Hello everyone!!

Ok... where do I start?
Maybe with a warning/announcement of sorts... I guess ??

I've been a writer for a while, but this is my first one shot published in English EVER. My mother tongue is Spanish but I wanted to make the jump and try something new. This shipping is my brainrot at the moment and I really wanted to contribute with a little grain of salt. However, it's very likely that you will find some grammar inaccuracies or weird expressions, if that's so, please forgive me and if you can point them out as a constructive critique, I'll be more than happy.

Currently I don't have a beta or someone who can review my work so apologies if my narrative seems to be very basic or confusing at times. I doubted a lot about publishing this piece and I had to gather some courage to do it so please be gentle with me.

I really hope this one shot will be of your liking. More notes at the end of the fic! Thanks a lot in advance for your support!

COVER CREDITS: Kaga_0U0 (Twitter)

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"I beg you, Master. Liberate me from my contract with you and with Liyue. I promise you this will be my last wish."

The amber-eyed Yaksha remained on his knees, while speaking those words in a grave and atone mood. But even so, it was easy to notice he was absolutely destroyed.

The Lord of Geo observed him in total silence, completely lost for words for the first time in a while. For all the millennia he had lived until this point, this was truly an unforeseen situation. He had no clue what to do, not even how to reply to the plea he was listening to. To be fair, he was tempted to let his jaw drop in disbelief. However, that would be out of character for him.

Finally, after what both could consider an eternity, the one that was now by the name of Zhongli, opened his lips.

"May I be so bold to inquire what you intend to do if I accept your request?"

This question was not fortuitous, he already knew the answer. He knew his children like the back of his hand, every single one of them. Nothing would escape from his insightful eye, all of them were like open books on his fingers.

However, he wanted Xiao to say it out loud, to accept it in front of him, in hope that that would make him change his mind. Zhongli couldn't afford to lose him as well.

Once again, the silence reigned over the peak of Mt. Hulao where they agreed to meet. Only the sound of the wind, calm and gentle, would dare to interrupt their interchange.

Xiao was conscious that this could happen, he knew it since he came up with the idea of looking for the former Archon to raise his request. But that didn't mean he was ready to offer an explanation.

Thinking about it was painful enough, trying to voice it would be devastating no doubt.

But he had little choice on the matter. If his Master was looking for explanations, he was forced to offer them.

"I plan to end my suffering once and for all. I wish not to keep living in a world where she is no longer present," he declared coldly and apparently, emotionless but making a huge effort to not let himself break.

His counterpart felt how his heart shattered by confirming his suspicions. He was about to lose the last of his Yakshas, the only one who had been strong enough to carry on with the sacred duty he had relied upon his shoulders for a very long time.

But contrary to what it might seem, the one that used to be called Rex Lapis was not preoccupied with losing a soldier. No, he knew that somehow, Liyue could endure even if the ever-saving shadow of Xiao wasn't present to exterminate evil. He was sure that the Qixing and the other adepti could reach an agreement on this. Would the solution come out to be as efficient as his Yaksha when dealing with demons? No, it won't. No one would ever match this admirable warrior. But they must have to make it work.

His real concern was to lose a child. A true son for him. He hadn't created him, of course. But even so, the Lord of Geo always felt so attached to him, since the very first moment he laid eyes upon the abused creature Alatus used to be.

Bittersweet memories invaded him as he continued trying to digest Xiao's words. The past of the Yaksha was hard to remember, but to be fair, facing the present was even worse.

"My son..." he started to talk; with a lower voice he would have liked to, "I'd really like to know if there's something else I could do to help you. I, for real, don't want to lose you too."

There was no need to hide his disappointment and the sorrow the mere idea of letting his Yaksha die was causing him. He was beyond that. Xiao had his utter confidence, so they always talk openly to each other.

The younger one sighed as he stood and then took seat by Zhongli's side.

"You have always been so caring towards me. You know it very well, that you were the only one capable of easing my pain before she appeared in my life. But now, the soaring wounds I feel on my very soul are beyond healing. I'm sure there is nothing in this world that could make me feel better. Nothing would bring her back to life after all..." he finished, taking his hands to his head, finally being unable to keep hiding his agony anymore, letting the tears emerge like a tsunami from his eyes.

He hated this version of him, of course. He despised looking like a fragile human controlled by emotion. He had already forgotten how it felt to be this vulnerable and frightened. But here he was, and he hated it. With all his heart.

However, the tears won't stop flowing and the pain won't cease to exist within him.

Losing Lumine was the worst nightmare he has ever had. And how he would like for this to be nothing but a bad dream!

Yet he wasn't that lucky. This was reality, the heaviest and most terrible one. Since he was informed by Ganyu of Lumine's passing he was nothing but a mess of regrets, ache, and hate.

Memories of her, of both, were playing repeatedly into his head. Sweet ones that had been tarnished by tragedy. He remembered everything with a painful accuracy that was driving him insane: the first time they met at Wangshu Inn, the flavor of the Satisfying Salad and the Almond Tofu she had bothered to cook for him to gain his trust, the sweet scent of her hair and the touch of her warm, soft body when he grabbed her, saving her from demise when fighting against Osial, the elegant and subtle pink of her cheeks when he came up with the first present on his own birthday, the melodic sound of her laugh when trying to blindly clip the crystal cores he gave her on the flowers that always adorned her head, the thousand lights reflected on her beautiful golden eyes each Lantern Rite, her ever caring side towards him, the sweet sound of her voice calling him by his name, how his heart would threat to jump out of his chest every time she would pay him a surprise visit after months of absence...

The list of things he remembered was infinite and he simply couldn't keep reminiscing. Each one of them burned inside his chest with the heat of a thousand suns. It was truly unbearable.

Regret was also making his life harder. He won't find solace from it by any means. Right after he learned of Lumine's death his first reaction was disbelief, only to be followed by anger moments after, when Ganyu had to repeat to him for the third time the horrible story and details of how they were sure this wasn't an error.

He had disappeared from Ganyu's sight without a word, transporting himself immediately to a zone where malice was especially strong. Nothing was clear to him, he couldn't understand a thing of all the storm of emotions he was feeling but his only thought at this point, his unique desire was to destroy.

And destroy he did.

Alatus had never enjoyed massacre. Until this day.

He became a predator, a vicious creature that craved for nothing but bloodshed. He naively hoped this would ease his broken spirit.

Xiao soon would realize this wasn't the case. As he was murdering in cold blood all those demons, the anger would only build in force. The smell of carnage wasn't enough to make him feel freed from the anger that guilt was causing him.

He never spoke clearly of his feelings. He had never confessed to her. How could he? A rotten and damaged being, kissed by darkness and death, how could someone as damned as him aspire to love such a pure and bright creature like Lumine? To be accepted by her? To be worthy of her?

As he kept killing and chopping his enemies with his emerald weapon, the memories would only continue to engulf him. Soon, the cries of pain of his victims were combined with his own screams of anger. Tired, wrecked and bathed in blood and tears, he would drop to the floor finding specially alluring the idea of pinning his Jade spear on his heart.

If the slaughter of demons won't ease his grief, then maybe his own death would do. The only problem was that he wasn't the owner of his fate.

And thus, he departed in search of the one who could free him for good.

It was Zhongli's turn to let out a deep sigh. Watching the brave Yaksha to be this defeated was unbearable.

He couldn't help but to see himself mirrored in Xiao's pain. His mind took him some thousand years back, when he had recently lost Guizong.

But of course, even if he could understand Xiao's feelings, this was completely different to what he had experienced.

Zhongli could sense that regret was the main reason for Xiao's state. For the things that could be but never were will always weigh more than the ones that took place.

Rex Lapis had enjoyed his share of time beside his beloved. She would even leave him something to live for: the puzzle he hadn't been able to solve yet to this very day. But the mere fact of knowing that her last will existed would suffice him to keep on.

On the contrary, Xiao had nothing of this, only remorse.

"You must know that even if I think I understand your grief, I'm not willing to let you die, Xiao. What you're asking from me is extremely difficult..."

The former Geo Archon was trying to negotiate with his adeptus, hoping that somehow, he could convince him to abandon his intentions. The affection he had for Xiao was huge, he always saw him as one of his most brilliant children.

"Pray tell me how much more I need to suffer in this life to be worthy of my freedom?" asked the Yaksha, feeling how his tears started to burn his cheeks, enraged and frustrated due to his Master's negative.

The question raised by Xiao hit Zhongli's feelings like a meteorite. He hasn't realized how selfish he was. The Conqueror of Demons was right, he had endured thousands of years of waging war without complaining not even once, fulfilling his duty with blind loyalty towards the ex-Archon and Liyue, resisting physical pain, every wound, every burden, his karmic debt plus the trauma the death of his comrades left and so much more that he would dared to voice.

It wasn't hard to understand that if Xiao had had the courage to ask such a thing it was because this was something he wasn't able to bear at all.

The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's adviser let out a deep breath, remembering that he also had felt tired and wasted of serving as Morax, the all mighty god of Contracts and War. He had no right to deny Xiao of his freedom, not even knowing that bestowing him his desire would lead him to his death.

Zhongli stood quietly and tilting his head just enough to look the Yaksha directly to his amber eyes, announced:

"All right. I will grant your wish. From this moment, you're freed from your contract with me and with Liyue. The only condition is that I will oversee everything. I don't want you to experience a violent, undignified death. You deserve better, you ought to have to go in peace, my son."

Hearing these words, Xiao's eyes filled with tears again, moved by the former Archon's mercy and affection towards him. There was no doubt that today, he was a mess of emotion.

"Thank you," he replied, feeling a knot on his throat "I'll feel more confident if you help me. You know? I had already thought about how to do it, unable to find an answer. Even if I'd let myself fall from the highest mountains, I'll still survive. Being an adeptus could be... bothersome on this term."

"It's the least I can do. The erosion of the spirit takes its toll on all of us, sooner or later. Your soul is no longer able to bear any more pain, it is completely understandable. I will not force you to live with such a great loss. Please, wait for me here, I'll come back with some herbs that will let you sleep peacefully," said Zhongli, barely keeping a firm tone in his voice when pronouncing those last words.

"I will... thanks again," replied the Yaksha with cold solemnity, looking at him depart.

Being alone, the Conqueror of Demons finally let himself to properly mourn over Lumine. Memories piled on him again: heavy and painful, making his shoulders feel a physical weight that bothered him. He let out another sigh, feeling exhausted and a bit dizzy, he was already fighting to process the news. One side of him was still in disbelief but the other, had the terrible reality very clear.

Among all the questions and regrets he had; one matter prevailed: why did she not call him? Why had she preferred to put herself in danger – and a mortal one – than to call for help? Perhaps, she thought that distance was a problem for him to assist her? Or was it that she never trusted him enough?

"I'm sorry..." he said quietly, more like a whisper in the wind than proper, blaring words "I wish... no, I thought I was being obvious. I beg your pardon, Lumine... for never being able to word my true feelings. For never letting you know directly and without running in circles, how important you are to me. I was stubborn and stupid, thinking that, if I repeated you enough times that you should call me when in danger, you would understand how precious you were to me... that I'd rather die than let harm happen to you... I failed to protect you and convey the true meaning of my words to your heart..."

Bitter tears wet his face again, clouding his vision. «So today is going to be my last in this world... », he thought after several minutes and wiped his cheeks, trying to recover his dignified presence once again. He didn't want Zhongli to see him that crushed, even if he had already cried in his presence before. Xiao needed to avoid looking as vulnerable as when he was young, even if in this very moment he felt the weakest individual in the whole Continent.

As the hours passed, painting the sky with the yellowish and orange tones of the late evening, Zhongli returned carrying the promised ingredients for the last tea he would concoct for Xiao. The aura of the Lord of Geo felt dense, tired, and emanated a deep sadness. Each one of his movements was perfect and calculated but painfully slow, like if he was trying to make the time freeze.

However, he knew that no matter how much he would try to delay it, the inevitable would come to pass. Xiao had decided to sign a new contract with death, and he won't be able to turn the tide. Lumine was his world, and it was only natural that he would do anything in his hand to try to reach her, to reunite with her wherever she would be.

Deeply in his heart, he would have hoped that his Yaksha would ask for his freedom but not due to grief, but because he had finally encouraged himself to go after her and find a new world, a new life between her loving, caring arms.

Maybe if he had tried to persuade him before, this would never have happened...

After several hours, during which they rememorated some cherished moments, the brew was finally ready. Zhongli put special attention bringing ingredients that would let Alatus go quickly and without pain, so he knew that it was only a matter of minutes before they parted ways forever.

"It won't take long for this to make effect," he announced in all seriousness "are you sure you don't need to say goodbye to no one else?" asked, hoping Xiao would remember someone important to him this time, "the rest of the adepti surely will feel a deep sadness for not being able to voice their farewell."

"I am conscious of that, and I feel sorry for it, but I don't have the energy nor the intention to force them to see me in this state. Right now, I am not the best version of me. If they're going to remember me, I'd like them to stay with the memory of the partner they once knew. I hope they will forgive me."

"Of course..." replied the elder, his throat so tight he could barely talk, "I will make sure to explain them."

In response, the Conqueror of Demons only nodded a bit and stretched out his arms to let Zhongli know he was ready to drink. His counterpart got the idea, and in silence, put the ceramic cup where he had poured the concoction into Xiao's hands.

Before the Yaksha drank even a sip, the one he had seen as the father he never had, invited him to sit on the grass, right next to him, to enjoy for the last time the waning moon that ruled over the sleeping Liyue for the last time.

The gentle breeze caressed their faces, drying the discreet teardrops that escaped from Zhongli's yellow eyes. He was making a huge effort to remain calm considering that this was the first time he had to lead one of his own to the dark corridor. Xiao needed to remember him as his moral support, he won't let himself break down now.

Without further ado, the Yaksha drank the whole cup in one go, feeling the heat of the liquid and the bitterness of the herbs on his tongue, but making no sign of disgust.

Knowing he had the seconds counted he just turned to look his father for the last time to say his final words:

"Thank you, again. You know that I am parting with the honor of having been of use for the mighty Rex Lapis and Liyue. I have lived proud and courageous with my own share of pain and sorrow. But thanks to her, I finally knew what happiness was", his extremities started to feel numb and lighter, his eyelids heavy, clouding his thoughts, making him to pause the rhythm of his speech as the tea started to make effect, "And once that I tasted the bliss she brought with her light, I got addicted to it. I am simply unable to let her go now", his words were more and more sluggish, "I am leaving in peace... I'd only wished to have accompanied her at least once to see the fireworks at the Lantern Rite..."

The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's adviser had to catch the – now, limp body of the unconscious Conqueror of Demons – between his arms. As the night grew darker and more silent, the former Archon finally let out a deep cry that resonated in Jueyun Karst. For tonight he had lost his golden child. The last of the Yakshas had reached his demise.

"Sleep well, dear boy. May you finally find peace following her shine. I hope you two will reunite in the afterlife. I am sure she will be waiting for you... I know for good that she loved you as much as you loved her in this life"

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Well, I really hope you don't find that ending very odd. I put a lot of thought about it, like if I should try to be more descriptive or not but my brain and my poor heart just couldn't cope with it (yeah I suffered while I was writing this trash xdd).

Also, I hope I was able to portrait both characters well. This is my first time writing them and I was really nervous about it, thinking that it was very easy to screw it and write a bunch of OOC nonsense.

I know that some stuff is not very canonical or at least but please bear with me for the creative liberties I've decided to take.

Again, thank you for your feedback and I hope this is not the last time I decide to publish something... I'd like to keep improving.