It all started with light fatigue, which gradually worsened the harder you worked. Then, you started forgetting, losing focus, and drifting off while busy. But you thought nothing of it. After all, it's only natural for the body to wear down like that the more it is pushed, right?
But you also ignored that it wore you down too quickly for it to be natural.
_ _ _
You waited for Xiao on the rooftop as usual. It was a clear, moonlit night, but your head felt anything but clear. You tried ignoring that dull headache since this morning, but it only seemed to cloud your thoughts more.
'It's late...' you thought, stifling back a yawn. Xiao was spending more and more time on the battlefield again. Your heart sank. The last thing you wanted to see was him riddled with cuts all over his body... again.
But just before that uneasiness took over, a familiar puff of black fumes appeared out of nowhere, along with a tired Xiao.
It was strange. The moment you held him, the headache and sleepiness only grew stronger. But you didn't care. You were just happy to see him in one piece as you gave him the best smile you could muster. He returned safely, and you can feel more of his warmth again.
But the sleepiness and pain only worsened. And somehow, the pain spread from your head to the rest of your body.
"(Y/N)?" Xiao's voice sounded so far away. "Don't you feel tired at all? It's late. You should be asleep."
"...I'm not tired at all!" You ignored it. You didn't want to worry him while he was resting.
At least you tried your best, but you found yourself nodding off. The urge to sleep was getting stronger. The pain was worsening, and you couldn't feel anything else anymore.
"(Y/N)? You should go and sleep. Don't worry about me," Xiao said. His voice sounded like a faraway echo now. How strange.
'But I want to stay with you longer, can I?' you thought, wondering if you managed to say it. But you couldn't tell. It was like you were swimming in thick, black fumes. And the pain only worsened from there.
Suddenly, it felt as if you had lost your balance. The next thing you saw was Xiao's face above yours. You've never seen him look so panicked before. You tried to make out what he was saying, but you couldn't hear it very well.
'It hurts,' you thought. The pain was becoming too much to handle now.
And then, darkness.
_______________________
Your eyelids felt heavy as you opened them. 'What happened?' You tried looking around, but everything was too blurry. 'Where am I?'
By the time your vision cleared, you saw the familiar view of your room ceiling.
Suddenly, a familiar pair of tired, pink eyes appeared out of nowhere. "Oh. She's awake, doctor." She disappeared again, returning a few seconds later with another pair of yellow-orange eyes.
'Qiqi and Dr. Baizhu?'
"(Y/N)! You're finally awake!" Baizhu smiled.
You tried to sit up, but the sharp headache returned again. You winced as you clutched your head. Well, at least your fatigue was gone now.
Baizhu gently pushed you back into the mattress. "Stay down. You still need rest."
The pain in your head lessened the moment you laid back down. "Wait... where's Xiao?" You looked up at him.
'The panic on his face earlier...'
He merely smiled at you. "I know you're confused right now, but you need to stay and rest some more–"
"No, I don't care about that. Do you know where Xiao is?" You furrowed your brows. "The Conqueror of Demons? Vigilant Yaksha?"
Baizhu just kept smiling. It was starting to look a little forced now. Meanwhile, Qiqi tilted her head in confusion as she looked back and forth between you two.
Once again, Baizhu didn't answer. Instead, he gives you a cup of medicine. "You've been asleep for five days, (Y/N). Take this. It's quite bitter, but it will improve your condition."
You could smell the pungent, herbal scent immediately after he handed it to you. "W-Wait, five days??"
"You were in bad shape. I wasn't even sure how much longer you would be asleep," he sighs.
'What happened to me...?'
"But since you're awake now, my work here is mostly done," Baizhu said as he quickly packs his things. "Make sure to rest and drink that medicine. I'll come back tomorrow." He smiles at you one last time before turning to Qiqi. "Let us go, little Qiqi."
He was the first to leave, but Qiqi lingered for a while, peering at you with a slight frown. "I don't know what happened... but make sure to rest, okay?" she said, following Baizhu out the door and closing it.
You slowly sat up, ignoring the slight pain in your head. 'Why wouldn't he tell me?' you thought, downing the medicine Baizhu gave you in one gulp.
'So bitter!!'
You wanted to spit it out. But you resisted that urge and forced yourself to swallow it all.
Then, you hear a knock on your door, followed by a tall man entering your room. "(Y/N)? Is now a good time?"
Your eyes widened. "Zhongli?"
"How are you feeling?" he asked, brows furrowed. He looked a little more serious than usual, but maybe you were just imagining it.
"I'm fine." You placed the cup on your bedside table. "I need to see Xiao. Is he on the rooftop?"
"Wait." Zhongli sighs. "Have you realized what has happened to you?"
"I–" You frowned. 'Why doesn't he wanna tell me, too?'
You shuffled out of bed, ignoring the increasing pain in your head. "I need to see him."
"Hold on a second, (Y/N). You need to rest." Zhongli grabs your wrist.
Your eyes widened. 'Why is he stopping me?!' you glared at him as you tried to free yourself. He responded with a stern look, refusing to step away.
"Why won't you let me see Xiao?!" You yelled, narrowing your eyes at him.
"It's nothing like that. You need to rest first."
"No! Let me go!" You tried to pull free from his grip, but it didn't work. You glared daggers at him, feeling your blood start to boil. Then, you tried to yank your wrist free again, to no avail.
"(Y/N), please calm down. You could get yourself hurt."
The heat rushed to your head. You wanted nothing except to run to the roof and see him. Why was he getting in your way? Why is he refusing to say anything about Xiao? None of his reasonings made sense to you.
"NO!" You screamed, finally pulling free from Zhongli's grip. However, the force of it caused you to hit your hand against a vase on your bedside table. It toppled to the ground.
The sound of glass breaking finally brought you back to your senses. You whipped your head to check the ground, seeing the vase shattered to pieces... and a lone Qingxin flower underneath the shards.
'What... what did I–'
"Are you hurt?!" Zhongli grabbed your hand that hit the vase, checking for injuries. He sighed in relief when he saw none.
"I-I'm fine." You pulled your hand back, looking down at the floor. Your head felt much clearer now. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that... It was unlike me."
"I understand, and it's fine." Zhongli sighs, gesturing to the mess on the floor. "We need to get that cleaned up."
'Her symptoms are worsening...'
"W-Wait..." You bent over, reaching for the glass shards.
You carefully moved each shard out of the way, picking up the Qingxin flower. Then, you sank back into the bed. The pain in your head subsided again. "He gave this to me," you mumbled, holding the flower close to you.
"I see." Zhongli looks down at the broken glass. 'She'd go so far to retrieve a single flower?'
"Uhm, so..." you looked up at him. "Do you know what happened to me? My head's been hurting this entire time..."
Zhongli met your gaze with furrowed brows. "Listen carefully, (Y/N)." He sighs, looking out the window of your room. "You have Karmic Debt in your body."
'What?'
"I assume your close ties with Xiao might have caused it," he explains, looking back at you. "He has been accumulating karma for millennia, after all. The sheer amount he holds makes it easy to spread to others, given enough time."
Your eyes widened, remembering the strange fatigue and headaches from before. "So what I've been feeling... is the same thing he's been feeling?"
Zhongli nods. "I know you might not agree with me, but I suggest keeping your distance from him." He frowns. "...At least until your condition improves."
But you weren't listening. Instead, you looked at the Qingxin flower in your hands. The edges of its petals were starting to brown.
"So... this is what he's been feeling... every day?"