived at a cemetery with many tombstones. The many broken tombstones and withered flowers caused [Name] to widen his eyes.
Moss was creeping up tombstones and everything else it could find.
A sound of sweeping caught their attention as a girl with long, dark brown hair fading to a crimson color at the tips into a high pig-tails being held down by her hat.
Sweeping the leaves with a broomstick, she sighed as she looked up. There she saw a confused Verr and [Name]. "Ooh! Verr! About time you came back here."
Before Verr answered , [Name] cast a questioning glance at his mother. "Well you know how hard it is for me to come here."
"Yeah I figured, I tried to cleaned up your family's grave but then I felt bad for the others." [Name] noticed a couple of tombstones that appeared to be as clean as they could be.
