Archon Quest: Custom Night [FNAF/Genshin]

Chapter 18: I Owe You My Thanks

"Last I heard, she is indeed alive. But she found a rift between our lands and the Abyss. She's planning to travel there to confront her brother, and after that, she wants to face the Tsaritsa."

"The Abyss?" Michael tried to ask, but the men ignored him.

"Archons, that place...well, okay, we're in," Childe complied, stress written in his eyes, "How do we find her?"

Averting his gaze to Michael, Zhongli spared the two boys a judgmental glance, "The journey will be dangerous. I don't believe it's safe for the children to accompany us. I haven't requested an audience with the Tsaritsa in many years. She could be unstable now, even more so than she was. On top of that, the Abyss takes no prisoners. You know this as well as I."

Childe bowed his head, "You're right, but I can't just leave my kids behind. I know firsthand what the Abyss is like for an average person, and I survived it. I'll be there to protect them. Under my care, nothing will happen, I promise."

Looking up at his caregivers, Michael nodded, "I'll look after my siblings, too. But with our training, we've gotten a lot stronger and smarter than you think. We'll be just fine."

"These opponents are nothing that you could have even imagined before," Zhongli sighed, "I trust that you will make whatever decision is right for you. If you do decide to accompany us on this journey, though, heed my advice. Listen to your mentors. Be careful, be safe, and be smart. Most of all, do not trust anyone. In Snezhnaya, you can never know who is working for the Tsaritsa or not."

"The people of Snezhnaya aren't bad," Childe defended upon seeing Michael's furrowed eyebrows, "But Zhongli is right about the Tsaritsa. She may be cold and unreasonable with Lumine, as well as the rest of us. We should go to make sure Lumine stays safe, and we can help her when she travels into the Abyss. She'll need us."

"When do we leave?" Michael asked, and Zhongli inhaled apprehensively.

"As soon as possible. Say your goodbyes to whoever you'd like, then come meet us in Snezhnaya. Wherever you are, we'll find you. The rift to the Abyss is inside the Zapolyarny caves, but it is not safe to travel there alone. We should all be together when we enter the Abyss."

Childe nodded, "My family lives near Morepesok. We'll search for you as well, but if you need a place to find us, I would start there."

"So it's settled," Zhongli stepped out, but before he left, he turned back around, "Both of you. I will do everything in my power to protect you, but be warned, this may be a trip that you will not return from. Would you be ready to face the consequences?"

Michael turned to Childe, who stared down at him, awaiting his answer. He squeezed the teen's shoulder comfortingly, "Listen, I know I said I didn't want to leave you behind, and that's true, but this seems a little...heavy. I think you can handle it, but don't feel like you have to come with us. We'll be okay without you."

"No," the teen shook his head, "You said your friend needs help, and it seems like she'll need a lot of it. Besides, I'm not letting you and Kaeya go in there alone. You're our family, we're meant to be with each other through thick and thin. Whatever battle you're fighting, I'll fight with you. Plus, you know Elizabeth and Evan won't let you leave without them. If I'm there, you'll have one more person to keep them safe."

Solemnly, Zhongli nodded and walked to the door of the apartment, "Say goodbye to your mentor, Michael. He'll appreciate it."

They heard the front door to the apartment close, and Childe turned to Michael, "We should explain this to Kaeya. Why don't you and him go see Diluc to say goodbye while I take Evan and Liz to say goodbye to Yanfei?"