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To perish into thin air without anyone noticing. This is Zhongli’s one fear.
Soon, the last of his believers will pass away and join their loved ones. Soon, they’ll be laid to rest, and with them, the last memories of the Geo Archon Zhongli.
Soon, he too will fade away. Every god fears this exact moment.
Liyue has no use for him anymore. It has been years since the Qixing took over, and the people of Liyue have learned to stand on their own feet without his guidance. Zhongli is happy for them that they are finally living a life without him.
He looks up at the sky and watches the sunset for the last time.
The Adepti had all passed away. Madame Ping, Ganyu, Xiao. Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, Cloud Retainer. All of his dear adepti friends had passed away peacefully, their hearts filled with peace.
Zhongli will soon find peace, like them. It is only a matter of time until his last believer takes their last breath.
The thought of dissipating in the wind gives him a sense of trepidation. He was there when he saw Barbatos fading. It was a windy day, and he was invited by the former Anemo Archon to his beloved tree situated in Windrise. According to him, one of Venti’s friends ascended and from her ascension, the tree sprouted.
It was only him and Barbatos during that time. Windrise was quiet, save for the rustling of the grass. They talked for the last time, even sharing a glass of Venti’s favorite wine. It felt like a normal day for them, but they both knew that wasn’t the case.
Without any warning, the glass from Venti’s hand slipped and fell to the ground. Zhongli watched as the former chuckled.
“I guess it’s finally time.”
Zhongli nodded, his stoic face softened. His heart clenched as his dear friend began to become translucent, the flower from behind where Venti sat became visible. Venti noticed his sullen face and laughed. “Don’t look so sad, old man! We’ll probably meet again in another lifetime if Celestia would allow it.”
He could only nod. After all, he couldn’t stop it. This was a normal thing for gods. Although, Zhongli couldn’t let Venti get the last laugh. “... Says the old man. We’re almost the same age, Venti.”
Venti laughed again. And Zhongli too couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. “You know, I’m glad that you’re the last one to see me go. If it was any of my dear friends from Mondstadt, I would be embarrassed!”
However, Zhongli knew that the last believer of Venti was in her home, accompanied by her diligent sister who was once the precious Deaconess of the Church of Favonius. Like Zhongli, all those they came to care for passed away.
“...I’m honored to have been your friend, Venti.”
Venti showed him his last bright smile. “Likewise, Zhongli. Ah, once I leave don’t forget to drink all the Dandelion Wine, okay? That’ll be a waste, and I hate wasting good wine.”
Zhongli watched as the former Anemo Archon dissipated and became one with the wind he once commanded with his lyre in a daze.
Something tugs on his chest. With a wave of his hand, he teleports and finds himself surrounded by white walls. It’s eerily quiet, except for the rustling of the nearby trees. Zhongli looks down and sees a man lying peacefully on a bed.
It’s a familiar face. Years ago, those blue orbs once held his attention when the Tsaritsa sent him to retrieve his Gnosis. But now, the man’s unfocused blue eyes are staring at him, and the god is rendered speechless. The wind from the open window by the bed blows a strand of Zhongli’s hair. He tucks it in, and he remembers a distant memory.
“Ah look, the wind is so mischievous! Xiansheng’s pretty hair is better like this, you see?”
For a moment, no one talks.
“To think that my last hallucination would be Zhongli- xiansheng … how cruel.”
Ah, it’s him.
“Hm… well, you can call me Childe! Childe, the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger of Her Majesty!”
Zhongli’s eyes soften and he sits down on the chair beside the bed. He takes the man’s hand and notices how light it is. They’re worn down due to overuse, and yet his rough and calloused hands have once brought glory to his Tsaritsa.
It has been a long time since he’s seen him. After he gave his Gnosis to La Signora, Childe kept accompanying him to drink at night. He indulged him for a few weeks, visiting him with his trademark smile.
Until one night, he disappeared. Zhongli was confused, because as far as he knew he hadn’t said anything wrong to him. There were no visits, nor any bright smiles that lit up his tiring day.
He had asked the staff of Northland Bank, and they only told him that he left. They thought it had something to do with their Tsaritsa, so they couldn’t do anything. After all, she was the one who assigned him to Liyue. If she so wished, she could recall Childe any time.
“Oh, Mr. Zhongli… please don’t think it’s your fault. I’m sure Lord Harbinger had a reason for leaving.”
Back to the present, he wants to say something, but his mouth refuses to move. It’s as if his voice didn’t want to cooperate with him anymore.
He needed to say something. Anything.
In the end, he keeps his mouth shut.
No matter, the man on the bed lets out a weak chuckle and goes to look at the ceiling. “…To be honest, I miss Liyue. I miss her warm climate and the ocean breeze. I confess that Liyue became a second home to me.”
The man’s eyes close. “However, what I miss the most is you, Zhongli-xiansheng. I regret not telling you that… I…”
Zhongli sees the man’s chest rise and fall. Then it goes still. The room becomes silent. The man’s hand falls on the god’s lap. It’s still warm.
When he looks down, his hands are becoming transparent. The same thing had happened to Venti.
It’s finally time.
With one last kiss to the man’s forehead, the Geo Archon that was once known as Zhongli fades into the wind. With the passing of his last believer that went by the name Childe, it was time for him to finally find peace.
“ Xiansheng! You’re here again!”
“ Xiansheng, xiansheng! Will you tell us another story again?”
“Please, xiansheng?”
A man with amber eyes chuckles. “Well, I only tell stories to good kids.”
The children shuffle and form a semi-circle around the man. Thankfully, the park grounds have dried up after yesterday’s rain. After finally sitting down, the man clears his throat. “Today, I’ll tell you about the story of a young boy who fell in the Abyss.”
All the children look at him with starry eyes. One pipe in, “Zhongli-xiansheng, is this the same boy from last week’s story?”
Zhongli, the man with amber eyes and hair tied in a long ponytail, nods and leans back. The tree behind them is enough to cover him and the children from the sun’s bright rays. A statue of a young man with a lyre is positioned a few feet from them, overlooking the green field.
“This young boy named Ajax got lost in the woods. Back then, he was only fourteen years old, so he was really scared. He didn’t know his way back to his home, so he cried and cried.”
“Because he kept crying, he didn’t notice the hole in the ground. He screamed as he fell.”
The children gasp. Zhongli continues, “He fell and found himself surrounded by the darkness. Ajax was so scared that he didn’t see the horrible monster in front of him.”
One of the children yelps, and turns to the boy sitting beside her. She glares at him, “A-Ying! Stop scaring me!!” and the boy grins. He hides behind another boy with golden eyes and sticks his tongue out. “You should stop being a scaredy-cat, Mian Mian! Look at A-Zhan, he’s not even scared at all!”
Zhongli clears his throat. The two bickering children stop and mumble an apology to each other. “Well then, shall we continue?”
A chorus of ‘yes Zhongli-xiansheng!’ is his response.
“So the big bad monster appeared. Little Ajax didn’t have anything to defend himself with, so he waited for the pain. He closed his eyes and waited. And waited. Until nothing came. So he opened his eyes and saw a tall woman in front of him.”
“The tall woman, later on, became Little Ajax’s teacher. She taught him how to survive in that place called the Abyss. Months passed, and with the help of his teacher and the moves that he learned from her, Little Ajax was able to leave the Abyss.”
Someone raises their hand. “Yes, A-Sang?”
“Zhongli-xiansheng, what happened to Ajax’s family during the time he was missing? Did they look for him?” A-Sang asks, and Zhongli smiles. “Good question, A-Sang. You see, Little Ajax was a good kid. He helped around the house and accompanied his father whenever he fished in the icy lake near their house. He was such a good kid that when he disappeared, their family tried to find him. They searched for three days until they saw him again sitting by a tree.”
A-Sang tilts his head. “Three days? Why is it only three days? Didn’t Ajax go missing for three months?” The children start to murmur, looking at each other.
“Mn, he did. Time in the Abyss worked differently. He spent three months in the Abyss, but in reality, he only spent three days. Interesting, isn’t it?” all the kids nod, their curiosity finally sated.
“In the end, Little Ajax returned home to his family. Sadly, he was never the same after he spent three months in the Abyss.” Zhongli continues, “Although that will be another story for another week. Today, we end Little Ajax’s adventures in the Abyss.” All the children beam at him, clapping with their chubby hands.
He chats with the children, and when the sun sets, their parents come by to pick them up. They wave at him with warm smiles, promising to come back again next week.
Zhongli rests his back against the tree. He takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes.
To think that he would be reincarnated soon… he was beyond surprised. He never would’ve thought that he would be given a chance to live a normal life. In all honesty, he thought that he would reincarnate as a rock, seeing that Guizhong once joked that he acted like a rock in his past life.
Nevertheless, he is content with living like this. He’s still living in Teyvat, although he could barely point out the familiar sights. Three hundred years did a lot to Teyvat, and he’s glad that it changed for the better.
He stretches and makes himself comfortable against the tree. Maybe a nap would be nice…
“It looks like the kids tired you out, Zhongli-zhangfu .”
With his eyes still closed, Zhongli chuckles. “They did. But they did love the story of Little Ajax in the Abyss. I think it’s their favorite already.”
“Heh, I’m glad my past life can serve as a story for children. Although, I think you should skip the other parts…”
Zhongli opens his eyes and lets his lips morph into a smile. In front of him is a man with choppy orange hair. His blue eyes were dull and lifeless in their past lives, but now they are shining with happiness and love as he looks at Zhongli.
He scoots a bit to make room for his husband. Tartaglia sits down beside him and proceeds to place his head on Zhongli’s lap. Zhongli hums, “You’re right. Next week, maybe I’ll tell them about how Ajax was able to capture a big fish.”
“I’m surprised my zhangfu would still remember those. I know I told those stories to you when we were both drunk, so I assume you wouldn’t remember them.”
“Unfortunately for you, I am not a lightweight.”
Tartaglia laughs. He stares at his husband, their eyes meeting. “We should try drinking again. Let’s see if my zhangfu is a lightweight in this lifetime.”
Zhongli closes his eyes again, intertwining their hands together.
When Zhongli opens his eyes again, the hand in his has disappeared. The only thing that’s left is the faint scent of the sea breeze and his empty heart.
The pain in his heart lingers.
He prefers to fade into the wind, instead of living a life without his most devoted believer.