TO YEARN FOR FREEDOM AND TRANQUILITY. How does one remove the curse of endless suffering? Why must it only be shouldered by one person alone in the dead of night? To hear the loud and painful cries of regret by the angered gods buried deep within the land. A warrior of ancient times, whose fight began thousands of years ago that continues until now. A warrior who has lost a part of himself and has found himself in solitude. He who never has been able to find peace when a piece of him disappeared from this mortal world.
Watching the land of Liyue from the balcony of Wangshu Inn, a certain dark-haired Adeptus stood in silence as the dawn came nigh while dusk reached its mid. Illuminating the lush grassy ground, the clear coastal waters of the river reflected the shine of the moon mixed with the stars. The sight of potted Qingxin flowers on his right captured his attention. Reflecting thoughts of his past plagued his mind when he found himself in a daze.
If only he had been faster...
if he was just stronger...
if only he could control it, then maybe...
Maybe things would be different. Maybe he wouldn't have had to wait. Maybe everything would remain the same as it was - the way it was before anything that felt like he lost a part of him.
The Cataclysm didn't just destroy Khaenri'ah, but it also took the lives of many people along in the process.
He swore a promise before. A promise he'll carry out no matter how long it'll take. But with the karmic binds keeping him in restraints— the curses that dwell on his existence. He has pondered in search of an answer to a question that continuously disturbed him for over hundreds of years.
But his question can only be answered by time. A time he hopefully has. For now, he can only wonder and regrettably resume to drown in the waters of deep solace.
HATRED, REGRET, AND SORROW. Those dreadful screams that grew louder and louder made Xiao fall down to his knees. The building of darkness was slowly intoxicating the Adeptus up to his breaking point. No matter much he tries to resist and push these painful cries away, it only leads him closer to insanity. His hand gripped tightly on the handle of his polearm upon the hurting pang in his head.
An aching pain that's lingering in his mind verberated everywhere. The eerie darkness shrouded him whole. The hostility of these demons leaks no matter where he turns or looks. Its shrill of agonizing despair made him feel like he was once again tied up by his karmic binds, immobilizing him completely in the shadows of the eternal twilight of his soul.
From dusk till dawn, Adeptus Xiao, the remaining yaksha, had been in battle with the hatred of past demons that were buried deep within the lands of the Geo Archon. All of his strength and energy went to fighting and defending the people of Liyue against the corrupted souls of these gods' devastation and shoulder every last drop of rage. But if the Conqueror of Demons is the one protecting these mortals, who is protecting him?
He, a caged bird, now singing a fearful trill to - just once more - see the light of freedom and stray away from the darkness that relentlessly chips him. A freedom that he knows he is not worthy of due to his past sins, yet deep in his heart he ultimately yearns to feel once again. Even just for a moment - may someone remove the shackles that forbid him to experience a peace of mind.
He just wanted to return home and be blessed by its serenity. But... now that he thinks about it, where is his home? Wangshu Inn was a building that allows him to rest and house in. However, it wasn't exactly the home that Xiao yearns for; for the home he once had centuries ago now only remains as a fragment of his memories; for the people that were part of his home no longer exist on the land he stands on today.
His siblings — Bosacius, Indarias, Menogias, and Bonanus; his fellow yakshas— all left this world already. And it wasn't long after when another that Xiao cherished deeply fell from this world. She too was swept away and was met by a terrible fate.
Just when he felt like he was about to succumb to the depths of the cataclysmic anguish, a soothing melody suddenly sounded throughout Dihua Marsh. The blowing sound of a flute along with the soft strumming of the strings of a harp. And soon after, an enchanting yet calming voice of a young maiden followed after.
"Oh, one of youth. Goddess, guide you.
Ground, lead you, bring the light to land—"
A purifying ballad that was sung in the language of ancient Mondstadt was assisted by the winds, letting it disperse across the land and for those within the radius to have the feeling of tranquility blossom in their heart and mind. Xiao knows to himself that no one else can hold the powerful winds of freedom other than the Archon of Freedom themself. But yet, there was a sense of deja vu that rushed in his veins.
"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess,
unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land"
He felt his heartbeat thumping in his chest at the tender voice that echoed in the atmosphere. He felt himself freeze, his breath caught with the wind. A voice that felt all too familiar to him. A voice similar to the one he wished for hundreds of years to hear once again. A not-so-foreign, but rather, a nostalgic sensation that he - for a long time - has not felt.
And so, with every last bit of strength that Xiao found within himself after the mental war against the negativity of the fallen gods, he dashed as fast as he could to where the direction of the soothing symphony came from. Running as fast as his legs can carry him. Running as quick as the wind can travel.
"Oh youth, show the two whirling sails to the light tower
and before you, a path shall open,
and a heavenly song you shall hear"
Reaching the area where the song came from, within the distance - he sees two particular individuals; one dressed as a bard, while the other as a shrine maiden - both playing the ballad that had set himself free from treacherous binds. One, playing the Dihua Flute was none other than the Anemo archon himself; while the other, he has heard nothing of about, yet she was the one strumming the sacred harp and was the holder of the voice that drew him back to sanity.
Xiao could only stop and stand still as he spectates the duo spread the calming sound across the portion of this land of Liyue. However, most of his focus stayed on the woman who was playing the harp. The way the shadow of her silhouette reflected the waters that they were on top of, and how the moon that shone against her figure made her shine like a star amongst millions. She looked magical, enchanting, miraculous.
And most of all, she looked ethereal.
"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess,
unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land"
On one hand, he was relaxed and felt to be at peace, but on the other, he was crestfallen. Xiao had expected someone else to be playing the lullaby that had set him free, just like all those years ago. He thought today would be the day. The day when they reunite after all the years of waiting. But the gods seem to have said otherwise.
"Oh youth, show the two whirling sails to the light tower..."
A petal of a Qingxin flower managed to blow toward his palm the moment he reached out. He looked up, seeing as it was swirling around the young woman in the distance. The Qingxin came from her, since every string she strums, the creation of flower petals would bloom out of thin air.
Meanwhile, with the flute that the Anemo archon was playing, he used the wind to disperse these petals. The reason is unknown. But perhaps, it's supposed to symbolize that even petals can glide in the right direction, as long as the wind current can guide their path.
"...and before you, a path shall open
and a heavenly song you shall hear."
It's a sign.
Just as the duo's duet reached its end, right then and there, a tiny smile - unrecognizable yet sincere - drew on the yaksha's lips as his eyes lingered on the Qingxin petal before looking back up at the shrine maiden beside the bard.
The particular shrine maiden, clad in a teal-purple attire, felt a sudden presence watching her from nearby. However, the presence didn't scream danger, but rather relieving comfort. The moment the woman turned around to look, she saw nothing but a different wisp of Anemo - a different whirl of the wind from the archon beside her.
Her eyes stared at the spot where she felt someone previously stood before it maneuvered to the structure of Wangshu Inn at a close distance.
"Risu!" Venti, the bard who was playing the flute, called and caught her attention; thus making her turn her head towards him instead, "Ready to go?"
Risu nodded in response at the bard, "Lead the way, Barbatos."
Word Count: 1805
A/NOTE:
so, uh- yeah. i suck at writing endings haha-
but anywho, how what do you guys think?? was it good? were characters ooc? i need feedback huhu. i had to rewrite the prologue like what- 3 times to see which one i liked more. luckily, i was able to choose one.
btw, in case some of you were confused, the song is 'sung' in the language of old mondstadt. the text in this chapter is simply the translation. anywho, the song featured in this chapter came from Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Ballad of the Goddess. which by the way, i believe u guys can play on the windsong lyre (i recommend). i tried playing it before in the game lol.
a/note:
im too lazy to edit the graphics, i'll edit it soon 😭