Of crystalfly's and gilded cages

by BreakItDwn

Summary:

When Lumine makes an arguably poor decision and ends up almost dying she learns what it really means to be the obsession of a god.

Chapter 1

The heat of the summer sun was unforgiving and wasn’t doing her already sore body any favors. It was hot and her skin was slicked with sweat that wasn’t just from the heat. When Lumine had been whole, back when she still had wings to carry her and her brother by her side, she had never gotten sick. Their stardust in their souls kept them from experiencing such mortal ailments like a common cold. But now that she’d been chained to Teyvat, her powers sealed, she was getting a first hand experience of what it was like to get sick and she hated it.

It hadn’t started out bad, just a mildly sore throat. She’d been too stubborn to go to Bubu’s for medication and that sore throat had spiraled into a full blown cold. Her entire body ached and she felt weak, her throat had gone from sore to feeling like someone had scraped it raw with sandpaper.

She really should’ve stayed at the inn to rest for a few days but she was just too stubborn. To accede she actually needed rest felt it meant she was actually acknowledging she was no longer the person she had once been and she refused to do that.

So despite Paimon begging her to reconsider and Kathyrne looking at her like she wasn’t sure if she should even hand her the job, Lumine had accepted a commission. It was a simple one, just a regular courier mission to deliver a package to a Akademiya facility stationed at one of the smaller cities on the border of Sumeru and Liyue. The path there was all through safe, traveled roads and was almost guaranteed to be an easy trip.

“This is such a bad idea.” Paimon told her as they walked through Liyue Harbor towards the city gates. “You’re sick Lumine! You should be resting!”

Lumine coughed, it was wet and it hurt her chest and did little to prove that she was perfectly fine. She grimaced as Paimon stared her down with even more intensity, radiating disapproval,. “We need the mora Paimon.”

She winced, gods talking hurt and she sounded terrible.

Paimons silver eyes narrowed and clearly, Lumine’s words had done little to convince her friend. “Try again Lumine. Paimon knows exactly how much mora we have saved up and we’d still be fine even if you took a few days off. Why do you want to do this so bad?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Lumine, Paimon knows you! Ever since you started it’s like you’ve been trying to push yourself even harder than normal. Usually it’s the opposite! You’’re chasing job after job like you’re running from something.”

Sometimes she hated how intuitive Paimon could be at the most inopportune times. She was usually so air headed that it was easy to forget just how well her friend knew her. The only other person she’d known that could call her out so easily was her brother.

“I’m not pushing myself.” She tried her best not to sound defensive but failed miserably.

“Lumine,” Paimon floated right in front of her, halting Lumine in the middle of the street. “You haven’t rested at all since you started getting sick and it’s just gotten worse. It was okay when we were just doing jobs in the city but now we're leaving Liyue Harbor, it’s going to be a lot more dangerous. Paimon is worried.”

What a strange reality she lived in where Paimon was turning into the voice of sense, usually it was the other way around.

“Look, it will be fine. How about this, once we get back I’ll treat you to that food stall you like so much.”

“You can’t just placate Paimon with food!” She stomped her foot in the air in indignation. “Not everything revolves around food Lumine!”

“...So is that a no?”

Paimon was silent before she turned her away, arms crossed with a pout on her face. “Paimon didn’t say that. Just that bribing her with food won’t always work. You can always try though, Paimon never says no to free food.”

“Considering I’m the one making the mora, all the food you eat is free.”

“That’s not true! Paimon contributes! She’s your tour guide after all. And you don’t even pay me for that.”

“I pay you in experience.”

“Experience doesn’t fill your belly Lumine!”

Lumine rolled her eyes, a fond smile curling at the edges of her lips. “Say that to my mora pouch.”

“Bah! You’re always so mean to Paimon! After everything she does for you!” She huffed before her expression settled into something more serious as she fully eyed Lumine, who knew exactly just how terrible she looked. “For real though, are you sure you’re going to be okay Lumine?”

Her voice was such a small thing on that last question and if it was difficult to pick out her words in the bustle of the city crowd. A sense of guilt churned inside her at just how worried she was naking her friend. Paimon was loud, rarely ever as quiet and unsure as she was in that moment. She might joke around and let Lumine bribe her with food but it didn’t erase just how distressed she was at Lumine taking this job.

“Ill be fine, I promise.” She hoped her smile came off reassuringly rather than pained at how sore her throat was. “It’s an easy job on a safe path where the Milleth routinely patrol. We won’t take any shortcuts or side trips, it’ll be done before you know it.”

She didn’t look convinced but since Lumine had given Paimon her word something seemed to settle. “Fine. But if you end up dying Paimon’s going to resurrect you just to kill you again. You hear me?!”

“Loud and clear, my fabulous tour guide.”

Just as she had assumed the trip out of the city was an easy one as they followed the main roads. Despite how well their trip was going it did little to change just how terrible she felt when she had to force her worn out body to move when all it wanted was to curl into a ball and sleep for a few days. Maybe this really was as bad an idea as Paimon had claimed but they were already too far to turn around.

Between herself and her brother she had always been the one to make decisions on impulse without actually thinking them through and despite how many times it had come back to bite her over the centuries they’d been traveling, it seemed like she’d never learned. If Aether were here he would probably laugh at her for her idiocy before forcing her to rest.

She tried not to think about her brother(a portal closing with dead eyes that stared at her like she was a stranger, her other half abandoning her).

She shook away thoughts she’d rather not dwell on and did her best to focus on the moment. She could do this, she absolutely could.

It was quiet as they traveled and she thanked all the gods of her motherland for the peace. There weren’t any hillichurls or even Fatui squads. She could defend herself, even in the state she was in, but the idea of actually moving around enough to fight made her want to vomit. Though she was just feeling that way in general.

They took the journey slower than they normally would but even with how often they’d needed to pause to let Lumine rest, they were still making good time. She had allowed herself to just enjoy the quiet when something in the air made her pause.

The had just passed Linju Pass and despite every sense in her body being thrown into high alert she couldn’t quite tell what it was that had stopped her at first. The air was calm but there were no noises from any of the animals in the area, a blanket of silence smothering them. It took her a second to pick up on something she hadn’t immediately noticed.

Not too far from where they were she could see noxious gray fumes plume into the sky, clear signs of a large fire. She was sure if she could still smell she’d be able to pick up on the smoke too. Where there were clouds of ash like that there was destruction.

Immediately, she summoned her sword and ran towards whatever it was that was on fire.

The distance wasn’t far but her lungs absolutely burned by the time she reached the source of the fire and by that point the ash in the air made it even harder to breathe. What they found was a camp that was absolutely destroyed, tents on fire and signs of a battle scored into the earth. The fire was bright and unforgiving as it blazed through everything.

Her first instinct was to try and find any survivors but as they explored the camp they came across their first set of bodies.

It was a burly man and a young woman, both dressed in the tell tale uniform of the adventurers guild. Their bodies were complete intact save for the long spears of some corrosive energy, pure black with hints of an otherworldly purple, that completely skewered the both of them. More than people they resemble pin cushions. Their skin was deathly pale but they were warm to the touch, meaning this had happened recently. What struck her though was how the veins beneath their skin glowed that same purple she could see in those spears.

She’d never seen anything like this, both the energy itself and how these poor people had died, their bodies completely tainted with that same disgusting miasma. What type of monster could do this?

“A-are they…?” Paimon asked from behind her, fear evident in the wobble of her voice. Paimon had seen death before on their journey but it always struck her hard.

Lumine just nodded grimly.

The further they explored the more casualties they found until it totalled seven people. All of them had been killed in the exact same manner as the first two they’re found.

Already she was planning their next steps in her head, they needed to reach out to the guild to get someone to pick up the bodies. The city they were headed to was a small one but she knew had an outpost for the adventurers guild, it would be quickest to head straight there.

First though, she needed to make sure their corpses didn’t burn in the flames before she could get someone out there. Body by body, she dragged them out of the path of the flames, lining them up and closing their eyes. It wasn’t much, but it was the most dignity she could grant them in that moment.

It took a toll on her body to drag that much weight but she didn’t care. The next thing that ran through her mind was how this happened recently, meaning whatever monster had done this was still in the area. And based on her elemental vision, left a blaring trail for them to follow/

It may have been a stupid decision but she refused to let whatever this was hurt anyone else.

“I couldn’t have gone far and I can pick up its energy with my elemental vision.” She looked back down at the bodies she’d lined up with a frown, people who had become nameless corpses that would never draw breath again. They were somebodies families, their loved ones and now they would forever be waiting for them to come home. “We can still track whatever did this.”

Paimon was immediately in front of her face, hands waving as if to dismiss the idiocy of the idea. “Absolutely not! You’re sick Lumine! Taking on a courier job is one thing but actually fighting monsters is another, especially when you’re struggling just to travel normally!”

“We don’t have much of a choice right now Paimon. This isn’t any type of monster I’ve encountered in Teyvat and if it’s capable of doing this to an entire group of adventurer then it could kill even more people with ease.”

“Maybe, but it could kill you! You aren’t good to fight right now Lumine!”

“Paimon, this needs to be done.”

“No!” Paimon shook her head, white hair flying around with the motion. “For once let someone else do it! The city we’re going to has an outpost for the adventurers guild, we can tell them what happened and thet them handle it.”

“If we do that then it will be to late and this thing will have more than enough time to get away and hurt other people. Plus, none of them probably have elemental vision to actually track it down.”

Paimon knew her words were true but still, tried to protest. “But…. Lumine, it’s too dangerous. Can we just let the adventurers guild handle this?”

Once more that guilt bubbled to the surface. It was easy to forget that her decisions didn’t just affect her, that those rash choices she made could genuinely hurt other people. Her friend was worried and with good reason. What Lumine did on a day to day basis was dangerous in the first place but trying to take down an enemy strong enough to kill all these adventurers with how her body was flagging? That was the height of stupidity.

But what choice did they have? It didn’t matter if she had to grind her body to dust, she refused to let more people die. How many more families would lose their loved ones if she conceded to Paimon. Too many.

She would just have to fight as best as she could.

“How about this, once we take this thing down and finish this job I’ll actually take a few days off.”

Paimons eyes widened and she could see the hope the sparked there. “Really?! You’ll actually take time off? Are you telling the truth?!”

Lumine nodded.

Paimon squinted at her before looking back down at the bodies she’d laid out on the ground, weighing what Lumine was promising against the danger of fighting a monster in her state. “Fine. Paimon doesn’t like this but we’ll go after this monster and finish the job. Then after that you’re going to rest and do nothing for at least five days. Five! And if we’re going to do this then we’re going to be super careful okay? If it’s too strong then we retreat, even if it means the monster gets away.”

She didn’t like the idea of letting whatever this was go but these were concessions she needed to make if she wanted Paimon on board with this. “I can agree to that.”

“Alright then!” Paimon put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest, doing her best to sound confident and like she wasn’t worried but not quite succeeding. “Let’s go kick some monster butt! Safely!”

“Well put from Teyvat’s best tour guide.”

“Buttering Paimon up isn’t going to make her be any happier about this Lumine.”

Well it was worth a try.

Between the trail of absolute carnage it left behind and the traces she’d picked up with her elemental vision, following its trail had been laughably easy. Unfortunately it had also cut through two other camps, both civilian caravans and merchants who had been killed in the same manner as the camp of adventurers.

The second camp had been the hardest to go through. It had been what she’d assumed to be a family of merchants. They’d had two small children that had been killed as mercilessly as the rest and the sight of their small dead bodies had made her want to vomit.

While she’d been determined to kill whatever had caused all this, having to drag their bodies next to their parents made her realize that no matter what happened she would do what she had to. If it meant sacrificing herself to strike it down then so be it. Lumine refused to let it hurt anyone else in the same manner it had mindlessly slaughtered all these innocent people.

That was her silent promise to all the nameless corpses, she would kill that thing even if it destroyed her in the process.

Following it had taken more time than she’d thought it would and already she could feel just how sluggish her aching body was, not responding the way she wanted. Her head was absolutely pouding and her chest burned with each breath she took. Regardless she refused to back down.

It was stupid but every time she considered agreeing with Paimon and letting the adventures guild handle this the image of those two small children popped into her head and she knew with certainty that she couldn’t allow herself to cave,

When the managed to finally corner the creature it was in an abandoned ruin and with her first sighting of it, Lumine knew she’d never encountered anything like this. Which meant she was flying into this completely blind.

The closest thing she could compare it to was one of the hypostasis’ they’d encountered. A large jagged crystal burned at the center of it, a luminescent purple that reminded her of the purpling veins they’d found on all the corpses. Viscous black liquid orbited around it, thick like tar as it circled around the core that was the crystal.

This unknown monster set her on edge. It’s energy was so corrosive and vile that she felt like it would taint her just standing as close as she was.

Lumine made the first move as she drew on geo to conjure large spears of earth to strike at its core. Spear after spear rained down in a move she’d learned from Zhongli but it quickly became apparent that her attacks were useless. That tar moved quickly and was apparently sturdy enough to block everything she threw at it.

Its defense was incredibly strong.

Then it went on the offensive and there was no room for thinking, Lumine moved. Those spears that had killed all those people were brought down on her like a storm, relentless as she ran and dodged.

Her entire world narrowed down into dodging and striking at it with elemental energy whenever its attacks exposed its core. It followed a pattern and was almost thoughtless in how it stuck out at her, like there was no plan beyond just throwing as many of those spears as she could. It was relentless and it was obvious why it had managed to kill all those adventurers.

Had it been any other time, fighting this wouldn’t have been hard. It didn’t have any strategy or technique and only focused on wildly flinging projectiles at her. But this wasn’t any other time and she was sick. She’d been holding up well enough before but now that she was in the hear of battle it felt like her body wasn’t listening to her.

She was slow and so sloppy, stumbling where she would have danced around its attacks. Her body ached and her arms shook with the weight of holding her sword. Lumine was barely managing and she cursed how of all the times her sickness was choosing now to catch up to her.

She wasn’t going to last much longer.

So she made a stupid, impulsive choice. The next time it’s core was exposed she propelled herself forward with a burst of anemo, surroundings blurring as she sped towards it. A rain of spears were hurtled at her and it was only her luck in being a bit too far to the left that kept her from being skewered. One of the spears managed to hit her though, the thing grazing her side.

She didn’t feel it though and with as much strength she could muster she struck down on the crystal. Under her sword it cracked, spider webs branching out, until shards of it broke off, the crystal shattering to pieces. The tar dissipated into the air as it died, disappearing like it had never been there in the first place.

She was hunched over, sword in the ground the only thing holding her up and she gasped for air. Struggling to just breath, The pain in her side flared with every breath and when she looked down she realized it had cut through her dress to draw a gash into her skin. It was shallow, barely bleeding even, and given how quickly she healed would be completely gone in a few days.

“What in the name of the Archons was that Lumine?!” Paimon flitted in front of her, frantic as she scanned her for further injuries. “You said you’d be careful, that wasn’t careful at all!”

“Sorry Paimon, I saw an opening and I took it.”

“That was dumb and you know it.”

Lumine winced because in truth, Paimon wasn’t wrong. That last rush was impulsive and reckless and it was only pure luck that those last few spears it sent towards her didn’t completely run her through. Had she been just a bit to the right when she used her anemo to jump at it she would have joined the all the corpses they’d run into trying to hunt this thing down.

Dispute the idiocy of it, she didn’t regret it one bit. That thing would never be able to hurt anyone ever again.

“Maybe, but it’s dead. Now we can head to the city and get in touch with the adventurers guild or the authorities to collect the bodies. After that we drop off our package and head back to Liyue.”

“Maybe we should rest for a minute Lumine, you look like you’re about to fall over.”

She sure felt like she was about to keel over. Her body was shaking and everything hurt but the dead deserved proper burials, not to rot out in the wild as food for scavenging animals. She could rest once they were back in Liyue.

“Once this is over I’ll take that break like I promised and we can just rest for a few days. We’re almost done, just a bit more.”

Paimon was obviously uncomfortable but it spoke to how well she knew Lumine that she knew at this point there wasn’t anything that could make her change her mind.”

“Paimon still thinks we should just go back to Liyue, Lumine.”

“I’m fine Paimon.”

“No you’re not! You look even sicker right now and you could barely defend yourself! Paimon’s never seen you like that. You could’ve died Lumine!”

Again that guilt reared it’s ugly head. Her friend had watched her struggle to fight something that would’ve been easy for her to deal with on a regular day, watched her almost die because she got sloppy.

“I’m sorry Paimon, I promise though we’re almost done. Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then trust me when I say I’ll be fine. Now, let's get going, we’re not that far out from where we need to be.”

The rest of the journey passed by quickly and they were finally able to reach the small border city. Lumine first went to the adventurers guild to report everything that happened and almost immediately they had a team assembled to retrieve the corpses from where she’d marked on the map. Despite knowing she had accomplished what she’d meant to, Lumine didn’t feel good about it at all.

So many people were dead.

It was only on the way to the Akadamiya building that her body stared to falter. It started with her just feeling a bit more sluggish than she already was, but she just attributed it to pushing herself too far. When they left she was sure that once she rested some she’d be fine.

But the ache became even sharper and they were already halfway to Liyue when she started realizing something was actually wrong. Her chest hurt and drawing in breaths were getting harder and harder. It felt like someone had stabbed her through the skull with how badly her head hurt.

It was quick after that as the ache gave way to ice that ran through her veins, limbs tingling before going numb. Terror was all she could feel as her traitorous body crumpled. She fell flat on her face, cheek pressed into the dirt but she could barely feel it through the pain in her head. A loud ringing in her ears drowned everything out.

Despite how her vision started to blur she was able to see Paimon on the ground in front of her face, looking more terrified than she’d ever seen her. She was yelling something, screaming something, but Lumine couldn’t hear and when she tried to move her lips to tell her she was okay she found she couldn’t.

No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t move at all.

She wanted to reach out and reassure her friend that she;d be fine, that she’d be fine because any fear she felt was eclipsed by the need to comfort one of her closest friends.

Blackness had started to encroach on the edge of her vision and though she tried to fight it, she was swiftly swept away into unconsciousness.

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Slow and calm were how Zhongli preferred his day, especially after his retirement. It was a stark difference compared to the days where he was Rex Lapis and took charge in handling Liyue’s affairs in one way or another. Free from the shackles of that responsibility he could just allow himself to be and take things at a pace mortals did. For the first time he was able to just enjoy being in the moment.

While he had enjoyed the benefits shedding the title of Archon had given him that wasn’t to say the adjustment hadn’t been a difficult one. For all that he tried to emulate mortal life the simple fact was he wasn’t one. He was a god who had reigned for thousands of years and though he tried to take on mortal sensibilities it didn’t change how small, mundane aspects of being human escaped him.

After giving up his gnosis the difference between god and mortal became more apparent to him and often he didn’t quite understand the way they though. It was those moments especially that he found himself missing Guizhong. Of all the god he’d ever met she had been the most human and had easily grasped their mortal ways while Zhongli struggled with the basics.

Over time however he had improved greatly, in no small part due to his friendship with Lumine and how excited she always was to show him new aspects of mortal life.

Zhonglie stared down at the forms on his desk, a cup of tea that had long since gone cold by his side. Business at the funeral parlor had been incredibly busy as of late and with how inundated with new clients they’d become, his workload had increased considerably. Especially considering that funeral services were only part of the services they offered. They were the leading experts in dealing with rituals of the spirit and parting rites meant to send off the dead.

Most of those had to be personally handled by Hu Tao which left him dealing with all the administrative work. Unfortunately, work was the very last thing on his mind.

Pulling out his pocket watch for the umpteenth time in the last thirty minutes he frowned down at the device in his hand. Lumine was late and it was getting even later.

They often spent time together and it was so common for her to come by the funeral parlor to see him that she knew all the workers by name, had made friends with quite a few of them. Her visits were usually unprompted but today had been a day where they’d had something planned.

There was an opera that had just come out that Lumine had wanted to see and so he used his connections to procure tickets for the both of the,. They’d had this planned out for the past two weeks and she was supposed to meet him here. Well over thirty minutes ago.

She was rarely ever late and never so far past the time they agreed upon.

It was silly but worry ate at him. He knew she was fully capable of taking care of herself but those instincts he usually kept suppressed were insistent that something had happened. That this was far too out of character for her. It set him more on edge than he wanted to be and made it difficult to focus on his work. His instincts demanded he look for her, that he tear the city apart to find her.

He shook his head and forced those instincts back down, locking them away. She was likely just caught up on a commission.

It was difficult to hold himself back. Lumine was important to him and dare he say the first chink in his impenetrable armor that had appeared in thousands of years. When they had first met and she just been a unique and convenient piece on the board he never could have imagined what she would end up becoming to him.

Their friendship had been a tentative one at first, hesitant but they would constantly run into one another and before he knew it she had become a constant in his life. Zhongli had been alone for a long time and long preferred the solitude but when he’d given up all of his titles to adopt a mortal way of living he found that that solitude was no longer as peaceful as it had once been.

After giving up Rex Lapis he was left floundering in a way he’d never once been before, struggling to find his place when he no longer fit anywhere. He was no longer quite a god and for all his bumbling attempts he was no mortal man either.

He was alone in a world that was nothing like he remembered, most everyone he’d cared about had long since past away. Whether from the consequence of war, the erosion of time or his own hand varied. So was it any surprise that the friendship he’d built with Lumine had become so precious to him?

She saw him for who and what he was and yet treated him like any other man. To her, he was merely Zhongli. Not the god or wayward mortal, just himself.

Those feelings morphed over time into something with unspeakable depth, an ocean of emotions he had never put a name to. To him, she was the starlight in the night sky that gave him hope and filled him with wonder.

Though he hadn’t yet officially courted her he’d all but declared his intent to claim her and all the other adepti were fully well aware. His draconic instincts, the part of himself that was Morax, had wanted to claim her right away and hoard her for himself but the new sensibilities he’d gained as Zhongli stayed his hand.

While he wanted nothing more that to completely claim her, he wanted her to be happy. And though it grated him to let her go and watch from the background as she charged into battle after battle, he trusted she could take care of herself.

That was the only reason he hadn’t hightailed it out the funeral parlor already, chasing the tether of his ambient energy he had placed on her. There had to be a reason she was late and he was sure she’d show up soon.

“Oho, this is already the fifth time I’ve seen you check your watch. Tell me Zhongli, do you happen to have a hot date tonight you didn’t tell your friend Hu Tao about?” Hu Tao smirked at him from where she had been curled up on one of his lounge chairs, her own work on her lap.

For whatever reason while Hu Tao had her own perfectly functional office she often insistent on completely invading his space to work in his office. No matter how much he’d tried to dissuade her she continued to just bring her work here. He wished she would stick to her own space but she was his boss and there wasn’t much Zhongli could say about it.

Plus he felt she got amusement from annoying him and continuing to argue with her about why she should just use her own office was a waste of breath.

His expression didn’t change as he looked at the imp of a woman, a cheshire grin on her face. “You are reading into things when there is no need. I am merely checking the time, director. It surprises me you consider such mundane behavior important enough to be of notice.”

“Just checking the time, hmm?” She tilted her head in a way that reminded him of a cat and tapped at her cheek in mock thought. “I’ve known you for years and I’ve never seen you check the time so desperately, or look at your watch like you want to set it on fire, There’s also the fact that you’ve had that look on your face all day, the one you only get when you know Lumine’s coming by.”

It was disconcerting to know that he apparently had a look on his face that openly showed his excitement that he could spend time with Lumine. That Hu Tao could pick that out meant that she either knew him that well or he was just just that obvious. Neither options appealed to him.

“I…did not think it was necessary for you to pay so much attention to me and my facial expressions.”

“Welp, I’m a good boss who cares about her employees so of course I pay attention.”

“And yet if only you would pay as much attention to your own paperwork then I wouldn’t have as much on my own desk and could actually leave on time.”

“Oi!” She leaned towards him, gold eyes narrowed. “I’ll have you know I always get my work done!”

The flat stare he leveled at her showed exactly what he thought of that statement.

“....Okay, well maybe not always on time but I get it done! And I always pull through on time when it counts! Anyways, stop trying to distract me! We were talking about how excited you were about your and Lumine’s date.”

“A date…” He had learned of the mortal convention not long ago in a novel he’d picked up to pass the time, as much as he would like their time together to be a date he was in no way going to encourage Hu Tao. “I was not aware my personal life was any of your business. And there is no date, we are merely spending time together as friends.”

“Really.” She stared at him unimpressed. “Well then I guess it won’t bother you that I saw her and that millileth guard that’s been following her around like a puppy chatting it up earlier and she was all smiles and laughs. The real ones. I have it on good authority to that he’s going to try asking her out on a date and considering how happily she was apparently talking with him she might just say yes.”

Hu Tao had no possible way to know the amount of rage that bit of information inspired within him or she never would have said anything. Or maybe she would have knowing her. That some foolish mortal would dare try to touch what was his made him murderous. He had killed for far less,

He didn’t register that he he snapped his calligraphy brush at first until he looked down and saw ink on his hands, pooling on the forms he’d been working on. He reminded himself that he couldn’t just go roaring through the street to murder some mortal who had far overstepped his bounds.

It took him a second to calm his ire but by the time he did he realized his error, he had reacted to Hu Tao’s needling and the way she was looking at him now reminded him of a shark that had scented blood. She didn’t even hesitate to sweep her work to the side, looking more enthused than she had any right to be.

“Just friends, huh? That’s a pretty intense reaction for ‘just friends’ and I’m pretty sure that calligraphy pen was super expensive.”

He looked down at the broken pen and the mess of ink breaking it had left behind. It had been expensive but in this moment he honestly couldn’t care less about it. Though it was frustrating to see how the ink ruined the form he’d been working on, he’d have to start over.

“You assume much more than you should in your capacity as director.”

“Bah! You just act like such an excited puppy around her that I can’t not stick my nose in it.”

In all his years, he had never been compared to an excited puppy and he wasn’t sure if he was offended at the comparison or not.

“Also,” She continued, likely sensing his rising irritation and basking in it. “Because I care. You two would make a cute couple and I’ve been rooting for you from day one.”

“This wouldn’t have anything to do with the gambling pot around work about the nature of our relationship would it?”

She froze, it seemed he hit the nail on the head. “Okay, well it’s mostly because I care. I may or may not also have a good chunk of mora on this so if you could just hurry up and tell her how you feel that would be great.”

This child was absolutely incorrigible.

His pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the headache he could feel coming on. No one had ever had such a talent to drive him up a wall and Hu Tao was entirely too proud of that fact. He was already on edge about Lumine, about suppressing the instincts within him that were getting louder by the second, he didn’t have the capacity to deal with this right now.

“Must you always act like this director?”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”

If she weren’t grinning from ear to ear, pleased at her victory, it would have been a lot more convincing. How so much chaos could fit into that tiny body of hers was a mystery to him especially since he’d known her father and grandfather and how calm the two of them had been.

“Perhaps you should work in your own office. The one made specifically for you.”

“But then who’d keep you company when Lumine isn’t here? We can’t have you getting lonely, y'know.”

“I assure you loneliness is not what I’d feel if you would allow me to be.”

“Yeah, but isn’t this more exciting? Life’s boring without a few surprises and I am the best surprise.”

There was so much he could say to that but he was well aware that the more he engaged her the further she’d pester him so he simply threw out the ruined pen and form, wiping up the spilled ink, and grabbed a new one. The easiest way to deal with Hu Tao he’d learned was to just pretend she wasn’t there.

He drowned out her complaints at him ignoring her and focused on rewriting everything. Or he would have had he not felt the tell tale energy spark to life of someone who knew not to approach him in this manner while he was at work. Regardless of his thoughts, the air still crackled and in a burst of anemo Xiao materialized, shoulders stiff and far from the graceful and fluid adepti Zhongli knew he was.

Before he could provide any sort of explanation Hu Tao had already leapt out her chair and had her pole arm at Xiao’s neck in a silent warning. While she was young and the director of the funeral parlor it was easy to forget that she was also a trained warrior. And could likely sense the malignant karma that clung to Xiao of permanent proof of all the blood he’d spilt. It was no surprise that she’d assumed him an enemy.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Her face was stone cold, smile gone and replaced with the practicality of a young woman who’d been trained as a warrior since she could walk. Someone who would strike if given reason to. “Don’t you know it’s bad manners to burst into a funeral home like this?”

Xiao didn’t seem at all bothered by the threat of her blade at his neck, forcing her to pull back as he immediately dropped to a knee before him, head bowed.

“My lord,” Xiao began. “It’s the Traveler.”

He and Hu Tao both froze at those words and he could feel ice starting to settle in his veins. Xiao would never risk outing his identity like this unless something serious happened and with how Xiao refused to look at him, he knew it was something bad. Before he knew it he was standing, leaned over his desk with his hands flat on its surface.

He had been on edge ever since Lumine hadn’t showed and those instincts he had tried so hard to suppress flared violently to life. When he regarded Xiao it wasn’t as Zhongli, but at Rex Lapis. The Acrhon of stone. At this point he could care less that Hu Tao was still in the room, could care less about maintaining his mortal identity.

“What happened.”

“She… she was ill and went on a commision. Her and her companion were attacked by an unknown monster and whatever it’s poisoned her with is destroying her body. She is with Changsheng’s mortal right now but we haven’t found a way to neutralize whatever's inside her.”

His fingernails shifted into to claws and the amber of his eyes lit up, ends of his hair glowing gold as his temper rose. That she was attacked and hurt. The crack of wood was loud in the room as it completely broke beneath where he’d clawed into it. “Unknown monster?”

“Yes. The fairy described it to be but I can’t recall ever encountering any monsters that matched her description.” He reported dutifully. “From what I was able to make out from the Traveler’s companion was that it resembled a hypostasis. It had a crystal core with black tar around it that it used to form spears. While she got through the fight, one of its spears managed to scratch her side. She…”

Xiao looked like he really didn’t want to say what he was about to. If the situation weren’t so dire and didn’t involve Lumine he would have given him space to organize his words, would be kind about how he pushed. But as it was his patience was completely gone.

“What is it, Xiao?” It wasn’t an intentional thing, but his power began to leak out of his iron clad hold. Subtle pressure filling the room with the weight of it.

 

Xiao closed his eyes in resignation. “As it is now my lord the poison has completely worked itself through her body and neither Changsheng nor her mortal have any idea of how to halt its progression. Her organs have already started failing and all the doctor can do is mediate and try to heal what he can. But ultimately… it will reach a point where he won’t be able to reverse the damage. They aren’t sure how long she has left.”

That was enough for his control to completely snap and that pressure roared down on them completely, pushing Hu Tao to the floor and leaving Xiao hunched over as he tried to weather his lords rage. The walls and floor were shaking enough that the walls began to crack, bookcases spilling out their contents and furniture being flipped over with the force of it.

Fury couldn’t even describe how he felt right now. Lumine, his Lumine. She was hurt, dying.

The idea that she would be just another face to add to the long list of people he’d lost made something in him break. He refused, he refused to let her die.

“Where.”

“Bubu’s Pharmacy.” Xiao gritted out and Zhongli forced himself to reign in his power. Now wasn’t the time to let his anger get the best of him. Eventually everything settled, leaving the place a complete mess. Both Xiao and Hu Tao were trying to catch their breath with that invisible pressure finally gone

“Take me there.”

“Take me too!” Hu Tao wheezed out.

When he whirled on her it wasn’t as Zhongli, her subordinate. It was a god who barely keeping himself together and had little patience for her usual mischief. “This is not the time to play games Hu Tao.”

And it really wasn’t. He was liable to lash out and she had a bad habit of pushing boundaries.

“I’m not playing games Zhongli.” She stood on shaky legs and despite how unsteady she was the look she leveled at him was as fiery as the pyro vision she had, defiant even in the face of an angry god whose power far eclipsed her own. “Lumine’s my friend and I care about her. Plus if Baizhu doesn’t know what to do then maybe my expertise can help.”

“Fine.” They didn’t have time for this and her argument was a logical one. “Xiao.”

“Yes, my lord.” He stood as gracefully as if he hadn’t been nearly pressed to the floor by his power moments before and placed either hand on their shoulders. A rush of energy and his office was replaced by one of the back rooms in Bubu’s pharmacy.

The room was cold, clinical and completely devoid of any sort of personality. He could smell how heavy the scent of all the different herbs were, the sharp smell of antiseptic and how routinely the room had been wiped clean. Nothing could have prepared him though for his first look at Lumine, lying there so painfully still on that bed.

Her skin was sickly pale, a ghoulish white with the veins beneath her skin glowing an unnatural purple. He had seen many horrors in the course of his long life but nothing compared to seeing her like this, life force flickering like the sputtering flame of a dying candle. His usual bright Lumine was nowhere to be seen, instead replaced by this sickly thing before him.

Baizhu stood over her, Changsheng whispering something in his ear, as his hand glowed a mint green, placed over her stomach. He was entirely focused on healing and by his side, ever a ready shadow, stood the small girl he’d met on many an occasion, Qiqi. Paimon was floating right behind them as not to bother Baizhu, looking more distressed than he’d ever seen her, wringing her hands anxiously with red rimmed eyes.

She was the first to notice them and the second her eyes landed on Zhongli her face scrunched up. He had barely a second before she rushed him, nearly knocking him back as he suddenly found himself with an arm full of shaking fairy.

She had never instigated touch like this with him before and if he wasn’t so focused on Lumine he would’ve felt surprised.

“Zhongliii!” She got out brokenly and he forced himself to pat his back to try soothing her rather than rush to Lumine’s side like he wanted. He needed to figure out what exactly had happened and more about the monster that had attacked them but he couldn’t do that if she was too overwhelmed to talk. “Lumine, Zhongli it’s Lumine! She’s- she got sick and Paimon told her not to take the commission but she did. And- And even though she could barely move she still went after that monster and now she’d like this!”

She latched onto him further.

“Paimon,” He tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible but it was a struggle. “I know you’re distressed but I need to know more about the monster that hurt Lumine if I’m to help.”

Hu Tao wasted no time making her way to Baizhu’s side, hands reaching for Lumine as they were encased in a red glow as she examined her. While the director was usually childish she could be serious when it counted and if what was happening had anything to do with the spirit than she was the best person to have here.

“Paimon already told Xiao everything she knew.” Her voice wobbled and he just knew she was fighting tears. “It was like a wonky hypostasis and it threw spears at Lumine, one of them cut her and it was slow but she started feeling even sicker and collapsed. I had to call Xiao.”

He had been so consumed by the sight of Lumine that he hadn’t quite picked it out earlier but something she;d said started to sink in, Xiao had mentioned it as well.. “Sick… you mentioned she was sick before she fought the monster.”

“Yeah.” Paimon pulled back, lower lip wobbling as she did her best not to start crying. “She had a really bad cold and despite Paimon telling her not to, she took the commission anyway. It would’ve been okay but then we found camps of people the monster had killed and she took it on herself to hunt it down. She already wasn’t feeling good so when she got attacked she was hurt a lot easier.”

There was something about that statement that sat poorly in his gut, something his draconic instincts latched onto with all the fury of an enraged dragon. Lumine had foolishly and knowingly walked into a dangerous situation when she was already compromised, when she knew she wasn’t capable of protecting herself.

And yet she had still willingly walked into her own damnation, uncaring of her own safety.

He constantly lived a balance between the people he’d been and who he was today, Morax and Zhongli coexisting in a comfortable peace. This was the first time in a long time though that he was being pushed so thoroughly towards Morax. A god who nearly lost his treasure because of her own foolish actions.

He had always trusted her to take care of herself, to fight and come out victorious against anything that stood in her way because he knew just how strong a warrior she was. But if she so stupidly decided to put herself in harms way, if he could not longer trust that she would make the best decision for herself…

“I see.”

“D-do you know what type of monster it is?”

“I have some ideas.” And based on what Xiao had told him he had a few. “But I need to check with Baizhu and Hu Tao first, I will let you know once I figure out what we’re dealing with.”

He left an uncomfortable Xiao who had taken it upon himself to guard Lumine, the one his lord had claimed, from his spot in the corner with Paimon.. He could hear Baizhu and Hu Tao talking uncommonly cordial over Lumine as they discussed whatever it was they had found in their examinations.

Baizhu looked even more serious than he usually did and he knew Hu Tao enough to know that whatever she’d found was incredibly dire.

“Doctor, what’s happening?”

Baizhu spared him the barest glance before returning his full attention to where his magic was working, palm still pressed flat against her side. Now that he was close enough he could see how her dress was torn beneath his touch, this must have been where the monster had managed to strike her.

“Zhongli…” He sounded exhausted. “It is…not good I fear.”

“How so?”

“Neither of us have ever seen anything like this.” Changsheng spoke from her spot on his neck, head bobbing in a respectful bow in his direction. “The energy this monster used is effectively poisoning both her spirit and physical body and with every bit we heal it doubles down and causes even more damage.”

“Indeed.” Baizhu continued. “The dual nature of whatever is poisoning her is making it difficult to treat even beyond the fact that I currently have no way to counteract its effects. It’s completely corroding her soul and in the process it’s also working to destroy her physical body, at this point her organs are starting to fail and I’m only barely managing to reverse the damage and keep her body working. This method isn’t sustainable long term and I fear that unless something is done…she won’t make it through the night.”

He could tell as much from how weak her spirit was but to hear Baizhu actually put that knowledge to words pushed something in him even more towards Morax. Forcing him back into the god he’d once been in a way that wasn’t reversible. This fool of a girl had put herself at such risk and had proved to him that she could no longer properly take care of herself if she couldn’t even keep herself from fighting a monster when her body couldn’t handle it.

Briefly he had a flashback of Guizhong and how she’d turned to dust in his arms, how she’d slipped through his fingers and disappeared into the wind. He thought of all the people he had ever cared about who’d left him just the same..

He would fight Celestia herself if it meant he could keep Lumine from joining them.

“It’s… really bad Zhongli.” Hu Tao stared up at him, frowning. “It’s progressing really rapidly and the type of corrosion… I’ve never seen anything like it before. Even if we can somehow stabilize her physical body her soul will end up completely destroyed. The most I’d be able to do is set up some stop gap measures but I’m unsure if even those will work..”

That her soul, that bright and untethered soul of hers, was being tainted was further salt in the wound.

“Let me check.”

Neither of them objected and it spoke to how desperate the situation was that both of them just stood to the side and let him perform his own examination. After all there weren’t any other options and if they didn’t do something she would die, whether from her body failing or her spirit being destroyed. Something needed to be done.

It was sickening how eerily still she was and it looked so painfully wrong. She was someone who was more filled with life than anyone he’d ever met, constantly on the move and rarely ever settling down. Bile rose in his throat and his power wanted to lash out again but he kept it wrapped tight, he needed to see if there was anything he could do

Placing a hand over where her heart was, able to tell how cold she was even through his gloves, he let his power reach out. He threaded it through her, wove it throughout every inch of her body as he searched for the source and it didn’t take long for him to find what he was looking for.

Both of them had been correct, the miasma that had entered her system was working actively to destroy both her body and soul. To his immediate relief though it was something he’d actually seen before, something fully within his power to treat. He wasn’t surprised Xiao hadn’t been able to tell what had caused this or how to fix it. After all it was from a monster that should have long been wiped out, every one of its ilk and the god that controlled them being hunted down longe before the Archon war had even begun.

He had long believed they had all been destroyed when their god was cut down but one seemed to have survived.

“Luckily I know exactly what type of poison this is. It’s from one of the constructs that belonged to the god of pestilence. Though, they should have long since been hunted down to the last. That one has survived to this day… is concerning.”

He could see the relied plain on their faces. “A god of pestilence? I’ve never heard of a god like that.”

“Neither have I.” Hu Tao shook her head.

“You wouldn’t have, she perished long before the Archon war even began and had few if any followers. She was a weak god but she was able to create constructs and golems as extensions of her own power. One of those matches the monster that Paimon described. To even touch one is to be poisoned by one of the strongest poisons known to Teyvat, that she is still alive after being cut is a testament to how strong Lumine is.”

And it was. If he wasn’t so worried and frustrated with her he would have been proud that she had held out for so long when he had seen other gods fall from less.

“Do you know how to fix it?”

Paimon seemed to have floated back over to them while he was examining her and she looked like a mess

His gaze turned back to Lumine, his Lumine, his hand still on her chest as her heart beat so weakly beneath his palm.

Could he fix this? Yes. Very easily in fact. He would just need to burn away the miasma within her, purge it from her body, and though it would be intensive it was doable.

But something about admitting that out loud didn’t sit right with him. Lumine had knowingly put herself in a situation where she’d almost died, when she knew she wasn’t able to fully handle what she was walking into. For a warrior like herself she should have known better not to force herself when her sick body couldn’t handle the strain.

Throughout the entire time he’d set his claim, he’d always trusted her judgement and that she would be able to keep herself safe.

That such a foolish decision would never even cross her mind.

And yet, here she was. Definitive proof that he’d been wrong. Lumine’s poor decision making had almost stolen her away from him, and had robbed him of the one person he’d cherished.

He had always respected her autonomy and had never even properly courted her because to him, she was like a shining crystal fly in the dark. It flew from place to place, never staying in one spot for too long and thrived on the freedom it had. She would need to find her brother first before he could even hope to ask her to be his. But her freedom, her choices, had caused this. How could he trust that this wouldn’t happen again if he just healed her and let her be?

If he’d have fully claimed her properly like he had wanted to do this wouldn’t have happened, she never would have gotten so hurt.

He could feel that shift inside of him continue to firmly settle on Morax over Zhongli. If Zhongli’s sensibilities and desire to see her happy over being safe hadn’t been there she would still be okay, she wouldn’t be well onto her death bed. She might have hated him, might have loathed him for clipping her wings but she would be safe.

And that took precedence over everything else.

A plan formed in his brain and to the mortal morals he’d learned it would have been considered reprehensible, to a god like himself he was just using his power to take what was rightfully his, to protect one of his treasures. And she was, had been for a while now even if she hadn’t known it.

Nothing like this would ever be allowed to happen again, even if she hated him for it. He would play the bad guy willingly if it meant keeping her alive.

Plus, he had enough patience to wait out any hatred she may have. After all they were both immortal, time was on his side.

“Yes,” He finally settled on saying. “It is within my power to rid her body of the poison.”

Paimon looked so terribly relieved and though he probably should have, he didn’t feel the least bit bad about what he was about to say next.

“You can?” Baizhu stared at him with wide eyes, disbelief warring with hope. Even Hu Tao was staring at him like she’d never seen him before, which considering everything she’d witnessed so far was fair.

“I am able to, yes. But… it will not be simple or quick. There are a lot of complications in what I’m about to do.”

“Complications?” Paimon asked worriedly.

“Yes, this will not be a quick fix.” The lie flowed like honey from his lips.”The poison in her system is incredibly potent and will need to be drained slowly over a period of time. She will need to stay in my adeptal domain where she will constantly be surrounded by my power. Even if everything goes as it should she won’t be able to leave for months or longer, not until it’s fully out of her system.”

Paimon’s face broke. “M-months? She’ll have to be there for months or longer? Like years?”

“Your adeptal domain…” Hu Tao said, placing a hand on Paimon’s back in silent reassurance. “If you bring her there you’ll be able to fully heal her right?”

He nodded. “As loathe as I am to admit it, at this point it’s the only option we have. She won’t be able to leave for some time and until she stabilizes it would be too risky to allow anyone to stay there with her.”

“S-so Paimon won’t be able to see Lumine for months?” Her voice was so painfully distressed and he could see how difficult it was for her to take what he was saying. “Or more?”

“No, it could compromise the healing process. I will still be able to come and leave though so I can continue to update you on her condition, or pass along any messages you may have.”

It seemed that with that the dam broke and Paimon started crying, quiet sobs leaving her as she realized this was the last time she’d see her dearest friend for a long time. Hu Tao wrapped her arm around her and pulled her into a hug. Paimons tiny hands fisted in her jacket, holding onto her for dear life.

“It won’t be forever Paimon.” Hu Tao reassured her. “She just needs some time to get better and it's Zhongli. If he says he can heal her then we can trust in him, he may be a bore but he isn’t a liar.”

“Indeed,” Baizhu spoke from where he was still standing over Lumine, hand back on her to continue healing what he could. “Changsheng speaks highly of Zhongli’s expertise and according to her he is the most qualified out of all of us to handle this. You will continue to update us, correct?”

He had forgotten that among the many people Lumine had drawn to her like a moth to flame, Baizhu was one of the many who had been helped by her boundless kindness. He knew she considered the man a good friend and apparently the sentiment was shared.

 

“Of course.”

“You can take off as much time as you need for this Zhongli,” Hu Tao spoke over Paimons shoulder. “Just make sure she’s okay.”

“I will ensure that she heals fully, on that you have my word.”

With that, as if handling something precious, his arms slipped beneath her and lifted her unconscious body close to him. She was limp in his arms but he could feel her breath against where her face was positioned into his neck.

Paimon glanced up from Hu Tao’s shoulder and she looked absolutely miserable seeing Lumine completely unconscious in his arms, near death. This whole experience must have been incredibly trying for her but she stayed by Lumine’s side regardless. It made Zhongli happy to know that she had someone who seemed to genuinely care for her the way Paimon did.

Shame they wouldn’t be able to see one another, not until he was sure she was safe.

“She will recover Paimon. As I said, I’ve given my word and you know more than most that I never go back on my word.”

And he did. He gave his word he’d heal her, her mental state however wasn’t included in that.

“O-okay.” She warbled out. “I-I’ll hold you to that. If not I’ll make dragon skewers out of you.”

He could see the way Hu Tao paused at her words though he couldn’t be mad at Paimon for letting that bit slip, she was far too emotional at the moment to mind her words. At this point he knew Hu Tao had already worked out he was some sort of adeptus but now with the implication that he was a dragon, it wouldn’t be too far of a guess to figure out he was Rex Lapis.

Whether or not she would was debatable, but the possibility was there. Knowing her though, it wouldn’t change much.

“Xiao.”

“Yes my lord.” Xiao had continued to stand in the background, observing everything as a silent guard.

“I cannot say for certain when I will be back, please continue to watch over Paimon in the meantime. I do not wish for the Traveler to be stressed about her companion when she wakes.”

“Of course.” He said with a bow. “Your will shall be done.”

“Good, then we will be departing.” With barely a thought he reached within himself, into the well of his own power, and summoned something he hadn’t touched in thousands of years. A gleaming gold mora formed in the palm of his hand.

To most, it would seem like just another typical mora, one among many. But to those who had any sensitivity to magic it was filled to the brim with power, dense enough that even staring at it felt like a physical weight.

This was the key to access his domain.

With his coin in hand he let it activate, a pull at his navel as they were sucked into it and the world faded in a rush of color. The cold, sterile exam room disappeared to a wide grassland where the grass shone a gleaming gold beneath the sun above, sky bluer than what was possible outside a realm like this.The raised cliffsides created a waterfall with water that sparkled, golden fish swimming through the waters. It was an idyllic scene with its towering willows with leaves just as gold as everything else.

The beauty of the land couldn’t compare to the massive mansion that was built into the places center. It was large and built in Liyue’s style of architecture, more grandiose than even the likes of the jade chamber. It was stunning even after years of refusing to set foot in this place.

Despite this place being his, he hadn’t actually designed much of his adeptal abode. From the landscape to the mansion, Guizhong had been the mastermind behind it all. When she had died even the idea of returning to a place that held her memory in every speck of power that built it had seemed too painful.

One day turned to two, turned to a year, turned to five until thousands of years had passed and he still felt like returning here was like a fresh round wound being lashed into his heart every time.

But he needed this space. It was perfect for his purposes, isolated enough in a place where he could control everything.

With barely a thought the massive doors opened for him of their own volition and he stepped onto the gleaming gold floors, Lumine asleep and blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. It was time to start this play, there was no going back.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

He had chosen to put her in one of the rooms on the uppermost floors. It was as massive as everything else in here, covered in every inch in furniture so expensive even Childe would pause and finery decorating everywhere the eye could see. There was even an attached bathroom and she would have no reason to need to leave the safety of the space he’d prepared for her. Lovingly, he placed her on the large bed and the sight of her lying pliant against sheets whose splendor actually fit what he knew she deserved was marred by how sickly she was, lips almost an unnatural blue.

Before they got to anything else this would need to be dealt with first.

Once more he settled a hand against her chest and without any hesitation sent his power rushing into her. Even without his gnosis the power concentrated in his magic was enough to burn away the poison and after expending a fair bit of energy, he’d managed to completely rid her of its influence. She would be weak for a time upon waking but that was perfectly fine, on the plus side it should also have burned through whatever she’d been sick with.

When Zhongli had struck down Xiao’s previous master and took him into his service, he’d learned many of the man's methods and techniques. Personally, he found them distasteful but in this case he was glad that he’d taken the time to learn. Needs must after all. A god understood that better than anyone, that anyone could do anything in the right set of circumstances.

One of the things he’d learned was a brand that controlled whoever it was placed on, increased fertility for purposes that were obvious. The man had used it on the women he’d taken from the lands he’d conquered, his concubines. It was a way to completely control another person, to induce whatever you wanted them to feel. Their very senses no longer became theirs but the one who branded them.

He frowned down at her torn dress, caked with dirt and spots of blood. With a small gesture the adeptal energy within his realm came to life and created a simple nightdress. That done he used his sharpened claws to cut away her dress, took off her other accouterments, and despite still looking pale and sick the sight before him remained one of the most breathtaking he’d ever seen.

She was completely bare to him, naked save for those tiny bloomers he’d seen peek out from beneath her dress when she bent over too far. Her body was toned, with visible muscle from her lifestyle and her breasts were just as perfect as he’d imagined. Round and full with pretty pink nipples.

A draconic hunger, the need to claim her now that she was exactly where she was meant to be, roared through him and it was only patience borne from thousands of years that kept him from just reaching down and taking one of those nipples into his mouth.

There would be time for that later.

He happily tore his gloves off and savored the feel of her skin against his, hand trailing down her stomach right above her crotch. Closing his eyes, Zhongli focused, shaping and forcing his power into her. A golden tattoo began to form, glowing interlocking lines that formed his mark.

Even when he’d liberated Xiao from his master he had never been horrified at the other gods actions, after all to a god the morals often touted by mortals didn’t apply. It had suited the mans needs therefore he’d done what he’d done, Zhongli understood that. So as his hand rubbed reverently at the freshly formed tattoo, his mark a claim on her very soul, he didn’t feel disgusted or regretful of his choice.

As Zhongli, were he still entertaining those sensibilities, he would have. Any mortal would see what he was doing and consider him vile after all.

With a sense of regret he slowly pulled on her nightdress, happy to be able to clothe her in such expensive silk. She didn’t need that other dress anymore considering it was in shreds.
Dress on, he took care tucking her into bed.

That finally done he sat himself down at the large desk by the room’s main window and reclined on the chair there, one leg tucked over the other. Summoning a book he knew there was much time yet before she actually awoke, before things would truly begin.

With this she was completely his and even if she hated him, cursed him, he would never regret his decision.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------

Unconsciousness was pleasant to her, a warmth that surrounded her and made her feel safe. The first thing she felt coming out of that, waking up, was pain. Pure and utter pain like she’d been thrown into a blender and pureed for good measure. Her mouth was so dry it hurt and the second she opened her eyes the bright light felt like knives piercing her skull, it was enough to make her want to vomit. She whined and tried to shut her eyes but the damage was already done and her head was throbbing.

She tried to move her body, tried to do anything but lie there in pain, but no matter what she tried her body just wouldn’t listen to her. Pain and panic built on one another and all she could think about was that she needed the pain to stop.

That she’d do anything to make it stop.

The palm of someone's hand landed on her forehead and she tensed, only to melt at the way it swept her sweaty bangs out of her face. It felt pleasant through the mire of agony, a warmth radiating from it that chased away the worse of the pain.

“Don’t worry Lumine, it’s just me.”

Oh she knew that voice, that was Zhongli. She’d recognize that voice anywhere. She relaxed even further, knowing that if he was here then she really was safe. It helped that whatever he was doing with his magic was relieving the pain.

“You were in an accident my dear, but you’re fine now. You just need to rest and heal. Don’t worry about anything and try to get some more sleep, I’ll take care of everything.”

She whimpered into his hand, even with whatever he was doing she still felt terrible.

“I know, let me see if I can help further.”

That warmth built and she felt more of what she realized was him seep into her. It should have felt strange but all she could feel was how pleasant it was. It chased the pain away and left her floaty, like she wasn’t quite in her body.

She never wanted him to stop touching her.

It didn’t take long after that for her to fall back to sleep, more restful than she’d been before.

To her surprise the second time she woke up she felt marginally better. Her body still felt like she’d taken a direct punch from a ruin guard but the pain was doable. The room she found herself in though was completely alien, expensive with gold finery everywhere. This was nowhere she would be able to afford and even in past worlds when she and her brother had been considered royalty or gods by the locals this still would have been out of their reach.

There was a massive window showing the land outside, a paradise of gold with the most stunningly beautiful sky she’d ever seen. The sun was bright in a sea of blue and she knew instinctively she wasn’t in the real world.

She wondered where she was but the last thing she remembered was being on that commission and returning to Liyue. She’d been sick and they’d fought that monster but after that it was all blank.

Before panic even had a chance to set in she heard a voice from the doorway. “Are you awake Lumine?”

She blinked dumbly at the noise and found herself staring at Zhongli. He came walking in with a tray of something that was steaming and smelled good even from where she was lying. In this world of gold he fit right in, as if he was meant to be here.

“Zhongli?” She rasped.

“Indeed, it is a good sign you can talk and that you can recognize me.” He used one hand to drag a chair close to the bed as he smiled at her. “How are you feeling?”

“‘M okay. Hurting though.”

“That’s to be expected considering what you went through.”

What she went through? “Wha’ happened?”

He frowned and for a second she was tempted to reach out and smooth it away from his perfect face. “You were attacked by a monster, do you remember that?”

She nodded.

“Good, that’s a good sign. The monster you fought used a very powerful, ancient poison that required I bring you here to heal.”

It was like reality finally set in and she remembered Paimon, her closest companion who was nowhere to be seen. She quickly pushed herself into sitting, bearing through the pain of moving with gritted teeth. “What happened to Paimon?! And where’s here?”

“Paimon is perfectly fine besides being distressed by your condition, she’s back in Liyue Harbor. I have ensured she will be watched over by Xiao so there is no need for you to worry. Currently we are in my adeptal domain, healing you required you to be here.”

“Oh… well thank you Zhongli.”

She deflated quickly against the headboard as all her panicked energy left her. She was lucky, if healing her meant Zhongli had gotten involved then that meant it had been serious enough that Baizhu hadn’t been enough to rid her of the poison. And he even made sure Xiao was looking out for Paimon even though he hadn’t needed to.

She had long since been fond of this man but it was moments like this where she was so grateful for his friendship.

“It is no problem whatsoever, I am just happy to see you awake. Do you think you’d be able to stomach any food?”

She thought for a minute and realized she was actually really hungry. She nodded.

He placed the tray in her lap and she thought vaguely that he must have thought she’d wake up soon to already have food prepared. It was a simple, light noodle dish and it smelled even more mouth watering up close than it had been from a distance. “I know I said it already but thank you so much Zhongli. This smells super good. Did you make this?”

“Ah, in a manner of speaking, yes. I can create anything within this space, to create food is no challenge.”

She swallowed down a delicious mouthful of noodles. “That’s so not fair, I can’t do that in my own teapot.”

“It doesn’t surprise me. After all it took me a millennia of practice before I was able to make anything edible.”

“I don’t know why I find that funny but I do.”

“You would not be the only one. Guizhong often bemoaned my inability to make anything edible and took great pleasure in teasing me about it until I improved enough to meet her standards.”

“Guizhong…you don’t talk about her much.”

He froze and she cursed her mouth, of course he didn’t talk about her much. Her brain to mouth filter was lacking at the moment. “At one point it was because bringing her up hurt too much but as the years have passed and the world has changed so to have I. Now, it's more because I just haven't had any need to. Returning here has made me nostalgic. This was a place that she helped build and there’s no corner of this place that wasn’t touched by her power.”

“She helped you build this?”

“Yes, most of it is her design.”

The conversation between them carried on as he caught her up on everything that had happened, how everyone was doing. Apparently it had been four days since he’d healed her and he was surprised that she was even awake yet. It didn’t take her long to finish her food and by that time the grogginess had begun to set in. She hadn’t done much more than eat and talk but she felt like she’d taken on an entire crew of treasure hoarders.

When he noticed her beginning to nod out he disappeared the dishes in front of her with a wave of his hand, urging her to get some more rest.

That time she fell asleep and she did so with a smile, she was safe and taken care of after all.

When she woke up a third time she was completely alone and when she sniffed down at herself, her nose scrunched. She desperately needed a shower and a fresh change of clothes. She was just thankful that there was a bathroom attached right to the room and when she padded across the floor, she was happy to note how stable she felt.

She may still be weak but it wasn’t to where it had been,

The bathroom was large, all white and black marble with a huge tub. She found toiletries already placed out for her on the counter, including a fresh towel and what looked like another nightgown. She smiled as she touched the fabric of the dress, Zhongli really was incredibly considerate.

She started the water and when she looked down at herself she wondered where her own dress had gone and who had fitted her into this one. It was such an expensive silk nightgown, all flowing lines and tasteful lace. Had Hu Tao changed her before Zhongli brought her here? He did mention she had been there.

What she wasn’t prepared for was the sight that greeted her once she pulled it off. On her lower stomach, right above her crotch, was a glowing tattoo that she knew for a fact hadn’t been there before. The golden lines were intricate and met in the center, pulsing with a faint light.

Her breath caught as panic started to course through her, shaky fingers rubbing over the mark. Zhongli hadn’t mentioned this.

She tried to reason with herself that maybe he’d forgotten in the heat of the moment, that maybe this was something that had been necessary for her treatment but something like doubt lingered in the back of her head.

She needed to speak with Zhongli but he wasn’t around. So, taking a steadying breath she resolved to just do what was in front of her; first order of business bathe and feel less like absolute death, then grill Zhongli on whatever was on her lower stomach.

And ask why he hadn’t told her about it sooner.

The water soothed her still aching limbs but despite how good it felt her anxiety wouldn’t let her enjoy herself. She had always been a worrier, the planner between her and her brother. While she had no idea what was happening she could make plans, clear and concise where this situation was anything but.

Bath finished, hair and teeth brushed, she finally felt clean but Zhongli still wasn’t anywhere in sight. She was still completely alone it seemed. It was with careful steps that she explored the room and though it was certainly extravagant it was also simple. Despite knowing that being here probably reminded him of Guizhong she still had to wonder why he didn’t just stay here.

It was so nice and suited him.

Making her way to the door she made up her mind to explore the rest of this place while she waited for Zhongli only for her body to explode in a rush of agony as soon as her hand wrapped around the door knob. She’d been hurt a lot in her long life, had experienced pain of all sorts but nothing prepared her for what felt like a shot of Ei’s lighting straight through her nerves. She felt like she was being seared alive from the inside out and she didn’t even feel how she slammed into the floor.

Was she screaming? She honestly couldn’t tell with the ringing in her ears.

It took a long time for the pain to fade and at that point she could taste the salt of her own tears, how hoarse her throat felt from what had likely been her screaming.

On shaky limbs she managed to pick herself up onto her hands and knees, staring at the doorknob in disbelief.

What in the hell just happened?

Lumine hoped against all hope that she was wrong but before she could second guess herself she reached out to touch the door again. Just as it had happened before the pain sent her right back to the floor, fingernails clawing at the ground for some sort of purchase from the agony.

It took her what felt like an eternity for the spasms to fade and even longer before she felt steady enough to actually get up off the floor. The proof was undeniable, touching the door caused her pain and she was trapped in here.

Panic was starting to set in again but Lumine knew how to work through her own anxiety, brain already problem solving. If she couldn’t leave through the door then she’d try the window.

The main window was massive and she could see the latch where it opened. Her relief was short lived because as soon as her fingers grazed the glass that same excruciating pain shot through her and if she thought experiencing a third time would make it easier to deal with, she was wrong.

It got worse each time.

It left her curled onto her side on the floor, openly crying. Her limbs weren’t responding to her, spasming and the aftershocks of pain continued to linger. That was how Zhongli found her and it was only when his hands slipped beneath her that she even realized he was here in the first place. Gently, he carried her back to the bed without a word.

“Z-Zhongli.” She rasped, throat sore from screaming. “I tried to leave, b-but I couldn’t. What’s happening? A-and why do I have a tattoo on my stomach?”

His hands, free of their gloves, swept some of the wet hair away from her face just as gently as he’d returned her to bed. “I had hoped that we would have some time before having this conversation, that it would take you longer to recover from the poison's effects but it doesn’t surprise me that this happened so early.”

Her stomach sunk and what felt like a blast of cryo rushed through her, all that panic she’d tried to beat back surging forward with a vengeance. “W-what does that even mean, Zhongli?”

“What it means is that you won’t be leaving here, at least not any time soon. That mark will keep you here, keep you safe.”

He looked as calm as ever saying those twisted words, like he was commenting on the weather or telling her about some tea he’d drank. She thought she had heard wrong but the more she played back his words the more she realized she hadn't misheard. She didn’t understand, couldn’t but apparently this pain was from Zhongli. He fully meant to trap her in this room. “What the fuck Zhongli. You- do you even hear yourself? You can’t just keep me here like this.”

His eyes met hers and she could tell how deathly serious he was. “I don’t think you understand Lumine, you quite literally almost died. If I hadn’t been there you would have.”

“And so that means you can keep me trapped here?!” She laughed hysterically. “Are you even hearing yourself right now?! You sound psychotic.”

“You can take it however you wish and if that’s how you wish to view my words it’s fine. But I will say, you were sick. You should not have had any business going on a commission and yet you did so anyways. Even worse, you took it upon yourself to hunt down a monster that nearly killed you for your foolishness.”

“People were dead Zhongli! I couldn’t just leave that thing to do whatever it wanted and I was fine!”

Zhongli had always been a source of safety but in this moment all he made her want to do was run. She felt more trapped than she could ever remember being, inching her way up the headboard to put as much space between them as possible.

“Quite frankly, I don’t care. The death of others is a regrettable affair but you are far more important to me than anyone else. As it is, I can’t trust you to take care of yourself and I fear if I leave you be then this incident will repeat itself. Or that you will actually end up dead. Even if I scare you right now, even if you hate me, this is what’s best for you.”

She had never felt betrayal the way she had felt in that moment and it was like she’d never seen him before in her life. This person, this monster in front of her couldn’t be Zhongli. Her sweet, kind, socially awkward Zhongli. She had thought she was cried out but her body surprised her as tears welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. He went to wipe them and she slapped his hand away.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” She screamed, voice fading into a distressed whisper. “Just don’t you fucking psycho.”

He arched one of his brows at the name. “You may feel how you like and call me whatever names you wish but it will still not change the facts. This is where you’ll be safest.”

“I trusted you.” Gods she sounded so pathetic, so hurt. “You were my friend, how could you do this?”

“When it comes to your safety I will do anything. Even if it runs afoul of mortal morality.”

Lumine had a very bad habit of turning to anger when she was too overwhelmed and it had always been Aether who managed to calm her down, to make her actually think through her actions. But in this moment she was alone in a room with someone she’d thought was a friend, who had shackled her and trapped her here for what he deemed her own good.

Anger was better than fear and in that moment she fully embraced the rage. She may be stuck in here but so was he. If he wouldn’t let her leave then she’d just have to beat him within an inch of his life until he did. Ex god or no. There was no way she could allow herself to be stuck here, she had her journey, her friends.

Her brother.

Quick as a viper she lunged but he moved just as fast, grabbing her wrists to bodily slam her into the mattress, arms linked above her head in a punishing grip. She could care less though, kicking at him and letting out a frustrated shriek when he slotted himself between her legs to hold her down. When all else failed she lashed out like a feral animal and tried to bite him.

He just held her down as calm as could be, like he wasn’t kidnapping her. When nothing else worked she just spat at him. It landed right on his perfect fucking face and the pride she felt at being able to hit him with anything was a welcome distraction from her own growing terror. But those amber eyes just stared down at her as she continued to cuss him out, completely unamused.

She barely caught the flash of something dark cross his face as he wiped her spit off.

“You will not attack me, in any manner.” His voice was so final and she wanted to tell him exactly where he could shove that order when she kicked at him again.

Like the times before the pain was immediate and even more intense. He back arched and she screamed, body locking up and spasming. Her vision whited out and when she finally came back into herself, trying to just get enough air in her lungs, it was to him having released her. He was still watching her and she wanted nothing more than to run him through with her sword. She should have attacked him with her sword but she had just been focused on hurting him, needing to punch his face in with every fibre of her being, not actually thinking about the best way to go about it.

“What did you do.” She grit out.

“Has Xiao ever told you about his previous master?”

The anger she had been trying to feel disappeared like mist in the night at that, turning right back into nauseating fear. Xiao hadn’t told her much but the bit he had was nightmare fuel, a cruel master who forced him to do unspeakable things. When his hand reached out to smooth itself against her stomach, right on top of the brand, she flinched. She couldn’t handle another round of pain, she was completely at his mercy and at this point she didn’t know what he was capable of anymore.

His hand didn’t push further down thankfully. “Xiao’s master had many types of methods to control his different subjects. One of those is the tattoo I’ve marked you with, my mark specifically. My rules become your reality, what I say controls you and your body. You can disobey if you wish but you will be punished for it. Pleasure, pain, everything you feel is based on my word.”

She curled up as far away from him as she could, his touch made her want to crawl out of her skin. “Y-you’re a fucking monster. You can’t keep me here, someone will come looking for me.”

When he smiled at her it was like he was indulging a small child, how had she ever found this man charming? “Not so my dear. Everyone believes that you need to be here with me for months or even years in order to heal. No one will interfere.”

Her panic was drowning her and the whiplash she felt at watching one of her best friends turn into a monster was overwhelming her. Those quiet tears devolved into full on sobs.

“Don’t cry my dear.” His hand cupped her face and she flinched once more. “It may be hard right now but I promise you will be happy here. You will want for nothing, whatever you want will be yours.”

“I hate you.” She wobbled out.

“That’s fine, I’ll love you enough for the both of us until you can return my feelings.”

Oh god, how did it get worse. The nausea was coming back in full force.

“Please.” She begged. “Let me go. Don’t do this.”

“I can’t let you leave and we both know that, but I’m not a complete monster. I won’t touch you without your permission dear.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief. Even if she couldn’t be certain he was telling the truth at this point she’d take whatever she could get.

“Though when you choose to ask me is another matter entirely.”

The glare she shot him through her own tears, wiping at her nose, conveyed exactly what she thought about that. “Like hell I’ll ever ask.”

When he smiled it was amused, he was entertained by her answer. “Do remember that then my dear, because I will not touch you otherwise.”

She wasn’t expecting the rush of heat that curled low in her gut. It was pleasant, like warm honey through her veins and she had to fight the way her body tried to relax into it. The feeling was alien, it wasn’t how she actually felt but that didn’t matter. Her body was being turned against her and she had no say in the matter.

“What the fuck did you just do.” She hissed out, tears petering out.

“Simply showing you some of what that mark can do.” He rose from the bed, leaving her cowering against the headboard. Calmly like this was just another day he walked over to the far corner of the room and pulled out a chair, book suddenly appearing in his hand. “I will say you aren’t allowed to touch or relieve yourself though either.:

He leaned back then, fully focused on his book like she wasn’t even there. The first nudges of that heat were pleasant, a sense of safety in this situation where she had none, and her toes curled. She was hot and it felt like she desperately needed to cool herself down, to pull off that night gown and let her skin breathe. But she refused, he wanted her to crack and she would fight him with everything she had.

She was able to breathe through it well enough right up until the aching began. That heat curled further inside her, setting her body on fire and she felt so incredibly empty it was uncomfortable. She clenched on nothing and she could feel just how wet she was starting to get. The need to touch herself, to just stick her fingers inside herself and ride them to completion, was so strong.

But she couldn’t. Whenever she tried it was like her body locked up, she couldn’t even rub her thighs together and she was left to ride out this painful edge. She curled further into her side and dug her nails into the skin of her arms, trying desperately to use the pain to tether herself.

She refused to ask him to touch her, she’d rather die.

At least that was what she continued telling herself, repeating it like a mantra while her body craved nothing more than for her to just give in. It wasn’t pleasant anymore, there was no cloying warmth and no sense of being able to relax, it was a type of pain she’d never felt before. It was a painful urge to just open her legs and give in, she needed to be filled. She needed relief.

Even just a simple touch would be enough to send her over the edge.

The feelings, the need, swept her up in a relentless current and she could no longer hold in the moans. They were breathy and wrecked, so full of need. Thought started to go and her entire world became the sensations Zhongli was making her feel, the deep ache that made her want to cry and how desperate she was just for any sort of relief.

It was to a point where she couldn’t even form rational thoughts and she wondered why she was even fighting this. Zhongli was right there, could fix the amount of pain she was in and help her find some relief.

Who cared if it was right? He could help her.

“Zhongli.” She turned towards him, panting like a whore in heat. “Can you touch me, please? I need you.”

To her distress he didn’t even bother looking up from his book. “Oh? I thought you said you’d never ask me to touch you. You even called me such colorful names, ‘psycho’ I believe you said.”

She keened, it was such a desperate noise and while she should have felt shame she just didn’t care anymore. She’d never needed anyone more than she needed this man. “‘M sorry, I didn’t mean it. I want you.”

He finally looked up but didn’t budge. “Are you sure dear? I don’t want you to regret this later.”

She wanted to scream, who cared if she’d regret this later she needed him now.

“Won’t regret it, just need you please.” He still didn’t move from his spot so she did the only thing she could think of, she pulled off her night gown and slid her bloomers down her leg. She opened her legs to show him just how wet she was. “Please Zhongli?”

For the first time he let that hunger show itself on his face and she could see the way his eyes were drawn to the mark on her stomach before looking at her soaked cunt. “How can I say no since you’ve asked so prettily.”

When he stood he took his time making his way over to her, shedding his clothes at such a sedate pace that she was ready to just pounce on him and get it over with. When he dropped his drawers though and his cock popped out, thicker than anyone she’d ever taken and flushed with desire, she didn’t even bother trying to hide the whine.

He was right in front of her, his cock in her face. He yanked her head back by the hair and when he kissed her it was like he was trying to devour her. It was filthy and desperate and she knew that it didn’t matter whatever this man had done, he was making her feel good and that was all she cared about.

He pulled back, pupils blown wide as he stared down at her. “You’re not allowed to cum either unless I say so. Do you understand?”

This time she actually did cry, a broken plea leaving her lips but he wasn’t having any of it. No matter how much she begged he wouldn’t budge.

“Do you understand?” He still had his hands wrapped around her hair and he tightened his grip, expecting her to answer him.

“Y-yes.”

“Don’t look at me like that dear, if you’re a good girl I’ll let you cum. Now get on your knees in front of me, I want to see you take me into your mouth.”

She readily complied and couldn’t move fast enough to take him in her hand. He was hot and when her fingers wrapped around the base of him he twitched. She leant forward, that woodsy scent of his so strong, and kissed at his head. She could taste the salty taste of his precum and she shivered.

His hand was petting her hair as she started to pump her hands, mouth wrapping around his head. She swirled her tongue and was rewarded with a groan, hollowing her mouth and enjoying how he bucked into her mouth. She started bobbing her head, letting her tongue drag along the underside of his cock as her hands pumped where her mouth couldn’t reach.

It was hard and she had to fight her gag reflex but she finally worked him down to the base, nose pressed into his pubic hair. She was surrounded by Zhongli and when she looked up at him through the tears she was gifted with how he was looking at her like a man starved. Like he was so ready to just bend her over and fuck her into the bed.

She moaned around him at the idea and when she started moving she made sure her free hand fondled his balls as she kept his gaze. She had always been a big fan of giving head but right now with how oversensitive she was she had to wonder if it would be possible to cum just from giving oral. He felt so good in her mouth and as she choked on him she moaned.

“You’re such a good girl Lumine.” He panted out. “The perfect treasure.”

Her toes curled and she clenched around nothing at his words. He had been content to let her set the pace but it seemed like he’d reached his limit, hands fisting her hair on either side of her head and slamming her face down onto him. He fucked her face fast and hard, and the fact he was using her so thoroughly made her even hornier than she already was.

Her name left his lips so reverently and there had never been a more beautiful sound. She tried to hollow out her cheeks even as drool rolled down her chin. He was stunning, taking her mouth like he owned it and rutting into her like an animal in heat.

She could feel him twitching, could feel him falter and she knew he was close. He went even harder as he chased his release and finally he pulled her flush against him until she was choking, cumming down her throat.

She dutifully took it all, drank every last drop and when he popped out of her mouth it was to the sight of her having swallowed all his cum.

His thumb pressed against her lower lip and she drew it into her mouth, sucking and trying to convey just how much she needed him inside her with her eyes.

“You are the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.” He brought his mouth to hers and the kiss was just as hungry as it had been before, he was still hard and still wanted her. “You are all mine, are you not Lumine?”

“Yes.” She rasped out, voice hoarse and tears still going because she so desperately needed him. “‘M yours.”

“Such a good girl. Tell me dear, would you like to be pregnant with my child?”

Child? Something inside her swirled into awareness at those words, how that was something she didn’t want. How he was the last man she would ever want a child with. But the heat chased it away, anything that wasn’t Zhongli and easing the pain between her legs didn’t matter.

The idea of being full of him, enough to have his child was everything she wanted right now.

Words were hard so she just nodded and hoped he could sense how ready she was. It was the right answer because his expression was so pleased.

“I see, that's good then. If you wish for such a thing then who am I to deny you.” He climbed onto the bed with her. “Get on your hands and knees for me and turn around.”

She was so ready as she turned, her ass perked up in the air. At first he did nothing and when she looked over her shoulder she could see the way he was drinking in the sight of her. His hand reached out to pull her soaked folds open and she moaned. He was so close to what she needed but not close enough.

He pulled back but before she could complain she felt his hand on her hip, something nudging into her entrance. He pushed into her slowly and she actually screamed, she was so on edge that it should’ve been enough to make her cum but it was like her body refused to let her have any form of release. Was she still crying? It was hard to tell but she thought she could hear herself begging him, babbling his name.

He bottomed out completely and bent over her, voice low in her ear. “I suppose it should make you happy that the specific mark I gave you was meant for concubines, it increases fertility. So don’t worry my dear, after this you really will be full of my child.”

The most she could say was his name and it left her lips as a prayer, she needed him to move.

“Now why don’t you show me just how much you want it, fuck yourself on my cock.”

Bracing her weight on her forearms she started rolling her hips and the noises that left her mouth were so unlike her that had she been more aware she would’ve been ashamed. He felt so good inside her, stretching her and when she slammed her hips against him he hit that spot inside her that made her scream.

She worked herself against him and it further dragged her along that painful edge. She was so close and no matter how fast she rolled herself down onto him, no matter how she pushed herself back, her body just wouldn’t cum.

Lumine was hurting and finally, taking mercy on her, his hands wrapped around her hips and he slammed in. All the strength in her arms left her as he fucked into her like a man possesed, a frenzied pace that continued to draw out her screams.

Tears and snot mixed onto the expensive sheets and then he grabbed her arms, lanking them back until her back was bowed and continued to fuck her full. Was it possible to feel so much pleasure you could break? She didn’t know but she was well on her way to finding out as her full weight was placed right where they met, deepening the angle.

When he released her arms to pound into her even harder, strong enough that the bed jolted violently against the wall, she was so fucked stupid that she wasn’t even able to say his name anymore. All she was, was a pliant doll in his arms as he took whatever he wanted and pushed her higher and higher. His mouth worked against her, biting and kissing wherever he could.

He grabbed her by the face and turned it toward him, kissing her just as thoroughly as he was taking her. “You’ve been such a good girl when I cum dear, so can you.”

She could barely think but she slammed her hips even harder into him at that. She needed to cum more than she’d needed anything in her life. Shame would come later but right now he was giving her everything she needed, was going to finally give her release. There was no one more important to her at the moment than this man.

Finally, his thrusts started becoming erratic and she knew he was close. Fingernails shifting into claws they bit into her hip as he thrust into her one more time. She felt the heat of his release inside her and it was like the dam that had been stubbornly closed opened. She came harder than she’d ever had in her life, squirting all over him as her vision completely whited out.

She had never felt something both so good and so painful in her life but it was everything she needed. When she came back to herself she was struggling to catch her breath. He had rolled them onto their sides and he was lazily sucking even more marks into the back of her neck, still tucked inside her.

Lumine was so wonderfully sated, thoughts still being chased away, that she was able to just bask in the pleasant haze he’d given her.

His hand was resting on her stomach, right above her mark.

“You are perfect. So perfect and all mine Lumine, I will never let you go and with this even without the mark you are forever bound to me. You’ll look even more beautiful with a belly swollen with my child, I can’t wait. Can you?”

She was more worn out than she’d ever been and despite being completely cried and fucked out of tears, one still managed to roll down her face. She didn’t know why she was crying but she didn’t have the mental capacity to think about it. Closing her eyes, she was finally able to sleep once more. Blessed unconsciousness taking her.