A MILLION MILES AWAY | xiao

- ꕤ 20: SICK

A week has passed since the Lantern Rite.

Scattered banners are found everywhere, some ripped, some dirtied by footsteps. Your commission for the day was to clean up the aftermath of the festival.

You and Xiao have been more friendly than before since then. Greeting each other before getting on with your days, spending dinners together when you have the time, and talking on the balcony when there's nothing else to do. It's only been a week, but it already feels like an eternity.

For you, your plan to establish a friendship with the Adeptus is now complete.

Funny... You've managed to make friends with someone who stays away from it...

Perhaps once you're back in your world, you'll be able to make friends better.

You haven't had the chance to create... Well, maintain friendships in your world. Being a child prodigy, the kid of two famous scientists... It doesn't create room for relationships to foster and grow. Since you didn't have friends, you don't know how to make them. How to talk, how to act...

Perhaps that is why you overcompensate by being too nice to those you want to be friends with.

But now that you've managed to practice with not only Xiao but other Genshin characters, you think you'll be able to navigate that world much easier now.

One more reason to be thankful for this trip. 

"Ah, finally." You exclaimed, taking the last piece of trash in the area. Beads of sweat formed on your forehead, though the weather was quite cool...

All morning you've been dizzy, but it wasn't so bad. Perhaps you've caught a cold? Nothing you can't recover from. If you had a broken nose and multiple cuts on your body when you first arrived, a mild sickness was the least of your worries.

On the way back to Wangshu Inn— on the bridge near the fishing ports, you spotted a familiar face.

She noticed your figure, waving a quick hello. You walked over.

"Yanfei! Didn't expect to see you here." You chirped.

"I had business with the owners! I decided to visit Xiao too, after our whole ordeal in the Chasm. You remember, right?"

"I wasn't able to find out what happens..." You reminded.

"Ah! Right... Well, it was— Y/N?"

Yanfei's tone of apt professionalism turned into vast concern as you started to cough severely. Your body bent over slightly, the pain in your chest worsening.

Your body shook from the impact, panic seeping in through your veins. Your vision blurred as you looked at your fingers...

They were... translucent.

You could see the cobblestone through them, their outline still vaguely there. Your fingertips were slowly disappearing, and it would only be a matter of time until you as a whole were gone too.

"I-I... I don't know what's going on." You franticly spoke.

"Oh, gods... Let's bring you upstairs. Hold on to me, okay? Steady now." Yanfei said.

She put your arm around her shoulders, using her body as your crutch. She led you to the elevator, bringing you up to the lobby.

"Ah, miss Yanfei, you're back so soon. And Y/N!" Verr Goldet exclaimed. Her delighted face turned worried when she saw your condition.

"What happened?" She asked.

"They aren't feeling well, so I brought them here to rest. Umm... I'll run to Bubu Pharmacy to get them medication, but they need to stay here." Yanfei replied.

"Of course. I'll lead Y/N to their room."

Before Yanfei left you, you sent an SOS distress call to the Otto Project. If you weren't getting any updates, you're surely getting them now.

"Hold on." A voice rang.

"I'll take Y/N back to their room. You're busy running the front desk." Xiao stated.

"Well, you're not wrong... You two are close anyways. Take good care of them." Verr Goldet sighed before handing your limp body over to the Adeptus.

You and Xiao shared a look for a moment. He nodded before teleporting you both to the familiar space. You'd never get used to the feeling.

Suddenly, your chest tightened and your fingers felt numb. Your fingertips that once were translucent are now transparent. Your nails were next, and soon your whole hand.

You were gonna collapse from the stress you were under, you were sure of it. You paced around the room, not noticing the Adeptus that was calling your name. You didn't even register that he was still with you.

"Y/N!" Xiao called a little louder, finally snapping you out of your train of thought.

"What's going on?" He asked.

You gulped. "I don't know, Xiao. I... I don't... God."

You felt so lost and afraid. So confused and powerless. So out of control. The only thing you could do was wait for answers, but you knew the answers would frighten you even more. You don't ever win.

"I'm scared." You confessed. "I'm... I don't know what to do or what to think. I'm disappearing for heaven's sake."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

How long has it been since you heard your watch frantically make that sound? Two weeks? Maybe even more... But it was finally here. A response. A sign.

You answered the call, seeing the projection of your father come into view.

"What's going on? We saw the SOS message." He asked.

"Look." You held up your fingertips that disappeared. It was already spreading to your fingernails... "I've been feeling dizzy all morning, and coughing like crazy. Then I look at my hands and I'm disappearing."

"Shu, do you have any thoughts?" Your father asked.

"I'm sure it's because Y/N was sent to the wrong universe. Their body might be facing extreme changes due to their cells being rewritten by the incorrect energy pattern — but also the reality-bending." Shu hypothesized.

"Earth and Teyvat are different places with unique circumstances. If we don't get Y/N back to their correct state, I'm afraid they'll..."

"Fully disappear." You finished Shu's sentence.

"Yes. You weren't put into that universe correctly, so you won't get out kindly either."

"Then what do we do? Has the teleportation device been fixed?"

"It has... But we need to run tests for you to get back safely. Do not fret. Your cells are being rewritten slowly. You won't be gone by the time we finish." Your father assured.

"As for the pain, I'm sure the medicine there will be enough to soothe it."

You inhaled a sharp breath, understanding your situation now. You gave a nod and bid your goodbyes.

It seemed that your small vacation will now have to be cut short. If you wanted to take your time, fate now decides to force you back to reality.

"Are you okay?" Xiao asked.

Your head snapped toward his direction. He's been listening in all this time, you forgot.

"I... I'm trying to be."

Xiao nodded before exhaling. He wanted to say more, perhaps give you what mortals called... A hug. But he couldn't find the courage to. So he left.

What you didn't know... was that if you just asked him to stay, he would have.