Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

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I cannot believe this.

The Tianquan sat at the desk in her lavish office, looking over what seemed like piles of befuddling words on paper. Her eyes darted from one white sheet to another, head resting on her palm.

It’s physically impossible… How do not one, but thirty-three Liyue citizens manage to disappear off the face of Teyvat without a trace?

She scoffed and picked up another filed missing report, looking it over for the nth time.

“Name: Yinghua Ming. Sex: Female. Age: 25. Hair color: Black. Eye color: Hazel. Occupation: Housewife. Last seen: Near Upper Chenyu Vale.”

Nothing. No leads.

It wasn’t at all different from the other thirty-two reports she’s read. The pattern was the same for each: no witnesses, no suspicious activity prior to the disappearance, no associated contacts with history of crime, nothing. Just innocent, normal-seeming people suddenly turning into air. The Millelith haven’t been much help either. But she couldn’t exactly blame them. These disappearances were enough to give her entire staff headaches. They made no sense. Except for the one singular thing that connected each of these cases.

Each missing person had come across some strange, abandoned manor on the outskirts of Liyue in the same week they had gone missing. Conveniently enough.

Ningguang herself sent over some Millelith guards to investigate the manor and see what could possibly be causing these people to disappear without a trace. Perhaps it was a monster? No, she had never encountered any monster that could cause such a large amount of people to never be seen again without a shred of evidence left behind. Perhaps the Fatui? But why? From her knowledge, the Fatui have no business harming the citizens of Liyue. And even if they hypothetically kidnapped them, why so many from one single nation? It didn’t add up.

A few days later there had been no reports from the guards she sent over. So Ningguang asked her good friend Yelan and her most trusted secretary to join her as they check upon the guards.

But when they arrived there, there was no sign of them. She had sent at least five guards, yet none of them returned. No one in any nearby villages knew where they went, only that they went near that abandoned manor.

A sinking feeling built up in the Tianquan’s stomach. The thirty-three missing people and now the five other guards she had personally sent over. In total that makes thirty-eight now missing.

The three ladies left right after.

Once Ningguang was seated back in her office at the Jade Chamber, her headache had tripled.

Thirty-eight missing. And she had unintentionally caused five of those people to be taken into whatever depths these poor citizens were dragged into, never to be seen again.

Celestia only knows what horrors they might have seen or are seeing as of now.

She can’t even confirm if these people were alive or not. Families of the victims were becoming restless. It wouldn’t take long for the story to break out. The Qixing controlled many things in Liyue, but gossip was not one of them. She could only keep the spread of news to a certain extent. After that, chaos will erupt. And she’s fully aware of it.

Her eyes drift over to another report, silently reading the words.

”Name: Fey Fang. Sex: Female. Age: 9. Hair color: Brown. Eye color: Dark brown. Occupation: None. Last seen: Near Qiaoying Village.”

Her heart squeezed a bit. The poor girl. She was just a child, innocent and pure. She had a childhood to experience, a life to grow through and enjoy, but it was cut short. Too short.

With a deep sigh of disappointment and determination, she moved some papers to the side to make room for a new, crisp sheet of paper. She grabbed her thin brush, dipping it in ink and letting the excess drip off before beginning to write on the fresh paper.

“Morax, a letter was addressed to you from the Tianquan.”

Cloud Retainer approached the desk Zhongli was currently standing at and handed him a letter. He looked at her, accepting it.

”Ningguang? For what reason?” Cloud Retainer gave him a look that said ‘you think I know?’ as the man opened the neatly folded letter.

”Dear Rex Lapis.

Forgive me for sending this letter without prior warning, but I request your urgent assistance. For the past three months, over thirty Liyue citizens have been reported missing with no traces. Each report connects to one similar thing: that being that these people have each encountered an abandoned manor on the outskirts of Liyue near Chenyu Vale. Within a week of encountering this mysterious building, these people had disappeared and have not returned. My staff has worked tirelessly and we unfortunately have produced no concrete results. I am not abandoning this issue, of course, but if you could spare some of your time to assist in this endeavour, I would be forever in your debt. This strange mansion seems to be too dangerous for myself or others to investigate, and I suspect that an immortal deity such as yourself would have an easier time finding answers. If you do not accept this request, I shall respect your wishes. But if you do accept, my subordinates will send you each missing person’s report and we will provide what you need at the best of our ability. Apologies, again, for troubling you with such a task. And I thank you greatly.

Signed, The Tianquan, Lady Ningguang.”

There was a beat of silence.

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”Morax?”

Zhongli folded the letter and looked up at the avian lady.

”Gather the others and prepare a bag with supplies needed for a multiple-day stay. We leave for Chenyu Vale tonight.”

Chapter Text

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“…This is the building?”

“Yes.”

Mountain Shaper sized up the old mansion standing in front of them. His eyes narrowed. “And why, pray tell, did the Qixing request for us to take on this task?”

“Are you saying we aren’t capable enough to handle this?” Moon Carver commented as he raised a brow.

Mountain Shaper gave the other a deadpan look. “Do not twist my words. I’m only questioning why they could not handle this themselves. It seems like a simple matter, why would they burden us with such a job?”

Zhongli held back a sigh and replied to the other man. “Ningguang is concerned about the disappearances of numerous people connecting back to this building. Over the course of three months, more than thirty citizens have gone missing.” The others gave their leader a surprised look.

“Over thirty? That seems quite absurd, no? Could it be the work of the Fatui?” Cloud Retainer said, crossing her arms. Zhongli shook his head slightly. “The Fatui have no means to do such a thing. On another note, they may be powerful people but even they do not have the ability to make such a large amount of humans vanish without a trace.”

They all looked back at the abandoned building. Something about it seemed off. Of course, the eerie atmosphere combined with the dark exterior was one thing, but there was something else that no one could pinpoint. Either way, they stepped inside despite the dreadful feeling. They couldn’t just stand outside staring all day now, could they?

Upon entering, the young Yaksha of the group felt a shiver run down his spine. There wasn’t necessarily anything that stood out in this creepy place, but he still shuddered involuntarily.

Ganyu also furrowed her brows a bit while looking around, taking in the dusty air and intense smell of musk. “This place is really dark. Are going to start searching immediately? It’s already nighttime.” Cloud Retainer glanced at the Qilin, then at Zhongli. “I assume not. We should settle in before rushing to accomplish anything. Being reckless is not an option in this situation.”

Zhongli nodded in agreement, stepping further into the mansion. The entrance was big and open, covered in a thin layer of dust, enough to make their footprints visible. There were approximately four other floors going upwards, and perhaps even the chance of a hidden basement somewhere. Cobwebs were threaded in all corners and on every piece of furniture. From what the God could tell just based on first impression alone, it seems that this place had been abandoned for fifty years at the very least. Its condition was clearly beyond repair. Every step on the floorboards created a creak, threatening to give out under the weight of a single person.

The group became situated in a nearby room on the first floor. It was quite large, more than enough for everyone to fit comfortably and had two tables to research on if needed. There were four twin-sized beds. A quick calculation went through Zhongli’s mind, creating a layout of who would sleep where. Although Adepti do not necessarily require sleep, it didn’t hurt to get in some extra energy. And they were staying here for assuming the next few days, getting sleep wouldn’t change much rather than staying awake all night.

With that in mind, he silently decided who would be sleeping where. Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver would sleep in separate beds, leaving Cloud Retainer to share a bed with Ganyu and for him to share a bed with Xiao. He could allow Xiao and Ganyu to share a bed but that would mean two adults out of the four would need to share a bed— and considering the sizes of the beds, it would be extremely difficult to fit in.

The most logical and appropriate choice would be for Cloud Retainer to sleep with her daughter and Zhongli to sleep with his son. That issue was solved.

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Xiao scoped out the room they would be spending their nights in aside from searching. He didn’t really care about who would be sleeping where and with who, he wasn’t planning on sleeping anyways. The feeling this place gave to him was enough for him to not feel safe sleeping at night.

But aside from the strange feeling, he saw something… unexplainable, to put it simply.

From the moment he stepped foot through the doors in the entrance, he saw something hide around the corner of a corridor up ahead. The only thing it could be described as was like a shadow. Completely black and quick, it was gone within a blink. He was about to point it out but decided against it since he thought he must have imagined it. If his father didn’t notice the presence then it likely wasn’t there and he was simply overreacting.

Xiao shared a look with Zhongli, both of them holding eye contact for a moment. Zhongli gave him a subtle look, which Xiao knew was a silent way of him asking if he was okay. The boy nodded once, reassuring the latter that nothing was wrong. And he wasn’t lying— nothing was wrong. What he saw was merely a figment of his imagination.

After settling in, it was decided that everyone would do a brief scout of the first floor before heading to bed. It was almost midnight anyways.

Each person went into a separate direction of the floor, scanning around to get an idea of the layout for tomorrow.

Everything looked like what they expected so far. Old furniture, strange paintings hung up, torn up items that looked grey from years of neglect, there wasn’t anything too out of the ordinary. And it was silent. Very silent. Your footsteps sounded like they were being echoed a bit too loudly and you could hear your heat beating if you stood still for long enough.

Nothing was ultimately found, which was expected considering the had just arrived. Everyone gathered back in their original room, quickly discussing the layout. Xiao couldn’t help but notice something in his peripheral vision, looking over to what it might be. But his brows furrowed at what he saw.

A small red ball had rolled past the doorway, deeper into the hallway connected. He didn’t know what to think. It was so random and so out of place.

Why in Teyvat would there be a bright red ball— likely belonging to a child— in a place like this?

Despite his confusion mixed with suspicion, he slipped out of the room to investigate. Even if there was something sinister standing right outside the door, it wouldn’t matter. Xiao was a trained warrior, he has fought all his life. Whatever was out there would be no match for him, so he had nothing to fear.

And yet, the dreadful feeling in his chest only worsened.

Xiao walked out into the hallway, seeing the red ball about ten feet away from him. It was possible that the wind could have blow it to that spot, but it was unlikely, considering he felt no wind except for the occasional feeling of coldness out of nowhere. Perhaps an animal was just here and had pushed it? But he would have seen it, no? Maybe an enemy with the ability to turn invisible. It sounded somewhat plausible, but it was also a far stretch.

Shaking his head, Xiao walked towards the ball, not wanting to overthink it and just see what was there. But the moment he bent down to pick it up, he froze. The dreadful feeling in him increased tenfold all of a sudden. There was no warning, it just happened when he was inches away from touching the red ball on the floor. He suddenly had a very bad feeling of picking up the ball. Something about this was rubbing him the wrong way.

Very slowly, Xiao straightened up again, still staring at the toy on the ground that was practically glaring him in the face. Not taking his eyes off the item as he backed up until he reached the doorway to the room again. Only then did he have the courage to turn away and look back at the others while shutting the door behind him.

What the hell is wrong with me. It was just a stupid ball, what was so frightening about it?

Xiao was now even more confused than before. But his thoughts were quickly interrupted when Zhongli asked him something. He pushed the thought in the back of his mind and joined the conversation that was happening.

He could only silently hope that the night would go smoothly.

An hour later everyone was ready to head to bed. Cloud Retainer and Zhongli were finishing putting some things away, otherwise everyone was in their respective beds, ready to sleep.

If there truly is some sort of entity accepting this building, it’s possible that it will attempt to attack us in some way while we all are asleep and vulnerable. If that happens, I will be able to catch it with minimal effort and struggle. Zhongli thought to himself while slipping off his coat and folding it before putting it on a chair. He walked over to his shared bed where Xiao had just finished removing his accessories and was lying down. Again, Xiao did not plan on sleeping, but with his father around it would be hard not to. He knew Zhongli would make sure Xiao is asleep before he himself can sleep. And Xiao can’t simply fake it, this is the Geo Archon he’s taking about. He can’t even lie to him without being caught, no matter how elaborate that said lie was.

So fake sleeping wasn’t an option. Therefore, he would just have to either try his best and force himself unconscious or pray his father fell asleep before him (pray? To a god? Which his dad also conveniently was? How ironic).

Zhongli took note of Xiao’s strange behaviour ever since they arrived here. He’s been zoning out, almost. Constantly looking at random areas in the house, staring for unnecessary long periods of time…

It was concerning, really. He knew he shouldn’t be too worried, his son was more than capable of handling any small feelings of doubt or confusion.

But… it was also his son. It’s entirely reasonable for him to feel the need to know why Xiao is acting like this, no? Any parent would feel the same, he reasoned. So, he spoke up softly to the boy in front of him.

“Xiao, is there something troubling you?” Xiao snapped his head up to look at the man, replying automatically. “No. Why?”

Zhongli’s eyes held a hint of skepticism yet his face remained stoic. He was clearly lying, but for what reason?

“I see. My dear, if something is bothering yo-”

“Nothing is bothering me.”

Zhongli blinked. “That’s good, but that is exactly why I said if something is bothering you, do not hesitate to let me know.” Xiao nodded simply. There was something in the back of the God’s mind that wouldn’t leave him alone. Something clearly wasn’t right with Xiao. He knows he can be a bit overprotective at times (although Cloud Retainer would argue it was almost all the time), but this feeling didn’t match the ones he’s had before when he’s concerned for Xiao.

No, this one was deeper. More complex. Something told him that what Xiao was trying to hide was dangerous, even if Xiao himself hasn’t realized it yet.

With a quiet sigh, Zhongli sat on the bed next to Xiao. Xiao watched his movements, not even blinking. Even when the man cupped his cheeks he remained unblinking.

“Xiao. Please be honest with me, do not lie. Is there anything, anything at all that has been causing you worry ever since we’ve arrived here?”

Xiao paused. Zhongli couldn’t read his mind, but he could tell Xiao was internally debating to tell the truth or not. Eventually, he replied as usual. “I’m not lying, dad. Nothing’s wrong. If there was, I’d tell you, especially in a situation like this. It’d be dangerous and stupid to hide things.”

It seems he’s decided not to tell the truth.

Zhongli smiled softly, covering up the urging thoughts in his head. “Alright then. It’s good you understand.”

Xiao nods and looks away. He gets more comfortable in the bed, about to lie down when Zhongli called again.

“Xiao.”

“Mhm?”

“Look at me for a moment.”

Xiao looked back at the latter again, but this time caught a hint of something in his eyes that he couldn’t put his finger on. Zhongli gestured him forward, which Xiao obliged to, only to be pulled against a firm chest. He relaxed on instinct.

“I love you, my dear.”

“I love you, too.”

“I worry for you, you know that. But when you refuse to tell me things, it worries me even more.”

“I do tell you things.”

“You aren’t telling me the truth right now.”

Xiao paused again.

“If you don’t want to, I understand, but-”

“Bàba.”

Zhongli stopped immediately and listened intently.

“…If I told you, you’d hate me.”

Zhongli’s concern now increased tenfold.

“Háizi, I would never hate you. You can tell me.”

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“I messed up.”

“On what, my dear?”

“…Everything.”

“How so?”

“I did something really bad.”

They were whispering now. With the others around, this conversation didn’t need to be heard. At least for now.

“Xiao, whatever you did, you need to tell me, even if it is bad.”

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“Bàba, how would you feel if I took my own life?”

…

Zhongli’s heart stopped entirely.

His blood was ice.

He wasn’t breathing.

His mind—for the first time in his life—was completely, utterly blank.

“I…”

Xiao looked up at the man, looking as if he didn’t just say the most outrageous thing and was on the verge of giving his poor father a heart attack.

“Would you be mad at me?”

He didn’t know what to say. He’s never been speechless before, but this time he was. And it was bad.

“Xiao, I…”

He was feeling so many things at once. How was he supposed to respond? What kind of question even was this?

“Xiao, why would you ask such a thing?”

“Just curious.”

“You’re not behaving normally. Why are you asking such things?”

“It’s just a question, bàba.”

“No, it isn’t. This isn’t ‘just a question’, Xiao.”

He titled the boy’s head up, looking him directly in the eye.

“My dear, if you’re trying to frighten me, it isn’t good. You should not joke about a topic as serious as this.”

“I’m not joking, bàba. I’m just asking.”

“And what you’re asking is nonsensical.”

He snapped very slightly, but he felt it was needed. Nothing about this was right. He cupped Xiao’s other cheek, now holding his smaller face in his hands.

“Xiao… qīn’ài de… what has gotten into you? You’re asking me how I would react if you committed suicide, do you not realize how terrible that is?”

“No? I’m just asking.”

“Xiao, enough with that. This isn’t something you can ask so innocently. You’re worrying me beyond belief, I… please, tell me what is wrong. If something is upsetting you then we can figure it out, but do not-” do not resort to this, he wanted to say, but the words were lodged in his throat for some reason.

Xiao blinked at his adoptive father.

“It’s just a question, bàba. I don’t know why you’re so upset.”

Things were spiralling and the Archon didn’t know what else to do. He turned away to look at where he last saw his companions.

“Cloud Retainer, would you-”

But to his surprise, no one was there. Not Cloud Retainer, not Mountain Shaper, not Moon Carver and not Ganyu. It was empty. Where had they all gone? And how did he not notice them leaving the room? Why did they even leave in the first place?

He turned back to Xiao but almost recoiled at the sight. Xiao still stared back at him the same, but his neck was completely slit open. Blood gushed out in a river of despair, staining his white sleeveless shirt and purple pants.

“Xiao?!”

In a desperate attempt to stop the blood from pouring out of Xiao’s body at this rapid rate, he leans Xiao back and holds the back of his head— which was barely even attached to his body at this point.

He didn’t even know what to think. His son was dying— no, his son was practically already dead. He had lost too much blood, his head hung from his neck in an abnormal way, and his body was limp.

And yet… Xiao had the exact same calm face. No reaction at all to the fact that he was currently bleeding out. Until his eyes slowly began to flutter shut.

Everything. Everything in that moment meant nothing except the dying boy in his arms.

But before he could get a single syllable out, his eyes shot open.

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Zhongli stared up at the dark ceiling above him. It was nighttime, clearly. But where was he, again?

No, ignore that— where was Xiao?

He immediately tried getting up to look for the young Adeptus but stopped when he felt a familiar weight on his body. Looking down, there was a lump under the blanket, and it wasn’t his own body. He carefully lifted it a bit, revealing Xiao’s sleeping face. A wave of relief washed through him upon seeing his child’s peaceful expression.

He sighed deeply. His heart was beating too fast for his liking, and the panic in his mind slowly settled. But one thing still remained, one small question.

What did this mean?

Zhongli has never had any nightmare this bad. He has had a few over the course of six thousand years, but never one like this. Never one where Xiao would do… that, for lack of better explanation (more accurately, he simply refused to think about it again).

The thought was bothersome enough for him to hold back an irritated huff. Perhaps this mansion truly is affecting him in some way. Although, it was merely psychological. Nothing had actually happened.

And yet, Zhongli looked down at Xiao and thought for a moment, considering if he should do what he was thinking. After a few seconds of silence, he gently lifted Xiao further upwards so his face was tucked in the crook of the Archon’s neck, head on his shoulder. Xiao didn’t stir, surprisingly. But now that he as close enough, Zhongli slipped his hand to the Yaksha’s neck, lightly prodding at it. Xiao whined unconsciously but didn’t do anything else. The man knew it was ridiculous to check, but he also couldn’t sleep until he confirmed it himself.

When he felt the smooth, unblemished skin under his fingers, he finally allowed himself to relax. There was no gashing wound, not even a single cut or tear.

He continued rubbing his thumb on the side of Xiao’s neck, every stroke further calming his raging mind. Eventually he felt better enough to fall back asleep, but not without pressing a small, ghost of a kiss on the latter’s neck. His eyes closed, keeping a firm arm around the boy’s torso.

The last thought Morax had before drifting off was not a pleasant one.

This nightmare I had… this is only the beginning of something far worse, I’m afraid.

Chapter Text

What would you do if I took my own life?

It replayed in his mind like a mantra.

Would you be mad at me?

It hasn’t left him ever since last night. He barely slept.

It’s just a question.

No, it’s not.

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“Morax, what do you suggest?”

Zhongli looked over at Moon Carver, who was asking for his suggestion on something. I must have been lost in thought. What exactly was my suggestion needed on?

Moon Carver quickly continued after seeing his lord’s silence. “Do you suggest we search the first floor thoroughly then move onto the next or shall we do a brief look around each floor, then analyze them one by one?” Ah, yes. The mansion. It has been untouched for decades, there was much work to be done in order to cover every inch of ground. I should focus on that.

“Thoroughly searching the floors one by one, beginning with the first floor, would be best. There is no need to briefly look if we are going to examine them all in the end.” He replied smoothly. Moon Carver nodded before mentioning something about splitting up to cover more surface area. But Zhongli’s mind was elsewhere. Although he was focused on the current conversation happening, he also kept an eye on the Adeptus boy standing next to him.

Xiao had noticed his father giving him subtle glances every other minute. Being an Adeptus gave them all heightened senses, but this was more so because he was paying very close attention to the Archon, so it was more noticeable. The silent looks were puzzling and made him slightly subconscious. Maybe his behaviour last night really did put his dad off. But he didn’t exactly understand his own behaviour, either. The strange red ball in the hallway, the uncomfortable feeling he got, the way he’d feel an overwhelming sense of dread out of nowhere for no reason at all— none of it added up. And that’s what scared him the most.

There wasn’t much he could do about it now. What’s done is done, right now he needed to focus on the real issue; the missing people and what they have to do with this place. Pushing the lingering feelings of doubt in the back of his mind, he returned to the conversation going on in front of him. Perhaps he’ll get an answer to his questions soon.

At least, he hoped he would.

He sighed.

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Hm. Nothing here either.

Ganyu closed the closet door in the room she was currently searching on the second floor. It seemed like any other old bedroom. It had some fancy furniture and paintings, but nothing actually helpful. Of course, she couldn’t get her hopes up so quickly, they had only arrived last night. It would be incredibly lucky to find something valuable on the first day, especially considering the mysterious nature of this place.

Speaking of mysterious… why was Xiao acting so strange last night? I noticed him leaving the room for just a moment, but when he came back he seemed off.

She couldn’t wrap her head around the Yaksha’s behaviour. She noticed him looking off to the side when they first came here, as well.

But if something was actually wrong, wouldn’t he tell someone?

Ganyu knew Xiao wasn’t dumb. He even trained her a few times, for crying out loud. But that was combat-wise. Emotionally speaking, though, Xiao was a bit… lacking, you could say. It’s not like it was his fault, she knew a brief version of his past. And although she may not know the full details or extent of what he went through, she didn’t need to. She could tell it was torture. The thought of experiencing even one of the things he did made her repress a shudder.

And even if she felt a bit bad for thinking it, she saw Xiao as a younger brother in a way. They weren’t that close before, aside from their occasional training and meetings with everyone else— and admittedly, she had a pretty bad image of him back then. One could even say it was inconsiderate or judgemental, but she was always wary of him due to his last companions. They all witnessed a terrible demise… what would happen if I became a part of that, too? I’d rather not risk it, considering his reputation.

Looking back at it now, she feels guilty for ever thinking of him like that. He was just troubled, not a curse or something. He doesn’t deserve to be judged like that.

But pivoting back to the original point; she saw Xiao almost as a little brother. He was younger than her by over a thousand years, so it’s not foolish for her to think that way. But it wasn’t just because of their age.

Ganyu knows herself, she knows she’ll stumble over her words at times or get a bit too nervous around people when speaking, but overall she has pretty decent social interaction skill (courtesy of being secretary of the Qixing for a while).

Xiao, on the other hand, was even worse than her. Far worse. He could keep a conversation going for a maximum of five minutes before either teleporting away or shutting down the conversation (whether it was intentional or unintentional). He did try sometimes, like with the Traveller. They were kind and always considerate of Xiao’s presence, trying to converse with him every so often. And although Xiao tried his best to reciprocate at times, he ended up failing halfway through and giving up, which normally meant he’d leave to avoid further humiliation or discomfort.

He never meant any ill intention, Ganyu knew that. She’s sure the Traveller does, too. But the way Xiao struggled so much communicating with anyone other than his Adepti family, the way he avoided humans and how he was—shockingly enough—emotionally immature, just made her feel a feeling akin to pity for him. Not in a way that made him look weak, but in a way that made her feel closer to him. Like she wanted to support him. She’s seen the fits he would throw sometimes when things pile up and he can’t handle it, how he’d apologize desperately to Morax for causing any trouble right after. His emotions were all over the place. And even that was putting it lightly.

But even so… she loved him like a brother. She realized this a few months ago, and it’s been somewhat of a surprising realization, but it didn’t mean she didn’t like it. She loved the idea of having a sibling, even if it wasn’t by the book.

The reason she even thought about all this was because of what she saw earlier. Xiao wasn’t dumb combat-wise. Emotionally-speaking, though, you wouldn’t be able to say anything without it sounding offensive. He flinched at many things even now, apologized profusely for the smallest things that weren’t even his fault to begin with, and so on and so forth. Again, it wasn’t his fault for the way he behaved. His past was… unfortunate (which was the understatement of the century). But because of this knowledge, Ganyu knew that it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if Xiao was hiding something from the others.

I shouldn’t pry… maybe he’s just feeling uncomfortable about the mansion. Yeah, that could be it. Even I was feeling skeptical about staying here. I’m sure if he’s being burdened by something, he’ll tell someone eventually. I can’t just give him zero credit.

Ganyu took a deep breath before diving back into one of the drawers of a dressing table to rummage through it in an attempt to find anything significant.

Xiao will come around soon enough. She knows it. She needn’t worry.

Xiao looked around the corridor he walked through, trying to spot anything out of the ordinary. Everyone had split up, and honestly, that was what he had hoped for but it was also simultaneously the worst decision.

Now that he was alone, he could process his emotions properly (it sounds pointless, but his father claimed it was ‘healthy’). But at the same time, he felt surprisingly vulnerable walking down these halls. Maybe having his dad by his side would’ve helped. Or maybe it would’ve made things worse because he found out his son is crazy. Who knows, really.

Despite his conflicting feelings, he tried ignoring most of them and walked over to a nearby railing on the side of the corridor. He looked down it, seeing the first floor below him. If he was not mistaken, Ganyu should be on the same floor as him right now. He could’ve sworn he saw a tuft of light-blue hair turning a corner not too long ago.

Should I tell him? I should at least tell someone, shouldn’t I?

The question taunted him. He didn’t want to be a burden. But what was worse— being a burden or being an idiot who hides vital information from his group? But could he even consider this vital information? It was just a hunch. A mere feeling. What am I even supposed to say if I told them? “Oh, I suddenly felt really uncomfortable when we came here and it hasn’t left me since. I keep seeing things in the corner of my eye but nothing is ever actually there. Also, I saw a red ball but refused to pick it up because I was scared.” It sounded not only pathetic but psychotic, too. They’d think I’m losing my mind or something.

A deep sigh left the boy as he rested his elbows on the railing. I shouldn’t put too much weight on this thing. It’s already worn down and weakened by a lot, it wouldn’t take any force to break it. Just a bit of weight would do the trick.

He leaned back a bit, still looking down at the floor below. That’s when he spotted it.

On the first floor, slowly walking through the entrance area, as none other than his dad. His back facing him. Normally, this acknowledgment wouldn’t be anything special, he’d probably just call to him or walk away and continue searching.

But the reason he paused was because of something else.

Didn’t he say he would check the third floor before coming back to search the second? That means he’d be above me right now. What’s he doing down there? Maybe he changed his mind?

Xiao hesitated to call out to the man below him. He cursed himself and his stupid discomfort which made him not want to talk even to his own father. He was overthinking things again. Then, Zhongli turned. And Xiao felt a knot tie in his stomach.

His father’s face was… not normal. And that in itself was an understatement. His eyes were wide and his pupils small. His jaw seems tightly clenched for some odd reason. He looked paler than usual. Was he not feeling well? Archons don’t get sick, do they?

Xiao tried squinting his eyes slightly to get a better look at the Archon’s expression. He’d never seen such a look on his dad’s face, and if he as being completely honest, it freaked him out a little. Not only that, but he didn’t feel his presence. Any time Xiao was near Zhongli, he could feel the warmth of pure Geo energy radiating off of him, and it made him feel safe— protected.

He didn’t feel that right now.

No, he only felt the same dread from last night.

The person standing below him didn’t feel like his father. It felt like someone wearing the skin of his father. Donning his clothes and attempting to replicate the real thing but failing miserably.

He shook his head. He shouldn’t be thinking such thoughts.

But the knot in his stomach only became tighter when he saw Zhongli look up at him.

Staring back into those empty, blank eyes only confirmed Xiao’s fears. They weren’t the deep, gentle, gold eyes that belonged to Rex Lapis. The ones that reminded him of rich honey— ribbons of gold slowly folding over each other and creating a pool of unending sweetness. No, these were a hollowed out version of them. The gold color was dull and there was no gentleness. They held no meaning. No sweetness.

And out of all the possibilities he could have thought out for what would happen next, in no world would he have expected this.

Zhongli’s smiled unnaturally. Not in the typical soft way, but in an almost menacing way. His mouth opened, his jaw slowly unclenching. But it opened further. And further. Xiao didn’t think it would be possible to lower your jaw that much, even for an Archon or Adeptus. But every time he thought it would stop, it only kept going. Zhongli’s jaw unhooked itself from how low it was dropping as his mouth was stretched open to a clearly abnormal amount. It was at least four feet long.

Xiao felt sick to his stomach. The knot was practically suffocating him. The sight was horrifying and indescribably uncomfortable.

With whatever courage he had left, he stepped away from the railings, almost stumbling from his quickly he did it.

What the hell was that?! What—

He didn’t have time to finish his thought as he bumped into something firm behind him. Whipping around, he shocked himself that instead of getting into a defensive stance, he raised his arm in fear. As if making a poor attempt to protect himself from whatever scary monsters were trying to get him. He felt like a child, and it made him feel so unbelievably weak.

To his surprise, though, the person standing in front of him was nowhere to be seen. Nothing was there. But he was sure he bumped into something… he couldn’t have just imagined the feeling, right? It was impossible.

Slowly, he lowered his arm, only to notice how shallow his breathing was. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so childishly terrified. Like a kid who’d call their parents to check for monsters under their bed, not being able to fall asleep until it was confirmed that the darkness beneath their mattress was void of any horrors. The feeling left him vulnerable and even needy. He felt the sudden urge to be wrapped in his real father’s arms, not the grotesque version of him. He suddenly craved the feeling of safety— and it had barely been a day and a half since they’ve arrived at this mansion.

Xiao shook his head lightly to clear his thoughts, regaining his composure before reluctantly looking over the railings again to see if that monster was still there. To his relief and unease, it was gone. Of course, it was good that he wouldn’t need to deal with it now. But that also meant it could possibly be somewhere else in this place now. Perhaps it would even come back for him. The thought gave him chills but he ignored it.

Turning back to the corridor, he decided to hold off on telling anyone this until later. It seemed unimportant, and for all he knew, it could’ve just been a hallucination from the effects of this building. Lady Ningguang did say over thirty people went missing here, so clearly there were other elements at play here. That could explain his sudden hallucinations. So, with a quiet exhale, he continued down the hallway ahead.

.

.

.

The sun had begun to set, dipping behind the mountains of Liyue and casting a golden light throughout the region. The moon would soon show its face again, becoming a beacon of light within the starry night sky, guiding those who are lost back to their homes.

The Adepti’s all gathered back in the room that they slept in. Everyone got a chance to share what they did or did not find. Some common things being strange stains on the furniture as well as questionable items like torn apart dolls hidden in closets. Without context, these all sounded out of place within this seemingly used-to-be-prestigious home. So their next plan became to try and find some context behind it, the true history of this house.

The others discussed ideas on where to look to find more information for the background of this manor. The only two people not contributing to the conversation being Ganyu and Xiao. Ganyu was silent because she was observing Xiao, and Xiao was silent because… well, she didn’t know. Sure, he was quiet more often than not in conversations, but it didn’t seem like him to completely disregard the people talking right next to him. And yet that was what he was doing. He was looking off in a certain dark corner of the room. Ganyu discreetly glanced to the same direction but didn’t see anything so she brushed it off as him zoning out.

But on Xiao’s end, it was much different.

Xiao’s breathing was becoming shallow again. It wasn’t as bad as before since now he had people around him for some small reassurance, but it was there. He somehow managed to keep his expressions controlled while he stared back at the same monster that currently stood in the corner of the room.

It came back.

He wanted to look away so terribly, but was also fearful of the consequences if he did. He could only stare back at the deformed version of his father once more. Did it follow me here? The thought scared him. But the following thought was worse.

Is it never gonna leave me alone? Will it follow me forever?

Now, the idea was silly in itself. There certainly had to be some sort of way to get rid of the strange thing following him, it was only logical.

But Xiao was not thinking logically at the moment. No, all he was thinking was that he would be stuck with this creepy monster following him everywhere he went, all because they decided to investigate this stupid mansion, and he would eventually never be able to look at his own father the same ever again without picturing the skin-crawling image of the creature that was currently staring him down.

Zhongli looked down at Xiao, noticing his breathing subtly picking up. He did not want to call him out on it since it would unintentionally draw attention to the boy. And knowing Xiao, unwanted attention was the very least thing he wanted when distressed. He also didn’t want to pull him aside or out the room for some privacy, that would only lead to the same result of Xiao panicking further. He knew that if he tried taking Xiao somewhere private, Xiao’s distress would increase tenfold and he’d start worrying about what he did wrong instead of feeling relieved that no one else was watching but him.

So, Zhongli made the decision to uncross his arms and subtly grab Xiao’s hand, enveloping the smaller hand in his own while rubbing the back of it gently with his thumb. Xiao didn’t look away from the corner his gaze was fixated on, but he did seem to ease, even if just a bit. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

Once the sun had fully set and the conversation began to lull, everyone unanimously agreed to head to bed. There were no issues with getting ready, and even Xiao seemed more relaxed than he did while everyone was talking.

As they all got settled in their respective beds, Cloud Retainer blew out the few final candles, plunging the room into darkness.

Xiao stared at the wall he was facing, his and Zhongli’s bed being in one of the corners of the room. He didn’t want to turn over. The thought of something standing there next to the bed made him refuse to flip to his other side. He could feel the warmth of Zhongli’s body next to him since they were both sort of squished on the single twin-sized bed, but he didn’t mind it at all. It gave him a sense of safety— like he craved earlier in the day.

Minutes had gone by, soon blending together to become an hour. He still couldn’t bring himself to sleep. He hated it. He hated these specific moments when he wanted to sleep so badly but his body refused to let him. It left him wide awake and exhausted at the same time. He just wishes his stupid brain would turn off and he could finally fall into a dreamless sleep.

Just then, he felt a strong arm gently turn him over before pulling him against a sturdy chest. He recognized it as his dad’s and felt his body melt on instinct. A hand moved to his back and began tracing small circles between his shoulder blades. The gesture was so unbelievably soothing, he almost felt like his burdens were slipping away with each caress.

Almost.

Before he knew it, his eyes had closed and he took a deep breath— inhaling the sweet, faint scent of tea mixed with the smell of Glaze Lily’s. It was a scent he was all too familiar with, and one that will never fail to calm his racing thoughts. With a deep but muffled exhale, Xiao raised his hand to grab a small handful of the Archon’s white suit like a baby grabbing their favorite blanket. Speaking of blankets, he felt his being pulled over his shoulder and tucked oh-so-gently around him.

Maybe things weren’t too bad, he thought. The tender ministrations on his back continued as a soft kiss was placed on the crown of his head. Xiao could only curl up slightly and relish in the warm comfort being given to him.

And not even a few minutes later, he felt his body grow heavy from sleep. His breathing had evened out and he finally could relax.

The Yaksha drifted off in the safe embrace of his father, unaware of the figure watching him from just outside the slightly ajar door.