Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

"Mmm, so refreshing... Ugh!" Wendy's face was flushed red, clearly showing signs of drunkenness.

“Demons don’t get drunk.” Xuan Qing transmitted his voice to Wendy, causing Wendy to pause in her drink, but she quickly downed another glass of wine, a smile spreading across her face: “I’m just a person now…”

Xuanqing gazed at him quietly: "That person is gone."

“…Hmm…” Wendy put down her glass, still smiling, and buried her head in her arms.

A moment of silence fell.

After a long silence, Wendy finally spoke: "Tell me, why doesn't the Demon God get drunk?" Xuan Qing did not answer.

"Why... can humans see the person they long for when they're drunk..." Xuan Qing still didn't answer.

“The Demon God cannot get drunk… Even if I disguise myself as a human… I still… cannot see him…” Wendy’s eyes were filled with tears, her vision gradually blurring, but Xuan Qing still did not answer.

Looking at Wendy in front of him, Xuan Qing's eyes also filled with nostalgia—

"Hey, Xuanqing, why are you sitting here alone again?" A young man who looked very similar to Xiao, with long flowing hair and dressed like a refined gentleman, appeared.

“Jin Xuan, you know perfectly well that I dislike noisy occasions,” Xuan Qing said.

"Oh~, I don't like it~, I feel like someone is running away~" The boy named Jin Xuan asked the cold and aloof demon god in front of him with a smile.

"..." Xuan Qing stopped looking at him and turned her head away without answering.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're ignoring me now? Come on, I'm sorry." Jin Xuan slipped back into his field of vision and apologized with a smile.

"I'm not angry," Xuan Qing said calmly.

"Alright, alright, you're not angry. Then, my lord, if you're not angry, would you do me the honor of attending a banquet?" Jin Xuan bowed to Xuan Qing, as if he knew this tactic would work on him.

Xuanqing eventually went to the banquet, since it was, in essence, a banquet held for him.

The streetlights were dazzling. In ancient Liyue, people used lanterns to express their longing and make wishes for the next life.

At that banquet, Jin Xuan transformed into his true form as a golden-winged roc, soaring into the heavens and leading the sky lanterns as they danced in the sky, just like a phoenix, after all, their clan inherently possessed the bloodline of the phoenix.

After the dance ended, he would transform back into human form and return to Xuan Qing to claim credit, hoping to see those smiling eyes on his face. Later...

Xuanqing snapped out of her daze and saw Wendy still drinking, as if finishing all the alcohol would stop her tears from falling.

"Wendy, stop drinking. I'll take you... to see him." Xuan Qing's words made Wendy stop drinking, but he didn't say anything or ask anything. He just followed Xuan Qing, completely different from his daytime self.

(Where are you taking him?) Xuan Yue asked.

(Take him home once.) Xuanqing replied.

(Home? Isn't his home in Mondstadt? Why would he come to this place where there are hurricanes?)

(Even a wanderer returning home has a place to return to, but a prodigal son returning home, is his home still there?) Xuan Yue still didn't understand, but he knew what Wendy was sad about, so he didn't ask any more questions, but simply passed on some power to Xuan Qing.

(Use it sparingly, or you'll hurt yourself later, and then I'll see if I still talk to you!) Xuan Yue threatened angrily.

(it is good.)

Xuanqing led Wendy into this place known as the Wind Dragon Ruins. He then led Wendy to a section of ruins and stopped there.

"Grandpa Qingyue, do you know where this place is? Why did you lead me this way?" Wendy perked up and teased with a smile.

He's still here, waiting for you.

"!" Wendy's smile vanished instantly, but then she shook her head as if coming to her senses, saying, "Grandpa Qingyue, don't lie to me, he has already sacrificed himself... more than 800 years ago..." The further she spoke, the softer Wendy's voice became, as if shrouded in shadow.

Xuanqing covered his eyes with her hands, and then removed them.

“Look again, he’s right there.”

At this moment, Wendy saw a boy who looked exactly like him, holding a xylophone and wearing a Cecilia flower, the symbol of purity in Mondstadt, pinned to his chest.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Barbatos.” The boy spoke, his voice identical to Wendy’s.

"Wendy... Wendy!" At that moment, Wendy rushed towards the boy, who opened his arms to welcome her.

Wendy smiled, but tears streamed down his face. Blue light emanated from his body, and he transformed back into his appearance from long ago, with small wings on his back, a tiny body, and a wind sprite version of Barbatos wearing a white hat. He was incredibly cute.

"It's been so long since I've seen you like this, Barbatos." Young Wendy smiled and gently rubbed Barbatos's little face against his chest.

The wind sprite in front of Wendy seemed to have a thousand words to say to him, circling around him. He didn't notice that Xuan Qing, who had brought him there, had already disappeared...

Barbatos kept laughing as he recounted the amusing stories of the past years to the boy, and even pushed him out of the Wind Dragon Ruins. When they were walking too slowly, he simply flew the boy all the way to Mondstadt.

It was already daytime, and Wendy's eyes sparkled. Barbatos, unconcerned about being discovered by those around them, flew through the air and explained the current state of Mondstadt to Wendy. He took her to experience all the fun places and things he had never seen before: reading in the library, playing in the sea, eating fresh food at a restaurant, and finally, lying on the cliff to watch the birds fly by...

As the sun set, Barbatos tried to take Wendy somewhere else to play, but his body passed right through her.

"Wendy..."

"It seems my time is running out..." Wendy was still smiling, a smile so radiant, as if he were still a living, breathing person.

"Don't look so sad, Barbatos. You are the guardian of Mondstadt, the god of freedom. How can you look so sad?"

"But... I really miss you... I'm afraid I'll forget you. I want to leave your mark in Mondstadt!" Barbatos' eyes filled with tears, but he couldn't stop the boy's body from turning transparent.

"Let me play you one last piece..." Wendy's eyes welled up with tears, but he still smiled, picked up his xylophone, and softly began to play:

Fly, fly!

Like a bird

Show me the world

Take me to the highest heavens

……

"No!" Barbatos awoke with a start. He looked around at the scenery; it was still the Wind Dragon Ruins, still... on those ruins...

"Barbatos..." The voice was deep and slightly hoarse, and the speaker addressed Barbatos by his full name, indicating that the person who had come was Dvalin, one of the Four Winds of Mondstadt.

"Oh, it's you. Don't worry, I'm fine." Wendy snapped out of her reverie and suddenly remembered Xuan Qing, whom she had brought with her.

"Are you looking for me?" Xuan Qing's voice came from not far away, attracting everyone's attention. The light was dim, so his expression was not visible.

"You...that was a dream, right..." Wendy's tone betrayed her disappointment.

“You already have the answer in your heart,” Xuan Qing said slowly. “He’s waiting for a farewell…”

"!" Wendy's pupils contracted. He seemed to know the answer, but still couldn't believe it.

"Thank you, Your Excellency." Tvalin thanked Xuan Qing.

"It was nothing," Xuan Qing said, extending his hand to Wendy. "I prepared a gift for you."

Xuan Qing took out a box containing a set of clothes. "From now on, you are simply yourself." With a wave of his hand, the clothes were already on Wendy's body.

The entire outfit is light green, and Wendy, now wearing a beret, a cape, and white stockings, is a striking sight.

Xuanqing took out another Cecilia flower, brushed it through Wendy's hair, and put it on his head.

"Thank you." Wendy looked at herself, then touched the flower in her hair, and solemnly thanked the person in front of her.

The sun rose in the distance, its warm light captivating. This night, I wondered, passed too quickly, or... too short...