— Act 1 : You and Me —

"And what's this extra room for?"

"Well..." A blush rushes up to his cheeks, turning his head to the side, "We would need a nursery someday, wouldn't we?" The dumbfounded look on your face at his reply slowly breaks into a wide grin. You laugh at him before tackling him into an embrace. You were touring your new home. Just a young couple starting out in life in a quaint and secluded adobe, not too far from a Shilin village in Liyue.

"Okay then. What do you think about having five little adepti?"

"What?" He turns to you, wide-eyed, "F-five?"

"Pfft. I'm kidding, Alatus." You snuggle into his chest, your horns — physical proof of your identity as an adeptus — poke at him. "Maybe just two."

"Hmm... Actually," He starts, suddenly scooping you up into a bridal carry causing you to yelp. There's a mischievous glint in his golden eyes and you screech as he carries you down the hall, saying "Five sounds just fine."

— Act 2 : Beginnings & Ends —

The waves of the archon war were fast approaching. It was a miracle that your little village lasted this long in peace, not when the surrounding towns were already burnt to the ground. Many of your fellow villagers had already left to seek refuge; it was only a matter of time for you to leave as well.

"Y/n? What are you doing?" Alatus asks, turning the corner to see you standing in the middle of your supposed nursery, "Have you finished packing?"

You stayed silent and closed your eyes. As if time would stop if you don't respond. You hear the shuffling of feet as Alatus wraps his arms around you from behind. He was always such a clingy person, embracing you in every opportunity.

"I can build another nursery. One that's even better." He whispers softly and you sigh, turning to face him with a sad smile.

"It needs to fit five, okay?"

"Alright."

— Act 3 : To Love and Protect —

"Perhaps we should head to the ocean. There are talks of Morax and the goddess of dust accepting refugees." You suggested, pointing at the map, "I'm sure he has formed contracts with the adepti as well."

"That brutal god?" Alatus scoffs, folding his arms, "Not a chance. Besides, the lord of the vortex is sure to make Guyun Stone Forest his battlefield."

"Y/n may be right," Bosacius — one of the five great yakshas — folds back the map. "Morax, though known as a menace, is loyal to his contracts. We can condition the safety of the villagers in a contract."

Alatus sighs, too tired to argue.

Like nomads, you've been traveling for months. Many of the villagers who left with you had succumbed to the natural hazards of war: from getting caught in the crossfire to lack of resources, only a few were left to wander. Despite being one of the younger yakshas, Alatus had earned himself a rather high position among the illuminated beasts in your group. He was undeniably strong with a righteous personality and he did his best to ensure everyone's safety, particularly yours.

"So we'll be heading south," Indarias, another reliable yaksha, concludes, "Tomorrow, Bosacius and Alatus will scout ahead. The rest of you form a temporary shelter in the cover of Wuwang hill."

You glare at Indarias, him knowing fully well that you were uncomfortable with the idea of your lover scouting ahead. Indarias merely avoids your gaze and walks away with the dispersing crowd. You sigh and follow Alatus to your shared tent.

"Alatus," You start but he stops you.

"I know you don't like the idea, Y/n, but it's just a reconnoiter mission. We'll avoid any fights."

"You know it's not just that, Alatus," You approach him, holding both his hands in yours, "There have been talks of a malicious god capturing yakshas. We don't know what he does with them but it's obvious that Qiongji Estuary is his territory." You mumble softly. "I just... I don't know what I'd do without y-"

"I'll be fine." Even if I have to crawl away from battle, pride be damned, I'll come back to you. He thinks to himself.

You trust him enough to believe him.

— Act 4 : Strength & Weakness —

It was a trap.

After days of risky scouting, saving as many civilians as he can, battling evil demons and lesser gods, Alatus was exhausted.

"I must say, though you are young, you are by far the strongest yaksha to face me," Came the intimidating voice of a god. The same god who's enslaved dozens of illuminated beasts to do their dirty work. Alatus holds back a reply, grittier his teeth to avoid groaning from his injuries. Right now, his priority was escaping back to you and saving you from the degenerate god's plans.

"Though I praise thy strength, you are quite weak in mind, young yaksha!"

"What do you want?" Alatus clenches his fists, eye contact unwavering.

"Your complete obedience, is it not obvious?" He states, presenting a glowing contract to the yaksha, "In exchange, I leave your people alone." He knows this is a trap, he knows that the god is merciless towards his servants, yet as he thinks of you in the Shilin village, running up to him with a smile, he also knows that he would do anything for your sake.

"I.. am at your disposal." He grits his teeth, falling on one knee to a bow as the contract glows. It is complete. The god smiles wickedly at the display.

— Act 5 : Against the World —

Alatus followed orders like a puppet, unable to resist no matter how gruesome the act. The first time he consumed a dream, he sobbed on the body of a young girl who lay cold and dead. Disgust flooded his veins as he puked everything from his stomach; yet, no matter how hard he tries, the energy will always remain inside him.

His hands trembled from the weight of his bloodied polearm.

Hands that you once caressed so lovingly. How could he ever touch you again? 'It's fine,' he tells himself, 'murder is to be expected of war.'

He closes his eyes and thinks of you. Blurs out the screams and bloodshed around him. His body moves of its own accord but his mind is only littered with you.

Beautiful and energetic as you bake him a batch of mooncakes. Were you safe?

You're lighting up lanterns in the sky, telling him that it would guide the hunters back home. The twinkling of stars reflected in your eyes.

Alatus thinks of the nursery. Fine cedar wood making three little cribs. He's planning on making two more.

Where are you now? By the ocean, enjoying the breeze? Have you offered a contract to Morax yet?

He chokes a little boy. The boy splutters and grips at his wrists, but Alatus is just so so tired. He snaps the neck quickly. If this were the first time he's done it, he would have cried, but it's not the first nor is it the second-

Alatus stares at the burning village around him, a display of his sins.

Please be safe. He goes back to his master in silence.

— Act 6 : But the World Won —

When his fellow yakshas were captured as well, he grappled on their clothes, screaming at how could they leave the village alone; how could they leave you alone. The pressure of this damned contract choking him.

The end of his "master" was anticlimactic. The warrior god, Morax, arrived and the battle was quickly ended amidst stone mountains and cliffs.

Morax told them they were free — but the years of being a puppet were something not so easily forgotten. Before Alatus could leave in search of you, the geo god called him back.

"A young adepti asked for my aid through Guizhong," He started, "She drove a promising bargain. Your fellow villagers have safely integrated with our assembly, but..."

Time froze for Alatus the day Morax slowly explained what happened.

You were gone,

You were gone,

He left your side and while he was blinded with his sins, you died.

— Final Act : You —

The Wangshu Inn is a place full of mysteries! Or, at least, that's what they say. If you walk too far from the public lounges, amidst tree branches over staircases, you'd find a little secluded room.

A nursery with five little cribs made of fine cedarwood.

Don't ask how you got there. It haunted you— called out to you like a spell. You, who's been searching all your life for something someone you don't fully understand. You who's always felt half lost, half unfinished, like a puzzle without an image. You who woke up in the mountains of nowhere, wandering aimlessly.

Your fingers brush over one crib, noticing the intricate carvings on the wood.

"You're not supposed to be here."

You jolt, head snapping up at the sudden sound only to see a yaksha perched on the window.

"I'm sorry I just- this place.."

"Is off-limits. I suggest you leave."

You stare at him, eyes lingering on his golden cat-like ones. Something fills the missing pieces in your heart. Like puzzle pieces settling in the depths of the board, clicking into place. A slow realization that you've found yourself once again.

"I thought you only wanted three cribs, my love?" You smile at him and you see the way his jaw laxes, face falling apart as he slowly walks closer until he was right in front of you. His hand reaching out, almost afraid to touch the plush of your cheek.

"I told you... five sounds just fine."

masterlist

When you asked Zhongli about it, the geo archon merely states that it's not his place to tell, although "Like all things, one must rest. This is the greatest wish of a yaksha."

That was enough for you to understand the situation. You knew how four of the five prominent yakshas carried a karmic debt so painful and burdensome, it brought them to insanity. Some turned into gruesome creatures whereas others perished into dust.

Xiao, as the longest standing yaksha of the five, was no different. He carried his karmic debt everyday, some worse than others. The painful sensation was constant in his life and the only relief he can get from it is in his sleep — yet, even that doesn't mean he's spared of suffering in his dreams.

After weeks of distancing himself, thinking he had succeeded in pushing you away, he finally rests under the moonlight by the Wangshu inn.

"Xiao," Your voice cuts through the air, it's soft but he tenses anyway.

"Y/n..." Had he been in better shape, the adeptus would have noticed your arrival on the rooftop. You start to make your way towards him but he steps back.

"This.. You aren't safe here." He says and suddenly it's like your first meeting all over again. Him saving you. Him pushing you away. Him caring too much.

"Is this about your karmic debt?" You ask, almost afraid to know the answer but when he doesn't respond, you realize you were right. "Please don't leave me."

It comes as a fragile request, hopeless against the force of nature. Karmic debts aren't sentient beings, it doesn't understand the desperation or pleas of a lover.

"Y/n, go back to Liyue." Had it been any other of your stubborn days, Xiao would have transported you back in a blink of an eye. But he was exhausted, and your presence gave him comfort.

In truth, Xiao had always wanted to die. That hasn't changed once. His only regret would be leaving you.

"Take me with you," You plead and approach him again. You ignore the way he steps away till his back hits the railings of the balcony. You take his hands into yours, sensing bits of karmic debt flow through you. "I want to go with you."

And the request is ridiculous because this isn't some sort of trip. It's a one way thing and you're speaking recklessly. To die for love is foolish, but as you think to yourself, dying for and with Xiao sounds like the greatest end.

The yaksha is silent all the while you stare into his golden cat-like eyes. He's beautiful, you think and the pain flowing through your body from his feels like an embrace.

"Foolish mortal," He whispers, hands tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. Moonlight looks beautiful on you — he thinks and he knows he wouldn't regret this to be the last thing he sees.

Karmic debt overtakes you both. He takes a step back — balance abandoned — and falls from the ledge of the balcony yet not once did his arms falter in his embrace of you.

As if Teyvat offers its pity, the winds hum a soft song, surrounding you in wisps.

Your bodies turn to dust. You're free now: part of the many stars in the sky.

I love you

I love you

For you, I offer my life

"What are you thinking about, Mr.Zhongli?" The voice of the young director quips from behind him. They're on the balcony of the Wangsheng funeral parlor, having just finished overtime. Zhongli sips his tea and smiles at the girl.

"The stars shine brighter than usual," He starts, glancing at the night sky, "Come. Let's get some rest. Tomorrow will be quite busy for us."

༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺ ༻✧༺ ༻✦༺ ༻✧༺

masterlist

As I try to move on again

Like any couple, you both weren’t perfect. There were bound to be moments where you both disagreed, and that was normal. You both were able to come to some sort of resolve; to move on from it and continue living with each other happily.

“Can’t we just move past this, y/n? It’s really not that big a—“

“Seriously, Kiyoomi? This isn’t something we can move past! Not this time! You were out late, and you somehow lost your engagement ring? You never take it off, only when you shower, so how do you lose it after one night out with your friends? Why would you even take it off?” you were fuming, tears stinging the corners of your eyes as you searched in his eyes for some answer. Did he have an affair? Did he misplace it? What did he do to make him lose the one physical thing that solidified your love?

“I told you, I don’t know! The boys and I were drunk, and I must have drank too much! Look, I’m sorry. I’ll get it replaced—“

“Replaced?” you let out a bitter laugh, covering your eyes with your hand. These rings, the two silver bands that wrapped around your fingers were his grandparents’ rings from when they were engaged. You both knew that these rings had so much meaning behind them, that they were passed down from generation to generation, that they would soon be passed down to kids of your own. But now the other half of this set was gone and nowhere to be found. “How can you replace your grandfather’s ring, Kiyoomi? You told me yourself, these rings mean everything to you! They mean everything to us!”

“Y/n, come on… We can move past this, I swear! I’m sorry, okay? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to lose it, I promise you, and I know it’s not easily replaceable, but you know I’d do anything for you! I promised you that, til death do we part. Please—“

“Would you die for me then?!”

Sakusa’s eyes widened at your sudden choice of words. His vision blurred as those six words replayed in his head over and over. He did promise you that he would do anything for you. If it meant that you would be happy, he would do it. For you— for the love of his life.

Even though I couldn’t say goodbye to you

Several days had passed, and you had calmed down. You had finally come to terms with the loss of his engagement ring, and you were ready to move past the situation that happened a few days prior.

“Omi! I’m home!” you called out as you entered your shared apartment. It was quiet, too quiet for your liking. Sakusa was a calm and reserved person, but the quietness that emitted from him was one that was comforting and peaceful. But this— This silence was one that was eerie, one that made you feel uneasy.

You hung up your coat, set down your keys and slipped off your shoes to make your way to the bedroom where you expected your fiancé to be. “Omi? Are you still in the—“ You opened the door to a sight that you prayed would never be shown before your eyes. There he was, sitting on the floor with his head hung low, a large bottle of booze laying empty beside him. You ran to him, dropping to your knees and pulling his still figure towards you.

“Omi? Omi! Wake up… Please… P-Please, wake up! No… No, no! Kiyoomi! Please! Baby? Wake up!” you lifted his head in your hands, his eyes closed as if he were fast asleep. You put your ear against his chest, expecting for the calming rhythm of his heart beat only to be met with even more silence. The comforting scent of his still lingered, the scent that you always came home to. The scent that was the only thing you were able to say goodbye to.

Sakusa kept his promise to you. He kept his promise of doing anything for you.

“Would you die for me then?!”

Yes. He would.

And he did.

I’ll carry on because I know you’ll always be with me.

Three years had passed. You had accepted your fiancé’s loss. You had accepted that death parted you both. Yet you kept the ring. You kept the ring that solidified your love. Sakusa was with you that way, that’s how he would always be with you. But you promised him that you would be happy. You promised him that you would take care of yourself. You promised him that you would always smile. You promised him that you would never let go.

You had met Oikawa one spring day when the sun was shining, the cool breeze gently brushing past your face. Sakusa’s ring still wrapped around your finger just as you promised.

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Oikawa asked one day as you both walked through a park. You looked up at him then back at your hand that still adorned the silver band.

“Oh, this,” you let out a soft laugh, a small smile forming on your lips. A smile that replaced the tears. “It’s what keeps me close to someone I hold dear to my heart, but he’s not here anymore.” Your voice didn’t falter like it used to. It remained calm and level as you spoke. Oikawa’s eyes saddened, “I’m so sorry.”

The past two weeks had been kind of rough for you and Sakusa. Or at least, they had been rough for you. Sakusa didn’t seem to be bothered by his cold demeanor and unusual distance. He wasn’t a clingy boyfriend exactly, always a bit reserved, but he wasn’t afraid to seek you out when he wanted to. Except recently he seemed to never want anything to do with you, claiming he was busy or tired, rolling his eyes when you asked if he could spare some time to spend with you. So, your limits being pushed to the absolute maximum, you confronted him.

“Are you seriously still on this again?” He looked at you absolutely irritated. You didn’t like the way he looked at you like a nuisance.

“We’re supposed to spend time together. That’s the basics of a relationship. You’re the one who asked me out, so surely you knew and wanted that,” you looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah well maybe I shouldn’t have asked you y/n, all you do is bother me anymore,” he said rolling his eyes. You were crestfallen. He had said it so casually, with no hesitance, that you questioned if arguing was even worth it. You’d be fighting a one sided battle and in the end go to bed with tears while he would just grumble to himself and pass out. Slumping your shoulders, you simply sighed, too sick of his behavior to continue.

“Forget it, I’m tired and I wanna go to bed.” Walking past him, you went to the bathroom to begin preparing for bed. He stared at you, a little surprised at your sudden resolve to drop the issue, and watched as you closed the door behind you. That night you slept with a little extra space between the two of you, and the distance between you and Sakusa only seemed to grow from there.

In truth, he was having a stressful week and needed some alone time, resulting in taking out his frustrations on you. One week turned into two, and then the argument happened. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that it was his fault, that he was being selfish and not acting like someone in a serious relationship. His pride was getting in the way of admitting he was wrong, and it was easier to act like you were just being annoying. But he knew it couldn’t drag out any longer, or things would take a turn he really didn’t want them to take. He knew deep down, that out of the two of you, he was the more replaceable one. You were kind, warm, passionate, and weren’t afraid to show your love openly. Sakusa was the exact opposite, too shy and a bit difficult to be around, constantly causing you to accommodate to his preferences. You could easily find someone who would cater to you the way you deserved, and yet you stuck by his side with no complaints. He couldn’t take advantage of that, not when he so desperately needed your presence to ground him. So he came to the decision that today would be the day he swallowed his pride and give you the apology you rightfully deserved, and make sure you were aware that it was he who was the bother, not you. But his blood ran cold when he came home that day, hearing the conversation you were having on the phone with your friend, unaware of his return.

“It’s embarrassing at this point, I’m with a man who doesn’t even want me to be with him. What am I even doing?”

“Y/n you need to just leave him, what’s even keeping you there anymore? There are so many people out there who want to be with you, and even he knows it. If that’s not reason enough for him to cherish you, he’s a waste of your time. There’s absolutely nothing he could offer you right now besides an empty heart and a bruised pride. Pack your bags and forget him.” He felt himself almost lose himself to insanity at the mere thought of you taking your belongings and leaving. The thought of someone else being with you and doing all the things he wanted to do with you made bile rise to his throat and he wanted to scream. He wanted to rip the phone from your hand and scream at your friend, tell them that they were wrong, cruel even, for ever putting the idea in your head to walk away from him. Scream that they were cruel for trying to encourage you to walk right out of him arms and leave him behind. But he knew your friend had a point, and more than that, they were actually somewhat right, and he hated that. But it only got worse, and he felt absolutely helpless when he heard you reply, comprehending your words in pure horror.

“I guess you’re right, we’re kind of dragging the relationship out at this point aren’t we? It’ll end today or tomorrow anyway, might as well put on my big kid pants and get it over with now, at least then it would be on my terms. I just really thought he was the one you know?” You sounded so tired, absolutely sick of him, and he just wanted to curl up onto the floor on the spot, never wanting to face reality again. He craved your soothing touch, cradling his face and telling him that it would be okay. He wanted to cry in your arms and have you whisper sweet little words to him like you always did, convincing him he was enough and everything you wanted. But he wasn’t enough, and you didn’t want him anymore. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard you end the phone call, and quickly made his way to the front door, pretending to take off his shoes and look like he had just returned. You walked out your bedroom and were shocked to see him, before collecting yourself.

“You’re home,” you said simply. He looked at you and gave you a shaky smile.

“Yeah, just got back. How was your day?” You looked at him a little shocked, before settling to a look of confusion. You hadn’t expected him to talk to you so casually.

“Uhh, good I guess. Pretty laid back. How about you?” He tried to look casual, not wanting you to notice how on edge he was.

“Decent, practice was a bit tough though.” Nodding at him slowly, you looked to the floor. An awkward silence fell between the two of you and he felt his heartbeat quicken. His hands were clammy and his throat was dry, stomach forming knots at the uncertainty that hung in the air.

“Kiyoomi, we should talk-” but he quickly cut you off, trying to dodge what he knew you were about to do.

“C-can we talk tomorrow? Maybe? I uh, have practice a little later tomorrow, so we can talk in the morning. I had a pretty bad day, just kind of wanted to lay in bed and watch a movie together, maybe order takeout? Is that okay?” He was trying to do anything to get your mind off breaking up with him, hoping to stall it long enough so that he could convince you to change your mind.

“You... wanted to watch a movie? Together?” He nodded, looking at you hopefully. You sighed, not sure how to go about this exactly. You were finally going to do what you’d been dreading to do all this time, and here Sakusa was, magically giving you what you’d been wanting for weeks. A little time for yourselves. But you weren’t sure if now was the time to indulge in it, seeming a bit too late for it to do any good. But the look he gave you radiated waves of desperation. Whatever happened at practice must’ve been rough on him because he looked like he was seconds from breaking down. You cursed yourself mentally for still being weak for the man who broke your heart before nodding, hesitantly holding a hand out for him to take. He latched onto it in a fraction of a second, grip tight as he practically dragged you like a rag doll to your room. Setting everything up before you could even lift a finger, he pulled you into bed with him, immediately finding your chest to lay his head on. He handed you the remote to pick the movie and looked at you with what he hoped was a convincing smile. You gave him a weary look before picking your favorite movie and pressing play. Over the course of the movie, Sakusa had moved your hand to play with his hair, ordered your favorite takeout, and placed small kisses to the hand he kept in his grasp. You couldn’t quite understand what had suddenly gotten Sakusa to flip a switch so out of the blue, but you would be lying if you said it didn’t feel nice to be noticed by him after weeks of feeling like a stranger. Your relationship was still hanging on by a thin thread, but you allowed yourself to hope that maybe this was a turning point. You definitely didn’t want to let him go, and even if it was naïve and wishful thinking, you wanted to believe that he was putting in an effort to change the course of which your relationship had taken. So you allowed yourself to bask in his attention for the night, telling yourself you’d give this another week or so to see if there was still any chance for the two of you to continue on as an item.

A week later, and he was still shockingly desperate for your attention. By now, you were almost overwhelmed by how out of character he had been acting. Always agreeing with every suggestion you made, always dropping whatever he was doing to please you, you watched him carefully over the last seven days and noticed that he wasn’t acting himself. At first you thought he had a bad day at practice and succumbed to his need to seek comfort from you, but you quickly realized that wasn’t the case after about two days when the behavior continued. You’d decided enough was enough and that you needed a clear explanation from him, his behavior was much too erratic for you, and you were growing tired of having to guess what was going on in his mind.

“Kiyoomi,” you started as you looked over to him. He froze, the use of his full first name never meant anything good. Dread immediately filled his body and he hesitantly looked up from his phone.

“Yeah?” His voice was small.

“We really need to talk.” And that was it. That was all it took before he snapped, the water works finally coming in full force. Choked sobs racked his body, and he shook his head at you, eyes looking at you with absolute pain.

“No! Please, no! I’ve been good! I’ve been so good this whole week! Why are you doing this?” He hunched over with his head in his hands, continuing to break down. You looked at him, dumbfounded, not sure what to do. Slowly raising your hand to place on his back, he flinched at your touch.

“What do you mean? What’s going on Kiyoomi? I’m really starting to get tired of this, you’ve been acting so strange for the past month. First you forgot about my existence completely, then all of a sudden all you knew was me, and now you’re crying your heart out. What exactly has gotten into you?” He looked at you with an expression morphed with despair.

“You’re leaving me, but I don’t want you to go,” he whispered brokenly.

“Who said I was leaving you?” You were absolutely lost. What exactly had happened to my boyfriend was all you could think.

“That one day, you were talking to your friend, I heard you. They told you to pack up and leave, that there were plenty of people you could find that would give you more than me, and that I wasn’t any good for you. And you said you might as well end things with me, and I... I just... I don’t want you to go! Please don’t go, I can make it better! I can be even better, just watch, I’ll be great! And then you can tell your friend that I’ve changed and that we’re happy. I’ll fix everything y/n, just don’t pack your damn things and leave, I won’t be able to take it if you do!” He looked at you pleadingly, afraid of your answer. Your heart broke a little, seeing him like that. You’d never seen Sakusa cry like this, or be so worried about something, and it hurt you a little that while you’d been basking in his extra doting, he’d been plagued with doubts and fears the whole time.

“Hey, come on now, come here,” you reached out to him again, signaling him to come into your embrace. He collapsed against you, clinging to your side and gripping your shirt with an iron grip. “I was gonna break up with you, that’s true, but only because I didn’t think you wanted to be with me. You’ve been wonderful this whole week Omi, really you have. But you don’t have to change yourself to get me to stay, that’s not what I asked of you. I just wanted to you spend a bit more time with me, the way you usually do. You were pushing me away,” you smoothed back his hair and he leaned into your touch.

“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry, I won’t push you away. You’re not a bother, I am! I’ll treat you way better I swear.” Kissing his forehead, you pulled the two of you back to lean against the head frame of your bed.

“You’re not a bother sweetie, I wouldn’t have stayed with you all this time if you were. I love you how you are, and you treat me great. I just don’t want you to get distant like that again, okay? You can tell me if you need some time alone, I get it. But we can’t live together and pretend we don’t exist for days on end alright?” He nodded against your chest, snuggling deeper into you. “I’m not leaving, so don’t worry about that. It’s always gonna be you and me.”

“Can you tell your friend that? Just so they know? I think they should know,” he looked up at you. You chuckled at him before ruffling his hair.

“Yes of course, I’ll be sure to let them know.”