"夢か悪夢か"
━━━━━━

Astaroth smiled as Xiao turned to him with a reaction comparable to a cats. Perking up when he called out his name, only to huff and turn away. To him, it was adorable, urging him to tease the Yaksha even more.

To the side, Nyx was conversing with Ganyu, who had been attracted to the familiar presence. To the surprise of the half qilin, she was met with a familiar face, excitement rolling of her.

"Xiao, please cheer up. I do apologize for not visiting lately."

He wasn't in his Noir form, standing taller then the Yaksha with his dark hair swaying as he tilted his head from side to side. Astaroth would have visited Zhongli, but with how angry the god of chaos was, Astaroth was a bit hesitant to visit his little dragon.

The Yaksha hissed, just like a cat, muttering incoherently. He was visibly upset, even with the almond tofu that Astaroth had given him.

"What is it you want? I must attend to my duties." Xiao clicked his tongue, acting like a sulking child, but he would never admit that.

Ganyu had paused, excusing herself until Nyx convinced her to rest. The serpent knew very well how stressed and sleep deprived Ganyu was, having been asked to attend over-time with her one time.

Astaroth smiled, leaning on the rails as show crossed his arms over his chest. Such a familiar scene, yet very different. Humming softly to himself, the lord of darkness felt his hand twitch.

"What's so wrong with wanting to see you? Dear Yaksha, you're quite grumpy these days."

Xiao scowled, though felt embarrassed at his reasonings. He listened to the soft rhythm, a beat from Astaroth's finger tapping on the wood. It was not familiar, it was not a tune — yet he felt tranced at the sound. A soft rhythm, not holding a single meaning to it.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Astaroth did not stop — even when he noticed how Xiao seemed to calm down by the sound. The deity smiled, wonder how the Yaksha would react. His tapping grew faster and faster, louder and louder.

Tap.   Tap.   Tap.   Tap.   Tap.

It made Xiao's expression contort, holding his head. It was a violent rhythm. His Karma began to act up, and the Yaksha's hand clutched his chest. The sound was awful.

His gold eyes snapped to Astaroth, humming to the constant tapping. The noise didn't feel right.

His blood ran cold when Astaroth turned to him — a Cheshire grin on his face, the tapping slowly getting softer. Xiao could barely hide it, he panted, cold sweat trailing down from his forehead.

"Oh dear. Xiao, is your karmic debt getting worse? Here, let me help."

Unable to protest, Xiao allowed him to relieve the pain. He watched as the gloves Astaroth wore were discarded, his pale hand falling to soft locks of dark teal.

A shiver went up his spine.

Astaroth's touch was cold, no matter how much heat the god could release, he was always cold. Even Xiao, who ate snow could not withstand his cold touch in the battlefield.

The dark shadow loomed over him, the shade beneath his feet writhing violently, but his eyes were focused on the god, fixing his painful karma. Xiao could feel himself get lighter and lighter, slowly but surely his mind grew hazy. He felt sleepy, his vision blurry as his body swayed from side to side. Cold sweat rolled of his forehead, gritting his teeth — he felt drowsier.

— he willed himself to stay awake. Open his eyes, keep his guard up. But alas, Astaroth's method seemed to work. The karmic debt that tortured him over and over again was suppressed, but he knew it was only temporary. No matter, he felt at peace. Sighing till his body gave in, no longer could he keep his eyes open. Xiao fell asleep, falling forward and caught in Astaroth's arms.

Exhausted from the constant pain. Exhausted from his duties as an adeptus. He protected Liyue for centuries and he never rewarded himself with rest. Astaroth knew that, but Xiao belonged to Morax. He couldn't do anything much.

"Ganyu, seems like Alatus has fallen asleep."

Astaroth smiled at the qilin, one of his hands stroking the Yaksha's head. Dark mist swarming his palm, entering the Yaksha's head. His eyes narrowed as he handed over the unconscious adeptus to the half-human, usherinf the emissary to rest up herself.

"He may be asleep for a few hours. Make sure to give him some almond tofu once he wakes up, his Karma has been temporarily removed after all."

Ganyu's eyes brightened, nodding as she tried her best to carry Xiao. Leaving both nyx and Astaroth to watch her struggle. The serpent couldn't help but chuckle at the two adepti.

"Schatten, if I may be so bold—"

Nyx gave him a dark smile, watching her master hum thoughtfully. Her pensive expression, yet eyes sharper then a dagger.

"What did you do to him?"

Astaroth gave her a glance, before shrugging his shoulders and turning away.

Xiao was a suffering Yaksha. Once a slave to a god, now a contracted adeptus to Rex Lapis. But Morax has fallen. What of the contract? To this day, the conqueror of demons protects Liyue in his own way, while suffering from his karmic debt.

That very darkness and poison was a living hell. Xiao could not admit this, — he longed for death. It was the only way to free him of the pain. But Astaroth was there as well. A being capable of quelling Karma itself, yet the Yaksha dares not to accept his offer of salvation, forcing himself to suffer what he thinks to be his retribution.

He was either stubborn or unwilling to accept the lord of sceo's help.

"Nothing really...just some karma to lure out a soul."

.

Alchemy, the art of creation.

Albedo was a creation of Alchemy. Although his creator was a mystery, he assumed that his teacher — his master had been capable of creating him.

The concoctions of potions and the heavily scented ingredients lying on his table spread across the air. Colorful mists and smoke rising from test tubes and flasks, almost clouding his entire laboratory. However, Albedo wore a mask to keep himself safe.

Carefully tapping into a vile of purple liquid, observing the effects of every drop onto the piece of wood. Transformation was an easy task for him, but there were things he needed to process. Such as, turning a branch from pine to a leyline branch. — it was a success, the dark wood turning lighter and lighter till it resembled that of a leyline dropped by abyss mages.

"It's properties have completely transfigured to that of a leyline branch. A sprout should not be... That... Hard..."

Albedo could feel sweat trailing down his forehead, the smoke and mist clouding his vision. Everything felt as if it were swirling, dizzy as he barely touched his forehead.

His vision blurred, black spots fading in and out of his sight. The cold began to creep up under his clothes, his breathe growing unsteady. He supported himself with the table, gripping it tight. The toxins of his potions — seeped through the mask, as if drugfing him.

"Wait.... No... Not yet..." He trailed of, closing his eyes for a moment, and everything seemed out of place,

―he blinked himself awake, coughing as he waved his hand in the air. The smoke slowly dispersed, as he stepped out of the cave, his Laboratory, for fresh air. Drafonspines cold wafted past him, making the alchemist sigh.

Shivering slightly, Albedo patiently waited till all the smoke ran out, making sure to cover his face even more. But as he stepped forward, his blood ran cold. An ominous presence loomed behind him ― violently turning around, but to be greeted by nothing.

Narrowing his eyes, he observed his surroundings but nothing was there. Though suspicious, he shrugged it of, walking back into his camp.

"How long do you plan on resisting?"

Albedo dropped the vile, the glass shattering as a distorted voice haunted him. Turning around once more, he searched through his camp, but nothing was there. Was it a hallucination? — it was too real to be his imagination.

Gulping, he experienced what others called fear. Albedo stumbled back once he saw a shadowy figure stand in front of him.

"What's wrong? Can't take it anymore?"

It looked exactly like him, but it was all a shadow. You could not see it's face, only it's mouthh opening and close. But the diamond mark on it's 5 neck was not yellow, a venomous purple. A crooked smile plastering itself on the beings face.

Albwdo's pupils shrank, stepping back once the being stepped forward.

"You... You're..."

Albedo couldn't finish—

The alchemist rubbed his eyes, trembling as the shadowy entity had disappeared from his sight. Albedo left his camp, panting as he hurriedly walked down the mountain. It took all his will not to slip down.

"Maybe you should just give up. Mondstadt will be destroyed either way,"

His feet stuck go the ground, Albedo stared in horror as the shadowy entity stood so close to him. Their face mere inches away, with a toothy grin stuck to their porcelain countenance.

But there was insanity inside those violet eyes — a poison that corrupted what was once innocent curiosity.

"Stop... You're not real. You shouldn't be." Albedo grit his teeth, pushing away the shadow as he walked passed down the mountain even further. All he could think of was escape — predicting that if he left Dragonspine, the shadow wouldn't follow.

But he failed — his body frozen in place as he stood right beneath the statue of Barbatos. The shadow appearing once more,

"You can't escape me... Not with your origins."

"No— stop—"

Albedo trembled, the shadows arms wrapped around his shoulders, whispering it's venomous words to his ear. Yet the second voice, so similar yet it was trying desperately to protect him.

Perhaps he should surrendur. Perhaps he should just have the being take control. Maybe it was for the best.

The light in his eyes. Slowly grew dim, the shine dying as venom was whispered into his ears. Albedo could fill himself loose his will, succumbing to the poisonous whispers of the shadow. He felt himself grow weaker and weaker, watching as the shadow merged itself into his body — taking control.

It felt cold.

"That's right... Surrender yourself to me."

―thus he stood before Monstadt, a smile filled with insanity doning his lips.

The fire burned away the city. The knights desperately trying to defend the people. In the midst of it all, there stood a figure in front of the acting grandmaster and the rest of the knights.

Only the shell of his once self smiled at them, a dark sword covered in royal flames. He did not hesitate to swing his blade, a slash of flames burning through the air, and scorching the knights.

There stood the chiefs alchemist, his sword plunged to the dandelion knights chest, whilst the corpse of the witch of purple rose lies beneath his feet.

As the bloodshed and chaos ensued, the fleeing sunlight dies down, screaming as she watched the kreideprinz destroy their home....

"Big brother!"

Albedo froze as he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders, and he stared at eyes filled with worry and fear. They felt familiar. He felt safe...

"Wake up—"

'What?'

"Don't...lis....o...it...."

'What are you saying?'

"It's not real!"

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The shadow slipped away from it's vessel, sucked into a glass orb. The shadow now turns into a void of darkness inside the glass, the god's pale face formed a smile at his success.

Yet golden eyes fall to the unconscious figure of such a magnificent creation, a sense of guilt falling into him. Kneeling in front of the unconscious alchemist, he stroked his blonde hair, watching as his pained expression slowly changed.

He held him in a tight embrace, whispering his apologies over and over again. The cold body he held, like a corpse yet so alive. He could feel someone else in the body of the alchemist, frowning as he realized that he did not cleanse the soul, neither did he regain all of it.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry for having you go through this... I'm sorry for hurting you both..."