Persistence (Genshin Impact- Ningguang x fem reader)

Chapter 34- Desperation

You delved deeper into the dream and the darkness around you kept increasing, you knelt down and clenched your chest.

"Why....why must this happen....d-didn't I firm my resolve to stay here....."

"Have I been following my brother's will all along?.....was it not my own decision to stay here.....?"

These thoughts ravaged your mind continuously and made you more perplexed. You didn't know long you had been unconscious, it could have been just a few hours or it could have been many days as well. 

The wound on your chest was healed up but the pain and agony from it still remained, perhaps the pain wasn't just from the wound. You always knew the fated day would come but didn't expect it to come so soon, or maybe you didn't want it to come.

Slowly and steadily you started to wake up, you opened your eyes and saw a familiar ceiling, it was your room in the Jade Chamber. You sat up, sweating and breathing heavily, and felt tears on your face, you wiped them away but they didn't stop. You weren't crying but the tears simply kept rolling down, you held your head in confusion and bafflement and tried to calm down your breathing.

You touched your chest and saw that there were bandages wrapped around it, you looked around but there was nobody in the room. One of the secretaries was passing by and peeped in through the window and saw you were awake then immediately went to inform Ningguang who was in her office talking to some soldiers along with Keqing.

"How has the entire army of the Liyue Millelith and even the secret spies of the Qixing not able to find a single man?!" shouted Ningguang.

"O-Our apologies Tianquan Ningguang...we have searched every nook and cranny of Liyue but haven't come across anyone matching the appearance described by Yuheng Keqing and neither has anybody seen a man like that..." said one of the soldiers kneeling down frightened.

"How did that man escape my eyes and ears and freely walk in Liyue?! What sort of commission did he put at the Guild?!" Ningguang shouted more.

"A-About that, we asked at the Adventurer's Guild and they said he didn't tell them the details of the commission, he simply asked them to send Traveler over to the teahouse to meet him." replied the man.

Ningguang got more frustrated hearing all that, she was about to snap at the soldiers but then the secretary interrupted and told her that you had woken up. She immediately disregarded everything and ran towards your room, she opened the door and saw you sitting up, tears formed in her eyes and she ran over to you and hugged you tightly and cried out.

"Why?! Why must you always do this to yourself?! You promised me that you won't take such dangerous commissions then why....!"

"I-I'm sorry....I didn't expect things to turn out this way..." you replied while hugging her back and trying to comfort her.

She let go of the hug then caressed your face and looked at you with a sad expression.

"H-How long was I passed out for?" you asked while holding her hand.

"T-Three days....the doctor said your wounds are healed up but you aren't gaining consciousness...." she replied slightly trembling.

"I-I see..." you said and looked away.

"Was it due to using those powers....? Or was it due to the defiled energy coming out from that statue....? Or....was it something else entirely....?" you pondered as you looked away.

As you were lost in your thoughts Ningguang moved your head towards herself and kissed you gently, you were surprised by the sudden kiss and flinched a little, she let go then hugged you once more before looking into your eyes. Your mind was filled with the thoughts of the encounter with your brother, you felt slightly guilty and couldn't see her in the eyes and hence averted your gaze.