Rediscovered (Genshin Impact x Reader)

Chapter 3; Questions

"She fights very similar to how she used to... it's just sloppy and slower." Xiao lets out a breathy laugh, "still favors the air."
"That's pleasant to hear, it seems she's not entirely lost to time." Zhongli smiles to himself, eyes locked on the horizon. "What name does she favor?"
"(Y/N). And she says she woke up in a cave, I'm assuming near where I first saw her." Xiao pauses for a moment, a question coming to mind. "Is there a reason she can not use her mask?"
"Ah, I am not sure myself... perhaps it's locked away with her own memories? Time will tell. Anyway, please find this cave, I'd like to snoop around."
"Understood." Xiao turns and focuses on returning to the mountain where he first found her. He remembers the rock formations, and how the earth dipped and moved beside the small lake. How the Hilichurl camp was quite an ugly sight, obscuring the view.

A feeling of air rushing around him and the slight temperature change indicated that he was now somewhere else. Opening his eyes, he's met with a similar view. That land had changed some and the Hilichurl camp was now gone. The sun sat just on the horizon, peeking golden light across the green blades. Xiao slowly ascends the peaks, searching for a type of hidden opening he somehow missed.

After 30 minutes of searching he sees it, the gap barely peeks out from under a shield of overgrowth of grass and roots. He moves his arm out in a quick swishing motion and pulls the brush back. Once he stepped in he felt the lingering karmic energy filling the air. Xiao studies the cave, the air was fridged, which was unusual since the cave opening was so close to the surface. His feet crunch the small patch of ice on the cold stone. Somehow, after years of her being awake, the elemental energy remains stuck to the stone. Stepping back he realizes that the ice made a perfect outline of what he can only assume was her laying position for years. He crouches down and touches the strangely warm frost. Questions swirled in his mind, ones he knew would probably never be answered. She laid dormant for hundreds of years, with no energy leaving this cave. His eyes moved back to the entrance, and he slowly stood and ran his fingers over the edge. The stone crumbled and broke under his soft touch, he paused and repeated the movement, achieving the same result.
'The rock is fragile. Maybe this is why she woke up? Did the opening occur then for some reason that awoke her?' Xiao thought to himself, returning to the middle of the cave. 'How come we couldn't find her after the battle? What happened when she disappeared?'
"Xiao?" Zhongli's voice fills the small cave, "are you here?" He was a bit away from the opening, how come he was asking?
"Yes, I am." He says stepping out of the opening, being careful of the loose rock.
"Oh. That's strange." He turns and gently places his finger on his chin, thinking deeply for a few moments. "Xiao, please re-enter the cave." He walks forward, gesturing to the place I had just emerged from.

Without a second thought, a moved backward, passing the threshold. Xiao heard Zhongli hum and follow me in, quietly looking around. "I can't sense you in here." His voice was calm, unwavering. But Xiao was struck, how was that possible? That's shouldn't be possible. As long as he is in Liyue it should be no problem, outside of Liyue was sketchy but not impossible. "Something here is blocking energy inside, not allowing it to escape." He sighs and glances at the silhouette that sat permanently on the stone. "This is... strange. Did she do this when she was dying as a last-ditch effort... or was this done by another?" Zhongli thinks aloud, studying the walls and atmosphere.
"What should we do now?" Xiao pipes up, leaning against the wall. Eyeing the exit, staring at the light streaming through.
"Bring her here tomorrow, I wish to... observe her reactions," Zhongli says turning to his Adeptus who stood to the side face not showing his slight worry for his old friend. Xiao just nods and keeps his eyes in the distance. "You may go and do your duties, I will stay and look around some more."
With an acknowledging hum, he disappears to kill so monsters, he needed to blow some steam, and get his thoughts in order.

...(Y/N)'s POV...
...Hours later...

My body was exhausted, I just wanted to fall asleep and return to sleep. My skin was pricking with cold to the point of painful. Sure, I'd grown used to the cold I often felt but the pain is pain and I didn't like it. I spent the day wandering around, moving towards the harbor. However, getting distracted and slaying beasts here and there, trying to improve. As well as, trying to summon that bow again but failing miserably over and over.