Note: I donât usually write fluff, so this feels kinda strange lol. Think of it as a one-time treat â enjoy it while it lasts đ
â¨And Xiao endured them like a prisoner chained to eternity.
Every battle bled together into a blur of screams and silence. Every sunrise was another day without you. He did not count the years anymore; he only counted the prayers he answered, the demons he killed, and the times he almostâalmostâcalled your name, only to remember you would never answer.
But on the night of the Lantern Rite, when the sky burned with golden lights, he felt it.â¨A pull. A presence. Familiar.
And then, through the crowdâ
Lanternlight reflected in your eyes as you steadied a childâs hand, helping them release their glowing wish into the sky. You laughed softly, and Xiaoâs knees nearly gave out. After centuries of silence, the sound of your voice cracked him open.
â...You,â he whispered, choked and desperate.
You blinked, confused. âDo I⌠know you?â
The words gutted him. He stood frozen, spear heavy at his side, the crowd around him dissolving into meaningless blur. You were here, aliveâbut your eyes did not remember him.
â¨The Archonâs amber gaze weighed heavy, filled with a sorrow Xiao had never seen.
âAlatus,â he said softly. âI stripped her memories to spare her suffering. But your grief has lasted too long.â
Xiao could not breathe. He wanted to scream, to beg, to demand the Archon return what was lostâbut his throat locked. His heart already braced for disappointment.
Yet Morax lifted his hand. âLet her remember. And let her mortal body be immune to the karmic debt you carry. This is my atonement.â
And thenâyou staggered, gasping, clutching your chest. Memories cascaded back: his laughter, rare and fleeting. The weight of his head on your shoulder when exhaustion broke him. His broken whispers the night you collapsed in his arms. His cries when your final breath left you.
âXiaoâŚâ your voice cracked, tears spilling freely.
He broke. His mask shattered, his spear clattering to the ground as he stumbled toward you. For once, it wasnât the monster that surfacedâit was him. Trembling, undone, terrified.
âI killed you,â he rasped. âYou stayed because of me, and it destroyed you. I donât deserveââ
You silenced him with your hands cupping his face, your touch warm, unflinching. âYouâre wrong. You didnât kill me. I chose to stay. And I choose to stay again.â
His breath hitched. A sob clawed its way out of him, raw and unrestrained. He clung to you as if youâd vanish, forehead pressed desperately against yours.
âPlease⌠donât go. Not again.â
And this timeâthe Archons did not take you from him.
But healing was not instant.
The first night back at Wangshu Inn, Xiao refused to sleep. He sat rigid at your side, golden eyes darting to your breathing every few seconds, terrified you would fade if he closed his eyes.
When you touched his hand, he flinchedânot from fear of you, but from fear of himself. âIf I hurt you againââ
âYou wonât,â you whispered, lacing your fingers through his. âNot this time. Morax made sure of it.â
Still, he trembled. Still, he pulled away sometimes, haunted by centuries of nightmares. Some nights, you woke to find him kneeling by the window, whispering broken apologies into the dark.
When he hesitated to smile, you teased him until one slipped free.
â¨When he woke screaming, you held him until his shaking slowed.
â¨When he whispered, âI donât deserve this,â you answered, âThen let me decide what you deserve.â
Day by day, the fear loosened its grip. Slowly, Xiao began to believe. Not in absolution, not in escape from his karmic debtâbut in the truth of you, warm and unwavering beside him.
And when the next Lantern Rite came, Xiao did not stand on the balcony alone.
He stood with your hand in his, watching as the sky filled with lights. For the first time in centuries, his chest did not feel like a tomb.
You turned to him, smiling through the lantern glow. âThis time⌠we get to write new memories.â
Xiao looked at you, the corners of his lips trembling into the faintest, most fragile smile.
â¨And when the lanterns rose, Xiao let himself believe that, maybe, fate had finally been merciful.